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__**The Whisperlands of Andavar**__ //The spirits of the past never leave us. They linger long after the bodies that housed them have returned to the black soil, long after the bones lying in cracked marble tombs have crumbled. They are in the mists at the edge of the bog, they are the sudden chill of an autumn night, they ride upon the winds that shake the windows while the winter storms blow down from the mountains. They live at the corner of our eyes, along the ridges of our spines, among the hairs on our necks, and in the dreams that trouble our sleep. Their murmurs call through the branches of the trees at dusk and the susurrus among the high grasses, golden crops, or cattail reeds along the river banks. Neither good nor evil, they are the memory of the world and they speak to those who would listen. Their faint and melancholy breath is a reminder that all things will pass, the wonderful and the bleak, the terrible and sublime, the dragon and the worm. Hear their whispers and heed them well.//

Laspath the Broken, Prophet of Mebsuta Year of the Burning Man, 3112 RN

Andavar is a place of wonder and adventure consisting of a dazzling array of stunning landscapes above and below the ground and seas. It is populated by dozens of races and innumerable beasts, is a conduit for many paths of what is called magic, and coveted by powerful ascendants who costantly vie for the inheritence of power left by their long-dead, but once mighty divine forebears. They pursue, as do many others who are aware of their existence, "shards", divine relics that still bear the incredibly potent essence of the fallen Patheon. To find and master but one of these artifacts is to ascend.

One's place in the Whisperlands is influenced by many things, not least of which is their connection to the divine essence, or magic as some call it, that pervades the lands. The greatest resevoirs of such power are the ascendants themselves and the shards that yet lie waiting to be discovered and claimed. Though the Indirithki do not grant powers as would a true diety, those who share similarities with them in look or skill, in types of powers or other characteristics are said to share a kinship with them. This is not to say that all pyromancers gain their mastery over fire by tapping into the power strands of Kral Vernus. Rather, their similarities with the famed ascendant are believed to indicate that they have something of the same kind of nature or aspect to them. It is proverbial for such comparisions to be made in everyday speech, such as, "he's got he blood of Far Magog in him for sure" or "with those eyes she must be a child of the Stormraven" or "as greedy as Shibboleth Nur". Most folk enjoy the blessings of the divine essence in mundane ways, such as being able to hold their breath longer than the norm, being less affected by severe cold or heat, or exhibiting great speed, strength, affinity with horses, ability in crafting items and so forth. Those whose powers are greater, however, often seek the open road of adventure to explore the wondrous lands of Andavar and to test themselves against its many challenges. Where they get their powers is a matter of great debate. Some worship the ascendants as gods, others see them as fonts of power from which they are fed, others as merely inspiring examples of what may be attained by those with skill, daring, and good fortune.

The boldest of these adventurers, a sub set known as Hunters, journey into the forgotten Borderlands of danger and mystery and even the Domains of the Indirithki in hopes of claiming shards of power for themselves or the powers they serve. The Ascendants, nearly unassailable within their own Domains, often use proxies in their hunt to claim additional shards and to increase their power. If they leave the safety of their own realms they risk drawing unwanted and potentially fatal attention from others of their kind or even mere mortals, for to slay one of the ascendants is to gain its power.

Though there are a number of major urban centers and even a few well-patrolled empires, kindgoms, and smaller states, the vast majority of Andavar is wild and dangerous. Even within the safest of borders, peril is never far. In the dark places of the world, where civilization's light has long been extinguished, the word nightmare does not suffice to describe the horrors that await. To be sure, however, great treasure, both negotiable and that of a less tangible form, lie deep in the forgotten and lost expanses, tombs, ruined landscapes, and other places neglected by all except their unsavory keepers. The Godswar that destroyed much so long ago has strewn its detritus across the continents and much of power remains to be rediscovered, most compelling of all the Shards themselves and the divinity they bestow.