The official setting is called Aventuria, a vast and detailed continent and a world in need of heroes. The heart of Aventuria is the Middenrealm, an empire nominally ruled by the young Empress Rohaja but in reality controlled by powerful regional lords and ladies. It is a land where knights and daring heroes fight for the order of the gods and grim dwarves delve their mines and subterranean cities deep in the mountains.
Some years ago, human servants of the dreaded archdemons conquered a province of the Middenrealm. Now called the Shadowlands, this haunted realm is home to demon summoners and necromancers. The Middenrealm remains ever vigilant for signs that the armies of the Shadowlands are once again on the move.
The progressive Horasian Empire, home to artists and poets, lies south of the Middenrealm. The cities of this fertile land are ruled by patricians, nobles, and councilors who strive constantly to outdo or weaken their rivals via intrigue.
The orcs of Aventuria make their home in the Orclands, steppes that stretch along the northwestern border of the Middenrealm.
Thorwal lies west of the Orclands. The Thorwalers are brave seafarers who enjoy a reputation as feared pirates. Emboldened by their whale-god, Swafnir, the longboats of the Thorwalers threaten much of the western coast of Aventuria.
Further south lies the Empire of Al’Anfa. Its capital of the same name, called the Boil of the South by some, is a city of decadence and intrigue where a stranger’s life is worth only what it can fetch in the slave markets.
The jungles of the Far South and the Forest Islands are home to the Forest Folk and the Utulus, whose daily struggles for survival include threats from slavers and Al’Anfan manhunters.
Novadi tribes rule the huge Khôm Desert that lies east of the Horasian Empire, beyond the mountains. Even further east, sultans and emirs rule over the Lands of the Tulamydes. This region’s many small city-states are famous for their djinn summoners, wily thieves, and bazaars filled with rare and exotic goods.
The northern forests and steppes surrounding the Salamander Stones are the traditional homelands of the elves. Beloved for their beauty and grace but feared for their sometimes cruel treatment of invaders, elves are magical beings who seem to be born from light. Their lives, which are said to endure forever, are filled with music and song.
North of the wooded coastal region called the Bornland lies an expanse of tundra and snow known as the Far North. Only yetis, dark elves, and the Fjarningers, a barbaric tribe of humans, dare to live out on the eternal ice.
The Dark Eye derives its name from the most intriguing magical artifacts in Aventuria—the Dark Eyes. These rare and powerful magical items allow users to view far away places and glimpse scenes from the distant past. Creating such an artifact calls for very powerful magic and a sizable quantity of raw meteoritic iron. Few spellcasters have ever mastered the necessary enchantments. When completed successfully, the iron assumes the form of an orb or an eye.