AuthorsFlorian Don Schauen, Daniel Simon Richter

Additional material by Eevie Demirtel, Tobias Rafael Junge, Alex Spohr, and Jens Ullrich

Publishing ManagersMarkus Plötz, Michael Mingers

Rules DesignMarkus Plötz, Alex Spohr, Jens Ullrich

EditorEevie Demirtel

Editorial StaffEevie Demirtel, Daniel Simon Richter

Copy-EditingMarco Findeisen, Thorsten Most, Timo Roth

Art DirectorNadine Schäkel

Cover IllustrationAnna Steinbauer

Interior Illustrations and MapsHelge Balzer, Steffen Brand, Tristan Denecke, Regina

Kallasch, Lorena Lammer, Jennifer Lange, Nele Klumpe, Marcus Koch, Annika Maar, Ben Maier, Katharina Niko, Nathaniel Park, Diana Rafoth, Janina Robben, Matthias

Rothenaicher, Nadine Schäkel, Fabian Schempp, Wiebke Scholz, Elif Siebenpfeiffer, Anna Steinbauer, Mia

Steingräber, Florian Stitz, Sebastian Watzlawek, Rabea Wieneke, and Karin Wittig

Composition, Layout, and DesignPatrick Soeder

ENGLISH VERSION

Studio DirectorTimothy Brown

TranslatorEduard Lerperger

Managing EditorKevin MacGregor

EditingKevin MacGregor, Trish DeFoggi

Copy-EditingTim Beach, JM DeFoggi, Dale Donovan,

Chris Leyba, Greg Nagler

LayoutBen Acevedo, Emma Beltran

Copyright © 2016 by Ulisses Spiele GmbH, Waldems. THE DARK EYE, AVENTURIA, DERE, MYRANOR, RIESLAND, THARUN, and UTHURIA are trademarks of Ulisses Spiele. All rights reserved.

This publication is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without prior written consent by Ulisses Spiele GmbH,

Waldems.

We would like to thank Tim Frießinger, Jean G. Kehnert, Judith C. and Christian Vogt, Boris Alles, Gregor

Biberacher, Björn Hinrichs, Niko Hoch, Christoph Lack, Thorsten Most, Bernd Teichert, Daniel Bruxmeier, Tjorven

Müller, Patrick Schumacher, Fabian Sinnesbichler, and Dennis Weigt, as well as the countless clever and creative

minds who, over the course of the last thirty years, created Aventuria as we know it today.

CREDITS

Sam

ple

file

With thanks to all who helped create Aventuria.

Sam

ple

file

Table of ContentsPreface 6

A Short Introduction 6

Chapter 1: The Continent of Aventuria 7The World of Dere 8

The Shape of the World 8The Far North 8The Forests of the North 10The Steppes of the Orcs and the Former Svellt League of Towns 10Thorwal and the Gjalskland 11The Warring Kingdoms 11The Middenrealm 11The Delvings of the Dwarves 13The Island of Maraskan 13The Realm of the Horas 14The Lands of the Tulamydes 14Arania, Land of the Matriarchs 14The Khôm Desert and the Caliphate 14The Lizard Swamps 14The City States of Meridiana 15Steaming Jungles 15Altoum and the Forest Islands 16

Wind and Weather 16Levels of Cold 16Levels of Heat 16

Over Road and Bridge 18Journey on Land 18Journey on Water 20Magical Journeys 21

Chapter 2: Races 23Humans 24Elves 26Dwarves 27Orcs and Goblins 27Additional Races 28

Chapter 3: Land and People 29Locations and Settings 29

The Middenrealm and Its Provinces 30The Middenrealm in the Year 1040 FB 31Horasian Empire and Cyclopes Islands 39Paavi and the Far North 41Gulf of Riva and the Lands of the Nivese 44Thorwal and the Gjalskland 45Nostria and Andergast 46Orclands and Svellt Valley 48The Free Cities of the North and the Elven Heartlands 49The Bornland 50Mountain Kingdoms: The Dwarves of Aventuria 52Warunkia and The Shadowlands 54Maraskan and The Blood Sea 55Arania and Perricum 57

The City-States of the Tulamydes and of the South 58The Caliphate and the Khôm Desert 60Selem and Lizard Swamps 61The Empire of Al’Anfa 63The Forests and Islands of the Far South 64The Southern Sea 66

Cities of Aventuria 68Beyond Aventuria 91

Myranor, the Gyldenland 91Uthuria, Land of 12,000 Gods 91Rakshazar, the Giant’s Shore 91

Chapter 4: Culture and Science 93Languages and Dialects 94

Garethi, Bosparano, and Old Gyldenlandish 94Tulamidya and Ancient Tulamidya 94Other Human Languages and Scripts 95Languages and Scripts of Nonhumans 95Customary Forms of Greeting 96Secret Languages and Scripts 96

Idioms and Superstitions 96Idioms and Expressions 96Aventurian Superstitions 98

Calendars, Reckonings, and Holidays 99The Calendar of the Twelvegods 99Other Human Systems of Reckoning 100Nonhuman Systems of Reckoning 100Feasts and Holidays 101

Cosmology 101The Creation of the World 101The Ages 103The Starry Sky 104

Class and Feudal System 107Class 107The Feudal System 108Town Rights and Burghers 108Forms of Address 109

Battles and Armies 111Army Organization 111Military Ranks 112The Military Campaign 113Great Battles of History 113

Food and Drink 114Sport and Games 116Craftsmanship and Technology 117Music and Art 120

Books as Teachers 122Aventurian Libraries 122

Selected Books 123Aventurian Diseases 126The Art of Alchemy 130

Poisons 130Elixirs and Tinctures 131

Chapter 5: Trade and Commerce 133Currencies and Payment Transactions 134

Minting Rights 135

Sam

ple

file

Spoiler Alert! This chapter is for GMs Only!

Promissory Notes 135Common Currencies 135

Trade Fairs and Markets 136Trade Fairs 136

Weights and Measurements 138Law and Order 139

Courts of Law 140Offenses 141Punishments 142God’s Judgement and Trial by Combat 143

Taxes and Levies 143

Chapter 6: Flora and Fauna 145What Grows and Lives in Aventuria? 146

Aventurian Seas 148Aventurian Bestiary 149Goblin 150Ogre 152Orc 154Troll 156Cave Spider 158Crypt Louse 160Krakennewt 162Tatzelwurm 164Treant 166Grimwolf 168Black Bear 169Wild Boar 170Wolf Rat 171Aventurian Herbarium 172

Chapter 7: Gods and Demons 175The Creed of the Twelvegods 176

Praios 177Rondra 177Efferd 178Travia 178Boron 179Hesinde 179Firun 180Tsa 180Phex 181Peraine 181Ingerimm 182Rahja 182

The Adversary 183The Archdemons 184Other Immortals 185Beyond the Creed of the Twelvegods 187

The Beliefs of Non-Humans 188Churches and Cults 189

Chapter 8: Magic and Sorcery 191Aventuria as a Magical World 192Magical Traditions 193Magical Artifacts 196Magical Beings 199Magic in Daily Life 200

Chapter 9: Fame and Infamy 203The Garadan System 204Rohaja of Gareth 205Khadan Varsinian Firdayon 205Bibernell of Hengisford 206Aikar Brazoragh 206Albrax son of Agam 207Abromolosh son of Agam 207Elodiron Crystalglimmer 208Nahema ai Tamerlein 208Archon Megalon 209Pardona 209Ashtarra Okharim 210Raxan Shadow Wing 210Emmeran Stoerrebrandt 211Thorn Eisinger 211Arn Askrason 212Baba ben Ali 212Vanja Nadaljeff 213Deriago di Vincetta 213

Chapter 10: Myth and History 215Aventurian History 216Mythology and History 216

Prehistory 216The First Human Kingdom 218The New Realm 221Recent History 224The Living History: Aventuria as a Game Setting 225The Time of the Starfall 230

Chapter 11: Mystery and Arcana 231Mysteries 232

The Starfall 232The Shards of the Demon Crown 234The Turning of the Ages 235War of the Gods 236The Intrigues of the Nameless One 236Dark Eyes 238Rohal and Borbarad 238The Wall of Efferd 238

Secrets of the NPCs 239Mysterious Places 245

Other Mysterious Places 248Heroic Journeys Throughout Aventuria 250Human Opponents 251Burgher 252Bandit 253Guard 254Cultist 255Living History for the GM 256

Index 258Sam

ple

file

Preface

PrefaceThe fantastic world of The Dark Eye has been evolving for more than thirty years. Explorers have even discovered a few new continents, but Aventuria was where it all started, and Aventuria remains the centerpiece of the game. Now that the Core Rules of The Dark Eye is in its fifth edition, we wanted to publish an updated description of the world of Aventuria in a new volume.

This book is intended as a classic setting guide designed to help new players get their bearings in Aventuria. Experienced players can browse it quickly for updates on current affairs and rediscover a long-cherished game setting. I wish to thank all the enthusiastic players and authors who lovingly crafted Aventuria and the cosmology of The Dark Eye. We wish you lucky die rolls and hope that your heroes prevail time and time again in Aventuria.

Daniel Simon Richter (for the editorial team),Oberhausen, on a warm summer day in August, 2015

A Short IntroductionWelcome to the world of The Dark Eye! The Aventuria Almanac expands upon the material introduced in the Core Rules by taking a closer look at life on the continent of Aventuria. Upcoming sourcebooks explore specific regions in even greater depth.

This book gives your role playing group a common starting point for the game world, and is designed for game masters and players alike. With one exception, players may read freely without fear of ruining their gaming experience. In other words, this book contains few spoilers.

Where Do I Begin?We suggest you start at the beginning. The Aventuria Almanac covers everything from the big picture to certain finer details, and most chapters begin with an overview of basic concepts. Experienced players may use the Table of Contents (see page 4), the Index (see page 258), and the enclosed map of Aventurian regions to skip directly to sections of interest.

GM InformationSpoiler alert: Chapter 11: Mystery And Arcana (see page 231) contains information intended only

for the GM. Players who do not wish to spoil their enjoyment of the game should avoid reading Chapter 11, as it reveals

many secrets concerning the world, important NPCs, and events. We mark such secrets with a page reference and a

symbol. The Index omits all references to these secrets to prevent players from accidentally learning something they later wish they hadn’t seen.

Level of DetailPlayers familiar with the Regional Setting Guides of previous editions won’t find as much detail in this volume, but then again, this book could contain more than 1,000 pages and still not come close to those earlier efforts. Instead, we condensed the sheer abundance of information in a clear and readable way. Let this book serve as a foundation for your campaign, a springboard from which to create adventures. For example, Chapter 3: Land and People (see page 29) presents descriptions and adventure hooks for many fascinating regions. A region is much more than its geographical description, as you shall discover. To explore this concept further, see Locations and Settings, on page 29.

Point of ViewThis book is told from the point of view of someone steeped in the traditions and interpretations of events according to the Twelvegods, as this is the most common belief system in Aventuria (and the one that is most familiar to the existing player base). This does not mean that other perspectives are less important or less true. We intend merely to emphasize the idea of a unified world. But worry not, as the Aventuria Almanac also states things from the perspective of different races, peoples, and cultures. As with the Core Rules, this book is of necessity limited. If your group is interested in exploring a specific region, world view, or cultural mannerism in greater detail, watch for the upcoming Regional Setting Guides, which expand on the topics introduced in the Almanac.

What Does My Hero Know?This book is intended mainly for players, as most inhabitants of Aventuria know only a fraction of what has been collected in the Aventuria Almanac. Even great scholars and well-traveled adventurers may garner only a few of the facts and rumors presented here during the course of their entire lives. Naturally, heroes (and even more so their players) should be well-informed about their homelands and neighboring regions, but this does not mean they can freely use all the information presented in this volume. Be sure to discuss it with your players.

6

Sam

ple

file

“I am proud to have sailed with the daring captain Asleif Foggwulf Phileasson during his legendary race against Beorn the Blinder. Nothing less than the title of King of the Seas was at stake back then. What wonders we witnessed, traveling the world at his side! But I will not sing Phileasson’s saga this time, even though it would be an honor. Today, I wish to tell you about what our eyes were allowed to see as we went from one adventure to the next, crossing blades with gruesome monsters and devious evildoers.

“We sailed north from our homeland of Thorwal, city of free and fearless seafarers. Many miles we traveled through the cold waters of Ifirn’s Ocean until we reached the ice. It wasn’t long before we saw the frigid plains of the High North. Beyond Yeti Land, where the white snowbugbears dwell, lies a frozen world seen by few humans. Cold and darkness reign in the Grimmfrost Wastes, interrupted only by the pale flicker of Ifirn’s Lights. There are no human settlements this far north, but we found vestiges of the secretive high elves, who called this hostile land their home a long time ago. Explorers have found traces of their presence everywhere on the continent, no matter which way they traveled.

“As we sailed back south, we stopped at the well-fortified trading town of Riva. From there we followed the River Kvill through frost-covered, boggy marshland. We left the village of Gerasim, which is home to many elves, behind us, and crossed the Yellow Sickle at Raven’s Pass. Finally we reached the Green Plains via old paths used by the nomadic Nivese and their herds of karan deer. We marched through the never-ending vastness of the steppe to the southeast, in the direction of tree-covered Bornland, where simple folk endure hardships under the whips of their nobles. O Swafnir, what sort of land is that, in which women and men cannot live free?

We soon came upon its capital city, Festum—an old and mighty trading port on the Tobrien Sea—and continued south until we reached magnificent Vallusa on the Misa River. We had to crane our necks to appreciate the full skill of its architects, whose buildings stretch into the sky like towers. From Vallusa we traveled to the largest realm of men in Aventuria—the New Realm or Middenrealm. Tobrien was the first province through which we passed. It is an old and primitive land, bordered on the east by the sea and on the west by the peaks of the Dragon Stones and the Black Sickle. I can tell you that the Dragon Stones are aptly named. No one would dare deny those mighty, winged beings their dominion, which has endured for millennia. I now know why we name our dragon ships after them. Nobody stands in their way. Well, a sworn fellowship of dwarves might, but how often do you see something like that at sea?

We set out to sea again from the Tobrien harbor town of Mendena. It was bliss, let me tell you, for I had been stuck on dry land for far too long.

Chapter 1: The Continent of Aventuria

7

Sam

ple

file

Chapter 1: The Continent of Aventuria

The Sea of Pearls is always treacherous, but our island destination lies to the east of the continent, so we dared it. The Maraskan jungles teem with numerous abominations that devour or sting everything. Far stranger than the many and often poisonous creatures are the people who dwell there. They love their freedom more than anything, but they are not entirely right in the head: They think the world is a perfect discus! We found what we were looking for on the island–a horror from ancient times–but I will tell of this another time. We soon left Maraskan and the other coastal islands behind. Remember my words: the Sea of Pearls is treacherous. Beware of areas coated in dark-blue seaweed–many ships never leave the Sargasso Sea! We sailed into the Gulf of Tuzak and traveled to the old city of Khunchom in the Lands of the Tulamydes–what splendor we beheld! Pleasantly warm throughout the year and with sweet fruit trees everywhere, the city supports a vast population.

Yet the interior of the continent is a vast, empty desert. Beyond burning sand and scorching heat, the Khôm offers little. Still we wanted to travel there. But first we passed through Mhanadistan, where time-honored Fasar lies in the shadows of the mighty peaks of the Wall of Rashtul. The oldest city of man in the world, Fasar’s splendid palaces stand next to squat clay huts. Money rules this city. The mighty enforce their influence with mercenaries and violence compels the poor in Fasar’s alleys. From there, we trekked through the searing desert and found traces of ancient settlements along the way.

How glad I was when we finally left that parched land! We traveled through the Fairfield, where you find cities of splendor in every direction. The inhabitants think highly of themselves and even think their people were first settlers of Aventuria. Blind fools, I say! Everyone knows that our ancestors settled this land much earlier, by Swafnir’s name!

Our journey led us into the swamps over a rough road to Loch Harodrôl and into the rainforests of the south. Dark-skinned forest people and scaly lizardfolk who call themselves the Achaz live there. The Achaz claim they once ruled the world and, after seeing their overgrown temple complexes, I begin to believe them.

But not even the jungles and swamps of Meridiana could keep us from our race; we had to return home to Thorwal ahead of Beorn the Blinder! So we traveled to the west, into the Sea of Seven Winds. As we sailed, we passed through the borders of the world and reached behind the Mists to see the ancient wonders of the high elves, whose traces we had discovered again and again across the world.

Finally our journey ended there, where it had begun–in Thorwal. You ask who won the race. Phileasson, of course! Who, you ask? Well then, I guess I have to recount the entire saga, after all!”—Ohm Follker, skald on the legendary expedition of Asleif Foggwulf Phileasson, the Thorwaler captain of the Sea Eagle

The World of DereThe continent of Aventuria, the primary setting for The Dark Eye, lies on the world of Dere, which bears only a passing resemblance to our Earth. We are not concerned with whether Dere is spherical, like Earth, but many of its inhabitants believe the world is round. Some scholars speculate that it may be a flat disc, a hemisphere, or even a ring. People normally refer to Dere’s sun as Praios’ Disk or the Eye of Praios. The moon is commonly called Mada’s Sign. Dere is a fantastical world of divine intervention, wondrous magic, and dangerous monsters, and Aventuria needs heroes to keep the world from sliding into darkness.

The Shape of the WorldThree other known landmasses exist on Dere. If you leave Aventuria and travel west across the Sea of Seven Winds, you eventually reach the Gyldenland, which is called Myranor by its inhabitants. If you travel straight across the Southern Sea—a long and perilous journey—you reach giant Uthuria, also called the land of the 12,000 gods. In the east, beyond the Sea of Pearls, lies the Giant’s Shore, called Rakshazar by the Tulamydes. It borders Aventuria in the far north-east, but the two continents are separated by the mighty peaks of the Iron Edge, which rise more than 9,000 feet into the sky.

Aventuria stretches approximately 2,000 Middenmiles (which correspond to our kilometers) from west to east and approximately 3,000 Middenmiles from north to south. Compared to Earth, Aventuria is roughly the size of Europe as measured from the North Cape of Norway to the Italian capital, Rome, and from the west coast of Ireland to the city of Warsaw, Poland.

The Far NorthThe far north of the world shivers in the icy grasp of eternal cold under the pale, flickering North Star, which is also called Ifirn’s Light. The names of its regions, such

“There have been many debates on the shape of the world. Some think that Dere is a disk, others that it is a sphere. The Maraskani are certain that the world is a discus, and I have even heard from scholars

who are convinced that a mysterious hollow world exists inside Dere.”

—Nacladora Berlînghan, Blessed One of Hesinde Draconite

8

Sam

ple

file

9

Sam

ple

file