World Guide to Krynn

As the Dragon Queen’s forces march across Krynn, heroic souls

rise to defy her. Forged in the crucible of war, these remarkable
few are all that stand between the peace-loving peoples of
Krynn and an age of oppression.
This chapter presents players with an info-package on Krynn
and its customs:
History of Krynn. While every world’s history is vast and
fractured, with missing pieces and forgotten perspectives,
Krynn’s tale has been shattered by the global catastrophe
called the Cataclysm. The world of Krynn was forged and
destroyed, yet—broken and scarred—it continued on.
Life on Ansalon. While Krynn holds many lands and cultures,
the War of the Lance and adventures surrounding that conflict
unfold on the continent of Ansalon.
Kalaman Region. The city, known as the Beacon of the East,
rises along a deepwater port near the mouth of the Vingaard
River, Solamnia’s greatest trade artery.
Deities of Krynn. The gods of Krynn are said to have
abandoned the world, and in the great cities of Ansalon,
temples and centers of faith are few.
Of the Heroes of the Lance. The world of Krynn during the
War of the Lance will see the rise and fall of many heroes, and
of the most iconic, a poem was composed.
History of Krynn
While every world’s
history is vast and
fractured, with
missing pieces and
forgotten
perspectives, Krynn’s
tale has been
shattered by the
global catastrophe
called the Cataclysm.
The world of Krynn
was forged and destroyed, yet—broken and scarred—it
continued on. Most of its people, seeking merely to survive in
their slowly healing lands, care little for eons past. But the
sages who piece together fragments of the past focus on three
periods: before the Cataclysm, the Cataclysm itself, and the
dire age since.

Before the Cataclysm

Krynn’s earliest centuries have passed into mythohistory. The
story begins in the Age of Starbirth when the gods forged the
world from primordial chaos. This period’s records are mere
legends and scriptures, and few credit their details as fact.
Next came the Age of Dreams, a time when heroes battled the
forces of evil. Many modern cultures and institutions saw their
origins in this era, including the Knights of Solamnia, the Mages
of High Sorcery, and the dwarven kingdom of Thorbardin.
Ironically, these cultures often dismiss one another’s
foundational stories as baseless myths while fiercely insisting
on the veracity of their own.
During a terrible conflict known as the Third Dragon War, the
knight Huma Dragonbane was granted the first of the
fabled dragonlances. He used it to defeat the evil god Takhisis
the Dragon Queen and end the war, forcing the god and her
dragons to leave Krynn. The good dragons of Krynn soon
departed as well, leaving the world to mortals and the
remaining gods.
During the thousand years
before the Cataclysm, known
as the Age of Might, several
human nations flourished,
conquering vast swaths of the
continent of Ansalon in the
name of good. But the triumph
of the Age of Might sowed the
seeds of its downfall.
Over the centuries, the city of
Istar in eastern Ansalon grew
into a continent-spanning
empire, thanks in part to a
military alliance with the
Knights of Solamnia. Istar came to be ruled by a series of
kingpriests who declared Istar the center of the world and
themselves the holy messengers of the gods of good. Under
their leadership, Istar declared war on actions, peoples, and
even thoughts the kingpriests considered evil. Increasingly rigid
and theocratic, Istar reached its apex of power just before its
apocalyptic fall. The last kingpriest undertook ever more
audacious magical feats, culminating in a ritual to attain
godhood and rule Krynn forever in the name of good. At last,
the gods acted, united in their condemnation of Istar.
The Cataclysm
As a last effort to avoid mass destruction, the gods sent the
Thirteen Warnings, a series of signs meant to deter the
kingpriest. Trees wept blood, fires raged unnaturally, and
cyclones struck the gleaming Temple of the Kingpriest. The
gods also warned a few chosen mortals, reasoning that if any of
them reached Istar and prevented the ritual, the world might
not be beyond redemption. But the messengers failed—the
kingpriest and his followers dismissed the warnings as the work
of evil and continued on their path. As the hour of the
kingpriest’s ritual to attain godhood arrived, the gods whisked
away their most devout followers and unleashed punishment
on all who remained.
A mountain of fire fell from the sky, destroying Istar. The Blood
Sea—a new ocean that split eastern Ansalon—consumed the
empire. Coastlines shifted all over the world, sundering nations,
drowning whole regions, and stranding ports miles from the
sea. Though some lands escaped the worst of the destruction,
none were spared divine wrath.
The gods and their blessings then faded from the world, and in
time, even their names were all but forgotten.
After the Cataclysm
The Cataclysm ushered in a period of chaos. During the next
three centuries, known as the Time of Darkness, cultures and
ecologies were radically altered, causing famine, plague, and
mass migrations. The Knights of Solamnia, the champions who
might’ve kept Ansalon united, were distrusted as former allies
of Istar and persecuted across the continent, even in Solamnia.
The elven nations shut their borders. The dwarves of
Thorbardin withdrew to their deep tunnels, refusing entrance to
refugees from the surface. Many societies turned on one
another or fell to disease and war. Nations of hobgoblins and
ogres spread, capitalizing on humanity’s decline and claiming
whole regions. Much that survived the Cataclysm was lost in
darkness.
At length, the worst effects of the disaster waned. Though
many elves and mountain dwarves remained reclusive, other
cultures tentatively rebuilt. Explorers ventured forth to map the
drastically altered continent. Societies reestablished bonds of
trade that united and diversified them.
As the civilizations of Krynn rebuilt, and new societies arose,
the world learned to live with a jarring truth: the gods were
truly gone. Religion on Krynn was altered forever. True clerics,
who once worked miracles on behalf of their gods, had
vanished. While some people remained devout, many others
turned to false religions in search of answers and comfort.
Some of these new faiths were founded by charlatans, others
by zealots. Some claimed the names of the gods, others
dismissed them entirely. In this radically changed world bereft
of immortal insight, truth became subject to conjecture, even
among Krynn’s most dedicated scholars.
Life on Ansalon
While Krynn holds many lands and cultures, the war and
adventures surrounding that conflict unfold on the continent of
Ansalon. Here are a few details regarding everyday life there.
Languages
Across Ansalon, language is an expression of upbringing and
exposure. Before the Cataclysm, Common served as a
language of commerce under the empires of Ergoth, Solamnia,
and Istar. After the Cataclysm, migrating refugees
communicated using Common, and today it’s spoken in every
corner of the continent. Nevertheless, the local languages of
most lands still flourish, and Common is used primarily in
markets and in dealings with travelers.
With the DM’s approval, players can exchange a language
granted by their characters’ race for a different language from
the Standard Languages of Ansalon table or the Rare
Languages of Ansalon table.

Standard Languages of Ansalon

Language Main Speakers Script

Common Trade language of Ansalon Common

Abanasinian Abanasinia Common

Abanasinia, Kayolin,
Dwarvish Dwarvish
Thoradin, Thorbardin

Elvish Qualinesti, Silvanesti, Elvish

Standard Languages of Ansalon

Language Main Speakers Script

Southern Ergoth

Ergot Northern Ergoth Common

Gnomish Sancrist Common

Kenderspeak Goodlund, Hylo Common

Kharolian Plains of Dust, Tarsis Common

Khur Khur Istarian

Nordmaarian Nordmaar Istarian

Solamnic Sancrist, Solamnia Common

Rare Languages of Ansalon

Language Main Speakers Script

Standard Languages of Ansalon

Language Main Speakers Script

Draconic Dragons Draconic

Goblin Taman Busuk Dwarvish

Istarian Ancient Istarians Istarian

Kothian Minotaurs Kothian

Nerakese Neraka Istarian

Ogre Blode, Kern Ogre

Primordial Elementals Primordial

Sylvan Fey creatures Sylvan

Calendar
The lands around Kalaman use the Solamnic calendar, which
has twelve months, each containing four weeks. Weeks have
seven days, and days have twenty-four hours.

Solamnic Months

Month Name

January Newkolt

February Deepkolt

March Brookgreen

April Yurthgreen

May Fleurgreen

June Holmswelt

July Fierswelt

August Paleswelt
Solamnic Months

Month Name

September Reapember

October Gildember

November Darkember

December Frostkolt

Solamnic Days

Day Name

Sunday Linaras

Monday Palast

Tuesday Magetag

Wednesday Kirinor
Solamnic Months

Month Name

Thursday Misham

Friday Bakukal

Saturday Bracha
Currency
Since the Cataclysm, the harsh realities of daily survival leave
little room for impracticality. For years after the devastation,
steel’s value skyrocketed until it was valued as highly as gold,
thanks to the difficulty of forging steel and its obvious practical
applications. Even now, trade coins of bronze and steel remain
in use across Ansalon.

Currency of Ansalon

Coin cp bp stl

Copper (cp) 1 1/10 1/100

Bronze (bp) 10 1 1/10

Steel (stl) 100 10 1

Platinum (pp) 1,000 100 10

Kalaman Region
Situated in the province of Nightlund in Solamnia’s eastern
reaches, Kalaman is one of the nation’s most vital gateways to
the outside world. The city, known as the Beacon of the East,
rises along a deepwater port near the mouth of the Vingaard
River, Solamnia’s greatest trade artery. Blessed with the
bounty of the river, the benefits of trade, and the fertile soil of
the Solamnic plains, the Kalaman region flourished even after
the Cataclysm.

City of Kalaman
Kalaman began as a sleepy fishing village on the coast of the
Turbidus Ocean. It might have remained so if not for the arrival
of an Istarian trading mission centuries before the Cataclysm.
Seeing the potential of a deep harbor so close to the mouth of a
great river, the Empire of Istar invested heavily in the town,
transforming it into a thriving trade hub. Solamnia soon found
Istar’s stranglehold on the booming port intolerable, and after a
climactic battle on the plains west of the city, Istar ceded
control of Kalaman.
Today, long after the fall of Istar and the trials of the
Cataclysm, Kalaman remains a thriving port city surrounded by
tall Istarian-built walls that have never been breached. In its
busy harbor, vessels from all over Ansalon go about their
business under the light of the city’s two grand beacons, pre-
Cataclysm marvels that have survived for generations. At the
center of the city, the ancient Castle Kalaman rises
intimidatingly on a sheer hill. The castle’s architectural marvels
include defenses yet to be recreated in the modern age.

People of Kalaman
The city of Kalaman is notably cosmopolitan, while most people
in surrounding communities make their livelihood through
fishing and farming. Many of the region’s inhabitants are
Solamnic humans, while others descend from the city’s Istarian
founders. Traders from all over Ansalon settle in Kalaman
through preference or necessity. As a result, some humans hail
or have ancestors from Abanasinia, Nordmaar, Ergoth, Estwilde,
and farther-flung lands. Kender, hill dwarves, and gnomes are
seen in the region, while some elves, mountain dwarves, and
other people also make their home in the city. Anyone is
welcome in Kalaman if they come peaceably with goods to
trade.

Surrounding Regions
To the west of the Kalaman region lies Hinterlund. Even farther
west lie the Plains of Solamnia, from where crops and crafted
goods make their way to Kalaman for trade. Even in parts of
Solamnia closer to the port of Palanthas, it’s often cheaper and
easier to move goods down the river to Kalaman.
North of Kalaman, the grasslands characteristic of Solamnia
give way to the broken steppes and labyrinthine canyons
known as the Northern Wastes. Deadly beasts, treacherous
cliffs, and unpredictable flooding make the wastes a dangerous
land where it’s said nothing survives for long.
East of Kalaman, the lands of Estwilde hold inhospitable terrain
and peoples who have been unfriendly to Solamnia since the
days of Istar. Across the bay in northern Estwilde lie the
swamps of Qwalmish. To the south and east of Kalaman are the
rolling steppes of Qlettaar, which in turn give way to the
forbidding peaks of the Taman Busuk region beyond Estwilde.

Nightlund
For generations, the Soths of Dargaard Keep—a family of
Knights of Solamnia—ruled the Solamnic province once known
as Knightlund. Since the Cataclysm, the province has had a
cursed reputation. People have come to know the land as
Nightlund and ascribe the region’s frequent storms to the old
gods’ disfavor.
Deities of Krynn
The gods of Krynn are said to have abandoned the world, and
in the great cities of Ansalon, temples and centers of faith are
few. Nevertheless, small miracles occur across the world.
Druids and hidden communities offer prayers in the old ways
and employ mysterious magic. Long-lived peoples remember
the worship of the gods and see their shapes in nature and the
constellations above. Ancient, forgotten sanctuaries hold
wonders beyond imagination, and divine whispers reach those
with the minds and hearts to listen.
The gods of Krynn loosely align with one another along the
principles of good, neutrality, and evil. While such alliances can
be tenuous, the gods often work together to enact their shared
will across the world or to oppose unions of their foes. The
Deities of Krynn table and the following sections summarize the
gods most active in the world. Among Krynn’s diverse lands
and peoples, gods take various names, genders, and forms.
Those presented in the following sections are the
representations best known in Solamnia.

Deities of Krynn

Gods of Alignmen
Province Symbol
Good t

Good dragons,
Paladine LG Silver triangle
guardians, rulers

Branchala NG Music Bard’s harp

Deities of Krynn

Gods of Alignmen
Province Symbol
Good t

Animal life, natural

Habbakuk NG Blue bird
balance

Kiri-Jolith LG Honor, war Bison’s horns

Majere LG Meditation, order Copper spider

Blue infinity
Mishakal LG Healing
sign

White circle or
Solinari LG Good magic
sphere

Gods of
Alignmen
Neutralit Province Symbol
t
y

Gilean N Knowledge Open book

Chislev N Nature Feather

Deities of Krynn

Gods of Alignmen
Province Symbol
Good t

Red circle or
Lunitari N Neutral magic
sphere

Forging
Reorx N Craft
hammer

Shinare N Trade, wealth Griffon’s wing

Sirrion N Change, fire Multicolored fire

Great green or
Zivilyn N Wisdom
gold tree

Gods of Alignmen
Province Symbol
Evil t

Evil dragons, Spiral of five

Takhisis LE
hatred, night dragon claws

Chemosh LE Undead Yellow skull

Deities of Krynn

Gods of Alignmen
Province Symbol
Good t

Broken
Hiddukel CE Greed, lies merchant’s
scales

Hood with two

Morgion NE Disease, secrecy
red eyes

Black circle or
Nuitari LE Evil magic
sphere

Sargonna Stylized red

LE Fire, vengeance
s condor

Zeboim CE Seas, storms Turtle shell

Gods of Good
The gods of good provide healing and comfort to the mortals of
Krynn. Although they oppose the evil gods’ attempts to rule the
world, their goal isn’t the eradication of evil or its gods. Rather,
their highest pursuit is preserving mortal choice, despite the
sorrowful knowledge that mortals sometimes choose ruinous
paths.

SYMBOLS LEFT TO RIGHT: PALADINE, BRANCHALA, AND

HABBAKUK

Paladine
Paladine is known as the Father of Good, the Master of Law, the
Platinum Dragon, and—on other worlds of the multiverse—
Bahamut. He leads the gods of good and watches over the
world with an eye toward order, justice, and mercy. He teaches
that wise and just laws are the basis of a functioning society,
and his clerics often aid in crafting and upholding such laws.
Branchala
Called the Bard King, Branchala is the god of music, poetry, and
the inner beauty of all living things. Many elves and kender
worship him above all other gods. Both groups revere him as a
champion of life and laughter, bringing solace and joy to those
who listen.

Habbakuk
Habbakuk, known as the Fisher King, oversees animal life, the
sea, and the balance of nature. Many sailors, farmers, and
hunters revere him. His holy sites are often marked with the
image of a blue bird or a phoenix wreathed in blue flames.

Kiri-Jolith
Kiri-Jolith is the god of righteous war. He blesses all who fight in
the name of good and scorns those who delight in slaughter
and lust for battle. He is particularly revered by the Knights of
the Sword, an order of the Knights of Solamnia that seeks to
root out evil wherever it dwells.
SYMBOLS LEFT TO RIGHT: KIRI-JOLITH, MAJERE, AND MISHAKAL

Majere
Austere and aloof, Majere is the god of meditation and
discipline. Monks, his most devoted followers, honor him by
leading lives of quiet contemplation in remote monasteries.
Many orphans are raised in the monasteries of Majere; some
become monks themselves, while those who leave the
monastic life often take the surname Majere out of respect.

Mishakal
God of compassion, healing, and love, Mishakal is widely
worshiped by healers and community guardians. Throughout
history, she has reached out to chosen heroes to soothe others’
suffering. Her faithful offer healing and solace to all—even
enemies.

Solinari
Solinari, the god of good magic, is patron of the Mages of High
Sorcery’s Order of the White Robes and other benevolent
mages. His power manifests through the white moon of Krynn,
the brightest of its three moons. Along with his cousins Lunitari
and Nuitari, he watches Krynn from the heavens and
encourages magic that aids, heals, and protects.
SYMBOL OF SOLINARI
Gods of Neutrality
The neutral gods of Krynn vary widely in their motivations and
methods. Some are passive and distant, dedicated to recording
the actions of mortals or upholding the balance between
societies and nature. Others take a more active hand, injecting
elements of chaos and innovation into mortal life. Unlike the
gods of good and evil, the neutral gods have little interest in
the struggle over mortal destinies.

SYMBOLS LEFT TO RIGHT: GILEAN, CHISLEV, AND LUNITARI

Gilean
The god of knowledge and nominal leader of the neutral gods,
Gilean embodies the ideal of neutrality. He stands back and
observes, recording all that unfolds. Gilean is keeper of
the Tobril, a book said to contain all the knowledge of the gods,
though portions are sealed to all but Gilean. Some people
believe the scribe Astinus of Palanthas to be Gilean in human
form.
Chislev
Chislev is the god of nature on its own terms, governing the
rhythms of life that unfold heedless of mortal action. Though
enigmatic and shy, they are fiercely protective of their domain,
regarding all plants and animals as their children. Chislev’s
followers are often hermits, druids, and others who revere
nature without asking anything in return.

Lunitari
Lunitari, the god of neutral magic and illusions, is patron of the
Mages of High Sorcery’s Order of the Red Robes and other
neutral mages. With her cousins Solinari and Nuitari, she
watches over the people of Krynn from the heavens, conveying
her power through the red moon that shares her name. She
appears as a trickster figure in mythology, using her mastery of
illusions to fool gods and heroes alike.

Reorx
Reorx is the god of creation, inspiration, and artisanship,
credited with creating the gnomes, dwarves, kender, and even
Krynn itself. He invents new things that alter the world and spur
its people to action.
SYMBOLS LEFT TO RIGHT: REORX, SHINARE, AND SIRRION

Shinare
Shinare is the god of wealth, industry, and commerce. Though
many of her followers are merchants, her influence spans
legitimate and underhanded commerce alike, and she receives
occasional worship from thieves. Despite this, most consider
her a god of fair dealing; supplicants pray she favors them as
they bargain.

Sirrion
Passionate and impulsive, Sirrion is the god of alchemy,
transformation, serendipitous creation, and flames. He
embodies momentary excitement, flaring quickly into fiery
passion and smoldering long afterward. Sirrion’s followers
embrace extremes of emotion as forms of divine expression.
Zivilyn
Where Gilean embodies knowledge, Zivilyn exemplifies the
calm wisdom necessary to wield knowledge in the world. He’s
said to exist in all times and places, possessing the collected
wisdom of every plane of existence. Zivilyn often attracts the
worship of eccentrics, philosophers, and sages.

SY
MBOL OF ZIVILYN
Gods of Evil
The evil gods of Krynn embody power, vengeance, and other
ideals that elevate self above community. They wish to rule the
mortal world, believing only they are worthy of such dominion.
They rely on temptation and subjugation to secure the service
of lesser creatures. In every age, some mortals are willing to
sell their souls for power, and the gods of evil are eager to
oblige.

SYMBOLS LEFT TO RIGHT: TAKHISIS, CHEMOSH, AND HIDDUKEL

Takhisis
Takhisis, leader of Krynn’s evil gods, is known as the Dragon
Queen, the Queen of Darkness, and—on other worlds—Tiamat.
She is the god of power, pride, and control, as well as the
queen of chromatic dragons. She tempts mortals to her service
with offers of dominance over others. Barred from Krynn since
before the Cataclysm, she found her chance to return in the
centuries that followed. She sometimes appears as a powerful
human warrior with gleaming armor and long black hair, but
her true form is a five-headed dragon.

Chemosh
Chemosh is the god of undeath and false redemption, tempting
his followers with the promise of immortality. Those who heed
him find that while they may live forever, their bodies still
decay and putrefy. Followers of Chemosh embrace his baleful
reputation, dressing in white skull masks and black robes.

Hiddukel
Hiddukel is the god of greed and treachery. He holds domain
over all ill-gotten wealth in the world, and criminals and
unscrupulous traders worship him in secret. While Hiddukel
gladly accepts their worship, his true goal is the acquisition not
of riches, but of souls.

Morgion
Solitary and secretive, Morgion is the god of disease and decay.
He doesn’t consult or act in accord with the other gods,
preferring to brood in his otherworldly fortress, the Bronze
Tower, and pursue his own schemes. His worshipers follow his
example, meeting in the dark and maintaining secrecy in all
things.
SYMBOLS LEFT TO RIGHT: MORGION, NUITARI, AND
SARGONNAS

Nuitari
Nuitari, the god of evil magic and darkness, is patron of the
Mages of High Sorcery’s Order of the Black Robes and other
wicked mages. He encourages selfish and destructive magic.
His power flows through the black moon that shares his name,
which is visible only due to the stars it blocks in the sky.

Sargonnas
Sargonnas is the unpredictable god of flame, vengeance, and
wrath. Though he’s a consort to Takhisis, he schemes against
her as often as he fights on her behalf. He is worshiped by
those who seek retribution. His true form is that of a monstrous
minotaur, and many minotaurs revere him under the name
Sargas.

Zeboim
Zeboim is the god of the ocean in its destructive aspect,
including storms and dangerous sea creatures. She is a
mercurial god, and even her followers aren’t safe from her
frequent bouts of rage. Most sailors pray to Habbakuk to keep
Zeboim at bay, but some make offerings to Zeboim to allay her
wrath.
Of the Heroes of the Lance
The River of Time is vast, and holds the accounted stories of all who pass
through its harsh current. But of the nine heroes who would come to be
known far and wide, was composed a poem:
From the north came danger, as we knew it would:
In the vanguard of winter, a dragon's dance
Unraveled the land, until out of the forest,
Out of the plains they came, from the mothering earth,
The sky unreckoned before them.
(Nine they were, under three moons,
Under the autumn twilight:
As the world declined, they arose
Into the heart of the story.)

One from a garden of stone arising,

From dwarf-halls, from weather and wisdom,
Where the heart and mind ride unquestioned
In the untapped vein of the hand.
In his fathering arms, the spirit gathered.
-II-

One from a haven of breezes descending,

Light in the handling air,
to the waving meadows, the kender's country,
Where the grain out of smallness arises itself
To grow green and golden and green again.
-II-

The next from the plains, the long land's keeping,

Nurtured in distance, horizons of nothing.
Bearing a staff she came, and a burden
Of mercy and light converged in her hand:
Bearing the wounds of the world, she came.
-II-
The next from the plains, in the moon's shadow,
Through custom, through ritual, trailing the moon
Where her phases, her wax and her wane, controlled
The tide of his blood, and his warrior's hand
Ascended through hierarchies of space into light.
-II-

One within absences, known by departures,

The dark swordswoman at the heart of the fire:
Her glories the space between words,
The cradlesong recollected in age,
Recalled at the edge of awakening and thought.
-II-

One in the heart of honor, formed by the sword,

By the centuries' flight of the kingfisher over the land,
By Solamnia ruined and risen, rising again
When the heart ascends into duty.
As it dances, the sword is forever an heirloom.
-II-

The next in a simple light a brother to darkness,

Letting the sword hand try all subtleties,
Even the intricate webs of the heart. His thoughts
Are pools disrupted in a changing wind-
He can not see their bottom.
-II-

The next the leader, half-elven, betrayed

As the twining blood pulls asunder the land,
The forests, the worlds of elves and men.
Called into bravery, but fearing for love,
And fearing that, called into both, he does nothing.
-II-

The last from the darkness, breathing the night

Where the abstract stars hide a nest of words,
Where the body endures the wound of numbers,
Surrendered to knowledge, until, unable to bless,
He falls on the low, the benighted.
-II-

Joined by the others they were in the telling:

A graceless girl, graced beyond graces;
A princess of seeds and saplings, called to the forest;
An ancient weaver of accidents;
Nor can we say who the story will gather.
(Nine they were, under three moons,
Under the autumn twilight:
As the world declined, they arose
Into the heart of the story.)