Nations

• The Nine:
  • Guilmar, City of the Drowned Lady: Spiritual and peaceful city of open marble arches and pillars, frescoes, draped robes, and grape vineyards.
  • Han'Haarstan, the Floating City: Ersatz city of pirates, smugglers, boat people, and knaves.
  • Fiore, the Iron Kingdom: Serious, stern, and militant caste-oriented feudal society.
  • Mezzona, City of Vipers: Canal-crossed city of feuding merchant houses.
  • Ohjavia, City of Gold: Arrogant and haughty haves, humble and oppressed have-nots.
  • Phanosh, the City of Celebration: A festive city of eternal reveling.
  • Tantavos, City of Theives: A den of vice and iniquity on a grand scale.
  • Veshanda, City of Wisdom: A city like a massive university populated by citizen-scholars, sages, and students.
  • Choldai, City of Jade: Unpleasant, brutal, hard-edged, and oppressive city carved into limestone ledges.
• Lesser Nations:
  • Arkenvald, Shard of New Hope: Philosophical but warrior-skilled clansmen.
  • Klommesh, City of Bloody Virtue: Militant zealots living in jaws of daemonic depravity and death
  • Doss, Black City of Death: Black, nihilistic, soulless city verging on outright malevolent evil.
• Other Powers:
  • Velsephay, Aelven Free Nation: Primordial "savage land" forest full of hidden dangers and outdoorsy aelves

Of Interest

• Vezanti, the Lost City: A doomed place infested by Daemons. It is death for any but the most powerful to even go near there.
• Xauphinelle, Ancient Aelven Imperium: Decadent, arrogant, dangerous, and jaded empire of ethnocentric isolationist xenophobes.
• Na'Garo: many Na'Garo ships include the Tears along their nomadic routes, circling through periodically. The proud and haughty Na'Garo are not well liked, but the commodities they bring with them are. Local merchants sometimes seek to inconvenience their competitors by pressuring their city governments for increased tariffs, customs fees, and so forth aimed at the Na'Garo directly or indirectly.

Region

A baroque realm of Floating Islands In The Tween, home to high adventure and intrigue.

"Islands" of land either suspended or free floating can be found throughout the Tween, but are usually fairly scattered and collectively when compared against the infinity of the 'Tween they amount to nothing more than a curiosity, such as asteroids in some more mundane universes. There are various names for such islands in the 'Tween, but Shard is the most commonly used one by 'Tweeners.

However, an anomalously large cluster of Shards suspended in the 'Tween by some means long since lost to time can be found only several days journey (via a fast clipper) from Sanctuary; collectively these Shards are called the Tears of Vrylakos.

The Tears have been inhabited for as long as anyone can recall, and the oldest settlements origins are entirely lost to history. Composed of dozens of Shards and hundreds of Shardlets arranged in something like a spiral; at the "bottom" of this spiral is a dark conduit to a dimension of daemons called the Tleyzu ruled over by the greater daemon Madragat, the Mother of Evil, from which dangers often emerge.

This conduit is called the Maw by those inhabiting the Tears and its existence and ramifications has a deep effect on their world-view and culture. Additionally, those capable of dimensional travel by will alone or innate talent have indicated that the Maw interferes with such abilities within three or four days travel of the Tears making it difficult, dangerous, or even impossible in some cases.

The Shards closest to the Maw are referred to as "the Shoals" which has connotations of danger and isolation. There is a conceptual demarcation of where the Shoals end as determined by closeness to the Maw, and everything below that demarcation is referred to as being part of the "Beneath"; anything and everything that comes up from the Beneath is suspect.

Towards the top of the spiral the Shards are further apart, and association with the Tears as a concept becomes more vague or goes away completely; the outermost Shards are primarily the domain of the Xauphinelle Imperium. Thus, the middle tiers of the spiral are generally thought of as the Core of the Tears, and the seat of the regions culture and power.

There are many Cities and settlements in the Tears, but the most powerful and influential are referred to as the "Nine"; they are the nations to watch. Though not part of the Nine, and somewhat apart from the old Cities, Velsephay is a large kingdom spanning many Shards and exerts sway as well.

Travel

Aerial travel is very common in the Tears; 'Tween Ships and flying beasts are ubiquitous. Artifice oriented around rapid travel has a high premium.

An interesting quirk of the Tears is that, aside from the Maw, there are no conduits within a day's travel on even a fast moving Sky-ship. Thus, 'Tween sailing is by far the dominant form of travel to and from this region. There are rumors of at least one entry point to the Golden Corridor, but if true its a closely held secret; people sometimes arrive to the Tears via the Golden Corridor however.

Trade

Most of the Shards and a few of the Shardlets have water sources and arable land, but food and drink are the most common form of commodities. Beyond the staples, crafted objects, items of magical significance, fine goods, Sky-ships, aerial mounts, armor, and weapons are the most trafficked goods.

Most traders stay within or near the Tears, but the most adventurous sail the Tween to other areas of interest, including far off conduits to other dimensions where commodities can be garnered. The Tears are very commercial and mercantile pursuits have a high prestige.

Art & Culture

Each city and nation of the Tears is distinctive unto itself and has its own take on things, but it can still be said that there is overall a culture that can collectively be called Vrylakian. However, it should be noted that in many cities of the Tears, Art & Culture is the purview of the upper crust, not the masses.

Vrylakian artwork is typified by direct, simple, obvious, and dramatic iconography expressing an emotive dynamism. Colors are rich, often over darker backgrounds, and vividness is typical. The detail of cloth and skin is usually extreme and realistic or hyper-realistic (exaggerated to a mild degree). Scenes are sometimes complex, and in many such complicated scenes composition favors dynamism over scale or depth. Forced perspective is most typically a 3/4 view or less, though every now and then an artist will push the envelope with a more extreme or even "impossible" perspective angle. Frames, particularly of important works, tend towards the heavy, ornate, and even gilded, and are often valuable in and of themselves. Some artists take this to extremes, sculpting or building a custom frame as part of a total work so as to accentuate their artwork. Most scions of wealthy families learn to at least dabble in painting still lifes, and successful professional artists can make a very good living via sponsorship and commissions.

Older Vrylakian cities such as Doss and Guilmar favor a more classical architecture featuring clean lines, rectilinear design, and graceful austerity; however they are the exception. The newer cities feature an ostentatious architecture that favors flourishes, complexity, and extreme ornamentation, grand curving staircases, balustrades, and sweeping balconies. Other older cities feature a mix of both, with the newer style overrunning the more restrained ancient structures like kudzu. Despite the ornamentation, Vrylakian structures of repute usually have very good acoustics, and in fact concert and opera halls are at the pinnacle of Vrylakian architecture.

Vrylakian music favors opera and symphony, feature large layered arrangements, broad instrumentation involving a large variety of instruments, and complex vocal flourishes such as trills and runs. Most Vrylakian music is very technically difficult, in many cases challenging even virtuoso performers at certain points, and difficulty is one of the characteristics that is considered by aficionados. When played correctly by an orchestra, Vrylakian music is beautiful and moving, but can be too long and technical for some used to more approachable music. However, in almost all the Tears, music is regarded as something too good for the unwashed masses; it is something that is taken seriously and enjoyed in concert form. There is a relatively small minstrelsy tradition as well, but it is ill-regarded by the upper crust and is considered to be a low entertainment vs high art.

Vrylakian operas combine Vrylakian music with theater to concoct grand, epic dramas (with occasional comic elements) that play out over the course of hours. Regarded by many as the pinnacle of Vrylakian culture, almost every city has at least one opera house of repute, and the best shows travel from city to city. Openings of newly anticipated plays are must-attend events for the the rich and influential, and are the centerpiece of any number of exclusive parties and receptions before and after. Vrylakian opera is famous even beyond the Tears, and some affluent 'Tweeners have been known to visit from far and wide to attend a highly rated play, and Vrylakian troupes are sometimes invited to Sanctuary for a command performance or three.

Inhabitants

Disregarding dimensional travelers and 'Tweeners from elsewhere, the Tears are inhabited by several races:

• Merren are (believed to be) native to the Tears as they have not as yet been discovered anywhere else, and their inhabitation predates the Aelves. They once had a peaceful and simple society that stretched across the Tears, but were easily conquered and reduced to slaves by the imperialistic aelves.
• Aelves have had a presence in the Tears for thousands of years, and once dominated the entire region by force of arms and magic.
• Humans, depending on their lineage and family circumstances, are either descendents of those brought to the Tears as slaves by the conquering aelves long ago, or else those who arrived there under their own power at various points in history. There were several mass emigrees of 'Tweeners from elsewhere at several distinct periods in Tear history; the most recent was in the period of time known as the Kinstrifing Wars where the aelves were embroiled in a long (to non-aelfs) internal struggle.
• ...

Currencies

• Fiore:
  • Abas (large orb of gold, 5gp)
  • Bas (a small but thick golden coin, 1gp)
  • Anis (large orb of silver, 5sp)
  • Nis (a thick silver coin, 1sp)
  • Agar (large orb of copper, 5cp)
  • Gar (a thick copper coin, 1cp)
• Guilmar:
  • Guils (heavy golden coin, 5gp)
• Mezzona:
  • Azule (1.25 gp)
  • Brizone (1 sp)
• Veshanda:
  • Drui (hexagonal ruby, 10gp)
  • Femal (small emerald lozenge, 5gp)
  • Bylu (small triangular sapphire, 1gp)
• Choldai:
  • Duraba (iron rectangle, 1cp)
• Xauphinelle:
  • Axa (golden knot, 3 gp)
  • Dra (gold coin, 1 gp)
  • Obadra (small golden coin, 3 sp)
  • Aspra (silver coin, 1 sp)
  • Utal (small silver coin, 3 cp)
• Sanctuary:
  • Plates (large golden plate, 10gp)
  • Wheels (very large golden coin, 5gp)
  • Coins (golden coin, 1gp)
  • Discs (silver coin, 1sp)
  • Rounds (copper coin, 1cp)

Languages

• Vrylakian: the primary language of the Tears. There are minor differences, slang, and accents in the various cities and communities of the Tears but speakers can communicate across these differences nonetheless.
  • Fiorean: a hard-edged dialect of Vrylakian spoken in Fiore, Klommesh, and a few other minor communities low in the Tears.
• Ælva: the language of Xauphinelle, Velsephay, and Ælves with connections to them.

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Artifice

The default Artifice level is High.

Magic

Winding is the dominant form of arcane magic in the Tears, followed by Crypticism, Occultists (typically along lines of inheritance), and Alchemy. Though Alchemy usually has a larger visible presence due to the mercantile aspect of alchemical substances, the number of actual practitioners is roughly equal between Crypticism, Occultism, and Alchemy.

There are Necromantists in Doss, but they are generally not tolerated elsewhere and this is not a popular form of magic in the Tears.

There are some Ecclesiastics dedicated to deities of the Tearic Pantheon

Even in the more depraved cities of Doss and Tantavos, there is a total ban on Daemonology in the Tears. Practitioners of this art are invariably put to a swift and certain death if found out.

Technology

Vrylakians are quite clever and a variety of technological devices up to simple firearms are available.

Vrylakian firearms don't use black powder; instead they function via an alchemical distillation of Vim into a form that is technically called Ethermiite (ee-THERM-ee-ITE) but is called Boom-dust by the masses. Such weapons range from single shot pistols up to muzzle-loaded cannon. Boom-dust weapons are muzzle-loaded and take at least 2 Phases to Load; however characters can learn a special version of the Fast Draw skill called Fast Load: Boom-dust Weapons; a successful Fast Load: Boom-dust Weapons skill roll allows a Boom-dust weapon to be loaded in 1 Phase vs 2 Phases. Vrylakian Boom-dust Weapons

RC	AP	Name	Effect	Leveled	Edition
10	52	Boom-dust Pistol	Blast 6d6, Does Knockdown, Not Knockback (+0), Double Knockdown (+1/4), Penetrating (+1/2) (52 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time: 2 Full Phases; Need Boom-dust And Shot-balls; -1 1/2), STR Minimum 8 (Does Not Add To Damage; -1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Limited Range (AP x 1; -1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4)	N/A	5e
16	79	Boom-dust Musket	Blast 9d6, Does Knockdown, Not Knockback (+0), Double Knockdown (+1/4), Penetrating (+1/2) (79 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time: 2 Full Phases; Need Boom-dust And Shot-balls; -1 1/2), STR Minimum 8 (Does Not Add To Damage; -1), OAF (-1), Beam (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4)	N/A	5e
24	124	Boom-dust Cannon (Small)	Blast 9d6, Does Knockdown, Not Knockback (+0), Double Knockdown (+1/4), Armor Piercing (+1/2), Area Of Effect (32" Line; +1) (124 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time: 2 Full Phases; Need Boom-dust And Shot-balls; -1 1/2), STR Minimum 15 (to move; Does Not Add To Damage; -1), OAF (-1), Extra Time (Extra Segment, -1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4)	N/A	5e
27	150	Boom-dust Cannon (Large)	Blast 10d6, Does Knockdown, Not Knockback (+0), Double Knockdown (+1/4), Indirect (Arc; +1/4), Area Of Effect (One Hex; +1/2), Armor Piercing (x2; +1) (150 Active Points); 8 clips of 1 Charge (Increased Reloading Time: 2 Full Phases; Need Boom-dust And Shot-balls; -1 1/2), STR Minimum 18 (to move; Does Not Add To Damage; -1), OAF (-1), Extra Time (Extra Segment, -1/2), Real Weapon (-1/4), Crew-Served (2 people; -1/4)	N/A	5e

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Vrylakian Background

The Tears are a large region of the 'Tween with long history and a rich culture. The following background options are available for characters wishing to incorporate the Tears into their background. There is a Skill Enhancer available as well to reduce the cost of the listed abilities by 1 point each (the chart applies the Enhancer and gives the adjusted price of each item).

Vrylakian Background Skills

RC	AP	Name	Effect	Leveled	Edition
3	3	Vrylakian	Enhancer: Vrylakian	N/A	5e/6e
2	3	Educated	KS: Vrylakian History (INT)	2/+1	5e/6e
2	3	Oriented	AK: Tears of Vrylakos (INT)	2/+1	5e/6e
2	3	Cultured	CuK: Tears of Vrylakos (INT)	2/+1	5e/6e
4	5	Well-spoken	Language: Vrylakian, Dialectic, Literate	N/A	5e/6e

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Credit

Darren Miguez, aka Vrylakos, created a very interesting setting called the Shards many years ago for use as a D&D 3e campaign setting. Ed Hastings, aka Killer Shrike, assisted this effort with mechanics support in the form of many prestige classes and enough background information or extension into undefined areas to make them fit the setting. The version presented here for use with Esoterica is heavily modified and extended, and relies almost entirely upon material originally authored by Ed Hastings, but some of the core ideas and (most significantly) names have been retained. For instance, the Merren of the Shards and the Merren of the Tears are not the same, but the race name and some cosmetic details have been retained. All due respect and admiration for the original source is intended. Unfortunately contact with Darren was lost over the years and attempts to find him have proven unsuccessful and the email address previously used by Darren appears to be dead. Hopefully contact will eventually be reestablished; if anyone knows Darren, aka Vrylakos, please bring his attention to this material and ask him to get in touch.

Regions