The Drowned Tome
The Drowned Tome
COMPILED BY ASUKO_XIII
Table of Contents
Contents
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 1
Preface............................................................................................................................................. 3
Part I: Ominous Beginnings ............................................................................................................ 5
Chapter I: Lost At Sea................................................................................................................. 5
Section I: The Player Character and Your Mission ................................................................ 5
Section II: The Nameless Island, its God, Saltborn, and the Twins, Saira and Kaira ............ 8
Section III: The Scourge of the Sea: The Kraekan ............................................................... 11
Chapter II: The Tree of Life: Magic and Prayers, Forbidden and Sacred ................................ 14
Chapter III: In Times of Old: Ronin Cran, the Foley Knoll Horror, and the Bloodbrows ....... 15
Chapter IV: The Old Gods, the New, and the Will of Man ...................................................... 17
Section I: Stone Roots and That Stench Most Foul .............................................................. 18
Section II: Devaras Light, the Dome of the Forgotten, the Untouched Inquisitor, and his
Lambs .................................................................................................................................... 19
Section III: The Three and the Forgotten King ..................................................................... 20
Section IV: The Iron Ones .................................................................................................... 22
Section V: The House of Splendor ....................................................................................... 23
Section VI: The Keepers of Fire and Sky ............................................................................. 24
Section VII: The Order of the Betrayer ................................................................................ 25
Part II: The Eastern Continent ...................................................................................................... 27
Chapter V: Unity or Death: Askaria, the Pencen Pilgrimage, and the Red Hall of Cages ....... 27
Chapter VI: The Cruel Queen: Liven, the Queen of Smiles, and the Watching Woods .......... 29
Chapter VII: The Ethereal Weave: Citadel and the Deserters of Fire and Sky ........................ 31
Part III: The Southern Continent................................................................................................... 32
Chapter VIII: The Desert Nation: Kulkaas, Castle of Storms, Ziggurat of Dust, the Dried
King, the Bloodless Prince, Ruined Temple, and the Coveted ................................................. 32
Chapter IX: The Hidden Nation and the Army of Mariners: Jinderin, Coastrock, and the
Disemboweled Husk. ................................................................................................................ 34
Chapter X: Land of the Rising Sun: Karhi .............................................................................. 36
Part IV: The Western Continent ................................................................................................... 37
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Chapter XI: Terrible Toxins and Salves that Save: Kadania, Gulchmire, and the Mad
Alchemist .................................................................................................................................. 37
Chapter XII: Victims or Villains? Tristin, the Sodden Knight, Carsejaw the Cruel, and the
Tristini Witch Hunt ................................................................................................................... 38
Part V: The Northern Continent .................................................................................................... 40
Chapter XIII: The Godless North: Markdor and the Council of Steel ...................................... 40
Chapter XIV: The Overshadowed and Impoverished: Dor Isle and Taenibir .......................... 41
Part VI: Unsolved Mysteries of the Salt ....................................................................................... 43
Part VII: Stories from the Tree of Skill ........................................................................................ 45
Chapter XV: Complete Stories from the Tree of Skill ............................................................. 45
Section I: The Pencen Pilgrimage ......................................................................................... 45
Section II: The Tale of Vel Karam ....................................................................................... 51
Section III: The Cat King ...................................................................................................... 60
Section IV: Chauncys Medicine .......................................................................................... 61
Section V: The Burning Clouds ............................................................................................ 63
Section VI: The Foley Knoll Horror ..................................................................................... 65
Section VII: The Poisoners Field Guide .............................................................................. 72
Section VIII: The Crimson Quell .......................................................................................... 73
Section IX: Panthonus........................................................................................................... 77
Chapter XVI: Incomplete Stories from the Tree of Skill .......................................................... 79
Section I: The Holy Text....................................................................................................... 79
Section II: The Smiths Apprentice ...................................................................................... 80
Section III: Annals of Grimsen ............................................................................................. 82
Section IV: Titching Codex .................................................................................................. 83
Section V: The Codex Malifinent ......................................................................................... 84
Section VI: Mierdres Black Book ....................................................................................... 84
Section VII: The Oreisian ..................................................................................................... 85
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Preface
When I got really into Bloodborne, one of the coolest and most interesting
resources I found was Redgraves Bloodborne analysis, The Paleblood Hunt. From
it, I learned all about the world of Bloodborne, from the direct story that plays out
in front of you, to the small nuanced details hidden in item descriptions and the
environment itself. Prior to Bloodborne, I had only beaten the first Dark Souls and
I didnt really understand too much of what went on in Dark Souls, save for the
story that was spelled out to me. Reading The Paleblood Hunt really made me
respect not only the author for his meticulous attention to detail and ability to
properly organize a novels worth of information, but it also made me see
Bloodborne in a new light. I had already loved the game, but the lore and story that
I had never known existed to such an extent behind the scenes really made me
appreciate the game that much more.
Im neither the best writer nor the best gamer in the world, but I love Salt
and Sanctuary. This is apparent if you browse through my post history on Reddit.
Ive written a guide/FAQ for new players that got stickied to the front page of the
Salt and Sanctuary Subreddit, a guide detailing which creeds are the best and why,
a guide on how to build and level up your characters, a guide for co-op, and Ive
created a checklist for completionists to check off their collectibles. This is my first
time attempting something resembling a lore post, so go easy on your judgements
(or dont).
Like Redgrave wrote in The Paleblood Hunt, Salt and Sanctuary, like
Bloodborne, is your story. I can provide information up and down, but your
character is your character, and your story is your story. There are a number of
loose ends in Salt and Sanctuary, and I truly believe that this is no accident. Like
the games that surely inspired it, Salt and Sanctuary is deliberately vague in the
story and the main characters quest, but rock solid in the world development so
that the player is free to speculate about much of the game.
This tome is approximately 80% fact, collected from item descriptions, NPC
dialogue, and stories from the Tree of Skill nodes, (which I have transcribed for
you in the last part of the tome), and 20% speculation from the information given
and my attempts at piecing said information together. My assumptions may not be
right, but they give you a starting point to start devising your own theories and
ideas about what goes on in the story and backstory. Look for words like
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probably and question marks to denote fact from conjecture. I cant imagine Ill
be able to live up to my inspiration, Redgrave and The Paleblood Hunt; after all,
Bloodborne is a much bigger game than Salt and Sanctuary, but never-the-less, Ill
give it my all. Lastly, I highly recommend that you beat the game at least once
before reading so you have a basic grasp on the world and the story. Likewise,
there will obviously be heavy spoilers. Now, without further ado This is my
tribute to Ska Studios and players of Salt and Sanctuary everywhere. I present to
you: The Drowned Tome.
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The opening moments of Salt and Sanctuary after character creation puts
you right into the thick of things, so to speak. Youre given a short dialogue telling
you a very abridged version of the state of the Kingdom. Youre on a ship and, due
to political reasons, delivering a princess to another nation across the sea will result
in a marriage alliance, bringing about peace. Once given control of your character,
you discover, as revealed to you by one of people on the ship, that the ship has
been boarded in the night by Marauders, planning to take the princess. What you
dont know is who exactly is taking her or why. Ransom? To draw the war out
longer? Where are we even taking the princess? Where did we start, anyway? Most
of this is left up in the air, and youre welcome to conjecture for yourself the
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answers to these questions, but there are a few hints hidden here and there. As it
turns out, marriage alliances arent uncommon in the Kingdom. In fact, theyve
happened a number of times and they arent very effective; at least not for very
long. While they can bring about piece, its often short lived, and usually doesnt
stop all of the violence and fighting in the Kingdom. In fact, the Queen of Smiles,
whose real name was Lenaia, was involved in an arranged marriage, as evidenced
by the description for her Mildewed Chemise:
Lenaia was Tristini, and her betrothal to King Adnan of Liven was a loveless
diplomatic union.
In fact, before exiting the ship, after climbing the ladder, you can catch a glimpse
of the princess in question being consoled by her handmaiden. While this seems
arbitrary, it can rule out a number or origin nations for us. She has light skin, so we
can conclude, with certainty that the princess is not from Liven, Taenibir, Markdor,
Gulchmire, Kulkaas or Jinderen. Also the princess does not seem to have the
messed up eye-liner thing going on, which we can use to also conclude that she is
not from Tristin (or she forgot eyeliner today). Judging from skin color alone, the
princess must be from either Askaria, Citadel, Dor Isle, Kadania, Karhi, or
Coastrock. So which of these make the most sense? Askaria, hands down. Youll
see more details below where the nations are fleshed out, but Askaria is the only
nation with the appropriate skin tone that is known for nobility. The only other
nation she could possibly be from is Coastrock, as the other nations are either
underdeveloped, or not interested in politics or nobility. For now, lets assume the
princess is from Askaria.
So where are we escorting her? Its likely that she is heading to Tristin. Firstly,
Askaria and Tristin are directly opposite each other, making a voyage across the
sea the best and quickest way to send cargo. The princess wouldnt need to cross
the sea to go to Liven or Citadel, and even the Northern and Southern Continents
wouldnt need an entire voyage across the sea. In fact, it would probably be safer
to protect her on foot. Not only that, but according to the description for the
Royalists Armet:
Askaria has long been at war with Tristin, but from time to time the two
nations have found brief peace through marriages.
It seems to be a tried and true method, so it would make sense that the princess is
Askarian and is heading to Tristin.
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Saltborn is an umbrella term for people and most creatures of the world in
Salt and Sanctuary. The salt is a reference to the salty waters of the ocean, which
oversees the natural order of the world. Salt itself is actually some sort of
amalgamation of the soul, but there are two kinds, living, and dead salt. So you can
think of salt as a soul: the power that puts people and most creatures into motion.
The worth of mankind is the salt on his brow for it is the essence of his life. Malthis 4:17
When you kill something, you are rewarded salt, their very life essence, not
unlike Souls or Blood Echoes from Dark Souls and Bloodborne respectively.
When you die, you return to the salt, the essence from which you were created, and
linger in the realm of spirits and salt until blowing back to your last sanctuary. The
special ability that the Saltborn have is the ability to return to life after death. The
Gods, both old and new are not Saltborn. They are something else, possessing a
Candlelit soul. There is immensely little information about the Candlelit soul, so
we can only speculate on what that means, so well take a deeper look into the
Candlelit soul later.
Finally, what are you, the player character (PC) doing on the ship? While its
true that you could be doing anything, that you can give your character any motive
or backstory that you well please, some of the character classes actually seem to
have a set backstory, if you read the descriptions on the armor. The Knight
characters armor and escutcheon states that he is of a low ranking nobility. He
may very well be a sellsword or a guard for the princess. The Mage dons the
acolyte robes from the Keepers of Fire and Sky, insinuating that he may be an
initiate in training to become a Mage of Fire and Sky. Both the Paladin and Cleric
classes don shields that are blessed by Devara, and only given to followers of
Devara in the first place. The hunters outfit and weaponry, while obviously a
callout to Bloodborne, is actually the same weaponry that a Bloodbrow hunter
would have used, insinuating that the Bloodbrows may still exist, if not as an
organization, but the need for the culling of beasts may still be necessary. A good
hunter could make a good guard for a princess, anyway. (More on Bloodbrows
later.) The Chef is clearly a cook for the ship, while a Thief could have stolen away
aboard the ship as a stowaway to escape a possible persecution, or just as someone
looking for free travel across the sea. The Thief could possibly even be an assassin.
The most open of the character classes is the Pauper, as there is almost nothing that
can elude to a backstory for him.
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After youve read a bit about the nations, you can pretty easily fashion your own
back story based on your origin. Ultimately, its up to you to decide what your
character is doing aboard the ship. After all, its your story.
Section II: The Nameless Island, its God, Saltborn, and the Twins, Saira
and Kaira
Youre just a fleshy bit of flotsam washed ashore with the rest of us, hmm?
Jaret, King of Storms
After your struggle with the Unspeakable Deep, win or lose, your ship is
unable to stay afloat and sinks. Waking up on the Shivering Shores, youre met
with an old man who later reveals himself to be Jaret, King of Storms and master
of Cloudencasse, the castle in Kulkaas (More on Jaret and Kulkaas later.). He
asks about your faith and sends you on your way. I will refer to this island as the
Nameless Island, after its God, the Nameless God. As you explore the Nameless
Island and talk to the other non-player characters (NPCs) you learn that this island
is unusual. Firstly, no matter how many times you die, you always wake up at a
sanctuary. This is unlike death on the mainland, as evidenced by the Black Sands
Sorcerer. Next, there are areas on the island that are not supposed to be there. The
Masterless Knight gives us a bit of insight on that, as the Red Hall of Cages should
be in Askaria, while the Castle of Storms, or Cloudencasse, should be somewhere
in Kulkaas. In fact, its heavily hinted upon that there is someone or something
taking places from the main land.
Near the end of the game, Jaret, King of Storms, reveals to you your true
nature and that of the island: you are the eternally undead: drowned, lost, or
otherwise killed at sea, and the Nameless Island is a sort of limbo between living
and dead. You are the dead salt now. As youll learn by digging into dialogues
and item descriptions, anyone lost or dead at sea washes up on the Nameless
Island, and the Nameless God uses their memories to create areas from the
mainland. Not taken, but recreated. Although never explicitly stated, the Bronze
Kraekan Knights are probably the Nameless Gods eyes and ears, and they seem to
share one consciousness. Many people have drowned at sea and have simply
finally washed ashore, mindless, as Rotten Walkers, roaming the island, or other
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equally tragic creatures. Others have brought their memories and pieces of their
homelands with them.
The Nameless God collects those drowned, lost, or otherwise killed at sea in
the hope of becoming a real God, possessing the Candlelit soul I touched briefly on
in the last chapter, or possibly, even ascending beyond Godhood. To be a God, you
must be worshipped and revered. Jaret claims that the Nameless God wishes to be
born of light. The Candlelit Lady who absolves you of sin claims to be different
from the Saltborn.
I am not like you, born of Salt. I am born of that life that flickers like flame. I
am summoned by the Song of Souls, spelled in candlelight, written by the
drowning Saltborn. To be Saltborn is to be a dying fragment of eternity. To be
born of light is to be truly living, yet so ephemeral.
If I had to guess, I think that having a Candlelit soul makes you a real God, revered
by the people, or that being revered by the people ascends you to being Candlelit. I
dont think it is too much of a stretch to think that the Candlelit Lady is a familiar
of Devara, or perhaps even Devara herself. Another possible theory is that the
Candlelit Lady is a Major Kraekan, but Ill elaborate on that in the next section.
At first I thought that being Saltborn simply meant dying in the ocean. I
thought to die in that sea and wind up on the Nameless Island meant you were
Saltborn. However, the ending Salvation dialogue for The Three states:
Born of Salt,
Devoured by sea,
From icy crypt,
Deliver me.
Which indicates that you were Saltborn before you drowned on the ship in
the first place.
The Nameless Island is probably not a real island that you can sail to, and it
is not visible on the map. There is no concrete evidence, but the island may be
another realm of sorts, or it may even exist in its own little bubble at the bottom of
the sea, seeing as you will find many rare transmutation materials that would only
be found at the bottom of the sea, like Shimmering Pearls and Amber Idols. Since
the Nameless Island is a limbo of sorts, it exists in many different ways at many
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different times, taking characters and locations from all time periods into one
amalgamation. In fact, its highly likely that, from a lore standpoint, the Jurney
Bottles you find are actually left by your character in an attempt to help him or
herself in another dimension who may have already experienced the Nameless
Island many times over.
Its also stated that the Saltborn that arrive on the island are sometimes on
the same ship, but have different ideas about what their mission is. Could death
merely cloud their minds, or is there a greater force at work? Could the Nameless
God or the Kraekan be behind the confused and lost sailors, or is it an inner
working of the sea? Unfortunately, there is no solid evidence either way, but I do
have a theory. This leads to an interesting question then: does the princess even
exist at all, or is it just a machination of the PCs mind?
Yes, the princess must exist, as you can find her wardrobe hidden in the Salt
Alkymancery late in the game, as well as her handmaidens gear in Bandits Pass,
just next to the Red Hall of Cages. Is she a slave though? We have no real evidence
except that the nobleman the Despondent Thief was escorting was actually a slave,
and to continue her story line, you must agree that your princess may have been a
slave as well. My theory is that since time and space is often bent on the Nameless
Island by the Nameless God who has these powers, what seems like the same ship
crashing upon the shore could be an infinite number of ships. So at the same time,
sailors are washing ashore and drowning from both the same ship and different
ships, infinitely. This can explain why everyone thinks theyre on the same ship,
only to have different missions.
So we know that those dead at sea wind up on the Nameless Island. While
there is no evidence of it anywhere in game, it is highly likely that burials at sea
occur in the Kingdom, as many powerful or (in)famous people wind up at the
Nameless Island. Other creatures that prowl the island could be from the mainland,
like Skullbats that flew over, or even washed up Feral Beasts. That being said,
there is still one powerful method to create creatures and other terrible things to
walk the island: Salt Alkymancy.
Salt Alkymancy is the process of taking Salt, living or dead, and bending the
will of the sea to your own, allowing you to create terrible creatures loyal to their
creator and bind them to simple materials. Souls lost at sea or without their bodies
returned to the Nameless Island makes Salt Alkymancy thrive on the island,
creating a countless number of creatures and monstrosities. Salt Alkymancy is a
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forbidden magic on the mainland as it bends the natural order of life and the sea,
who creates all life, but on the Nameless Island, an entire compound is dedicated to
Salt Alkymancy, the Salt Alkymancery. The Salt Alkymancery is run by the older
twin sister Kaira and protected by her younger twin sister, Saira. You know them
as the Architect and the Witch of the Lake respectively.
Saira and Kaira are powerful alchemists, mages, and Alkymancers. Saira,
the Witch of the Lake has experimented with Salt magic to the point where her
body is so deformed that she hides it with robes and her large hat. Her post at Siam
Lake has an unusually large amount of Salt magic lingering in the area: so much
that you can actually physically see it rising from the lake. This water flows into
the Salt Alkymancy, providing Kaira, the Architect, with plenty of resources to
create thralls and creatures, which she then uses to gather more materials for her to
bind the Salt magic to, starting the cycle anew. It is an unnatural perversion of the
natural order, and the cycle continues on and on. Kaira, the Architect has been
known to have created the following creatures: The Unskinned, Saltlesses, Bola
Eyes, Things of Arms, Alkymancery Knights, Spindlebeasts, and Saltfin Creatures.
The Unskinned is her most prized creation, culmination of her work, and loyal
guardian.
But why are there so many deaths at sea?
Kraekan are, as the Kraekan Cyclops description says: ancient demons of the
sea. Major Kraekan possess the special quality of being able to prowl around the
surface of the sea, and still show themselves in and around the Nameless Island.
This means that they can travel between both worlds. Interestingly enough, there is
another character who claims to be something other than Saltborn and makes
mention of how she can be in other worlds as well.
While I think its more likely that she is a Goddess as opposed to a Major
Kraekan, it certainly puts the idea out there. Could this instead mean that Major
Kraekan are actually Gods as well, or perhaps stepping stones to Godhood?
Kraekan appear feed on three things: pure elemental energy, salt, and human
bodily fluids, mainly blood and excrement, as evidenced by the Retchfeeders
description.
These vile beasts gravitate toward pockets of rot and human filth, which
are their main forms sustenance.
Kraekan also possess a full life cycle. A Kraekans life begins as an adult
Kraekan feeds on pure elemental energy, eventually creating a pocket of energy
that forms into an egg. Major Kraekans eggs are also known as Shimmering
Pearls, which fetch quite a price on the mainland. In fact, Shimmering Pearls are
also sometimes sold as an edible delicacy. A fetal Kraekan emerges from the egg
and feeds until it grows up. When the Kraekans life is at its end, it reverts back to
elemental energy to either be eaten by another Kraekan, continuing the cycle anew,
or bound to special stones in the Crypt of the Dead Gods, living on as
Gravewalkers.
There are 6 known Major Kraekan (possibly 7): The Unspeakable Deep, the
False Jester, Kraekan Cyclops, Kraekan Wyrm, Kraekan Dragon Skourzh,
Murdiella Mal and possibly Impen. There are also 5 known Minor Kraekan, two of
which weve already discussed: Retchfeeders, Spear Imps, Vexing Brats (Fetal
Brats are the fetal stage of the Vexing Brat), Gravewalkers, and Mimkus.
Kraekan have the ability to bring about real change on the mainland. The
most obvious display of this is by the Kraekan Dragon Skourzh, who is the Lord of
Storms and seems to reign over the rest of the Kraekan as their king. Skourzh has
the ability to summon storms and appears to do so to sink ships and bring men and
kings to the bottom of the sea to be found on the Nameless Island or otherwise
devoured by the Kraekan, explaining the large population of the Nameless Island.
That being said, Murdiella Mal has the ability to tread in and out of the
ethereal weave of Fire and Sky, even calling upon this arcane ability whenever she
wants. She seems to have a real understanding of the weave of Fire and Sky. Her
abilities support the theory that Kraekan could be Gods. In fact, what if Murdiella
Mal was the creature who created the weave of Fire and Sky? In fact, the old god
of the Sky is named Diadel (who well learn about later) whose name is awfully
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similar to Murdiella Mal. As I stated above, Gods are not Saltborn, and guess who
the only enemy who doesnt drop salt is? Murdiella Mal. Its an interesting theory.
Kraekan also possess the ability to shapeshift. The Unspeakable Deep seems
to be a Kraekan in its most common form, but Kraekan are able to change their
shape into whatever they see fit. In fact, some Kraekan use this ability to lure in
hapless adventures. The False Jester took on its shape to lure those searching for
the true Jester, who is well known around the Nameless Island for having the
ability to get to places no one else can, and happily bestows the Vertigo Brand to
those who can find him. The Jester also seems to be knowledgeable about the
island for some reason, but likes to speak in riddles. Mimkus are also Kraekan
who found that the best way to feed is to disguise themselves as treasure chests.
The shapeshifting ability could further attest to the theory that the Candlelit Lady
could be a Kraekan.
Kraekan are almost definitely the next iteration of Wyrms, dragons who
used to live in the mountains of the northern continent before being driven from
their homes. Their horns were incredibly valuable, so brave or foolish fortune
seekers would climb the mountains of Markdor to slay a Wyrm and return with its
horn. Warriors from Dor Isle eventually drove them from the mountains, forcing
the Wyrms to either head to the sea or perish. In the sea they may have evolved
into what they are today. They still bring about valuables that are highly sought
after though, like their eggs, known as Shimmering Pearls, their vomit, which is
Amber and crafted into Amber Idols, or even the bones of the dead Kraekan,
sometimes created into weaponry, like the Gravedigger. Impen is a Kraekan of
myth and legend, associated with a few fairy tales on the mainland. He was
considered the Kraekan of fire, and for that reason, I believe he was an ancient
Kraekan Wyrm.
Whether the Kraekan know it or not, the Nameless God is ultimately
benefiting from the Kraekans existence. The Kraekan kill at sea, and whatever
they dont devour ends up on the Nameless Island for the Nameless God to collect.
While we cant be sure if the Nameless God controls the Kraekan, or if the
Kraekan just go around doing their own thing, we can be sure that they are both the
scourge of men.
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Chapter II: The Tree of Life: Magic and Prayers, Forbidden and
Sacred
I felt as if something ethereal was softly brushing against the tips of my
fingers, like a sea of feathers. The weave! The old gods had opened my eyes to
the weave of Fire and Sky that surrounds us. - The Foley Knoll Horror, s. 44.
In the world of Salt and Sanctuary, Magic and divine miracles are fairly
commonplace. That being said, there is still a bit of trepidation around magic;
when things go wrong, magic tends to be pointed to as the scapegoat. Magic in the
world of Salt and Sanctuary actually began as a parlor trick using Flashfire, the
first ever recorded spell, which was then honed and studied in Citadel, where the
Keepers of Fire and Sky were created.
Magic is based on the Tree of Life, whose limbs support the power of Fire
and Sky. Fire and Sky exist in a sort of ethereal weave that surrounds all things;
this sort of energy in and around everything. Mages are very familiar with the
weave of Fire and Sky and are able to draw from this weave and channel it from its
ethereal realm to create change in the real world.
There are two kinds of Magic: spells and incantations. Incantations only
require words to call upon the power of Fire and Sky, while spells actually require
a physical conduit to channel the energy, in the form of a wand or staff, created of
a magically attuned material, such as saltwood or scrimshaw, the bones of a giant
sea beast. The pattern of the weave of Fire and Sky is said to be made of 5 and 6
pointed stars.
Fire and Sky are forever intertwined, and it brings about an interesting
effect: elemental imbalance. You can think of the weave of Fire and Sky as one big
continuum, with Fire being at one end, and Sky being at the other. A well attuned
and balanced mage lies dead center of this continuum. When you cast a spell
associated with Fire, you start to lean towards the Fire end of the continuum, and
when you cast a Sky spell, you lean toward the Sky side. It is important to stay
balanced in the middle, as too heavily attuning yourself to one side of the
continuum can be dangerous, harmful, and even fatal. A skilled mage is able to
boost the strength of their spells by using this elemental imbalance to their
advantage, bouncing back and forth between Fire and Sky spells.
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Incantations are said to be more difficult to master than spells, due to the
lack of a conduit to channel the power of Fire and Sky. That said, an adept mage
can feel Fire and Skys weave in all things, and as such, is able to call upon the
power of Fire and Sky at any time.
There are two forms of magic that is forbidden on the mainland: Salt
Alkymancy, also known as Salt magic, which I already spoke about at length, and
blood magic. Blood magic is full of dark rituals requiring questionable ingredients
to perform the rites and rituals required to practice it. One such ritual speaks of
cutting out the heart of a living man. Blood magic comes directly from the users
blood, and from Azredak the betrayer, a God, as opposed to the weave of Fire and
Sky. As a result, no elemental imbalance occurs, but instead, the caster becomes
weak and frail with each blood spell casted, offering the blood of themselves and
of the enemy to Azredak.
Prayers, on the other hand, are pure faith and divine intervention. When the
words of faith are spoken, a prayer is invoked, calling forth the power asked for
from the God or Goddess of choice, from divine healing and shielding, to rays of
divine searing and playful, yet vengeful sprites made of pure light. Prayers have
the power to bring back allies from the dead and turn major wounds into minor
scrapes and bruises.
If we can assume that Karmen Cran is actually what we now know as Ronin
Cran, he may be one of the oldest non-Kraekan characters on the Nameless Island.
His recollection of the Foley Knoll Horror tells us a ton about himself, the
Kingdom long ago, and helps shape out who the Redbrows/Bloodbrows (the term
is interchangeable) were.
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Long ago, well before the events of Salt and Sanctuary, the Kingdom was
ravaged with monsters. The Bloodbrow were an offshoot of the Citadel of Fire and
Sky dedicated to killing the beasts that used to roam the mainland centuries ago.
The Bloodbrows were known for sometimes dabbling in the arcane, which make
sense since they denounced the strict arbitrary precepts governing some of the
Citadels practices. Their findings ended up founding the basic principles of
alchemy as we know it today. At the end of the Bloodbrows known existence, an
aspiring lord sent the Bloodbrows on witch hunts for political reasons, and as a
result they ended up falling into obscurity, but not before the monster epidemic
was mostly snuffed out.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a ronin is a vagrant samurai
without a master. Cran used to be a Bloodbrow, but probably ended up leaving
them after the events of Foley Knoll. While you can read the full story of Foley
Knoll at the end of this tome, for the purposes of this chapter, Ill sum up the Foley
Knoll Horror here.
Cran was a leader of a Bloodbrow division in Liven, which is interesting,
because he eventually ends up working for Jaret, King of Storms, in Kulkaas. In
the time of monsters, the Bloodbrows took it upon themselves to slay the monsters
to restore peace to the kingdom. One such hunt took Crans group of 6
Bloodbrows, including Cran, to a forest northeast of Liven to hunt terrible
creatures known as gnarlends, some sort of deformed part plant, part stillborn
infant monstrosity. Gnarlends hunt at night, but sleep up in the trees during the
day, so the plan was to make a camp at the clearing Cliffendell Crag, (whose
description is awfully similar to Crans Pass) wait for night, and hunt gnarlends as
they were out hunting, as gnarlends typically hunt solo.
The team would split up into 3 teams of 2, and fan out into the forest with
bait, and if anything bad were to happen, they could retreat back toward camp.
Unfortunately for Cran and his group, they began their hunt too early, and so
gnarlends were just waking up, dropping all around them from the trees. If they
had waited a little longer, they would have been grounded, and therefore, much
easier to fight. Cran is able to show his expert fighting skills, but is soon
outnumbered, and forced to retreat as the other 5 members of his party are killed.
The gnarlends give chase, but Cran is able to find a house in a small village that
gives him shelter and mead to drink. Crans mead is spiked with a sleeping agent,
however, and he ends up passing out.
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Chapter IV: The Old Gods, the New, and the Will of Man
The Old Pantheon contained 12 gods, typically: Diadel, goddess of sky,
Azredak, god of bloodletting, Oema, god of the harvest, Pyrabella, goddess of
fertility, Numen, god of dark things, Grull, god of forest creatures, Imrios, god
of the sea, Ellenestria, goddess of luck, Oporos, god of health, Murlik, god of
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the dream world, Tartilia, goddess of the dead world, and Devara, goddess of
light. - Pantheonus
Every creed except the Iron Ones revere one or more Gods. Every creed
except the Iron Ones and The Three worship one or more of the Old Gods. A more
complete explanation of the Old Gods and the New Gods can be found by reading
Pantheonus at the end of this tome, but I will sum up the Old and New Gods as
best as I can, in the most organized way as I can.
the most poisonous corners of Kadanian swampland. Red Grass is very costly to
produce and harvest, and the Stone Roots creed is lucky to have so few followers,
lest they become poor with the constant process of obtaining Red Grass. All
healing items are actually derived from Kadanian Red Grass, usually crossbred
with another plant.
The Stone Roots creed also uses Kadanian Blue Grass, sometimes known as
Moon Grass, which is actually the frond-like extensions that grow on cave fungi
known as White Aziema. The base of the Aziema is actually highly toxic, but the
fronds are extremely vitalizing. Similar to Red Grass, derivatives of the White
Aziema are used in most revitalizing potions.
Section II: Devaras Light, the Dome of the Forgotten, the Untouched
Inquisitor, and his Lambs
When men became more civilized, the Old Pantheon was created, typically
containing 12 Gods, as written above in the quote preceding this chapter. Devara,
Goddess of light, was typically revered as the mother of all Gods, and eventually
as Devaras clerics (who were the most devoted) and Her sanctuaries grew in
popularity, the other Gods fell in stature until they all just sort of fell under the
umbrella term: Devaras Light.
The Dome of the Forgotten was once the Dome of Light, a blessed place for
any and all followers of Devaras Light. Here they would congregate and create
great things, like the Flint & Steel, based on Karhi legends, which means that the
Dome of the Forgotten may have been in Karhi. These high ranking ladies and
craftswomen of the Dome were known as the Choir. The True Priest of Light and
Voice of Her Voice, Alasdair, and Lady of Light, Lainia, watched over this place,
while Lainias pet hippogriff, Kinoa, patrolled the skies around the Dome,
protecting pilgrims from raiders and bandits on their pilgrimages to the Dome.
Unfortunately, there are some darker sides to the story of Devaras Light,
like Harmen the Condemned who performed acts of unforgivable cruelty in the
name of justice and Devaras Light. Most notable in the dark history of Devaras
Light however, comes from the True Priest of Light and Voice of Her Voice,
Alasdair, who became known as the Untouched Inquisitor. He began to see sin in
the Dome of Light, and decided the only way to purge the Dome of sin was by
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sacrificing three Lambs to Devara. The First Lamb was the entire congregation
of the Dome. They now roam the halls of the Dome of the Forgotten as
Whispermen and Whisperladies, not able to ever leave, as per the decree of the
Untouched Inquisitor.
The Second Lamb was Lainia, Lady of Light. The Third Lamb was her pet
hippogriff, once a majestic creature of protection, now a bound and broken thrall of
the Inquisitor, deliberately left nameless, as the Inquisitor saw the pride and praise
of the hippogriff as sinful. The Third Lamb now roams the Dome sadly, broken.
Once the Untouched Inquisitor saw the dome as sinless, he assigned Hornet Steels
to watch over the spirits of the congregation, ensuring that they adhere to the
Untouched Inquisitors sinless standard.
Lightvessels are said to be Devaras saliva, also known as lightwater,
capable of burning any evil it touches. Water of Blessing is made from a smaller
breed of Crimflower, which is a breed of flower crossbred with Red Grass. This
smaller breed of Crimflower is known as the Eye of Hearts. This is mixed with the
lightwater to create the Water of Blessing. Clerics of Devaras Light tend to be
poor, as they put all of their resources into making sure that the Water of Blessing
is plentiful, as their main form of proselytizing is providing healing to the poor.
Clerics of Devara also prepare special cloths of canvas as tools for
reenergizing paladins and healers. Cloths of canvas are trimmed, hemmed, and
elegantly embroidered, then soaked for 7 days in baths of perfume and blue moss
paste from Blue Grass, creating the Cloths of Blessing.
I only have small pieces of information about the Phials of Orange, but, I
can conjecture that they are created in a process called the Rites of Orange. Not
only that, but during the Pencen Pilgrimage, a pilgrimage to get followers of
Devara out of Askarian territory safely (which I will detail later) one of the nobles
escaping was the former Baroness Emiella of Orange.
As stated in the quote from Pantheonus, The Three, also known as the New
Gods, emerged from monarchy and dynasty. The King, the Knight and the Judge
make up the deities of The Three, who are divine incarnations of King Ericho the
Austere and Sir Amar the Proper, who are credited with uniting all of Askaria,
under the Great Unification Decree, a decades long conquest that began under
King Ericho's father, King Relon the Bear. The King lends wisdom to men who
lead, The Knight protects warriors in combat, and the Judge guides those who
maintain order. The King creates laws that all men must abide by, the Judge
decides when the Kings law is broken, and the Knight carries out the Kings
sentence on the guilty men.
Most follow the New Gods, although, not by choice. The Great Unification
Decree was an attempt to unite the kingdom under the Askarian Crown, and as a
result, you would have to follow the New Gods. The cruel King Ericho IV also
known as Ericho the Envy-Ridden, hated the followers of the Old Gods and would
order their deaths if they refused to take up the New Gods.
So why must we fight the Forgotten King? Why does the Forgotten King
reside in the Crypt of the Dead Gods? We can take a look at some of the Forgotten
Kings weaponry to find some insight on it, but it is pretty vague; well have to
make a few assumptions.
Once symbols of justice and courage, this now-decrepit sword and its
former owner lay abandoned and powerless in the Crypt of the Dead Gods even
as the faithful continued to pray for their guidance. For how long this farce
went on can only be guessed, but it would seem that those prayers were being
answered instead by the dark forces at work on this forsaken island all along.
Trinity Greatsword
Perhaps the forced reverence of The Three made the populace hold disdain
for Askarian nobles and The Three in general. The lack of faith and prayers to The
Three resulted in these deities eventually dying over time. Not only that, but the
lack of faith seems to have spread through the people, as evidenced by an Order of
the Betrayer blacksmith:
I grew up keeping the new gods, til I found out they were a fiction.
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So while people claimed they were followers of The Three, in their hearts,
they still held their oaths to other Gods or perhaps the Will of Man. Perhaps they
just didnt believe in anything at all. Now, even when people do call out and pray
to The Three, a dark forces answers their prayers instead. Could it be the Nameless
God instead?
Perhaps, in the end, the interdependence of men and gods is the very
reason both share the same destiny. Trinity Scepter
No deity, however mighty, can exist without sustenance from mortal
hearts and prayers. Trinity Bardiche
Followers of The Three utilize Crimflower, derived from Red Grass to
create a special healing agent known as Red. Red is placed under close regulatory
control, bearing an official crest stamp or being subject to anti-contraband law.
This has created a black market for unofficial Red, known as Shards, which are
typically sold by corrupt members of The Threes clergy.
For invigorating medicines, clerics of The Three will mix Blue Grass with
Spiced Mead resulting in a powerful elixir that does not dull the senses.
The Iron Ones believe not in Gods, but in the Will of Man. In the northern
mountains of Markdor, the people did at one point hold Gods, but after seeing the
petty squabbling as a result of Askarias Great Unification Decree, the Council of
Steel declared the Will of Man to be greater than Gods, and thus, worthy of
worship. This led to the creation of the Iron Ones, and as a result, its own codified
system of faith and worship, with its own schools, clerics, tomes and songs, all
dedicated to extolling the Will of Man.
As the creed is mainly held in the northern continent, the healing items all
originate from Markdor. Red Grass was crossbred with a moss, creating
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Winemoss, a thatching, fuzzy grass that can survive in the harsh, mountainous
climates. In Markdor, a baker and a healer are one in the same, and they will bake
Winemoss directly into their breads to make Hearty Rolls.
For invigorating medicine, Iron Ones mine Leuryte crystal in the mountains
of Markdor. Delicately mined with great difficulty, the crystal is easily crushed,
disintegrating and absorbing into the skin of whomever crushes it, invigorating
them. Likewise, Shockstones are often given to followers of the Iron Ones, as
Shockstone is fairly common in Dorian mines.
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effect of poison) from using the basest ingredients of the Rojiella and Aziema,
or is it a play on drunkenness? We may never know.
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Study for a Keeper of Fire and Sky revolves around experimentation and
being able to replicate and document spells. Healers of Fire and Sky do exist,
which is ever important in a tower fraught with flame-slinging Acolytes. Healers of
Fire and Sky do call on some divinity to mend and heal, but they attribute this to a
celestial element that must exist somewhere between Fire and Sky, possibly
arcane. Healers of Fire and Sky have mastered the art of bottling and crystalizing
the pure essence of Fire and Sky to be used as potions and mind enhancing
crystals.
Followers of the Order of the Betrayer are keepers of the Old God Azredak,
once the God of bloodletting, now known simply as the betrayer. Unfortunately,
there is very little information on Azredak and the Order of the Betrayer in general.
Those who decided to follow the Order of the Betrayer are often lost souls
who believe theyve done too much wrong for Devara to forgive them, and so, turn
to her brother, Azredak. Azredak hates his sister Devara, and wishes to see her
drown in blood. Some followers stumbled upon the forbidden blood magic in their
own studies, and sought out the Order of the Betrayer for that reason.
Followers of Azredak offer blood of the innocent to him, and each time
forbidden blood magic is used, Azredak collects the users blood as well.
Azredaks ultimate goal is to receive as much blood as possible, so he wishes
mankind into endless war. Most followers of the Order of the Betrayer seem to
come from Tristin, leading me to believe that vengeance draws a good number of
people to the Order of the Betrayer.
One theory is that Azredak is actually the Nameless God. While there are a
number of similarities between the two, like the enjoyment behind others pain and
suffering, their ultimate goals dont seem to add up, in my opinion. Azredak
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simply wants Devara dead. The Nameless God wants to ascend to real Godhood or
further, meaning he may not be an actual God in the first place. If he was, he
wouldnt be bound to the Nameless Island. Not only that, but then the Nameless
God certainly couldnt have existed in pantheon of Old Gods, while Azredak was.
On the other hand, we could say that Azredak was banished to this island with the
hopes of rising up again, explaining the origin of the Nameless God. This is just
one of Salt and Sanctuarys many mysteries.
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Askaria lies fairly central in the eastern continent, just a bit off to the west.
Askaria is a large nation, and perhaps the most powerful, with a large emphasis on
military power and the power of the Askarian Crown. Askaria has been at war with
Tristin many times, and often, a brief peace treaty can be made between the two
nations with a marriage alliance.
The official creed of Askaria is The Three, as The Three is heavily based on
Askarian nobles, King Ericho the Austere, Sir Amar the Proper, and King Ericho's
father, King Relon the Bear. Askaria does have a decent economy and a bustling
marketplace, making Askaria a good place to live, so long as you swear fealty to
the Askarian Crown and The Three. Those that do not swear fealty to the Askarian
Crown and The Three can be faced with torture in their infamous torture chamber,
the Red Hall of Cages, or death. The dark nature of the Red Hall of Cages has
managed to find its way onto the Nameless Island, and the dark powers of the
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island have managed to bring the Red Hall of Cages most devious torture
machine, the Tree of Men, to life.
The Great Unification Decree, an act designed to unify Askaria and its
surrounding villages by making them swear fealty to the Askarian Crown and The
Three, is an ongoing decades-long conquest. Ultimately it succeeded in the
Askarian area, but only through brute force. Attempting to unify the entire
Kingdom is highly unlikely.
Askarias military power is one of the strongest in the Kingdom. Askaria has
a powerful weapon and armor making industry that flourishes, able to fashion
entirely new weapon styles, like the Jaws of Death. As Askaria is constantly
warring, commerce and industry, especially blacksmithing are often booming.
Though raiders can be commonly found on the paths to and from Askaria, they
have been known to work as sellswords for coin. The Askarian army have many
different regiments such as the elite Night Raiders, a cold-weather regiment, the
Cocytus Cohort, and the most disturbing and loyal, the Blue Guard.
Askaria will do whatever needs to be done to win wars, including
experimentation on their own elite soldiers of the Blue Guard, overseen by Duke
Garldon. The Duke allowed Planne the Seeker, a traveling sorcerer, to perform
experiments on these soldiers giving them teleportation abilities. These soldiers are
known as Split Swordsmen. These experiments mostly ended in disaster, often
causing limbs or other body parts of the swordsmen to be removed and sent to the
void. When the people caught wind of Plannes horrible experiments, Planne
managed to steal Marquis Garldons prized and supposedly cursed weapon, the
Shikeimaru, and avoided condemnation by escaping one night via teleportation and
was never heard from again. Whether he finally figured out how to utilize
teleportation properly or if he was lost to void, no one knows. The Shikeimaru was
soaked in innocent blood after decades of brutal executions, and radiates a chilling
malevolence from the countless souls it has claimed.
During the first few years of the Great Unification Decree, life was rough for
those who followed the Old Gods. In year three of the Great Unification Decree, a
large envoy of Askarian nobles and their deadly guards were approaching Remetia,
a small town to the north of Askaria whose lord had already bowed to the Askarian
Crown, despite many of the population still following the old gods. The goal of the
envoy was to rededicate places of worship in Remetia to The Three, relocate
images and shrines of Devara to pre-approved locations in the citys periphery, and
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disarm any paladins of Devara who did not wish to take the oath of the New Gods.
The council of clerics and paladins of Devara agreed that kneeling to the Askarian
Crown was out of the question and fighting the envoy could doom the city. Three
nights after the council had met, a great pilgrimage to lead followers of Devaras
Light out of Remetia to Liven, who had resisted the Great Unification Decree, took
place. Mina the Paladin and her friend Doramin the cleric, lead 800 men, women,
and children on a secret pilgrimage in the middle of the night in what has become
known as the Pencen Pilgrimage.
Unfortunately, the Pencen Pilgrimage was not without bloodshed. Despite
the pilgrims not breaking any laws, if discovered, King Ericho IV would not think
twice of slaughtering the lot of them from spite and disdain. Before the pilgrims
could set up camp for the first night, Mina and Doramin discovered that they were
being pursued by Askarian scouts. As Mina and Doramin dealt with the scouts,
another Askarian envoy rounded up a number of the peasants on the pilgrimage.
An Askarian noble in the envoy was seeking the two nobles, former Baron Erodan
of Sylven and former Baroness Emiella of Orange who were now stripped of their
titles travelling with the pilgrimage. When the pilgrimage refused to give up the
ex-nobles, fighting ensued, and ultimately, the Askarian envoy was smote, thanks
to the power of Devaras clerics and paladins powerful prayers. Eventually, the
majority of those in the Pencen Pilgrimage were able to seek refuge in Liven.
Chapter VI: The Cruel Queen: Liven, the Queen of Smiles, and
the Watching Woods
In Liven, the Vilehawk tribes tended to play politics just enough as not to incur
the wrath of the regular army, primarily by bribing officials and, when
necessary, turning over their own to royal authorities.
Liven lies north of Askaria, in the coldest part of the eastern continent. Liven
is equally split between proper towns and villages, and tribes of the forest dwelling
Vilehawks, primarily to the east of Liven. Liven was founded by Gandra the
Warrior who wielded the Black Widow Greatsword, which was eventually passed
down to Queen Lenaia, who is also known as the Queen of Smiles. The Black
Widow is said to have driven all of its wielders to madness.
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Liven seems to have enough power to deny the Great Unification Decree put
in place by Askaria. Vilehawk Tribes dwell in the eastern and northeastern forests
of Liven, sometimes called the Watching Woods. They are self-governing and
command their own army. They tend to avoid any major persecution by giving up
their own members to royal authority when necessary. The cutting off and keeping
of the ear was originally started in Liven by the Vilehawks in an attempt to hear
the minute details of the Liven forests, and is a strange rite of passage for the tree
dwelling tribes. Ears are now often kept as trophies of battle. There are many tribes
in the forests around Liven, some even being cannibalistic, as noted in the Foley
Knoll Horror.
Liven is full of small towns and villages like Kens and Greenfarm, which is
home of the prophet Kira the Blind, author of the Burning Clouds prophecy. The
Brothers of Liven is a sellsword company that operates out of Liven. Liven is also
home to Frostgel, a rare poison. Livens military favors spears; perhaps their long
reach is important when dealing with the tree-dwelling tribes. The Boetian
Greatshield was made in Liven to complement their spears.
The Village of Smiles is also in Liven. Queen Lenaia from Tristin was
brought overseas to marry King Adnan of Liven for purely diplomatic reasons.
When King Adnan died shortly after, Queen Lenaia found herself in charge of
Liven, a strange and foreign land to her. Her years of rule were marked by civilian
unrest, as Queen Lenaia was psychologically unstable. Queen Lenaia had many
fears, most of them seemingly random. Just some of her many fears included
gourds, cats, twins, sea foam green, and the number 14. Every time she became
afraid of another thing, she would throw tantrums, order gaolings, punishments,
and even executions.
Queen Lenaia commanded a powerful and fearful rule however, an era
marked by rage-filled quells and purges. Her reign was known as the Reign of
Blood, in which she wielded her favorite sword, the Sword of Reign. The Queen of
Smiles, as she is now known, would adorn the walls of her Village of Smiles with
the grotesquely smiling faces of impaled heads and bodies. She was eventually
killed by a mob of vengeful villagers and had her lower jaw cut off in what the
angry villagers called the greatest smile of all.
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Deep in the Pitchwoods to the east of Liven lies the Citadel, haven of the
Keepers of Fire and Sky. Most of the details of Citadel can be found in the
section dedicated to the Keepers of Fire and Sky, however, I want to set aside
this small section to talk about those who have left the Citadel.
Firstly, the Bloodbrows. As Ive already stated in an earlier chapter, the
Bloodbrows were old Keepers of Fire and Sky who helped shape alchemy as we
know it today. Those at the Citadel have very rigid standards for those who
follow the creed, and deviating from their rules is simply not allowed. Instead
of starting issues within the Citadel, those who do not agree with the strict
regulations of Citadel just tend to leave and start up their own collectives.
For example, the Black Sands Collective was once a part of Citadel before
Mina the Traveler (who I feel must be a different Mina from the Pencen
Pilgrimage) left in the hopes of creating another Citadel on the southern
continent around Kulkaas. Her Citadel ended up taking its own shape and
became known as the Black Sands Collective.
The Black Sands Collective became powerful enough to rival the Citadel,
and a bit of unrest existed between the two. Some members of the Black Sands
Collective were to sail from Kulkaas to Citadel to make peace with each other,
but alas, their ship was caught up in a storm, killing most of them and leaving
the Black Sands Sorcerer stranded on the Nameless Island.
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If youve talked to the Scarecrow, the Nameless Gods puppet that he speaks
through, at the end of the game youre given a choice: escape the island by
hopping down the well, or taking control of the island, in Jarets place. Taking
Jarets place binds you to the island, making it yours, while hopping down the well
likely returns you to life, or perhaps to heaven, as evidenced by the Survival
ending dialogue for the House of Splendor:
Bearing gold
On failing flesh
Freed from gaol
To splendid rest.
Also in Kulkaas, ruled Quan In, Sun King of Kulkaas, and he ruled a very
prosperous time for Kulkaas, but was slowly driven mad over the years knowing
that his older brother, Tam In, had a hand in the ruling of the kingdom. Tam In
actually suffered from a plague that swept through Kulkaas called the Sandin
plague. Tam In, suffering from the plague, decided to use magic to seal himself in
clay, building himself up from the earth, bit by bit over the years. By doing so, he
was able to prolong his life, despite being plague ridden.
Tam In was also an avid supporter of The Three. As his clay form grew, he
built a giant mask made of stone with three faces in an effort to better commune
with The Three. Though his clay form prolonged his life, Tam In did succumb to
death, now being known as the Bloodless Prince. Deep under the Ziggurat of Dust
in Kulkaas, the Ziggurat has been remade on the Nameless Island where the
Bloodless Prince has been able to perform a feat nothing else on the island seems
to have been able to, except possibly the Nameless God: control Kraekan. Even
though Retchfeeders are only Minor Kraekan, the Bloodless Prince has been able
to take control of them by sealing their head in clay masks, in his image. These
creatures are known as Clay Hybrids, and fiercely defend the Bloodless Prince, and
the lower areas of the Ziggurat of Dust.
Quan In, Tam Ins brother and Sun King of Kulkaas, led a very difficult
life. As I stated above, he brought Kulkaas to a wonderful and prosperous era, but
ultimately, was it him, or his brother pulling the strings of Kulkaas? Even though
the people revered him as the Sun King, Quan In knew that his brother had a major
hand in it, driving him mad, eventually into paranoia. When Tam In created his
clay form as the Bloodless Prince, Quan In both loved and hated it. Loved him as
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his brother, but hated the horrid creature he had become, and hated that it meant
Tam In would live longer to control the nation of Kulkaas.
Quan In was a powerful Mage, and in his last years, he hid himself away in
the top of his creation: the Ziggurat of Dust. There, he suffered from paranoia
jumping at shadows, casting wild flame spells into the darkness of the Ziggurat,
always sure that someone was watching him. In death, Quan In became known as
the Dried King, and his faithful advisors and court sorcerers came with him, known
as Lietchs.
Deep under the Ziggurat of Dust lies the Ruined Temple. Whether or not this
is true on the mainland, I dont know, because there is very little information on
the Ruined Temple. In fact, its hinted at by the Black Sands Sorcerer that the
Nameless God is collecting dead civilizations on the island. It could very well be
that the Ruined Temple is from one of these dead civilizations existing far before
any written record of the Kingdom.
Regardless of the origins of the Ruined Temple, I do have information on its
boss, The Coveted. The Coveted is not actually the ghosts, despite them having the
names in the bestiary as the Coveted and the Coveting. The Coveted is actually the
axe and the bloodthirsty spirit within it.
It is said that the axe was given to Executioner Erlang as a mysterious gift,
and he began to love the axe unnaturally. As power in the Kingdom shifted, The
Coveted was used on the entire royal family before eventually, Erlang became
king. However, Erlang stayed at his executioners block, attempting to feed the
never-satisfied axe. Eventually, a struggle erupted between Erlang and his son
Kuchet, and they both died together in a struggle over the axe. The Coveted is said
to bring any who wield it to self-destruction. The two ghosts the bestiary says are
The Coveted and the Coveting are actually the ethereal spirits of Executioner
Erlang and his son Kuchet. They are cursed to struggle for eternity on the
Nameless Island by their desire to wield the cursed executioners axe, The
Coveted.
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So what's this thief to do? Gather up whatever spoils I can find, scrap together
a skiff out of salvage, and sail to Coastrock. Coastrock's the perfect place for
someone like me to shed her notoriety.
Far south on a remote island on the southern continent lies Jinderin. Ive got
very little information on Jinderin as it is a forbidden nation. Little is known about
Jinderen, as travelers rarely go, but terrifying and widespread rumors give it a bad
reputation. Natives of Jinderin have black skin, strange markings, large under-teeth
with an underbite, and a red sclera. The only bit of information in the game about
Jinderin comes from the Ashen Effigy, adorned with a skull:
the Vacant Blades to watch over his suffering. Now known as the Disemboweled
Husk, he wields the Seawolf Cutlass in death as he once did in life.
Some faiths associate vibrant colors with excess and vanity, but in
Kar'hi'i holy culture, color is celebrated.
Its likely that Karhi has a number of assassins, possibly ninja like.
Karhi also has interesting law allowing any man to volunteer to be hanged to
save a condemned man. Karhii blacksmiths deal in fine folded steel to create
the razor sharp blades used in their weaponry. Blacksmiths had to quickly
become skilled at their craft, making the best out of the inferior quality of steel
ore found in Karhi. Giant, sometimes winged spiders are native to Karhi, and
the Kumo Sasumata was devised to deal with the things. The rare poison
Spidersting can be extracted from these creatures.
Generally, when you think of Karhi, just think of Japan.
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Kadania and Gulchmire lie on the far west portion of the western continent,
and are known to have the most toxic swamps in the Kingdom. In Kadanian
swamps, the rare and important Kadania Rojiella, or Red Grass grows, where most
of the healing items in the Kingdom get their healing properties. Because Red
Grass is so rare, it has been crossbred with many other plants, to make it more
accessible. Likewise, the White Azemia is native to Kadania, and is the prime
source of Blue Grass, the ingredient used in most invigorating potions.
On the other hand, the Kadanian tarvine also grows in these swamps, the sap
of which is extracted as the Kingdoms most widespread poison, known as
Pessmud. The Kadanian swamps are very poisonous and very dangerous, and the
Red Grass only grows in the most poisonous corners of the swamps. As you
probably could have assumed, the Pessklaw and the Scorpion Tail were made from
the tarvine plant to give them their poisonous qualities.
Kadania is an underdeveloped nation however, having mostly head hunting
swamp tribes, not too dissimilar from the Vilehawks in Liven. Kadania has many
valuable ores and Markdor and Coastrock negotiate for access to their mines. That
said, iron is very rare and leatherworking tends to prevail over blacksmithing as the
prime armor craft in Kadania. In the past, Kadania has tried and failed miserably to
invade Askaria.
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Due to the poisons and potion ingredients, alchemists from all over revere
Kadania. The only real information we have about the Mad Alchemist is that he
was once known as Ruzpin, Grand Ter of Alchemy and Salves. He lost his mind by
constant exposure to toxins both physical and spiritual.
There is little information on Gulchmire, but we do know that they are a
bloodthirsty kind of lizard people and that the Virulent Scimitar was created here.
It wouldnt surprise me if the Mire of Stench actually existed in Gulchmire, but
again, I have no solid evidence of such, other than the fact that they both have mire
in their name and that they are both swampy areas.
Tristin lies central in the western continent. The Tristini have pale skin, a
longer jaw, and they seem to have a marking that looks like eyeshadow that has
ran. Tristin has many powerful swordsmen and excel at swordsplay and stealth.
They are Askarias prime rival, and they are almost constantly at war with each
other.
Tristin has many forests, and the Tristini are often hated by other nations for
some reason. Perhaps its because of their eerie look and rumors of dark magic, but
they are a proud nation protected by the Tristini Royal Guard. Tristini military is a
force to be reckoned with as they can toe with Askaria at any time.
The Sodden Knight was once a martyred hero of Tristin. Known in life as
Sir Francis the Resolute. He hates shields and is widely renowned for his two
handed greatsword fighting style. After many years lost on the Nameless Island, he
protects the Festering Banquet, although he cant remember why. The Festering
Banquet many have been a Tristini castle on the mainland.
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In the woods of Tristin many small communities reside, often dabbling with
elemental magic. One day, a man by the name of Carsejaw, Bastard son of Marquis
Laborn, staked his rule as the Pretender Duke of Tristin, despite not actually
deserving of the title Duke or having any real rite to the throne. When the idea that
the peaceful elementalists in the woods of Tristin were practicing hexes and other
dark magic, Carsejaw the Cruel was the leader behind the witch hunts. Initially, he
had support from the people of Tristin, but as he condemned so many innocent
wives, sisters and daughters, he began to be hated. Although many rose up to stop
him, he put an end to all rebellions by impaling the rebels and their horses on the
same stake, making an example of them. He actually met his end by fever, denying
vengeance for all of his victims. His methods of torture included drowning the
Tristini witches and a method of execution called being bound and scattered.
These dark and cruel torture methods of Carsejaw brought many vengeful spirits to
the Nameless Island in the form of Pale Witches, Wrathful Deads, and Horsehead
Knights. Carsejaw wielded the Scharfrichter which he had commissioned for
ceremonial executions that was so sharp, it seemed to bend the fabric of space. He
also used to wield the Steel Centipede and the Umbral Partisan. His men were
known as the Ducal Guard.
Interestingly, most of the followers of the Order of the Betrayer seem to be
Tristini. Could it be that the hated elementalists turned to vengeance and
bloodshed, following Azredak, giving those who accused them of being evil
something to really fear?
39 | P a g e
queen, but the 11 year old Princess Umali was safe to ascend to the throne. The
Council of Steel commands the Iron Legion, who primarily wield the Iron
Butterfly axe, the Ironforged Guard, elite soldiers to protect the Council, the
Mountain Lords who wield the deadly Mountain Breaker hammer, and the deadly
mounted soldiers, Dread Horsemen.
Womens role in Markdor is more self-reliant than anywhere else in the
Kingdom. Instead of learning etiquette and how to bow and treat nobles properly,
women are raised to be skilled at martial arts, dueling, and marksmanship.
Though Markdor has a powerful military, they have had trouble dealing with
the bandit group: the Gray Raiders, who attacked caravans and merchants. The
Gray Raiders managed to thwart multiple attempts to be stopped by the Dorian
military. The High Council placed a bounty on their heads that Askarian
mercenaries eventually took care of. Markdor seems to be on good terms with the
major nations on the other continents.
number of bustling trade cities, ideal for the craftsman and blacksmiths of Markdor
to peddle their wares.
Taenibir, on the other hand, is not so fortunate. Due to the need for workers
in mines of Markdor, Dorian forces have occupied Taenibir, enslaving as many as
they need. Dorian forces, including the deadly Dread Horsemen patrol the poor
streets of Taenibir, stomping out any rebels who try to break free of their Dorian
masters. Anyone who did manage to escape before being enslaved or stomped out
are no longer in good shape, scattered around the northern continent. The only
thing Taenibir has going for them is their special fire potion, the Birian Firepot,
and their deadly Lowland Mercenaries who wield the Lowlanders Greatknife.
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The Kaltic Order of Assassins: Only ever mentioned on the Kaltic Razor
dagger. Where do they come from? Who did they work for? What is their
purpose?
The Silver Fang: Yet another unknown assassin order.
Opal Tusk An opalescent crystal dagger carved from the tusk of a divine
beast known as a Lightkin. Glimpsed only in the deep forests surrounding
remote temples and shrines, these regal felines are thought to be attracted to
holy sites and are widely regarded as omens of good fortune.
o Interesting, as cats are sometimes omens of bad fortune as evidenced
by the Cat King (below).
Brownvapor: A rare and powerful poison mixed only by master alchemists.
Apparently its what Poison Cytoplasm is made out of. Also, Bloated
Monstrosities eat Poison Cytoplasm, which is what gives them their poison
breath.
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But Liven to the north had resisted the Askarian Great Unification Decree, so
it was decided: those loyal to Devara paladins, clerics, and peasants would
embark on a pilgrimage to Liven.
The lord of Remetia had already kneeled to the Askarian crown, and his
guardsman were loyal to King Ericho IV, descendant of Ericho the Austere, as
well. The Pilgrimage of those loyal to Devara would have to occur in secret.
Remetians loyal to Devara spread news of the Pilgrimage in secret. One would
use his foot to make an arc in the sand. If the other was loyal, he would likewise
make an arc, completing the circle, the sign of the sun, the greatest source of light.
And so news of the pilgrimage spread.
Three nights after the council, those loyal to Devara assembled in the night to
make pilgrimage to Liven in secret. Among them were 29 paladins, 33 clerics, 716
peasants, and two nobles, now stripped of title: former Baron Erodan of Sylven and
former Baroness Emiella of Orange.
With supplies and stocks for 7 days journey accounted for, the group vanished
into the moonlit night. They had embarked on what would be known as the Pencen
Pilgrimage.
Mina was a Birian paladin in the lead of the pack of nearly 800 men, women
and children that would be known as the Pencen Pilgrimage. Flanked by the cleric
Doramin Tolls, her close friend, she had marched for a night and half a day north
through the forests that spanned the unclaimed land between Liven and Remetia.
She was hot under her heavy mail and thick surcoat, and the shade didnt seem
to do enough to stifle the hot summer sun, but her training had given her the
discipline [to] endure far worse. Doramin Tolls was not hiding his discomfort quite
as easily.
Wiping sweat from his brow, he smiled at Mina. Well make camp at
sundown, yeah? he asked. Well have to, she replied. The peasantry are on their
last legs. But the more distance we can make, the better. Doramin nodded.
The sun would set soon, and Mina and Doramin, leading the pack, would have
to scout out a perimeter to accommodate a camp of nearly 800 people. Doramin
whistled a signal to the paladins further down the line, then they both set off into
the woods.
46 | P a g e
The woods between Liven and Remetia were filled with dangerous beasts and
marauding tribes, but Mina was more concerned with Askarian scouts.
They had broken no laws by setting out in pilgrimage, but the cruel King
Ericho IV, whom they mockingly called Ericho the Envy-Ridden, would not think
twice of slaughtering the lot of them from spite.
Passing around a rocky ledge, Mina first heard footsteps, then the crisp sound
of plate. It was as she feared: Askarian scouts were pursuing them. But how many?
And to what end? She signaled to Doramin, and both froze in their tracks. And
what she spied ahead chilled her to the bone.
Beyond the rocky ledge were four knights of the Askarian elite combat
squadron: the Night Raiders. They each wore a black cloak over heavy plate and
wielded a sharpened spatha. On each of their backs was a silver shield bearing the
crest of the new gods.
The two stood motionless behind the rocky ledge. Minas face burned with
fury, and Doramins eyes pleaded that she stay still. They were outnumbered and
outmatched. But the righteous fire of a paladin is a difficult thing to quench. Mina
charged.
It was four to two, and Doramin was no match for an armored knight, but
Mina had the divine light of Devara at her back. She charged shield-first into the
first Night Raider, sending him stumbling off balance, his blade falling to the
side.
She put her full weight into driving her spiked mace into the Night Raiders
face. It connected with a sick crunch of metal and bone, lodging itself in the eye
slits of the Night Raiders helm.
Whispering words of faith, Mina felt a piece as Devaras divine light filled her
weapon until it reached a hotly glowing crescendo, turning the Night Raiders helm
into a scene of carnage that far too closely resembled a kicked pot of burnt tomato
soup.
He died for a false god, she said angrily, unflinchingly. Her composure was
more ironclad than the knight whose head she had just reduced to red paste.
Doramin, Armor. The cleric spoke words of faith, and Minas paladins plate
began to glow.
47 | P a g e
The first Night Raider reached her before the other two, but hed mistimed his
approach. Her glowing spiked mace, blessed with Devaras eternal fury, crashed
across his left temple, sending him sprawling into the leaves, a trickle of blood
falling from his deeply dented helmet.
The next two were more careful, attempting to flank Mina, but it was now a
matched fight, and Mina had already dispatched two of them. She retreated, deftly
raising her shield to deflect blows from the two assailants, waiting for an opening.
The blades of the Night Raiders pounded at her shield, slashed at her surcoat,
dented on her mail and plate, cut through her leather. But the protection of Devara
held, making scrapes and bruises of what would have been deep cuts and broken
bones.
At last, a Night Raider overreached, giving her just enough room to maneuver.
She slammed her mace, glowing with divine vengeance, down on his outstretched
sword arm. He fell back in a shower of sparks, grunting with the blow, then
wailing in surprise. His couter was crushed, his vambrace-clad forearm bent the
wrong way from his elbow at nearly a right angle.
Mina swung her mace backhanded toward the iron helm of the last Night
Raider standing, but he shifted to bring up his abomination-crested shield,
deflecting her blow in a furious shower of sparks, using the momentum to thrust
his own blade through her chest.
To his astonishment, she stood her ground, and though impaled through the
chest, she fought with the rage of a thousand spurred old gods, hammering at his
helm, then at what was left of his helm, until the ironclad knights head was
nothing more than a smoking bowl of pulp.
The last Night Raider, elbow crushed to splinters within ruined plate couter,
charged Mina, spatha in hand. But he had not practiced offhand combat, and his
blade pathetically bounced off of Minas left pauldron.
Mina swung her mace at the crippled knight as he pitched past her, connecting
with the back of his helm. He fell limply forward, collapsing in the leaves.
The light left Minas mace. She fell to a knee and coughed a fine cloud of
blood. Take the blade, she croaked to Doramin who had dumbly watched the
skirmish unfold.
48 | P a g e
Speaking words of faith, Doramin braced his foot against Minas pauldron. A
warm light descended upon the two. Now, she wheezed.
He pulled with all of his might, and the blade wrest free of her chest. The
wound sprayed blood for the barest moment, and then it was gone. Mina sucked in
air.
Doramin Tolls moved to help the paladin to her feet, but she stood of her own
strength before he knew it, as if a blade had not just pierced and been pulled from
her lung mere moments ago. Armor will need repair, she said quietly. The rest
may have been in danger still.
Quickly, they moved back toward the main path. If Night Raiders were in this
part of the woods, they were probably on the hunt elsewhere as well.
Mina and Doramin returned to the path to find the group in disarray. Men,
women and children were running north, faces masks of fear, with some worried
looking paladins and clerics among them, while other paladins and clerics
hurriedly headed toward a crowd that was forming to the south. In the crowd were
banners of the new gods. Mina and Doramin ran toward the banners.
Their worst fears had been realized. An envoy of Askarian foot soldiers had
rounded up dozens of peasants. The periphery of the crowd was littered with the
arrow-ridden bodies of those who had fled, and ranks of arbalesters kept close
watch on any who might have had the same idea.
The remaining paladins formed a protective shield around the clerics,
separated from the peasantry by rows of footsoldiers, threated by arbalesters. From
behind the Askarian ranks, a mounted noble approached. This has gone long
enough, he said in common, voice full of sneering contempt.
The Askarian noble sat straight in his saddle, clad in shimmering goldtrimmed plate, a smirking picture of smugness. Weve come to collect in the name
of King Ericho IV, descendant of the true king. An aged cleric emerged from the
paladin phalanx. Mina knew the woman simply as Bel. Collect what? Bel
demanded.
The noble cleared his throat. It has been ordered by King Ericho IV, heir of
the Askarian crown, descendant of the true- Bel cut him off. Get on with it,
boy.
49 | P a g e
For a moment, the nobles face registered shock. But the privileged pomp of
an Askarian noble quickly crept back over it. We require the two nobles among
you, he declared. and your steel.
From the crowd, Erodan of Sylven and Emiella of Orange looked up in
astonishment. The crown had already stripped them of their titles when they
refused to kneel to the new gods. But before they could react, Bel responded. Out
of the question, she said.
Bel calmly strode toward the mounted noble, through the line of confused
guards. She was a woman of nearly 80, gray and bowed with age, and the Askarian
troops looked to their captain, who in turn looked to the noble. His expression was
one of frozen fear. Should he have beheaded her for insubordination?
Grannyslayer, theyd call him. Cowed by Crones.
All followers of the true goddess are free to follow her, she said. Her eyes
rolled back in her head. She continued toward the noble.
All followers- she started, but in that moment an arbalest arrow streaked
through the air, piercing her in her back. Two more followed, striking next to the
first. She fell to the ground.
The flame absolves you, she croaked. In a flash, a brilliant column of light
erupted from where she fell, extending endlessly into the clouds, expanding in heat
and light and thunderous sound. Bodies, arbalests, swords, shields, helm and debris
were sent scattering from the blast.
Mina lowered her shield. The fire had vanished, and the dust was clearing. The
body of Bel lay motionless in the center of the scene, unscathed, except for the
bolts in her back. A starburst of ash, debris, and charred, still bodies, footmen and
peasants alike, extended out from where she lay.
Mina charged the remaining opposition, flanked by her fellow warriors of
Devara. Most of the arbalesters had already loosed their bolts in the confusion and
were now struggling to reload their weapons, and to a man they were mercilessly
crushed under the paladins spiked maces.
Other paladins and clerics had engaged the remaining Askarian footmen,
pitting mace against sword, old gods against new. Minas mace crashed through
helm after helm as the battlefield around her exploded with the clerics glowing
flashes of divine light.
50 | P a g e
The last Askarian fell to a crushing blow from Wen, a heavily scarred, blackbearded paladin. The others began to survey the scene. Mina gasped: some of the
peasants that had been knocked prone by the blast had begun to stir.
Wiping dust and ash from their brows, one by one the peasants began to rise.
Devara had shielded her followers from the blinding column of divine vengeance,
and the worst any of them suffered were some bruised bottoms and singed beards.
But Bel would return to the sea. Her aged body riddled with arrows, she was
taken by Devara before anyone could reach her. Perhaps she spent the last of her
will saving the pilgrims.
They said rites and buried all the bodies: friend and foe alike. Aside from Bel,
4 paladins, 7 clerics, and 24 peasants had been wounded too gravely to heal. Their
foes bodies numbered far more, but the Pencen Pilgrimages numbers of fighters
was quickly dwindling, while the Askarian army was virtually limitless.
Shaken, but not broken, the pilgrimage resumed. They reached the AskariaLiven border in two more days march, where a Liveni scout regiment was able to
provide them safe passage to Liven.
The Pencen Pilgrimage was over, but the war was not. Mina and Doramin,
along with every last battle-ready paladin and cleric from the pilgrimage, pledged
fealty to the Queen of Liven, taking up the Queens crest: a tree growing from an
earthen vessel.
For a time, the silver cat dutifully chased mice from the adjudicator's home,
but sooner than not, the mice were all gone. Having no more need for a cat, the
adjudicator kicked the cat out.
Not long after the auction, a widowed heiress called upon the adjudicator in
his home. But he was nowhere to be found! She found only a large silver cat.
Looking for a companion for her children, she brought the cat back to her large
estate.
For a time, the silver cat kept the heiress' children happy. But as the children
grew, their interests shifted from toys and games to hunting and courtship, and they
grew bored of the cat.
Not long after, a widower king seeking a new bride came across the estate, but
in it he found only a huge silver cat. The cat whispered to him that he only need
bring the cat back to his castle and marry it, and the cat would turn into a beautiful
princess.
The king brought the silver cat back home to his castle and married the cat in a
secret ceremony, lest he become the subject of ridicule. But when the cat did not
turn into a human princess, the prince grew angry and tried to kill the cat.
I need not tell you what happened to the king but it is said that a great silver
cat still resides in that castle: a ruler of that land, feared by all. To this day, the
castle stands unoccupied and the villagers bring tribute to the landing of the castle,
lest a cat come home with them.
61 | P a g e
The effects of Red Grass are nearly miraculous: those who consume Red
Grass have noted rapid mending of wounds, the disappearance of scars, and
general waves of undescribable wellness. Were it not so costly to produce and
harvest, this realm could expect the eradication of disease and death, as well as
swarms of grass-addicted peasantry.
Red Grass was bred into various other flora, such as Crimflower to the east,
a flowering grass with similar properties, or Winemoss to the north, a thatching,
fuzzy grass that can survive in mountainous climates.
In the north, where baking is culturally intertwined with good health, and
baker and healer are one in the same, bakers create a dough with powdered
Winemoss, mixing in sweet dried fruits and grapes, and bake sweet Hearty Rolls.
To the east, Crimflower falls under the watchful jurisdiction of The Three,
with the syrupy Crimflower product known as Red placed under close regulatory
control, bearing an official crest stamp or being subject to anti-contraband law.
This has created a black market for unofficial Red, known as Shards.
To the south, a smaller breed of Crimflower known as Eye of Hearts is
cultivated by clerics of Devara and mixed with blessed lightwater to create the
magical potion known as Water of Blessing. Clerics to Devara devote most of their
resources to keeping their Water of Blessing stockpiles full, as providing healing to
the poor is their main method of proselytizing.
Deceptively similar looking to Kadanian Red Grass is Kadanian Blue
Grass, though its physiology is completely different from Rojiella. Blue Grass,
sometimes known as Moon Grass, is actually the frond-like extensions that grow
on cave fungi known as White Aziema. The base of the Aziema is actually highly
toxic, but the fronds are extremely vitalizing.
Like with Rojiella, derivative breeds of Aziema fungus are used throughout
the continents in revitalizing medicine. A blue moss that grows in the southern and
eastern continents is blended with spiced mead to create a powerful elixir that can
invigorate without excessively dulling the senses.
In monasteries to Devara, clerics prepare special cloths of canvas as tools
for reenergizing paladins and healers. Cloths of canvas are trimmed, hemmed, and
elegantly embroidered, then soaked for 7 days in baths of perfume and blue moss
paste.
62 | P a g e
And in undeath, by salt not of this world, he would gain mastery of blade
and body.
And he would shed his name, knowing only vengeance and justice.
Though he would have neither practiced nor studied, in undeath he would
become swifter and more deadly than the most decorated Tristini swordsman.
And he would seek neither fame nor power, but he would seek vengeance
and justice, visiting first the sorcerer of the mire, whose wicked ritual robbed him
of his life.
And though he would be of Tristin, he would wield the taichi of his
ancestors ancestors, a blade of masterful craftsmanship.
So in night he would visit death upon the sorcerer of the mire, setting fire to
his hut of and the grim things it held.
But he would not go back to his village, being an abomination of blood
magic and Salt Alkymancy.
So he would set into the mire, putting to the blade and to flame all evil men
and wicked purveyors of blood magic and Salt Alkymancy.
And in time he would be lost in the fire, beyond a trail of blood and ashes,
lost of this time.
But hear would appear again in one thousand and twenty four years, again,
in the form of a scullery servant.
And his fate would be the same as of old, and he would again be captured
and slaughtered, his heart taken by wicked practitioners of blood magic and Salt
Alkymancy, though they would be known by different names in this time.
And in this time he will have a sister not of blood, and she will become
enthralled by blood magic and Salt Alkymancy, and he will slay her in battle.
And in this time, the practitioners of blood magic and Salt Alkymancy will
have enthralled most men, having built towers of metal and light that capture Fire
and Sky.
And he will ascend the towers of metal and light, and he will slay the
practitioners of blood magic and Salk Alkymancy, and he will slay their thralls and
constructs.
64 | P a g e
And his companion will be flesh made of the spirits of the sea, an agent of
salt not of this world, taking form of a scullery cook.
But they will discover that the evil that came of blood magic and Salt
Alkymancy had spread into the very soil, poisoning the world to its very core.
And so servant and cook will usher in the end of the world in burning
clouds.
These are things I, Kira the Blind have seen, seeing not things of this time,
but of a time to come.
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The torches they bore made them better bait, illuminated our view ahead,
and kept us hidden in shadow. Wed also slather them in the fluids of a dead rabbit
for good measure.
If a unit was attacked, the other two would retreat toward the attacked unit,
careful not to expose their backs as they did so. Gnarlends did not hunt in packs or
coordinate attacks, but if the bait was sweet enough for one, the others would soon
follow.
So, on this night, we began our ranging in formation: Kazik with Ajnders,
Ellia with Azemar, and me with Todgy. Todgy was perhaps the bravest chef I
knew, though he was certainly the most capable with a crossbow and cleaver.
We moved slowly, carefully, me hoisting out torch-bearing meat two
yeards ahead of us. The straw dummy bobbed and swayed, its torchlight casting an
eerily dancing web of light and shadow into the black wood.
We both froze at the sound of frenzied scratching to our right. I slowly
panned our decoy toward the source of the sound, and saw it there, rapidly
descending from the tree, more like a mass of spiders than a single creature. The
threshing, gnarled limbs contorted and bent in rapid, unnatural motions, but its
fleshy, infant-like face remained steadily fixed in our direction.
Without hesitation, I loosed an incendiary bolt from my crossbow. The
flame bolt, ignited by the crossbows lever mechanism, tore into the woods,
finding purchase just below the gnarlends head.
The creature shrieked a hideous wail, like a screaming infant choked by its
own tears, and burst into flame. But Id missed its head and now it wanted mine.
I drove the bait hoist into the ground, making a fixed sentry of our friend
the meat. Then I unclasped my whip, a razor sharp blade-tipped steel chain
weapon, and lashed it at the monstrosity.
I snapped the whip precisely, and the blade connected with a violence that
was as elegant as it was visceral. A fist sized chunk of the creatures head slapped
hard onto the forest floor, the rest of the miserable wretch collapsing shortly after.
Formation! I hissed to Todgy, who had already begun to retrieve our bait.
But then he vanished into a writing shadow of gnarled limbs. They were dropping
from the trees.
67 | P a g e
When we had seen the first gnarlend descend, a thought had struck my
mind: were too early. Hunting gnarlends that are grounded is one thing, but the
things dwell in trees! When they can drop in droves on unsuspecting hunters in the
pitch of night, the odds shift dramatically towards despair.
I drew my field cleaver and did my best to hack at the thing, but it was too
quick, too shapeless, too evasive in the dark of the night. I did finally see its face,
when it reared up to wail at me with its gurgling, infant-like wail. Its chin dripped
blood and bits of bright red flesh.
Before I cleaved the hideous creatures head in two, I caught a glimpse of
what it had done to poor Todgys face. Of all the horrible things Ive seen, if there
was just one of them that I could forever erase from my memory, it was that.
All around me I could hear the wet, shivering thuds of gnarlends dropping
from their perches. I started toward the others, but I had scarcely taken two steps
when all four of them had one by one collapsed into shadows, amid human
screams and unearthly, nightmarish wails.
The torchlight was waning, and I could hear the skittering, gurgling
cacophony of gnarlends bearing toward me. I bolted for Cliffendell Crag. I ran
desperately, knowing that at any moment my escape could be cut brutally short.
They were in the trees, they were everywhere. The woods were theirs.
I arrived at our camp at the Crag. I had hoped that the gnarlends would
avoid the clearing or the campfire. Perhaps Id stored some herbs or an icon that
would terrify the damn things. But the vile monsters pursued me through the camp,
tearing through tents and stumbling over bedrolls, their terrible quickness not
diminishing in the slightest.
In that moment, I spied an orange glow in the hill to the east. I raced toward
it. Perhaps I was racing toward a brigand camp, but even a death at the hands of
raiders would be better than to fall to my pursuers.
As I ran, the distant glow drew into focus, separating and coalescing into
the shape of two windows. It was a small cottage at the top of the hill. I sprinted
toward the door, threw it open, ducked inside, and forced my back against it.
In the glow of lamplight before me I saw 5 stunned faces: a man, a woman,
and three children. The man and woman had been sitting at an oak table; the
children had been curled up on straw mattresses. They were certainly surprised, but
68 | P a g e
it seemed like they sized up the situation faster than Id expect them to. The man
raced to the door and threw his weight into it beside me.
An unearthly wail erupted from outside the door, then came scratching,
clawing, thumping. The door gave way under their weight once, twice, thrice, but
we held fast. And then they were gone. We heard the gnarlends rustling shamble
and nightmarish melancholy chorus fade into the forest.
The man, an Askarian, by the looks of him, dusted me off and helped me to
my feet. He wordlessly lumbered to the table, poured a flagon into a dented metal
cup, and handed the cup to me. Your health, he grunted.
Hunter, eh? he asked as I put the cup to my lips. I nodded. Hunters
always welcome here. Drive off th demons, keep out th evil. I smiled and took a
deep draught of the drink. Always welcome he seemed to trail off. Then it all
went to fog.
I came to. I believe it was the next day. I had been stripped of my weapons
and fine Redbrow armor, and dressed in a plain canvas tunic and trousers. I was in
a different dwelling: a great hall.
The walls of the hall were adorned in banners that bore unfamiliar symbols.
Figures wearing dark cloaks milled about. But my attention was drawn to the great
table at the center of the hall. It was strewn in butchered human corpses.
Lined up at the table, hunched over the butchered slabs of human flesh,
were a dozen cloaked figures. They were greedily pouring over the slabs, cutting
them, drawing them to their faces; they were eating them!
On one of the slabs of human flesh I recognized a tattoo: a symbol of a
long-disbanded sellsword company called the Brothers of Liven. It was Ajnders.
They had collected the corpses of my fellow Bloodbrows, butchered them, and
were now committing the ultimate act of defilement upon them.
I was unarmed, unarmored, and bound. I had no hope but for divine
intervention. But the old gods favor my sort over the cannibals and abominations;
would they listen? Still as a stone, I breathed the barest breath, mouthing with the
most miniscule effort the words of faith that may have meant my deliverance.
I remained still. The vile men dining on the remains of my countrymen
continued their grim pursuit. I felt at the ropes binding my hands: tied tight.
Deliver me, Diadel. Deliver me, Devara.
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A warm peace fell upon me. It was something Id never felt before, and
would never feel again. It was light, a thousand bright and chiming bells became
voices, each one whispering to me. Dont lose hope, they said.
I felt as if something ethereal was softly brushing against the tips of my
fingers, like a sea of feathers. The weave! The old gods had opened my eyes to the
weave of Fire and Sky that surrounds us.
I calmly felt the weave, touched it, embraced it, wrapped myself in it. A
hooded figure looked up from the table. Then another did. I had their attention
now! The man seated nearest me withdrew a rusty knife from a mostly emptied
torso and marched toward me.
He was near enough now that I could smell his foul carrion breath, his
grinning, yellow teeth bared. He let out a cruel, sickly laugh, raised his knife to my
throat, pursed his grinning lips. In my stillness, I felt a living heat rising up in my
hands. Diadel! The weave!
The room erupted in flame. There was a flash, then wave after wave of
searing, glowing heat emanated from where I stood, living brilliant arcs and
tendrils of red and orange flame, engulfing dozens of the cloaked wretches in
flame.
I stripped away my now-flaming rope bonds. The firestorm hadnt hurt my
body, but patches of my tunic and trousers were now aflame, and my wrists had
been badly burnt by the rope. I hastily patted the flames down, tearing away scraps
of burnt canvas.
The ground was strewn with burning bodies, and the air was thick with
smoke. Some figures still stood, shrieking, dancing, desperately trying in vain to
fight off the flames. I wasted no time, grabbing a rusty cleaver from the table and
hacking away at anything that still stood.
In the smoke and chaos, I was lucky enough to spy a chest near the door. I
kicked it open; sure enough, it contained our pilfered Bloodbrow equipment. The
room was acrid with smoke, but I held my breath a quickly donned a Bloodbrow
helm, jacket, trousers, and boots: the Devil set.
A table by the chest held some of our crossbows, but they looked to be in
poor shape.
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A glaive leaned against the wall by the door, probably Ajnders. I grabbed
the weapon and stumbled through the door, into the open outdoors, gasping in the
cold air. The great hall roared in flame behind me.
A dozen more cloaked miscreants stood before me. In the daylight, I
realized that I was in a small village. There were maybe a dozen dwellings. I must
have been captured in one of them. I raised my glaive.
I could still feel the weave of Fire and Sky in my fingertips. Focusing on
my glaive, I gently drew from the weave, somehow collecting tendrils of ethereal
forces in a familiar yet alien process, building energy until my glaive glowed with
celestial fire. I slashed broadly at my assailants.
The glaive cut through my foes as a hot knife cuts through buttercream.
Their hewn forms flared in blood and fire, spraying sparks and gore, collapsing
into smoking heaps of charred flesh. I slashed and slashed until just one man
remained. He turned and ran.
In a few steps, I was upon him. I slashed low with flaming glaive, severing
one leg at the calf, deeply wounding the other at the ankle. He pitched forward in a
shower of sparks, his bloodied, torn trousers alighting in flame.
You den of monsters, I said as I kicked him over to his back. Tell me
why I should show mercy. He was no man. I had butchered a woman, and that
woman was with child. She began to laugh.
You wanted to kill monsters, hunter? Careful, lest ye become one, eh? she
croaked, laughing. As she spoke, she crept away on mangled, burnt legs. Prone, the
shape of her swollen belly showed through her dark cloak.
Youve killed mothers children before, havent ye? she continued. Go
on, do it! Did she see my melting resolve? Could she detect the doubt in my face?
She began to shriek her hideous laughter, bearing crooked, yellow teeth. Do it!
she shrieked. I swung my glaive.
What I had to do that day should have made me a monster; the cries I
endured as I set about my task will haunt me to this day. And I shall spare you,
dear reader, with many a gruesome detail.
I burned down the whole village, and set fire to the surrounding forest; the
flames would spread for miles and last for days. Everywhere were trees ridden
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with sleeping gnarlends. By the grace of Diadel, goddess of sky, I was able to blot
out the horrors of the Foley Knoll and live another day.
But the facts remain: I returned to Liven with a cart that carried six healthy,
yet premature infants, and but those six, I left not a single soul alive at Foley Knoll.
It is my sincere prayer that the lives I saved do not bear the curses of their
ancestors.
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Weapons can even be carved from Kadanian tarvine, the tropical liana from
which Pessmud is harvested. Tarvine weapons are permanently poisonous by
nature, but the user must mind he properly wraps the hilt, lest a nick or scrape in
his hand causes his weapon to turn against him.
Arrows and bolts can remain poisoned for days. By wrapping the base of
the weapons sharpened tips in Pessmud-soaked rags, an archer may always keep
his quiver full of highly poisonous arrows and bolts.
Poison delivered through breath is quite complex, requiring skilled alchemy
or arcane elementalism.
Powdered Kadanian tarvine can be combined with the dried flesh of a
Cytoplasm to rapidly expel foul vapors, but doing so is extremely dangerous to the
alchemist producing the compound.
The product, known as Brownvapor, can be produced only through careful
mixing, bottling and corking by a master alchemist.
Perhaps the most malicious aspect of Brownvapor bottling is the byproduct:
shattering a Brownvapor flask not only produces a cloud of tarvine-tinged gas, but
the rapid vortex of expanding and contracting gasses is able to revitalize the dried
Cytoplasm flesh, producing a living, horrible Poison Cytoplasm.
Brownvapor has also been seen clouding from Bloated Monstrosities,
monstrous necrotic forest thralls that are known to consume both tarvine and
Cytoplasms.
He didnt only keep watch; he listened. From beneath his motionless plate,
behind those expressionless eyes, he saw, heard, processed, sorted, and analyzed
every morsel of information that happened across his station.
He knew that Clarks nephew Tibs owed coin to the Court Hollows ruffians
for instance. And he knew that Count Emerel had been spreading favors outside of
the official court in the hopes of garnering support. But he never saw the Crimson
Quell coming.
There were clues, but Aldrek was powerless to put them to use: he noted
Councilman Fardriks curious absence from the morning minutes, but he may have
taken ill. Doolie Charmers, initiate to the Guard and second cousin of Councilman
Fardrik, was late to morning roll, but that wasnt incredibly unusual. And a set of
keys to the larder had gone missing, but that was more likely a consequence of
negligence than an act of foul play.
But at the first sound a shout amidst ringing steel echoing through the
halls Aldrek knew. Ally would become enemy, and he would have to cleave
countryman to save his princess. But in whom should he trust? His first order of
business was clear enough: protect the girl.
Umali, crown princess of Markdor, future Chair of the Council of Steel,
was a girl of 11 years. But Dorian girls of high station were very much the opposite
of those from the southern continents, practicing the martial arts well ahead of the
noble arts, excelling in dueling and marksmanship, not dancing and bowing.
Aldrek nodded to Mans, a fellow Ironforged Guard, and both entered the
princesss chamber. She was safe in bed, slightly stirring in her sleep. He breathed
a sigh of relief.
The princess room had a sophisticated lockdown mechanism, on built for
an occasion such as this, where the Ironforged Guard could potentially be
compromised. Aldrek gave another quick nod to Mans, and the two set about
securing the room. The future Chair of the Council of Steel would live another
day.
The room secured, Aldrek set about his martial duty. As quickly as one can
move stealthily in plate, he moved faster, razor-sharp halberd in hand, his face
fierce with the righteous rage.
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While one of the two other men was feebly trying to reel in his own
bowels, face ashen, the other had risen, drawing a sharpened longsword. Aldrek
heard the tinny sounds of plate beneath the mans cloak. Could it be?
The man advanced on Aldrek, blade pointed out, and Aldrek immediately
sized him up for what he was: a poor fighter with a knights arsenal. In a flash,
Aldrek expertly tipped his halberds spear tip at the mans wooden mask, sending
the mans mask up, off his face, before he even knew what was happening. It was
Doolie Charmers, Ironforged Guard initiate, now a traitor.
Doolies face was a mixture of shock and agony. Where are the others?
demanded Aldrek. Doolie said nothing, but shifted his weight in the barest hint of
retreat. So be it, said Aldrek, and thrust his blade through the initiates throat,
severing spine and windpipe in an instant.
The present threat eliminated, Aldrek picked up and started running again,
now toward the great hall. He moved quickly, remaining vigilant against ambush,
paying keen attention to the sounds of the keep. As he grew closer, he began to
hear some commotion. There was shouting and the unmistakable rally of swords
striking shields.
The scene in the great hall was chaos. The floor was strewn with the bodies
of servants, squires, guardsmen, black-cloaked assailants, and a noblewoman in
evening dress. Half a dozen Ironforged Guards faced off against a score of cloaked
assassins.
Though outnumbered, the Guards would have the upper hand, were it not
for the fact that one of the assassins held a dagger to the throat of King Everen,
Chair of the Council of Steel.
Though both sides were shouting, stomping, and banging swords on
shields, the assassins held their ground, and the Ironforged would not advance to
put their king in peril. But it was King Everen who ended the impasse: in a subtle
move, he nodded to Aldrek, bared the faintest hint of a smile, and drove the
assassins blade into his own throat.
In one bloody motion, King Everen had forfeit his life, ended his rule, and
made crown princess Umali the new Chair of the Council of Steel. What was of
most immediate import, though, was that he broke the impasse, inviting slaughter
upon every last assassin in the keep.
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And that slaughter was quick, decisive, and without mercy. The toll, all
told, was three members of the Ironforged Guard, 17 servants and squires, 24
assassins, three Council members, the king, and his wife, Queen Forcella. The
assailants that were captured alive revealed through questioning that the
insurgency was indeed masterminded by Councilman Fardrik.
Councilman Faldrik was seized and imprisoned, then executed by Iron Bur,
his head tarred and placed on a spike for all to see. Those of his henchmen that
were captured were all executed by the Five Cuts and given dogs burials. In time,
Markdor returned to greatness. But the Crimson Quell would not be forgotten.
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Yularandra
Quick as a flash, she loosed an arrow, and the feral wolf fell, limp as a
toppled target dummy. -Yularandra 2:12
The beast had left her with wounds, and some were not shallow. But she
crushed red grass in her mouth, filling her wounds with some, and consuming the
rest. Healing from within, healing from without. -Yularandra 2:17-18
The brigand camp was noisy, and the air was smoky. Her arrows were
silent, swift, and sharp as razors. -Yularandra 4:101
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The elder clanmaster spoke to Yularandra: you have proven yourself, now
you must take a husband. But Yularandra would not, for she was wed to her
bow. -Yularandra 5:7
She kept watch over the camp for 31 days. Her sustenance was game:
rabbit, squirrel, and deer. She made no fires, eating her game as the animals do. Yularandra 13:222
Like vermin they emerged from hole, hill, and thicket. And her bow felled
them, to a man. Her kin, she felled them. -Yularandra 20:12
Malthis
The worth of mankind is the salt on his brow for it is the essence of his
life. Malthis 4:17
Caldacus Sea, once vibrant with the spark of Salt grew dim and became
known as the Immrian Sea. Malthis 9:36
Gilfoy, the Wall of Steel, may have once cleaved through a hundred men,
but Malthis finesse with the dagger was unparalleled, and it surely found its home
between sections of Gilfoys heavy plate, in the pit of his arm. Malthis 16:2
Carvan
And pilgrims traveled to the holy sites, their packs illuminating their way
through the night. Carvan 3:17
This world is one of beasts, and of spirits, and of man. And of all of these,
the will of man is the greatest. Carvan 9:4
The will of man is like a stream flowing with water. Carvan 9:7
Her wisdom and justice brought wealth to the land and the queens treasury
became full. Carvan 11:13
And the day may come again, when gold is like stones, but salt is the most
precious of all things. Carvan 19:2
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Jakeb had been an energetic youth, and the trade of smithing gave him a
proper outlet to work, craft, and learn.
All his tools were laid out before him: his tongs, chisels, punches,
hammers, and bits.
More nails again today? he asked. Not today, son. A new order came in,
swords. War is coming. Lets get to work.
Ill need good metal to make a piece like that, he said. Dorian steel,
nothing less.
The flames heat had dwindled, but thats what bellows were for. He deftly
sent a few blasts of air into the fire, bracing for the satisfying roar of heat that
would return.
Jakeb set about measuring Leonworth. The armor was perfectly articulate
to match its owner, from shoulder to ankle and every finger and toe between.
In the rainy darkness, Jakeb could tell the huddled figure was a man, and
that man was gravely wounded. He hurried forward, still mindful of his
surroundings, only to discover that the victim was someone he recognized: the
knight, Leonworth!
Deliver this to Cloudencasse, he said, handing Jakeb a piece of
parchment. Jakeb nodded, though he could not make out what was written on the
parchment.
He ran as fast as he could back to the smithy. He was excited and terrified
all at once. Could a boy of his station really be of use to a knight?
He ran without stopping, down the hill, past the hanging tree, over the
soggy gulch, through the great wooden gate. He arrived sopping wet, brimming
with excitement and resolve.
The armor was heavy, but Jakeb was not only stout and lean from days of
smithing, but his trade had given him priceless experience at deftly donning and
wearing plate.
Ironclad and bearing sword and shield, Jakeb set out to the East, to
adventure. The dying knights wishes would be honored.
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nearer together than 3 feet. Practice swordplay, dashing, and stealth atop these
blocks.
The tenacious shadow must attack without relenting. An alerted foe will
always wither beneath the tenacious shadows hail of arrows.
A dagger is the most effective of [weapons]. If an attacker stabs, slashes, or
strikes, a diligent shadow [may] parry with dagger.
The diligent shadow plunges her dagger beneath the ear, forcefully pulling
across the throat to the other ear, showing a great mercy.
A blade may likewise be plunged into the body. The ideal location is
beneath the armpit, between the third and fourth rib. The victim must not be
corpulent, as this may diminish the reach of the blade.
hundreds of troops, and the Dorian standard. But Oxfal had something greater: the
Heart of Fire.
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