Shattered Lands

Welcome To the Shattered Lands

Welcome everyone, if you're on this page hopefully you are one of our lovely gamers taking part in the Shattered Lands role playing game being run by your most favoritest DM ever, Dan. This page will act as your go-to source for the basics on the setting, updated summaries of the goings on to date in the game world, important players and non-players in the setting, and all you should ever need to know to play and enjoy this game. Anyone can edit this page by signing up for an account - and I encourage you to make the most of the resource as you can.

The Basics of Dark Sun

Most of the people here are familiar with Dungeons and Dragons, J. R. R. R. R. Tolkien, Harry Potter or the rest of that high-fantasy "Elves are hawt!" genre where the land is verdant and rife with joy and frolicking gnomes. The World of Dark Sun is not such a fantasy world. Athas is a blasted apocalyptic wasteland where there's no such thing as orcs, gnomes, or dogs (That's right, they even killed your dog). It's a deadly desert where you could be killed for half a canteen of fresh water. It's a godless world where mercy and justice come only at the whim of insane sorceror kings. It's your new home. The section below will help you get a feel for your new home - and maybe help you survive it.

Facts about Athas:

1) It's a desert.

Keep that in mind because it's going to be real important. The setting is as much your enemy as any monster, perhaps even more so. It's an unrelenting furnace in the daytime, 130F during midday. Extremes in temperature and the general hostility of the elements means that travel is difficult and that anyone wandering around unprotected is probably going to die of sun-sickness. There are no oceans in Athas - instead there's the great silt sea - a vast expanse of silt, fine fine sand that's nearly impossible to navigate without special equipment - and the silt that gets whipped up by the winds can cut like razors. To quote Penny Arcade "There's no travel for pleasure in Athas".

2)Life on Athas is brutal and short.

Bloodthirsty raiders, greedy slavers, and hordes of inhuman savages over run the deserts and wastelands. The cities are little better; each chokes in the grip of an ageless tyrant. The institution of slavery is widespread on Athas, and many unfortunates spend their lives in chains, toiling for brutal taskmasters. Every year hundreds of slaves, perhaps thousands, are sent to their deaths in bloody arena spectacles. Charity, compassion, kindness— these qualities exist, but they are rare and precious. Only a fool hopes for such riches.

3) Metal is scarce

Most arms and armor are made of bone, stone, wood, and other such materials. Mail or plate armor exists only in the treasuries of the sorcerer-kings. Steel blades are almost priceless, weapons that many heroes never see during their lifetimes. By and large this won't affect you too much game-mechanics wise, but keep it in mind when you are describing things.

4) Arcane Magic Defiles the World

The reckless use of arcane magic during ancient wars reduced Athas to a wasteland. To cast an arcane spell, one must gather power from the living world nearby. Plants wither to black ash, crippling pain wracks animals and people, and the soil is sterilized; nothing can grow in that spot again. It is possible to cast spells with care, preserving the world and avoiding any more damage to it, but defiling offers more power than preserving. As a result, sorcerers, wizards, and other wielders of arcane magic are reviled and persecuted across Athas regardless ofwhether they preserve or defile. Only the most powerful spellcast ers can wield arcane might without fear of reprisal. So a note to you arcane-power source people (wizards, sorcerors, bards, spell-blades, warlocks and the like): You can defile, and you can preserve, the choice is yours - Defiling isn't necessarily evil - but it is a selfish act. And all magic is despised - so you squishy wand-wavers had better treat your friends right, because they are likely all that is standing between you and the angry pitch-fork waving mob.

On the other hand, Psionics are a way of life for most people. Almost everyone (and everything) that has a pulse and some sentience has access to some minor psionic power. In fact, those that display great prowess in Psychic ability are often taken to special schools within the city states in order to harness their abilities more proficiently - and many nobles who have the time and luxury for study choose to dedicate their lives to the study of the power of the mind.

5) Sorcerer-Kings rule the City-States

Terrible defilers of immense power rule all but one of the city-states. These mighty spellcasters have held their thrones for centuries; no one alive remembers a time before the sorcerer-kings. Some claim to be gods, and some claim to serve gods. Some are brutal oppressors, where others are more subtle in their tyranny. The City State that is most important for your immediate concern is Draj - which is ruled by the war-hungry god-king Tectuktitlay.

6) The Gods are Silent

There are no gods in Dark Sun. Though the Sorcerer Kings sometimes set themselves up as such, true dieties do not exist. Therefor there are no divine powers to draw from - that means no traditional clerics, paladins, avengers or anything of the sort. Nobody knows where the gods went, if they ever existed at all, and only a madman or a fool would waste their breath on prayers that will surely go unanswered. There is some evidence of ancient religions - crumbling temples, strange abandoned holy sites - but no god protects them now, and their once hallowed halls are now homes to wild beasts and savage monsters that seek shelter from the sun.

7) Fierce Monsters Roam the World

The ecology in Athas is amazingly different from any other fantasy world you probably have encountered. There are no horses, no cows, no pigs - instead people tend flocks of erdlus, ride on kanks or crodlus, and draw wagons with inixes and mekillots. Wild animals like lions, tigers and bears are non-existant (oh my.) In their place are terrors that stalk the wastelands, beasts like the baazrag, the id fiend, and the zombie cactus. Once again, only a lunatic would travel in the wastes alone.

8) Familiar races are not what you'd expect

Typical fantasy stereotypes don’t apply to Athasian heroes. In many DUNGEONS & DRAGONS settings, elves are wise, benevolent forest dwellers who guard their homelands from intrusions of evil. On Athas, elves are a nomadic race of herders, raiders, peddlers, and thieves. Halflings aren’t amiable riverfolk; they’re xenophobic headhunters and cannibals who hunt and kill trespassers in their mountain forests. Goliaths or half-giants, as they are commonly known are brutal mercenaries who serve as elite guards and enforcers for the sorcerer kings and their templars in many city-states.

Specifics about Draj

The main plot of the campaign will take place in and around the city state of Draj. This is the section you'll find out about the lovely place that is now your home.

Tectuktitlay

He's the guy in charge. More later.

Not voiced by David Spade.

Warrior Culture

Central to Draji society is the warrior. The glorification of violence in all its forms can be seen everywhere in Draj. Obelisks and statues depict the Draji cultural icons. Ferocious jaguars represent the city's vicious attitudes, as does the feathered serpent. The smoking mirror, a traditional Draji emblem, indicates a polished obsidian slab. Superstition says that a coward who peers into the smoking mirror will see a dark reflection that will animate, emerge from the mirror, strangle the coward and take his place in society.

Warriors and artisans who paint or scult of violence receive the public's respect. Headresses display your station in Draji society. Warriors wear feathers as a symbol of status amongst their peers and a demonstration of exploits. Young warriors wear one feather to indicate their dedication to becoming a warrior. The other feathers must be earned in combat, such as in the Flowery Wars.

Flowery Wars

More on these later

Crime and Punishment

Crime, such as it is, is fairly uncommon in Draj. This is perhaps because there's practically only one punishment for almost every conceivable crime: Death. In a city-state that requires daily blood-sacrifice, the Draji and their God-King see no sense in wasting perfectly good altar fodder. In some cases, when there's a glut of available sacrifices - or if a templar is feeling particularly motivated - the sentence may change from a death by sacrifice to a death by caging.

Caging is what happens when you stuff some poor guy in cage made of bones and leave him outside on display. Feeding or giving water to someone who is being caged is punishable by the offender being caged.

Crimes you can commit in Draj (but we don't reccomend):

• Theft = Death.
  • Theft within the City of Two Moons= Immediate Death atop the Great *Pyramid by the God-King himself.
• Adultery = Death for both parties if the charges can be proven.
• Speaking against the divinity of Tectuktitlay = Death.

Things that aren't technically crimes, but will probably get you in trouble:

• Lying (A common way to punish children who lie is to push a thorn through the offender's lip)
• Cowardice (Displaying a lack of warrior ability or bravery is a good way to draw disdain)

Worship

Tectuktitlay built up a culture around the worship of his divinity and the two moons of Athas, Ral and Guthay.Two temples are dedicated to their worship inside Two-Moon City. These temples are dwarfed only by the Great Pyramid. The temples are used by templars tp train and as an administrative compound. The masses come to the temples to pray to the moons and to their god-king daily in ceremonies led by templars.

How To Play

This campaign will be played on the internet only, via forum and wiki (This wiki, right here, the one you are now reading). We'll be using the Penny-Arcade.com gaming forums, a place I've been a member of for some time and feel pretty familiar with - this section of the wiki will point out a few things on ettiquette and style of play. Be patient, this space will fill in soon.

Where Are we Playing?

We are going to be resolving all of our in and out of character stuff on the forums at Penny-Arcade's Gaming Forum. It's an established place where hundreds of people already play Play-by-Post games on a daily basis and an interesting place in itself. The forums there have some pretty powerful tools that will help us all enjoy the game. I will be putting up our particular campaign in that forum split between two threads - an In Character thread where actual game stuff will take place - and an Out of Character thread where you can bitch and moan about how much you hate your DM and what you would like to do to him with a zombie cactus.

How do I make my mans do the thing with the stuff?!

Blah Blah Blah Blah

What about Dice? I like Dice!

When you need to roll dice, I suggest you use the wonderful service available at The Invisible Castle. It's free and it's really powerful. When I set up the Out-of-Character thread in the forums there will be a small tutorial on how to use it for you people who don't have a good grasp. Alternatively, you can roll actual dice and just tell me what you rolled, or you could lie and take a random number, or whatever. Just remember the rules about CHEATING.

House Rules

Every particular group has their own style of play that they are most comfortable with - some of you have played for eons, and some of you are quite new to the whole experience. We will all bring something different to the table - but here are some things you can expect when you are playing with me.

Magic Items and Rewards

Anyone familiar with the Dark Sun setting - or anyone having read that primer up above at least - should have noticed by now that magic is not so common. As such, magic items aren't as easy to find or get access to in Athas. What this means is that characters will likely receive fewer magical items - and the ones you do receive should be treated as treasures and rare artifacts. To make up for the fact that you won't be wandering around the wastes like christmas-trees of loot, there are some changes we'll be making.

Inherent bonuses

We'll be using the suggested system for inherent bonuses that scale with your level - and I'll be summarizing that here shortly for your convenience. Note that these bonuses don't stack with magic items - so if you have a higher bonus from a magic item, use that INSTEAD.

Masterwork Stuff

Instead of magical armor and the like, it's much more likely that you'll gain access to exquisite works of masterwork armor. Who wants boring old plate-mail when you can have something far more interesting and badass looking anyway.

Boons, Favors, and other weird stuff

Boons are magic-like effects that can be granted to you by Sorcerer Kings, or earned via your glorious deeds in the arena, or through some other crazy mechanism.

Favors replace some of the money rewards you'll get. Let's face it - it's hot, and you don't want to be lugging around sack after sack of ceramic coins. That's heavy, and someone's likely to rob you and take your money. Favors have the same kind of game effect as money without the burden of carrying it around. The way it works is basically IOUs with different factions. Doing a job for a templar might earn you favor you can spend with other templars in that region. Being a badass in the arena might earn you favor with the general public, that you could possibly use for room and board ... or safe haven...

I reserve the right to reward my players as I see fit...

Cheat

It's well known that DMs cheat ALL THE TIME. I'm going to cheat too. If I cheat, it'll be to make the game more interesting, challenging, or because I am having a bad day and I feel like killing the entire party. That said, I will try to keep it to a dull roar unless I think it's warranted / looks awesome. I expect that my players - who are a bunch of shifty, cunning bastards - will also cheat from time to time. That's fine. But if you are going to cheat, all I ask is that you do so to make something awesome. If you cheat to "Win" you are doing it wrong. I'll take notice if you always roll 20's for example. That's boring, and you'd probably really hate it if the monsters also started rolling all 20's all the time, too. That's boring. I'm a big believer in gaming karma - make awesome things possible and awesome things will happen. Do boring things and boring things will happen (such as character death.)

Character Death

It's Dark Sun, and if you didn't read the above primer let me restate: It's a brutal, deadly world. Someone's probably going to get hurt and die. It happens. If it happens to you, it wasn't personal - and we'll get you back in the game ASAP with a shiny new character and some new story hooks to get you involved. DON'T PANIC. That said, as a DM in Dark Sun my goal - oddly enough - isn't to kill you all. It's to facilitate you guys (and gals) in telling an awesome story about some badass mamma-jammas that rock their way around the world nearly-dying every step of the way. I think near death experiences are way better than actual death experiences - especially since you can have more than one of them.

I'm not going to coddle anyone, but for my part I will make sure that for every "Certain Death" situation there should be several avenues to proceed with only horribly terrible wounds instead of death. It's not my goal to have rocks fall and everyone die. Also, bribery works wonders - contact your friendly DM with more details on how you could bribe him out of a Rock-Falling sort of encounter. See also "Cheating".

As a mechanical side to things, there's no divine power source, so there's really no "Raise Dead" ritual. Wizards can animate the dead through powerful defiling magicks... but that's probably not what you want to do with you beloved friend's newly dead body. Finding a way to raise someone from the dead would likely be an entire adventure on its own - something you may wish to investigate if it arises.

Awesome vs. Accurate

In the struggle between rules and cool things, cool things almost always wins. I don't know every detailed rule in existance, and I certainly don't keep up to date with errata and changes - and I don't expect my players to be walking dictionaries of the game materials (it'd be nice if you know something, however). So if you want your character to do something that just awesome beyond words, go for it - we'll sort out the rules implications as we go along. I'll try to keep consitant - and you all can help me out on that by keeping track of awesome shit you've done and keeping the results in mind when you try your next stunt.

Trying out cool things (whether they work or not) will be good for you - exciting stuff makes me happy, and Happy DM = Fabulous Prizes.

Bogging down play with looooong or unecessary rules-bickering will be bad for you. See above "Character Death".

That said, if you have an honest question about rules, or whether or not you should even attempt some silly maneuver, that's what the Out-Of-Character thread in the forum is for. Please use it as much as you like for the purpose.

Lazyness and Flakery

People are busy. People are lazy. Sometimes you just can't post. Sometimes I can't post. It happens. If it happens too much, it might slow down play - and I might decide that we need to move things along. If you know you won't be around (on vacation, sick, dying, getting married to a zombie cactus) then put something up on the OOC thread, or email me personally, or send someone a text message or something -and we'll sort it out. Otherwise, we'll have your character follow the party around dumbly, as if struck by sun sickness, worthless and mute - until you let us know what to do with them.

Also, some of you might know that your DM is a terrible person and a horrible flake. I will try to keep this to a minimum. If I'm gone without notice for more than a week, I give you permission to start harassing me until I come back. If it happens that I have to go anywhere or take any time away, I'll do my best to notify you and give you all something to do in the interim.

Run With It

This is an extension of Awesome vs. Accurate. Just to emphasize - if something is cool and nobody has called anyone out for being a flagrant CHEATER then my suggestion is to just run with it. If I hate you, or if whatever is going on isn't helping the plot forward, or if you deviate from the railroad that I've painstakingly put you on, I'll just edit the post as necessary after talking to you first.

Making Characters

I guess this is also under the purview of house rules, but to keep things simple here's all I have to say about character creation in regards to this campaign.

Use the Character Generator

There's a pretty good character generator available from WotC that I can make available to you, if you don't already have access - AT THIS TIME: There is no support for Dark Sun, reportedly that update will come in October sometime soon, so we'll wait and see. But if everyone is on the same page on how they are making their characters it'll make things a lot easier on me, which will make things easier on you. If you don't have it, email me, we'll get you sorted.

Restrictions

Don't be a jerk. And most of the book stuff from the various books are fine. I'm firm in the belief that you cannot "Win" DnD ... so that means that you probably can't have the "Best" build ever. Make your character work in the setting, play well with others, and interesting to play and interact with - and we'll be fine.

Things you should probably not make:

• Divine Characters - There's no gods, so there's no paladins.
• Things that are opposed to the setting - It's a desert, no mermaids.
• Absolutely Evil Characters - The world is brutal, evil, and harsh - the whole point is that PCs stand out from that. Selfish is ok. Asshole is ok. Eating Kittens and stabbing orphans, probably not ok.
• Stupid Characters - Things that don't make sense, things that are boring, things that I just don't like.

Attributes

Guess we're going everyone's favorite - Standard Array. That's 16 14 13 12 11 10. Unless you do something else, (See CHEATING), but if you do something else make sure its for an Awesome Reason.

Backgrounds and Themes

Characters can benefit from one background and one theme as they like. If no particular theme strikes your fancy, talk to me we'll work something (probably in feats or something).

Backstories

Do as you like, be inventive and creative - The world of Athas and the city-state of Draj are ours to fill in with details and life. Keep in mind the setting and the scope of the game, and have some reasons and motivations to be in the area and to be doing what it is we will be doing at the start (being a new or upcoming gladiator in Draj, free or not).

Characters

Player Characters that are in the works or confirmed will go down here. Also, feel free to buddy up with another player - a lot of you don't know each other, and that'd be a good chance to get to know your fellow player - working your backgrounds together will help us all make a more cohesive and interesting story, doncha think?

Off the top of my head I think this group amounts to 8 people, with 4 strikers, 1 or 2 leaders, and 1 or 2 defenders, with maybe a controller. I'm not worried about balance, because I think it's a fun challenge to design the encounters for the mixed bag. But as an observation - it looks like this team will be a very hard-hitting, but possibly fragile group. That's cool - just be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses.

Tenative Characters

These are the mumblings I have heard from the players in the campaign. Want to put your own up? Then edit below!

Topher and Aniket

A pair of rogues that work together in deadly unison. Who is their mark in this hostile warrior city? (Half-Elf and Changeling Rogues? / Strikers)

Mia

A lazy, shifty, no-good elf that decided to take her Snake to Draj to get a break from pillaging on the Silt Sea. (Elf Beast Ranger/ Striker)

Coaxoch, (Cow-wah-show-k) - As according to the prophecy of her birth, Coaxoch was born with an affinity for serpents, and affinity which the serpents returned. They named her the "serpent flower", and it was no surprise that she later took a rare and deadly winged viper as her companion. They spent many years perfecting the battle strategy of a warrior with a venomous attack, and over time, she was considered the strongest of her tribe and became heavily relied upon in battle. While most warriors would have relished in the glory, she began to loath the position. Raiding and pillaging became more of a chore than anything else. Finally, when boredom and her perception of being overworked could no longer being ignored, Coaxoch took her flying snake Crowley and slipped away. They made their way to the city of Draj; a land of relative luxury, relaxation and comforts compared to the desert. After doing a little homework, she found a sniveling noble (with a few, very powerful allies to deter enemies) in search of a body guard. With little or no danger of actually having to do anything (so she thinks), she puts her deadly skills for hire - and basically hangs out and enjoys the cuisine with her new 'noble' boss, toying with gladiators to pass the time and make some extra money through her bosses gambling ring.

Ps. She has kick ass tattoo's around her neck, arms and leg. Oh, and on her head. Grr.

Rhieley

A Half-Giant that got in the wrong line and ended up being a Gladiator. It's working out pretty well though, so she might just continue what works. (Half-Giant Two-Handed Fighter/ Defender) File:C:\Users\Stalker\Pictures\char1.jpg

Erik

Matalihutl "Matt" of House Tenoch

Human, Noble Adept, Battlemind (Defender)

An exploration of what it is to be a "good and honorable man" viewed through the cultural lens of a civilization that values blood-sacrifice, conquest, and superstition.

Matalihutl was born into privilege, personally trained in the Way by Ixtabai the Blind from a young age. His body and mind were forged into weapons in service to Father and House Tenoch. He was chosen by his House to serve the templars, as part of their duty to the Father. He was assigned to assist Chet Olmec, a templar, while that templar executed the will of the Father. When Matt learned that Chet had been falsely accused of cowardice, he made a choice that would change his life forever. On the honor of his blood, he took advantage of the distraction of "The Games", ascended the steps of the Father and Master Temple, and made a final appeal to his God for divine Justice . . . .

David

Chet Olmec, Templar of Draj (Human Warlord / Leader)

Catchphrase - "Take 'em alive!"

Backstory - Falsely accused of cowardice in battle by a rival for advancement, Chet Olmec, Templar of Draj, has been cast down into the arena with the dregs. The proud warrior has sworn a horrible and violent revenge on this rival, beginning with multiple stab wounds and ending with a full-body plaster cast to decorate the ruins of his stately manor. First, though, Chet has to fight his way out of squalor, and he's taking the bloodiest route possible. But, in the Draj tradition, he's going to do it with Showmanship, and by the gods that'll involve fight choreography and flashy sacrifices.

Personality - Chet Olmec is the quintessential warrior of Draj: a stalwart believer in the divinity of his god-king and an imaginatively violent fighter. His habit of leaving his defeated opponents alive is not a mercy but rather an acknowledgement that a ritual sacrifice is more intimidating than a death in combat. He is a man of passions: rich loyalty to his friend and ally Matalihutl, dark rage toward his enemies, vibrant zest for dancing the interface between life and death. These passions all combine to fuel a roiling and explosive anger at the sight of Injustice. Not for his personal experience (for that is his honor to avenge) but accompanying his belief that though some may be born slaves, any who stands and fights with honor is a slave no longer, even in death. A radical anger indeed in a slave-holding society, but it is a philosophy derived of that society's violence: If you're willing to fight, you're free. But Chet neither promises nor expects a fair fight.

James

A Sorcerer bent on revenge and awesomeness. (I forget Sorcerer / Striker)

Nick

Cha'Ka Chkit Thri-Kreen, Elemental Priest, predator druid

Background: Since hatching, Cha'Ka and his clutch-mates were terrors of the wastes. They'd act more like a pack of savage animals then a tribe. Brutally eating lost travelers and the weak. Wearing their hides as trophies and as warnings. Until one day his clutch was rounded up, tossed in cages and sold to a merchant. The merchant used them as food, trinkets and medicine (to cure anything from baldness and erectile dysfunction). Cha'ka escaped and traveled alone in the wastes till he was half dead. Thats when he started to commune with the Elemental Spirits and granted strange abilities. When he awoke from the visions... he was soaked in blood standing in the middle of a holding pen at the gladiatorial arena.

Player Aids

These are things that I think will help you either enjoy the setting more or assist you in your playing in the campaign in some way. Contributions are always welcome.

The Playlist of Athas and Draj

Do you know any music that we should be listening to while we play around in the desert lands of Athas and the Aztecky themed Draj? If so, why not let us all know about it!

Artists of Note

Our own Mia and Rhieley are both really swell artists, and I really recommend you hound them like hounds for your own artwork ... although I'd also refer you to the section about BRIBERY above as well. Still, there are a lot of good artists that have taken stabs at capturing the world of Athas and its settings - and their art will definitely help you get your crodlu in a tizzy.

Brom

He's pretty much responsible for the artistic direction of Dark Sun from the very beginning.

Dark Sun Related Reading

Here we can list our favorite Dark Sun related books - or books that you think relate well to the setting. Share!

Fiction

"Aztec" (Gary Jennings) - Good literary description of massive sacrifices and general adventure in Aztec society. Disregard the last fourth of the book with Cortes, aside from the doom and gloom feeling.

Non-Fiction

"Khartoum: The Ultimate Imperial Adventure" (Michael Asher) - A great description of desert conditions and how you shouldn't travel for pleasure. Ignore the Nile River and pretend the boats are half-giant bearers or desert schooners or whatever Dark Sun has.