The World of Kae`rryth

Although magic and wondrous events abound in Kae`rryth, true magic is seldom seen, as it has been mostly absent from the world for centuries. What magic exist operates under different understandings and rules. Organized wizard colleges, guilds, magical supply shops and other magic related conventions simply do not exist. Likewise, scrolls, spell books, and other such written magical material are very rare items, often the goal of a long and dangerous quest.

However, there are a few sorcerers that do exist. Most wizards learned their magic on their own, from draconic or demonic tutors, or as some claim, found the legendary Order of the Magi in the distant lands, far beyond the boarders of the known world.

All player characters are either self-taught, magically gifted or learned from one of the very few wizards, dragons, or demons around.

Even then, not all types of magic are known, either. Only certain specialist mages are allowed. Those specialist mages that are allowed are: Diviner, Enchanter, Illusionist, and Wild mages. All mages automatically suffer a negative reactions with those aware that the character is a wizard.

Furthermore, spells of Alteration, Invocation, Evocation, Conjuration, Summoning, and Necromancy are almost completely nonexistent. Although shape changing spells of any school are allowed. In addition, any named spells are unknown in the world. Such spells as Mordenkien's spells and others are unknown on the world, because these figures never existed in this world, nor has there been enough contact with other worlds to allow their knowledge to be here.

This of course does not mean that these spells are forever barred from Kae`rryth. In fact, the characters are allowed to make up these spells on their own, naming them after themselves.

What passed for most magic instead is a system of runes and supernatural agencies of magic.

Rune Magic: Special runes can be used to create potent magical effects and charms. Rune magic is as hard to learn as is standard magic.

Runs are gained through insight, instruction, and reward. Although runes do have magical powers, they are not like standard spells.

Runes are not memorized daily, to be cast and then lost. There is no limit to the number of times runes can be used in a single day. They do not have varying verbal, material, and somatic components, nor do they have casting times that modify initiative.

In order to use a rune, the character must first shape it. How this is done is simple: The character determines what type of rune he is going to use, finds the appropriate surface to carve the rune into, as the character chants softly the purpose of the rune. This process takes 15-35 minutes to complete. Once done, the rune last for several hours, depending on the power of the caster.

The runes themselves are little more then modified versions of existing spells, as noted earlier. In addition, the only schools available to be used as runes are Divination, Enchantment/Charm, Necromancy, and Illusion.

In order for the caster to learn new runes, he must first find one, and then study it for an entire day. This studding must be uninterrupted for the entire duration.

True priests have also been unknown in the world for centuries, just as mages. There are priests in the world, but majority of these are little more then learned men and women. Most of the old, true, religions are almost completely lost to history. The few true priests that do exist, are wizard thieves or psionic talented beings that have made a pact with some mysterious entity. These Heathen Priests owe their souls to this deity, and thus on the nights of the full moon, as well as three nights before and after, they are filled with constant pain as the entity tries to take their soul.

All other priests do gain a few special abilities, if their god decides to give them this power. A priest gains all of the special powers of his deity, such as turning undead, but they have no spell access.

Paladins are very rare, and all have lost their spell casting abilities. All thieves suffer from a negative reaction.

There is also a new variety of halflings, known as elfkins. These elfkins have all the normal abilities of the standard Halfling. Elfkins look like young, mischievous children between the ages of 12-15, and are extremely curious and cheerful. The elfkin can cast the wizard spell Taunt unlimited times per day, at will, but takes several minutes of taunting to activate this spell. Also, the elfkin can turn invisible three times per day, and gain a +5% bonus to all thief skills. All Elfkins are of a chaotic nature.

Most dragons are extremely rare, having long ago disappeared from the world for unknown reasons. The few dragons that do exist still in the world, are a few scattered lone dragons, with most of them being evil.

And finally, as noted earlier, true priests are virtually unknown on the world. This fact is due to the absence of the gods. The gods of Kae`rryth are still around, but they are so distant to be virtually unknown. No one knows what happened to them or why they took their powers away from the world.