The world map for Rielun’s moon, which is known as Jarad. The moon is inhabited but it has its own unique feel from Time of Ages: “Spelljammer + Steampunk + Victorian Age + High Magic.” In truth, Jarad is more of a Steampunk Spelljammer world than Rielun since it is more strongly tied to Rielunspace and the Aether.
This sub-campaign is known as Magiclight.
The Da’aphet Region grew out of a short story I wrote for Time of Ages called Horns of Honor. The story introduces two characters, Lady Jenna Hallin-Kel and a famous steam knight known as the Warrior of Delvir Shrine. The story tells of how they first met, and, well, I’ll just leave it at that. 🙂
While the time period of that story is past, it isn’t as far back as the time of the Lions of Malecade. The story’s legacy, Delvir Shrine, still stands south of the steam city of Eondor, which is the most southerly of the steam-based communities of the northern lands along the Coast of Chuol.
Lady Jenna Hallin-Kel (female human [noble]) still lives, but she is a very old woman now. She is now a Matriarch of Eondor. Her son, Sanin Kel (male human [artificer]) still lives in Da’aphet. He is known as Prince of the Steam Works and is relied on heavily by the current High Lord (see below).
However, it is the steam metropolis Da’aphet that is the true powerhouse in this region. In fact, Da’aphet is one of the most important cities on all of Rielun. Unlike most other steam metropolises, Da’aphet is a vibrant, clean city with progressive ideals, which include racial tolerance and, more importantly, respect for the ways of the Children of the World.
Its ruler honors the wishes of those nearby communities that reject steam technology while protecting them using more traditional methods. It is in this region that magic and technology works alongside nature and druidism without too much difficulty. The most important man in Da’aphet is the current High Lord, Aggamendon (male orc [paladin]).
The medieval-style city of Kalidar is one of those communities that rejects steamworks of any kind and visitors from Da’aphet or Eondor must not bring any of their trinkets into the city. Such a violation usually gets a visitor fined for the first violation and banned for the second one. Any other additional “Steam Acts” will get a person imprisoned for a very long time.
Regardless of its restrictions on steam technology, Kalidar is a very tolerant community with a mixture of races and faiths. While Jaua Ae-rielun is widely worshiped in the city, many other deities are revered there including Bra’ek, Dragos, Ellai, Mardin, Nay, Rilon, Sar’pa, and Selin.
It is important to note that while the worship of deities with steam-based portfolios, such a Kelos and Uval, aren’t truly forbidden within the walls of Kalidar, such worship must not be performed in public and steamcraft remains forbidden. Worshiping the evil demigod, Baruon, is forbidden in city.
The last major urban community in this region is the medieval-style city known as Sain. This large city sits in a shallow valley located just north of the Ranquist Mountains. The community is more tolerant towards those with steam technology; however, its rulers are less tolerant towards those that would cause trouble in the highly regimented city.
There is no place for chaos in Sain, which means its people have a dislike for thieves, bards, sorcerers, and especially barbarians. This has led to a lot of conflict with the city’s denizens and the wandering tribes living in the Ranquists. It has also put the city at odds with the nearby town known as Shard, which is a very open community. Shard is on the cusp of becoming a city in its own right and it doesn’t share the views of Sain. It also refuses to ally itself to Kalidar, since its populace likes to dabble with steamcraft. If Shard continues to grow, it will likely embrace steam technology completely in order to deter its neighbors.
The second largest continent on Rielun is Trasunia. The continent use to have a much sillier name, but I won’t be mentioning it here. The second group of characters that actually got some major playing time came from this continent.
There is a medieval-style city called Rames on the continent’s southern shore. It is ruled by three elven siblings who are also triplets. (These three elves were the PCs.) These three elves adventured all over the continent as well as Dragon Island and the time-shrouded shores of Biarr with their companions. There last name is Bräss, a very un-elven name but highly appropriate for this setting.
Steamworks aren’t forbidden in Rames as the youngest of the Bräss triplets (Timothy) has been known to dabble in the craft himself. However, it is controlled within the city and there are many regulations regarding its use within the Dominion of Rames. Steamlocks and the like are strictly controlled as are any type of steamworks that are dangerous.
The continent’s east coast is dominated by the steam metropolis known as Dragon City. The Black Emperor is a vicious man that would love to conquer all of Trasunia and then the world. His black-hearted steam knights are feared and loathed across the continent. In truth, the Black Emperor’s bark is worse than his bite. He has to answer to so many levels of government that his personal power tends to be tightly controlled.
The continent’s west coast is one of the few places on the continent where the old traditions stand firm. Steam technology is outlawed here and the denizens of the region will go to any lengths to keep it that way. The region is the wildest place beyond the boundaries of the Wildlands of Malecade (and the untamed seas of the world).
The continent’s north coast is dominated by the peaceful traders of Islet Bay and the wine merchants of, well, the Bay of Wine. This region is the least developed part of Trasunia. After all, I just made that first line up right now. Seriously, I expect this region to be a mix of steamworks and the more traditional medieval-style.
There are only two major islands near Trasunia. The first is Redheart, the home of the wandering hero and outlaw named Rian Smilodon. The entire island fall under one government and that government has never been known for being good-hearted. The citizens of Rames often refer to Redheart as “that bloody place” or “Bloodheart.”
The second major island barely appears on the map. Dragon Island is the traditional breeding territory of all of Rielun’s dragons and is considered holy ground by all dragons. The island is infested with giants and the like, however, no matter how often the dragons try to clean the riff-raff off their home of booty calls.
Steamworks are forbidden on this island. In ages past the Emperors of Dragon City use to pay homage to the dragons of Rielun but that hasn’t been the case for centuries. Now, the monarch of Rames (Darwin Brass) pays tribute to the dragons as the Dragon Samurai.
Another group of islands is worth mentioning. The island chain known as The Bräss Ring is a group of islands controlled by the Dominion of Rames. These islands use to be completely wild until the Bräss triplets convinced the inhabitants to become vassals of Rames. The largest island in the chain, Kristina, is named after the oldest daughter of the Lord of the Dragon.
Unlike most of the other members of the Lions of Malecade, Martyn Lionmountain, or “Tyn” for short, completely embraced the abilities of the damaged steampunk spelljammer ship that the heroes came across. He managed to get it back to his home in Stortic and repair it, eventually.
Tin started out simply as a wizard in AD&D 2E, but I’ve made him a sorcerer and a steamcraft mage for D&D v.3.5. (That class is in the Legends and Lairs Steam and Sorcery sourcebook.) There are rumors on Malecade that The Steam Sorcerer is still alive in his old mountain retreat or that he’s become a steam-powered lich.
The time of the Lions of Malecade existed before Steampunk technology came to dominate Rielun. Thus, most of the members of Lions were more like your classical characters.
Nona Heartwood was a ranger and a thief during the AD&D 2E era. She is considered a CG half-elf ranger/rogue for D&D v.3.5. The elves of Malecade are closely tied to the region of that continent known as the Wildlands, thus they have green skin.
Nona dyed her hair purple most of the time and always wore her pair of magical steampunk-style goggles, which she found in a ruined spelljammer during one of the Lions first adventures together.
I found this image on Pixabay and immediately thought Arcane Space, and the image’s creator even noted it as being a steampunk-inspired creation. This old trader ship would be typical for the Aether skies of Rielunspace — older ships that have fallen out of favour in the space lanes of the Kings’ Monarchy.
I once new a boy
Who dreamed
Of other worlds
With dragons
Dwarves, and elves
Fighting evil with
Sword and spell
And dice
I know him still
There he is
In the mirror
An aging relic
Of another time
He is still a boy
When real life
Lets him dream
[Link]
“Photomontage Mystical” by Lothar Dieterich
In a perfect multiverse
I could ride dragons with Huma
And swing beside the Spider-Force
I lose myself on the shores of Faerûn
Or brandish swords alongside Conan
I can soar the skies with Supergirl
Or sail the stars on a spelljammer
In that multiverse,
I could live, or die, content
[Link]
Parallel World by Gerd Altmann
Dust on the road
The wind stirs the prairie grass
I stand near the tracks,
That cross the highway
The grain elevator is a ghost
It haunts me
The wind whips the dust
I shield my eyes
While my mind tries to shield
The hurt inside
My bike isn’t a steed
Just and escape to nowhere
No hunting bottles and cans today
Only riding with friends
Until our bones ache
We circle our home, this village—
They say it takes a village
But not all villages are equal—
The day wanes
Each one of us,
Pedals home one by one
Until the light is fading
There is supper and TV,
Hockey on a Saturday night,
‘Time for bed’ comes soon
A cat rolls up behind my knees
Purring a soothing sound
I drift away to imagined worlds
To stand with heroes—
Created with my friends—
On the plains of Malecade
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