Writers' note: Kage is a generic campaign setting for d20 Fantasy. Rather than be a complete unique vision or oddball setting, it is best used as a home for all of the content out there already. Although it certainly has its own hooks and flavour, a GM should have no trouble inserting any material already written for the game into Kage.
It is not yet a complete world and we will continually work on the setting. This will mostly be additions as new products come out with ideas that suit Kage. Sometimes this may even lead to changes, if they make for a better world to adventure in...
Please enjoy and feel free to provide us with feedback via email (or on the Paizo message boards). Feedback regarding which parts readers or players would like detailed especially appreciated. (Note we are working on a new map, and hope to have some advances on that in the near future).
In the beginning when the world was new, on it walked the First Race, the chessan duar. In an act that has mystified historians to this day they bestowed the gift of intelligence to the Dragons. Why they chose to grant the dragons the gift of intelligence remains a mystery, but it proved to be the first step in their eventual downfall. Angry at their treatment as servitors and beasts of burden, the dragons rose against the chessan duar, and sought their freedom. While they knew that the dragons were not truly a force that threatened their existence, the chessan duar nonetheless feared what would become of the world should the two races go to war. Instead, they chose to leave this plane of existence, taking all their possessions and knowledge with them.
In the absence of power left by the vanished chessan duar, the fledgling gods saw the opportunity to create their own race, and the giants were born into the world. The giants were not able to compete directly with the dragons, but neither would they back down. The giants weren't yet powerful enough to go to war with the dragons, but they were growing stronger. The dragons, to cement their position of power, decided to create their own servitor races, and thus were born the industrious dwarves and magic wielding orok. The only other known race at the time was the elves, but they were not numerous enough or willing to involve themselves in the conflicts of others and using the Secret of Magic they hid themselves from the other races.
Being harsh overseers, it wasn't long before the dragons' own servant races also rebelled. The dwarves and orok both fled from their dragon masters, though their hatred of one another meant that they would never form an alliance to battle the dragons. Instead the dwarves allied themselves with the elves, which had begun to take a more active role in the events around them.
But Saradanthule (considered the ‘runt' of the giant pantheon) knew that the dwarves and elves would not be able to stand alone. Seeking revenge upon his brutish brethren, he created humans and placed them upon Kage to battle both the giants and dragons. Following Saradanthule's creation his evil twin entity populated the world with goblinoids, wielders of a unique magic known as witchery. The humans, elves and dwarves, commonly known as the races of good, joined forces and the greatest conflict Kage has ever seen, the Great Wyrm War, began.
The war lasted for eons and devastated the world. In a bid to protect the creatures of the world, Aris, the Earthmother gave birth to the guardian races, intelligent beings that exemplified the characteristics of a chosen animal and would watch over and protect them. Eventually, the humans and the races of good were victorious and the dragons and giants were pushed into the unwanted regions of the world, where they bided their time, waiting for their chance to return to their former glory.
Much has changed in the six millennia since the first humans came to Kage. Empires have risen and fallen, alliances have been forged and broken, and new lands have been discovered. In all, the races of good have triumphed and lived comfortably in their many new kingdoms.
But times may once again be changing…
More and more, the evil races are gaining prominence, striking back into lands they once owned. Dragons once again walk among the races of man, hobgoblin legions of the rising Tojar Empire roam far and wide laying waste to civilized lands, fiends walk the land, the serpentine carry out magical experiments on local populations and there are whispers of the Dark God growing restless. Although imprisoned in the center of this world since its defeat at the hand of Saradanthule, it still yearns for the day when it might be freed to exact its vengeance upon Saradanthule and his creations and the very earth itself weeps a dark oozing blood that taints whatever it touches. Most disturbing of all is the recent appearance of the Corruptor. On nights when this moon appears in the sky (seemingly at random) its children, the lycanthropes, terrorize the people of most lands.
Whether you wish to sail the oceans to explore distant lands, defend your homeland against the enemies of your people, study rare magics, seek magical and ancient treasures, battle against evil religions (including those that seek the return of the Dark God), or hunt for the prized hides of dragons and giants, then adventure awaits you on Cellworld.
The Cellworld Campaign Setting is a fantasy setting where arcane magic fatigues its users. Divine magics are common, as the gods have played an active role in the shaping of the world and its inhabitants. Although there were only five sub-races of the First Humans created by Saradanthule, there are now many others who have been gated to the world by other deities. With them have come many unique and strange cultures, religions and magics.
But of course humans are not Cellworld's only inhabitants. Elves, dwarves and orcs (descendants of the once magical orok) have dwelt here since the beginning of time. Helfling pirates sail the seas and the numerous guardian races are scattered throughout the lands. Dragons walk amongst the lands of men in disguise and giants remain the hated enemies of the elder races, lurking on the fringes of society. Their numbers remain low however, and the prevalence of other evil races has diminished the hatred of these ancient enemies. Now goblinoids, trolls, orcs, oni, evil guardian races, and evil variants of the good races (such as the drowarthir'rin and stone dwarves) take up most of the good races' time and resources. As an affront to Aris, lycanthropes are becoming more common and rumours abound that the serpentine are almost ready to begin their conquest of the entire continent. To compound the problems of the good races further the Dark God manages to exert more influence on the lands with each passing year, despite remaining bound in its worldly prison.
Now, more than ever, heroes are needed on Cellworld...Site Creator:
David Chadwick-pawtucket_patriot@hotmail.com
Writers of Kage:
Paul Connolly - mailto:connors1@austar.net.au
Shane Giles - vamprey@ncable.net.au
Blair Giles - kuraban@gmail.com
Aidan Hommelhoff - aidy4safc@ozemail.com.au
Forums & Questions:
To discuss anything Kage related email any of the creators or visit the Forums in the Discussion section of the Marked Ones Google Groups Site or the Paizo Message Boards (See Links, opposite).
© Created by David Chadwick, September 29, 2005
Links:
Kage Players:
*Forum and files for the Marked Ones campaign.
*The System Reference Document (SRD), where all open content rules can be found.
*Home of the DnD game.
Interest:
*Where Connors frequents boards. Great products - very excited about the Pathfinder series.
*The journal of online game environments. Features many fan campaign settings and produces a regular e-mag. Kage history featured in March edition 2007.
*Fan site for Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved (whose rules Kage makes a lot of use of).
*Best fan site for DnD; home to reviews, latest news & forums. Connors also has a couple of Players Advice articles in the articles section. Writers of Kage sometimes seen on the forums here.
*Where we purchase a lot of our books. Players take a look around to see what is available.
DM Tools:
*Where Connors has several GM's Perspective articles.
*Some amazing generators that can be used on the net. Get quick NPCs, Encounter tables, Spellbooks, Book titles, etc here.
Author Sites:
*Kage uses many rules and ideas from Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved line.