TIME OF THE DRAGON Official Game Accessory THE GUIDE BOOK TO TALADAS BY DAVID ZEB COOK C REDITS: Design: David Zeb Cook Cartography: Dave Sutherland, Dave LaForce Editing: Michael Breault Typography: Gaye OKeefe Cover Art: Robin Wood, Fred Fields Keylining: Stephanie Tabat Interior Art: Stephen Fabian Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, DRAGONLANCE, PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION, and the TSR logo are trade- marks owned by TSR, Inc. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. ©1989 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A. TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton Lake Geneva Cambridge CB1 3LB WI 53147 United Kingdom TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-88038-773-4 PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION 1050XXX1501 Permission granted to photocopy or print this product for personal use. T ABLE OF CONTENTS The Guide Book to Taladas................4 The First Edicts . 63 The Geography of Taladas.................7 The Armach-nesti .....................63 Northern Hosk.........................11 Religion .............................64 The Tamire ..........................11 Thenol ..................................66 TheUigan...........................l2 The Thenolites .......................67 The Elf Clans. ........................18 History .............................68 The Ilquar Goblins ....................21 The Government of Thenol .............69 The Kazar ...........................25 The Army ...........................69 The Pureshk .........................25 New Aurim ..........................72 The Panak Desert .......................26 Hawkbluff ..........................73 The Ice People. .......................27 Blackwater Glade .......................74 The Ring Mountains. ....................28 The Hulderfolk .......................77 The First People . ...........30 The Steamwall .......................79 The Saqualaminoi .....................32 The Hobgoblins .....................80 The Glass-Sailors .....................32 The Marsh Kender ...................81 The Gnomoi of the Columns ...........35 The Fianawar .........................82 The Scorned. .........................37 The Fisheries and Neron ..................85 The Tiderun...........................40 The Payan Mako ......................85 Rudil ...............................41 The Shark Men .......................86 Southern Hosk.........................43 The Wild Elves of Neron ...............87 The Imperial League of Minotaurs.......44 Baltch ...............................90 The Lands of the League ...............45 Old Aurim and the Rainward Isles ........93 The Provinces ........................45 The Hobgoblins .....................94 Society and Social Class ................47 The People of the Isles .................96 The Government .....................49 Hitehkel ...............................99 Minotaur Justice . .......49 The Spire Mountain Gnomes. ............100 TheArmyoftheLeague ..............52 Gnomoi and Minoi ...................102 The Merchants of the League ...........54 The Citadels ........................103 Religions ............................54 The Government and Army. ...........104 The Cities of the League. ...............55 The Priests of the Gnomes .............107 Armach .............................60 Gnomish Inventions ..................108 The People and Society ................60 The Sky Citadels. ....................110 The Confederation ....................62 The Tower of Flame ..................110 3 GUIDE BOOK TO TALADAS Ansalon. There was a time when it shared salon is the center of the world and the THE GUIDE BOOK a common thread, a little bit of history events there are of paramount impor- that was the same. But then the Age of tance to all of Krynn. To these story- TO TALADAS Dreams ended and the bonds between tellers, it is perfectly reasonable that the Ansalon and Taladas slowly loosened. Al- kender of Kendermore, the gnomes of ... the Greygem was loosed to drift though even today they share some com- Mount Nevermind, and the elves of away to the western lands, what we know mon features, each has taken a different Qualinesti and Silvanesti are the only as Ansalon, where it wrought its magic path through history. kinds of kender, gnomes, and elves that upon all the races there. Little is said of This set presents all the basic informa- are to be found. the land of the Greygem's source in the tion about the continent of Taladas and Quite simply, these historians and histories of men. The gnomes of Never- the lands and peoples therein. The Guide bards are wrong. While the history of An- mind may have histories that tell much Book of Taladas describes the past history salon is important, it is not the only his- more (if these have not been destroyed by of Taladas, its geography, climate, peo- tory of Krynn. Kender, gnomes, and the latest of their advancements). ples, and cultures. While the DM must elves take other forms than those found It therefore stands that the Lands of certainly be aware of all the information on Ansalon. For these other people the the Greygem lie to the east, beyond the in the Guide Book, it is his decision to re- departure of the gods and the Cataclysm shores of once-arrogant Istar, if such lands veal anything contained in it to his play- did not occur because of the vanity and exist at all, for there has been no mention ers. Certainly he will find many things he arrogance of the King-Priest. As the DM, of them even for centuries before the Cat- feels they should know, however the deci- you will discover that things in Taladas aclysm. Mentioned only during the Age sion is left for him to make. The Book of are often not what you have come to ex- of Light, this is likely to be no more than Adventure presents information for the pect from the world of Krynn. True, there a story told to children at night. DM alone. Included in this are major and are kender and gnomes and minotaurs, minor NPCs, new monsters, detailed even draconians, but they may be very Astinus of Palanthus rules for player character mad gnomes, different from those of Ansalon. This is Once there was a planet called Krynn goblins, ogres, and minotaurs, encounter part of the fun of discovering and explor- where man and elf, dwarf and gnome, tables, BATTLESYSTEM rules informa- ing Taladas. Now you have new surprises minotaur and dragon dwelled. They tion, and new background on the gods of and unexpected twists to spring upon lived in a land called Ansalon and knew Krynn. your players. no other. Krynn was a vast planet and Also in this set are 24 map cards. These At the same time, not everything is to- there were more places than just Ansalon, cards present detailed maps of sites of in- tally new; there are features the two con- but the men of Ansalon were too busy terest, gnome inventions, and examples tinents share in common. The gods of with their own affairs, too concerned with dress and clothing of the people of Tala- Ansalon are also the gods of Taladas. gods and dragons, to learn of the rest of das. Brief key descriptions are found on Their names are different, as are the leg- their world. the backs of the cards. For convenience, ends that surround them, but they have Perhaps now, with the War of the the keys are arranged on the backs of dif- the power to overcome mere obstacles of Lance over, those of Ansalon will gain the ferent cards, so that both the map and space and time. Their wars and struggles desire to explore and expand. But what key are available during play. Finally, make up part of the common background will they find? What else is there on the there are four large, four-color maps. Two and history of the world. planet of Krynn? of these join together to form a map of It is important to remember these dif- Time of the Dragon provides part of Taladas. The other two are a detailed map ferences when dealing with Taladas. The that answer. Within the pages of these of a region of Taladas and a map of Kris- rules and attitudes that you and your books is a detailed description of an en- tophan, capital of the Minotaur League. players may be familiar with do not nec- tirely new landTaladasand its inhab- essarily apply here. As the DM, you must itants. For those used to the people and constantly be aware of this so you can re- attitudes of Ansalon, Taladas is a land of A NSALON AND educate your players in an exciting and surprises. Separated by a broad extent of T ALADAS entertaining fashion. ocean, it is very different from Ansalon. What do these people know of the Up to now, everything that has ever Kinslayer War, the arrogance of the been presented about the world of Krynn T HE HISTORY OF Priest-Kings of Istar and their humbling has been from the Ansalonian point of T ALADAS at the hands of the gods? Have their lands view. The world, its gods, its history, and been ravaged by dragons or their children events have all been told as they relate to The people of Taladas, all the cultures slain by draconians? Ansalon, the continent where the War of and tribes, have never had the benefit of Taladas is a very different world from the Lance was fought. To the tellers, An- the services of