Fragmented Kingdoms of the Savaan

Heroes gathered in the once-great empire of Fraesia are faced with a brewing chaos.   The dictatorial conqueror Velgrade seeks to build his nation, Khazymska. His armies have swiftly taken their closest neighbor, the small country of Velhym, and his sights are soon set on the large coastal nation of Heimere to the south. The fugitive prince of Velhym, initially evacuated to Fraesia, was nearly intercepted en route to Heimere by the elusive special forces of the Fraesian ranger core, causing hostilities between the two powerful nations.   Worse still for the Sultans of the Fraesian Empire, whose control once stretched across all of the Savaan, their attentions are split. While the threat of war looms in the West, the steady threat of the Lizardfolk claws away at Fraesia's southeastern border wall. Throughout the country's eastern desert, old ruins have begun to surface, seemingly tied to the despotic Efreeti of the City of Brass.   Deep below, in the Underdark, scientists of the Nythilin Clan of Drow have discovered a new form of necromancy. Their discoveries could revolutionize how militaries are built, and others are beginning to take notice.   Finally, enigmatic individuals of exceptional power take their stakes in the conflict. The eccentric beholder Octrius, his intentions unknown, sends his apprentice out into the shifting world. The Aboleth Xukluth, trapped deep in an underground cavern, claims his stake through a pact and a gift. The remnants of a Githyanki raiding vessel reveal the secrets of an escaped prisoner.