Explore the lands of the Dark Eye! The world of Aventuria awaits you! From the frozen tundras of the Grimmfrost Wastes to the blasted wastes of the Khôm Desert, the forests of the Elves to the steaming jungles of the Cyclops Islands, the continent of Aventuria has it all. Political intrigue, ancient Emperor Dragons, demon overlords and marauding bands of orks. The Orkstorm is over, and the evil Borbarad has been defeated, but their legacies remain. The people of Aventuria are rebuilding, and in desperate need of heroes. Who will answer their call? 24 major regions and nations are covered in-depth, plus dozens more major cities across the lands Details on cultures, armies and Sample file navies, law and order, astrology and superstition, and much, much more! Reports from the few intrepid adventurers who have made the trek across the oceans and to the lands beyond—and survived to tell about it! New game rules for poisons and diseases both common and rare, ancient magical tomes, additional Talents and more More than 130 major NPCs from all walks of life Everything you need to explore the lands of The Dark Eye! www.thedarkeyerpg.com www.fanprogames.com Sample file DEDICATED TO ULRICH KIESOW, CREATOR OF THE FANTASTIC WORLD OF AVENTURIA Cover Art Thomas Thiemeyer Cover Design Ralf Berszuck Interior Illustrations Nicolas Bau, Caryad, , Frank Freund, Jens Haupt, Horus, Ina Kramer, Norbert Lösche, Don-Oliver Matthies, Susanne Michels, Christian Turk and Ugurcan Yüce Original Color Maps Ralf Hlawatsch, Michael Meyhöfer, Thomas Römer Editors Florian Don-Schauen, Thomas Römer Box Editor: Britta Herz Editorial Staff: Britta Herz, Ina Kramer, Thomas Römer English-Language Credits Translation Ole Christiansen, Dr. Rainer Nagel, Thomas Plischke, SampleJan file van der Crabben Additional Translation René Lilly Heimpold, Thomas Römer Development Christoffer Trossen Development Assistance Timothy Brown Editing and Proofreading Michelle Lyons Layout Adam Jury Copyright © 2006 by Fantasy Productions GmbH, Erkrath, Germany. The Dark Eye®, World of Aventuria™, and Aventuria™ are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Fantasy Productions in the United States and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Copyright Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published. First Printing, 2006. Published by FanPro LLC. Printed in the USA. www.thedarkeyerpg.com www.fanprogames.com World of Aventuria 3 THE WORLD OF THE DARK EYE AND ENCYCLOPAEDIA AVENTURICA AUTHORS: Michael Brandt, Lena Falkenhagen, Ralf Hlawatsch, Jörg Raddatz, Thomas Römer and Gun-Britt Tödter. With additions by Britta Herz, Heike Kamaris, Arne Kaminski, Stefan Küppers, Gregor Rot, Hadmar Freiherr von Wieser, Karl-Heinz Witzko and Armin Abele Table of Contents The History of Aventuria Sample6 Aventurian file Armies and Navies 28 MYTHS OF ANCIENT HISTORY 6 AVENTURIAN ARMIES 28 THE FIRE-BIRTH OF THE DWARFS 8 AVENTURIAN NAVIES 31 THE ORIGIN OF THE ELVES 10 The Nations of Aventuria 34 HUMANS IN AVENTURIA 11 A WORLD FROZEN IN ICE— RECENT HISTORY 18 THE FAR NORTH OF AVENTURIA 34 The Continent of Aventuria 20 ENDLESS PLAINS AND SKY WOLVES— ETERNAL ICE AND STEAMING JUNGLES 20 THE LAND OF THE NIVESE 38 THE PEOPLE OF AVENTURIA 21 THE REALM OF THE BLACK BEAR— THE NATIONS 22 THE FOUNTLAND 40 Aventurian Societies 23 DRAGON SHIPS AND PREM FIRE— THORWAL AND GJALSKA 44 FEUDALISM 23 UNWANTED NEIGHBORS— DESPOTISM AND THE FOUNTLANDIAN BRONNJARS 25 THE ORKS AND THEIR LAND 47 THE TULAMIDIAN PLUTOCRACY 25 SMOOTH SKIN AND BLACK FURS— THE NOVADIAN CLAN SOCIETY 26 THE FORMER SVELLTIAN CITY ALLIANCE 49 THE SLAVEHOLDER SOCIETIES OF THE SOUTH 26 IN DEEP FOREST, BY LOVELY MEADOWS— THE THORWALIAN TRIBAL STRUCTURE 26 THE LAND OF THE ELVES 52 OTHER PEOPLE AND RACES 27 ODDITIES AND SALTARELS— ON GENDER EQUALITY 27 UPSTART KINGDOM OF NOSTRIA 55 World of Aventuria 3 WOODCUTTERS AND COURTIERS— Calendars and Holidays 134 THE KINGDOM OF ANDERGAST 56 CALENDARS 134 UNDER THE GRIFFIN’S STANDARD— HOLIDAYS 134 MIDDENREALM 60 THE SKIES OF AVENTURIA 134 INGERIMM’S GOVERNORS— THE DWARFS OF AVENTURIA 69 Aventurian Superstition IN THE NAME OF HOLY HORAS— and Fortune Telling 139 FAIRFIELD AND ITS BORDER PROVINCES 71 FETISHES, TALISMANS AND CHARMS 139 ISLES OF FIRE— HAIRSTYLES, TATTOOS AND LULOA-PAINTINGS 139 THE KINGDOM OF BOTH HYLAILOS’ 76 MAGIC NUMBERS AND SYMBOLS 140 ROSE AND MOON— ANIMALS, PLANTS AND STRANGE CREATURES 140 LAND OF THE ARANIAN PEOPLE 77 RITES OF BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS 140 SHIKANYDAD OF SINODA— CULTURAL SUPERSTITIONS 140 LIBERATED MARASKAN 80 FORTUNE TELLING 140 THE PROUD SONS OF THE DESERT— Plagues and Epidemics 142 THE CALIPHATE OF THE UNAU 84 DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT 142 HEIRS TO THE ADAMANTINE SULTANATE— AVENTURIAN DISEASES 143 MHANADISTAN, BALASH AND THALUSIA 87 FADING GLORY OF ANCIENT TIMES— Aventurian Poisons 147 SELEM AND THE LIZARD MARSHES 91 POISONS 147 THE LAND OF THE DIVINE JAGUAR— POISONOUS ANIMALS AND PLANTS 149 THE JUNGLE OF THE FOREST PEOPLE 92 Folios and Parchment Collections 151 BORON’S RAVEN AND SLAVE GOLD— THE BLACK ALLIANCE OF AL’ANFA 93 Important and Notable HARPY’S BANNER AND CROSSED SABRES— Personalities of Aventuria 154 THE COLONIAL CITIES OF THE SOUTH 95 PERSONALITIES OF THE FAR NORTH KINGDOM IN THE JUNGLE— AND THE NIVESE LANDS 156 TRAHELIA OR THE KAHET NI KEMI Sample98 PERSONALITIES file OF THE FOUNTLAND 158 A REFUGE FOR FREEBOOTERS— PERSONALITIES OF THORWAL, ALTOUM AND THE FOREST ISLANDS 98 THE ORKLAND AND THE SVELLTLAND 160 THE DARK LANDS 100 PERSONALITIES OF THE MIDDENREALM 161 The Seas and the Lands Beyond 106 PERSONALITIES OF THE DWARFS 173 PERSONALITIES OF THE HORASREALM THE SEA OF PEARLS AND THE LAND O’ GIANTS 106 AND THE CYCLOPEAN ISLES 173 BEYOND THE SOUTH SEA 109 PERSONALITIES OF ARANIA 179 THE SEA OF THE SEVEN WINDS 110 PERSONALITIES OF THE CALIPHATE, GYLDENLAND 112 MHANADISTAN AND THE LIZARD MARSHES 180 THE EMPIRE 116 PERSONALITIES OF THE DEEP SOUTH 182 THE HJALDING PEOPLE 117 PERSONALITIES OF THE DARK LANDS 183 Life in Aventuria 118 CROWNED LEADERS 187 SCIENCE AND EDUCATION 118 TULAMIDIAN RULERS 187 AVENTURIAN TONGUES AND DIALECTS 121 THE OLD EMPIRE 187 MEASURES, MONEY AND WEIGHTS 123 THE NEW EMPIRE 188 TRAVEL IN AVENTURIA 125 VINSALT KINGS 188 JUSTICE AND LAW IN AVENTURIA 129 NOVADI CALIPHS 188 COMMUNICATION AND THE PRESS 132 Index 189 4 World of Aventuria World of Aventuria 5 WorldWorld ofof AveAventurianturia Welcome to the World of Aventuria! about far-away lands, acquired either through hearsay or in whatever Aventuria is a continent measuring some 3,000 middenmiles adventures he or she may have lived through already. from north to south, and a little under 2,000 middenmiles wide at its We hope that this guide to Aventuria will be useful in your future broadest point. Despite this expanse—or perhaps because of it—few gaming sessions. Perhaps this book can even instill a longing for travel Aventurians ever leave the region of their birth. Visiting one or two that will lead you to roll your dice for many, many years to come. Let “real cities” is a pinnacle of excitement for the average Aventurian. the world of The Dark Eye come alive on your game table—our world The reason for this, of course, is that much of the pristine (and yours) awaits! wilderness is not friendly to casual travelers. Impassable mountains and deserts form barriers that separate the lands into distinct regions. Along September 1999 with dangerous swamps, moorlands, raging rivers and lonely prairies, For the editors, these obstacles tend to dissuade the typical person from undertaking Britta Herz extensive journeys. Staying home and appreciating what life has to offer is not only sensible but also wise, especially if one considers the dangers Adventurers, ahoy! posed by predatory animals and gangs of outlaws scattered across The World of Aventuria is looking for heroes willing to take up the the land. In addition, one has to worry about strange and magical challenge of the ages. Do you have what it takes? creatures, forces of nature, the moods of the gods, and even the powers The Dark Eye and Aventuria have been around for more than of the spheres beyond, in making travel plans. Not surprisingly, very two decades now in the form of Das Schwarze Auge, as it is known in few dare to make their way into the depths of the continent. its original German incarnation, though it only made its way into the Of course, you aren’t the typical Aventurian, are you? English language in 2003. Just like any other game that has been around This book is for all those willing to take a chance with the whims of for so long, we have a huge catalog of rulebooks and supplements that fortune and nature in hopes of discovering adventure in far-away lands. we can draw from to translate into English. On one hand that’s a boon, Here we provide a clear and unbiased look at Aventuria, including the but on the other hand it creates an interesting problem for us, one that terrain, natural environments, and the people native to these regions. All loomed over us throughout the production of this book. the delights and the dangers of the Aventurian continent can be found When this book was originally released in German, it had dozens here: the frost-glittering plains of the Ice Lands, the eternal magic of the of sourcebooks to draw rules and world information from—sourcebooks Elf Forest, the wild lands of the orks, and the rough charm of Thorwal. which have not yet been translated into the English language.