DARK TIMES CYCLE forces of the old world were destroyed.

Kings and
Peaceful times can't last forever. Unexpected wars will kingdoms, empires and emperors died on just one
take thousands of lives in a couple of days. The great day, leaving their survived citizens alone with fear.
storm will make huge kingdoms starve. The curses Beasts and monsters that felt the advent of new times
sent by the gods will change the ordinary life for began to seize the territories they owned thousands
hundreds of years, destroying families, communities, of years ago. The power of law did not exist anymore,
and nations. But even in such dark times, there are unleashing the hands of the most dishonorable and
those who want more. They are ready to lead the violent ones, who quickly assembled into groups for
others. They know that it can't end like this. raids, looting, and control. Survived groups of the
The Dark Times cycle will provide players and GMs peoples moved away from once crowded lands, trying
with three regions that suffer from various disasters. to find new lands for their families.
Adventures can make them fight and go into great Consequences. In just a few days, the population
battles, force them to defend, search for resources, declined several times. Not only those who had fled
gather allies, and prepare for upcoming attacks. to the safe lands, untouched by the magical Sky walls,
It's up to you to decide what happens in your survived. Those who never had any magical abilities
campaign. or talents managed to survive the deadly attack too.
However, most of them died due to demolition inside
the Sky walls.
POWERLESS Search for the culprits. Over time, the legends about
So many terrible things have tortured these lands. people who caused such events began to spread over
Years of cold that cause famine. Floods washing away the lands more and more. There was no doubt that
the villages behind them. Hurricanes that took away the deceitful emperors and duplicitous kings were
all of the living. But each time the inhabitants of the involved in it. But who did they listen to more than
lands coped with disasters, appeasing their gods or anyone else? Who did they pay huge amounts of gold
other forces. to destroy their enemies, to live forever? To be like the
And who would have thought that the toughest trial gods they had stopped listening to long ago?
of these lands will be its inhabitants. The magicians. Old sages, with their blood full of
contempt for everything living, natural, and spiritual.
LOST AGE Young sorcerers who knew no boundaries of
The people of this land have achieved so much and knowledge and wanted power like no other. Usual
gone so far. No wonder they thought they were visionaries who lured ordinary people to their bonds,
equal to the gods. Magical and scientific powers have promising them wealth and land at exorbitant prices
generated many benefits for the inhabitants, but they that got higher and higher.
have also become the tools in the hands of people People with a piece of divine, supernatural powers
who strive for power. that are beyond their control became guilty, in the
opinion of those who survived the most terrible
The last old day. The centuries of conflicts and disaster these lands have ever seen.
wars that affected every nation and every family
stopped on one day. Some call it the "Liberation SURVIVORS
Day"; some call it the "The End". On this day that A few months later, the lands were divided among
the symbiosis of scientific achievements and magical several factions.
discoveries showed people that none of them came Communities of survivors. Communities of
close to divine. On this day the inhabitants observed people united by a common problem. They try to
a beautiful but deadly phenomenon - numerous live their own lives without getting into conflicts with
shimmering rays soared to the sky and quickly began others. Such communities may allow the presence of
growing wider and wider, turning into foggy walls magicians, which enables them to meet their needs
as high as the sky. During the day, they destroyed quicker but also causes great aggression among
everything that got inside them and disappeared. their neighbors and even among the people inside
New times. The rays reached large sizes, covering the community. Some communities expressly forbid
many territories, some of which remained untouched. people with magical powers to be on their territory.
It is not known what was the better fate - to be They are slower in coping with
absorbed by a powerful force and die quickly or try survival challenges and are more
to avoid being killed by those who survived. The likely to lack resources.

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 COMMUNITIES FEATURES Barbarians. Small nations, communities of tribes
1. The community is headed by a famous magician united by a strong leader. Their priority is only their
who has a lot of resources and means for survival. own people and no one else, so they often resort to
However, he also have more enemies. raids and looting of lands.
2. The community is headed by a survived
independent representative of the old elite and BARBARIANS FEATURES
maintains class inequality. Such communities only 1. The tribe is headed by a strong leader who wants
keep in touch with communities of the same kind to enslave as many territories as possible.
and buy off their enemies with their resources. 2. The tribe consists of racial and ethnic minorities
3. The community features a large number of people with distinctive customs and culture, who only want
from different classes, races, and nations. Frequent to find fertile and safe lands.
disputes over responsibilities, disunity, and lack of 3. A steppe tribe that uses its special skills in
a sole leader make it a desired target for external armament and horse breeding for rapid and quick
enemies. raids.
4. The community has a violent and strict 4. A tribe from the far south, worshiping an ancient
authoritarian regime. Its success stem from the hard god who wants to conquer the deserted lands.
work of individual residents, whose patience cannot 5. A northern tribe that makes seasonal raids from
be eternal. the shores of large rivers and seas to feed their
5. A religious community that worships specific gods families in distant lands.
or a god. It includes only people who believe in the 6. A wild community of tribes, hiding from
same gods and has its own rituals and traditions. civilization throughout its history, uses primitive
6. A community entirely consisting of members methods of struggle to survive in a new world.
of the same race or nation. May have an expressed
disregard to other races or nations, communicating Clergy. Religious people who believe in various gods.
and accepting only members of this community. Some serve in monasteries, the others are members of
ruthless cults.
Bandits. Criminal gangs of people united by the
purpose of rapid enrichment, gaining power, and CLERGY FEATURES
access to resources. Can be part of an ordinary gang 1. A cult ruled by an ancient and forgotten god who
or can form separate settlements of mobsters. rose from the depths of history to gain his power.
The cult members hide, trying to take the highest
BANDITS FEATURES possible position in the new world hierarchy and
1. The gang is headed by a magician who controls recruiting more and more people to serve their lord.
its people with his leadership skills and fear but is 2. The cult of new gods that has long waited for such
scorned by the others. catastrophic events and welcomed them. Those who
2. The gang is engaged in kidnapping and selling believe in new, unknown gods that are supposed to
people into slavery. replace the old ones persuade the world to anarchy,
3. The gang consists of magicians who use their willing to build their own world on its ruins.
abilities for looting and attacks. 3. The order of knights, continuing to serve the
4. A settlement with the leader of a large criminal perished king and old god to the end. It protects the
gang trying to establish a network of bandits for joint former inhabitants of the kingdom, especially other
attacks on big targets. clergy, regardless of their magical powers.
5. A criminal gang that offers its security services to 4. The order of fallen knights tries to seize as much
settlements and communities. Attacks them if they power as possible for further restoration of the
refuse. civilization with their gods, ideals, and rules.
6. A large settlement for various gangster gangs, 5. A monastic order that predicts such sequence of
where any open conflicts and confrontations are events and dedicates itself to informing the people
prohibited. Gangs and groups of bandits solve their about real reasons for such an outcome.
problems in a peaceful way here; find new goals and 6. A monastic order that tries to preserve elusive
share territories. Here you can also order special scientific knowledge by forming the largest library of
services, find the necessary goods, or learn the the New Age.
location of a certain person.

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 LONGFALL REGION
Fallen states. While the Sky walls swallowed up The lands that were later called Longfall were hit
and destroyed the kingdoms and empires with their hardest by the Sky walls. The earth fell apart under the
leaders, the following months have completely torn one’s feet, taking entire cities into the darkness. People
apart once great and glorious states. There is nothing who used to live for generations in these lands would
left in place of many of them, and the locals have long hardly recognize it now.
forgotten the emperors they used to serve. But there The epicenter of the disaster. In its territory,
are also some states that managed to preserve their Longfall unites the borders of several nations that
image, formed by sweat and blood of their ancestors. have almost completely disappeared in the Sky walls.
Such states are often just one big city, open for trade For a long time, there was no one in these lands -
and those who want to settle there and observe its survivors struggled for their lives in the areas with far
rules. And of course, such territories are a luring target less or no destruction. When those areas ran out of
for all enemies around. resources, were overtaken by brutal dictatorships, or
began to suffer from unbearable bandit raids, people
CITY-STATES FEATURES started to rediscover their former territories. Longfall
1. The once great state is still headed by its king, who became one of those lands.
survived the disaster and became a sacred figure for Unknown territories. The territories of Longfall
his subjects. are full of surprises. The roads that have remained
2. A rich city-state that is a harbor for people with from the old days are tangled and often lead nowhere.
magical powers whose ready to pay a huge amount Forests and creatures living in them have changed,
of money their safery. taking over new territories that were once occupied by
3. A city-state of commerce that allows selling people. The changed landscape not only erased large
absolutely anything, including people, on its cities from the earth but also revealed mysteries that
territories. It is protected by a criminal gang. were inaccessible for millennia.
4. A city-state of the former empire, famous for its Real treasures. Gold still doesn’t play a big role after
art of war. Currently, it offers military force for hire what happened. A real divine gift for the survivors
in exchange for resources to survive. will be the climate, which will not turn a recently built
5. A city-state that is engaged in the search for house into ruins; a land capable of yielding good
magical artifacts and accumulates forces for harvests; an area that is easy to defend against beasts
expansion. and bandits. All this can be found in Longfall, but
6. A city-state, which has accumulated enough forces those who strive to it should hurry up, as the rumors
and resources to expand its territories and regain its about these lands are spreading among many people,
former glory and power. including bloodthirsty figures.

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 LONGFALL LANDS rules because of uncontrolled magic (it is not allowed
Longfall may be rich in fruitful lands and resources, to talk/ turn around/ make loud noises/ think about
but everything has its price. the past, etc.).

Magical holes. A powerful magic of the Sky walls has Monasteries. A human-caused disaster made many
destroyed the tissue of the natural and magical world, people think about the transience and unpredictability
leaving strange and dangerous phenomena behind. of the world around and about the things everyone
Magic holes are fickle; sometimes they disappear in an will face after death. In the past, churches and
hour, sometimes months later. monasteries have increasingly lost their influence
and renown, but things are different now. Many
MAGIC HOLES FEATURES monasteries through which the Sky walls had passed
1. The magic threads are torn here, so the magic managed to endure it. The lands on which they
doesn’t work in this place. stand are now inviolable and sacred. Except for the
2. Spells of a certain magic school (Illusion, barbarians, who still consider them as a very expensive
Necromancy, etc.) do not work here. piece of stone, albeit tastefully made.
3. Spells of a certain magic school (Illusion,
Necromancy, etc.) have an intensified effects here. MONASTERIES FEATURES
4. Illusion in this place is particularly strong, creating 1. A closed monastery with a single monk few
things that do not exist (a picture of the past or even hundred years old, watching dawns of the empires.
a possible future; thoughts turn into voices that an be Now he has shut himself in four walls and
heard by everyone, etc.). surrounded the monastery with illusion of the
5. Loud sounds generate bursts of magic here that presence of formidable warriors that guard it.
try attacking the troublemaker. 2. A once-rich monastery, gathering the best warriors
6. The magic in this place puts the travelers to sleep. and knights under its command to begin the «holy
7. A strong magic item traps those who have a weak purge» of all lands from the «unworthy» people.
will, making them its temporary servant. 3. An empty monastery that hides powerful artifacts,
8. Portals randomly appear in the territory of the which should not be reached by the hand of an
magic hole. evil man, behind a network of mazy underground
9. The course of time in the magic hole is slowed labyrinths.
down/ accelerated. 4. A monastery, where anyone can be taught the
10. Distortions in magic allow creatures to take up secrets and forgotten arts for a lot of gold.
abode into each other’s bodies when touched. 5. A monastery where the one can get answers to
personal questions for great services to certain God.
Settlements. A few are able to wander endlessly in 6. A monastery controlled by a well-known gang that
search of resources. Discovered ruins of the city receives part of its profits and learns about the latest
may be suitable both for temporary shelter and for a rumors through the monks.
complete start of a new life. If the one is ready to face
the imminent dangers that lie in Longfall. Castles. Both small and huge fortresses, which were
awarded by kings and emperors to their particularly
SETTLEMENTS FEATURES skillful subjects. Now most of these territories are
1. Destroyed empty city, where bandits come back destroyed and conceal both treasures and members of
every night for an overnight stop. various cults hidden in their depths.
2. A community of people occupied an old village
and built a fortification around it. CASTLES FEATURES
3. A royal palace seized by barbarians led by a 1. A castle that seemed empty at first glance turns out
powerful leader. to be an ambush of cult members, looking for prey
4. A large city the territories of which regularly for their ritual.
become a bone of discord for both people and 2. A looted castle that has become a lair for bandits
beasts. trying to find a secret door to a dungeon full of
5. A mountain village occupied by bandits, with a treasures.
secret passage through catacombs leading to it. 3. A ruined castle, in the ruins of which there is
6. A settlement hidden by a magic hole where people an entrance to the old catacombs from where the
pay for safety with the obligation to follow special monsters come out every night to hunt.

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4. A castle, which looks like a peaceful settlement but fire if you find a bone in it, even if it's a small rodent?
conceals slaves in its deep corridors for subsequent The locals have conveyed the fear of the nature
resale. around them from generation to generation, not
5. A castle with an old lonely knight, the last of his doubting for a moment about who is the true master
order. He is the keeper of secret knowledge and arts, of these lands.
but he no longer sees the goal of sharing them with Echoes from the North. What happened to the
anyone. world couldn't help but affect the dark secrets of
6. A castle is a base for a reviving knightly order that Longfall. At first, all this seems to be just rumors that
promises to avenge every survived magician for the can be heard in the settlements - strange voices and
death of the king. shouts, shadows sneaking behind the back, growling
outside the camp. But all of a sudden caravans from
Hideouts. Not everyone in Longfall wants to live the northern tribe stopped going the usual way.
in cities and castles noticeable from afar. Sometimes The head of a friendly settlement did not come to
it’s better to find shelter in an old cave in the woods, important negotiations concerning the redistribution
far away from the roads. But such wanderer should of territories. The barbaric tribe, which used to torture
remember - those places keep their own secrets. the native lands with attack months long, disappeared
completely. And legends no longer seem so ridiculous.
HIDEOUTS FEATURES In search of death. The North, full of mysteries and
1. A cave with a small narrow passage turns out to resources, still attracts many people and creatures who
be a temporary camp for scouts of the wild southern want to learn its secrets. Wanderers who go there will
tribe. find that the deeper you go into the local mountains
2. A barely noticeable descent down the mountain and forests, the more obscure the road home becomes.
leads to a cavity, where bandits share the loot in their Places that used to be full of barbaric tribes recently
hideout. are now empty. Their camps and settlements have
3. The tracks running into the forest will lead to a been destroyed and burned down by their inhabitants.
camp of cult members who prepare a deadly ritual. What could have frightened them so much? What
4. Torn bodies of animals lead to the lair of the forced them to leave these lands and search for the
monster waiting for prey in an ambush. new territories that were already occupied, engaging
5. Strange dull screams will lead wanderers to the in conflicts with other tribes, communities, and even
beast’s old lair, where barbarians are extorting the city-states.
location of camp from tied up bandits. Cursed. Survivors do not even need to go to the
6. Beneath the abandoned farms, there is a maze of dangerous northern lands to learn the truth, because
tunnels where forest creatures bring the provisions soon they would have learned everything themselves.
they found. The threat from the North, which frightened even
the bravest warriors, has now come to the lands of
CURSE FROM THE NORTH Longfall.
You can use the Cursed any time in your campaign. Creatures that can take the form of both humans
When it seems that the heroes have coped with and monsters attack the villages, towns, and camps
many troubles, there is a new challenge that will in disordered crowds. With their bright red eyes,
pose a threat to everything that was achieved by hard they know no mercy and destroy everything on their
work. Or, an already big conflict in the region, which way. Their targets are unknown and their travels are
exposes to danger mice and men, aggravates when a unpredictable. The inhabitants of Longfall will only
third (fourth? fifth?) side in the form of a terrifying have to pray to their gods for some time to prepare.
and uncontrollable force appears. It's up to you! New challenges. The life in Longfall is hard even
without the Cursed. But recently it has become more
Longfall was not a quiet and peaceful land even in chaotic and cruel than ever. Not all existing factions
peacetime. It's better to keep some secrets hushed; are ready to face the new threats - many will use it to
otherwise, the consequences can be terrible. achieve their own goals. More and more conflicts can
The dark past. There were many rumors, legends, both form unexpected alliances and set on the long-
and beliefs observed by all civilians, the absurdity of time fellows to fight for the limited resources.
which sometimes amused the wanderers. Not to look
at the eyes of a killed animal? Lock oneself in a house
and stay there if the birds no longer fly? Set a field on

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 POSSIBLE GOALS OF THE CURSED
1. The cursed attack only the lands where there are
people with magical powers.
2. The cursed attack only those who have no magical
powers, without noticing the magicians.
3. The cursed search for a special place or a valuable
item that has been found by some of the survivors.
4. The cursed try to get to the magical objects by
absorbing them and becoming stronger.
5. The cursed fulfill the will of an ancient tribe of
barbarians who almost enslaved Longfall thousands
of years ago.
6. The cursed are controlled by an old magician who
has decided to go up against everything that survived
in the world to revenge his fallen brothers.