Savage Coast Campaign Book
Credits
Design: Tim Beach and Bruce Heard
Additional Design: David Gross, Cindi M. Rice, and Ed Stark
Editing: Cindi M. Rice
Editorial Assistance: Tony Bryant, Jonatha Ariadne Caspian, and Lester Smith
Project Coordination: Karen S. Boomgarden
Art Coordination: Bob Galica
Cover Painting: Paul Jaquays
Cartography: John Knecht and Diesel
Graphic Design: Heather Le May
Based in part on the "Princess Ark" series by Bruce Heard and partially derived from the work of Merle and Jackie Rasmussen.
Play-testing and Review: Many people at WarCon, Hurricon, and Concentric; Carrie A. Bebris; Anne Brown; Steven Brown; Bruce Cordell; Miranda Horner; Mike Huebbe; Kevin Melka; Sean Reynolds; and Ed Stark
Special Thanks to the following, without whom this would have been a lesser product: Rich Baker, Wolfgang Baur, Tim Brown, Angela Clay, William W. Connors, David "Zeb" Cook, Patty Corbett, Flint Dille, Dan Donelly (and the Society of the Grand Gauche), Cathy Griffin, David Gross, Jeff Grubb, Andria Hayday, Bruce Heard, Dori Hein, Gordon Hookailo, Gwendolyn Kestrel, Brad Lavendar, Julia Martin, Colin McComb, Dominic Messinger, Bruce Nesmith, Faith Price, John Rateliff, Thomas Reid, Marshall Simpson, Bill Slavicsek, Lester Smith, Dave Sutherland, Audra Timmer, Sue Weinlein, Skip Williams, David Wise, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (especially John Cereso and Ky Hascall)
Copyright (c) 1996 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Made in the U.S.A.
ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, DRAGON, DUNGEON MASTER, AD&D, MYSTARA, MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM, and RED STEEL are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. MONSTROUS MANUAL, SAVAGE COAST, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.
This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorised use of the material or artwork printed herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.
Foreword
A crimson shadow covers this lush land.
I have spent much of my life exploring the Savage Coast, discovering its history and learning its secrets. I saw the effects of the Red Curse before most people knew of it and I saw the results when the curse spread to all parts of this beautiful expanse.
I have undertaken the task of creating a history of the Red Curse, from theories about its origins to descriptions of its varied effects. I will describe the history of the Inheritors, those people who have learned to manipulate the powers of the curse, and I will tell of our efforts to end the reign of the curse.
I do this for the people of the Savage Coast, so that should my efforts end in failure, they might learn, and through perseverance, find a way to terminate the affliction that now dominates and diminishes this region.
I will attempt to describe the nations of the coast and the peoples of those nations in order to show what the coast was like before the coming of the curse.
Most importantly, I will try find a way to lift the ruby darkness from our homes.
-- The Chronicle of the Curse
by Don Luis de Manzanas,
Baronet of Aranjuez,
Crimson Inheritor
Welcome to the Savage Coast.
You are now reading the results of an experiment that worked.
In 1992, I was asked to work on a product that eventually became known as the RED STEEL campaign. I would take some excellent material that Bruce Heard had been publishing in DRAGON Magazine, and I would turn it into an accessory for the AD&D game. As originally envisioned, it would be a sort of mini-setting, accompanied by an audio CD with background music. I began writing in 1993, and the original boxed set was published in late 1994. In early 1995, the supplement, Savage Baronies, was released.
By that time, the RED STEEL campaign had received a lot of support and gotten some very favourable reviews. So we decided to do a relaunch, offering the lands of the Savage Coast as a full line of products. You hold the results of that decision in your hands, a book that combines all the material from the original RED STEEL campaign set and the Savage Baronies supplement, along with some new material. More supplements will follow.
I offer my sincere thanks to the readers and players who made this experiment a success, allowing the RED STEEL campaign to continue. I have gathered comments and criticisms from many of you and from playtests and tournaments, and I have tried to incorporate much of your advice into the setting. To those of you who have just discovered the setting, thanks for giving it a try.
I hope you all enjoy The SAVAGE COAST Campaign Book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Tim Beach, May 1995
Overview
The Savage Coast is a land of diversity and adventure. I have been surprised many times in my extensive travels. In this journal, I have attempted to organise my thoughts, so that those who read my work might more easily benefit from this knowledge.
I offer first a summation of my knowledge, an overview perhaps the details that I might reveal to a visitor new to the Savage Coast.
The Chronicle of the Curse
by Don Luis de Manzanas
The lands of the Savage Coast give rise to larger-than-life characters and marvellous adventures. Within this region live not only humans of assorted cultures, but also such races as the ee'aar, lizard kin, rakastas, lupins, and tortles. Moreover, these beings also wield unusual powers granted them by the Red Curse, abilities often accompanied by hideous mutations. Exciting adventures arise out of the struggle to control those powers and acquire the magical metal, red steel, as well as from the natural conflicts of the region's divergent races and cultures.
This book contains all the information needed for a SAVAGE COAST campaign, from descriptions of its nations to rules for creating player characters, and from details on the Legacies of the Red Curse to advice for running adventures. The DM will need to become familiar with all the information contained within, but much of it is aimed at the players as well.
The quantity of material presented here may seem daunting. To ease the burden of digesting the details, this book has been organized into three sections:
* An Atlas of the Savage Coast. This details the lands of the region, including information on geography, culture, religion, customs, and attitudes.
* Characters of the Savage Coast. Devoted to rules, this section covers procedures for generating player characters for SAVAGE COAST campaigns, including new kits, proficiencies, and weapons. Also included are the special rules for the setting, such as the influences of the Red Curse and panache rules.
* Adventures on the Savage Coast. This final portion of the book deals with general campaign directions and background, providing an overview of possible adventures. In addition, a few short quests and one major adventure are included.
The remainder of this section is devoted to a short overview of the campaign setting, introducing several key concepts important in later portions of the text.
Warning! Despite the fact that much of this book contains player information, the DM may wish to keep the secrets within these pages hidden from players. For this reason, it is recommended that the DM read through the material first to decide what sections are appropriate for players to read.
Campaign Flavour
The SAVAGE COAST campaign setting is unique in many ways. Though this fantasy setting has magic, heroes, and everything else one would expect, the new swashbuckling and panache rules add both individual flavour and style. The land also lends fantastic, magical powers to all types of player characters. Still, it is a savage frontier, suffering under a magical bane called the Red Curse.
On the Savage Coast, many non-human races coexist with humans, and many are available as player character races. Players can choose to be canine, feline, or even turtle people. The curse of the Savage Coast also misshapes some people physically, while granting them spell-like powers known as Legacies. Most player characters have one of these powers, and some even gain additional Legacies.
To avoid the deforming effects of the Red Curse, a person must wear cinnabryl, a rare magical ore. As its magical energy depletes with time, cinnabryl becomes red steel. This lightweight yet durable metal can be forged into weapons capable of striking even magical creatures not wounded by normal steel. Naturally, then, cinnabryl is coveted, its acquisition motivating individuals to adventure and nations to war.
The SAVAGE COAST campaign is one of survival and battle, of exploration and politics. It can lead to great power both political and personal for player characters who are bold enough to seize it.
Pronunciation
The languages of the Savage Baronies (Espa and Verdan) are loosely based on Spanish and Portuguese. The following guide is designed for readers unfamiliar with these languages.
In general, the vowels of these languages are pronounced in the Latin style, as follows:
a ah as in father
e eh as in pet (ranging to ay as in fray)
i ee as in clean (sometimes ih as in hit)
o o as in boat
u oo as in boot
When two vowels appear together, they are often rolled together (elided). For example, the correct pronunciation of Narvaez is Nahr-bah-ess. Said quickly, however, it sounds more like Nahr-bise. The combination "ão" generally appears together and is pronounced with a final nasal sound: ah-ohn.
As for consonants, the letter "j" is almost always pronounced in the same way as the letter "h," but a bit more forcefully, while the letter "v" sounds similar to "b." The symbol "ñ" is pronounced almost like ny, so that señor is pronounced almost like sen-yor. The letter "r" is often lightly trilled. The symbol "ç" is approximated by a hard s (almost a "ts"), so Leãoça is pronounced Leh-ah-OH-tsa.
These pronunciations are approximate. The actual sounds tend to be more elegant than these guidelines might lead one to believe. Readers are encouraged to listen to native speakers (as in language audiotapes) for true pronunciations.
What Is Needed to Play
This accessory describes the Savage Coast, a 2,000-mile frontier coastline. To play in this area, one needs only this book and the AD&D game rules Player's Handbook (PHB), DUNGEON MASTER Guide (DMG), and the MONSTROUS MANUAL tome. However, some character classes and races may necessitate additional sources (especially the PHBRs or "Complete Handbooks"). For example, to play a goblinoid character, The Complete Book of Humanoids would be necessary.
Because this setting is intended primarily as an addition to an existing campaign, material on any of the campaign worlds published by TSR, Inc. can be helpful. However, the SAVAGE COAST setting can be used independently.
Other Sources
Though the Savage Coast can exist as virtually any new frontier, its official location is the MYSTARA campaign setting, about 2,000 miles west of the lands of the "Known World."
The Savage Coast was introduced in a module of the same name (D&D game Expert adventure X9), and later expanded in "Tortles of the Purple Sage," which appeared in DUNGEON Adventures issues 6 and 7. These materials describe the Savage Coast of several years ago.
The more recent past of the area has been described in DRAGON Magazine, in two series of articles: "The Princess Ark" and the "Known World Grimoire." Most of those articles have been brought together in the D&D game accessory Champions of Mystara, which describes the travels of the crew of a flying ship.
In this setting, some information from those previous sources has been modified in varying degrees. Most modifications were necessitated by the change from the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game to the ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game. Other changes were made to more tightly unify the structure, add to the adventuring potential, and allow a more fully developed setting. In the case of any disagreements among sources, the material in this campaign book takes precedence.
Because of the many changes, previous source materials are not necessarily helpful. If players possess any of those materials, the DM should explain their knowledge as legends, ancient history, or apocryphal stories. For instance, the logs of the Princess Ark, as found in Champions of Mystara, should be explained as a good story created by a crew with a cultural bias that caused them to translate many things into their own terms, or to create suppositions when facts were unknown.
Helpful Materials
Certain other materials can prove useful for a more fully realised campaign. Since the Savage Coast is "officially" part of the MYSTARA campaign setting, some DMs might wish to peruse the Poor Wizard's Almanac (AC 1010 or AC 1011) or other materials about the MYSTARA campaign. Of particular interest is the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM Appendix for the MYSTARA campaign setting. Most of its monsters can be used on the Savage Coast without too much alteration. Where those monsters are mentioned in this accessory, approximate equivalents from the MONSTROUS MANUAL tome are given as well.
As mentioned, the PHBR series is also useful. The Complete Fighter's Handbook and the Complete Book of Humanoids are especially valuable for campaign expansion.
Also potentially useful is the historical sourcebook HR4, A Mighty Fortress, which describes the Elizabethan age as a setting for the AD&D game. Some material herein comes from that source.
Central Themes
Most of the Savage Coast is a brutal land, often plagued by wars. Decades ago, the riffraff of the world pariahs, criminals, and unscrupulous adventurers colonised its shores on quests for wealth and power. Sometimes, refugees fleeing humanoid invasions and other scourges migrated to the Savage Coast and remained in the unforgiving land.
The Savage Coast has a pronounced "frontier" feel: unexplored areas, old ruins, hostile natives, and so forth. Very little law exists, except as enforced by local nobles or the personally powerful. Often, the law of the jungle prevails. Indeed, the forces of good are an exception more than a rule.
Part of the setting's frontier nature results from the existence of several native races beyond the standard humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings. Some of the native cultures could be described as civilised, while others are either relatively savage or so radically different from human norms as to be unrecognisable. These races include the canine lupins, feline rakastas, reptilian tortles and lizard men, and others. Most are available for use as player characters; see the "Player Characters" chapter later in this book for details.
New fencing and panache rules have also been added to flesh out the swashbuckling character. In defiance of this harsh, unforgiving environment, the hero is revered not only for prowess and strength, but for style. A more detailed description of these rules appears in the "Proficiencies" chapter.
PCs have access to new kits, proficiencies, and equipment; explanations appear in the "Character Kits," "Proficiencies" and "Equipment and Economics" chapters, respectively. The kits describe character roles unique or important to the Savage Coast, while the new proficiencies relate directly to the unusual nature of the area. New equipment includes several new weapons, such as boomerangs and firearms.
Last, but definitely not least, the Red Curse covers most of the Savage Coast, directly or indirectly affecting all those who live there. The magical powers (Legacies) it grants and the horrible deformations it inflicts are fully described in "The Curse and the Legacies," but the following overview explains the basic concepts.
The Red Curse and Legacies
What truly sets this region apart from other places is the curse it bears. Ages ago, a great tragedy befell the land, and ever since, the inhabitants have suffered for it.
The Red Curse's physical manifestation in the region, a red dust called vermeil, permeates the affected territory and beyond. Vermeil extends throughout the reaches of the cursed land and into the lands bordering the curse, lending a red cast to everything within it, from a person's skin to the money that changes hands and the metal used to forge weapons. Red dust storms, red rain, crimson plants, and a pinkish sky all these things distinguish the lands of the Savage Coast. Because the people of the Savage Coast bear this red tint, inhabitants easily recognise newcomers to the land. Although distinguished by vermeil, some outer areas marked by this reddish tint are not directly under the effects of the Red Curse. This area surrounding the cursed lands is called the Haze. The Haze creates a type of buffer zone into which outsiders can journey without being stricken by the curse and Afflicted can travel without detriment.
Within the cursed region, mutations and powers mark the people and animals. Some manage to hold off the deforming effects by wearing cinnabryl or using maintain spells. A select few, known as Inheritors, are even able to collect more than one Legacy within themselves, thereby gaining a great benefit from the Red Curse. Therefore, player characters in this setting can acquire amazing powers with which they can perform super-heroic deeds. That makes the SAVAGE COAST setting a wonderful place for adventure.
Immortals
Unlike most other worlds for the AD&D game, the SAVAGE COAST campaign setting does not have gods; instead, it has Immortals. In many ways, Immortals resemble gods: They have great power, they create religions, and they grant clerical spells to their followers. However, because they were once mortal, Immortals are usually more willing to meddle with mortals than are the gods of other worlds. It is even possible for player characters to attain immortality, though rules for such a change are not included in this accessory. "The Campaign" chapter presents a brief section on the Immortals important to the Savage Coast.
The Savage Coast
The SAVAGE COAST setting can exist anywhere a frontier coastline could be located on the DM's favourite game world. However, care should be taken to place the area where it will not upset the established history of the rest of the world. For more information on fitting the Savage Coast into worlds other than Mystara, see "The Campaign."
Geography and Overview
As mentioned, the Savage Coast is a frontier area, home to many colonies. Some of the colonies have existed for many years, long enough to be establishing their own satellite colonies. Some of the nations and cities have populations in the thousands. Other villages are new, while some have risen, fallen, and now lie in ruins.
At the region's far eastern end lies the city of Slagovich, often considered the gateway to the Savage Coast. Slagovich is a city of political intrigue. While not actually within the cursed region itself, Slagovich serves as a clearing point for goods moving to and from the Savage Coast.
To the north of Slagovich lies the country of Hule, an empire ruled by a hagiarchy. Most of Hule is also free of the Red Curse, extending far into the borderlands, and its government has recently decreed that its people must stay away from the Savage Coast and its curse.
West of Hule, and still north of the cursed lands, are the Yazak Steppes. This area is home to goblins and other humanoids, who occasionally raid the settled lands to the south.
Many humanoids live in other nearby places free of the curse: the Great Northway Lands (west of the Yazak Steppes) and the Arm of the Immortals (a short distance across the sea to the west of the Savage Coast). Orcs inhabit the jungles of the Orc's Head Peninsula at the western end of the Savage Coast; most of these areas lie well within the Haze.
In the main cursed lands themselves, which cover almost 2,000 miles of coastline, dozens of petty nobles have appeared, each ruling a small area. Thus, the Savage Coast holds numerous duchies, counties, and earldoms, as well as a few places audacious enough to call themselves kingdoms. Humans rule most of the eastern Savage Coast, while non-human nations cover most of the west.
Savage Coast Nations and States
Slagovich is one of several city-states on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Hule. The City-States (as they are collectively known) are inhabited mostly by humans. Mostly self-absorbed, these sovereign states band together only temporarily, and only in the face of great danger.
On the western coast of the Gulf of Hule, a number of small states and baronies, collectively known as the Savage Baronies, were set up by explorers and conquerors who adventured in the area and then settled there. These baronies (like many other nations of the Savage Coast) once covered more area, but they expanded too fast, and the recent wars that swept the coast set them back. This has left both ruins for the player characters to explore and lands to take for themselves.
West of the Savage Baronies are tribal lands belonging to the turtlelike humanoids (tortles) and to various goblin, orc, and gnoll tribes. Past those are the "kingdoms" of Robrenn and Eusdria, both formerly barbaric societies that have recently evolved a semifeudal form of government. Robrenn is a forested land dominated by druids and followers of the druidic way. Eusdria is home to warriors who have been known to go raiding in longships, creating stories remembered in epic poems by their skalds.
The most important non-human countries of the Savage Coast include Renardy, home to the canine lupins, and Bellayne, home to the feline rakastas. Lupins and rakastas are both descended from nomads who roamed the steppes to the north. Eventually, they settled and adopted a feudal style of government. Renardy has close ties to the Savage Baronies, both economic and cultural. Bellayne still counts several nomadic rakasta tribes as part of its population. Its government comprises a strange mix of feudalism, warrior codes, and mysticism.
Farther west lies the nation of Herath. Known as a land of mages, this was once home to the mysterious araneas, a race of arachnid spellcasters. Herath is traditionally isolationist, but the nation has become more friendly with its neighbours in the wake of a recent war that nearly destroyed them all.
Above Herath, on the eastern shore of Trident Bay, is an area known as the Bayou. This great marsh and the surrounding regions are home to three races of lizard kin: the shazaks, much like the lizard men described in the MONSTROUS MANUAL tome; the more barbaric gurrash, also called "gator" men; and the diminutive caymas. Each race of lizard kin has its own nation. To the south and west of the Bayou, two regions are home to loose confederacies of tribes. On the southern shore of Trident Bay the wallaras make their home; also known as chameleon men, this race of humanoids is distantly related to dragons. South of the wallaras live the phanatons, a race of monkeylike humanoids who glide from tree to tree in their forest homes.
The phanatons and wallaras live in the northern part of the Orc's Head peninsula. In the midwestern part of the peninsula lies the nation of Nimmur. Once home to winged minotaurs known as enduks, Nimmur is now a nation of manscorpions. Recently, enduks and their allies, flying elves known as ee'aar, have retaken a small part of Nimmur and established a small, independent state. The southern part of the peninsula is home to many tribes of savage orcs.
A Brief History
According to the most accepted local calendar, the year is AC 1010 (1,010 years after the crowning of the first emperor of Thyatis, the lands whence many of the Savage Coast's human colonists originate). Following is a migration timeline of peoples through the Savage Coast. For a more detailed history of the Savage Baronies region, especially over the last century, refer to "The Savage Baronies" chapter.
Four to Five Millennia Past: The first humans in the area, the Oltecs, arrived between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago. This coppery-skinned people brought arts, agriculture, and basic metalworking to the region. They are the reason for the predominance of somewhat dark skin among humans of the coast.
The Oltecs discovered the presence of the tortles and manscorpions, both races having scattered settlements along the central Savage Coast. Manscorpions were temperamental savages who lived in small bands and had few redeeming qualities. The tortles were harmless and easily dominated and have remained so ever since. For the last 4,000 years they have lived as peaceful farmers and hunters on the edges of other societies.
Had the Oltecs pushed farther west, they would have run into the araneas and the wallaras, both thriving civilisations at the time. The araneas were powerful, suspicious mages living in the forests south and east of Trident Bay, while the wallaras were wise, peaceful mystics in the mountains and plains south of Trident Bay.
Three Millennia Past: Elves appeared in the region roughly 3,300 years ago, spreading through the eastern and central Savage Coast. However, they did not significantly affect the local cultures because they did not intermingle. While elves and humans held power in the east, the enduks were created in the far west. Their first cities were built about 3,000 years ago on the Orc's Head peninsula.
About the same time, the araneas started to disappear, their web cities in the forests replaced by isolated towers inhabited by mages of elven and human form who kept lizard men, the ancestors of the shazaks, as servants and slaves. These folk began calling their land Herath.
Two and a Half Millennia Past: About 2,700 years ago, tribes of goblinoids arrived in the Yazak Steppes. Approximately 400 years later, both the elves and Oltecs were decimated by hordes of these goblinoids sweeping through the eastern Savage Coast. (Some elves remained in the areas that would later become Robrenn, Eusdria, Bellayne, and the Savage Baronies.) These same goblinoid hordes caused many lupin and rakasta tribes to relocate to the central part of the Savage Coast.
Seventeen Centuries Past: About 17 centuries ago, Nithian pharaohs sent expeditions to colonise the central and eastern Savage Coast. The Nithians (who have since been erased from human knowledge by the Immortals) were a dark-haired, dusky-skinned people, with a proud empire. The Nithians came into conflict with the manscorpions, driving them far to the west and causing them to unite their small bands into large tribes. The manscorpions eventually arrived in the nation of Nimmur, the then-thriving kingdom of the enduks, where they were welcomed.
Fifteen Centuries Past: About 1,500 years ago, a series of wars and disasters swept the region. For reasons unknown, the mages of Herath lashed out at the wallaras, resulting in the fall of wallaran civilisation. Today, the wallaras remain peaceful, but primitive. At the end of the war, the people of Herath also released their lizard men servants and slaves into the Bayou, where they eventually became known as the shazaks. At about the same time, the manscorpions betrayed the enduks and conquered Nimmur, causing the noble, winged minotaurs to relocate to a peninsula across the sea to the west. Also at this time, the Nithians disappeared from their colonies, leaving behind a strong artistic and philosophical endowment, as well as various artifacts and structures. Dwarves first arrived on the Savage Coast not long after this, settling in some of the areas previously held by the Nithians.
Few major events transpired during the next 600 years, yet several changes occurred. The mages of Herath established a central government; the Nimmur of the manscorpions continued to grow in power; the tortles had a brief flirtation with civilisation; and lupins and rakastas began to build permanent settlements. The phanatons and shazaks began to rise from complete savagery, forming tribal groups and a few semi-permanent settlements. Meanwhile, the goblins, orcs, gnolls, and related creatures grew in power.
Nine Centuries Past: About 900 years ago, another horde of goblinoids moved through the region, wiping out the few small cities the tortles had built, as well as driving lupins and rakastas west, where they came into conflict with the mages of Herath. In response, those mages created the gurrash to serve as warriors. When the gurrash also proved unsuitable, they were dumped into the Bayou, where they displaced the shazaks.
The shazaks were motivated to band more closely together and began building permanent villages. Some lupins and rakastas became mages in Herath, and Herath helped bring the ideas of law and government to those races.
Five Centuries Past: About 560 years ago, an influx of Traldar arrived, possibly fleeing religious persecution in their homeland. They set up colonies along the coast, founding Slagovich and other city-states. The Traldar had lighter skin than the other humans in the area, being descended in part from Nithians and in part from the light-skinned Neathar. Primarily fishers and traders, the Traldar spread west slowly from Slagovich along the rivers. For the most part, except for the City-States, the Traldar were quickly assimilated by pre-existing cultures in the area. One exception was the group of humans who, with the elves and a few dwarves, founded the nation of Bellayne.
About 60 years later, other light-skinned humans moved into the area. These were barbarians from the north, driven to the Savage Coast by Hule. They founded settlements that eventually joined to become the states of Robrenn and Eusdria. Some elves and dwarves already lived in these areas. The elves allied with both Robrenn and Eusdria, while most dwarves allied with Eusdria. At roughly this same time, most of the people of Bellayne were wiped out by a mysterious plague. Many modern historians believe this to be the first recorded mention of the Red Curse. Also concurrent was the creation of the caymas, again by the mages of Herath. Most legends of dragons on the Savage Coast are from this time as well.
The rakastas moved into the ruins of Bellayne, allying with the remaining elves and humans. The lupins also established a homeland between Bellayne and Eusdria. Bellayne, Renardy, Eusdria, and Robrenn began evolving to varying degrees of feudalism, aided later by another influx of colonists.
The Past Century: The most recent wave of colonisation began about a hundred years ago, bringing many humans to the area. These settlers brought with them ideas of true feudalism, including a social order consisting of nobles, knights, and peasants. The lupins of Renardy have emulated these cultures to the greatest extent, even adopting a derivation of their languages. Halflings also came to the Savage Coast, most settling in Eusdria, with a few in Robrenn, Bellayne, the Savage Baronies, and even Herath.
With this rash of colonisation in the East and the growth of settlements in the centre of the coast, the mages of Herath began expanding to the south. There, they came into conflict with the phanatons, who banded together even more firmly, having recently developed primitive government and law.
The people of the Savage Baronies also discovered the Red Curse. However, unlike earlier peoples, they did not succumb; they fought back and found ways to control it. Luckily, the Red Curse seemed to be limited to only certain areas of the Savage Coast.
For the last several decades, civilisation has spread over the coast. Many sages say it spread too fast. Beginning about a decade ago, another series of devastating wars swept the Savage Coast. Hule attacked the City-States and the Savage Baronies. Tortles for the first time in their history revolted against their oppressors. Peasants in other places also revolted, as did colonies against their parent states. The gnolls, orcs, and goblins who lived along the coast rose against the humans and demihumans. The orcs of the Dark Jungle attacked the manscorpions of Nimmur, and the enduks and ee'aar took advantage of the distraction to attack as well. Border conflicts flared between Bellayne and Shazak; Bellayne and Renardy; Renardy and Eusdria; Eusdria and Robrenn; and among the Savage Baronies. The gurrash attacked the shazaks and the caymas. The goblins of the steppes formed another horde, sweeping into Herath. Natural and unnatural disasters occurred, and plagues moved through the land, accompanied by the expansion of the Red Curse.
The Land Now
The effects of the recent wars are still felt throughout the Savage Coast. Nations tend to be distrustful of one another, though individuals from differing states can still get along (people of conflicting nations often fought together against greater threats). When Herath was invaded about a year ago, the mages fought back but could not prevent the goblin hordes from destroying certain magical wards which had been holding back the Red Curse, causing it to sweep over most of the Savage Coast.
Now, thousands of years of ruins, from ancient Nithian pyramids to recently destroyed castles and villages, dot the coast. Paranoid states vie for power; hostile natives strive for survival. People twisted by the Red Curse roam the land and hide in secluded villages. People seek to control the magical metal cinnabryl for its ability to alleviate the curse; others seek the roots of the curse in an effort to eliminate it.
Adventure awaits those willing to face the challenges of the lands of the Savage Coast.
Table of Contents
BOOK 1: AN ATLAS OF THE SAVAGE COAST
The diverse nations of the Savage Coast offer many opportunities for grand adventures. Even I, known as an intrepid explorer, have found sights wondrous or horrible enough to cause me to tremble. Over the years, as I have wandered the coastal lands and nearby territories, I have taken occasional notes and gathered keepsakes of various sorts, from the ancient Oltec glyph-stone I discovered in Torreón to the wheeled crossbow given to me by the diminutive caymas. My notes and mementos have enhanced my vivid memories of the many places I have visited, and I have committed much of my knowledge to the pages of this chronicle.
Because most visitors to the Savage Coast come from the east or the north, I believe it behoves to first discuss the nations found there; while they are not a part of the Savage Coast, they serve as a sort of gateway for travellers entering the cursed lands. These gateway lands include Yavdlom, the City States, and Hule. After my discussion of those lands, I will continue from east to west along the coast, from the Savage Baronies to the Orc's Head Peninsula and the Arm of the Immortals.
Though the Red Curse was once confined to small areas in the Savage Baronies, and it has since spread to most of the other lands of the coast, I believe that the key to lifting the curse can only be discovered through studying the history and lands of the coast. I have no doubt that the removal of the curse will require a grand quest that will surely take brave heroes from one end of the coast to the other. Thus, I feel I should offer as much information as possible about the many states and territories. Since I have spent the majority of my life in the Savage Baronies, I have given these small states extra attention.
The Chronicle of the Curse
by Don Luis de Manzanas
The present population and cultural mix of the Savage Coast results from a series of migrations into the area, occurring at irregular intervals over the past few thousand years (as roughly described in the previous chapter). These large-scale relocations have involved peoples from numerous races and geographical areas; the result is a disparate set of societies, almost a mishmash of cultures. From the hot-blooded Espan civilisations of the Savage Baronies to the Vikings of Eusdria and the fierce lizard kin of the Great Bayou, the Savage Coast presents a wide range of cultures. This introduction offers information on the cultures bordering the coastal region in the east.
The Serpent Peninsula
The City-States
Hule
The Savage BaroniesNomenclature
People of the Savage Baronies
Conventions
The Immortals
The Red Curse
Threats
The Environment
History of the Savage Baronies Region
History of the Savage Baronies
Possibility of UnificationVilaverde and TexeirasRobrenn and EusdriaDominio de VilaverdeTorreón and Narvaez
Estado de TexeirasBaronía de TorreónGargoña, Almarrón, and Saragón
Baronía de Narvaez
Nearby LandsBaronía de GargoñaGuadalante and Cimmaron
Estado de Almarrón
Baronía de SaragónEstado de Guadalante
Cimmaron County
El Grande Carrascal
Bushwack Prairie and the BadlandsThe Confederated Kingdom of RobrennRenardy and Bellayne
The Kingdom of EusdriaThe Kingdom of RenardyShazak, Ator, and Cay
The Kingdom of BellayneThe Kingdom of ShazakHerath
Kingdom of Ator
The Kingdom of Cay
Immortals of the Lizard Kin
Other PlacesThe Orc's Head Peninsula
The Arm of the Immortals
The Yazak Steppes
Other Goblinoids
BOOK 2: CHARACTERS OF THE SAVAGE COAST
Player CharactersCharacter RacesCharacter Kits
Creating a CharacterChapter OverviewThe Curse and the Legacies
Kit Descriptions
Kits by Culture and Race
Using Other Kits
Switching Kits
Playing Without KitsBasic Effects of the Red CurseProficiencies
Origins of the Curse
Removing the Red Curse
The Magical Substances
Effects of the Red Curse
The Legacies
Legacy DescriptionsWeapon ProficienciesEquipment and Economics
Non-weapon ProficienciesMoneyMagic
Special Materials
New WeaponsExisting Spells
New Spells
Magical Items
BOOK 3: ADVENTURES ON THE SAVAGE COAST
The CampaignThe WorldShort Adventures
Immortals
Inheritors
The Afflicted
Running Campaigns
Duelling RulesLord Flame
War Party
The Afflicted
The Flying Bulette
Tower RuinsBalazar and the Gosluk
Don Luis de Manzanas
Careta de la Barrera: The Barrier Mask
Adventure Synopsis
Starting the Adventure
The PCs' Mission
The Barrier and the Horde
Torre de Manzanas