The Dead God's world. A name known in the deepest reaches of the cosmos, known to every deity. A name to inspire deeds, wonder, and respect - even in those that respect little that lies below a material sun. A place where, they say, gods go to die - forgotten by man, roaming the material plane as shades.

There are no moons on Belur. Supernatural afflictions like Lycanthropy work differently than are documented in other worlds, since there is no moon. However, there are two oddities in the sky - one world (Mehtinar) that is close enough to be seen as a great green globe in the sky, and another that is absolute black (Ilminelya). The black spot in the sky is large enough and capable of blocking out the sun; stars on occassion - it is unchanging in position and does not reflect any light like other objects in the skies. The supernatural afflictions like Lycanthropy appear on three consecutive nights when the black object is directly above that part of the world.

The sun of Belur is large, and bright. However, it is blocked often by the two anomalies in the sky - several days of each month, there is a pall of several hours duration upon the world as one of the two objects crosses the sun for a time. During these times, nocturnal creatures occassionally walk the day. Whenever the black object is in front of the sun, terrible things happen upon the world - even where it is naturally dark as it crosses the sun. Powerful ghosts wander the realms, blighting them with their presence. Few see the apparitions, such are their nature, but most are aware of their presence where they do appear.

Belur is a world of high magic, mixed with areas of low magic. In many areas of Belur, especially the desert lands, magic is highly unpredictable as to how effective it will be. Part of this may be associated with the Mage Confederate and their desire to horde magic "for the good of all". It is certain that in the Confederate-held lands, magic is considerably more predictable than most elsewhere in the world.

Belur's political front is rife with intrigue and the meddlings of its wizards, always hungering for knowledge and power. The same greed brings wealth and prosperity for the citizens of the Confederate at this time, but it may not ever be so.

SouthWest
To the South, the great and terrible kingdoms of the Cratztan empire. Covering nearly 1/3 of the settled world with wealth and education, Cratzta is composed of three major centres and many lord holdings. This is the world you know best, with its jungles to the south and its low rolling hills and tall trees in its northerly reaches.

Ruled by the severe Mages of the Cratztan Confederate, the Southern hemisphere is held with an iron hand, yet brings prosperity and the promise of great wealth to its people. Housed in the Southmost and oldest of the cities, the Mage Academy trains its elite Guard, replenishes its minds and provides a springboard for the best that the land has to offer. Here, religions ebb and flow. Society in the cities becomes ever more decandent. Its strength is considerable, but its weaknesses are becoming apparent to its enemies in the North and East.

SouthEast
To the east lie the expanses of sand that make up the Great Desert. Slowly creeping west, the Great Desert is home to the kingdoms of harsh, fierce; desperate nomads and cities of poverty. Magic is almost unknown to these people, except to the survivors in their encounters with their southern neighbours.

The East accepts the rules of no men. They live by and die by their strength, seaty toil and the bite of their many cruel swords. Thieves, cutthroats and opportunists almost to a man, these people attack blindly anything that seeks to change their chaotic society.

NorthEast
Home to the humanoids of the world, the North is a vastly wooded land which lowers gradually as it ascends the north. The uppermost end of the world is a place of mountainous ranges ringing a lowland of stinking fens and creatures of evil disposition.

Small armies of opportunistic beings roam the area looking for a quick kill and an easy bounty. If these creatures had a goal in life, it would be: pillage, rape, loot; eat the flesh of their enemy. Thankfully, their own way of life keeps their numbers small, and the North has never seriously threatened its neighbours. However, there is a marked rise in their strength and military intelligence over the last few turns that has many generals uneasy.

Travellers in this land would do well to step lightly and quickly.

NorthWest
The West's beautiful and rich forest meets mountain ranges to the far west which separate it from the Wild Lands. Here may be found the wondrous treed homes of the elves and further North, the Halfling Glades. Deep beneath the mountains, the Dwarves and Gnomes delve for treasure and build wondrous halls from the living rock, forging armour as hard as diamond; forming beautiful things from the rich metals from the flesh of Belur.

Almost untouched by the turmoil around it, the West is a place where civilizations meet but do not penetrate. Here, only the wild things are of concern to travellers. Women and their children cavort in winter streams, glorying in the beautiful and rugged landscape these uncommon people call home.

For all of this and more, the NorthEast despises the Western lands, but is aware that their treaty with the Confederate keep it inviolate. Cratztan armies mix with Elvish ones to defend this sylvan home, and the Dwarves are ever vigilante, ready to unleash their great warm machines and stout axes upon an enemy that threatens their idyllic existance. While the Cratztans have a very comfortable alliance with the NorthWestern forests, they are not permitted to walk here unaccompanied or without reason. Visitors to the forests from the other regions of the world will be met with resistance unless they bear the sigils and papers of an emissary. There is not, stictly speaking, an open border such as the Cratztans employ.

Wild Lands
Bordered to the east by the Western Lands, the Wild Lands are true to their name. No surviving man, and few elves have stepped foot on this vast expanse of forest and mountains. The only adventurers to have ever ventured from the Cratztan Confederate returned with stories of fantastic creatures, and a race of winged beings who ride in ships that float on air. Some badly mauled by some huge creature, some bearing the marks of had-driven spears, all have taken their stories with them to the grave, leaving only fantastic, fevered ramblings.

What is certain is that not all the stories are far-fetched. Some force is keeping civilization from the Wild Lands. Where man and Elf have conquered before, they have failed completely here.