1A SUNDERED WORLD

2Credits Th e text is free to reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported lience.Written by David Guyll and Melissa FisherCover by Giovanni LanzaSpecial thanks to Joshua Sorenson and Kamon Bryck for all the campaign sessions. You guys really helped shape the setting and give me the inspiration to see this through.Another special thanks to Adam Albright, Adam Minnie, Andre Luiz, Cory Alfaro, Dan Behlings, Darcy Dettmann Junior, Eric Sheldahl, German Sanders, Giovanni Lanza, Jeremy Strandberg Matt Smith, Matthew Seagle, Rob Cain, Shadi Alhusary, Sorcerer Blob, Tavis Hayes, and Tim Baker for the kind words, encouragement, and critical feedback.Comments & QuestionsTh e fastest way to get a response out of me is to send me an email at antiochcow@gmail.com, or hit me up on Google+:https://plus.google.com/+DavidGuyllI also have a Facebook thingy going on: https://www.facebook.com/AntiochcowAaand last but not least, Twitter: https://twitter.com/antiochcow

3ForewardA Sundered World differs from a traditional campaign setting in many ways.

First, the world. Or, rather, worlds. Well, to be accurate there were worlds, but now there is just one. The Sundering obliterated the barriers that kept the planes separated, causing them all to collapse into a single dimensional space. Where two planes collided often only one came out on top, but some more or less merged, creating a clashing of realities.

The gods and primordials are responsible for life, the universe, and every-thing. Before the Sundering both sides created many things, both people and places, both intentionally and accidentally. The god of dwarves crafted them from stone and taught them how to work metal, and dwelled within a great mountain. When the ice primordial was slain winter wolves, elementals, cryohydras and more sprang forth from its blood, which eventually formed a great glacier that slowly grows even now.

However...There are no more gods or primordials. Probably. Legend has it that they

were all wiped out before or during the Sundering, and both their angels and dormant corpses drifting through the Astral will certainly testify to that fact. Clerics are still around, as they can draw faith from angels, a gods corpse, or even from themselves: their sheer faith is enough to make miracles happen. That being said, maybe one or two are hiding out somewhere...

A lot of mundane critters were either wiped out, or do not operate entirely like you would expect. Astral whales swim through the silvery expanse with ease, as do fish despite there being a lack of water. Or, maybe they are made of water. Or infused with divine power. Think about where they came from and what hap-pened: deer may be the children of a stag spirit, while certain birds might have been affected by the plane of death and now crave souls.

Ultimately this is your Sundered World. The fragments of information in here are intended to help you build your own world of scattered islands, god-corpses, and forgotten secrets for adventurers to discover and explore. They might fend off a hoard of gnolls on carrion-ships, they might explore the ruined dominion of a god that, they might liberate a village from the harsh auspices of an angel that has taken its dogma too far.

4Fragments of LoreThe First Fragment: A Sundered World ....................................4

A History of a Sundered World .................................................xA Primer on a Sundered World .................................................xLiving in a Sundered World .......................................................xThe People of a Sundered World ...............................................xAdventuring in a Sundered World ............................................x

The Second Fragment: What Remains of the World ...............xBhalanlad Cluster .......................................................................xThe Golden Road ........................................................................xThe Bahamut Span ......................................................................xThe Maelstrom .............................................................................xThe Iron Circle .............................................................................xThe Wandering Wyld ..................................................................xWhat Lies Beyond .......................................................................xIsland Creation ............................................................................x

The Third Fragment: What Defines You ....................................xCambion .......................................................................................xCthon ............................................................................................xDeva ..............................................................................................xDwarf ............................................................................................xElf ..................................................................................................xKobold ..........................................................................................xKytheran .......................................................................................xScion .............................................................................................xTpual ............................................................................................xTarchon .........................................................................................xBattlemind ....................................................................................xInvoker ..........................................................................................xShaman .........................................................................................xWarlock ........................................................................................xWizard ..........................................................................................xCompendium Classes .................................................................x

5The Fourth Fragment: An Arsenal of Mortal and God ..........xNew Weapons ..............................................................................xNew Armor ..................................................................................xNew Dungeon Gear ....................................................................xBuilding Your Own Ship ............................................................xMagic Items ..................................................................................x

The Fifth Fragment: What Has Endured ...................................xNew Monster Settings.................................................................xAntikytheras Legion ...................................................................xAstral Denizens ...........................................................................xDwellers in Darkness ..................................................................xElements of the Maelstrom ........................................................xSpirits of the Sundered Lands ....................................................xThe Celestial Hoest .....................................................................xThe Voices of the Stars ................................................................xThose That Have Fallen ..............................................................xWhat Lurks Beyond ....................................................................xWyld Wanderers ..........................................................................x

The Sixth Fragment: That Which Threatens Us .......................xAntikytheras Armory .................................................................xRunning Out of Time .................................................................xReap What You Sow ....................................................................x

The Seventh Fragment: Excess Matter .......................................x

6The First Fragment

7As the cathedral looms before the angel gate, the priests begin chanting prayers, beseeching it to open a path so that they may once again begin the Golden Pilgrimage. A ship loaded with firewater and other contraband from the City of Brass drifts silently through the Deep Astral, hoping to evade border islands...and whatever lurks within the darkness. Soldiers stationed at a dwarven multi-fort load elemental cores into an array of fire lances, as a kytheran raiding fleet swiftly approaches. Thoughtform trembling with nervousness in front of so many enlightened Astral weavers, a tpual battlemind begins its graduating shape-kata exam. A mining vessel launches a series of towing chains into a stabilized earth mote. They begin reeling it in, hoping that it will not fluctuate before they can extract usable ore for processing later. The consuming darkness crawls towards the pale spires of the elven city. Most of the inhabitants retreat behind closed doors: only the White Owls and nobility dare to tread outside until it has passed.

A Sundered World is not a normal world. It is not even a single world, but the collected fragments of many worlds, all mixed together into one more-or-less stable reality.

At the centeror what many believe to be the centeris the Maelstrom, a roiling storm of endless elemental matter and energy. Highly unstable, sometimes it jettisons enough material to make a new island, or perhaps a cloud of water, but more often it unleashes catastrophic forces.

Scattered beyond this place, countless chunks of stone, bone, and ice float along with the shattered corpse of gods in a silvery, clouded expanse, illuminated by an ambient light with no apparent source, but seems to come from every direction at once.

The light dims the further you go, until there is nothing but darkness. Some believe that this is where the stars came from, and that if you venture too far you will be consumed or changed. Others believe that you will eventually loop back from the opposite end. Still others believe that there is a sort of edge, and if you can break through you will find yourself in a new world.

A Sundered World

Space, says the introduction to the guide, is big. Really big. You just wont believe how vastly, hugely, mind bogglingly big it is. And so on.

-The Book, Hitchhikers Guide

to the Galaxy

8History of a Sundered WorldMuch of the true history of the world is privy only to the oldest immortalor nearly sobeings that not only existed prior to the Sundering, but managed to survive it: fey lords, dwarven thanes, dragons, devil lords, demon princes, and great nature spirits to name a few.

But, as old and powerful as they are, even their knowledge is not absolute: they may have witnessed the cataclysmic events of the Sundering, but if any are certain as to what caused it they are not exactly forthcoming.

What is known is that the world was once the sole purview of colossal elemental beings known as the primordials. As was their nature they went about shaping it, tearing it apart, and re-building it again and again, in an endless cycle of creation and destruction. They did not do so out of advancement or to improve on any design: they simply broke things down and started again for its own sake.

High above in the heavens the gods spun smaller worlds out of threads of thought and desire. Within these realms they ruled with absolute authority, creating anything that they pleased when they pleased. Unlike the primordials they did not continually reduce their worlds from ashes and start anew, but effected smaller alterations.

Maybe the gods looked upon the world below and saw its potential, or maybe the primordials gazed upon the sky and objected to its static design. No one knows the reason, who struck the first, or if they even tried resolve their differences diplomatically.

They fought, and how long the battle lasted who could say? Members from both sides were immortal, and had existed for untold millenia: time was meaningless to them. The primordials, unaccustomed to order or structure, unleashed catastrophic forces at the heavens: stones larger than any island in existence, and blasts of lightning, storms of fire, and gouts of water that could level entire cities in an instant.

The gods responded in kind, using their mastery of the astrals essence to fabricate mighty weapons, and conjure up phalanxes of angelic warriors to support them as they waded into combat. However, despite the advantage of numbers, cunning, and strategy the gods were just able to hold the power of the primordials in check.

Then something happened.Perhaps it was an immeasurable surge of energy from the simultaneous death of the mightiest of the gods and primordials. Maybe one side, or possibly both, unleashed the force of an unfathomable weapon, hoping to utterly obliterate the opposing side with one decisive strike. It might have even been a magical mishap that echoed throughout the planes.

Whatever the cause, the resulting cataclysm shattered the metaphysical barriers that separated the planes, causing each reality to collapse into one unified existence.

This was the Sundering.

9In almost every case life was extinguished, either annihilated by destructive forces or unable to cope with the sudden change. A handful of races managed to survive through various means, such as the elves, dwarves, cthon, and djinn. Others found themselves transformed or were able to otherwise adapt.

However, in the wake of destruction, new life flourished: men, tarchons, strange beasts, and more sprang from the blood of slain gods and primordials.

Questions What caused the Sundering? Can it be replicated? Can what remains of the

world survive another event? Can the world be made whole once more? At what cost? Are there any surviving gods? What about the primordials? Are there any worlds beyond the dark borders of the astral? Is the astral expanding? Is it shrinking? What about the Maelstrom? Is it possible for the Maelstrom to run out?

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A Primer on a Sundered WorldThere are a lot of strange things in a Sundered World, but even the stuff that sounds familiar probably is not. Before you get started hopping islands, treading the astraleither through sheer willpower or on an elemental vesselor exploring the crumbling dominions of dead gods, there are some things you are going to need to know if you want to survive.

Aberrant StarsIt is said that these things spawned all manner of nightmare-inducing, sanity consuming horrors long ago. Near as anyone can tell they are dead now. Well, at least the ones that people claim to have discovered and escaped from. Even so the broken husks that remain are still plenty dangerous.

For starters space and time do not play by the rules the closer you get to one, and as a rule of thumb if you can see one, youre probably too close. Another problem is that they are made entirely out of cold iron, which wreaks havoc on magic, so even if you can escape youd better hope that your engine doesnt run on it.

The only surefire way to orient yourself is with psychic shielding, a very skilled nomad, and strong winds.

Angel GatesThese stone rings mark entrances to the Angel Roads, a lattice of golden paths that were said to have spanned the heavens and connect the godly kingdoms to each other. Many were damaged or destroyed during the Sundering, but enough remain that they are the preferred mode of travel in that they instantly take you from one gate to another gate.

Activating one requires a period of sustained prayer, a divine ritual, the will of an angel...or the heart of one. Generally if a steading has an Angel Gate there is someone willing to open it on your behalf if you cannot, but they usually charge a fairly steep price. Of course some steadings only allow the faithful to use them, believing them to be gifts of the gods.

Arcane MagicArcane magic is a combination of enforcing your will upon the mutable nature of the astral, and speaking a combination of words derived from one the original languages spoken by the gods, primordials, or dragons. It is both physically and mentally taxing, and can have unexpected side effects, especially when there is cold iron nearby.

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Cold IronBasically the only good reason to visit an aberrant star, as this is the stuff they are made of. Cold iron is extremely potent against both the natives of Faerie and arcane magic: if you have a weapon made of it, it cuts through either or them like nothing, and if you are wearing it then you have little to fear from them.

Just, again, you have to go to an aberrant star to get it or spend a lot of coin. If you do get it second hand, make sure that any psychic residue was thoroughly scrubbed from it, otherwise prolonged use can cause nightmares, hallucinations, and even insanity.

DeathNot everything in a Sundered World is alive in the strictest sense. When most living things die their soul manifests nearby, usually to be drawn away by some unknown force. Some manage to linger for a time, and for better or worse others are so emotionally attached by something or willful that they stick around for quite a while.

Divine MagicThe gods are dead, but their worshipers can still draw power from their corpses, the astral, or even themselves to enact miracles.

DragonsDragons are not born from eggs, but the concentration of fear and fury given form from the intertwining of astral and elemental matter. Terrible sights to behold, they mercifully do not often venture far from their place of birth, but when they do they leave nothing in their wake.

(NOTE: Dragons would look more inline with 4th Edition D&Ds catastrophic dragons, with strong elemental ties. They would be capable of commanding elements, create disastrous phenomena like earthquakes, blizzards, tornados, fissures of lava, etc. Probably explode into an elemental vortex when slain.)

FlyingIf you can think, you can fly, albeit slowly, though with enough practice you can hone your mind, allowing you to fly much faster than normal. Despite the speed a lot of steadings and dungeons can have strange geography, so it can still save time. On that note...

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GodsNo one knows from whence the gods came. Were they always there, or were they created by some other force or happenstance? All that is known is that they were: the angels that served them, their decaying kingdoms, and shattered bodies are all a testament to their deeds and power.

Gravity as GuidelinesIt used to be that without magic, wings, or something else you were stuck to the ground. Not so anymore. If you jump, youll still go down unless you will yourself not to. Not only can most anyone and thing fly, but with a bit of mental re-orientation you can walk on any surface of any object. It is commonplace to see people walking about on the walls and ceilings of buildings.

Objects are still affected by gravity, though some people learn to will objects to move without touching them, and those with particularly strong minds can even cause them to float without even being around.

Ley LinesThese are kind of similar to angel roads, but were spun by an old primal spirit known as the Weaver. Spirits, fey, and those otherwise attuned to the spirit world can sense them, making them useful for navigating the often featureless expanses of the astralespecially for dryarksbut they can also be tapped to empower primal magic.

Fey creatures and spirits are often found near leylines, and islands located along one are more prolific. Where two ley lines intersect it creates a nexus of energy, which is often marked in some way: a towering tree, a mighty mountain, a ring of standing stones, the castle of a mighty fey creature, etc.

Primal MagicA kind of natural magic woven by druids, shamans, primal spirits, and fey entities. Like arcane magic, primal magic can be exhausting for mortals, who often have to tax their bodies just to get a spark going, though they can also call upon spirits or ley lines to fuel their magic.

PrimordialsElemental beings of god-like power, they were the original

PsionicsWhere divine magic draws upon the latent power of the gods, angels, and faith,

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and arcane magic is effected through a sheer force of will tempered by ancient languages, psionic magic is all about using your head, and only your head, to reshape reality. Or yourself.

Psionics are commonly the domain of aberrant entities from beyond the boundaries of space and time established by both god and primordial, though some mortals have a knack for it. Unfortunately, some steadings view psionic gifts as an ill omen.

SpiritsSpirits can be found everywhere, from rocks to trees, to weapons and armor, even ships, houses, and people. Most are comparatively weak, with tiny forms and capable of channeling prayers to perform only minor miracles. If they can manifest physical shapes, they are small. Stronger spirits can manifest larger, more powerful forms, and are capable of nourishing entire islands and wiping out entire armies or villages.

The Astral Is MutableThe astral responds to the wills and desires--and sometimes even the words--of intelligent creatures. Most are only capable of conjuring small, temporary objects, while those with strong wills can create larger, more complex, and longer-lasting objects. This is how the gods were able to call entire kingdoms into existance, and such was their might that even countless millenia later they still linger.

The Astral Resonates With Thought And EmotionThe Astral responds to the wills of thinking creatures. In most cases an individual mind is either not sufficiently powerful to effect any major changes, or it is simply drowned out by conflicting desires.

If enough people desire the same thing however, the astral can respond, and when enough people desire for the same thing long enough it can create psychic ripples or echos that sages refer to as resonance, which can make some things easier or more difficult, and in some cases make things possible or impossible.

For example, if you try to heal someone while standing atop the corpse of a god of life and renewal, the task is easier because ambient resonance bolsters what you want to happen. Conversely, if you try to peacefully negotiate with some bandits in an area where ambushes and slaughter routinely occur, it can be more difficult since the resonance is tilted towards conflict and bloodshed.

Psychics and some devices can detect resonance patterns, and in the case of particularly powerful minds they can enhance it, nullify it, or even reverse it.

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Living in a Sundered WorldA Sundered World differs greatly from your usual campaign setting. For starters there is a lack of land, oceans, sunlight, a day and night cycle, weather patterns, and universal gravity, but it is important to note that no one even questions these differences because to almost everyone this is how it has always been.

They do not wonder why plants grow without a sun or water, because they have never lived in a world with a sun or clouds. They also do not wonder where water comes from, because they have never lived in a world with oceans or rain.

If anything it would be more shocking to them if they suddenly became bound to the earth, because from an early age they learn to walk on any surface they like, and even slowly fly about as they please.

The closest things get to normalas interpreted by usare the dominions of gods. There the laws of reality adhere to the desires of whichever god created it. Many possess gravity, some have a sun (or even a day and night), and still others have actual weather patterns.

CurrencyCoins are all well and good among the so-called civilized islands, though what they look like, what theyre made of, and what theyre worth varies from place to place: dwarves, as well as most scions and cambions will take gold, though cambions also deal in favors, soul contracts, and black iron disks.

When it comes to metal, fey prefer silver and will at the least take offense to iron of any sort, and the further you get from Hammerhold, Asmodeus, and all of the other big cities, the less likely people are going to accept metal that they cannot do anything with, no matter how intricate the designs or precious the metal is.

And thats not even considering all of the valuable materials, services, and substances that arent coin-shaped: cold-iron (scrubbed or non-scrubbed), angel hearts, uncharged gems, soulcages, elemental cores, black ice bricks, godstone, tending to the sick or wounded, good old-fashioned labor, and so on.

As a rule of thumb, if a steading accepts coins, then nearby steadings, as well as any other steadings connected by trade routes or instantanoues transit, probably do as well. Otherwise, youll have to give them more, or pony up something else.

FloraPlants can be found in abundance on many islands, even islands without light or water. This is because they are nourished either by spirits, prayers, or the very essence of the astral (especially if there are nearby god-corpses that radiate a powerful life-giving resonance).

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GravityGravity could be considered subjective at best. Children learn from an early age how to drift or swim through the Astral, and it is not uncommon to see people navigating a city by walking on the walls or floating through the air. For some reason most unattended, inanimate objects naturally gravitated toward a level plane known as the astral horizon.

LanguagesThere are a number of different languages spoken throughout a Sundered World, though given that most races were created largely by two forces, maybe not as many as you would expect.

Clang: Kytherans. Most kytherans can emulate the words of other races, but they can also communicate using a series of mechanical clicks.

Draconic: Dragons, some wizards. Dragons have existed since the world and heavens were divided, and have their own language. Written draconic is exceed-ingly rare, because dragons had little reason to write anything down.

Elven: Elves, other feyfolk. Primordial: Cthon, tarchons, elemental beings, some wizards. There are four

dialects of primordial based on the four primary elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Similarly, the written forms also vary.

Supernal: Dwarves, scions, angels, devils. A language instinctively known by angels, who were created by the gods, devils, who are corrupted angels, and scions, who were born from their blood. Over time tribes and clans of scions on individual islands and island nations developed their own dialects and slang, but they are still able to more or less understand each other.

Sylvan: Kobolds, spirits. The bubbling of streams, the rustle of grass and leaves, and the whisper of wind. This is the language of spirits and their kin. With it you can communicate with

SocietyCustoms, rules, and traditions vary from island chain to island chain, sometimes even from island to island. When answering the following questions, keep in mind the islands dominante race (or races) and regional location. How does the island view other races? What do natives of the island value? This could range from materials to atti-

tudes to beliefs. Do they find any forms of magic acceptable? Do they find any forms unaccept-

able? What foods, materials, substances, icons, and actions, if any, are taboo? Do they revere anything? This could be a creature, place, or thing.

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TimeMost islands do not have a system of measuring time, because there is rarely any environmental constant by which to track it. It is because of this that there are no days, months, or years. People do not even have ages or even birthdays. Instead, some islands might have customs by which they test their youth to determine when they are adults, and hold celebrations based on other events (like a successful harvest).

Some islands might have some way of tracking time, like a mechanical clock, a steady fluctiation of astral ambience, the beating heart of a primordial, or the passing of Zaradica. It could be irregular or otherwise precise, such as when they harvest crops, a volcanic eruption, or when a spirit comes to claim one of the islands daughters.

In any case, these could also be used to indicate holidays.

WeatherSteady, ambient light can be found in most regions of the Astral, with some areas being brighter or darker than others. Temperatures can vary, but is generally stable unless affected by an outside force. Islands located near the Maelstrom can experience light and heat fluctuations as fire, lightning, ice, etc is spontaneously generated and either extinguished or further transformed.Whether or not an islander experiences weather phenomena depends on where their island is. Most islands in the Bhalenlad Cluster, for example, experience set temperatures with wind fluctuations, and thats pretty much it. Thick clouds might trail droplets of water, but because set gravity is so rare rain is only experienced on islands with spirits capable of conjuring it, or dominions that have set rules for gravity.The most diverse--and severe--weather can be found near the Maelstrom, as elemental matter and forces spontaneously appear, transform, and collide with each other.

TechnologyGenerally the overall technology level is what you would expect for a typical fantasy world: people use swords and bows, wear armor, and carry shields. Ships are used to convey people and goods from place to place over long periods of time. Farmers have to harvest crops.

However, the gods created many wondrous devices in their time, some of which the dwarves and scions have been able to either duplicate with similar results, or employ in unexpected ways.

Constructs of stone and metal are commonplace, serving as vehicles or even substituting beasts of burden. Elemental vessels are swiftly driven through the astral by engines capable of generating and smashing elemental matter together in a violent reaction. Massive cannons, personal firearms, and grenades can all

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draw from crystallized elemental essences to wreak widespread havoc.

The People of a Sundered WorldA handful of races that were created or born before the Sundering races have survived. Dwarves and devas claim to have fought alongside the gods during the war. The faerie folk have existed since the world was young, originated from a mirror plane. Spirits were born with and from the trees, rivers, and mountains. The cthon and kytheran were crafted by the primordials in an attempt to duplicate life.

The scions and their degenerate kin, the cambions, and tarchons are the youngest of the races, havin sprung forth from the blood of slain gods as they died.

Cambions Before scion tribes banded together to improve their odds of survival, several were forced to take more extreme measures: some offered up their very souls for power, while others sacrificed their own kin in order to pay the cost. These were the Warlock Kings, and they ruled island chains with their ill-gotten infernal power. As they further entrenched themselves in hellish politics, they began interbreeding with themwillfully or otherwisegiving rise to the first cambions.

All cambions bear one or features that betray their lineage: curling horns, a reptialian tail, glowing red eyes, hooved feet, a mouth filled with many rows of fangs, and more.

CthonThe dwarves claim that they came first, and when the Primordials saw what their creator had wrought tried to copy them, with crude results. Like dwarves they are made of stone, but instead of true souls are instilled with one or more elemental essences that give them a semblence of life. They can also tap into this energy with varied results.

DevasThe gods created the angels to serve them, and when their creators died some likewise perished, while many more were stripped of their power. Devas were among the lowest choir of angels; though they are greatly diminished in power, they still embody an aspect of their creator.

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DwarvesDwarves are a pre-Sundering race created from stone and metal, and with souls kindled by fire. They live nearly eternal lives, but as they age the fire within begins to burn out and they return to the stone: their flesh hardens into stone, and they start to lapse into lengthier periods of dormancy before they finally no longer wake up.

ElvesDuring the Sundering the elves, along with numerous other fey kin and therianthropes, migrated to the moon. Elves are generally divided into the Summer and Winter courts (though there is mention of the Coral, Twilight, and Star Courts), both of which vie for control of the moons surface even as the malevolent fomorians slowly destroy it from within.

KoboldA small spiritform that usually takes on a human-like appearance, but can also appear as an animal or fire. Their skin can appear to be made of wood, stone, or metal. Many kobolds are friendly, and get along well with mortals (particularly scions), though some are malicious and greedy.

KytheranWhen the Primordials created the chton, Antikythera saw their results and attempted to improve upon their design using metal instead of stone.The first production of kytherans were crafted from a durable golden material taken from the bones of gods and god-like beings. After the Sundering they were forced to repair themselves using comparatively cruder metals, and now recently forged kytherans are made entirely from iron, steel, copper, and the like.Kytherans are more or less humanoid in appearance. Many are made from a variety of metals, and bear blades or spikes. Their faces can have any number of eyes, aside from which might be blank, have a single, frozen expression, or intricate parts that give them moving mouths.

ScionsThe first men were born from the gods as they bled and died, possessing an instinctive knowledge of the gods language and their skills. For this reason many tribes were assisted by the angels, though some serve as little more than soul farms.Scions can appear as you would expect a human to look like, featuring a variety of skin, eye, and hair colors that depend on the god they sprang from, others have more animalistic features, like the head of a hawk or jackal, the body of an

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ape, or the horns and hooves of a yak.

TarchonAs Bahamut surged forth from the rapidly crumbling world, it attempted to consume primordial and god alike. A few set aside their differences and fought back, but such was its might that in the end all were destroyed. As the blood of Bahamut, primordial, and god intermingled it gave rise to the tarchons, a race of dragon-like humanoids that have allegiance to neither primordial nor god.

Born from the fury of battle, they continue to wage war against each other across Bahamuts skeletal remains to this day. A handful manage to suppress their warlike instincts, though they can rarely manage for long.

TpualOriginally beings of pure thought, they were captured by the thulid and harvested for their psychic energy. They escaped during the Sundering, and found that the Astral easily responded to their needs and desires, allowing them to shape bodiesthoughtformsthat they could use to fight back with.

Since then the tpual have interacted with other mortals, even teaching them to how shield their minds from intrusive thoughts and develop psionic powers.

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Adventuring in a Sundered World A Sundered World is a big place, and there are plenty of places that have not yet been discovered, even within the island kingdoms of the Balenlad Cluster. There could be other region of astral space with numerous island kingdoms.

First SessionConceptually your first session can start off in a similar fashion to any other Dungeon World game, with the characters either at a dungeon location or in the middle of a tense situation.

They might have been ambushed by a band of kytheran raiders, come across a merchant vessel under attack, . They might have arrived at an unexplored is-land, which could look like a normal island, or be the hand or foot of a dead god, the bowels of a primordial, the shattered husk of an aberrant star, or the broken blade of a god-weapon.

QuestionsYou can use questions as a way to define unknown elements of your campaign, or even to change existing content in here. Does any one of you own an astral vessel? If so, describe it. If not, how do you

get around? What island do you call home? You dont need to go through all of the ques-

tions involved in creating an island, but if the characters are going to go back there then at some point you should.

How far have you traveled? Have you even left your home island?

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10 Adventure Fragments You are stuck adrift in the deep astral as your collider malfunctions. You come across a derelict vessel. There are no apparent signs of damage. You discover the a never-before seen gatehymn: where will it lead? You have finally arrived at the shattered blade of She Who Revels in

Destruction, impaled upon the remains of a slain primordial: what creatures and treasures will be found within?

As the clouds part, you see the blackened shell of a corpse star in the distance. A massive chunk of godbone comes hurtling in your direction. As you pass through blinding curtains of mist, you find yourself within the

dominion of The Scribe of Time and Memories: legends say that somewhere within the vast deserts of white sand there are stone ziggurats that collectively contain the knowledge of everything that was and will be.

You find a soulcage containing the soul of A choir of angels arrive, demanding a sacrifice by lottery. You have been captured by cambion soul reapers: youll want to escape before

they extract your soul so that they can painfully consume it later.

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World Moves Here are some more or less universally applicable moves for you to use while you are out and about exploring a Sundered World:

Astral AssemblyWhen you try to temporarily construct a hand-sized object into existence, roll+INT: +1 if the object is about the size of a dagger or smaller. +1 if the object has no moving parts. -1 if the object is larger than a dagger, but can be held in one hand. -2 if the object can be held in two hands.

-1 if the object has moving parts.

On a 10+, you create the object and choose one. On a 7-9, choose two: The object is crudetake -1 forward to use it. There is very little raw essence left overtake -1 ongoing to construct objects

until you leave the area. The object will not last longer than a few moments.

DriftingWhen you drift through the Astral, you float slowly, no faster than a brisk walk, though if you get a running start youll have an initial burst of speed. Since you rely on your mind to propel yourself about, when you defy danger by trying to get out of the way you use INT instead of DEX.

If you want to expand on this, pretty much everyone can pick up the astral swimmer com-pendium class whenever they want (Character Options, page xx).

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Last BreathSince there is no Death or Black Gate in a Sundered World, death and dying works differently. Hell, death and dying can work differently depending on where you are. As a basis, go with this:When you are dying, roll (as normal, you just roll). On a 10+, you are not quite dead, yet. On a 7-9, you are dangerously close to dying, and if you are not stabilized soon you will be. Even if you are stabilized, you suffer some lingering effects from your near death experience (as a rule of thumb, go with something that the character could feasibly recover from given time). On a miss, you either die or suffer some sort of permanent, meaningful loss, like missing fingers or a limb, the loss of an ability score, equipment, and so forth.

When you die, your soul manifests near your body, and then you roll+WIS. On a 10+, you manage to resist the pull of whatever lies beyond: gain 1 oblivi-on. On a 7-9, the pull is strong: gain 1d4 oblivion. On a miss, gain 1d6 oblivi-on in addition to whatever the GM tells you.

You make this move each time you make camp, and when your oblivion equals your Wisdom your soul departs to wherever it is that souls go. Some locations or rituals can allow your soul to be returned to your body so long as it still lingers (and conversely, some places or abilities can devour your soul), and some effects exist that can reduce your oblivion (like the starting move from the Lingering Soul compendium class), but once your soul is gone, it is gone.

LinetapWhen you draw from a ley line to power your magic, take +1, and a miss counts as a 7-9. If you roll a 12+, then the spell is empowered in some waythe GM will tell you how.

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ResonanceCertain regions of the astral resonate strongly with a certain emotions, concepts, or things, like life, death, dread, silence, creativity, fire, greed, change, disease, knowledge, love, aggression, peace, lethargy, light, or truth. Usually this is due to the presence of a god or primordial corpse, or a fragment of a dominion. However sometimes, when something is repeated often or intensely enough it creates echos that continue to resonate for various periods of time. The site of a battlefield might cause people to become more violent, or make

wounds difficult to heal. If one or both sides had brilliant tacticians, then In a healing house wounds might be easier to heal. Simply resting there could

cause you to regain more hit points than usual, or recover from debilities faster. If pirates use a particular location for ambushes, then they could become

harder to detect, and anyone passing through might become instilled with fear. A secret room where shady deals frequently take place might be more difficult

to notice, and it could be harder to determine when someone is lying. At a prison where the inmates are brutally beaten into submission, being

placed in a cell might cause you to become more docile and resigned.When you try to do something that is supported by a locations resonance, take +1 forward.When you try to do something that is opposed by the locations resonance, take -1 forward.If an area has particularly strong resonance, you can increase the bonus to a +2/-2, have a miss count as a 7-9, or even make any attempt to do a particular action succeed as if you rolled a 10+. Conversely when trying an opposed action, a 10+ might count as a 7-9, and a 7-9 as a miss, or certain actions might outright fail.

Psychic StormClashing thoughts and ideals often manifest themselves as thunderous storms. Though the winds are dangerous, the lightning is only damaging to your mental faculties. When you are beset by a psychic storm, roll+INT. On a 10+, take -1 ongoing to INT while you remain in the storm. On a 7-9, gain the stunned debility.

Traversing the AstralWhen you undertake a perilous journey without any means of tracking your positionsuch as leyline compass, helpful spirit, or a nomads spatial sensesthe trailblazer rolls+INT, and a 10+ counts as a 7-9.

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26

The Second Fragment

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You are not required to use all of these regions, and certainly not as-is. They are intended to be a foundation to start or work with, so take the parts you like, dis-card what you dont, and add or change what you must to make it work for you and your group.

New Location TagsMobile: The island can move. How fast can it go? What causes it to move?Resonance: The location is aligned to one or more resonances. Describe

them.Steading: A tag for islands large enough to accomodate one or more

steadings. List what steadings can be found on it.Transit: The location has access to an angel gate, teleportation circle, portal,

ley line, or something else that allows for safe, quick travel across the Astral.Vortex: There is an elemental vortex that constantly generates matter or

energy. What kind of vortex is it? Where there is a vortex, there are usually elemental creatures nearby that are either drawn to or created by it.

Island TagsSome locations are categorized as islands. Unless otherwise noted, tags on an island also pertain to any steadings or dungeons located on or within it. Islands are generally small enough that any benefits and problems are shared by every-one living there.

What Remains of the Worlds

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Bhalenlad Cluster

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After the Sundering many of the mortal races were forced to band together for their very survival. They did not always agree, and over the course of hundreds of years many city-states rose and fell as they vied for limited resources and struggled against the monstrous beasts that had since arisen.

Eventually they managed to more or less carve out a sizable territory of astral space near the Maelstrom: the Bhalenlad Cluster.

This region has the most racial diversity. While it is home to mostly scions, dwarves, and kobolds, there are also elven gate cities and it is not uncommon to see devas maintaining churches or preaching dogma. The other races are comparitively rarer, and aside from tpual are often regarded with a measure of suspicion and prejudice.

Impressions Pale, luminescent light A cool, steady breeze Silvery clouds drifting about Peals of thunder and flashes of light in the distance from the Maelstrom

Location Moves You hear the echoes of a psychic storm brewing in the distance The winds begin to change The clouds begin to thicken, obscuring ambient light A ship approaches You see an orc spearship in the distance A ship is being attacked by a kytheran slicer

Questions What other clans are vying for the Hammerhold throne? How do

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Hammerhold (City)Ask any dwarf and theyll tell you that this was the home of the original Hewer of Dwarves, and who could say otherwise?An enormous hammer, mountain peaks, and even an active volcano are bound together by great chains said to have been forged by the Hewer himself. Ancient stone walls capped with fire lances capable of obliterating entire ships surround Square stone towers jut from beneath the mountainsThe city itself is connected through a series of labyrinthine passages, making it easy for newcomers to become lost.

Steading TagsIsland Large, Metal, StoneProsperity WealthyPopulation SteadyDefenses BattalionPersonage The Mountain ThanesDenizens Mortals (Dwarf, Scion)Trade Bodils Bounty, ThunderspireOther Guild (Stoneshapers Union, Ironbreaker Union), Power (military), Safe

Impressions An immense hammer floats in the middle of the city Great chains arc across the sky Squat, blocky buildings made of metal and stone. Canals filled with brakish water. Clanging of metal on metal. Deep voices chanting or singing. Smoke pouring forth from numerous foundries. One or more glowing runes Ground intermittently shakes or vibrates

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CastThe Mountain Thanes are a group of dwarven kings that are thousands of years old. They are so old that they no longer resemble dwarves, but pillars of stone.Runemaster Storrund has spent hundreds of years studying the Words of Cre-ation. He maintains the Stoneroot Archive.Haved is a dwarven explorer searching for the forge of the Dwarf Maker.

PlacesThe Hammering Hall is one of several taverns in the port district.The Hammerhand Foundry is the largest foundry in Hammerhold.The Stoneroot Archive is a library that descends into the heart of the island. It contains thousands of years of history, inscribed upon stone slabs. Access the proper record requires the use of a complex mechanical librarian, which also doubles as a defensive measure.The Rockbreaker Guildhall handles the bulk of masonry work. The most skilled stoneshapers can manipulate stone with just their hands.Hammerholds Necropolis is a bleak island that drifts some distance away. It is attached by several chains and monitored at all times, as the restless dead often try to return to the city.

Location Moves An elemental reactor explodes, showering the area with molten stone. A fight between rival clans breaks out in the streets. A dwarven explorer is gathering a crew for an expedition. You come across a ghost floating through the streets.

When you spend a few hours wandering the underground passages of the Necropolis, roll+WIS. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one. You do not run across an undead creature. You do not become lost in the twisting passages. You come across a sealed crypt.

When you look for hirelings, take +1 if you make it known that you are seeking out lost dwarven artifacts, but your applicants will be dwarves.When you turn away applicants, you do not take -1 forward to recruit if you buy them a couple rounds later.

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When you partake in a drinking contest at the Hammering Hall, roll+CON. On a 10+, hold 2 notoriety. On a 7-9, hold 1 notoriety and choose one: You gain the sick debility. While you are inebriated, someone steals something from you. You make an enemy.When you make it known of your achievement, spend 1 notorierty to take +1 forward when interacting with a dwarf.

Monsters

Chiseler Group, Huge, ConstructChisel (d8 + 2 damage, ignores armor) 18 HP 3 ArmorReach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Made of metal and stoneThese massive, specialized golems are great for pulverizing stone and demol-ishing buildings. Of course, that makes them even better for pulverizing things made of flesh and bone. Instinct: To be controlled Punch through a stone object Reduce stone to rubble

Dwarven Runethane Solitary, Intelligent, Magical, OrganizedHammer and chisel (d10 damage) 12 HP 1 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities: Rune-carvingDwarves were the first race to learn arcane magic through runes passed down by the Mighty Chiseler, and they made it a point to carefully catalogue every word and symbol in a grand archive deep within Hammerhold. Carving is a precise, demanding art, and the runethanes are those that have mastered the use of but a handful of all the known runes. Instinct: To learn and practice magical runes Scribe a rune to create a magical effect Teach runes to those that they deem worthy

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Stone Wraith Solitary, Intelligent, TerrifyingPetrifying touch (d10 damage, ignores armor) 16 HP 0 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities: Incorporeal, stone-shattering screamBarring intervention dwarves can live a long time before completely return-ing to stone. They still have souls, souls that have been burdened with millenia of tradition and honor. Combine this with typical dwarven stubborness, and it is no surprise that you have dwarf ghosts running about. To be fair, some of them are murdered. Instinct: To act as it did in life, or complete an unfinished task Ignore material objects Obliterate stone with a scream Pull a living creature into stone

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Thunderspire (Island)A broken mountain peak surrounded by smaller, rocky islands. The peak is con-cealed in a never-ending storm.

Steading TagsSize Huge, StoneSteadings Stormshield Station, VonsturPersonage Hysvearulharthurir, a storm dragonOther Blight (storm elementals), Power (Hysvearulharthurir), Resource (copper ore, iron ore, storms, water)

Impressions Dark, stormy clouds shroud the peak. Flashes of thunder followed by booming thunder. High winds constantly blow. Rain water spirals off in random directions.

CastHysvearulharthurir is the undisputed ruler of the Thunderspire. The Copperfist Union is only permitted to operate their thanks to regular tributes of gold and food.

PlacesHysvearulharthurirs lair is believed to be located at the uppermost peak, where the winds are powerful enough to tear astral vessels apart. If one could make it there, they would find not only hundreds of years of tribute, but whatever else he acquired in his expansive life.

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Location Moves You are blinded by a flash of lightning. You are deafened by thunder. A strong gust of wind buffets you around. You lose something in the mind. You are struck by lightning. A chunk of debris sails towards you. The clouds obscure your vision. The clouds suddenly part: you are heading into a floating rock.

When you spend a few hours climbing the Thunderspire, roll+CON. On 12+, choose three. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one: Hold 1 PROGRESS. You are not struck by lightning. You do not lose something due to the rain and high winds. You find suitable shelter.On a miss, lose 1 PROGRESS in addition to whatever else the GM tells you.When you hold 3 PROGRESS, you have arrived at Hysvearulharthurirs lair.

Stakes How long will Hysvearulharthurir continue to allow the dwarves to take from

his mountain?

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MonstersCloudfish, lightning eels, storm elementals, and thunderhawks all make their homes here.

Hysvearulharthurir Solitary, Huge, Magical, Intelligent, TerrifyingTeeth, claws, and wings (b[2d10] + 7 damage, ignores armor

24 HP 3 Armor

Reach, Forceful, MessySpecial Qualities: Ancient lore, living stormNo one knows how old Hysvearulharthurir is. Did he exist prior to the Sundering? Was he born from the storm, or the storm from him? What is known is that he is the absolute ruler: even the elementals bend to his will. For some reason he allows the dwarves to tunnel into the mountain to extract ore in exchange for gold and gems. Why? What use does he have for it? Who is braveor foolishenough to find out? Instinct: To rule the Thunderspire Demand tribute Command the storm Transform into a tempest

Treasure The remains of creatures can be harvested as rations. Eel skins can be traded, or used to make lightning-resistant leather armor. A cache of supplies left by a previous climber. Thunderhawk feathers are valued by shamans, druids, and wizards. Storm elementals can leave behind lightning clusters. Handle carefully. A thunderhawk nest contains crystalline eggs. Stone effigies made by a scion tribe. A ruined Copperfist transport contains unprocessed ore. Spirit-bound weapons and armor.

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Stormshield Station (Keep)A mining fort build by dwarves from the Copperfist Union from Hammerhold. It is staffed almost entirely by dwarves who operate in rotating shifts. They mine ore, give the dragon tribute, and ship the rest back to Hammerhold.

Steading TagsProsperity PoorPopulation SteadyDenizens Mortals (Dwarf, Scion)Defenses GuardOther Blight (Storm Elementals, Storms), Need (Supplies), Oath (Hammerhold), Resource (Copper Ore, Iron Ore)

Impressions Metal clanging on metal Wind and thunder periodically shake the foundation

CastStorond Thunderhammer is a thane in charge of Stormshield Station. Chalkonna maintains the water plants and machines that regulate temperatures.Klak is the station quartermaster.

Location Moves The station shifts and groans as it is bombarded by wind and lightning. The repulsor plates begin to overheat from overuse and need to be replaced. A massive chunk of rock strikes the station.

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Vondstur (Village)Winds cause water droplets to whip out in various directions. A tribe of scions that fear and pay tribute to the dragon that lairs there use leather sails to catch the water and collect it in clay jars.The tribe practices sky burials, where the dead are released into the winds.

Steading TagsProsperity PoorPopulation SteadyDenizens Mortal (Scion)Defenses GuardPersonage Danh

Impressions People Holes dug out of cliff sides. People tied to stone rails with black ropes.

CastDanh is the tribes elder. He is a powerful shaman with a thunderhawk for a companion spirit, and possesses a spear that can summon and command storm elementals.

PlacesThe Thundering Halls are tunnels that extend deep within the mountain. Villagers from Vonstur often go there to hear the wisdom of the storm spirits.

Location MovesWhen you enter the Echoing Halls to listen for the spirits wisdom, roll+CON. On a 10+, you manage to hear something through the cacophony: the GM will tell you what you hear, and you take +1 forward acting on what you learned. On a 7-9, choose one: You only hear a fragment of the message. You gain the stunned debility.

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Bodils Bounty (Island) A free island located near the edge of the Bhalenlad Cluster, at the edge of a gulf of unclaimed space. Much of it is dominated by jagged mountains and thick forests, though there are enough open fields to support several villages of hard-working scions and dwarves, in no small part to their patron spirit, Bodil.

Island TagsIsland Large, StoneSteadings MathunhainDenizens Mortals (Dwarf, Scion), SpiritsPersonage Bodila bear spirit that protects the island; the Oak Sistersa pair of wood spiritsOther Blight (the Oak Sisters, orcs)

Impressions Tall, imposing mountains Deep, foreboding forests Constant flickers of movement just at the edge of your vision Menhirs jutting from the ground

CastBodil is an old, powerful bear spirit that lays claim to the island, a claim that she has upheld twice against orcish hordes. She spends more of her time slumbering within the mountains, occasionally choosing someone from a village to teach druidic magic.The Oak Sisters are a pair of wood spirits that dwell within the blood forest. They embody a more savage side of nature, and anyone that enters the forest is potential prey for them or their wooden hounds.

PlacesBodils shrine is the crumbling shell of the fortress that was temporarily claimed by the orcs during their first attack, and sheltered the villagers during the second. The islands inhabitants regularly visit to leave her offerings.The blood forest is the dominion of the Oak Sisters. It is said that if anyone can get to their cave and leave a worthy offering, that they will grant a potent blessing.

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Location Moves Something moves within the trees. A pack of wolfwood attacks. A spirit appears and demands an offering. A corrupted or frenzied spirit manifests and attacks A fleet of orc spearships arrives.

When you leave an offering at Bodils shrine, roll+CHA. On a 10+, hold 3 blessing. On a 7-9, hold 1 blessing. Spend 1 blessing to do one of the following: Regain 1d4 hit points. Take +1 forward to endure harm. When you use the defend move, gain +1 hold, and on a miss you still hold 1.

When you enter the blood forest in search of the Oak Sisters cave, roll+WIS. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one: You do not spend more than a few days in the forest. You are not harried and hunted by the Sisters hounds. You do not stumble into one of the Sisters traps.

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MonstersBodil Solitary, Large, Intelligent, SpiritMauling claws (d10 + 2 damage) 20 HP 1 ArmorReach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Spirit of stone and thunderHer bones are the mountains, her breath the wind, and her roar a deafening peal of thunder. Bodil spends most of her time sleeping, and it is rare for her to leave the mountains unless a village is under attack. Instinct: To protect her worshipers from harm Suddenly manifest in an explosive display of rock and thunder Unleash a bone-shattering roar of thunder and lightning Draw upon stone to reconstitute her form or grow in size

Wolfwood Group, Stealthy, ConstructThorny teeth (d8 damage, 1 piercing) 10 HP 1 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities: Made of woodThe hounds of the Oak Sisters, woven from wood and vines. They are not spir-its, but something made, and some say that they are given sentience from souls captured by the Oak Sisters, forced to serve as the vanguard of their hunts. Instinct: To hunt Conceal itself among foliage Entangle a creature in vines

Treasure Coins Animals can provide rations An idol made of stone or bone A blessing from Bodil or Sindri Spirit shrines contain food, water, and fetishes Though crude and often poorly maintained, orcs carry weapons and wear

armor Rare herbs can be found in the Blood Forest A stone chest filled with coins

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Mathunhain (Village)Mathunhain is the largest village on Bodils Bounty. They regularly bring Bodil offerings and news, and maintain a close relationship with other spirits.

Steading TagsProsperity ModeratePopulation SteadyDenizens Mortal (Dwarf, Scion)Defenses WatchPersonage Sindria benevolent river spirit that flows nearbyOther Trade (food, water), History (battle), Guild (druids)

Impressions Farmers work the fields; some of the animals look like they are made of wood

or stone Boisterous singing and drumming emanates from a mead hall Smell of earth and herbs Houses bear carvings of animals and faces, particularly bears One or more eyes briefly appear in houses, rocks, and trees, look about, and

vanish Tiny spirits appear from the ground, stealing or begging for food Some of the animals speak, and even have the faces of men

CastTallis is a shaman that guides the villagers, and speaks to the spirits on their behalf.Sindri is a wide, winding river spirit that is on friendly terms with Bodil. The villagers also worship him, and in return he provides them with fish and water

PlacesThe Roaring Bear is a meadhall that is usually sparsely populated during the day, but at night it is filled with farmers and hunters celebrating a hard day of work.Those seeking advice about spirits or healing can visit Talliss home. She is more than happy to help those in need, so long as they are respectful.

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Location Moves You hear rumors that the orcs hid treasure deep within the ruined fortress. A hunter has a strange animal hide for sale. A spirit begs you for food. A group of dwarves are heading into the ruins in order to leave offerings for

Bodil.

[MOVE: When you participate in a knife-throwing contest.]

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Port Fireheart (Keep)Numerous smaller stone islands have been fused around a fire vortex. Elemental collidors come here to refuel their fire cannisters, harvest fire cores, process ore, and undergo maintanence.

Steading TagsIsland Medium, StoneProsperity ModeratePopulation SteadyDefenses Watch, Battery of Elemenetal LancesDenizens Mortals (Dwarf, Scion)Other Blight (fire elementals, explosions, kytherans), Need (food, water, clothing, supplies, workers), Resource (iron ore), Vortex (fire), Exotic (fire cores)

Impressions Gouts of flame randomly erupt from various gaps. Red-orange runes pulse along the chain links. Waves of hot, dry air

Cast[human] [human engineer]

Location MovesWhen you leave Port Fireheart, roll+WIS. On a 10+, you manage to get away. On a 7-9, you have been spotted by a raiding vessel.[MOVE: When you spend the day working in the firemines.][MOVE: When you try to escape the station during a core overlord...]

MonstersA variety of elementals can sometimes spontaneously erupt into existence, usually fire, magma, or smoke.

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46

The Golden Road

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Angels can be found throughout the Astral Sea, either within ruined dominions, drifting through the Astral Sea, even trying to help mortals in whatever way befits the god they once served (or meting out justice). The region referred to as the Golden Road represents the largest concentration of angelic beings.Some are gentle shepherds tending to their flocks, while others rigidly enforce their dogma.

Impressions Brilliant points of white light shine through golden clouds Many voices seem to be singing in the distance When the winds pick up, you think you hear someone whispering

Location Moves You see one or more glowing lights in the distance You come across the drifting piece of a dead god An angel approaches A vessel bearing pilgrims drifts by

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Zaradica (City)Built inside the head of a dead god. It is said that a child, the living heart of a slain god, dwells within opulent cathedrals of gold.

Steading TagsIsland God-Corpse, LargePropserity ModeratePopulation SteadyDenizens Mortals (Scion), CelestialsPersonage Zaras, the Golden ChildDefenses LegionOther Mobile, Religion (The Golden Child), Divine, Power

Impressions[insert impressions here]

CastZaras, the Golden Child, is said to be the remnants of a slain god. The Golden Choir is trying to carefully nurture him, believing that in time he will eventually ascend to godhood.

Places[palace][cathedral]

Location Moves Someone is preaching on the street A procession of angels clad in golden armor escorts Zaras through the streets

MonstersAngels...

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Horizon (City)The City Around The Sun, Horizon is an opulent, multi-leveled city build on crescent-shaped islands that surround a massive golden sphere of divine energy. The Sun Priests believe that it is the remains of a god, or at least the lingering power of one. The fact that they can draw from it to perform miraculous feats gives credence to their beliefs.

Steading TagsIsland Medium, StoneProsperity WealthyPopulation SteadyDenizens Mortals (Scion), CelestialsDefenses GarrisonOther Religion (The Lightbringer), Divine, Power (divine), Resonance (healing, peace), Resource (food)

Impressions The buildings of the upper tier are white and pristine, reflecting the suns light

upon the streets below. Priests wearing white and gold robes walk through the streets, chanting. Crowds of people gather around robed individuals proclaiming the rebirth of

the sun, the restoration of the world, or a Second Sundering. Angels soar through the sky.

CastThe Voice of Glory is a powerful throne that rules Horizon. It commands the templars and other angels.Kreios is the highest ranking templar of the Order of the One Song.Araqiel is the angelic warden of the Blackened Vaults, which contains objects and vessels deemed to risky to destroy.

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PlacesThe Blackened Vaults are where evil relics, knowledge, and forces deemed too dangerous even for destruction are contained. Healing houses are temples where people can rest within the light of the sun and recover from the most grevious wounds.

Questions Is the sun really the lingering power of a god? Can it be restored? Do all of the angels desire to resurrect the fallen god, or do some wish to claim

its lingering power for themselves?

Stakes If the sun is reborn into a new god, what will it do? Will someone else claim the Suns light? Who will take over the current Hierophant dies.

Location Moves[MOVE: When you stand before the suns radiance...]

MonstersAngels of all types inhabit Horizon. They try to keep the peace and advise the mortals living there, though it is rumored that not all of them believe that they are worthy of the Suns light.

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Kiriels Loft (Village)A rural farming community built around an old cathedral. It is inhabited by a lesser angel known as Kiriel, who regularly preaches to the villagers and protects them from outsiders. The village is largely self-sufficient, and its inhabitants do not

Steading TagsIsland: Stone, SmallProsperity: PoorPopulation: SteadyPersonage: KirielDefenses: Kiriel and his flockOther: Divine, Exotic (holy water), Resource (grain)

Impressions A towering stone shrine rests within a lake Flocks of golden-white birds soar about Buildings have carved images of birds Rolling fields of grain

CastKiriel is the literal guardian angel of the village. He dwells in a shrine that is surrounded by a lake. He periodically holds sermons, heals the sick and wounded, and assists the crops grow. In exchange, the villagers worship him and offer up sacrifices.

PlacesThe Winged Cathedral is a crumbling church that Kiriel calls home. It is located in the middle of a lake, and can be accessed through flight or using stepping stones.

Questions What god did Kiriel once serve? Does Kiriel have any priests? What do other angels think of Kiriels actions?

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Location Moves Golden-white birds alight on nearby buildings and trees

When you rest within the Winged Shrine, if anyone enters and means you harm, you will know.When you discern realities from the Winged Shrine, you can ask if anyone is coming to the island with ill intent.

MonstersKiriel Solitary, Celestial, Intelligent, OrganizedHoly spear (1d10 damage, 1 piercing) 16 HP 4 ArmorReachSpecial Qualities: Wings, divine magicClad in white robes, with the face of a white falcon. Instinct: To protect and guide his flock Conjure a magical shield Call upon his flock

Kiriels Flock Horde, Tiny, DivineTalons (1d6 damage, 1 piercing) 5 HP 0 ArmorHandSpecial Qualities: WingsIt is said that the souls of those pure of heart are transformed into these gold-en-white birds. Instinct: To be Kiriels eyes Descend upon Kiriels enemies Go for the eyes

Treasure The villagers can offer food, water, and lodging in exchange for help. The water of Kiriels lake is holy, and can easily be made into healing potions. A sliver from Kiriels spear can be used to make any weapon made from it holy.

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54

The Bahamut Span

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The Worldfish, one of the layers that supported creation itself from the darkness below. Though much of its body was destroyed after it was freed during the Sundering, and its flesh has since rotted away, even the skeletons size is beyond the scope of mortal comprehension.

Among many other strange creatures, the tarchons were born from the intermingled blood of Bahamut, and both a forgotten god and primordial. They sprung into existence as the three great entities fought, and so to this day they continue to fight.

Impressions Impossibly long lengths of bone extending into the silvery mists of the astral. Jets of bloody water periodically erupt from the bones, like geysers Schools of elephant-faced fish swim about The silhouettes of long, serpentine creatures race through the clouds in the

distance

Location Moves [location moves go here!]

MonstersBoneborn Leviathan Solitary, Huge, TerrifyingBite (d10 + 5 damage, ignores armor) 24 HP 3 ArmorReach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Covered in bony platesThese just might be the only thing that the tarchons fear. Their bony plates turn aside sword and spell. Instinct: To devour and destroy Smash through fortifications Swat

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Fortress of Teeth (Keep)Kind of a misnomer, the fortress is not made of teeth. Well, not entirely, though it does look the part. Over the course of centuries the tarchons, under command of the warlord known as the Fanged King, have continued to expand the fortress, sometimes using bones from those they have defeated.

Steading TagsProsperity ModeratePopulation SteadyDenizens TarchonsDefenses GarrisonOther Blight (bone serpents), Enmity (Fort Shattertusk), Need (supplies), Resource (bone, fish, water)

Impressions Walls made of slabs of bone and mortared with congealed blood Jagged spikes jut from the outer walls

PlacesThe Scorched Circle is where tarchons fight each other to prove their strength and valor. Sometimes they fight prisoners, or pit prisoners against each other.

Location Moves A tarchon warrior challenges you to a duel

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MonstersTarchon Soldier Group, Intelligent, OrganizedBone sword (d8 damage, 1 piercing) 10 HP 2 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities: Elemental Breath[description] Instinct: To fight! Breathe a gout of elemental energy

Tarchon Knight Solitary, Intelligent, OrganizedThorny teeth (b[2d10] damage, 1 piercing) 16 HP 3 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities: Elemental BreathA stronger, tougher tarchon warrior that has proven itself in battle. Instinct: To lead their troops to victory Challenge a foe to one-on-one combat

Tarchon Evoker Solitary, Intelligent, Magical, OrganizedSpear (d8 damage) 12 HP 1 ArmorReach, NearSpecial Qualities: Elemental Magic[description] Instinct: To obliterate foes with magic Call forth a rain of rock and fire

Tarchon General Solitary, Large, Intelligent, OrganizedTooth and claw (b[2d10] + 5 damage, 3 piercing) 20 HP 3 ArmorReach, ForcefulSpecial Qualities: Elemental Breath, Draconic Form, WingsA tarchon that has ascended into a draconic form. Instinct: To dominate a battlefield Shatter an enemys formation Unleash a gout of fire

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The Maelstrom

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A chaotic realm where elemental matter and forces randomly surge into existence, transform, merge, and explode.

Impressions

Location Moves Elemental matter or energy suddenly appears. A chunk of solid matter begins to destabilize: it will not be long before it

becomes something else. A chunk of stone, bone, or ice is propelling towards you. The shape of an object begins to warp. You spot a vein of valuable metal.

Questions Is the Maelstrom expanding? Is it shrinking? Which of you was stranded in the Maelstrom? How did you escape? Which of you has fought a demon? Which of you used to be part of a demon cult?

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City of Brass (City)If you can take the heat and maintain your freedom, the City of Brass is a relatively safe haven from the tumultuous throes of the Maelstrom. Mortals, whether visitors or slaves, are required to live in the upper spires of the city to avoid dying through heat exposure or smoke inhalation.

Steading TagsProsperity RichPopulation SteadyDenizens Jinn, Mortals (various slave races most often cthon, kytheran, and cambions), ElementalsDefenses LegionOther Exotic (souls, wishes), Resource (brass, slaves), Market, Arcane, Guild, Personage, Power (arcane)

Impressions Walls made of brass and encrusted with gems. Canals of molten metal. Plumes of black smoke blotting out the sky.

CastMalik Himyar is the supreme ruler of the City of Brass.

PlacesThe Ruby Palace is where Malik Himyar resides. It is made of solid gold, and the walls are encrusted with rubies.The slave market is held every day.

Location Moves[MOVE: When you partake in a sky chariot race, roll+WIS.]

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MonstersJinn Solitary, BlazingScimitar (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities: Made of smokeless fire, many formsThe jinn were crafted by a god forgotten by all but themselves. Instinct: To hunt Quickly travel a great distance Vanish from sight Possess a nearby living creature

Curse-Burdened Jinn Solitary, BlazingHooves (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities: Made of smokeless fire, many formsA jinn bound in the form of a beast of burden, sentenced to perform a lengthy period of servitude. Instinct: To bear its burden Quickly travel a great distance Vanish from sight Possess a nearby living creature

Jinn Sultan Solitary, BlazingScimitar (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities: Made of smokeless fire, many formsThe jinn were crafted by a god forgotten by all but themselves. Instinct: To hunt Quickly travel a great distance Vanish from sight Possess a nearby living creature

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Abyss[description of the abyss]

Location TagsOther: Blight (demons), Corrupting

Impressions [impressions]

PlacesPlaces?

Location Moves[When you gaze into the Abyss, roll+WIS.]

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MonstersDemon tagsattack (dx damage) 10 HP 1 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities:

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The Iron Circle

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Within this dismal region of Astral space the luminescens is blocked by clouds of thick, oily smoke. Most islands are chunks of brimstone, black ice, iron, or the bones of great, horned beasts. Twisted buildings adorned with blades, spires, and victims jut forth, like cruel talons. In the distance devils cackle with glee and the damned scream in pain and terror.For obvious reasons people rarely venture into the Iron Circle of their own accord, and even then only when they have a writ of safe passage.

Impressions[impressions]

Location Moves Thick, oily clouds obscure your vision. The screams of the damned echo in the distance. An iron barge appears. A tortured soul appears.

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Asmodeus (City)The aptly name city is build upon the petrified corpse of its namesake, chained to a staggeringly large iron sphere that contains the entirety of the Nine Hells.Flocks of devils fly overhead, deftly avoiding spires of cruely sharp obsidian that reach into the choked sky as they seek victims to torment. The streets echo with wails of the damned as bleak herds of slaves and shackled souls are shepherded through the streets to various, but equally terrible, fates.

Steading TagsProsperity RichPopulation SteadyDefenses LegionDenizens Mortals (cambions), DevilsPersonage The Nine Lords, Word of AsmodeusOther Exotic (souls, infernal contracts), Resource (slaves), Market, Arcane, Guild, Personage , Power (arcane)

Impressions[impressions]

CastThe Word of Asmodeus is the absolute ruler of Asmodeus. Everyone, including the Nine Lords, defer to its authority.The Nine Lords are a group of mighty devils that command one of the nine circles of hell.

PlacesThe Soul Cages are where souls may be purchased by anyone with the money or incentive.[black market]The Infernal Court is where legal matters are disputed.

Location Moves[MOVE: When you make a deal with a devil, roll+CHA.][MOVE: When you sell your soul, roll+CHA.]

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When you spend an hour or so shopping in the Black Market, roll+CHA.

MonstersLarval Soul Group, Stealthy, Constructattack (dx damage) 10 HP 1 ArmorCloseSpecial Qualities:

The Black Spike of Malphas (Keep)Ruled by a cambion named Malphas.

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The Wandering Wyld

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[description]

Impressions Vast wastelands of white dust divide lush, green forests and frozen fields Deep canyons descend into the depths of the Wanderer

Location Moves[location moves]

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Astrazalian (City)A winter court gate city.

Steading TagsProsperity Rich Population Denizens FeyDefenses Other

Impressions Slender, icy spires stretching into the sky Biting cold and gusts of freezing wind Bears hauling cargo and wagons about Ice sculptures both beautiful and morbid Gnarled trees bearing crystalline leaves

CastThe Winter Lord and Lady rule the city.

Places[places]

Location Moves[location moves]When you play before the Winter Queen, roll+CHA. On a 10 you earn a favor, on a 7-9 she is unimpressed (choose x).

If you own the skeleton, mummy, or ghoul playbooks, this is a perfect place for them to originate from.

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Gwynaar (Keep)A summer court fortress. It is grown entirely from iron wood.

Steading TagsProsperity PoorPopulation Defenses Other

Impressions Walls made of smoothly shaped wood Elf soldiers drilling in the courtyard Ramparts overgrown with roots and lush trees

Cast[commander][ace archer]

Places[places]

Location Moves One of the elves challenges you to an archery contest A band of fomorians attack

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Mithralyn

Steading TagsProsperity RichPopulation SteadyDefenses LegionOther

Impressions[impressions]

Cast[cast]

Places[places]

Location Moves[location moves]

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What Lies Beyond

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The further one travels from the Maelstrom, the darker the astral becomes until eventually there is no light at all. Those who dare to delve into the darkness find that, similar to regions in and around corpse stars, reality begins to break down: colors are muted, sound is distorted, and both time and space are in flux.

It is a region of nonspace beyond the scope of the gods. The birth place of nightmares.

Impressions An inky gloom that seems to absorb light Colors become subdued Sound becomes warped, or echoes strangely Time flows differently, and events sometimes repeat

Questions Is a Sundered World shrinking? If so, will it stop shrinking? Is a Sundered World simply breaking down? Is it possible to push beyond the boundaries? What lies beyond?

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Mes-Atbaru

Steading TagsIsland Huge, StoneProsperity RichPopulation SteadyDefenses Legion--thousands of loyal, fearless skeletons, ghouls, and wraithsPersonage The LichOther Exotic (blood, memories, souls), Resonance (death), Resource (flesh and blood slaves), Market, Arcane, Guild, Power (arcane)

Impressions Pale lights illuminate the streets. The shadows seem to writhe about. Gloomy shades silently drift down the streets and pass through walls. The cobblestones echo with clattering bones.

CastThe Lich rules the city behind the scenes.The Wraith Watch are a kind of ghost police that enforce the Lichs rules. Prisoners are taken to Fort Bleak

PlacesMemory Lane is a red-light district where ghosts can go to indulge in their past experiences to revitalize their soulforms. The Crypt District is where the dead go to rest and recouperate. Fort Bleak is the headquarters of the Wraith Watch.

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Location MovesWhen you make camp in Mes-Atbaru, you do not gain oblivion. When you walk the streets of Memory Lane searching for a good time, roll+CHA. *On a 10+, When you freely give your blood to a vampire, spend blood, gain 2d6 coins per blood spent, and roll+CON-blood spent. *On a 10+, choose two. *On a 7-9, choose one: The vampire will not seek to seduce or abduct you later. You do not take -1 ongoing with an ability score of the GMs choice until you

make camp. The vampire was generous with its pay: gain 1d4 x 10 coins per blood spent.

Monsters

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Island Creation

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Given that A Sundered World is the somewhat stabilized result of numerous collapsed planar realities and accompanying rules, the word island has changed to become a kind of catch-all term that includesfor starterschunks of rock, metal, ice, or bone, a cluster of root-entangled trees or ships that have been tied together, a massive creature, the corpse of a massive creature or entity like a god, primordial, the burnt out husk of an aberrant star, or a combination of the above.

Similar to steadings, islands have tags that describe what they are, how big they are, what lives there, and what they have to offer. An islands tags can help inform you about the steadings, monsters, and dungeons that can be found on it.

What is it made of?The first step is to figure out what an island is made of. Islands can be made of virtually anything you want, though most are made of some kind of stone. Knowing what an island is made of can help determine how big it is, as well as what lives there or what resources it has to offer. Feel free to use multiple tags if, for example, an island is a bunch of ships lashed to a massive beast that swims through the astral sea, or miles of ice sheets surrounding the impaled corpse of an ice primordial.

Astral Beast: The Astral Sea is full of strange creatures, some so massive that settlements can be built upon their backs. Is the creature alive or dead? Is it a whale, turtle, or something else? If people live on it can they control or communicate with it, or are they just along for the ride?

Corpse Star: The island is the husk of a corpse star. Great if you are looking for cold iron, bad if you want to avoid eldritch horrors from beyond space and time, losing your sanity, star cults, being horribly mutated, and who knows what else. Corpse stars are thankfully usually located at the edges of known Astral space.

Dead God: The whole god, or just part of one? Is the gods domain known? If you know which god it was, it can help inform what goes on around it: a god of life might spontaneously give rise to life, empower healing magic, or even bring the dead back to life, while a god of war might have tribes constantly fighting each other and have weapons growing out of it (Resource: Weapons?). Usually dead gods are inhabited by angels, religious folk, or celestial animals, and are located near the Golden Road or Fading Heavens.

Essence: The dominions of gods were formed from the gathering of Astral essence, shaped by their wills. While it is difficult for lesser beings to even learn to temporarily craft simple weapons from it, it is possible for islands to be shaped out of it. Essence islands can be transformed at the whim of whoever made it, often appearing to be made out of something else.

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Ice: Is it an iceberg, a block of ice, sheets of ice, or some other shape? A block of ice could contain a creature imprisoned during the Dawn War, sheets of ice could be the result of an ever-bleeding primordial corpse, or it could have an ice vortex at its center. Ice elementals and other elemental creatures, and Winter Court fey can all be found.

Metal: What kind of metal: copper, tin, iron, copper, or something never before seen? Is it just a really big chunk of ore, or is it shaped into something? This could include something like the City of Brass, the weapon or shield of a god, maybe a massive ingot, or just an iron cube (or some other polyhedron).

Primordial: As with a dead god, is it the whole primordial, or just part of one? Most primordials are aligned to one or more elements, like a fire primordial, or a magma primordial (earth and fire). The cthon tend to settle on them, but elemental monsters are known to spawn from them.

Ships: How many? What kind? Do they still work? Are they attached by ropes and planks, or are they just kind of mashed together?

Stone: Stone islands can be barren, but most can somehow support at least plant-life. Some formations near or from the Maelstrom are elementally charged, usually with fire or water, though a wind-charged island might be hollow or have numerous holes punched through it.

Wood: This could be a huge chunk of wood, a branch, an entire tree, several trees fused together, a great seed, or even one of the dryarks that travel along ley lines connecting the Wandering Wylds gate cities.

Heh, maybe it was the dice of the gods?

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How big is it?The Astral Sea is filled with plenty of small, useless chunks of stone and other debris, most of which are not worth mentioning. For the rest, here are some guidelines: small islands are usually not capable of supporting people on their own, and often lack any meaningful terrain features. Larger islands are more likely to have arable land, powerful spirits, or enough usable real estate to get a colony going.Keep in mind that these guidelines are for supporting a steading: if the steading is a trade city or fed through divine miracles, then it can exist on a smaller island.

Tiny: The island has enough space for a single structure, like a tower, house, small shrine or temple, or tree..

Small: The island has enough space to harbor a small group of people, but probably not enough resources to sustain them without the help of magic or a spirit. They likely hunt or gather elsewhere, salvage ruined ships, or engage in piracy to survive. Dungeons could include abandoned towers, sealed vaults, portals, or extra-dimensional spaces.

Medium: The island can reasonably sustain a single steading, probably a village, town, or keep, but a city is also feasible, especially with assistance. There might be a mountain or two, small forest with a small animal population, lake, or other similarly-sized terrain feature.

Large: The island can easily sustain an entire city, or two smaller steadings. There might be several mountains, an expansive forest with animals, a large lake with a stream, or a combination of a few.

Huge: The island can easily sustain a couple cities, a city and another steading or two, or several smaller steadings. Mountains, forests, and streams are all possible.

Gargantuan: The island can easily sustain several cities or more.

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What does it have to offer?Islands that have nothing of value are often uninhabited, except by things that want for nothing, have been bound there, or use it as a lair or waystation.For the rest you can represent what it does have to offer with some steading tags, like Safe, Resource, and Exotic, but there are some things to take into consideration with a few existing tags, as well as some new ones:

Cold Iron: This is a type of Resource or an Exotic good that is especially effective against arcane magic and fey. Corpse stars are the only source of cold iron; not only does this make it difficult to procure, but its psychic re