, TM By Jeff Grubb, Aaron Allston, and Thomas M. Reid Karameiko.1 ... a cla.1.1icf antady .Jetting where bouJ a'Jventurer.1 can become legendary beroe.J. Whether you have played only the FIRST Q UESTT"' audio CD game or have enjoyed the AD&D ® game for years, you'll find high adventure in the kingdom of Karameikos. Discover a magical land sure to challenge the bravest hearts and sharpest swords. Hear this realm come to life in two extraordinary quests featuring dramatic sounds on compact disc! ln.Jide you'll di.1cover ... an interactive audio compact disc featuring thrilling sound effects, character voices, music for two adventures in Karameikos a 32-page Adventure Book compatible with the rules of the FIRST Q UEST audio CD game and the AD&D game Player'.J Handbook and Du GEO N MASTER® Guide a 128-page Explorer's Guide, lavishly illustrated in full-color 2 full-color poster-sized maps 12 parchment maps, iUustrations, and player props 8 full-color hero cards See the wonders of Karameikos, from deadly Fort Doom to King Stefan's castle . Study at the School of Magecraft. Clash swords with th~ noble Knights of the Griffon. Match wits with nefarious thieves of the Iron Ring. Uncover dark mysteries of the past, including the jackal-headed Hutaakans ... and much more! TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton I SBN SampleWI 53147 Cambr idge CB1 3LB file U.S.A. United Kingdo m ADVANCEDDunGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D , DUNGEONMASTER are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc . MYSTARA,KAAAMEIKO S, FIRST OUEST, the TSR logo , and the CD logo are trademarks owned by TSR , Inc. 9 781560 768531 C 1994 TSR, Inc . All Rights Reserved . Printed in the USA. ara1 s 0 7l Sample file ~ .. ·'Jlr T. ( ~,;·~" ',' ·• ~~~·ii,' "' 'tffliflir' . .. '•' ' , . .,,,,.. .., .. .~ '. ' ,.. ...- ,; ' , ◄,.. ,.,rr~,...~. ,.. : . -~P!~• W~. ,~.... k ., ""' •-;• ~ ' (•¥ ... ' 'I, ~ .. ' . ' ·. ~ ,'i•"5 ... ~ .,. • ~ -~-- - r . I.. -5 't'\ 5: I-~ . " . .. I • \ . ,. .,\. ,,. l ♦ l Sample11' ,i-... file t <'< .,... ... ... 'j,;Ai' ,,,. • "':\ . ., ;; ' -~ ... !' .... -~ ~ , , . ~ '1. .. _ .. 1' Explorer'sGuide Credits Designer: Jeff Grubb and Aaron Allston ❖ Editor: Thomas M. Reid ❖ Project Manager: Andria Hayday Box Cover Artist: Paul Jaquays ❖ Interior Artists: Daniel Frazier, Eric Hot z, John and Laura Lakey, Walt er Valez Graphics Coordinator: Sarah Feggestad ❖ Art Coordinator: Peggy Cooper Electronic Prepress Coordinator: Tim Coumbe ❖ Typograph y: Angelika Lokotz Cartography: John Knecht and Robin Raab Page Design: Dee Barnett ❖ Border Graphics: Randy Asplund - Faith ❖ Illuminated Letter s: Robin Wood Proofreading: Roger Moore , Jon Pickens , Sue Weinlein, Janis Wells, and David Wise TSR, Inc. TSRLtd. P.O. Box 756 120 Church End Lake Gene va Cherry Hinton WI53147 Cambridge , CBl 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom 2500 ADVANCEDD UNGEONS& DRAGONS,AD & D, and DUNCEON MA s·1ER are regis tere d trade m arks ow ned by TSR. Inc. M vs ·1ARA, FIRS I O l ll,S I. K,\RAMEJKO,, and the TSR logo are trademarks ow ned by TS R, Inc. All TSR characters , character names, and the distinct ive likenesse s th ereof are tradema rks owned by TSR , Inc. <D1994 TSR . Inc. All Righ ts Reserve d. Random House and its affiliate compan ies have wo rldw ide distri buti on rights in the book trade for English-lan guage products of TSR. Inc. Distrib­ uted to thSample e toy and hob by trade by regio nal distri but ors. D istribut ed to the book an d hobby trade in the United Kingdom byfile TSR Ltd. T his mater ial is prote cted under th e copy right laws of the Unite d States o f America. Any reprod uction o r unau th or ize d use of the ma terial contai ned here in is prohibited without th e express written consent of TS R, Inc. Table of Contents Chapter I: Ov erview . .. .. .. .. 4 Verge ...................................................... 49 Appendices ... ....... ..... ................ .... 112 The Lay of the Land . .. .. .. .. .. 5 Vorloi ..................................................... 49 Crea ting Karameikan Characters ........ 112 The Hand of Man .............................. ... 10 Vandevics ny .......................................... 49 Background s: Human .......................... 112 Using the Maps ................ .................... 12 Elves ...................................................... 115 Chapter V: Personalities ............... SO Dwarves and Gnomes ......................... 116 Chapt er II: History ..... .......... ......... 16 The Royal Family of Karameikos ........ 51 Halflings ................. .............................. 117 Karameikos at the Dawn of Time ....... 16 The Co urt Major: Kits and Proficiencies .......................... 117 The Dark Age ....................................... 17 The Minister s .................................... 62 The Karameikan Calendar .................. 124 The Th yat ian Invasion ......................... 18 The Clergy ............................................ 66 Encounter Tables ................................. 126 Stefan Karameikos ................................ 18 Mirro s ........................ ............................ 72 Recent History ...................................... 20 Beyond the Walls of Mirros ................. 79 Sidebars Ambassadors' Row ............................... 92 What a Campaign Setting Does ............ .7 Chapter III: Society ....... ................ 22 The Song of Halav ........................ ......... 17 Classes of Society and Noble Titles .... 27 Chapter VI: Devices, Clan Markin gs, Matters of Faith ................ .................... 33 Beyond the Borders ...... ...... ...... 100 and Coats of Arm s ..................... ........29 A Society of Rogues ............................. 35 Aengmor .............................................. 100 The Shearing Ceremony ....................... 30 Atruaghin ...................... ....................... 101 Forma l Clerical Dress ............................ 33 Chapter IV: The BrokenLands ................................ 102 The King's Law.... .. ........................ .41 Cities and Towns .......... .......... ... 38 Daro kin ........................... ..................... 102 What the Numbers Mean .....................51 Mirros .................................................... 38 Ethengar .......................... ..................... 103 Time Line of Karame ikos ...................... 56 Threshold . .. .. .. ...................... 44 The Five Shires .................................... 103 The Black Eagle Barony ......................... 61 Dmitrov ................................................. 46 Glantri .................................................. 104 The Order of the Griffon ...................... 68 Fort Doom .............................. ............... 47 The Heldannic Territories ................... 104 Calling Out the Guard ........................... 72 Highforge .................... .......................... 47 Ierendi ................................................. 105 The Legend of Koriszegy Keep ............. 85 Kelvin. .................................. 47 Minrothad ........................... ............... 105 Fealty .................. ................................... .98 Krakatos ............... .. .............................. 47 Ostland, Vestland, It's Money that Matter s ...................... 103 Luln .. .................... 48 and the Soderfjords .......................... 108 Th e Hut aakans ..................................... 109 Marilenev ..................... ... .................... 48 Rockhome . .. .. .. .................... 108 Trials and Errors .................... .............. 110 Penhaligon ........................ .................... 48 Sind ....................................................... 109 Where Adventur ers Fit ln ................... .113 Rifllian ................................................... 48 Thya tis ...... .......................................... 109 The Nature of the Immorta ls .............. 115 Rugalov ................................................. 48 Wendar ...................................... .......... 110 Dragons.. ................... ........... 123 Sulescu ................................................... 49 Ylaruam.. ..................................... 110 The Karameikan Calendar .................. 124 Sample file This watercolor shows a vi ew of the town of Thr e shold city itself at dusk . The skylin e is dominat ed by th e bell from the north ern tip of Fogor Isle, looking south into the tower of the town hall . 3 Chapter I: Overview Karameikos, a very young kingdom in a very old land , lies on the southern coast of the con tinent of Brun on the planet Mystara, in a region its inhabitants call the Known World . As kingdoms go, it is a small one. A rider on a fast hor se can trav el from Karameikos 's capital, Minos , to its western­ most settlem ent at Fort Doom in a day, to its easternmost village of Rugalov in a day and a half, and to King's Road Keep in the Altan Tepes Mountains to the north in two days. Yet within its bound­ aries any group of en thu siast ic heroes un can find enough adventure, danger , treachery , and excitement to satisfy o the them. In many ways Karameikos still exists north, as a frontier nation cut out of an ancient w ilderness. Uninhabited forest covers a sea to grea t majority of the kingdom - unin­ habit ed, that is, by humans . A popula­ the south, and every­ tion of elves, humanoid s, and monstrous creatures thri ve within its borders. Fur­ thing else built