Recent History of Shardar

 Shardar is a feudal land and has only recently been brought under the command of High Lord Calloway.  In the Year 276, Calloway’s forces finally defeated those of Lord Verlie and Calloway could legally claim the sword and shield of meteor iron that proclaimed him to be High Lord of Shardar.  For fourteen years previous to this, Shardar had been in a chaos of civil war with each petty lord trying to force his own claim on the crown.
        In the Year 262, the High Lord Franklin died without leaving an heir and immediately the dozens of Lords that made up the nobles of Shardar started fighting amongst themselves.  Many of the Nobles went to the various Mage’s Academies for help but no Mage was willing to back one Lord against all others.  For eight years the harsh struggle went on before two contenders rose to prominence.  Lords Calloway and Verlie were equally matched and each one had about half the other Lords backing them.  Both Verlie and Calloway again went to the Academies in search of aid and both were again refused.  The war continued unabated and, if anything, the fighting grew more fierce.  Thousands of men were killed in the struggles and all the people of Shardar were suffering.
        Fourteen years after High Lord Franklin died, Calloway’s forces defeated those of Verlie and Calloway crowned himself High Lord of Shardar.  The people of the land could eventually start to rebuild their lives.  Since that day, High Lord Calloway has concentrated on bringing the land under his rule and ensuring that civil war will never again lay waste to the people of Shardar.
        In the Year 279, only three years after he came to power, High Lord Calloway declared war on the neighboring continent of Dargoth and, for the last six years, the battles have dragged on and on with no conclusion in sight.  At the start of the war, Calloway asked the Mages for help in the conflict but they refused, saying that it was no concern of theirs and that they couldn’t take the time away from their studies of the Magical Arts.  High Lord Calloway grudgingly accepted their refusal and continued his war without aid from Academy Mages.  Despite the fact that the Masters refused to aid him, some young Mages did side with the High Lord and have fought alongside his armies for the last six years.
        Now, High Lord Calloway has decided that the war has dragged on for too long and too many lives have been wasted.  Last year he returned to the Academies and demanded that the Mages helped him.  He allowed the Masters a short time to make their decisions but warned them that if the Mages didn’t help him, he would withdraw his troops from Dargoth and raise the Academies to the ground.  He was well aware of how dangerous the Mages were and of the powers that they wielded, be he wasn’t prepared to let anyone flaunt his rule.
        This is the situation as it stands in Shardar.  The land is at war with a wild and savage nation from across the Southern Sea and the High Lord has demanded that the Mages come to his aid in the war.  As yet, none of the Academy Masters have given an answer but they can have only a few more months before Calloway runs out of patience.
        Storm and Matrix are as strong rivals as ever and the Mages of their Academies are warned against the other ones.  The Planes are being opened to discovery and bound Demons are becoming more and more common as tools for Mages to use.
        The world is ready for brave and adventurous Mages, but are you ready for the world?

The Geography of Shardar

Shardar is a relatively small island nation that is part of the world of Keltar. Across the Southern Sea lies the huge continent of Dargoth but, apart from that, very little is known about the rest of Keltar.  Dargoth is a land of jungles and savages and is said to hold ancient cities that hide incredible treasures and vast wealth.
        Shardar is made up of two main land masses, the Northlands and the Southlands.  These areas are joined by a land bridge no more than twenty miles across and fifty miles long.  Until the coming of High Lord Winwood, the North and Southlands were two separate nations but for the last 285 years they have been united under one ruler.
        The Southlands are far more civilized than the Northlands are and it has a much larger population.  The Southlands are an area of cultivated fields, safe forests and well maintained roads.  The High Lords have always made their home in Camber, the capital of the Southlands and therefore the capital of all Shardar.
        In opposition, the Northlands are still a wild place where wolves and bears roam and most people live in small communities, scratching a living where they can.  Most of the Northlands are covered in tangled pine forests and the little land that is left open is harsh and unforgiving to those who try to farm it.  There are no Academies in the Northlands and only the hardiest or poorest of people live there.
        Camber, the capital city of Shardar, lies on the edge of the lake system known as Sindar’s Tears.  High Lord Calloway has his palace in Camber and it is by far the largest city in the country.  At the other side of the Sharwood is The University, as the Academy is Matrix is known, and the town of Gladsheim which caters for it.  There is a regular trade between The University and Camber and the relationship is a friendly one.
        To the East of the mainland lies the Green Isle, a land where few people live and exotic creatures are said to roam.  Eastpoint is the only human habitation on the island and it is a community of fishermen and sailors.
        On the Southern coast are the communities of Shandow and Gendor, both thriving towns and in the North-West of the Southlands is the large town of Termin.  The Skytop mountain range provides most of the metals for Shardar and the Hill Peaks contain many precious gems and some of the more precious metals.  Mining communities are scattered across both mountain ranges but most are too small to show up on any but the most detailed of maps.
        Off the Western coast of Shardar lies the Academy of Ocean-Gate and few non-Mages have ever set foot on the isle.  In the East of Shardar is the Inner Sea and in the centre of that is Bleak Isle, a place with a dark reputation.  There is nothing known about what lies in the heart of Bleak Isle and those brave enough to land on the coast of it seldom stay long.  They complain of a feeling of being watched and an evil presence close by.
        The ruins of Marketh, at the base of the Skytops, are said to be haunted by the ghosts of the people slain there during the Mage Wars, and the Haunted Hills in the Northlands have an equally evil reputation.
        Any player who wishes their character to know more about a specific location will have to discover it as they play the game and explore the land or find some way for their character to be taught about it.  Demon is a game of discovery and growth as much as one of politics and power and it should be treated as such.

Timeline For The Land Of Shardar

             What follows is the basic knowledge that all Mages have of the history of Shardar.  There are many more details and much that is kept hidden from Mages by their Masters and the list below contains only the most well known information.  Any player that wishes to know more about the history of the land known as Shardar will have to have their character take the History skill or should have their character find a tutor or other means of gaining this information
            Many things have been kept secret from both players and characters and this is a deliberate action on the part of the GM.  As characters adventure and explore in Shardar they should discover many of the dark secrets and hidden truths of the land.  The Lords and Arch Mages know far more about Shardar than they are prepared to tell and characters should remember that too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
           Players should also remember that this is the history of Shardar only.  It is known that the continent of Dargoth exists, but little in the way of details are known about this savage land.  There may be other continents and lands on the world of Keltar and that information is waiting to be discovered by the brave and determined.
            Little in the way of records have managed to survive from before the time of Lord Winwood and therefore very little is known about the distant past of Shardar.  What is known for certain is that the land was ruled by hundreds of minor Clan Chiefs and Feudal Lords, all of whom believed that they should rule the entire land.  The people of Shardar were almost constantly at war with each other and civilization had barely begun to climb above barbarism.  It is only since Shardar was united by High Lord Winwood that any real progress and development has been made.

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