Raiders of the Ruins of Kanthe
Raiders of the Ruins of Kanthe is a solitaire dungeon crawl RPG, in response to a challenge issued by Jeff Moore.
Introduction
Ages ago, the magnificent cities of imperial Kanthe dotted the landscape. Kanthe was the most advanced culture of the world, the greatest builders in stone, the makers of the best arms and armor, the most educated civilization. Civilized Kanthe discovered how to manipulate magical forces and bred specialists in sorcery, alchemy, conjuration, and enchantment.
But Kanthe felt threatened by barbarians. Its people, wanting to feel secure and feeling that mere walls were not enough, began building elaborate underground fortifications, tunneling deep into the earth, protecting their dungeons with clever traps, some of them magical. There were even some who built portals of endless generation which spewed forth strange beasts to prowl and protect.
Ironically, it didn’t protect them. A massive earthquake in the region leveled the magnificent cities above ground and sealed many of the entrances to the underground. The survivors, thinking that the gods were angered, fled the land and later founded the Nine and Thirty Kingdoms, a pale shadow of ancient Kanthe, but still the envy of the barbarians.
For another irony is that many barbarians, far from wanting to destroy the remnants of civilization, want instead to share in its wealth, become civilized themselves. Kingdom folk are prejudiced, however, and rarely accept strange newcomers as equals. But kingdom folk also envy the knowledge of lost Kanthe and wish to regain it. Too fearful to return to the ruined cities or descend into the underground, they are grateful for any outlander rogue willing to risk the dangers and reclaim the treasures of Kanthe.
Outlander rogue. That means you.
Tags: John Laviolette
October 13th, 2013 at 11:39 pm
Have yet to read your rules, but as a writer and fan of fantasy your introduction blew me away. That could easily be the start of a novel or even a series. Just brilliant!