World

Four Things to Know

1. The Kindred Races

For a thousand years, the two long-lived races have warred for supremacy over the continent. The Elven Empire seeks to bring all nations under its dominion. They believe themselves the rightful stewards of the world, and of all other races. The Dwarven City-States contest this claim with steel and fire from atop mountain fortresses. Both make use of human serfs to farm their fields and staff their armies, while the halfling tribes quietly broker trade.

2. Discovery of the City Below

Deep in the Nameless Desert, far from either great power, a ruin was discovered. Tunnels beneath its broken buildings were filled with treasures, unknown magics, and terrible monsters. Rumors abound of entire subterranean civilizations lurking within. Sensing the opportunity to secure an advantage, the elves and dwarves sent forth adventurers to dredge anything of value from its depths.

3. Founding of the Canvaslands

Adventurers flocked to the City Below, followed by merchants, bandits, spies, and more besides. Their yurts and tents coalesced into a sprawling shantytown now called the Canvaslands. It is a lawless place, one ruled by aspiring slumlords and glorified bandit gangs, but kept in tenuous peace by greed.

4. City Dwellers

To the surprise of all, the City’s residents proved more than just mindless monsters. Alien intelligences live deep below the world’s surface; Orcfolk with walled villages, Coldbloods with underwater temples, tieflings with savage sorcery, and more besides. Many surface folk refuse to believe in such fantastical accounts, but a few scholars have begun to publish their findings.