Introduction
On April 2nd, there is going to be a Game Day up in the DC area. For that Gme Day, I am planning on running a HARP game set in ICE's upcoming setting, called Cyradon. For that game, I will be creating pre-generated characters, and I got to thinking that since I am going to make the pre-gens, that I might well save myself some effort and just create characters along the lines that the players would like to play. In order to do that, however, I need to give them a bit of information about the setting so that they have some idea of what is available for them to play. Thus, this thread...
One thing to definitely take a look at before we continue are the maps for Cyradon.
This first map is of Mithra, the world in which Cyradon is located. Here are two links, the first to the HARP website, and the second to the website of the artist. The first image is a b&w version of the map, and the second is full color.
B&W Map - http://www.harphq.com/SneakPeek/4300_Mithramap-White.htm
Color Mapr - http://indianbay.net/v-web/gallery/mithra/fullmap
As you can see, the small continent of Cyradon is on the right hand side of the map, along the equator. For a close of the Cyradon map, click on the following link --> http://www.harphq.com/SneakPeek/4300_CyradonMapFINAL-Wroot.htm
The setting includes a good history and begins with the players being part of a group of refugees who end up in the city of Belynar (or being one of the races who live on Cyradon who have recently travelled to Belynar for various reasons). To see what Belynar looks like, click on the following link --> http://www.harphq.com/SneakPeek/4300_BelynarMap.White.htm <-- And yes, Belynar is a city built onto the side (and inside) an extinct volcano...
Cyradon Pocket History
Eons ago, Mithra had only one continent. The world was ruled by the Seana, the great creatures of the sky, sea, and the land. The dragons were among the mightiest of the Seana. Then arose a new creature, later known as the Mithrans. These Mithrans were aided in their development by the Seana, and became very civilized. Then for various reasons, a war broke out between the Seana and the Mithrans. Both were destroyed in the process, though remnants of each did linger about.During the war, the great continent was sundered creating the Shatterings as they are now known and the small continent of Cyradon.
In the aftermath of this war, the remnants of the Mithrans diverged into two separate races, the Cyrads and the Elves. The Cyrads were the first to rise to civilization, and they covered the world, building magical portals for use in traveling, known as the Royal Roads. Other races also arose during this period as well.
Then one day the Cyrads started withdrawing to a single small continent, leaving the rest of the world to the other races, including a new race descended from the Cyrads known as Humans. As humans rose towards civilization, the Cyrads became more and more withdrawn, and then they the eventually disappeared altogether, and nobody knows how or why. When they were gone, the Royal Roads stopped working altogether.
At some point after the disappearance of the Cyrads, most of the Elves of the continent of Anias decided to migrate (claiming disgust at the spread of the humans, but it is unknown if this is the truth). The elves migrated east, to the last home of the Cyrads, known now as Cyradon. This was a little under 1700 years ago.
Over the last 1700 years, on Anias, a number of nations rose and fell, and one group of Human mages, discovered a way to activate the Royal Roads, at least in a limited fashion. They emigrated to Cyradon, and took up residence in Belynar, the ancient city of the Cyrads after making friends with the elves now living on Cyradon and the Gryphons who had watched over the city because of promises made to the Cyrads long before. This was about 700 years ago.
About 500 years, one group of elves decided that they wanted wings and true flight, like their friends the Gryphons. One of the human mages even went as far as to capture one of the Gryphons and experiment on it, alienating the rest of the Gryphons living on Cyradon. The Gryphons then abandoned Belynar. Eventually, the mage was ready and fully set to perform a major ritual to give the Shivan Elves wings so that they could have true flight. During the ritual, the Desnian Elves (other Arali, or High Elves, like the Shivan Arali, who lived elsewhere on Cyradon) stormed Cyradon in an attempt to stop the ritual, considering it an unclean, or unworthy thing to be doing.
Disrupt the ritual they did, with a disasterous effect. It caused an explosion of magical energy that destroyed the center of the continent, which became known as the Devastation. Not only did this event destroy the land, but it also twisted many of its inhabitants into monstrous creatures. The lucky ones were those who died in the initial blast of magical energies.
More recently, on Anias, yet another war has broken out. But rather than a war of conquest, this one seems to be a war of annihilation fostered by the religious zealots of the Theocracy of Asut.
Towards the end of the year 1683 (of the Arali calender in Cyradon), the Dwarves who live in the southern mountains of Anias, and a group of Janieal and Desnian scholars all detect magical energy fluctuations which indicate that the Royal Roads may once again be coming active. The Elves of Cyradon decide to put together an expedition to travel to Belynar to research this. The Dwarves of Anias put together a colonization party, hoping to be able to travel to Cyradon and to re-open the city of Blackflame, which they abandoned long ago to wait for the magical minerals to be found there to regenerate...
Meanwhile, the Theocracy of Asut is beginning to make major wins in their war, and they get closer and closer to the major trade city of Tarahir. After one major defeat, one general, of the name of Grayson, is charged with taking a number of troops to Tarahir and to begin evacuating it, while the remaining troops try to fight a holding action, to slow down the troops of the Theocracy.
Grayson is only able to convince a few thousand to flee with him and his troops, and they leave Tarahir only days before the Orsai from the Theocracy can overrun it. Taking his refugees north, hoping to lose any pursuit by skirting the mountains, Grayson and his refugees flee for their very lives, and eventually realize that the Theocracy is not fooled by their northward trek and have sent pursuit.
Taking the refugees deeper into the mountains, hoping to lose pursuit, Grayson's people discover a long abandoned Dwarven outpost. He shepards his people into the outpost, hoping to find another exit far away from his current position. Unfortunately, there is no back door, at least none that his people can find. The refugees cannot leave either, as the pursuit has caught up with them and is waiting just beyond the barricaded entrance to the outpost.
Grayson gathers all of the refugees in the largest chamber, intending to talk to them about surrender, knowing that it means that those not slaughtered would be led off to slavery or worse when suddenly a large arch engraved onto one wall begins glowing and the interior of the arch shimmers and shows the scene of some large square with ruined buildings and other structures still standing around the perimeter of the square.
Making a sudden decision, Grayson begins urging the refugees through the portal, which a few among the refugees recognize from old tales as one of the now fabled Royal Roads. Seeing this as their only escape, the refugees pass through the portal.
Travelling through the Royal Road was not without its toll. The already exhausted refugees swooned and passed out shortly after exiting the Road in the new location.
The refugees began awakening hours later, still weak from their travels, only to find creatures that they once thought as mythical standing over them, and even aiding them. The Gryphons, having blamed the Devastation on themselves, had later returned to their eyrie on the nearby mountains to once again take up their watch over the city to attone for their lack that allowed the Devastation to occur.
Confronted with the Gryphons, the refugees were at first afraid, but they overcame this as they realized that theses were not monsters, but an intelligent race who was trying to help them. The morning after their arrival, the Gryphons brought the Rhona, Gnomes who have been trying to nearly 5 centuries to repair the damage of the Devastation, to also aid the humans.
With shortages of food, water, and other neccessitites, the Rhona and the Gryphons were doing their best to aid the refugees. About a week after their arrival, from the south came a large caravan, the Arali scholars coming to check out the fluctuations detected within the Royal Roads. The very next morning, the Royal Road activated again, but instead of the soldiers of the Theocracy, out came several hundred Dwarves, bearing many provisions and tools and other things that they would need in order to set out to recolonize their ancient city of Blackflame.
The Road shut behind the Dwarves, and they were highly dismayed that those few Dwarves who had knowledge of how the Royal Roads worked did not come through with the others, no matter where they had been located in the order of march. The Dwarves were not happy to discover that their only method of contacting their homelands had not come through with them.
During this week, first one, and then a second, and then a third comet appeared in the skies over head. All three being visible at the same time was an event that occured only once every 27,000 years. The day before all three comets reached perihelion, at the same time, yet another group arrives at Balynar. Traveling from the northern reaches of Cyradon, the Nagazi, having been warned by dreams from their gods, the 7 Sages, have sent a massive relief effort to Belynar to aid the "new friends" that they gods sent them visions about.
The three comets being at perihelion (i.e. their closest point to Mithra) coincided with the spring equinox. The night of the equinox, the Rhona Elders, decided to attempt a ritual to heal some of the land around Belynar, to make it habitable for the newly arrived refugees.
They convinced members of all the races present to take part in the ritual, and then late that night performed it. The result produced a shockwave of magical energy more powerful than the Rhona had expected.
The next morning dawned on a land not only returned to health, but full of growing things, and animals (all of an egg-laying type, but still that is a lot of species, especially in Cyradon). Over the course of that day, everything grew at an accelerated rate, and things finally settled down in the late afternoon. From Belynar they could see flocks of Stionoir of several types grazing in fields, the dry riverbed now held water, and in the distance they could see fields ready for harvest. The land had been restored, much more than the Rhona had expected, and now they had to explore it to see how far it extended. And to make sure that none of the aberrations that stalked the Devastation were present to harm those unable to defend themselves.
Grayson was looking for volunteers to form teams for exploration. He was even willing to use anybody for this task who would volunteer, no matter where they came from.....
Thus begins adventures in Cyradon.....
Cyradon Races Synopsis
The refugees from Anias occupy only a few of the massive buildings on the main plateau of Belynar, with the other races currently occupying some of the other buildings that still stand.
Balynar holds people of many different races right now, including the following:
From Anias:
Humans - there are three main types of humans in Belynar. Tarahiri, Skaldi, and Orsai. Being a major trade city, Tarahir held people from many different nations, and with the start of the war with the Theocracy of Asut, many Orsai where cut off from home, and branded as heretics, never to be allowed to return home again. The Skaldi, from the north-western coasts are mercenaries, come to aid the Tarahiri knowing that the Orsai of Asut were waging a war of annihilation and that they wouldn't stop with Tarahir, and the Treaty Kingdoms that lay between Tarahir and the Skaldi lands.
Gryx - driven out of their homelands in the eastern steppes over 3 centuries ago, by something that they refuse to name,the Gryx have become true nomads, never settling in one place. They erect fearsome totem poles whereever they stop for more than a few days, always facing the direction of their lost homelands. Over time, the Gryx have become traders, often being the only ones who travel to remote and isolated communities. The Gryx carry more than one burden of guilt. In addition to whatever cost them their homelands, they were also used as a scapegoat by the Theocracy to start this latest war against Tarahir.
Sithi - Wood Elves of the far northern forests, the Sithi also soon realized the ambitions of the Theocracy, to destroy all who opposed them and who were different from them. Thus, they also went to the aid of Tarahir, sending archers and trackers, and many support troops.
Dwarves - Known as the Mablung, and living in the mountains south of the lands held by the Theocracy of Asut, the Dwarven lands were a target for expansion several decades before the previous war. Aided by the mysterious peoples of the southern forests and jungles, the Dwarves were able to fully repel all assaults by the Orsai from the Theocracy.
The Dwarves periodically move between several different Dwarven cities, usually after any magical minerals in their mines have had a chance to regenerate. Long ago, the Dwarves aided the Cyrads in building the Royal Roads, so they were hurt the most when the Roads stopped working as they used them frequently. There are still a few who know the secrets to making opening the Roads when they are active, and several were supposed to have travelled with the Mablung when they returned to Cyradon, but for some reason they never made it through the Roads. The Dwarves have their theories as to why, but they are not mentioning these to anybody else...
From Cyradon:
Gryphons - Creatures of legend, these are actually a very civilized race of of people, though a bit tribal in nature. Friends with the long missing Cyrads, they promised to watch over Belynar for all time, not knowing that the Cyrads were about to disappear, possibly forever.
Only once have they broken their word to watch over the city, and now they blame themselves for the Devastation, for not keeping a closer eye on the human mages that were living in the city. They feel that if they had stayed, that perhaps they could have averted the events that caused the Devastation.
Arali - These lordly elves have several different nations on Cyradon. The Arali from Janieal are more interested in perfecting their arts and crafts, while the Arali from Desnia are highly militaristic, slightly controlling and antagonistic in nature. The Janieal know how the Desnians are to blame for the Devastation, but the Desnians themselves blame everybody but themselves. In their eyes, they were only taking just and right actions at the time.
Rhona - These Gnomes hailing from the giant forests along the southern coast of Cyradon, the Rhona are very in tune with the health and welfare of the land. They have been trying for centuries to repair the damage done by the Devastation, with little success to show for it. However, the results of the Ritual of Estrousal, performed high atop the volcano on which Belynar is built has renewed their hopes and beliefs that the damage can be healed. The Rhona believe that the humans are the key to this, and welcome their presence in Cyradon.
Nagazi - The Nagazi are the most civilized race on Cyradon, even more so than the Arali (which the Arali hate to admit). These lizardmen are only one of three types to be found on Cyradon.In addition to themselves, there are the Nagaral, who match the Desnians in attitude, and the cannabalistic Nagah who lurk in the wide jungles and swamps of the western portion of Cyradon. What brought the Nagazi to be civilized was their discovery of Evefalim, and ancient Mithran city, and the 7 Sages, who taught them to understand some of what they found in that ancient city.
Professions
All of the professions found in the HARP rulebook can be found in Cyradon.
For Mages, each culture has its own variation of the core Mage. Each has its own casting traditions. For example, the Nagazi use wands to focus the casting of their spells, while Skaldi Drei use material components in their casting. Like the Drei, the Sithi Cealla also use material components, but where the Drei choose components based on its affinity to the spell to be cast, the Cealla select components based on their color. The Arali Weavers pull colorful strands of mana from the ether before weaving them into a spell. And the Rhona use a specially prepared powder in the casting of their spells. There are more than those I have mentioned, but I cannot remember them all off the top of my head.
Each tradition also has its own Sphere of spells available to it, so that while Mages from different traditions may have some spells that are the same, not all of their spells will be.
For Clerics, there are several religious orders detailed for use, and a list of more deities that the GM can expand upon on their own if they want.
Final Comments
Cyradon is a world that is built for exploration and adventure. Things on Cyradon have changed drastically in the very recent past, and there is much to learn for both the refugees and those from Cyradon, as they rarely ever entered the Devastation before, and now that humans have returned to Belynar, there is reason for them to do so. There is a lot of ruins to explore. Many aberrations created by the Devastation roam the land, and there are the many tunnels under Belynar itself which need exploring. Who knows what lurks in hidden chambers deep below the city.
For those who like more political games, Cyradon can provide that as well. As time passes, events happen that make Belynar into a city which hosts embassies for all the various races present at the ritual that restored part of the Devastation. This is an unprecedented event in the history of Cyradon, and the Arali with their complex political games are going to bring them to Belynar with their embassy. Many different people in Cyradon have reasons for wanting to manipulate the events taking place at Belynar, and intrigue is the bread and meat of their existence...
Whew! That was a mouthful! As I said at the beginning, the above is primarily for those planning on playing in the game I run at the Game Day, but I figured I would make it available for all since this setting will be released in just a few short monthes and others may find it interesting as well.
On April 2nd, there is going to be a Game Day up in the DC area. For that Gme Day, I am planning on running a HARP game set in ICE's upcoming setting, called Cyradon. For that game, I will be creating pre-generated characters, and I got to thinking that since I am going to make the pre-gens, that I might well save myself some effort and just create characters along the lines that the players would like to play. In order to do that, however, I need to give them a bit of information about the setting so that they have some idea of what is available for them to play. Thus, this thread...
One thing to definitely take a look at before we continue are the maps for Cyradon.
This first map is of Mithra, the world in which Cyradon is located. Here are two links, the first to the HARP website, and the second to the website of the artist. The first image is a b&w version of the map, and the second is full color.
B&W Map - http://www.harphq.com/SneakPeek/4300_Mithramap-White.htm
Color Mapr - http://indianbay.net/v-web/gallery/mithra/fullmap
As you can see, the small continent of Cyradon is on the right hand side of the map, along the equator. For a close of the Cyradon map, click on the following link --> http://www.harphq.com/SneakPeek/4300_CyradonMapFINAL-Wroot.htm
The setting includes a good history and begins with the players being part of a group of refugees who end up in the city of Belynar (or being one of the races who live on Cyradon who have recently travelled to Belynar for various reasons). To see what Belynar looks like, click on the following link --> http://www.harphq.com/SneakPeek/4300_BelynarMap.White.htm <-- And yes, Belynar is a city built onto the side (and inside) an extinct volcano...
Cyradon Pocket History
Eons ago, Mithra had only one continent. The world was ruled by the Seana, the great creatures of the sky, sea, and the land. The dragons were among the mightiest of the Seana. Then arose a new creature, later known as the Mithrans. These Mithrans were aided in their development by the Seana, and became very civilized. Then for various reasons, a war broke out between the Seana and the Mithrans. Both were destroyed in the process, though remnants of each did linger about.During the war, the great continent was sundered creating the Shatterings as they are now known and the small continent of Cyradon.
In the aftermath of this war, the remnants of the Mithrans diverged into two separate races, the Cyrads and the Elves. The Cyrads were the first to rise to civilization, and they covered the world, building magical portals for use in traveling, known as the Royal Roads. Other races also arose during this period as well.
Then one day the Cyrads started withdrawing to a single small continent, leaving the rest of the world to the other races, including a new race descended from the Cyrads known as Humans. As humans rose towards civilization, the Cyrads became more and more withdrawn, and then they the eventually disappeared altogether, and nobody knows how or why. When they were gone, the Royal Roads stopped working altogether.
At some point after the disappearance of the Cyrads, most of the Elves of the continent of Anias decided to migrate (claiming disgust at the spread of the humans, but it is unknown if this is the truth). The elves migrated east, to the last home of the Cyrads, known now as Cyradon. This was a little under 1700 years ago.
Over the last 1700 years, on Anias, a number of nations rose and fell, and one group of Human mages, discovered a way to activate the Royal Roads, at least in a limited fashion. They emigrated to Cyradon, and took up residence in Belynar, the ancient city of the Cyrads after making friends with the elves now living on Cyradon and the Gryphons who had watched over the city because of promises made to the Cyrads long before. This was about 700 years ago.
About 500 years, one group of elves decided that they wanted wings and true flight, like their friends the Gryphons. One of the human mages even went as far as to capture one of the Gryphons and experiment on it, alienating the rest of the Gryphons living on Cyradon. The Gryphons then abandoned Belynar. Eventually, the mage was ready and fully set to perform a major ritual to give the Shivan Elves wings so that they could have true flight. During the ritual, the Desnian Elves (other Arali, or High Elves, like the Shivan Arali, who lived elsewhere on Cyradon) stormed Cyradon in an attempt to stop the ritual, considering it an unclean, or unworthy thing to be doing.
Disrupt the ritual they did, with a disasterous effect. It caused an explosion of magical energy that destroyed the center of the continent, which became known as the Devastation. Not only did this event destroy the land, but it also twisted many of its inhabitants into monstrous creatures. The lucky ones were those who died in the initial blast of magical energies.
More recently, on Anias, yet another war has broken out. But rather than a war of conquest, this one seems to be a war of annihilation fostered by the religious zealots of the Theocracy of Asut.
Towards the end of the year 1683 (of the Arali calender in Cyradon), the Dwarves who live in the southern mountains of Anias, and a group of Janieal and Desnian scholars all detect magical energy fluctuations which indicate that the Royal Roads may once again be coming active. The Elves of Cyradon decide to put together an expedition to travel to Belynar to research this. The Dwarves of Anias put together a colonization party, hoping to be able to travel to Cyradon and to re-open the city of Blackflame, which they abandoned long ago to wait for the magical minerals to be found there to regenerate...
Meanwhile, the Theocracy of Asut is beginning to make major wins in their war, and they get closer and closer to the major trade city of Tarahir. After one major defeat, one general, of the name of Grayson, is charged with taking a number of troops to Tarahir and to begin evacuating it, while the remaining troops try to fight a holding action, to slow down the troops of the Theocracy.
Grayson is only able to convince a few thousand to flee with him and his troops, and they leave Tarahir only days before the Orsai from the Theocracy can overrun it. Taking his refugees north, hoping to lose any pursuit by skirting the mountains, Grayson and his refugees flee for their very lives, and eventually realize that the Theocracy is not fooled by their northward trek and have sent pursuit.
Taking the refugees deeper into the mountains, hoping to lose pursuit, Grayson's people discover a long abandoned Dwarven outpost. He shepards his people into the outpost, hoping to find another exit far away from his current position. Unfortunately, there is no back door, at least none that his people can find. The refugees cannot leave either, as the pursuit has caught up with them and is waiting just beyond the barricaded entrance to the outpost.
Grayson gathers all of the refugees in the largest chamber, intending to talk to them about surrender, knowing that it means that those not slaughtered would be led off to slavery or worse when suddenly a large arch engraved onto one wall begins glowing and the interior of the arch shimmers and shows the scene of some large square with ruined buildings and other structures still standing around the perimeter of the square.
Making a sudden decision, Grayson begins urging the refugees through the portal, which a few among the refugees recognize from old tales as one of the now fabled Royal Roads. Seeing this as their only escape, the refugees pass through the portal.
Travelling through the Royal Road was not without its toll. The already exhausted refugees swooned and passed out shortly after exiting the Road in the new location.
The refugees began awakening hours later, still weak from their travels, only to find creatures that they once thought as mythical standing over them, and even aiding them. The Gryphons, having blamed the Devastation on themselves, had later returned to their eyrie on the nearby mountains to once again take up their watch over the city to attone for their lack that allowed the Devastation to occur.
Confronted with the Gryphons, the refugees were at first afraid, but they overcame this as they realized that theses were not monsters, but an intelligent race who was trying to help them. The morning after their arrival, the Gryphons brought the Rhona, Gnomes who have been trying to nearly 5 centuries to repair the damage of the Devastation, to also aid the humans.
With shortages of food, water, and other neccessitites, the Rhona and the Gryphons were doing their best to aid the refugees. About a week after their arrival, from the south came a large caravan, the Arali scholars coming to check out the fluctuations detected within the Royal Roads. The very next morning, the Royal Road activated again, but instead of the soldiers of the Theocracy, out came several hundred Dwarves, bearing many provisions and tools and other things that they would need in order to set out to recolonize their ancient city of Blackflame.
The Road shut behind the Dwarves, and they were highly dismayed that those few Dwarves who had knowledge of how the Royal Roads worked did not come through with the others, no matter where they had been located in the order of march. The Dwarves were not happy to discover that their only method of contacting their homelands had not come through with them.
During this week, first one, and then a second, and then a third comet appeared in the skies over head. All three being visible at the same time was an event that occured only once every 27,000 years. The day before all three comets reached perihelion, at the same time, yet another group arrives at Balynar. Traveling from the northern reaches of Cyradon, the Nagazi, having been warned by dreams from their gods, the 7 Sages, have sent a massive relief effort to Belynar to aid the "new friends" that they gods sent them visions about.
The three comets being at perihelion (i.e. their closest point to Mithra) coincided with the spring equinox. The night of the equinox, the Rhona Elders, decided to attempt a ritual to heal some of the land around Belynar, to make it habitable for the newly arrived refugees.
They convinced members of all the races present to take part in the ritual, and then late that night performed it. The result produced a shockwave of magical energy more powerful than the Rhona had expected.
The next morning dawned on a land not only returned to health, but full of growing things, and animals (all of an egg-laying type, but still that is a lot of species, especially in Cyradon). Over the course of that day, everything grew at an accelerated rate, and things finally settled down in the late afternoon. From Belynar they could see flocks of Stionoir of several types grazing in fields, the dry riverbed now held water, and in the distance they could see fields ready for harvest. The land had been restored, much more than the Rhona had expected, and now they had to explore it to see how far it extended. And to make sure that none of the aberrations that stalked the Devastation were present to harm those unable to defend themselves.
Grayson was looking for volunteers to form teams for exploration. He was even willing to use anybody for this task who would volunteer, no matter where they came from.....
Thus begins adventures in Cyradon.....
Cyradon Races Synopsis
The refugees from Anias occupy only a few of the massive buildings on the main plateau of Belynar, with the other races currently occupying some of the other buildings that still stand.
Balynar holds people of many different races right now, including the following:
From Anias:
Humans - there are three main types of humans in Belynar. Tarahiri, Skaldi, and Orsai. Being a major trade city, Tarahir held people from many different nations, and with the start of the war with the Theocracy of Asut, many Orsai where cut off from home, and branded as heretics, never to be allowed to return home again. The Skaldi, from the north-western coasts are mercenaries, come to aid the Tarahiri knowing that the Orsai of Asut were waging a war of annihilation and that they wouldn't stop with Tarahir, and the Treaty Kingdoms that lay between Tarahir and the Skaldi lands.
Gryx - driven out of their homelands in the eastern steppes over 3 centuries ago, by something that they refuse to name,the Gryx have become true nomads, never settling in one place. They erect fearsome totem poles whereever they stop for more than a few days, always facing the direction of their lost homelands. Over time, the Gryx have become traders, often being the only ones who travel to remote and isolated communities. The Gryx carry more than one burden of guilt. In addition to whatever cost them their homelands, they were also used as a scapegoat by the Theocracy to start this latest war against Tarahir.
Sithi - Wood Elves of the far northern forests, the Sithi also soon realized the ambitions of the Theocracy, to destroy all who opposed them and who were different from them. Thus, they also went to the aid of Tarahir, sending archers and trackers, and many support troops.
Dwarves - Known as the Mablung, and living in the mountains south of the lands held by the Theocracy of Asut, the Dwarven lands were a target for expansion several decades before the previous war. Aided by the mysterious peoples of the southern forests and jungles, the Dwarves were able to fully repel all assaults by the Orsai from the Theocracy.
The Dwarves periodically move between several different Dwarven cities, usually after any magical minerals in their mines have had a chance to regenerate. Long ago, the Dwarves aided the Cyrads in building the Royal Roads, so they were hurt the most when the Roads stopped working as they used them frequently. There are still a few who know the secrets to making opening the Roads when they are active, and several were supposed to have travelled with the Mablung when they returned to Cyradon, but for some reason they never made it through the Roads. The Dwarves have their theories as to why, but they are not mentioning these to anybody else...
From Cyradon:
Gryphons - Creatures of legend, these are actually a very civilized race of of people, though a bit tribal in nature. Friends with the long missing Cyrads, they promised to watch over Belynar for all time, not knowing that the Cyrads were about to disappear, possibly forever.
Only once have they broken their word to watch over the city, and now they blame themselves for the Devastation, for not keeping a closer eye on the human mages that were living in the city. They feel that if they had stayed, that perhaps they could have averted the events that caused the Devastation.
Arali - These lordly elves have several different nations on Cyradon. The Arali from Janieal are more interested in perfecting their arts and crafts, while the Arali from Desnia are highly militaristic, slightly controlling and antagonistic in nature. The Janieal know how the Desnians are to blame for the Devastation, but the Desnians themselves blame everybody but themselves. In their eyes, they were only taking just and right actions at the time.
Rhona - These Gnomes hailing from the giant forests along the southern coast of Cyradon, the Rhona are very in tune with the health and welfare of the land. They have been trying for centuries to repair the damage done by the Devastation, with little success to show for it. However, the results of the Ritual of Estrousal, performed high atop the volcano on which Belynar is built has renewed their hopes and beliefs that the damage can be healed. The Rhona believe that the humans are the key to this, and welcome their presence in Cyradon.
Nagazi - The Nagazi are the most civilized race on Cyradon, even more so than the Arali (which the Arali hate to admit). These lizardmen are only one of three types to be found on Cyradon.In addition to themselves, there are the Nagaral, who match the Desnians in attitude, and the cannabalistic Nagah who lurk in the wide jungles and swamps of the western portion of Cyradon. What brought the Nagazi to be civilized was their discovery of Evefalim, and ancient Mithran city, and the 7 Sages, who taught them to understand some of what they found in that ancient city.
Professions
All of the professions found in the HARP rulebook can be found in Cyradon.
For Mages, each culture has its own variation of the core Mage. Each has its own casting traditions. For example, the Nagazi use wands to focus the casting of their spells, while Skaldi Drei use material components in their casting. Like the Drei, the Sithi Cealla also use material components, but where the Drei choose components based on its affinity to the spell to be cast, the Cealla select components based on their color. The Arali Weavers pull colorful strands of mana from the ether before weaving them into a spell. And the Rhona use a specially prepared powder in the casting of their spells. There are more than those I have mentioned, but I cannot remember them all off the top of my head.
Each tradition also has its own Sphere of spells available to it, so that while Mages from different traditions may have some spells that are the same, not all of their spells will be.
For Clerics, there are several religious orders detailed for use, and a list of more deities that the GM can expand upon on their own if they want.
Final Comments
Cyradon is a world that is built for exploration and adventure. Things on Cyradon have changed drastically in the very recent past, and there is much to learn for both the refugees and those from Cyradon, as they rarely ever entered the Devastation before, and now that humans have returned to Belynar, there is reason for them to do so. There is a lot of ruins to explore. Many aberrations created by the Devastation roam the land, and there are the many tunnels under Belynar itself which need exploring. Who knows what lurks in hidden chambers deep below the city.
For those who like more political games, Cyradon can provide that as well. As time passes, events happen that make Belynar into a city which hosts embassies for all the various races present at the ritual that restored part of the Devastation. This is an unprecedented event in the history of Cyradon, and the Arali with their complex political games are going to bring them to Belynar with their embassy. Many different people in Cyradon have reasons for wanting to manipulate the events taking place at Belynar, and intrigue is the bread and meat of their existence...
Whew! That was a mouthful! As I said at the beginning, the above is primarily for those planning on playing in the game I run at the Game Day, but I figured I would make it available for all since this setting will be released in just a few short monthes and others may find it interesting as well.
