History

The Dawn of the Gods
Birth of the Elder
The Divine Wars
The Elvish Schism
The Divine Wars Escalate
The Elder Curse
The Gods Withdraw
The Elders Descend
The Young Races Arise
The Rise of Nations
The Seed is Unleashed
The Blight War
The Golden Dynasty's Sacrifice
Draconian Overreach
The Dragonthrall Wars
The Great War
A Shaky Peace
The Dawn of the Gods

In the time before time, Enkyr was a place of darkness. It was Quesulen who broke this darkness, arriving on Enkyr carrying the light of the gods. He was soon followed by the other gods, each of whom claimed aspects of the world. Before long, the gods tired of their new home, despairing of its emptiness.

Birth of the Elder

It was Ormardhin who discovered the magic to bring mortal life to Enkyr. For eons, the gods toiled, sculpting Enkyr into a paradise. The gods' masterwork were the Elder Races: the Elves, Dwarves, and Naga. Invested with only a spark of godstuff, these Elder beings still held power beyond measure.

The Divine Wars

Soon the gods began to vie for their creations' affections. What began as a subtle struggle soon became full-fledged war between the gods and their creations. Great destruction was wrought across the world.

The Elvish Schism

The Elves found themselves caught between the warring Dwarves and Naga, each seeking their allegiance. The strain proved too much for elvish society. Those Elves who joined the Dwarves in their subterranean cities became known as Dark Elves, while those who sided with the Naga were known as Wood Elves. Those Elves who attempted to remain above the conflict were known as High Elves.

The Divine Wars Escalate

The Elvish Schism brought no conclusion to the war. Instead, it intensified. Soon the gods themselves were wading into battle. Their presence leveled cities and caused breathtaking loss of life.

The Elder Curse

It is unknown who created the magic that ended the war, but all participants were affected. A devastating magic began ravaging the Elder Races, sapping their wills. Though subtle at first, its effects quickly intensified. Many Elder succumbed to the malaise, ending their own lives or simply lying down and dying. Others exiled themselves. In mere months after the curse was unleashed, the Elder were reduced to no more than a tenth of their original number.

The Gods Withdraw

The Gods were similarly affected by the curse. They ceased to be active participants on Enkyr, withdrawing to their celestial realm and contenting themselves with taking a much reduced role in the world.

The Elders Descend

As the Elder Curse raged, the Elders themselves raced to counteract its magic. It was a High Elf wizard who discovered that the Curse was inextricably linked to the divine spark the Elders carried. To counteract the curse, the Elders were forced to divest themselves of the gods' magic, thus becoming mere shadows of their former selves.

The Young Races Arise

With the Elder races greatly reduced, the gods soon found themselves despairing of the empty world. Thus they engaged in their final great work in the world, creating the young races that now populate Enkyr. Attempting to avoid the fate of the three Elder races, the young races were of great number and variety, their sole consistency being a lack of divine might.

The Rise of Nations

The young races spread across the world, building nations and empires. Some were noble, some were oppressive. Most notable of these were the Dragon-ruled kingdom of the Golden Dynasty, the Ortûl Empire, and the seafaring explorers of Juleyla.

The Seed is Unleashed

During an expedition on the high seas, a Juleyan fleet stumbled across a desolate island populated with dangerous beasts. Mounting an expedition, the Juleyans found immeasurably ancient ruins and retrieved a magic item now known as the Blight Seed. They returned home with their prize, presenting it to their king. Juleya's Archmage Eoror spent many weeks studying the Seed until one day it awoke, unleashing a wave of magic that wrought a horrific transmogrification upon the leaders of Juleya. The magic warped their flesh and minds, turning all present into creatures whose very appearance drove many who saw them mad.

The Blight War

Thus began the Blight War. Those individuals affected by the Blight Seed somehow spread the infection. It took only days before the majority of Juleyan citizens were subsumed. The Blight army then strode out of Juleya, growing in size and ferocity. Soon the Blighted were arriving on shores across Enkyr. The nearby nations were quickly overwhelmed and begged the Golden Dynasty for aid. The Dragons accepted, but in return demanded that those nearby states become vassals of the great dragon nation.

The Golden Dynasty's Sacrifice

Dragons are arrogant on a scale that other races can never approach. This arrogance caused their undoing, as what they expected to be a minor exertion soon required their full might. Ending the Blight War finally required a flight of dragons so massive they darkened the entire sky, turning day to night as they attacked the Blight Seed. Few returned. And though the Blight Seed was destroyed, Enkyr will feel its effects for generations.

Draconian Overreach

The war ended and much of the Dragon royalty dead, the Golden Dynasty began to exercise the treaties it forced. Soon it had amassed an empire of its own. Unfortunately, the Golden Dynasty lacked the strength of arms or will to maintain its empire. Within decades, unrest seethed among its vassal states.

The Dragonthrall Wars

Thus began the Dragonthrall Wars, as one-by-one the Golden Dynasty's former provinces rose up against their new masters. Overmatched, The Golden Dynasty itself would have fallen badly were it not for their few loyal vassals, chief among them the nation of Umanan. What Umanan lacked resources and training it balanced in sheer numbers. Their entry into the war saved the Golden Dynasty, but caused massive loss of life. Eventually, the warring sides came to a truce, with the Dragons greatly diminished in stature and their former vassals proudly independent.

The Great War

Seizing the distraction provided by the Dragonthrall Wars, the Ortûl Empire began its own campaign of expansion. They too seized large areas of territory and subjugated many of their neighbors. Other nations followed the Ortûl example and the Great War began. The war built on itself with nations—including those who had just emerged from the Dragonthrall Wars—enacting enormous troop levies upon their peasants. At the height of the Great War, crops were rotting in the fields as the farmers required to harvest them fought and died in foreign lands.

A Shaky Peace

The Great War would likely have raged longer than it did, had it not been for the unstoppable force of hunger. After two years of near-constant war, Enkyr faced a massive food crisis. Realizing this, the warring nations rushed to broker peace deals so they could return their peasants to the fields. The balance of power in Enkyr has been permanently shifted by the war, with those nations who abstained from war and instead amassed food and other resources come to the fore.

Characters

In the Tales of Enkyr, you will play a character recovering from the series of wars that has engulfed the world for the last decade. The game will use a lightly modified version of the 13th Age role-playing system. Full details about character creation can be found in the preceding link or in the rulebooks.

You will first choose your race. You'll either be a member of one of the Young Races, half-bred with an Elder Race, or one of the Belated, an individual twisted by the magical plague that thrust the world into war. Click here for a complete list of races.

You will next choose your class. Adventurers in the Tale of Enkyr were most likely active participants in the wars. Those who were not (too young, neutral) were still inextricably affected by it. With the wars over, these characters now turn their eyes to adventure. Click here for a complete list of classes.

Once you have chosen your race and class, you will generate a number of game statistics. The rules cover this in detail, so we don't have to.

Each character has One Unique Thing about them. It's unusual, and makes them stand apart from everyone else. It doesn't give them a bonus in combat–it's intended to create story and drama.

Each character also has a vice: a weakness. Something in which they cannot help but indulge. You may choose from the following: ƒ

  • ƒFaith: You're dedicated to one of the gods.
  • ƒGambling: You crave games of chance, betting on sporting events, etc.
  • ƒLuxury: Expensive and/or ostentatious displays of opulence.
  • ƒObligation: You're devoted to a family, a cause, a charity, etc.
  • ƒPleasure: Gratification from lovers, food, drink, drugs, art, theater, etc.
  • ƒStupor: You seek oblivion in the abuse of drugs, drink to excess, getting beaten to a pulp in the fighting pits, etc.
  • ƒWeird: You experiment with strange essences, consort with rogue spirits, observe bizarre rituals or taboos, etc.

You will next determine your relationship with the powers of The City (criminals, political forces, military, etc.). There are three types of relationship: positive, negative, and conflicted. Your relationships will have a direct effect on the story, not the least in the way that others regard you.

Your character's skills will be determined by his or her background. Each character has a number of background points to spend on general categories of experience.

Angkimurn, the Undying

Asandra, Defender of the Hearth

Atuv, the Last Commander

Burning Bear of the North

Eome, Keeper of Deeds

Erbelash, Our Lady of Pox

Eres Kigal, Gravewatcher

The Gods of Silver and Gold

Ormardhin, the Great Maker

The Patron of Shadows

Quesulen, Warden Supreme

Samlye, the Caprician

Shyia, Zephyrmaid

Sohyje, the Collector

Tantia, Mother of Mercy

Thadratur, Destroyer

Races

Dark Elf
High Elf
Wood Elf
Dwarf
Naga
Dragonchild
Elfling
Gnome
Halfling
Half-Orc
Human
Blighted

Classes

There are many classes in Enkyr. All are drawn from the 13th Age core rules and 13 True Ways. Classes are listed here in rough order of complexity. Some classes or options are banned if their complexity would bog down the table.

Barbarians hail from the edges of the world. They aren't necessarily uncivilized, but they're definitely blunt and favor action. Good for someone who wants to hit things a lot.

Rangers are at home in the wilds. They specialize in certain kinds of combat and have more options than a Barbarian. Rangers in Enkyr may not choose the Animal Companion talent.

Paladins are the martial envoy of their god. Depending on talents, the characters may be more complex to play, or rather simple.

Fighters are the unparalleled master of weapons. Their flexible attacks give them the ability to make decisions after rolling, rather than before.

Clerics are the prophets and proselytizers of the gods. They're the simplest of the spell casters, with powers determined by the gods they serve.

Sorcerers channel the energy of the gods into magic with variable effects and the option to charge their spells, trading speed for effect. They can be hard to wrap your head around, but are definitely a blast.

Rogues are the most complicated melee class, because they rely on a mechanic called momentum, which requires them to weave in and out of combat, plus set up good opportunities for sneak attack.

Bards are performers, who use battle cries, songs, and spells to bolster their allies and attack their enemies. Tracking all of the different options gets complex here, especially when you factor in flexible attacks.

Wizards are the direct channel for godly energy. They can be as easy to play as sorcerers, or you can turn the ad-libbing up to 11. When you're choosing spell modes on the fly, you're going to feel like a real badass.

Chaos Mages are weird. Like, really weird. You'll cast a spell, and be covered in flowers. Or struck by lightning. Or your opponents will be struck by lightning. Or both.

Commanders get off on telling other people what to do. They have a variety of flexible attacks that only work on other people's turns, so a Commander has to pay close attention at all times.

Druids are paragons of the world's wild places. They have a variety of possible specializations, though Animal Companion is not available.

Monks are Hong Kong action heroes. They move through forms as the combat progresses, with significant flexibility within them. A great class if you want to announce "The Pincer Whirls Shut" as your attack (preferably in a dramatic voice).

Occultists are one of a kind, so one should properly say "the Occultist is." The Occultist is a caster that's in on secrets the rest of the world isn't. The Occultist wields his or her reality-distorting magic with surgical precision to push the tide of battle in his or her favor.

Enkyr

  • A1 Whonnstem
  • A2 Gundion
  • A3 Agriwl
  • A4 Firon
  • A5 The United Fiefdoms of Kallikaran
  • A6 Calaren
  • A7 Calaia
  • A8 Krorrir
  • A9 Jolawim
  • A10 The Ortûl Empire
  • A11 The Islands of Death
  • A12 The Wilds of Rinqua
  • A13 The Desolation
  • B1 The Crown of Enkyr
  • B2 The Hanadil Chain
  • B3 Hirideu
  • B4 The Cradle
  • B5 Yinakra
  • B6 The Iliaru Chain
  • B7 Succor Island
  • B8 Ajojeya
  • B9 Inynenaes
  • B10 The Pure Isles
  • B11 The Pedestal
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12 A13 B1 B2 B3 B6 B4 B7 B9 B11 B5 B8 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 D7 B10 D6 D4 D3 D2 D5 D10 D9 D11 D1 D8
  • C1 Heledaigh
  • C2 The Popular Directorate of Natabiras
  • C3 Tantiana
  • C4 Shurkaya
  • C5 Juleya
  • C6 Bethare
  • C7 Umanan
  • D1 The Stone Holdfasts
  • D2 The Burning North
  • D3 Norkatra
  • D4 The Golden Dynasty
  • D5 The Sultanate of Ksthaki
  • D6 The Sovereign Cities of Sedd and Fath
  • D7 Ormakia
  • D8 Chanesh
  • D9 Halfling Marshes
  • D10 The Qarcil Steppes
  • D11 The Plains of Iroth

The City

The City—the capital of the Ortûl Empire—stands as a stark reminder of the effects of Empress Naskil's ambition. Though her Empire spans half a continent, it is greatly strained. Its citizens are impoverished, with many living in hunger, and the streets are rife with crime.

As the Ortûl capital, the city is quite cosmopolitan, with embassies from many nearby countries and trade goods from across Enkyr.