Post by The Rising Dragon on Oct 22, 2009 17:38:11 GMT -5
The Desert Wasteland
Once, Kemei was a land filled with jungles and rainforests that surrounded the snowcapped mountains and the mist-filled Heights, hiding ancient ruins and vast civilizations within its foliage. Sparkling and clean rivers cut through the forests as they ran down from the melt-off of Mount Cantoi’s snowcapped peak. The city of Thebas was still a haven for the living, and temples of worship were scattered throughout it, where natives congregated for their traditions and rituals. The forests surrounding the continent were dangerous in their own way, with its complement of saurian creatures and monstrous insects hiding beneath the canopy, and ever-vigilant warring tribes that patrolled for intruders on their lands. In almost every way, Kemei was much like the continent of Cher Plek in the west, far across the Great Sea. At its heart was the Wood Temple, one of the ancient Temples of Power left behind by the Primals.
Everything changed when the great calamity befell the Wood Temple. Something dark and terrible erupted within sacred temple, resulting in a horrible backblast of profane energy that tore the Wood Temple apart. With its destruction, the ancient ley lines in the continent that intersected beneath the once-sacred grounds were poisoned and corrupted, and it spread out across the lands. North of the Wood Temple, Mount Cantoi erupted with untold fury, for the first time in centuries. Temples grew dark and were infested with all manner of terrifying monstrosities. The land died as the melted snow from Mount Cantoi raged down through the rivers, flooding the land with ash-filled water. Trees no longer offered shade from the sun as they grew withered and died, becoming lifeless husks that were torn away by scouring winds. After an agonizingly slow death, the majestic forests of Kemei were no more, leaving behind only a desert of death.
In time, civilization stabilized and endured within the hot deserts, forming new cultures and new societies. Old temples were torn down, and new ones were erected in their place. But the land had irrevocably changed. At day, the winds burned and scoured at the sand dunes, suffocating the life out of anything unprepared for its relentless onslaught. At night, the wind became frigid and chilly, cutting through the living like thousands of knives. The wind killed many, and the fell energies that lay beneath the sands warped the souls, giving rise to the undead. The living was not spared by the foul energies—many creatures were twisted and corrupted by it, mutating them into horrible monsters. The demons released by the torn down temples mingled with them, furthering the corruption. Claw Vipers wander about the old ruins, worshipping dark gods and participating in vile rituals of sacrifice. Throughout the deserts, giant scorpions and sand maggots lay in wait for prey to stumble near their burrows. Even worse, Lightning Hawks and Red Dragons rage across the skies, blasting fire and lightning down at the sands, creating great sheets of glass that warped people’s visions as they stared at them in the distance. Now, in the desert wastelands, only the strong can survive and remain untouched by the scar left behind by the Wood Temple's destruction.
Bestiary:
Claw Viper
Corpse Rat Swarm
Elf
Endtrail
Forsaken Shell
Giant
Giant Scorpion
Great Dragon
Human
Leaper
Lich
Lightning Hawk
Peahat
Raptoid
Red Dragon
Sand Maggot
Sandwraith
Skeleton
Tigrex
Wraith
Zombie
Once, Kemei was a land filled with jungles and rainforests that surrounded the snowcapped mountains and the mist-filled Heights, hiding ancient ruins and vast civilizations within its foliage. Sparkling and clean rivers cut through the forests as they ran down from the melt-off of Mount Cantoi’s snowcapped peak. The city of Thebas was still a haven for the living, and temples of worship were scattered throughout it, where natives congregated for their traditions and rituals. The forests surrounding the continent were dangerous in their own way, with its complement of saurian creatures and monstrous insects hiding beneath the canopy, and ever-vigilant warring tribes that patrolled for intruders on their lands. In almost every way, Kemei was much like the continent of Cher Plek in the west, far across the Great Sea. At its heart was the Wood Temple, one of the ancient Temples of Power left behind by the Primals.
Everything changed when the great calamity befell the Wood Temple. Something dark and terrible erupted within sacred temple, resulting in a horrible backblast of profane energy that tore the Wood Temple apart. With its destruction, the ancient ley lines in the continent that intersected beneath the once-sacred grounds were poisoned and corrupted, and it spread out across the lands. North of the Wood Temple, Mount Cantoi erupted with untold fury, for the first time in centuries. Temples grew dark and were infested with all manner of terrifying monstrosities. The land died as the melted snow from Mount Cantoi raged down through the rivers, flooding the land with ash-filled water. Trees no longer offered shade from the sun as they grew withered and died, becoming lifeless husks that were torn away by scouring winds. After an agonizingly slow death, the majestic forests of Kemei were no more, leaving behind only a desert of death.
In time, civilization stabilized and endured within the hot deserts, forming new cultures and new societies. Old temples were torn down, and new ones were erected in their place. But the land had irrevocably changed. At day, the winds burned and scoured at the sand dunes, suffocating the life out of anything unprepared for its relentless onslaught. At night, the wind became frigid and chilly, cutting through the living like thousands of knives. The wind killed many, and the fell energies that lay beneath the sands warped the souls, giving rise to the undead. The living was not spared by the foul energies—many creatures were twisted and corrupted by it, mutating them into horrible monsters. The demons released by the torn down temples mingled with them, furthering the corruption. Claw Vipers wander about the old ruins, worshipping dark gods and participating in vile rituals of sacrifice. Throughout the deserts, giant scorpions and sand maggots lay in wait for prey to stumble near their burrows. Even worse, Lightning Hawks and Red Dragons rage across the skies, blasting fire and lightning down at the sands, creating great sheets of glass that warped people’s visions as they stared at them in the distance. Now, in the desert wastelands, only the strong can survive and remain untouched by the scar left behind by the Wood Temple's destruction.
Bestiary:
Claw Viper
Corpse Rat Swarm
Elf
Endtrail
Forsaken Shell
Giant
Giant Scorpion
Great Dragon
Human
Leaper
Lich
Lightning Hawk
Peahat
Raptoid
Red Dragon
Sand Maggot
Sandwraith
Skeleton
Tigrex
Wraith
Zombie
