Dark Sun Overview?
WanderingMonster
First Post
While the summaries were good, they really don't paint a picture of how it all works together. Dark Sun is great, and is worth a look even if it's just to distinguish your world apart from it.
Dragonblade
Adventurer
Dark Sun is world that was originally ruled by halflings. There were no other major PC races. There were no gods either and Athas was a very metal poor world.
This was the Blue Age. Named for the bright blue sun and the many oceans that covered the world.
Over millenia the halflings, who had psionic abilities, developed incredible bio-organic technology. Mostly this was due to Athas being a very metal poor world.
The Halflings psionic organic biotechnology was such that they finally tapped into the power of the sun itself as an unlimited power source.
But something went wrong and the sun began to change from blue to yellow. For some reason (its not really clear why), the halflings and their bio-organic technology began to die when the sun changed. Perhaps the different levels in UV radiation were now toxic or something. Anyway, to survive the halflings used their power to change their race. The most powerful halfling elders created several subraces that could survive in this new world. These were the elves, dwarves, humans, etc. Some pockets of halfling civilization survived hidden away, but the rest of the surviving halflings descended into savagery.
Thus began the Green Age. Named for the lower sea levels and the green vegetation which began to spread across the world. The Green Age was like most fantasy worlds. There were elves in the forests, knights, etc. Although there was no arcane magic, only psionics and clerical magic discovered by priests tapping into the elements, since there were no gods.
One of the new races were called the Pyreen and they were the most perfectly evolved race the halflings created. One of these Pyreen was named Rajaat. But unlike his fellows, Rajaat was born ugly and deformed. He was outcast from his people and was shunned whereever he went.
Rajaat grew bitter and hatred for all other creatures grew in his heart. One day Rajaat discovered the ruins where the halfling elders had transformed their dying people. Some of these elders had survived in a spirit like form. They told Rajaat that over the many centuries of their desembodied state they had discovered a way in which the sun might be restored to its former blue glory. They could accomplish this through a new form of power, a power that could be obtained by channelling the life force of plants and animals. They used Rajaat's hatred and turned him into their pawn. Rajaat took this knowledge and spent centuries of research, study, and practice to develop what became known as Arcane magic.
He taught others this magic, always careful to also teach them safeguards so that they did not draw too much power and thus kill the plants that powered their spells. This was Preserver magic. Rajaat's students in turn taught others. The Green Age reached its zenith.
But Rajaat secretly recruited 13 champions from those he taught. 13 whose mastery of psionics and magic both far exceeded what most people could ever hope to learn. He also recruited them for the lust for power. A lust he exploited to his own ends to make them his champions. He secretly taught them Defiler magic. Taught them that if they imposed no limits on the power they drained from plants and animals around them, they would be unstoppable.
His champions then went forth and raised mighty armies and declared genocidal wars on the other races of the age. Rajaat did this so that the world might be cleansed of the impure races and herald the return of the halflings and so that he would have his revenge upon those who had made him an outcast. But Rajaat didn't tell them everything. He told them that humans would be the exalted race and to kill the other races so humans could rule (the champions were all human).
These wars were called the Cleansing Wars and in the aftermath of their mighty battles and unrestrained defiling magic, the world was reduced to a barren desert wasteland.
Near the end of these wars, the Champions began to question Rajaat and his goals. They didn't want to rule over a dead world. Then they learned that they were merely pawns and that Rajaat planned to destroy them as well once they had finished their work. The halflings were the master race and only they were fit to rule the world.
They turned against their former master and imprisoned him in another dimension from which he could not escape. They used powerful magic to transform one of their number into a dragon. Borys became the only dragon on Athas to ever exist and became the guardian of Rajaat's extradimensional prison. The remaining champions end their wars and retire to positions as sorcerer-kings ruling over mighty city states. The only civilization left in a barren desert world.
There is a bit more to it than that, but this is generally where the first boxed set starts. The Prism Pentad novels talk about how Rajaat breaks free from his prison and then kills half of his former champions turned sorcerer kings before he is finally put down.
This is where the revised Dark Sun boxed set comes in. In the magical aftermath, rainstorms sweep across Athas, lands beyond the main campaign are revealed to be somewhat less barren and ruled by an empire of Thri-Kreen, and bio-organic halflings begin to make more of an appearance.
The setting is drastically changed from the first boxed set. Especially the rules. I personally dislike the revised Dark Sun boxed set. Anyway, hard core Dark Sun fans may point out problems with my summary. Its very abbreviated and its been a long time since I read any Dark Sun material so my memory is hazy.
This was the Blue Age. Named for the bright blue sun and the many oceans that covered the world.
Over millenia the halflings, who had psionic abilities, developed incredible bio-organic technology. Mostly this was due to Athas being a very metal poor world.
The Halflings psionic organic biotechnology was such that they finally tapped into the power of the sun itself as an unlimited power source.
But something went wrong and the sun began to change from blue to yellow. For some reason (its not really clear why), the halflings and their bio-organic technology began to die when the sun changed. Perhaps the different levels in UV radiation were now toxic or something. Anyway, to survive the halflings used their power to change their race. The most powerful halfling elders created several subraces that could survive in this new world. These were the elves, dwarves, humans, etc. Some pockets of halfling civilization survived hidden away, but the rest of the surviving halflings descended into savagery.
Thus began the Green Age. Named for the lower sea levels and the green vegetation which began to spread across the world. The Green Age was like most fantasy worlds. There were elves in the forests, knights, etc. Although there was no arcane magic, only psionics and clerical magic discovered by priests tapping into the elements, since there were no gods.
One of the new races were called the Pyreen and they were the most perfectly evolved race the halflings created. One of these Pyreen was named Rajaat. But unlike his fellows, Rajaat was born ugly and deformed. He was outcast from his people and was shunned whereever he went.
Rajaat grew bitter and hatred for all other creatures grew in his heart. One day Rajaat discovered the ruins where the halfling elders had transformed their dying people. Some of these elders had survived in a spirit like form. They told Rajaat that over the many centuries of their desembodied state they had discovered a way in which the sun might be restored to its former blue glory. They could accomplish this through a new form of power, a power that could be obtained by channelling the life force of plants and animals. They used Rajaat's hatred and turned him into their pawn. Rajaat took this knowledge and spent centuries of research, study, and practice to develop what became known as Arcane magic.
He taught others this magic, always careful to also teach them safeguards so that they did not draw too much power and thus kill the plants that powered their spells. This was Preserver magic. Rajaat's students in turn taught others. The Green Age reached its zenith.
But Rajaat secretly recruited 13 champions from those he taught. 13 whose mastery of psionics and magic both far exceeded what most people could ever hope to learn. He also recruited them for the lust for power. A lust he exploited to his own ends to make them his champions. He secretly taught them Defiler magic. Taught them that if they imposed no limits on the power they drained from plants and animals around them, they would be unstoppable.
His champions then went forth and raised mighty armies and declared genocidal wars on the other races of the age. Rajaat did this so that the world might be cleansed of the impure races and herald the return of the halflings and so that he would have his revenge upon those who had made him an outcast. But Rajaat didn't tell them everything. He told them that humans would be the exalted race and to kill the other races so humans could rule (the champions were all human).
These wars were called the Cleansing Wars and in the aftermath of their mighty battles and unrestrained defiling magic, the world was reduced to a barren desert wasteland.
Near the end of these wars, the Champions began to question Rajaat and his goals. They didn't want to rule over a dead world. Then they learned that they were merely pawns and that Rajaat planned to destroy them as well once they had finished their work. The halflings were the master race and only they were fit to rule the world.
They turned against their former master and imprisoned him in another dimension from which he could not escape. They used powerful magic to transform one of their number into a dragon. Borys became the only dragon on Athas to ever exist and became the guardian of Rajaat's extradimensional prison. The remaining champions end their wars and retire to positions as sorcerer-kings ruling over mighty city states. The only civilization left in a barren desert world.
There is a bit more to it than that, but this is generally where the first boxed set starts. The Prism Pentad novels talk about how Rajaat breaks free from his prison and then kills half of his former champions turned sorcerer kings before he is finally put down.
This is where the revised Dark Sun boxed set comes in. In the magical aftermath, rainstorms sweep across Athas, lands beyond the main campaign are revealed to be somewhat less barren and ruled by an empire of Thri-Kreen, and bio-organic halflings begin to make more of an appearance.
The setting is drastically changed from the first boxed set. Especially the rules. I personally dislike the revised Dark Sun boxed set. Anyway, hard core Dark Sun fans may point out problems with my summary. Its very abbreviated and its been a long time since I read any Dark Sun material so my memory is hazy.
Last edited:
Dragonblade
Adventurer
The bio-organic technology of the ancient halflings is sort of alluded to but never really shown until the revised Dark Sun boxed set.
Also before the revised Dark Sun boxed set, the Blackspine adventure implies that psionics on Athas started due to a failed Githyanki invasion and a psionic weapon that mutated all the races on Athas in distant past. This contradiction doesn't really jive with the halflings being originally psionic and creating the other races.
Some of the novels also play up the notion that before the Cleansing Wars, Athas much more like FR or Greyhawk. The Revised boxed set sort of moves away from this notion and implies that Athas was always a lot more alien and different than the other TSR settings.
Obviously, there were several different visions of how Athas should be at TSR and different authors put a different spin on things.
Also before the revised Dark Sun boxed set, the Blackspine adventure implies that psionics on Athas started due to a failed Githyanki invasion and a psionic weapon that mutated all the races on Athas in distant past. This contradiction doesn't really jive with the halflings being originally psionic and creating the other races.
Some of the novels also play up the notion that before the Cleansing Wars, Athas much more like FR or Greyhawk. The Revised boxed set sort of moves away from this notion and implies that Athas was always a lot more alien and different than the other TSR settings.
Obviously, there were several different visions of how Athas should be at TSR and different authors put a different spin on things.
Yeah I never owned the revised box set, but I had the original, the set of 5 adventures of the Prism Pentad and most of the various supplements thru Dragon Kings or so and I don't recall ANY of the stuff from this thread about biotech halflings and the cleansing war *grin* I think if you didn't read the novels or buy the revised box set you have a completely different view of the world.Dragonblade said:
BTW the magic users are split into defilers and preservers. Preservers cast spells in harmony with nature and progress as a normal wizard. Defilers turn 10'/spell level around them into ash as they absorb power from the land to fuel their spells. Someone who is Defiler 20/Psioniscist 20 can start progressing towards 30th level and advancement to becoming another Dragon. The Sorcerer King of Tyr (who is the main bad guy in the Prism Pentad basically I believe) is trying to advance the last 7 or so levels all at once by sacrificing an entire city in one ritual. This naturally gets averted.
Mages who are Preserver 20/Psioniscist 20 can become Avangions, which end up basically being these giant butterfly sorta things and actually more powerful than dragons. Like in Dragonlance, evil gets stronger first but in the end is weaker. Cerics can trod a similar path and with Cle20/Psi20 can work toward becoming an elemental of their chosen variety.
Dark Sun is a fabulous setting that is a very intriguing read. I've often debated trying to track down some of the later supplements just to see how they finished shaping up the world. Same thing with Planescape too heh.
Hagen
Alzrius
The EN World kitten
Dragonblade said:
Actually, the original halfling life-shapers and their ilk weren't psionic at all. In fact, there were no psionics in the Blue Age, nor arcane magic, and only a tiny bit of elemental clerical magic that those halflings were aware of. Likewise, there were thri-kreen then, but they were nonsentient.
So, the idea that maybe psionics were introduced due to the githyanki could still have some merit.
Well, that one's iffy. The revised boxed set does paint a picture that back in the Green Age, there was still prevalent psionics, only elemental clerics, and the halflings were already cannibal savages, and arcane magic was unknown until Rajaat invented it, beyond that it seemed like a fairly typical high fantasy setting.
Hmm, except for a few minor points here and there (like the fact that technically, all of Rajaat's Champions turned Sorceror-Kings were actually dragons, each in various stages of developement; Borys was the only one to have completed the metamorphosis proccess, a proccess that drove him mad for hundreds of years whereupon he ravaged the lands even further with his potent defiling and rampant destruction. Some sources cite Borys as being responisble for the Sunrise Sea turning into the Sea of Silt.) your overview was on the spot.
The only true look at the Green Age and what life was like then comes form he Mind Lords of the Last Sea supplement. The picture painted there implies that the Green Age was different from standard fantasy by the prevalence of psionics and the unique nature of the various 'normal' races even during that age. Granted, its much closer to standard fantasy than the Athas after the Clensing Wars.
Some are worth a look for their continued twists on the established norm (just as the innitial products were a twist on standard fantasy at the time, the revised line of products were a twist on the innitial products), others are simply full of jumbled garbage or glaring pieces of trash that overshine the rest of the product. For example, Windriders of the Jagged Cliffs, while very divergent with its look on the ancient halfling decendants and their use of organic technology (called lifeshaping), its a good read with plenty of great ideas. Others, like Mind Lords of the Last Sea are mostly good, but contain such trash as surfing druids and stereo-typed 'remnants' of the standard races (mountain dwelling dwarves and forest dwelling elves, but then even stating that these were not the norm for the Green Age). The book Defilers and Preservers is nice, but Psionic Artifacts of Athas creates some serious continuity errors. Thri-kreen of Athas is perhaps one of the best 'racial splatbooks' you'll ever come across for any setting. A must have for any Dark Sun gamer.
The implication is that the 'mutation' was of a mental kind, not a physical one similar to the Rebirth (when the ancient halfings, called rhulisti, mutated themselves into the various sentient races of Athas), thus enabling most every species to utilize psionics of some kind. Its generally not accepted much as a major issue of canon, but some stick with the idea.
The something was that the rhulisti attempted to alter the nature of the oceans themselves, to change them in a way that they produced even more food than they did previously. They failed and created what is called the brown tide the swept over the oceans killing off anything and everything in its path. The rhulisti used the power of the Pristine Tower, fueled with the energy of the sun to destroy the brown tide. This act of tapping into the sun with the Pristine Tower is what caused the sun to change from blue into yellow and caused much of the planet's oceans to recede, thus ending the Blue Age and begining the Green Age with the Rebirth.
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