Starting a new campaign in The Kyngdoms is simple and some guidelines are set out below to help you in your task of getting your new adventure underway. What you get out of the game is down to you and your friends - the more you put into it, the more you are likely to get out of it. The Kyngdoms supplies you with a framework in which to set your own adventures and allows both the setting and its principle characters to grow and evolve. The Kyngdoms setting can form an intriguing backdrop to your campaign, filled with lore, mystery and power; or it can be at the heart of your campaign, with political intrigue, war and tension. How you decide to run your campaign is down to you - what we supply here are no more than guidelines and ideas, which you are free to use, abuse or ignore at your leisure.

The World: an Overview

The north of Arrasia, often frozen and battered with high winds and harsh seas, is populated almost exclusively by the Norvs, a hardy seafaring race who are said to be direct descendants of Uther and those that followed him after their escape from Herophet. More recently, it has seen the infiltration of Yarasians as the nation of Tharg has emerged to rival the greatest land of the north, Norvsond. The lands at the center of Arrasia, sometimes referred to as the Midlands, are the most temperate and where the first nations emerged during the War of Chaos. A melting pot of Yads, Sárations, Syrámesse, Kerians, Yamites, Magasoans, Urilians, Eppenesse, Teschenians, Farasians, Datians and Urgolians, the Midlands has been at the center of the history and evolution of men and their kingdoms. The south lands, hot and sunny, were for long the most peaceful of the lands of Arrasia, until the fall of Layagat and the strife of men, dwarves and elves. Populated primarily by the Karns, Yarasians, Thurmians and Crothurmians, the south has emerged as the new power in Arrasia, with the Karns a dominant force both within the south and the wider world.

Karnish sits at the heart of Arrasia, its greatest nation and empire and a force of law and good. Having defeated the once mighty and evil empire of Amman, who were the lords of Arrasia for nearly one thousand years, in a number of great battles which saw the very ground itself shook and rent, Karnish saw its borders and influence expand into nearly every corner of the civilized world. Trade routes sprang up along the coastlines and soon goods - exotic and mundane - were being ferried to and fro. Great wealth was made and people for so long oppressed basked in their freedom.

Although Amman was defeated, the nation still survives, though as a shadow of its former self. Now known as Amman-Mon, Karnish has consumed the rest of the once mighty nation into its own empire, though conflict and violence are never far from the surface and the bedraggled and demoralized warriors of Amman-Mon still make raids against their old foe. However, a new enemy has emerged, forcing Karnish to switch her troops away from Amman-Mon and concentrate on the armies of Hith, who is a mortal transformed into Aslah, but whose mind is black and unstable and consumed with chaos and madness and is set on the destruction of Karnish and all it stands for.

In the Midlands, Syrámä, Hjothdal and the wood elves of Hir'vassäl Eduth continue their war with Amman-Mon, though where once their armies stood opposed, now raids and minor clashes are more common. Syrámä and the forces of the Triple Alliance, Yam, Orith and Hanai, continue to fight the Magasoans, whose constant incursions into their lands, and their support of those who seek to overthrow them, remains a constant threat. The Urgolians, a powerful race of horsed warriors who have conquered much of the east, now look not only to the dominion of Teschenia, but also west, where only The Golden Peaks now stand between them and the nations that lay beyond.

In the cold and harsh climes of the north, Nÿgamär continues its age long war with Hjothdal and their more recent war with Tharg. Elminn, once a mighty nation who could stand comparison with any, continues its steep decline, its lands rent and its people divided and with the civil war with Yerad draining further their already depleted wealth and resources. And standing at the heart of the north, the great seafaring and trading nation of Norvsond, where Uther himself was said to have landed and which is believed to be populated by those that followed him there from Herophet. The people of Norvsond - the Norvs - have populated much of the north and most of the nations there can trace their lineage back to that hardy people, though the ties between them are long since broken.

The history of Arrasia and the nations that have consumed it are all given in full and rich detail, which you can delve into at your pleasure to increase your understanding of The Kyngdoms and what it has to offer.

Where to Begin?

Finding a starting location for your new setting is an important first decision and, given the size and scope of The Kyngdoms, not a choice easily made!. You can choose to start play wherever you think will best suit the tone and theme of your campaign, but the following tips are outlined to help you get a feel for the world and how best to fit your adventures (and adventurers!) in.

Karnish: With Karnish the greatest and most influential nation in Arrasia, it is expected that most campaigns will start somewhere within its borders. Karnish offers the full scope of possibilities, as it borders desert, vast mountain ranges, hills, plains and swamp. To the north of their empire, the war rages with Hith and to the south lie the barbarian tribes. And, all over, humanoids and other beasts travel from their homes that border Karnish to make raids or find wealth or food (or all of these things). With major cities, substantial roads and, usually, welcoming people, Karnish is the prime location to start your adventure.

The Wider World (Civilized): The Kyngdoms, however, supplies an array of other starting possibilities, should you wish to choose them. Tharg allows for a wilder campaign feel, while retaining the essential feel of Karnish, whose language, culture and religion are as much a part of life here as they are in Karnish itself. For a more seafaring campaign, Norvsond, an island dominated by the Utherial Mountains and filled with the rugged Norvs, will provide an excellent and unusual starting point, though somewhat isolated.

For an exotic flavor, the old Amman provinces, now consumed by Karnish, will supply an excellent blend of political intrigue and cultural conflict, with endless possibilities, while retaining the Karnish element of language and culture. Amman-Mon itself, an evil and vile land, would provide the most unusual backdrop and an excellent starting place for those wishing to run a campaign of evil characters.

The Wider World (Frontiers): For a less civilized campaign feel, The Kyngdoms offers ample possibilities for setting the tone of the game you require. Urgolia supplies an excellent starting location for this type of game. Largely isolated from the rest of Arrasia, the nomadic tribes and horsed warriors live in a rough and violent world, where life is often short and hard. Situated in vast plains, but with access to desert, mountain ranges and hills, a campaign in Urgolia would be wild and remorseless, for the settlements are rare and the people tough and wary.

The Untamed Lands of HuriGhol and the Plains of Barbarian Hordes are also excellent starting points for any semi-wild campaign. Filled with nomadic tribes, aggressive and warlike, who traverse ancient migratory routes, the onus is primarily on survival. Although no permanent settlements exist, trade with the nomads is a way of life and understanding the land essential.

The Wider World (Wild): The unpopulated regions of Arrasia are wild and dangerous, with no settlements of any note and little opportunity for trade or to rest in safety. It is not advised that these parts of Arrasia be considered as a starting location and certainly not for low-level campaigns, which will have little or no respite from the vagaries of the world and are likely to come to quick and sticky end. Should you wish to choose the uncivilized lands of Arrasia to begin your campaign, it is suggested that you run a higher-powered campaign, where the characters stand a far greater chance of survival. It is also suggested that inexperienced players or GMs also choose a more civilized beginning, where players can interact with other people and find safety and a place to buy and sell their wares.