Campaign Setting - Vaults of Pandius

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The Mystara 2300 BC campaign setting is a dark and foreboding world, full of despotic oppressive rulers trying to hold on to their increasingly tenuous rule with increasingly brutal methods. It is a post cataclysmic world, where the golden age of yesteryear and the advancements of Blackmoor can still be remembered, first hand in some cases. It is a world brimming with suffering and struggle, but it is also a world of hope. Only 700 years after the Great Rain of Fire, Mystara is just starting to recover from that catastrophe. New nations and cultures have emerged from the ashes of destruction, despite the dreaded Wassting disease that has continued to plague the Known World since Blackmoor was destroyed. Now however, the power of the Wasting is waning, and for the first time in centuries Mystarans are beginning to see the faint gleam of hope. Not all welcome this new world of hope however. In the face of the Wasting, many nations were forced to take drastic measures, lest their culture wither and die entirely. Some sought solace in the darkness of undeath, while others fled underground and petitioned the forces of entropy for sustenance, and still some few clung onto the belief in Blackmoorian technology – something that only worsened their personal plagues. Now those who fought for their nation’s existence, those who fought so hard to survive, are faced with the fact that their world is changing. They are no longer needed… and no longer wanted, for their choices brought other plagues onto their people nearly as unbearable as the Wasting. Even this glimmer of hope won’t last long for the people of the Known World however, for another catastrophe is set to happen circa BC 1700. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and even a device left over from the Blackmoorian era, will rock the Known World, sinking a large portion of the southeastern continent below the waves. Over the course of several centuries, starting at BC 2000 and ending with the catastrophic blast that forms the Broken Lands in BC 1700, at least five civilizations will be shattered including Taymora, Intua, Mogreth, the Shimmering Lands, and the Deep Elves. Life will continue afterwards of course, it simply won’t be the same as it was. This mini source book is intended to be read by DMs and Players alike, in order to provide both with a high level overview of the setting. Cultural and racial secrets are not revealed here, however DMs may wish to limit the sections that individual players have access to. The material presented within is also rules agnostic to a large degree. DMs should be able to use any of this information whether they run BECMI, 1E, 2E, 3E, or 4E games, however because there is very little crunch within these pages, there may be some extra work on the part of the DM to prepare this material for a specific rules set. Present day Mystara is typically set in the year AC 1000, which is 3300 years in the future with respect to the Mystara 2300 BC setting. This may raise concerns, especially with groups that play in the present era as well, that character actions may alter the entire future of the campaign world. Enterprising DMs may wish to take this added responsibility on, however these kinds of world changing events are beyond the scope of this document. Rather than treating every action of the PCs as branching points for future events, the suggestion of this document is to keep the PCs actions (and any repercussions thereof) focused on events in the Mystara 2300 BC era. Players should feel like their actions make a difference in the setting, and in fact they should. Indeed there are numerous opportunities for PCs to make a difference in their world… however none of these differences should change the way that Mystara will evolve 3000 years later. The ripples of one 2
small pebble, and even those of large stones, rarely change the course of an entire river. Another way to handle such issues is through the use of delaying tactics. Perhaps the PCs are able to stop a particular threat… for a short period. The river of time has a strong current however, and the same threat may reappear at a later date when the PCs are not nearby to defend against it. This may give the PCs a sense of affecting their surroundings, even when dealing with epic threats… however if those threats are fated to be then they will come about sooner or later. In this way a DM may allow his players a victory, and yet still not perceptibly change the history of the world. 3
Page 3: By John Calvin and Geoff Gander Ver
Page 7 and 8: driving all of the smaller nations
Page 9 and 10: BC 2700: Remnants of shattered Olte
Page 11 and 12: The following nations and regions m
Page 13 and 14: Overview A nation of ancient wonder
Page 15 and 16: Weapons and Armor Just like its peo
Page 17 and 18: Location: Continent of Brun, north
Page 19 and 20: have followings in the northern lan
Page 21 and 22: Location: Islands off the eastern c
Page 23 and 24: Tyche who are associated with luck
Page 25 and 26: Location: Underneath the Continent
Page 27 and 28: Valheffyl (pop. XXX): This small to
Page 29 and 30: Location: Continent of Brun, betwee
Page 31 and 32: Settlements of Note Aresh (pop. XXX
Page 33 and 34: Location: Continent of Brun, and po
Page 35 and 36: throughout the nation and beyond. I
Page 37 and 38: trolls, and other creatures fled fr
Page 39 and 40: Overview To escape the Great Rain o
Page 41 and 42: from the top of the plateau to near
Page 43 and 44: Empire of the Lizard Kings Location
Page 45 and 46: History Mogreth was founded, long b
Page 47 and 48: Foreign Relations Due to ingrained
Page 49 and 50: Location: Island off the southeaste
Page 51 and 52: made of bronze, while their armor i
Page 53 and 54: Overview Situated on the coastal ar
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Appearance and Dress Folk of the Sh
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Empire of the Dead Location: Contin
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however, what was once a necessity
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explodes sending the remnants of th
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ago if it weren’t for their hatre
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divergent beastmen tribes may not b
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southwestern Brun. Unfortunately th
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see what will become of their world
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Campaign Setting - Vaults of Pandius

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