INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the exciting fantasy world of Corwyn, a world of intrigue, mystery, powerful magic, strange beasts, great empires, noble heroes, and tyrannical despots. In short, it is a world like no other. This guide is designed to familiarize players with the exciting world of Corwyn as a setting for role-playing in the Dungeons & Dragons® 3rd/3.5 Editions. The realm of Corwyn is home to giant mountains and rolling plains. It is home to vast forests and arid deserts, and to freezing arctic tundra and steamy volcanic wastelands. Corwyn is the name of the world and the name of its central continent, below it is the enormous continent of Avokhar, to the west across the Wyn Myr Ocean are the Unknown Lands, and to the east across the Vhan Myr Ocean is the dark and strange continent of Tholinar. Only the continent of Corwyn is dealt with in this volume, with the exception of the cultures of Avokhar that had influence on Corwyn’s regional history and continue to influence events today. The various sections deal in order with the following topics; culture and society, races and groups of men, dwarves, and elves. Next there is a section on role-playing and character creation in this setting. Next are sections on organizations that characters can belong to, and also a section on the various religions of Corwyn’s major races and the deities of Corwyn. There is a detailed section on the geography of Corwyn by specific region, including political divisions, cities, fortifications, and important geographical features such as mountain ranges, hills, forests, and marshes. Next is a section on the lands and places beyond Corwyn, such as the island kingdoms, and the three other continents of Corwyn are touched upon briefly. Next is a section of general history, as well as a timeline and entries on significant historical events that have shaped Corwyn’s history. Next, there are sections on lost civilizations and ruins that can be explored and unique Corwyn monsters that can be encountered. There is a section dealing with important NPCs, random encounter tables, and other role-playing aids. Finally, a brief pronunciation guide to help players with the myriad of strange terms in this book, and various appendices with additional charts and player and Dungeon-Master information. Once again, welcome; prepare to explore the unique and colorful game setting of Corwyn!
How to Use This Site
This site is designed as a reference for role-playing, using the Dungeons & Dragons® 3.5 Edition rules combined with the Corwyn Game Setting. The site is primarily for use by the Dungeon-Master, who will use the various sections to develop backgrounds for his adventures. The site can be also be accessed by players as well. The sections on Role-Playing, character development, and religion are essential when the players develop a Corwyn setting PC. All are encouraged to at least skim the general history section for basic familiarity with nations and rulers and why each has developed into their present alignments and cultures. You will need to use this site in conjunction with the Official Players Handbook, Dungeon-Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual to achieve the most satisfactory gaming experience. So get out the dice, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy!
The Continent of Corwyn
The actual continent of Corwyn is over 1500 miles from east to west and over 1200 miles from north to south. Corwyn’s terrain includes rolling grasslands, towering mountains, rocky hills, gigantic dark forests, icy arctic tundra, and burning desert. Throughout the continent, travelers of every size, shape, race, and description make their way. There are few paved roads, and even these are often in poor repair. But even well-traveled roads and trails are not necessarily safe. Outside the cities, seaports, towns, villages, and hamlets lay the open wild places of Corwyn. In these vast expanses, roaming monsters frequently prowl, and other villains make their homes. The geography is varied with every conceivable climate and terrain. Hearty adventurers will see and learn much about the wide ranging places of the continent, and see more in a few weeks and months than many see in a lifetime.
The Corwyn Game Setting
The Corwyn setting can be fun for both the DM and the player characters. For players, Corwyn offers a rich diverse setting where you can play many different races, classes, and have many different origins. For DMs, there is a rich history and a wealth of detailed information for plots, subplots, and rumors, and hopefully, a thousand adventure ideas as well. Below are some tips for both players and game-masters when they set out to play in the Corwyn game setting.
Notes for the Role-Player
Across this broad expanse of Corwyn merchants ply their wares, aristocrats rule their lands and domains, and craftsmen create their works of trade, warriors patrol in search of bounty, fame, and adventure. Priests spread their faith and dutifully worship their chosen deity, bards and minstrels travel the lands entertaining for a night’s lodging and a free meal, rogues skulk in the night on a thousands errands of mischief and mayhem, barbarians roam the wilds, savoring the freedom of answering to no one, and finally the wizards and sorcerers who practice their dark art in secret, either for their own ends or as members of secret societies so powerful and influential they cast a shadow on everyone in the realms. It is in this bustling medieval setting where you will play, so choose your PC wisely, for your skills will be challenged no matter your class, and you will find danger, intrigue, and adventure around every corner.
Notes for the Dungeon-Master
You will be challenged with a virtual world of history, facts, locales, and important characters. You can set your adventures in any major country, but you may want to start small, with a local freehold, or even a small barony you made up yourself. The Corwyn game setting is designed to give you the ‘broad-strokes,’ but you as the DM fill in the ‘fine-strokes’ yourself. In the entries in this book, you will not find detailed information on every barony and small settlement in a given kingdom. This is intentional, for you to put in your own, or even plug in an official D&D adventure. Your only constraints will be major historical events and general climate restrictions (i.e. you cannot play an arctic adventure in the Myr Gelyn Desert, it must be in either Marundi, the Northern Wastes, the Khorlann Steppes, or the north coastal region of East or West Corwyn). Likewise, you cannot alter events in the official chronology, but there are many gaps, and smaller, less significant events that may not be included; those are the ones you invent! This book is merely a detailed framework for you, but your adventures are your own, and only you will decide the outcome of how things can and should turn out. Please be logical, though. PCs may desire to overthrow the kingdom of Alveron and put themselves on the throne, but ask yourself as DM, how could they? Didn’t the king of Alveron put safeguards into place to prevent such attempts? Doesn’t he have powerful mages and bodyguards? Doesn’t he have a large army? Doesn’t he have a spell-protected fortress immune to destructive spells? The answer to these questions is: of course he does! This is a very large world, and it cannot be upset in any real fashion except by literally world-changing events, and only very high level PCs will have the abilities to attempt such feats. A simple method for putting reality in your fantasy as a Corwyn DM is to ask yourself a simply question when PCs want to alter the world or affect some other drastic change. ‘How come no one else tried this before, and if they did, how did these kingdoms and rulers last this long, if it was this easy to simply destroy them?’ The answer is simply, it wasn’t that easy, and it shouldn’t be for your players either. If they want to overthrow some local baron, or murder the magistrate of some city; let them try, but make them pay the consequences (see the section on law and order). The most important point is to let everyone have a good time and enjoy the game setting, and make it your setting as much as the next guy.
A Time of Troubles
It should also be remembered that the present is a dark time for all the races of Corwyn. As this book is written the present time is the year 1247/6. The tranquil peaceful kingdoms of the West are not secure, and people are suspicious and frightened. There have been ominous rumors for the past twenty years that the Dark Lord Sorimmar the Necromancer; the supreme ruler of the realm of Morgoth has once again begun to stretch forth his hand to assail the lands of the West. These reports have usually come from the Grey Watchers, who for millennia have kept vigil on the evil lands east of the Saugreth-Muir Mountain range. The baronies and freeholds of the Borderlands region are pleading for help from the western powers, as they are besieged with constant orc raids, marauding wolf packs, and brigands of every description. These signs and portents are surely the forebears of Sorimmar’s intentions to destabilize and then invade the West. Moreover, as 1247/6 begins, the West is not at all united. The kingdom of Elyria is on the verge of collapse because of back-stabbing nobles and political intrigue, with a usurper around every corner. The northern kingdoms of Ammarind and Marundi are at each other’s throats, the Southland kingdoms of Rennsfar and Serathyr constantly threaten each other with outright war, and in the Heartlands hostility is present everywhere. The kingdoms of Janäedra and Valdor neither trust nor like each other. The kingdom of Eldara is preoccupied with threats of incursions by Vilzari warbands along her southern borders. Even the dwarves of the North are not immune. The great Dwarf-realm of Orrek has its own problems with constant warfare beneath the ground with armies of goblins who share their mountain home. Finally, there are racial rifts. Elves and dwarves mistrust each other over injustices done so long ago that history itself has forgotten them. Thalari and Amari folk bicker in the north, the Thannish kingdoms spar with each other, and the Westvalians; the Izlani folk of Cyrendar, seem no longer to take interests in the plight of other kingdoms. Only the stalwart kingdom of Alveron is preparing for eventual war with the East, along with her staunch allies of Derianor and Erindar. Will their efforts be enough to withstand the coming storm? The storm will be terrible indeed. Sorimmar has marshaled the armies of Morgoth, which are hundreds of thousands strong. If that were not enough, he has used his dark influence over the other eastern realms to make alliances with him. The Far Eastern kingdom of Kurand has sworn allegiance, as have the realms of Üthrar and Thûle. Sorimmar is suspected as stirring up the troubles in both the North, through the King of Marundi, and far to the South, through the King of Vilzar. With enemies on all sides, there is little hope. But not none, for as if by divine intervention, the legendary Orenthir has been found, the greatest weapon the West has ever had with which to fight evil. If the great orb cab be recovered and used by the allies in the West against Sorimmar’s hordes, then perhaps Corwyn will not be covered in darkness forever. It is against this fearful land violent backdrop that the PCs will begin their adventures.
The People of Corwyn
Corwyn is a land of thousands of intelligent creatures, but a few races, and one in particular, dominate the continent. Corwyn is a land of men primarily, with the elves, dwarves, Halflings, and Gnomes a distant second. The race of men has evolved into the supreme master of every land save a few, and has influence even in those secluded places. Over thousands of years, humans have gained more and more dominance, while the races of elves, dwarves have faded more and more into obscurity. The great elvish and dwarvish empires are long a memory, and the halfling and gnome races live with humans in small enclaves with no kingdoms of their own. It can be said that the race of men learned from the mistakes of the elves and dwarves, and have prospered from that knowledge. Although the older races, as the others are commonly called, are essentially friendly to mankind, they harbor resentment and fear that men will eventually encroach upon their last territories and reduce them to complete dependence on outsiders for support, food, and shelter. It is only in time of war that the older races and the race of men truly band together. Old grievances and slights are temporarily forgotten as a common foe enters the fray.
A Rare Magic World
There is one aspect of the Corwyn game setting that sets it apart from all others; the lack of magic. Players and DMs can use all of the spells, magical items, scrolls, potions, and wands that are normally available in D&D, but the DM should use them sparingly. Except in a very, very few selected locations, magical items such as weapons, armor and other devices cannot be bought and sold. Further, most players will not be able to convince a local spellcaster to enchant their items. This is due to the utter control of magic on Corwyn held by the Veiled Society. It should be remembered that in Corwyn’s history, the misuse of magic and the powers associated with it almost destroyed the entire continent on one occasion, and led to the downfall of the greatest human civilization in history. Because of these twin tragedies, the Veiled Society has clamped down hard on the proliferation of magical training and magical items. Players will find that magical treasure is one-third as common as in the standard D&D rules, and usually only high-level NPCs will possess even a single magic item. For balance in game-play, enemies will have little magic also, and enemy spellcasters are equally rare. This rarity of magic will ensure that when the DM does indeed grant a magical item to the party, it will be truly appreciated. The only exception to his is in the realms of Cyrendar and Derianor, where magic is much more common. Conversely, magic items are very common in the Continent of Avokhar.
CULTURE & SOCIETY
In the world of Corwyn there are many cultures and civilizations, with many races of men, elves and dwarves. This section deals with the basic social fabric of Corwyn’s culture, such as the calendar, festivals, the role of government, and the differences between urban and rural settings. The following is a brief synopsis of these groups for your basic player knowledge. The following section deals with various aspects of life on Corwyn, so that players can have a better understanding of the fabric of the world around them and the people in it. DMs are encouraged to read these sections carefully so that their game will have the correct ‘flavor’ of western life on Corwyn. It is assumed that every kingdom, realm, freehold, and geographic region has a distinct set of values, cultures, ideals, and traditions. Such details are not included in this volume, and the DM may improvise to give distinct flavors for various countries and regions, as long as alignment guides are followed. For example it would not do for there to be a tradition of human sacrifices every full moon in a small Barony in the kingdom of Alveron, not would it be appropriate for there to be a strong tradition of charity and compassion in a harsh and evil realm such as Üthrar. There are many categories of life and society, so for the sake of clarity, the entries are listed alphabetically, rather than by subject category.
