Mystaran Sliders

Back in 2012 I started a thread^¹ about Mystaran Sliders^², as a way to discuss alternate versions of our favorite game world. I think we had a lot of fun coming up with variations of Mystara, although we never really codified a way of making sliders into a campaign setting. This is my attempt to do so, however please don’t assume this is the only way that players can experience alternate Mystaras. The multiverse is an infinite place, and there are more ways to slide across versions of Mystara than can be listed in this article.

What are Mystaran Sliders?

Every DM’s Mystara is always at least a little bit unique. Even if PCs started out in a world that was entirely based on Mystaran canon, the very fact of playing in the world alters it based on the actions of the players and DM alike. Many times, even Mystaran canon does not agree with itself, so two entirely “canon” worlds could end up being completely different from each other. This is, of course, fine. Every campaign setting is created to tell a specific story anyway, so differences are not only expected, but guaranteed. When exploring “your version of Mystara” in a single campaign, the fact that other campaigns differ, wouldn’t even matter.

However… there is an allure to exploring alternate versions of Mystara, especially when setting up a new campaign world to play in. New versions of Mystara, by their very nature, bring along new and exciting ideas for DMs and players alike. Once the campaign begins and the players get to know the world, there is little room to change it. Player agency and DM plots can alter a setting, but usually only in a linear fashion, moving the campaign into the future. Such actions rarely alter the underlying fabric of the campaign setting… but what if they could?

Is there a way to allow play groups to explore interesting variations of the campaign setting… even on a transitory basis?

[Sidebar1: Infinite Realities of Mystara]

Many different mediums have explored alternate realities; comic books, DC Crisis, movies and TV shows, Marvel’s What if, The Spiderverse movies, No Way Home, Star Trek reboots, etc. Of note, the TV show “Sliders” explored alternate versions of our own world and was the inspiration of the original thread on The Piazza.

Within the confines of Mystara the terms dimension, plane, universe, and multiverse all have specific (and different) meanings. To distinguish the parallel Mystaran campaign worlds in this article we will use the term “alternate reality” when referencing one of those worlds, and the term “infinite realities” when referencing the totality of all possible alternate worlds.

Sliding Methods

There are various methods and processes that can be used to facilitate travel between parallel realities.

Magical Portals

Magical portals exist throughout the world, either created through ancient mystical practices or as natural occurrences of a magical world. Some of these portals may allow travel between parallel realities. In the Known World, locations such as the Ethengarian Hakomen sites, the good and bad magic sites in Alfheim, and others, can be used to send PCs to different worlds.

Nithian Pyramids

Ancient pyramids found throughout the lands often contain magical powers that few alive in modern times could explain, or even fathom. These locations can be found in Ylaruam, in lands as far away as the Savage Baronies to the west, and in Thothian territories on the Isle of Dawn to the east. Manipulating the raw arcane powers of these ancient temples may open portals to other worlds and realities, however consistently controlling the destinations is difficult at best.

Comeback Inn

Although the Comeback Inn is well known in the world of Mystara as a mystical conveyance that can send travelers across time and space, it can on occasion send travelers even further. The Comeback Inn is sometimes described as having a will of its own, and those who use it as a conveyance rarely have any say in where they end up. The Comeback Inn simply sends travelers where they “need” to go, and rarely where they “want” to go.

[Sidebar2: Time Travel Variant]

Rather than treating each of the worlds of the infinite reality as a parallel world, some DMs might prefer to use them as alternate worlds that are created when the main Mystaran Timeline is disrupted. This may occur when PCs use the Comeback Inn (for example) to travel back in time and alter the course of history.

Ytsarman

Ytsarman is an enigmatic figure even among the oldest group of Immortals. Some claim he was once an Immortal who has since passed through the Great Barrier. Others say that Ytsarman was a power akin to the Immortals, but separate from them, or that he is an Immortal from some as yet unknown Sphere of Power.

Very little is known of Ytsarman, as he has not been seen in Immortal circles since before the time of most modern Immortals (those that can still remember their history). Attributed to Ytsarman is the rarest of artifacts, allowing travel between parallel realities, Ytsarman’s Mystical Multiversal Variator.

Ytsarman’s Mystical Multiversal Variator

Many versions of this artifact exist across the multiverse. Most of them look like a puzzle box, but unique variations in any shape or form may be found. Each of them has some form of twisting bands, sliding beads, tied knots, or some other means of creating unique physical combinations represented on the device. By configuring the YMMV differently it can be used to open portals to new worlds, but activating the variator always requires these things:

Puzzle Variance: Each world reachable by the variator can be represented by some pictographic image or physical puzzle combination created by the variator. Known worlds can be input into the device with a successful Knowledge check. A new check can be made each day.

Finding the correct combination for a desired, but unknown world, requires a successful History check, Arcana check, or successful divination attempt. The variator user may input a random combination, but the destination world in that case must be determined by the DM.

Sacrifice: Once the variator is configured correctly, the artifact requires a specific sacrifice in order to activate and open a portal. The sacrifice is usually something minor (costing 5 gp or less), but may hold significant importance to the user or may be something specific to the world they currently inhabit. Finding the correct sacrifice requires a successful History check, Arcana check, or successful divination attempt. Sacrificial objects are specific to the starting world - destination world combination, however once they are known they do not change. Sacrificial objects are usually consumed once the portal is created.

Portals created by the variator remain open for 1 + 1d4 rounds before closing, and any creatures passing through the portal during that period will find themselves deposited in a new world within a 15-foot radius of one another.

Omega World

A Mystaran Sliders based campaign can be based in Omega World, a version of Mystara where the Immortals and their servants live sealed inside a version of the Hollow World. Adventurers may originate from this bizarre world, or they may find themselves transported here from across the infinite realities of existence.

After the FSS Beagle crashed on this world Blackmoor rose to power at an astonishing rate. By reverse-engineering the technology of the crashed ship, they were able to colonize Mystara’s solar system, several nearby star systems, and even neighboring planes. When the Great Rain of Fire happened however, the devastation was catastrophic. The Immortals turned against Blackmoor, deciding it was better to wipe that nation out than suffer such a disaster again, but Blackmoor was too strong. The war between Blackmoor and the Immortals doomed all sentient life in the system, mortal and Immortal.

http://pandius.com/MystaraDestroyedbytheGreatRainofFire.png
Mystara destroyed by the Great Rain of Fire

Outer World

The outer shell of Mystara is little more than a scorched husk. No life survives here for long. Any visiting this reality will find entire landscapes that have been twisted and devastated by magical energies. Planar rifts are known to open and scour the planet, especially from the planes of fire and radiance. Those who do travel to the surface soon contract a deadly wasting disease that kills them slowly even after leaving the cursed landscape.

Inner World

This reality's Hollow World is quite different from the standard variant. The polar openings have been completely sealed by the Omega Council in order to prevent the outer world’s poisonous devastation from seeping in.

Some of the important locations in Omega World are listed below, however in an area as large as the Hollow World there are numerous locales left to the DM to create and explore.

Central Sun

The “central sun” of Omega World is actually a large cylindrical device that looks like a bronze puzzle box with dozens of movable rings along its central axis. Each of the rings is covered in ever-changing glyphs. The entire device is rumored to be powered by a pinprick portal to the Sphere of Energy. Light shed from the sun is dimmer than that of the outer world and bathes the interior in shifting colors, from deep purple to vibrant oranges and pinks. The resulting effect keeps the inner world covered in a perpetual shifting dusk.

Floating Garden

The largest free-floating island in Omega World is the home of Idris, and is overgrown with a lush and blooming wild garden. In the center of the island stands a tall tree, the last sapling of the One Tree which Idris fled her home reality with. Within the jungle garden Idris trains her troops before sending them to fortresses across Omega World, or on expeditions to neighboring realities. As the garden island floats across the inner sphere of Omega World, tributes from the various cultures living there flock to the banner of Idris.

Floating Ring Islands

Several concentric rings of smaller floating islands orbit around the central sun. The islands are held together by strands of spiderweb and rotate around the sun at a steady rate. It is from these locations, and only these locations, that portals to other realities are formed (either outgoing or incoming). Loki’s Spell of Defence ensures that portals can not be opened anywhere else.

Benekander resides here, studying the YMMV and advising adventurers on their journeys. The Immortal is also instrumental in planning any expeditions to realities that may benefit Omega World and its Immortal Council.

Last City

The Last City, otherwise known as Omega City, or the World City, is a vast discontiguous structure that stretches across the inner surface of Omega World. Connected by web lines that stretch across Iciria and over the inner seas, the major population centers are in the middle of the World Spine Mountains, the Antalian Peaks, Anathay Archipelago, and on the polar islands.

Most structures are constructed of silk and living trees transplanted from Arachne Prime’s home reality on Thorn, and she has taken on the responsibility of nurturing and maintaining their growth. Outside the major population centers, the architecture becomes less monolithic and more eclectic, representing cultures that have been transported from innumerable realities.

Lighthouse

Near the center of the World Spine Mountains, pointing directly up at the inner sun, is the Lighthouse. The massive tower stretches upwards for nearly two miles. At the top, dozens of ethereal spiderweb-like cables stretch out and connect to floating islands that hang motionless in the sky nearby.

The floating islands are attached to the lighthouse from all directions and extend from the top of the lighthouse up to the central sun. An intricate pattern of gigantic spiderwebs connect the floating islands with the lighthouse as well as to one another.

All of the lore collected about the infinite realities is stored somewhere within the main lighthouse or one of its connected floating islands (also known as vaults). Ka and his agents maintain vigilant security on all of their records, but information is shared with adventurers and other affiliated groups that are willing to traverse the infinite realities on errands for Omega World.

Polar Seals

On the outer world, the polar seals are covered by oceans and ice caps. From the inner world the seals are covered in oceans, with two large mountainous islands at the center of each seal. Each of these mountains house numerous outposts and fortresses occupied by phase spider militaries. These units keep watch over the polar seals as well as across the entirety of Omega World’s inner surface.

Tethered Islands

Most floating islands, other than those orbiting around the central sun, are tethered in place by myriad webs anchoring them close to the ground. A handful are left to float through the atmosphere, serving as mobile transport platforms across the World City.

These islands are regulated by the Omega Council and reserved as territories to be doled out to cultures that have suffered catastrophic destruction at the hands of reality-altering threats. Such cultures are allowed to keep their local forms of government, but are expected to submit to the rule of the Council and dedicate a percentage of their resources to Omega World causes. Wars between cultures are rarely tolerated, although Idris wages mock battles to train their troops on the largest island left floating.

Loki’s Spell of Defense

Having fled fey pursuit from his home reality, Loki became an expert on evading pursuit and remaining hidden. When he arrived at Omega World, Loki made it his sole goal to keep the sanctuary, and its accumulated knowledge, hidden from any and all threats.

The Spell of Defense^³ limits where portals can open within Omega World to several hundred miles radius of the central sun, effectively limiting portals to the floating island rings that orbit the YMMV in the center of this hollow world.

Portals leading to any of the Omega Council’s home realities can also not be activated on Omega World, nor can any portal leading to a reality that has been touched by the Outer Beings. If a reality has ever had contact with an Outer Being (or even one of their servants), it is not possible to open a portal directly to Omega World. Those realities can still be reached by reality sliders, however they must make additional slides in order to connect with them.

Omega Council

The Immortals that make up the Omega Council^⁴ are all from different realities, each of them having fled to Omega World for their own reasons and purposes. Although they each have a unique reason for being here, they have decided to work together in furtherance of their shared objective—protecting themselves and their favored servants from the dangers of the infinite realities.

Unlike most Immortal-populated realities, the five Immortals that make up the council are the only Immortals known to exist here. As such, they roam the confines of the Hollow World alongside their mortal followers, and consider Omega World to be their home plane.

Aracne Prime (LG Energy)

History: Arachne Prime attempted to unify the free races of her world in an alliance against evil, but was confronted by a group of plunderers who broke the alliance and scattered her followers. Arachne and those she could save fled to Omega World, but her reality fell to Entropic Immortals.

Omega World: Arachne and her phase spider followers were the first to discover and colonize the interior of Omega World. Since then she has taken it upon herself to transform the interior of the planet into a sanctuary for those who have suffered the most at the hands of reality-spanning horrors.

Benekander (N Time)

History: Benekander was trapped in the engine of his starship when it collided with Mystara’s magical reality. When the nascent Immortal finally freed himself from his prison he found a universe devoid of all life (both mortal and Immortal). Luckily he was also able to discover an abandoned YMMV which led him directly to Omega World.

Omega World: Benekander spends most of his time studying the YMMV embedded in Omega World as its central sun. He has an extra artifact, a small hand-held version found on one of his infrequent forays, that he may lend out to worthy adventurers.

Idris (NE Matter)

History: Once Ordana’s favored servant, Idris was the protector of the elven race in her reality. When her people were betrayed and driven to extinction, Idris fled with whatever remnants she could to rebuild elven society in a new reality.

Omega World: Idris and her elves are tasked with the protection of Omega World and the peoples that have flocked there. Whenever she can, Idris pulls dying elven societies from across the infinite realities and finds homes for them in Omega World. Her armies train constantly, performing mock combats across the inner shell of the planet, using her floating garden island as a base of operations.

Idris has a strong hatred for dragons, and in truth distrusts Ka immensely, although grudgingly she admits the benefits of having him on the Council. She often partners with Ka and Benekander to find adventurous mortals that can do the Council’s bidding in far realities.

http://pandius.com/CarnifexWarrior.jpg

A carnifex warrior, original drawing by author

Ka (CE Entropy)

History: Ka was one of the first carnifex to attain immortality in the Sphere of Entropy where he quickly rose in the ranks. The carnifex however, soon switched allegiances to the Outer Beings, and they and their patrons did their best to eliminate the old order of Immortals. Ka narrowly escaped his reality, vowing vengeance on all those that opposed him.

Omega World: From his inner sanctum in Omega World, Ka is a collector of information and secrets. Ostensibly he uses this information to strengthen Omega World and its forces; however Ka may have other plans as well. Overtly paranoid when it comes to the Outer Beings and their servitors, Ka distrusts anyone of reptilian descent. He will often use adventurers as proxies to ferret out secrets and bring them back to him.

Loki (CG Thought)

History: Loki and his brother Thor were instrumental in keeping their people safe during a very tumultuous time in their history. They both achieved immortality just as the fey overthrew the Immortals and began to purge their reality of their enemies. Thor performed a last-ditch gambit to distract the fey, allowing Loki and a handful of Antalians to escape their pursuers.

Omega World: Loki is instrumental in keeping Omega World hidden from outside dangers and incursions from other realities. A “trickster god,” Loki turns his penchant for deceit and deception outward, anticipating his enemies’ moves and disrupting their plans before anyone is the wiser. Loki’s Spell of Defence has enabled Omega World to remain hidden from dangerous realities for centuries, and he takes an active role to ensure that his magic, and vigilance, maintains its potency.

Major Races

Nearly any race or culture from Mystara’s infinite realities can be found here, although there are several prominent cultures that dominate Omega World.

Antalians

By the time that the Antalians arrived, they were met by a world already populated by spider races and elves. Undaunted, and encouraged by their patron Loki, they claimed territory along the northern mountain peaks of Iciria, and have spread northward toward the pole ever since. Antalians have maintained a warrior culture, but one based primarily on guile rather than strength. They are proud warriors and can be trusted companions, always with a story on their lips. In other realities their tales are prized trophies, however they pride themselves on never speaking the truth about Omega World to outsiders, and in fact most have willingly accepted magical wards that ensure this.

Elves

Elves have been on Omega World almost as long as Arachne Prime’s phase spider followers, and the original followers of Idris have bolstered their numbers with refugees from other elven cultures across the infinite realities. There are forest elves, desert and ice elves, and even those that live in caverns beneath the mountains. All dedicated to Idris and her dream of a safe haven for elvenkind.

Phanatons

Most phanaton are content to work alongside the spider-folk neighbors to build up and maintain the World City. Some clans have reverted back to a more primitive form of existence and live among the forests and jungles of Iciria.

Spider-kin

There are dozens, if not hundreds of spider-kin cultures scattered across the World City. Phase spider followers of Arachne Prime are predominant, but other species abound as well, including aranea (those that change shape, as well as those that keep their form), chitines, choldrith, ettercap, kruthiks, and even some small populations of neogi.

The spider-kin in Omega World are what holds civilization together in this reality. They serve as leaders, scribes, architects, mages, and even warriors. Although cultures new to Omega World typically have an inborn fear of spider-kin, this quickly passes after only a few generations.

Dangers of the Infinite Realities

Most Mystaras are variations of Mystara Prime, however some few are so different and alien that they present grave threats to the rest of the infinite realities. Some of those dangers are presented below.

Urkarnns^⁵

The carnifex of Immortal’s End, otherwise known as urkarrns, have conquered their own reality, eradicating all traces of the Immortals and replacing them with the supremacy of the Outer Beings. A decade ago the urkarnns uncovered a strange artifact while excavating an ancient Immortal stronghold on their world. After studying the device, a YMMV, for a few years, the carnifex were finally able to decipher its uses. Now they have begun exploring the infinite realities, looking for worlds ripe for conquest.

Currently their expansion is slow-going. The urkarnns have begun infecting several worlds, moving troops and cultists to infiltrate key positions in the most powerful nations of each world. Once worship of the Outer Beings takes hold on these worlds the carnifex will unleash more of their forces and begin conquest in earnest. The real threat however, will come once the urkarnns are capable of creating more YMMV artifacts on their own, allowing them to spread quickly to more worlds in the infinite realities.

Infinite Egg

The Egg of Coot captured its own YMMV and has since been reaching out across realities to other Eggs that have managed to survive across the ages. Every other version of itself that the Infinite Egg finds is rapidly consumed and replaced with a version of itself. Once the Infinite Egg has tendrils in an alternate reality it begins the process of consuming that world. The Infinite Egg is able to connect realities it has touched, merging them together and creating a network of linked realities where the Egg is the ultimate ruler.

Millennia have passed since the Infinite Egg began this process and it has completely consumed dozens of worlds and has its tendrils in dozens more. On most worlds that the Egg covets, its most fervent enemies are the remnants of Blackmoor, and sometimes even the contemporary Egg itself. Lately agents of the Rad Variance Authority (RVA see description below) have become interested in some of the same worlds as the Infinite Egg, and the two powers may start to clash.

Ka Omega

Unknown to all, the largest danger to the infinite realities is Ka Omega himself. Ka has been seething with rage and a desire for vengeance since he was driven from his own reality by the Outer Beings. On some level he actually has a healthy amount of respect for the devastation that the Outer Beings caused in his reality, however Ka harbors the deepest resentment that those entities stole his opportunity to destroy his fellow Immortals. Long ago Ka decided that his only recompense would be to destroy the infinite realities altogether.

For millennia Ka has been amassing information and secrets regarding the infinite realities. He spends every moment of every day plotting and planning to destroy all of reality.

Plot Seeds

The following are several plot seeds that can be used and expanded upon for use with Omega World or reality-spanning adventurers.

Antalian Raiding Party

Omega Antalians constantly raid other realities from Omega World in order to bring treasures and secrets back to their Immortal patrons.

Omega PCs: PCs are part of the raiding party to a neighboring reality. They must successfully retrieve enough treasure to impress their superiors, and at the same time make sure they are not traced back to Omega World.

Defending PCs: The PCs are minding their own business when Antalian raiders appear out of nowhere. Unfortunately the Antalians make off with an item of great importance, and the PCs must track them down to retrieve it.

RVA Infiltrators

The RVA has learned of an extensive list of interesting realities located in one of Ka’s Vaults. Acquiring the list would give the dwarves countless worlds to plunder radiance secrets from.

RVA PCs: The PCs are agents of the RVA or have for some reason promised to work with them. They are tasked with the mission of breaking into one of Ka’s vaults and returning with information about radiance world locations.

Omega PCs: The PCs are tasked by Ka with preventing intruders from accessing one of his vaults. Additionally, Ka wants to know who would dare attempt such an act and what information they are looking for.

Thor Escaped

Unknown to Loki, his brother did indeed survive their flight from the angered fey controlling their reality. The fey have been holding Thor ever since, in an attempt to find out how Loki and his followers escaped.

Fey PCs: PCs are on the side of the fey and must either defend their prisoner or follow those who rescue him back to their stronghold. When Loki sends his agents to free Thor, the PCs must be ready for either contingency.

Omega PCs: Rumors have filtered into Omega World that the fey of Loki’s reality have an imprisoned Immortal. Loki hardly dares to hope it is his brother, but must find out. He sends the PCs to determine who the fey are holding, and bring them back to Omega World safely if possible.

Thor has been in captivity for millennia, possibly longer due to the way time works for the fey, and he has subsequently lost his mind. Regardless of which side the PCs are on, they will be in for quite a surprise once Thor realizes he might taste freedom. The shattered Immortal is more powerful than he lets on, and his crazed intellect makes him unpredictable.

Creating Variant Mystaras

By altering the history and demographic of Mystara at any given point in its history, one can create an entirely unique world for your players to experience. Pick a flashpoint of interest in Mystara and alter it so that the world unfolds in a different way, or use one or more of the tables below to help you find a focal point for divergence.

Change History

Create a change in a time period which is important to the development of a nation or culture in Mystara’s past.

http://pandius.com/SinkingofTaymora.png

Sinking of Taymora

Change a Cataclysm

Alter a cataclysm that happened sometime in Mystara’s past. You could remove the cataclysm entirely, have it happen during a different time frame, or alter any aspect of the event.

Change a Nation

Modify something related to a single nation or region of the world. The changes could happen within the region of the specified nation, or to the peoples and cultures that live there.

http://pandius.com/Threshold_7_Lupin.png

Lupin, original drawing by I.Calvin

Change Races

Other Worlds

Following are just some examples of alternate worlds from the infinite realities. Most are simply parallel worlds that have evolved in different directions from Mystara Prime, however some worlds may also be home to reality-spanning adventurers and organizations.

At the height of elven civilization in Evergrun, Idris, the high priestess of Ordana, discovered a plot by evil dragonkind to steal elven magic. Idris was able to defend Ordana’s sacred One Tree but at the cost of her own life. Ordana rewarded her servant by placing her soul in a new elven body, with Idris’ memories intact. Idris spent her new life tracking down and destroying Ordana’s enemies, eventually attaining immortality.

Unfortunately once Idris attained immortality the dragons made their move, destroying the One Tree and elven society. Even her patron Immortal Ordana was trapped and destroyed. Idris grabbed the last remnant of the One Tree and fled, unknowingly leaving her reality in the process.

Dwarves of Glantri

Historical Fulcrum: BC 1,800 Kagyar alter the dwarven race, and AC 800 the Glantrian plague

The dwarves of this reality were never altered by Kagyar in BC 1,800. When the Glantrian plague struck in AC 800, dwarves died alongside everyone else and were never blamed for the plague. Records from the Shimmering Lands pointed to the radiance being responsible, and dwarves used that information to become the prominent leaders in Glantri.

Led by Rad, the Rad Variance Authority (RVA) rules over Glantri with an iron fist, using the power of the Nucleus of the Spheres (NoS) to become the preeminent nation in Brun, rivaling the power of the Alphatian Empire in the east.

RVA

The RVA is able to travel across the infinite realities and is dedicated to the discovery and acquisition of radiance technology. They have outposts on several different realities and continue to expand their influence.

Entropy Wins

Shortly after attaining immortality Arachne Prime began to fortify the Plane of Thorn, in the hope that she could protect it from the overwhelming forces of evil that had begun to encroach upon it. Ultimately Arachne and her forces were overwhelmed, and she and her followers barely managed to escape by fleeing to a parallel reality.

While this reality has many parallels to Mystara Prime, most of the mortal nations here worship Entropic Immortals, and devote their energy to entirely evil pursuits. The few non-evil Immortals (and their worshipers) that still exist here, do so as rebels and pariahs, fighting a never-ending battle against overwhelming odds.

Fey Ascendancy

Historical Fulcrum: BC 1,700 Era of Taymoran and Glantrian cataclysms and Fey

Thor and Loki lead the Antalians against the forces of Grondheim even as that nation’s patrons complete a master stroke. The Troll Queen is able to use ancient magics combined with Blackmoorian technology to merge the Fey Realm with the Prime Material Plane. Shortly thereafter she and her fey court are able to overthrow and replace the Immortals.

In this reality the fey rule supreme, and Mystara has been merged into the fey realm.

Forbidden Nation

Historical Fulcrum: BC 1,000 Era of Alphatia and BC 500 Spell of Oblivion, Nithia erased from history

When the Immortals of this reality cast the Spell of Oblivion something terrible went wrong. Memory of the Nithians was erased from the minds of most mortals, but also from the minds of the Immortals. The only living beings who remembered Nithia were the remnants of the Nithians themselves. Since then, they have rebuilt an empire beneath the expanding sands of Nithia, hidden from mortals and Immortals alike.

While maintaining a small stronghold underneath the sands of Ylaruam, the Nithian Wizards have deemed it safer to disperse across the infinite realities to keep themselves hidden from the Immortals of their world. They call themselves the Cabal of None, and seek ways to protect themselves from Immortal magic.

Cabal of None

Formerly wizards from Nithia, the Cabal of None have established small hidden outposts across the infinite realities. While they one day hope to reestablish the Nithian Empire, they also know that the Immortals in most realities would oppose such an effort. For now they travel in secret, looking for artifacts and magic that will help them to rebuild their nation and prevent the Immortals from erasing them in the future.

Galactic Rain of Fire

The FSS Beagle and its technological power source makes contact with Mystara’s magical plane of existence, sending a technomantic energy wave through all of space-time. Magic shorts out of the universe, and most life forms starve and devolve. In just a few centuries the Immortals themselves have faded from existence and the Material Plane is a lifeless wasteland.

Hutaakan Oasis

When Nithia falls, the hutaakans and their servitor races swoop in to fill the void. When the elves arrive in BC 700 and begin siphoning the water away from Nithia, the hutaakans realize exactly what they are doing and confront them. Rather than escalating the confrontation to violence the two cultures pool their resources and redirect the elven magic to territories outside of Greater Nithia (which contains the regions of Alfheim, Ylaruam, and portions of Darokin and Thyatis). Over the next few centuries southeastern Brun is transformed into a vast desert, except for the core of Nithia. Hutaakans and elves rule over their territories with an iron fist.

Immortals End

Soon after the carnifex forsake worship of the Immortals for the Outer Beings, the power dynamic in this reality shifts. The Outer Beings attain mastery here, driving Immortals from every Sphere, including that of Entropy, to oppose them. Unfortunately the concerted resistance comes too late, and the Immortals and their followers are purged from existence. A few Immortals, including Ka, manage to escape and vow vengeance on the Outer Beings and their servitors.

Now this reality is one dominated by the Outer Beings, inimical to native life forms and teeming with unspeakable creatures and horrors that defy sanity. Their primary servitors are the carnifex, a wholly twisted and perverted race of saurians.

Urkarnns

The carnifex in this reality, known as the urkarrns, have very recently acquired a YMMV, and are beginning to probe neighboring realities with their forces. With only one working YMMV their expansion is slow-moving, but the depravity and corruption that they bring with them are contagious and spread like wildfire.

Infinite Egg

Historical Fulcrum: BC 3,000 The Great Rain of Fire and the Era of Blackmoor

The Egg of Coot defeats Blackmoor and becomes supreme master of Mystara. One of the artifacts it finds underneath Castle Blackmoor is a YMMV. The Egg integrates this artifact into its technomagic circuitry. Although it can not travel into other realities physically, it is able to copy its mind into contemporary Eggs that exist in other realities.

Intellect of the Egg

Not many realities exist where the Egg of Coot survived the destruction of Blackmoor, and the longer the Infinite Egg lives, the fewer it is able to find. Still it searches, looking for remnants of itself that survived the ancient times of Mystara… looking for versions of itself that it can consume. Once the Infinite Egg finds a version of itself, it begins the process of copying its intellect into that open vessel. Thus does the Egg of Coot’s world grow.

Reality Merchants

A minor trade house, Tabaur, stumbles across an amazing find while dealing with Hulean merchants to the west. The house scions acquire a strange puzzle box-like artifact, and are able to decipher its powers. Using the YMMV they explore several realities and are able to bring untold riches back to their House. Their meteoric rise catapults them to the highest levels of the Darokinian plutocracy, and their empire rapidly expands to cover most of the Known World.

Tabaur House Merchants

Lanirah Tabaur, matriarch of House Tabaur, has led her family business for the past 17 years, 15 of those with access to a YMMV. The access to other realities that the device provides her, has allowed Lanirah to build a mercantile empire. House Tabaur slide from world to world looking for unique artifacts, artwork, and even secrets that they can sell back home or abroad.

Rockhome Elves

Elves fleeing the explosion of the Blackmoor device in BC 1,700 found themselves in subterranean caverns beneath Rockhome. The elves clash with dwarves in the process of rebuilding their civilization, and manage to wipe them out utterly. Few true dwarves remain, and those that do are fractured and scattered. Major dwarven settlements over time are replaced by elven settlements from Rockhome.

The presence of magic-wielding elves in eastern Brun forestalls the destruction of Nithia by 1,000 years. Alfheim is never established, and elven influence on Nithia prevents them from welcoming the Alphatian settlers in the east. Once Nithia’s corruption finally catches up with that nation, the destruction is catastrophic. Much of southeastern Brun lies smoldering even in the present day, as civilization attempts to re-establish itself in the region. The prominent civilization in the area remains the elves, who once again fled underground to avoid Nithia’s downfall.

Sunken Glantri

Historical Fulcrum: AC 1,004 Wrath of the Immortals and AC 1,006 the sinking of Alphatia

When Glantri unleashed their doomsday weapon upon Alphatia at the end of the Wrath of the Immortals war, the Nucleus of the Spheres failed catastrophically. Instead of destroying Alphatia, the destructive energies were unleashed upon Glantri, sinking it, and much of southeastern Brun, into the sea.

In this reality the nation of Glantri has been moved to the Hollow World by the Immortals, while Alphatian warlords fight over the remnants of what was once the Known World. Survivors of the cataclysm cling to small island nations scattered throughout the Sea of Dread (which has expanded to encompass all lands from Glantri southward).

Thara’s Taymora

Historical Fulcrum: BC 1,750 Taymora falls into the sea and the Broken Lands

Taymora partially collapses, but does not sink into the sea. Instead a central sea forms in the Darokin-Atruaghin-Alfheim region. Amidst the destruction humanoids emerge from the depths and are used by the Taymorans to bolster their forces. Since then, the vampire queens and their new humanoid minions have expanded their dominion across the rest of southern Brun.

Queen Thara, an orcish vampire from Daro Province, has overthrown the local Taymoran governor and taken control of the region. Most of the eastern empire has flocked to her banner, and Taymora girds itself for its largest civil war since before Brun sunk.

Witch World

The Troll Queen of Grondheim completes the ritual to grant her and her descendants magical supremacy, and in this reality the ritual is a success. The Blackmoorian device under northern Grondheim (southern Glantri/Broken Lands) does not explode, and the fey rules are able to bring the planar boundaries of Mystara and the Fey Realm closer together.

Giant kingdoms, all owing fealty to the Troll Queen, spring up along southern and eastern Brun, in Borea, and across the Isle of Dawn. The smaller races are relegated to servant status at best, and must struggle to eke out a living under their giantish and fey masters.

2I also want to thank everyone who contributed ideas to that thread including Culture20, RobJN, Seer of Yhog, LoZompatore, DJShade, Ashtagon, ripvanwormer, and Gawain_VIII

3Unless otherwise noted, the Spell of Defense only regulates portal magic within the inner shell of Mystara on this reality. The outer world (protected by a layer of World Shield Ore) is not affected.

4Although the Immortals of the Omega Council are based on those found in WotI or Codex Immortalis (or other sources), they are by design different entities. Each has a unique history and motivation, and are from different Spheres of Power than their more known contemporaries.

5The urkarnns are an homage to the kromaggs of the original Sliders series (whose name was a play on the early hominid species of cro-magnons) and to Geoff Gander’s ur-carnifex (early carnifex variant) first seen in the Hollow Moon setting.

Table A: Mystara Historical Period
D100	Time Period	Description
01–03	BC 10,000	Era of the carnifex and Lhomarrians
04–10	BC 6,000	Dawn of Elves
11–15	BC 4,000	Era of Blackmoor
16–20	BC 2,300	Aftermath of the Great Rain of Fire
21–25	BC 1,800	Kagyar alters the dwarven race
26–30	BC 1,700	Era of Taymoran and Glantrian cataclysms
31–40	BC 1,500	Era of Nithia
41–50	BC 1,000	Era of Alphatia
51–60	BC 700	Fall of Nithia and Rise of Alfheim
61–70	AC 0	Rise of Thyatis
71–80	AC 400	Flaems find Mystara and rise of Braerje
81–90	AC 1,000	Modern era
91–00	AC 1,004	Wrath of the Immortals

Table B: Mystara Cataclysm
D100	Cataclysm	Description
01–05	BC 3,000	The Great Rain of Fire
06–10	BC 2,400	Vulcanian volcanic eruption
11–15	BC 1,290	Oenkmarian volcanic eruption
16–27	BC 1,750	Taymora falls into the sea
28–40	BC 1,700	Blackmoor device in Glantri explodes
41–50	BC 1,000	Beastman invasion
51–60	BC 600	Alphatian lycanthropy
61–70	BC 500	Spell of Oblivion, Nithia erased from history
71–80	BC 500	Red Curse
81–87	AC 600	Destruction of the Sylvan Realm
88–94	AC 800	Glantrian plague
95–00	AC 1,006	Sinking of Alphatia

Table C: Mystaran Nations
D100	Nation/Region	Description
01–10	Thyatis	The Thyatians established a large empire on the southeast coast of Brun in AC 0.
11–20	Alphatia	Alphatians fled their home on an alternate plane circa BC 2,000 and wandered the planes until finding Mystara where they helped founding nations such as Glantri, Ierendi, and Alphatia proper.
21–25	Karameikos	Once a part of the Thyatian Empire, Karameikos was granted independence from the empire in AC 970.
26–30	Ylaruam	A desert nation on eastern Brun, Ylaruam was once ruled over by the Nithians, but the Spell of Oblivion has erased all memory of that nation from history.
31–40	Glantri	A cabal of arcane princes rule over the magocracy of Glantri. The center of their nation houses the ancient artifact known as the Nucleus of the Spheres.
41–45	Ierendi	Formed from the sunken lands of Taymora, Ierendi is now a nation of pirates and thrill-seekers.
46–50	Alfheim	Elves from the Sylvan Realm migrated to these lands in BC 700, and using their magic were able to turn the surrounding plains into a vast and dense forest home.
51–57	Rockhome	Dwarves established the nation of Rockhome circa BC 1,800 after migrating from northern lands centuries before. Their civilization covers both the surface of that region, as well as a vast system of caverns under the mountains.
58–60	Northern Reaches	Antalians have roamed these lands since the ice receded in BC 2,500. They are a culture of warriors and maritime raiders.
61–65	Five Shires	Hin from the Shires first settled Brun circa BC 1,300, and have established a succession of kingdoms along the coast over the millennia since.
66–70	Minrothad	Formed from the sunken lands of Taymora, Minrothad was colonized by settlers from Nithia and has since grown into a multicultural mercantile sea power.
71–75	Broken Lands	Humanoids have populated the Broken Lands since they were formed by the cataclysm of BC 1,700. They have remained a constant threat to the civilized nations of the Known World ever since.
76–81	Darokin	Darokin is a nation of merchants located at the western edge of the Known World.
82–85	Ethengar	Ethengarians have roamed these northern lands for millennia. Nomadic warriors who raid from horseback, the Ethengarians have a blood feud with the mages of Glantri.
86–90	Shadowdeep	Elves fleeing the Glantrian disaster in BC 1,700 were able to colonize these deep lands and are now known as shadow elves. Other creatures may also inhabit the deep realms, and tales tell that another world with a red sun can be reached through the passages.
91–96	Atruaghin	Ancestors of the Atruaghin survived the Great Rain of Fire by seeking shelter under the Great Plateau. Now their culture lives atop a Great Plateau that was rebuilt by the Immortals.
97–99	Savage Baronies	The Savage Baronies have been settled by waves of immigrants from the Known World over the ages. Several different nations now hold sway here.
00	Hollow World	The Hollow World was created circa BC 5,000 and is the cultural museum of the Immortals and houses cultures from across the eons of Mystaran existence.

Table D: Mystaran Races
D100	Race	Description
01–20	Humans	Roll again on the Nations table to determine human ethnicity/nationality.
21–30	Dwarves	Dwarves migrated to Brun from the north circa BC 2,500, and have since radiated from Rockhome to the Savage Baronies, the Sea of Dread, and Alphatia.
31–40	Elves	Elves have had multiple migration routes to Brun throughout the eons. From Vulcania, the Sylvan Realm, and to and back from the Shadowdeep.
41–50	Hin	Hin migrated to Brun circa BC 1,300 from the shores of Davania.
51–55	Rakasta	Groups of rakasta have dwelt from the Savage Baronies to the deep interior of Davania.
56–60	Lupins	Lupins have existed since ancient times, in the regions of Ylaruam, Karameikos, and along the southwestern shores of Brun.
61–65	Aranea	Populations of aranea have existed on the Isle of Dawn, throughout the Sea of Dread, and in the Savage Baronies.
66–75	Lizardfolk	Ancient groups of lizardkin once lived in the region of Ylaruam and all along the southwestern coasts of Brun.
76–90	Humanoids	Humanoids have played a huge role on the continent of Brun from the time of the beastmen of Blackmoor to present day. They can include orcs, goblinoids, gnolls, ogres, trolls, and others.
91–95	Fey	Fey have existed on Mystara since time immemorial, and have interacted with and altered the world in numerous ways.
96–99	Dragons	Dragons are one of the first races to emerge on Mystara and have altered the course of countless cultures and nations.
00	Carnifex	On Mystara Prime, the carnifex were locked away for their crimes by the Immortals. Since, they have dwelled in a prison plane with their abhorrent patrons, the Outer Beings.