Karne, the First World

The Celestial Star, Heart of all Magic, a place where Gods, Dragons and ancient beings have fought and schemed for supremacy. The world of Karne is old and vast, and there are many corners yet unexplored, from the acid seas of the south to the inhospitable northern Plateau of Glass.   Once guarded by a great and terrible dragon named Urgan the World Eater, this ancient being was defeated only by the actions of the Eight Gods of Infinity, and even now, the Malignance of Urgan (or just "The Malignance") remains, tainting any piece of the world over which it can exert its influence.   The land is separated into two major continents to the east and west. The eastern continent is the largest, possessing some of the most varied - and most inhospitable - landscapes upon the planet. The great crescent of land that mirrors the Scythea - the longest mountain range in the world - is where the Elves built their great society in their golden age. To the west lie the Cities of the Amber Sun and the Empires of the Fae. These lands are ancient and wild, where the worship of strange, nameless gods is still practised. A long history of warfare between sorcerers and witch-empresses has left the land littered with blood curses and forgotten tombs.   To the east, the comparably young civilisations of the Half-Elven people (called Naudlingh in polite society) have blossomed under the mantle of the Eight Prime Deities - the lording Pantheon on Karne - and have built two great civilisations on either side of the continent. Nestled amongst the expansive prairies and deep limestone canyons of the Riverlands is one, considered by many to be the centre of the civilised world. The libraries of Karnun are said to be the most expansive and beautiful ever built.   Greywall on the other hand, with the recent loss of its monarchy has seen many upheavals. Now that the capital lies in ruins, the new seat of power is Cloudspire, where a council of wizards squabble over status and secrets. And finally, along the southern crescent of the Scythean range lie the empty halls of the Elves. As their population continued to wane, more and more of their mighty structures have been left to nature or worse. Now the land is a wild reflection of the great empire it once supported.