Mage Spawn

In the Age of Mists, the Apocalypse Dragon birthed thousands of twisted Mage Spawn and led them on a rampage that laid waste to the entire Land.

Leader: Unknown
Creatures of legend and sorcery, remnants of a blighted time when devils and gods roamed the Land. Uncountable and undefinable, Mage Spawn pose a threat to everyone they encounter. Whether they walk, run, fly or slither, they are all the same: they are monsters.

Like madmen escaped from an asylum, wraiths, werewolves, toothy imps and winged devils wander the landscape mindlessly, poisoned by toxic Magestone radiation. Their origins are a mystery: were they intentionally created by sorcery, or accidentally mutated by constant exposure to Magestone? Strong and deadly, most Mage Spawn are barely capable of sentient thought. They are, however, easy prey for a powerful mage who needs warriors for combat. To the empathic Shyft, the Mage Spawn are much more: they are biddable pawns in a play for power that could turn the tide in the current conflict.

Subfaction: Order of the Ninth Circle
Leader: In dispute
Tired of being catspaws and slaves, the more intelligent among the Mage Spawn have decided that from now on they will answer only to themselves. Calling themselves the Order of the Ninth Circle, it’s unclear how the creatures came up with the name or the sigil they use to mark themselves. But for those who can find them and are willing to pay their price, the Order of the Ninth Circle will provide mercenary soldiers to any cause. One of the tenets of the Order is that no one creature is master over the others, yet there are two who are most commonly leading the Order into battle--the troll sorcerer Maren’kar and the Krugg headhunter known as Molog Bloodaxe. The hatred between the two goes far beyond the age-old enmity between their races, and it remains to be seen if the order of Mage Spawn won’t self-destruct long before it can hope to become as influential as the factions it serves.

Background

Racial Composition	Everything under the sun
Origin of Faction	Ancient, unknown origins
Age of Faction	Thousands of years
Geographic Control	Throughout the Land
Religion	Superstition and primal totemism
Magical Affinity	Some have powers to rival the best wizards
Political Loyalty	To themselves, and their stomachs

Official Position

Atlantean Empire	Metallic taste, somewhat bitter
Black Powder Revolutionaries	Tastes like gunpowder and sweat
Draconum	Tough to chew, but succulent
Elemental Freeholds	Difficult to chase down, but the juicy taste is worth the hunt
Elven Lords	Stringy and bland
Heroes	Best loot! Tastes great!
Necropolis Sect	Often taste rotten or spoiled; worse than eating week-old kill
Orc Khans	Enough meat to feed a pack for a week
Shyft	Nice enough once you get to know them
Solonavi	Why would anyone want to chew fire?

Orc Khans

~From the collections, journals and observations of Maleficius~

“Give Orc a pig, feed him for day. Give Orc a sword, feed him for life.” 

~Kzar Rabahn, of the Black Grasses, 424 Tz

On the steppes of the Fist, Orcs and their brethren have learned two lessons well. The first is to keep moving. Herds require fresh grazing land, and the Fist’s few habitable areas are under constant challenge by competing tribes and marauding packs. Settling in one place is tantamount to inviting repeated attacks, so it is better to take what one can and move on quickly. The second lesson of the Fist is that force of arms will always trump politics. Or, as the Orcs put it, “Sterga czer” (“Strength rules”). This philosophy can be seen in what passes for tribal law and in the frequent invasions that have rolled in off the steppes.

The raiders make no excuses for it. The Land is their battlefield.

Like a plague of locusts they descend, devouring resources and sowing chaos and misery in their wake. These are the Orc raiders--cursed by some as a blight on the Land, accepted by others as low-rent mercenaries. Truly, they are simple creatures. They live for battle and the plunder that follows, taking what they can and spoiling what remains. They care nothing for boundaries or law. In their view, might makes right, and their acknowledged strength gives them a valid claim to take what they wish from other races.

An Elven saying posits that while humans are content to simply stick their noses into the affairs of others, Orcs prefer to use their entire heads.

~Maleficius

Leader: None

When you think of the Orcs, think of the green-skinned hordes boiling out of the grasslands to rape, plunder and pillage whatever gets in their way. Orcs possess a deep cunning and an innate understanding of combat, strategy and tactics. They are not an easy opponent to face, and often turn the tide of battle with their sheer ferocity and rage.

Moving like locusts across the Land, the tribes of Orcs, Goblins and Half-Trolls led by the Orc Khans leaving few intact towns or villages in their wake. Every year for centuries, the green-skinned hordes come screaming out of the northern grasslands (called the Fist) to raid and pillage the more civilized inhabitants of the Land. After a few weeks of fighting, killing, looting and burning, they move on top the next area to continue the destructive cycle. Many times throughout history the Orcs could have conquered and remained in the lowlands, but this was never their goal. After they have killed and plundered their fill, they always retreat to their homelands.

Until now.

After the massive invasion of Prieska by Kzar Nabar’s war-horde (a kzar being a leader of many tribes), and the eventual collapse of Nabar’s army after his death at the Battle of Rokos, a number of the Orcs that came south decided to remain in their conquered lands. These Orcs, members of the Shadow Khan tribes, broke centuries of Orc tradition, and earned the enmity of those traditionalist Orcs – the Broken Tusk – who believe that all the loot taken from a season of raiding should be returned to the Fist and divided through trial of combat. By avoiding returning to the Fist, the Shadow Khan tribes earn the enmity of their Broken Tusk brethren who see the break of tradition as an evil and despicable act, but yet make for themselves a second Orc homeland along the western edge of the faltering Empire. Each of the tribal leaders, or khans, may choose for themselves whether they side with the Shadow Khans or the Broken Tusk.

Meanwhile, the common view by many non-Orcs is that all of the green-skinned vermin should be cut down as soon as possible, as the chance of Orcs conquering the Land – rather than just pillaging it and running off – signifies a dangerous trend that may destabilize entire civilized regions. It is a peculiar, uncertain time, and the events of the next few years may well shape the course of Orc – and human – culture.

Even though divided internally over this philosophical schism, the clurch drum continues to symbolize the heart of Orc society, and remains prevalent amongst both the Shadow Khans and the Broken Tusk. The drums are more than just musical instruments, as every Orc is raised from birth to understand the rhythmic beating of the clurch drummers. With these hide instruments a master drummer can convey information across great distances, including how many soldiers are coming, and from what direction. They can command Orc troops to attack, stop or retreat with nothing more than a change in rhythm. And after the battle is over, the clurch drummers tell the tales of old in their rumbling, banging language. 

Subfaction: Broken Tusk

Leader: Khan Harrowblade 

The Broken Tusk are the traditionalists of the Orcs, who look upon the thieving Shadow Khans as ticks to be popped and eaten. After the fall of Kzar Nabar’s army at the Battle of Rokos, the Broken Tusk were prepared to return to the Fist with an unimaginable amount of bounty – bounty that would be battled over in the traditional way, tribe against tribe, with the strong taking their rightful tribute from the weak. But when the Shadow Khans refused to return to the Fist, keeping a sizable portion of the spoils of war for themselves, the act enraged Khan Harrowblade, the leader of the Broken Tusk, to the point that he swore life-oath that he would one day destroy every treacherous Shadow Khan. 

Subfaction: Shadow Khans 

Leader: Khan Rava
In all the known history of the Orcs, there has never been a greater season of raiding than in 434 Tz, when Kzar Nabar led the war-hordes of the Fist into the underbelly of the Empire. When Kzar Nabar was killed during the Battle of Rokos, and the Orc armies threatened to scatter to the four winds, Khan Rava and the leaders of the Shadow Khan tribes held a gathering long into the night. In the end, they decided, going against all tradition, to stay and control the occupied territories and make Prieska into their own homeland. By not returning to the Fist and sharing (or losing) their spoils to the traditionally stronger Broken Tusk tribes, they would be able to reap the spoils, raise whole broods of strong-limbed children, and have lives away from the heavy-handed dominance of the Broken Tusk tribes. While this strategy is dangerous, the mass of human slaves and goods taken during the raids throughout Prieska allows the Shadow Khans food, treasure and numbers of slaves they’ve never dreamed of – all of which they never have to share with the Broken Tusk or the other Orc tribes of the Fist. Whether their daring plan will work is yet to be seen, but for one summer at least, the Shadow Khans will live like kings.

Subfaction: Chaos Shamans 
Leader: Bloodhawk
As orcs faced increasingly formidable magestone-powered magics and weapons, some started destroying the magestones they found. While crushing magestones, the orc sorcerer Bloodhawk accidentally inhaled some of the dust that hung in the air and felt his blood burn with magical power. When Bloodhawk shared the secret with his people, the orcs discovered that those without the talent for magic were driven mad by the magestone dust--and even orc sorcerers using it teetered on the brink of insanity. Yet the rush of power that allows them to cast ever more powerful spells is an addiction that has driven Bloodhawk and his Chaos Shamans to follow the cause of those khans who will reward their service with the magestones they consume to sate their unending appetite.

Background

Racial Composition	Orcs, goblins, Half-Trolls
Origin of Faction	Unknown
Age of Faction	At least 1000 years
Geographic Control	The northern grasslands and Prieska
Religion	Eagle gods, some totemic dieties
Magical Affinity	Very little; some shamanic capability
Political Loyalty	To themselves, their khan and tribe

Official Position

Atlantean Empire	A land ripe for plundering, with treasures beyond counting
Black Powder Revolutionaries	These humans provided us with mighty weapons. Our alliance is now ended and they are ripe for plunder
Draconum	Fearsom warriors with determination like the greatest khans
Elemental Freeholds	These warriors are cowards who fight and run away. Kill them before they kill you
Elven Lords	For beings of such power, they breed weak-limbed children who depend on magic to fight
Heroes	Torture them enough, and they'll show you the way to gold and riches
Mage Spawn	They are predators, like ourselves, that must sometimes be fought in order to survive
Necropolis Sect	They raise our dead and make us fight them; kill them first and tear apart their corpses
Shyft	They mutter like Goblins and strut like Elves. They are not welcome at our fires
Solonavi	Our wish is their command. Or is their command our wish?

Necropolis Sect

~From the collections, journals and observations of Maleficius~

“The dead tell only the truth.”
~Digger Khep, 431 Tz

Shunned, disparaged and unjustly persecuted.

Triumphant only through self-reliance and personal initiative, where the individual has often meant more in the grand scheme of things than the community. This is what the Necropolis Sect believes of itself. Isolated in the northeastern reaches of The Land, carving a new empire from a wilderness never tamed by the Guild, the Sect necromancers and their supporters all know that they are heir to a legacy of timeless traditions, challenged by a history of great wrongs.

From their point of view, at least.

In their seclusion, the Necropolis Sect has only grown stronger, with dark magicks granting them control over magespawned monsters and infusing their warriors with incredible powers beyond the normal grasp of most other races or factions. They have the ability to blend with the shadows, to feed off life’s force and, in the ultimate display of their necromental mastery, to raise their dead. In this last power there is something to be said for intimidation. For while creatures of the night and fanatical warriors rage against an enemy line, hands are clawing their way out of graves to answer the summons of the dark masters.

When the great philosopher, Dantagne, said ‘The soldiers of war are all death’s cousins,’ he was speaking of the Necropolis Sect.

~Maleficius

Leader: The Dark Prophet 
When you think of the Dark Crusade, think of sexy vampire cults and the temptations of immortality. The thick taste of blood, the cold flesh of the dead, and the cries of the weak being gutted before a roaring crowd best describe life within the fire-lit halls of the Necropolis. In time, if one performs well enough within the course of the inquisitional Dark Crusade, one might be lucky enough to be made into an immortal vampire, or become a Necromancer trained to animate to control the restless dead.

As the Elementals are devoted to healing the Land, the Crusaders are devoted to dominating it

After Grand-Magus Tezla’s transcarnation in 278 Tz, Elven practitioners of Necromancy—death magic—departed Atlantis with the Tezla's soul safe in a Bone Golem Avatar. They traveled to the northeastern mountains with their precious cargo to construct the Necropolis, a sprawling complex of tombs, towers and catacombs on an island hidden away within a vast mountain lake. There, under Dark Tezla's direction, the Necromancers created a meritocracy where excellence in the blood pits, bedrooms and political arenas was rewarded with dark, seductive gifts: the immortality of vampirism and the power to raise and command the dead.

Under Dark Tezla’s guidance, as voiced by his chosen leader, Dark Prophet Soma, the Dark Crusaders are moving to take advantage of the chaos spreading throughout the Land. After years of planning, preparation and decisive strikes, the time has come for the first major campaign of the Dark Crusade. Tens of thousands of warriors, vampires, necromancers and an uncountable number of skeletons and zombies poured into Elemental League territory during the summer of 434 Tz, quickly overrunning the region’s defenders. Although the Forest Elves avoided extermination by retreating within the walls of the castle of Roanne Valle, the bloody onslaught has left the beautiful forests and grasslands of the Wylden in control of the Dark Crusade. All the while Dark Tezla, whispering his desires to the Deathspeakers that lead the Sect, plans the destruction of the imposter Tezlas and the fools who follow their heretical lies.

While the warriors loyal to the Crusaders have always had a dark flavor, this first major battle of the Dark Crusade has driven the Sect Elves into a bloody frenzy. Never before has there been such a chance to prove one’s merits in battle, or to arrange for the elimination of rivals in the heat of combat. Even as the Dark Crusade pushes its warriors to the limit, a near-religious fury has gripped the entirety of the Necropolis’ armies, from the all-seeing Deathspeakers that command the fray down to the lowliest battle-hardened Deathsinger fresh from the blood-pits. With the League seemingly on its last legs, it is only a matter of time before the Crusade turns west – towards the Empire and the Revolution – and engages enemies unprepared to face the wrath of Dark Tezla’s unstoppable armies.

Subfaction: Deathspeakers

Leader: Deathspeaker Aeradon

Deathspeaker Aeradon, one of the most powerful Necromancers in the Dark Crusaders, commands his armies of Vampire Generals to dominate the Land in Dark Tezla's name. While Darg the Corrupt, Kossak Darkbringer, and the Order of Vladd are loyal to Aeradon by word, with Kossak's near victory over the Elementals at Roanne Valle, will Aeradon soon be forced to defend himself against power-plays by the generals of his own vampiric armies?

Subfaction: Order of Vladd

Leader: Kossak Darkbringer

The Order of Vladd has long stood as the dominant Vampire faction in the Dark Crusaders. With Darq the Corrupt involved in matters to the West, and Kossak Darkbringer leading the Crusader armies against the Elemental Freeholds, the Order of Vladd shall lead the Dark Crusaders to victory!

Subfaction: Blood Cultists

Leader: Bloody Amara

Unlike the rest of the Dark Crusade, who long to pass over the boundary of life to embrace eternal undeath, the blood cultists cling to life for as long as possible by stealing the life force of others. Long answering to the powerful necromancers of the deathspeakers, the followers of the blood goddess have now uncovered lost secrets of their ancient faith allowing them to awaken the legendary Bloody Amara. With the support of his power and powerful spells of their own, the blood cultists are finally becoming a power in their own right--and may soon answer only to themselves.

Background

Racial Composition	Sect Elves, some humans
Origin of Faction	Founded in 279 Tz
Age of Faction	Roughtly 150 years
Geographic Control	The northeastern areas of the Land
Religion	Worship of Dark Tezla, the Blood Goddess
Magical Affinity	Necromancy, spirit-binding, vampirism
Political Loyalty	Dark Tezla, the Dark Prophet, personal power

Official Position

Atlantean Empire	Weak pathetic and mindless. Crish them all and drain the human upstarts dry
Black Powder Revolutionaries	Their fiery passion and idealistic views make them easy to manipulate
Draconum	Always a threat, as Draconum seem to revel in tearing appart Sect warriors more than anybody else
Elemental Freeholds	A doomed people destines to serve us an army of eternal dead
Elven Lords	Very dangerous, and very old. We understand these ancient masters better than they realize
Heroes	These fools will do anything for a few coins
Mage Spawn	Useful as a distraction, but the most loyal servant a Necromancer can have is a dead one
Orc Khans	Very difficult to control or direct, but a worthy opponent in combat
Shyft	They take credit for our deeds and blame us for their atrocities. Gut them all and leave them to rot
Solonavi	No price is higher than death, and of death we have little to fear

Mage Knight Unlimited

The comic insert from Unlimited is now available.

Elven Lords

~From the collections, journals and observations of Maleficius~

“You come asking after answers when you should be seeking truths. Even were I to tell you all I know, it would never mean as much to you as it does to me. That is the true gift of timeless generations: perspective.”

~Tahm Wyndfenner (Wind-runner), Paladin Prince, 429 Tz

The Knights Immortal. The Tempelar. Warrior caste of the High Elves, come down out of the Rivvenheim Mountains to aid or oppose the Land’s many races. So little is known about this ancient Elven race, and less may be explained in such time as we have available to us. More is known of their soldiery, of course, if only by way of shared fortune or contested battles. They are dedicated warriors, holding and defending many allegiances. Confident and bold. Highly skilled, with each warrior devoting many years to his or her specialty. And patient. Above all, patient. The Knights Immortal are rarely rash or hasty in action, and with good cause.

Time is certainly on their side.

The Rivvenheim Mountains—the Dagger Backs—are both beautiful and dangerous. Much the same is often said about its natives, the immortal Elves. Their confident bearing and gracefulness lend them a regal carriage which often bleeds over into conceit. However, any enemy expecting to smash through a hollow core will be dangerously surprised. There is a fine, tempered steel at the core of every high elf, and in no caste is this as evident as in their soldiery, the Tempelar—referred to so commonly as the Knights Immortal.

Specialists of a high degree, these focused warriors might take years to perfect the single cut of a sword or release of an arrow. The benefit of an elongated life, allowing them the necessary time in which to become so proficient.

Which only begs the question of when the Rivvenheim Elves began to first study war.

~Maleficius

Leader: The High Elven Council

When you think of the Elven Lords, imagine a self-appointed peacekeeping force armed with enchanted weapons, the strongest magical capabilities and centuries of martial practice. Now, with the destruction of their armies at Khamsin and the hideous betrayal by the Atlanteans fueling their rage, the Elven Lords are holding nothing back in their attempt to reduce the chaotic races of the Land to ruin.

The mysterious Elven Lords are the most powerful Elves in the Land, whose purpose stands at nothing less than crushing out any race that grows strong enough to challenge them. Believing themselves capable of doing nothing less than “the right thing”, the Elven Lords methods for battling the forces of chaos are sometimes powerfully destructive. As many of the Elven Lords view the members of the lowlander races as little better than animals, they tend to treat enemy warriors as dangerous beasts not deserving of compassion or pity.

Unparalleled warriors and mighty wizards, the priests, generals and paladins of the Rivvenheim mountains use their faith, centuries of training and powerful innate magical abilities to channel great power directly from their Heiramman gods. This ability sets them apart from their lowland Elven brethren who long ago cast aside their immortality for such novelties as ‘freedom’ and ‘free will’.

The foremost task of the armies of the Elven Lords is to protect the mountain passes and the Hundred Cities from invasion. High Elves have defended the North and South passes for thousands of years, using magical swords, lightning-spears and enchanted longbows blessed by the Heiramman gods to strike down their enemies. The High Elves do not conduct trade with outsiders, and no one taken into their guarded mountain stronghold ever returns. But a riddle plagues the peoples of the Land—are the High Elves protecting something east of their homeland, or are they protecting the Land from some unrevealed danger?

The soldiers that serve in the Elven Lords armies have spent the better part of their long lives in Warrior Temples, honing their martial, magical and mental capabilities to a fine edge. Now, faced with a land thrown into desperate war, they are putting their skills to the test by finding a way to reinstate balance in the Land by any means necessary. 

Subfaction: Temple Masters

Leader: Master Cyrus

The Temple Masters continue a tradition of military excellence that has been a part of High Elven life for millennia. The defeats at the Battle of Khamsin cost the Elven Lords dearly, but the Temple Masters are still ready to take up the fight against the lowlanders that took the lives of so many of their fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers. Armed with age-old magical weapons, giant griffons for mounts, and books of spells never before seen in the Land, the Temple Masters now are ready to confront the lowland races and destroy them wherever they stand. For now the main bastions of the Temple Master armies guard the slopes of the Rivvenheim Mountains against invaders, while bands of griffon-riding strike groups lash out at more remote enemy targets with a lethal precision. 

Subfaction: Free Armies

Leader: General Vale

Much to the irritation of the Elven Council that rules Rivvenheim, a sizable number of High Elven warriors have chosen to leave their Temples before completing their training. For many of these young Elves, all they know about the “mortal lands” is from stories told by returning warriors and pages from outdated history books. By leaving the Temple Masters and joining the Free Armies, these High Elves can play virtuous and chivalric roles within the Land – protecting the weak, destroying tyrants, and ensuring that people of all races can depend upon them in times of need. However, while joining the bands of High Elves fighting in the “Free Armies” is the adventure of a lifetime, every Free Army Elf knows that it is a choice not made lightly—as those that join the Free Armies are forbidden forever to return to the Rivvenheims, and are considered to be disowned by the entirely of the High Elven people. By becoming respected knights within the lowlands, they cast aside all credential with their own people, and may even face the wrath of the warriors of Rivvenheim if they end up choosing the wrong lowlander to back in battle.

Subfaction: Order of Sorcery
Leader: Tythania Stormbringer

The elven sorcerers of the Order of Sorcery take advantage of their extended lifespans to engage in long meditations on the nature of magic, sometimes spending years studying a single spell. The Order gathers in occasional conclaves to share their discoveries, after which the sorcerers retreat to the libraries and workshops of the isolated towers they have constructed throughout the Rivvenheims. Often, however, many members of the Order will emerge from their self-imposed seclusion to follow ley lines across the countryside as part of their eternal search for the source of magic and their study of how it flows through the Land. 

Background

Racial Composition	High Elves
Origin of Faction	Culture dates back to before Age of Mists
Age of Faction	2000 years or more
Geographic Control	Rivvenheim Mountains
Religion	The Seven Heiramman gods
Magical Affinity	Powerful magics, top-rank wizards
Political Loyalty	To the High Elven Council, their culture, and honor

Official Position

Atlantean Empire	Unholy betrayers void of any trace of reason or honor. Destroy them without mercy
Black Powder Revolutionaries	While admirable warriors, they are divided and easily dealt with
Draconum	For supposedly superior warriors, they die quickly enough when they're alone
Elemental Freeholds	Wayward cousins who have lost their way and their magic; we have no pity for them
Heroes	The best and brightest champions the lower races have to offer
Mage Spawn	The true way of the warrior lies in one's own skill, not in the monsters you have fighting for you
Necropolis Sect	While these children have lost their way, at least they have purpose, however repugnant
Orc Khans	The seeds of chaos lie in these brutal peoples. Extinguish them, and peace will come
Shyft	A curious race that has lived out of sight for a long time; they require more study
Solonavi	Shrouded in mystery and myth, the deals these powerful beings offer should be refused

Elemental Freeholds

~From the collections, journals and observations of Maleficius~

“Seek the infinite within the simplest things. A rock. A leaf. A feather. There you will find the strength to resist all temptation, all evil."

~Massenliche Rowan, reciting the teachings of Weyr Acacia, 421 Tz

The Elemental League centers its attention on nature and harmony, defending The Land itself as much as any tribe, kingdom or race. Peace, healing, community—more than words, these are the concerns which guide the League. Lowlander Elves and Trolls form the backbone of the League’s strength, though many humans—Elementalist priests and scholars mostly—walk among the races as accepted members of any tribe or village. An enlightened, communal organization concerned with self-preservation and the protection of The Land.

Or so they want others to believe.

Natives of the Wylden Plateau know and rely on nature's truths. They recognize that "survival of the fittest" does not simply favor those with great size and strength. If this were true, Trolls would rule. Just as important are community, endurance, and the restorative powers granted all life: the subtler strengths reflected in the Elemental League. The natural friendship between Troll and Elf has blossomed into one of the strongest known alliances. The alliance is also bolstered by the Elven philosophy that, with time, any problem may be overcome -- a strategically dangerous view to be held by one's enemies. Tactically, the Elves' regenerative and healing powers as brought to the alliance make the League armies stronger still.

Where the League takes root, it shall flourish.

~Maleficius

Leader: Prophet-Priest Tremelen 

The Freeholders stand as a bonded force of Elven, Centaur, Troll and Faerie eco-warriors armed with the powers of nature, the elements, and the fury of the storm unleashed. By the will of the Spirit of Tezla, they will triumph over all that stand before them. 

Throughout the long history of the races loyal to the Elemental cause, never before has the Trolls, Elves, Centaurs and Faeries suffered such a time of darkness. With the forces of the Dark Crusade setting up siege camp outside the Elemental castle of Roanne Valle, many outsiders believe it is only a matter of time before the Necromancers deliver the final blow to the defenders of the Land. 

For more than a hundred and fifty years, the warriors, mages, priests and priestesses of the Elemental League stood devoted to protecting the Land from those who would pollute or destroy it. However, with the massive invasion of the Elemental homeland in 434 Tz, and the hasty recall of all the Forest Elves back to the capitol castle of Roanne Valle, there is a great deal of dissent in the Elemental ranks. While the Forest Elves, loyal to the Spirit of Tezla and devoted to his every command, quickly marched back to serve the wishes of the Circle of Nine, many of the non-elven races took great offense at these actions. For the Forest Elves to retreat and hide within a stone coffin during a time when the forests of the Wylden are filled with torch-wielding invaders is viewed as an act of treachery by Centaurs, Trolls, and Faeries of the Wylden. But as many Forest Elves believe that the Spirit of Tezla ordered the castle built more than a hundred and fifty years ago to weather this very attack, there is little dissent within the Elemental capitol of Roanne Valle. Every day, even when faced with the seemingly endless tide of the Crusader siege armies setting up camp outside the main walls, many of the defenders of Roanne Valle are bolstered by a growing sense of faith that Tezla will allow them to persevere through the destruction and chaos that will arise in the months to come. 

Provided that the Elementals survive this great attack, they will re-establish their place as the defenders of the Land, and fight any force that would pollute, destroy, or use the Land selfishly for their own means. By calling upon the forces of nature, the druids and priestesses of the Elemental Freeholds will stand against all odds. They still have an unknown number of Dragons under their control, and are likely waiting for the right time to unleash the fury of flame and claw against an evil enemy that needs to be purged from the Land without mercy.

Subfaction: Wylden Host

Leader: Unknown

The Wylden Host stands to defend the Land against any foe, and are prepared to turn swords against their own brethren if the cause is just.

The Wylden Host is made up of Elven, Troll, Centaur and Faerie renegades who have turned against the will of the Spirit of Tezla, and no longer follow orders from Prophet-Priest Tremelen or the leaders of the Elemental Freeholds. They believe that Tezla's order to recall the Elemental armies back to Roanne Valle was foolish, and that leaving the forests and meadows of the Wylden open to rape and destruction by the Crusader forces is an unforgivable sin. While many of the members of the fervent Wylden Host do not wish ill upon their one-time allies, each and every one of these warriors has sworn a blood-oath to defend the Land at any cost, even if it means standing against the will of the Spirit of Tezla. Following the initial wave of the Dark Crusader assault into the Wylden, the eruption of the Wylden Host subfaction has brought about the flavor of civil war amongst the Elementals. While for more than a century Trolls and Elves have bickered about the proper way to defend the Land, the creation of the Wylden Host goes against the grain of the laws of battle passed down by the Spirit of Tezla, and introduces a rogue strain of warriors that threatens to bisect an already divided culture. While only a small percentage of all Elementals belong to the Wylden Host, within Roanne Valle many non-Elven warriors are having to carefully watch their words for fear of being labeled as a member of this radical subfaction. At the same time, members of the Wylden Host are being praised by the Circle of Nine for their precise and devastating attacks against the Crusader armies, while being snubbed privately as being deserters disloyal to the Spirit of Tezla and the "true" fight for the Land.

The Stonekeep fortress located to the north of the Wylden Plateau - the only other major center of Elemental activity remaining after the initial Crusader siege - is filled with warriors who disobeyed the recall order, and believe that they can best fight for the Land by engaging the Necromancers directly, rather than cowering behind the walls of Roanne Valle. While they would happily do whatever they could to free their kin from the Crusader trap, the extremes that they will go to in order to claim victory would make most Freeholder warriors blanch with horror.

Subfaction: Storm Druids

Leader: High Priestess Kess

Following the capture of the Wylden Forest and the siege of Sanctuary by the Dark Crusade, there are many among the Elemental Freeholds who fear that the Elemental cause teeters on the brink of destruction. Though they still support the Spirit of Tezla and the Circle in Exile, the Storm Druids share the anger of the Wylden Host at those who have ravaged their homeland. Focusing their rage into growing magical power, Storm Druids can be found both protecting the leadership of the Freeholds and accompanying those who go into the Wylden to retake it from its conquerors.

Background

Racial Composition	Elves, Trolls, Centaurs, Faerie creatures
Origin of Faction	Founded in 279 Tz at Roanna Valle
Age of Faction	Roughly 150 years
Geographic Control	The fortresses of Roanna Vale and Stonekeep
Religion	Worship of Nature, reverence of the Spirit of Tezla
Magical Affinity	Healing, protection, the fury of nature
Political Loyalty	The Spirit of Tezla, the Land

Official Position

Atlantean Empire	Short-lived and short-sighted polluters and destroyers
Black Powder Revolutionaries	Our only ally in the war againts those that would taint the Land
Draconum	Honorable warriors who sometimes have difficulty seeing which side is the right one
Elven Lords	High-born Elven bluebloods tasked by their gods to purify the Land of all the so-called lesser races
Heroes	Dangerous meddlers unearthing the old mysteries - and monsters - best left undisturbed
Mage Spawn	They are part of nature and should be treated with respect and reverence
Necropolis Sect	Bloodthirsty invaders without heart, soul, or mercy. They Deserve nothing but death
Orc Khans	Green-skinned warriors who kill and burn without and moral understanding of their actions
Shyft	A meddling child-race with empathic powers that allow them to twisst the minds of innocent Mage Spawn
Solonavi	Manipulative spirit-beings with tempting offers, but are known to not be trustworthy

Draconum

~From the collections, journals and observations of Maleficius~

Seeing one Draconum on the battlefield is considered cause for concern. Two, most warlords would say, is unsettling. And while few would utter the proverb aloud, “Three Draconum a victory makes.” Though warlords have lost battles in which they commanded three of the mysterious dragonkin, each time it was due to their own incompetence--never was the saying “This battle is yours to lose” better demonstrated. Even those who hate and fear them admit Draconum are the greatest warriors one could hope to lure to one’s army.

So with warlords scrabbling to meet any price the Draconum might care to ask, why does the Land continue to see so few representatives of this magnificent race?

~Maleficius

Leader: Unknown 
When you think of the Draconum, think of mystical Dragon People. Draconum are solitary, wandering warrior-monks seeking physical, magical and psychological evolution. Combat empowers the Draconum physically and spiritually for their next transformational Chrysalis, and they are driven by primal urges to battle in order to ready themselves for evolution.

From the day they are born until the day they are dispatched by an enemy, Draconum seek only two things: combat and evolution. As they wander the Land, Draconum look for opponents strong enough to challenge their brutally honed martial abilities with only one goal in mind: personal growth.

Born of the egg, Draconum spend the first months of their lives as wriggling hatchlings, filled only with the desire to eat and sleep and fight with their hatch-mates. These infant Draconum quickly grow into the loping, ferocious beasts called Whelps. These Whelps are frequently overseen by an adult Draconum and are often chained for their own protection—and to teach them the value of freedom. Chaining a Draconum is one of the cruelest punishments possible, and many dragon-men still wear their broken chains as a reminder that they were created by the Dragon Gods to be forever free. In the modern age, some Whelps are even learning to channel their rage at an early age, embracing magic or the martial arts in order to control their predatory instincts.

When a Draconum is old enough, it must undergo its first Chrysalis. By going to a place where magic is strong, such as the nexus of three or more ley lines, they undergo a painful and magical transformation into a Neophant. They now run on two legs rather than four and often grow wings that allow them to fly. These young Draconum then learn the arts of language, fighting and magic from their elders, preparing for the time they leave their family and walk alone for the rest of their lives. Each Draconum’s ultimate purpose is known only to themselves, but Warlords often profit from alliances with these lords of magical combat.

The Evolution of the Draconum
With the new levels of magical power available to the Draconum - not to mention the abundance of powerful veins and nodes of Magestone found throughout the Land - the Draconum are now able to Chrysalis into new and powerful forms. While the Draconum continue their ways of evolution, testing themselves in combat against worthy warriors in order to prepare themselves for the next evolutionary change, the awakening of the ancient Drakona instills doubt in some of the fierce dragon-warriors about whether the path of the warrior-monk is the proper path for their lives.

Key Transition Events:

The Drakona: As result of a band of Heroes awakening the ancient Drakona from their slumber, these ancient and cruel Draconum have begun to prepare an army of conquest. As they already sent flyers to scout the uncharted territories to the west of the Dragon City, and laid claim to the ore-rich region of the Kuttar Depths, these ancient warriors pose a major threat to the Black Powder Revolution, as well as the other factions of the Land.

Magical Surge: As result of the magical energies pouring through the Land, the Draconum undergoing Chrysalis are gaining new forms, magical powers - and even scale colors - never before seen in the Land. The so called "5th generation" Draconum are dangerously powerful, and may represent a major threat to the warriors they face in battle throughout the Land. 

Subfaction: Dragon Mystics
Leader: Pathis Arcana
The Dragon Mystics follow the “path of the First Generation”, working endlessly to hone their mastery over magical energies. Unlike other sorcerers who shape their spells on the fly, the Mystics seek perfect control over magic. To that end, the members of the order study spells gathered over centuries from across the Land and understand many as well as their creators. There is no central collection of these arcane writings; the Mystics pass them among their members as widely as possible to ensure the survival of magical knowledge and give all its members access to as many spells as possible.

Background

Racial Composition	Draconum
Origin of Faction	Unknown
Age of Faction	Tradition dates back millannia
Geographic Control	Scattered across the Land
Religion	Dragon Gods
Magical Affinity	Unimaginable magical capability
Political Loyalty	To oneself, and to one's friends

Official Position

Atlantean Empire	Powerful human mages and resourceful warriors who are good to fight with or against
Black Powder Revolutionaries	Worthy individuals of amusing temperment and rightious cause
Elemental Freeholds	Zealots of the wild; nature's alliance of Trolls, Faeries and Elves is a potent one
Elven Lords	Nearly the equal of the Draconum masters, but never their betters
Heroes	Worthy companions and potent adversaries
Mage Spawn	Creatures to be eliminated before they breed again
Necropolis Sect	Treacherous foes that can never be trusted
Orc Khans	Their chaotic strength is tempered by the might of their warlike Khan commanders
Shyft	Too small to fight properly, and too stupid to run
Solonavi	Neither good nor evil, these spirit-beings pose a deadly threat. Hunt them down and destroy their allies and spies