Malevolence currently consists of eight domains and the main town, Harborside City.

Baator is the name given to the evil and dangerous lands between Oceana and Weslar. In the Olde Tongue, Baator means 'Devils Land', and it has earned this name. Many evils are hidden in the mountains and valleys of this area, and many travellers have vanished within it's boundaries. Rumors and myths make mention of many different things, such as miles of tunnels which honeycomb the earth under the surface, a city constructed entirely underground, and even a vast once-majestic city half sunken into a great swamp. In all truth, little is known about this region, as few who have crossed it's boundaries have lived to tell their tales. Great treasures and fame surely await those brave and strong enough to enter into these evil lands, and survive...

The forest land of Gaoh was once the revered place of the Consorde, a group of shaman who gathered together to protect the land and thir beliefs. Rumors abound of a forest city, and the great library of mystics, but the truth is buried in legend. A shaman draws power through his or her animal totem, embodying the characteristics of that creature. All that remains in Gaoh is the Temple of the Snake. This is a shrine to the spirit of Snake, run by the High Priest Nebullah.

A small village remains still outside the temple, filled with the followers of the Snake. Nebullah commands great respect and admiration from the people for he keeps the forest from harm and uses his magic to allow the villagers to flourish.

Rumors still circulate though, telling of a battle between the Consorde and a powerful magician. Many people swear that there is a giant snake to be found deep in the Temple, who Nebullah actually prays to, and there is not a week that goes by without someone claiming to have seen the Hermit of the woods, the last of the old Shaman Consorde.

LOCATION

Oceana is on the west coast of our continent, northwest of Baator, and west of Gaoh.

HISTORY

Oceana was originally settled by followers of the ancient god Oraminam, who built there the city of Amfipyron. The Holy Grounds of Oraminam still exist, south of the city, protected by the last priests of a dying religion. The city itself has fallen into disrepair, though it is said to still hold many mysteries.

Years later, the fishing village known as Rockaway grew up on the island just off the coast, connected to the mainland by a huge bridge whose dark secret has long been forgotten. Tourists came to the island to fish, build sand castles on the beach, and ride the seahorses. A boat route was established between the Dock at Harborside and the Pier at Rockaway Pointe. Eventually, the fishing trade began to dwindle, as more and more tourists discovered the trick to breathing underwater, enabling them to simply walk out into the depths and kill the fish. Still, the ocean depths are not a place for the casual, and only the bravest (or most foolish) venture out beyond the great coral reef.

More recently, the island has also become home to Tarkus Industries, who built a huge office complex, factory and warehouse. The factory and warehouse were connected by an underground passageway, but an attempt to dig a second, deeper tunnel was aborted when some dark power was accidentally disturbed. The evil from below seems to have permeated and strengthened those who work in the buildings above, and again, this is not a place for the timid.

The history of the Tarkus company itself is full of mystery and intrigue. There are no living descendants of company founder Edmund Tarkus, a veteran of the merman wars, who is said to have wielded a sword of great power against all half-human creatures. His entire family died in a mysterious accident while on a trip arranged by the man who now runs the company, the only one who knows where the bodies lay. But even he does not know the whereabouts of the lost sword of Orinoco.

Many years ago, it is told, a band of warriors crossed the pass from the east. Whether fleeing or lost, no record says. Finding themselves leaving the pass they took stock and discovered no sign of their homes and little food remaining. After a great council it was decided to settle in the foothills, near the pass.

The winter proved hard that year and records of how they survived where destroyed in warfare with the natives. We do know the warriors were fierce in battle and soon fed on the great beasts of the plains. The warfare broke out as these beasts became scarce from the bloody slaughter of the newcomers. The natives realized they would starve and attacked the settlement, hoping to destroy the intruders.

Striking at night, they caught the intruders mostly asleep, but those awake raised the alarm before being dispatched. Their metal skins proved too much for the natives with their stone and bone weapons. Even so, the battle was long and hard. Having moved down from the mountain, but not having built new fortifications, the warriors where surrounded and had a hard time of it fighting back to their fortress in the mountain pass.

From there, they watched the settlement looted and burned. The natives attempted to storm the pass, but where driven back in a bloody conflict that turned the slopes red for many days.

Defeated, the natives withdrew, allowing the victorious foreigners to return to the settlement. This time, they built a castle.

Using it as their base camp, they launched a genocide on the natives, slaughtering them with their steel and engines wherever they where found. The last of these tribes was ambushed, but managed to hole up in the mountains for a few days, giving their shamen time to summon a beast to fight for them. This beast, an ancient dragon proved too strong and finished the slaying of the tribe for the warriors. It then sallied forth, laying waste to the patrol.

One escaped to tell of the tale, but he died in the telling. The anxious leader rallied his elite troops and sent them to their death at the hands of the dragon. No story is known for none returned.

Soon the dragon retrieved minions from it's dark former realm. These deformities, half man, half dragon raided the settlers by dark, burning homesteads and barracks with similar ease. The settlement was impressed into a huge army that met the dragon forces in the foothills outside the dragon's cavern. The battle was short and vicious. Few returned to their home, but the humans succeeded in barricading the dragon into it's cavern.

Even so, the army was never totally disbanded, and future governors turned it onto the people, ruling them with despotic totalitarianism. With time, the army grew large enough to man not only the castle, but the gate in the pass and patrol the town completely, too.

Between the founding warrior's distrust of magic, the native's shamen and the awesome powers of the dragon, the town hated and feared magic of any kind. Even now, those versed in the arcane arts are wise to shroud their knowledge and rely instead on their steel and luck, or go in what peace the governor will allow them.

Stories have been told of a great ancient city of light that stood alone in time. As the legend goes, in ancient times a great city was built in the northern regions at the base of a huge mountain. This city was like no other. It was home to the greatest mystics of the time. The mystics wove a fantastic spell that set the city apart from time. All within its gates were blessed with great prosperity and health. This spell depended on light and good to keep the city safe. The mystics formed the Sorital to protect the great city and the light.

Soon the city was the jewel of the land, a paradise on earth. But as with all great lights, the darkness soon came and invaded the city. The Sorital sensing that the darkness came from the outside world forced the shadows into the depths of the mountains and caused the forest around the city to become twisted with undergrowth and choked of life. They then placed protectors in the forest to guard from all intruders who might bring darkness back to the city or set it loose. The city they concealed from all but the purest of heart in a bright mist. Only the crumbling outer wall was an indication that a city once stood freely there.

Despite their efforts to contain the darkness, a few escaped and roved the forest waiting for a chance to attack once more. The Sorital found a sparkling cave of crystals in the mountain and imbued these with the light that protected the city. All citizens quickly found a crystal of their own and used it as a talisman against the darkness. The crystal soon became a silent code to signal the pure of heart and strong of body. A few citizens decided that they would brave the darkness and they set forth into the rest of the world. It is from them the legends came. They say the city still lies there now, shrouded in light deep within the forest unaware of the passage of time around them.

Perhaps if you are pure of heart, strong of body, and great of will you will find the lost city of Xanadu.

You are now entering a domain of sight, of sound, of text....

 You have entered...

--=={ The Twilight Domain }==--

With your host, the Domain Lord - Darktoast

 The Twilight domain is made up of many different types of areas, the common theme being an unexpected twist. There are areas from other times, strange and powerful magic items, and hidden links and teleports to most of the other domains.

The areas draw on movies and literature, archetypes, real life people and events, or just plain fantasy. Each area tends to be a little vignette with it's own storyline. In this way it differs from domains such as Oceana and Xanadu in which all the areas share a common theme. Not everything in Twilight makes sense but that is just the way it is.

Completed areas of this domain include the evil outpost of Zolgath, the Castle of Comlet, The Jungle Village, an active Volcano populated with dinosaurs, the final days in Adolfs Bunker, Boznia, the Carnival with its popular Wheel of (Mis)fortune, the Graveyard and several others. Most of the areas are highly detailed with hidden secrets and actions being rather common.

Areas in Twilight have been coded by Darktoast, Chang, Melvin, Zeus, Wrath, Biggs, Twistiez, Valmoran, Cody, Latiros and Zaknefein.

Remember, the truth is not always out there......

A Traveler's Guide to The Realm of Dankwind.

Legends of Dankwind's history are cryptic, rare and murky, but reach back to the earliest times, and it is speculated that Dankwind has existed since the beginning of the world. The local legend is that the world was created by large barfing frog named Yachmael, a mischievous demigod who resides in a land called Bakedland, where "lumps of gack" and "fubbalubbas" live in an eternal state of weirdness.

Dankwind is dominated by the capital city, Newburyport. The legend is that Yachmael took the entire city with him when left his previous domain. Newburyport has its own breed of citizens, many of which exhibit an unnatural intelligence. Newburyport is complete with shops, pubs, a post office, and other places to explore, including residential homes and an ancient and frightening graveyard. Newburyport has by far the most effective police force in the world, and a traveler is well advised to ask about the local laws before departing.

Dankwind Marsh, south of Newburyport has recently become home to a small community of evil goblins, so be careful as you pass that area.

The Isle of Shoals, a small rocky island lies about 12 miles offshore, and is reachable by the ship, Andrea Gaile, which departs from the docks in Newburyport.

Dankwind is reachable by land, along El Camino San Alphonso, a treacherous route which travels along the cliffs east of Harborside City. This road climbs to dizzying heights, and is subject to deadly landslides. For those who prefer a safer route, the Bounty's regular route stops in Newburyport.