The Carnival of Swords

An Adventurer's Guide to Old Coryan

"Now leave this place, for men are coming, men who will blame you for my death, and see you executed. And remember, the Sarishans conceal the keys to knowledge within the shadows." The head smiles knowingly at you, and stops speaking. The spark of life leaves its eyes as blood oozes from its neck. Suddenly you hear a scream, and look up to see a woman standing in mute horror on one of the stairways above. She is looking at the body and the head on the bench, and she starts screaming loudly, "Murderers! Someone bring the Watch! The Horned King has been killed!"


The Queen of Cities

Of all the fabulous empires, kingdoms, nations, city-states, hoary tracts, and territories that sprawl across the face of Onara, the vast expanse of the lofty Coryani Empire is the greatest. Within this simple tome can be found the birthplace of greatness and glory, the ancient City of Coryan.

Surpassed by the newer city of Grand Coryan, Old Coryan remains as a largely forgotten, neglected relic of the age before the birth of Empire. Now a den of malcontents, thieves, and outcasts, the ancient metropolis is fertile ground for intrigue and mischief.

An Emperor's Bloody Oath

In the depths of the Shadowed Age, Yeolin, ancient King of Coryan, made a terrible oath sealed in the blood of the val'Assante line. For millennia the val'Assante have paid this debt to keep the ancient God of the Hills appeased with rites of blood and sacrifice by his Horned King. Without this payment, the land would know blight until the role of Horned King was again filled. The Horned King now lies dead and only the blood of the first among the val'Assante can set things aright.

Within these pages, one will find:

A complete, original city rife with opportunities for adventure and suitable for hosting an entire campaign!
New feats, magical items, monsters, races, and skills!
A complete adventure suitable for use in home campaigns or as an added bonus, by Living Arcanis characters at home!
A rich, original campaign setting acts as a starting point for your own Arcanis campaign or dropped into an existing one.
New Non-Player Characters that can be used in any game setting.

Carnival of Swords first appeared in print in August 2002. This PDF is fully bookmarked and was made from the original layout files.