In the beginning, the Source of All Things created. The heavens, the stars, the planets, the gods, the Kins, the Void, and even the Chaos Spirit.

10,000 years ago, the Pale Son of Night led his legions against the world. The First Kingdom of the High Men fell before him. His Dragon Lords and Dread Knights marched to victory after victory, defeating all who stood before them and laying low the Kingdoms of Men, the City-States of the Silver Elves, and Citadels of the Dwarves.

With all hope seemingly lost, the Free Kins of the world joined together and united at Dros Delnoch for a last battle against the Pale Son and his armies. The first five of Dros Delnoch's mighty walls fell, and it was as the sixth and final wall fell, allowing the Son and his hordes who attack the keep of the Dros. But it was there that the Pale Son was struck down in a duel with Man remembered only as the Legend. The Legend perished performing the deed, but it was enough to turn the tide.

The Pale Son was carried from the field, grievously wounded and carried back the Sable Tower.

Once, there were Nine Kingdoms of Men. These remain.

The largest remaining kingdom of Men is Thrudvangr. Its capital is Bilskirnir, where the Battle-King sits upon a throne of crystal and mythril. A gift of elves and dwarves in ancient days, the Throne of Bilskirnir will not suffer an occupant who is unworthy. The Battle-King is guarded by the Paladins; three hundred of the most elite warriors in the world. The Queen of Thrudvangr is guarded by the 12 Peers, a group of elite drawn from the best of the ranks of the Paladins. Thrudvangr is home to many mountain ranges rich in minerals, such as the Grey Mountains, and many dwarven clans reside there.

The Republic of Drenan cast down its king in ancient times after he was seduced by emissaries of the Pale Son. Since those times, Drenan has been ruled by a senate and all citizens of good standing are entitled to vote for a regional senator to represent their interests and speak on their behalf. Dros Delnoch rests within Drenan's northernmost borders and Drenan shoulders the largest economic burden of maintaining the fortress. The other Realms of Man once offered aid in this regard, but it has diminished as time has passed and the threat of the Pale Son faded. The Great Folly and the Great Insult resulted in the Elves and Dwarves withdrawing their garrisons from Dros Delnoch, leaving only Drenai soldiers to guard the fortress. What was once an honour fiercely competed for has become at best a stepping stone and at worst a dumping ground for martinets, toy soldiers, political appointments and disappointments. The garrison is a mere tenth of its optimum numerical strength, and the fortress itself is in disrepair and undersupplied. Drenan maintains a professional army organized into legions. In the current era there are eight legions of foot and three of horse, though none of the legions are at full fighting strength. Budgetary concerns have steadily seen the military might of Drenan wane, and the quality of her soldiers lower with each passing year.

The Kingdom of Calidras is regarded as the home of learning among the Realms of Men. Its capital is Manetherin, located near the Emerald Sea, famed for its grand palace decorated with mother-of-pearl, and its great fleet of white-sailed battleships which bear the Blue Eye of Enlightenment, the sigil of the Royal House of Manetherin. While the King of Manetherin legally retains absolute power, in practice much of Manetherin's government is done by a senate. Unlike in Drenan, the genesis of Manetherin's senate was not a corrupt and weak king, but rather, created to take advantage of the large body of educated individuals within Manetherin. The franchise in Manetherin is more restricted than in Drenan; only educated citizens, land owners, nobility three steps and further removed from the royal family, and certain exceptions are permitted to vote. The ready availability of education in Calidras ensures that her armies have ample access to engineers, and the armies of Calidras are the most 'complete' fighting forces of the world. Calidras maintains a professional class of soldiers, they are organized into eight armies, two for each cardinal direction. Calidras also organizes her navy into two fleets, one for the north and one for the south, and all the ships are manned by professional sailors.

The Young Realms are the remains of once great Kingdoms of Men brought low that retained some degree of civilization. The least are little more than a single city and whatever territory a warlord may control with what fighters they command, while others have stood for some centuries. None have an unbroken history, and the shifting nature of borders within the Young Realms have made maps of that region largely unreliable if they illustrate more than geography. Many rulers within the Young Realms dream of expanding their territory and conquering all of the Young Realms. In some cases these ambitions are virtuous and in many not, but the resulting wars that have wracked the land are no less bloody in either case.

The Golden Plains lie south of the Realms of Man. They are home to the thirteen clans of the Horse People, nomadic folk who roam the plains throughout the seasons, raising great herds of mighty horses and cattle; several clans of dusk elves; and many halfling settlements that exist in harmonious pastoralism. These kin trade with one another and exist with little conflict between each other. The clans of the Horse People have ancient rivalries that are a deeply rooted part of their culture but these rivalries seldom flare up into violence. Sometimes Redcaps and packs of Wargs will venture forth into the Golden Plains to pillage and plunder what they can, and the Horse People and elves find common cause in hunting them down, while the halflings take up arms to protect what is theirs. At the southernmost point of the Golden Plains one can find Elevian, a city-state of the Silver Elves, and second most populous of the remaining Silver Elf settlements. The Elevians tend to keep to themselves, but do engage in trade and muster when called by their allies in times of strife.

The Shield Mountains are the ancestral home of the Dwarven people. When the gods created the first Dwarves it was beneath the Grey Mountains, and the Dwarves constructed a great Citadel there. The Citadel was destroyed in the first war against the Pale Son of Night. Since the Great Insult the Dwarven warriors who were stationed at Dros Delnoch have relocated to garrisons in the Grey Mountain. Although the Dwarves of the Grey Mountain trade with surface folk, their prices are notoriously high and their willingness to haggle essentially non-existent.

The Grey Mountains are chiefly home to Dwarves and the Hill Tribes. The Dwarves live in holds carved deep into the mountain range, finding the vast veins of iron, gold, and other minerals. As these mountains are the sovereign territory of Thrudvangr, the dwarves give tithe to the Battle-King of Thrudvangr, and when Thrudvangr goes to war so too do the Dwarves of the Shield Mountains. The Hill Tribes also owe fealty to the Battle-King, and they tithe and their warriors march to war when Thrudvangr calls. Both, however, are left to govern themselves. The Hill Folk are divided into clans and tribes with rich histories and rivalries, and there is a long history of rivals stealing sheep from one another. It is considered a tradition among the Hill Folk, and a rite of passage for youths to participate in a sheep raid.

The Crystal Isle is the home of the Star Elves. Crafted by magic of white crystal, the Crystal Isle exists off the coast of the Western Ocean. The First Elf sleeps within the heart of the Crystal Isle, dreaming and marshaling his strength until the fated hour he shall rise to face the Pale Son once more. After the Great Folly, none without Elven blood are permited to set foot upon the Crystal Isle. Those without Elven blood who wish to make appeals or entreaties to the Star Elves may approach an outpost the Star Elves maintain upon the western coast: a crystal castle called Joyous Guard.

The Great Forest dominates the east, and at its heart is the First Tree. Since the fall of Nine Kingdoms the Great Forest has expanded ever outwards as nature reclaimed those lands once dominated by Men. The Dusk Elves and Silver Elves live in the Great Forest, and the best warriors of these Elven kins stand guard around the First Tree for orcs, red caps, and lesser dragons strive to corrupt or destroy that potent symbol of life. Wealdmen live in the Great Forest, putting aside civilized ways for a way of life more in tune with nature. The First Tree is a mighty living ash whose roots extend down to the very heart of the world and whose highest branches touch the highest heavens. The Silver Elves have a great city-state within the Great Forest, Aldaheim, living in dwellings within the trees themselves. The Dusk Elves tend to a more nomadic existence, and many of the Dusk Elf tribes meet at Aldaheim to trade and share news.

The Wealdlands were once the First Kingdom of the High Men. It is now far less, and those who live there are fierce and independent folk who care little for outsiders. Remains of the legions of the Pale Son, abandoned after his defeat, settled there and petty fiefdoms war with each other and raid neighboring lands. Many ruins of ancient days remain and many seek to make their fortune by plundering such places.

The Dragonlands lie in the Northern Wastes beyond the furthest reaches of the Great Forest, Wealdlands, and the Shield and Grey Mountains, bordering upon Thrudvangr. Ruled by the Dragon Lords and Dread Knights of the Pale Son of Night, this vast land is the birthplace of dragons and filled with great forests of black-barked and needled evergreen trees, huge mountains, and deep lakes. Mighty fortresses of black stone dot the land at key defensive positions, ensuring that any invasion will be met with hard and brutal resistance. Further north, beyond even the Dragonlands and the Kraken Sea, is Ultima Thule. Little is known of Ultima Thule, save that it is home to the Sable Tower - a tower constructed by magic of the blackest diamond, serving as the the home of the Pale Son of Night.

The Steppes of Woe lies between the Shield and Grey Mountains and parts of the Dragonlands. Life on the Steppes is hard, but it is home to the innumerable clans of the Nadir, nomadic Men who are masters of mounted warfare. Mounted atop hardy ponies, a Nadir warrior is frequently armed with a saber, lance, and short bow. The tribes are famous herdsmen of cattle and sheep as well as their fearsome reputation as warriors. The relations between tribes are frought with violence, and it is not uncommon for tribes to destroy and absorb other clans in their conflict, only to split apart when they grow too large or lack a strong leader. It is the dream of the Nadir people for the return of the Uniter, a Great Khan who will unite all of the tribes under their banner and conquer the world. Each tribe imagines one of their own will be this Uniter. The last time all of the Nadir tribes were united was in the last rise of the Pale Son, and all tribes rode to war under the banner of the Golden Khan.

The gods seldom interfere in the affairs of the world anymore, beyond vague messages and in signs and portents. If the world is to survive it shall be by the courage of the Kin who dwell upon its surface, not gods who dwell apart from it.

The Source of All Things: A benevolent force responsible for creation. It rarely intervenes directly like the gods do, but nevertheless the Source does intervene in subtle, minor ways. There are many sects of Source Priests and they share only the single tenet to meet hate with love and pain with forgiveness. Theology and doctrine may otherwise vary greatly: some temples isolate themselves from the world, seeking enlightenment and the enrichment of the soul; others live among the world devoted to charity, founding schools and hospitals; and rarest of all are temples of the Thirty: warrior-priests who seek the perfect death to balance their search for the perfect life.

The Wealdlord: An ancient god of the wild places. He is husband to Grandmother Iron-Teeth, and considered more sinister than his wife. He is a tall, ancient-looking man dressed in worn clothing made from hides with a cloak made of sable-feathers or the skin of white-furred bear. He bears an ancient staff of ashwood upon which runes have been carved and oddments and curios are strung upon. Half of the Wealdlord's face is missing, and it is replaced by the night sky. Master of inbetween places and lord of wolves, the Wealdlord has a thousand names and a thousand titles. He lives in a great castle of ice said to lie at the end of a rainbow bridge.

Grandmother Iron-Teeth: An ancient goddess of wisdom. She can be cruel and capricious, but if treated with proper respect can be kind and indulgent to travelers who meet her. On some nights she flies across the world in a giant mortar, and at other times she travels in a hut on giant bird's legs. She is wife of the Wealdlord but the two are seldom seen together any more. She taught the Wealdlord almost every charm he knows and she knows many secrets.

The White Flame: A young god, as such things go, the White Flame is a warrior god who stands for right, justice, and good. He wears white armor, a white shield, a sword whose blade is white fire, and in place of a head and face there is a white flame. Sometimes he wears a helm and some times not. When he is mounted he rides a great white steed who hooves are made of rainbows, and a spiraled horn of the same sprouts from its brow.

The Martyr: The Martyr suffers. When the first tear was shed by the gods, the Martyr came into being. A god of endurance, the Martyr's blessing is sought after for the strength to bear the burden of the things one cannot change. He wears a capirote upon his head, a hair shirt, and humble robes of sackcloth. Sometimes he carries a discipline and sometimes not.

Bannock, Lord of the Feast and Master of the Cauldron: Bannock is responsible for teaching all of Kins of the world how to make alcohol, and for this he is worshiped wide and far. A portly male with jovial features and perpetually half-drunk, Bannock is also responsible for laws of hospitality and being a good host. His domain is a lavish and immense feast hall that always has enough seats and where the plates and cups of guests are never empty. He owns a magical cauldron, and if one dips a vessel into it they can have any drink they desire from it. It shall never grow empty, but those who fail to be a good guest may find that no matter how deeply they dip into it their vessel comes up empty.

The Maiden: The Maiden is perpetually young. She is a goddess of joy and the hope of a better future. Her domain also includes young love and marriage. To a degree she is also a goddess of fertility, but it is a smaller aspect of her purview. The Maiden also embodies proper behaviour and social stability. Her appearance is fluid, and she adopts the attire appropriate to a young woman when she makes an appearance.

The Mother: The Mother is a goddess of hearth, home, childbirth, fertility, joy, and social stability. She is also a god of healing and forgiveness. Widely loved and worshiped, the clergy of the Mother are frequently pacifistic but like the Mother herself may wax to terrible wroth to defend children and the innocent. Invariably depicted as a matronly figure, the Mother perpetually smells of freshly baked bread and carries sweets in her apron pocket for those who are well-behaved. She is mother of all the young gods, and they follow her and seek her guidance in difficult times. The Mother is aided in her work by Serviam, a servant god of eternal dutifulness and loyalty who never shirks in the tasks set before them.

The Chaos Spirit: A great and powerful being of Evil, the Chaos Spirit delights in wickedness and foulness of all sorts. The Chaos Spirit is a very active god, eager to barter for blood and souls. While some might believe that it is the Chaos Spirit who is the genesis of all evil, this is merely wishful thinking - evil lurks in the hearts of all Kinfolk and would exist even were the Chaos Spirit destroyed. The Chaos Spirit dwells in the Void and is served interminable legions of those who sold themselves in exchange for the dark powers the Spirit offered. There are other powerful spirits within the Void; the Chaos Spirit is merely the most potent among them.