TThhee KKeeeeppeerrss ooff LLiinngguussiiaa CCaammppaaiiggnn GGuuiiddee An Overview of Lingusia The World of Lingusia is an immense realm, a create the seasons. At night, there are two moons, the legendary planet forged at the moment of creation by great orb of Selene, the goddess of the night, and the great, primal beings. Its history is one of perpetual lesser orb of Poltrietie, the demigod of life, a moon discovery, magic, danger, and conflict. It is, in short, which was born in to the sky but a few centuries ago ideally suited for tales of high adventure, intrigue, as a herald of the time of the Reckoning, when the and exploration. war between Chaos and Order came to an end. Geography Other navigational points in the sky include a Physically, Lingusia is believed by most to be a medley of odd worlds such Hyskortius the Winking Eye, the milky Haze, and the constellations of the flatland, a disk-like world which may be somewhere on the order of 28,000 leagues in diameter. The stars. The stars are believed by men to be portals in to center of this great disk is the Southern pole which the celestial realms, and for all anyone knows, they might be right. attracts the magnetic compasses used for navigation, and it was established long ago by travelers that the Land Masses closer you get to the pole, the more varied the Lingusia is the name of both the world and the direction of the compass gets. Likewise, the central continent that dominates this great land. mysterious magnetic flux of the North Pole seems to Besides the continental Lingusia, there are at least radiate from the edge of the world, where the great five other great continents across the world, being oceans circulate in a writhing mass, which plunges Takkai, Karaktu, Mataclan, mythic Paneurika, and over, and sweeps back up, the edges of the world. No legendary Il'Madhar. Of these realms, Lingusia and traveler alive has truthfully traveled to the edge of the Takkai are rife with old and new kingdoms that world, however, so only the suspect tales of ancients harbor a venerable history. Karaktu, more of a speak of such things. subcontinent and island mass, is said to have the most As a flat world with a very slight curvature, A venerable of all kingdoms in the world, but is ruled Lingusian's view of the horizon from any given point by decadent sorcerer kings who squander their lost is noticeably immense. Most horizons can carry on knowledge for magical power. Only known of within for a much greater distance than in the mundane the last three centuries, the distant west reveals world of our own reality, but the density of Mataclan, a fabled land of strange customs and ways, atmosphere, as well as great mountain ranges, and the new heart of colonial expansion for the variation in geography, and other features prevent an Middle Kingdoms of Lingusia. In the utter north and utterly clear view at any given moment. Still, it is west, Il’Madhar is a vague rumor, though some say said that in certain great mountain ranges, ancient Autrengardians in the north engage in brisk trade scholars and mages have been known to set up with this little known continent of mystery. Last, but optical observatories with which they can study the certainly not least, the grand continent of mystery entire world, given a high enough vantage point and dubbed Paneurika is said to exist in the farthest strong enough telescopic lensing. southern realms, beyond reach of all save the most Cosmology daring travelers, and only one true account of this In the heavens, Lingusia is circled by a number of continent is even believed to be true. celestial objects, serving as navigational aids. The The Continent of Lingusia sun travels the sky in a traditional day’s length, but The continent of Lingusia is approximately two its orbit is in a permanent flux, as it rolls seasonally thousand miles wide and three thousand miles in southward and northward in the sky over time to length from north to south. It is a mixture of warm southern climates and chilly distant northern lands. blur of conflict amongst themselves, and an The northernmost regions of Lingusia connect to a occasional strong leader serves to unite the whole and great land bridge, which locks the land with Takkai's pose a threat to other kingdoms in the south. The northern realms in the east. The steppe lander Hettanar, Zarnian, Nordamani, and Autrengardians barbarians of this region share a clear mixed heritage are among the strongest such people. East of these of both continents. militant tribal kingdoms are the even more Lingusia's cultural center point is the Middle uncivilized Caelernin folk of Vagendar's Woods, but Kingdoms , located in the central western lands, civilization once again asserts itself at the ancient where it is said the first men discovered civilization free city of Karan, and the Zymhari coastal kingdoms and spread out to populate all other quarters of the beyond. Northernmost is the panoply of mysterious world. Chief among the Middle Kingdoms is the cultures in Avilin, Na'Kivk, the Steppelands, and Hyrkanian Empire, cradle of civilization and center beyond. point in the eons old wars of Order and Chaos. Takkai Octzel, in the west is a flourishing kingdom of Between the Eastern Kingdoms of Lingusia and the expansion, conflict, and intrigue. The lesser western shores of the east lies the Bloodsea, a kingdoms of he Jhaknians, Cimmeran barbarians, the dangerous but navigable body of water, the curse of orcish territory of Mitra's Forest, and the blasted many sailors. Still, the wealth of the mysterious east hellhole of the vast Hyrkanian deserts are all part of makes it worthwhile for the stream of traders who the architecture of the Middle Kingdoms. have made their careers out of traversing the In the Southern Lands lie ancient civilizations Bloodsea. nestled within the deserts of Galvonar who claim an Takkai is an oriental land of mystery to most equally ancient heritage. Persedonia in the south is Lingusians, for few have ventured beyond the the first strong force in generations to arise from the southern kingdom of Al'Jhira and the great Emerald ashes of much older civilizations in Galvonar and Empire of Tai'Kong. The island kingdom of Lako Galonia. The Galonian people remain a decadent engages in brisk trade with the west, but the northern folk, steeped in their ancient history, but never kingdom of Kozakan is a mystery to most. Tai’Kong reclaiming their ancient birthright. The Galvonarians itself is a marvel to those who have visited, an are a merchant culture, busy profiting from the needs immense land of eight great provinces, which are and desires of all other men. larger than all the Middle Kingdoms. Al’Jhira is a The Amechian Kingdoms in the central jungles of mysterious land of many-armed gods, tigerish Lingusia are a rough and uncivilized people. demons, and sultry princesses in a land ruled by a Descended from the slaves of the ancient Prehunates, great Raja. The even more dangerous lands of and then from the necromantic Kadantanians, the Gochikono make the Amechian jungles seem Belladasian people of Amech are proud, warlike, and hospitable. very protective of their turf. Amenanyu orcs view for Beyond the western lands of Takkai, the unknown the right to claim the lands their own, as do the east looms. Rumors of a land called Nubiria, Terkithyi and Codam T'kezzu lizard folk. Many mountain kingdoms called Nalinot, and a region of lesser tribes lie hidden in the jungles of Amech, and utter deviltry called the Gray Empire are spoken of, many secretive kingdoms lurk in its expanses, such as but those few travelers who return from such lands Hotepsala and Vyrindia, with mysteries to be might well be liars and grifters. uncovered. The Eastern Kingdoms are a peculiar mix of Karaktu western and eastern culture. The caliphate of Zued is The sub-continent of Karaktu and its many islands the strongest power of the land, but Cymeer is a close were said to be the seat of an ancient empire, which second, with a people who have triumphed over sank beneath the seas for offending the gods, or so much evil and loss. The region of Draskis is a some scholars say. Only the most learned suspect this perpetual snake, coiled and waiting to strike against to be true, that the forgotten empires of Karaktu were its neighbors, while in the Ny'kkodin Wastes, a the seat of the Prehunate Empire, pre-human hearty mix of desert tribes conduct their business as sorcerers who challenged the gods, and lost. they see fit. In the south, Nithiadia and the Cretean Argosea is most famous of the Karaktuan lands, a lands are unspoiled wilderlands of discovery, cared seafaring people ruled by dark necromancers who for by a very diplomatic people with an avid treat their population like cattle. Lion men, half seafaring culture. dragons, and other beasts are said to be common in The Northlands are also a mix of civilized and Karaktu. barbaric, and often envious of the wealth and comfort of the southern folk. The many northern tribes are a Keepers of Lingusia is Copyright 2006 Nicholas Bergquist, all rights reserved. Mataclan expanses of uninhabited land with no trace of Until three centuries ago, Mataclan was impossible civilization. to reach, for no being had successfully charted the Il'Madhar currents of the Endless Ocean to the west and then Visited mostly by the Northlanders, Il’Madhar is a found an eastern stream that would carry them safely difficult land to navigate to without knowing the back.