Lich Masters of Crynn

"The difference between bad and true evil, is intelligence" Ramagail, Grand Wizard of the Council, Year 113

Once, so the story goes, the Council of Wizards embraced all forms of magic. There were a large number of wizards spread across the lands, all practicing their arts unrestricted. This freedom had its price!

The instinct of self-preservation is foremost, in all animals. Man is no exception. Some men, live their life to the fullest before moving to the after-life, managing to accept their fate when their time comes. Others make mistakes and dread judgement following the end of their time. Despite what some may say, wizards are mortals like you and I. They have the same hopes and fears. Some will enter and depart this world with grace. Others have trouble accepting the inevitable. No mater how powerful a mortal may become, immortality shall always be the sole domain of the gods.

Year 0 (defined as the year the Council of Wizards was formed), was a momentous year in many respects. Not only was it a time when wizards came together, to combine and advance their knowledge, but it was a year of great prosperity. The rapid development of magic over the following years made life far easier for not only the elite but also the peasants of the land. Crops were blessed, Fireworks entertained the masses. Life was good.

This period of prosperity lasted for over a century until the Commoners Uprising. Led by Yohan Ironbark, a simple Blacksmith whose daughter had vanished, thousands of peasants rebelled. Fueled by claims that the wizards were abducting the young for perverse experiments, the commoners laid siege to the towers of many wizards. Amazed by these actions the members of the Council defended their domains against these offensives. Convinced these attacks were due to the greed and jealousy of the ungrateful peasants, the Council rallied their forces driving back the rag-tag armies. Confident that no member would have violated the wizards code, the Council felt justified in the measures used to quell the rebellion. Many a commoner fell to summoned phantom armies or Tornados that appeared from clear sky. In a final stand Yohan Ironbark and the last members of his Militia were engulfed in a ball of flames as the pursuing wizards ended the conflict with brutal force. "Daniella", his daughters name was the final agonizing scream of Yohan.

It was only at the end of the war, that several wizards revealed their suspicions. The Council heads were devastated to learn that there may indeed have been some elements of truth to the peasants claims. Adding weight to these claims, of the thousands of peasants killed in the Commoners Uprising, only several hundred of the deads bodies had been found.

A panel of inquisition was formed by the Council heads. The matter of whether any wizards had been violating the code, was to be settled once and for all. After only a few weeks, the trail of evidence led to a small group of mages. They had unleashed some devastating spells in the previous war, the most potent of which being the Death Ray. Not only was their testing of this spell on the fleeing armies questioned but also the origin of the spell itself. The band was summoned to face the Council and explain their actions in the war and the extent of their research into the Dark arts.

The accused wizards never arrived. Deeply disturbed by these events a large section of the Council traveled south to the towers of these accused wizards. Few were prepared for the horrors that awaited them. Reaching the crest of a hill they gazed upon a soulless army of more than a thousand undead. This army of the damned, guarded several towers which were all clouded by darkness. Unprepared for war the retreating wizards of the Council barely escaped with their lives. This incident led to the Wizard Wars, a war the scale of which had never been seen. The Commoners Uprising palled in comparison to the magnitude of these battles.

Sheer weight of numbers eventually lead to the members true to the Council, winning the Wizard Wars. Eventually breaking into the towers shrouded in darkness, all that was found was a large number of gems and the soulless corpses of several peasants. Amongst these corpses lay the remains of Daniella Ironbark. There were no signs of the guilty wizards and it was assumed they had fled their fate via the Dimensional Jump spell, leaving this world forever.

The war left the Council significantly weakened and it had little influence over the peasants who now resented it. The Council did everything in its power to prevent a reoccurrence of these events. Reducing the available gem supply was seen as the best way of guarding against further abuses of power. By sealing off the Astral Plane, wizards could no longer access the large quantities of gems which were used by the Dark wizards in the Wizard Wars. For each section of the Astral Plane, an elemental Gem Lord was created to guard against intruders, should anyone access the plane above. The reduction of gems led to magic diminishing everywhere. Over the centuries wizards became wise leaders of cities rather than practicers of the arts. The Council as a body faded away, gradually being replaced by various alliances between cities. They once again became accepted by the people who under their guidance returned to their former prosperity. All was once again well......

Unbeknownst to the wizards of the former Council, all was not well. In fact they faced their greatest peril since the Wizard Wars. Their old adversaries had not fled to another dimension but merely off the main land to hidden islands. The undead army had bought them enough time to finish their research and shield their escape. The sole goal of these wizards was immortality. This they had partially achieved. They had cheated death by embracing it. Their mastery of Necromancy and the Dark arts had allowed them to complete their transformation into Liches. Beyond any other undead creatures, the powerful magics they still possessed made them Lich Masters. Centuries of further research led to the discovery of the final steps required to return themselves into living beings once again. Living beings without the burdens of a body susceptible to Death. However, the completion of this research required vast quantities of gems. Far beyond the amounts able to be produced in their underworld mines, the Lich Masters had only one option. Returning to conquer the continent of Crynn and reopening the Astral Plane. To achieve this objective they enlisted the people of several monstrous races, far superior to the humans they had once mixed with. The last Wizard Wars had been unwinable from the start. With a solid preparation this time would be different.
 

AMAZONS

CAROSSA - Carossa exists inside one of the few jungle regions left on Crynn. Development of the non-Amazonian races has led to the destruction of many tropical forests. The people of Carossa work hard to preserve their jungle home and the Amazonian lifestyle. An ancient tribal elder passes on the wisdom required for this task.

DERVISHES

The Dervishes are a race of nomadic tradesmen. They converse with all races yet can also stand alone against any. The major dervish trade center is Castor Fields.

CASTOR FIELDS - This Dervish city has been erected in one of the most fertile regions in all of Crynn. Its riches are readily traded away, to return large profits. This prosperous trading town attracts many visitors, not only for trade but the rich cultural diversity of this barter town.

HIGHLANDERS

Highlanders are a human race who love the crisp air of the hills and mountains. They live a very traditional lifestyle, residing in clans. They are fierce warriors and wars between the clans frequently flare up. Their religion is two fold, believing in one god but also that the world also possess lesser gods known as the chosen ones. These chosen are virtually immortal barring complete decapitation. The immortals are both revered and feared, never accepted by any of the clans and forced to live in secrecy or wander the earth eternally.

LACHLAN SPUR - Residing high in the hills of Lachlan, these people live a traditional Highlander lifestyle. Many festivals break up the daily routine of hunting and farming. Men occasionally wander down out of the hills to the sea but very rarely stay long away from their beloved high country.

ICELANDERS

Icelanders manage to live in the harsh frozen conditions of the arctic lands. They survive hunting the sea mammals and fish that inhabit their regions.

CRYSTAL PATH - Legend says that a trail of gleaming crystals led their ancestors to the location of this arctic city. There are also many more recent tales from the time of the Wizard Wars. Tales implying that the wizards of darkness remain on islands out to sea. Although few believe these stories, few men hunt whales far beyond the coast line, just in case there is some element of truth to these rumours.

LIZARDMEN

Lizardmen are fierce creatures who thrive on vicious battle. The more developed of the race have special traits that make them even more fearsome in combat. The main clan of Lizardmen gather on a small Isle in the Death Sea.

DRAKILAK - The physical appearance of the Lich Master is no more strange to the lizardmen than that of normal humans. Humans which they hate with a passion. The opportunity to sack the human cities of Crynn and humble the humans pride, is eagerly awaited. Although they enjoy the swampy terrain of their homeland, they look forward to the riches they will conquer abroad.

MINOTAUR

Minotaurs are clearly one of the most fearsome races to frequent the lands. Their culture revolving around the warriors ensures only the strongest survive. Standing 8 to 10 feet tall with a bull's head atop a taut human torso they intimidate any they meet in battle. The major Minotaur city is in the Boarlands.

BOARLANDS - The Minotaurs eagerly make preparations to leave their mountainous island and invade the human cities of the mainland. A strong leader has finally come to guide their conquest step by step. The armies of the minotaurs are eager to experience the blood lust of battle and return to the Boarlands with the skulls of many adversaries.

OGRES

Ogres are a brutal race of large humanoids. Although not known for their intelligence, they can produce a rare cunning that has brought the demise of many opponents. Their general lack of Intellect, combined with a powerful frame, far stronger than the average mans, makes this race a popular choice to be coerced into war by manipulative villains. The Ogre race is divided into classes with the lowly Snotlings doing the most menial of tasks. This class system is almost entirely based on physical size with Snotlings being far smaller than standard Ogres, who are in turn dwarfed by the Chieftains. Ogres prefer to reside in the Mountains where they fight at their best.

SAWTOOTH - Completely mesmerized by the magics of the Lich Master who has found them, the Ogres are willing to follow the new lords rule. The promise of war has further strengthened the Lich Masters following amongst the Ogres. Although simple beings, it can easily be seen what a powerful army by could be formed here by the Ogres, eager to leave their mountain homes and lay siege to the mainland of Crynn.

ORCS

These evil creatures are renowned for their ruthlessness and lack of compassion. The main Orcish kingdom lies in the mountains of an Isle in the Death Sea where the Orcs continually fight amongst themselves.

CRAKEN - The Orcs have quickly become obedient servants of their new lord. Terrified of the Lich Master after his first few brutal acts, they are ready to do his biding at any stage. There is a small group of chieftains who actually respect the Lich Master and his power, believing this could be the leader who will take them to a new and better life.

PLAINSMEN

Plainsmen live off the land of their home region. They are tribal in nature and manage to exist in harmony with both animals and nature.

GABTON- Residing on the coastal plains, the people of Gabton live a peaceful life. The plains supply everything their simple life requires and few go wanting. They live in harmony with the wild creatures of the plains, taming the wolves and other creatures to guard against any unwelcome intrusion.

SANDPEOPLE

The Sandpeople are a mysterious race of desert dwellers. Few know how they survive in such a barren environment or how their society functions. The only contact others seem to have is having caravans raided under the cover of sand storms. These people seem to appear and disappear into the sand itself. A large population of Sandpeople is said to exist in the Jaffna desert.

JAFFNA - The deserts of the sandpeople are vigorously guarded. These lands remain as the largest supply of gems on Crynn now that the Astral Realms have been sealed. Always wary, the people of Jaffna are ready for any volatile conflict that may suddenly arise.

NOTE TO PLAYERS: There are no specific scenario rules for this world. The distribution of resoureces, graveyards and druidic towers will encourage players to keep to the story line but there is no obligation.

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