Players’ Guide

A world of doomed empires, demon-haunted seas, and bright, terrible destinies.

The Young Kingdoms are not a place of comfort.

They are a place of **decay**.

Ancient powers linger long past their time. New nations rise in their shadow. And between them walk those bold—or desperate—enough to take what they can.

You are one of them.

Not a chosen hero. Not a destined king.

A wanderer. A killer. A survivor.

Perhaps something more.

But if so, the world will demand a price.

The Shape of the World

This is a world where:

Empires crumble, but refuse to die
Sorcery is real—and always dangerous
The gods of Law and Chaos struggle for dominion
Demons answer when called, but never freely
Fate is not kind, and rarely fair

The Bright Empire of Melniboné rots in decadent splendor. The Young Kingdoms bicker, trade, and war across land and sea. Pan Tang whispers in the dark, and its priests listen for things best left unheard.

Everywhere, the balance shifts.

And men and women are crushed beneath it—or rise upon it.

What You Do

Characters in this setting are not settled people.

They are:

Mercenaries selling their blade to the highest bidder
Sailors crossing cursed waters for coin or escape
Sorcerers bargaining with things that should not be named
Thieves prying gold from the ruins of older worlds
Priests who serve gods that may not care
Exiles, outcasts, and survivors

You live at the edges of power.

Close enough to touch it.

Close enough to be destroyed by it.

Tone and Play

This is **sword and sorcery**, not high fantasy.

Expect:

Treachery over honor
Survival over heroism
Power that corrupts as often as it elevates
Victories that cost more than they give

Even the greatest figures of this world are flawed, driven, and often doomed.

Especially them.

Creating Your Character

Character creation is fast, flexible, and grounded in the fiction.

You will define:

1. Attributes

Your natural aptitudes—strength, agility, mind, and presence.

These describe what you are.

2. Combat Abilities

Your skill in battle.

This determines how well you fight—nothing else does.

A prince and a beggar may be equally deadly.

3. Careers

What you have done with your life.

Careers replace long skill lists. If your background applies, you are competent.

A character might be:

A Purple Towns Reaver
A Pan Tangian Priest
A Young Kingdoms Mercenary
A Melnibonéan Noble
A Cutpurse
A Witch of the Weeping Waste

If it fits the fiction, it works.

4. Boons and Flaws

This setting uses a structured approach:

Choose one Boon from your people or background list
You may take one additional Boon from the general list

 * If you do, you must also take one Flaw

Boons and Flaws define what makes your character exceptional—or doomed.

5. Lifeblood and Power

Lifeblood measures your physical survival
Arcane Power fuels sorcery

Spend them wisely.

Both are easily lost.

Sorcery

Sorcery is not a system.

It is a **relationship**.

Power comes from:

Demons
Elementals
Gods
Forces beyond naming

Nothing is free.

Every working is a bargain.

Every bargain leaves a mark.

Those who rely on sorcery too often do not remain entirely human.

Doom

All characters carry the shadow of Doom.

This is not a rule to be avoided.

It is a truth to be embraced.

Doom represents:

Fate closing in
The cost of power
The consequences of your choices

It grows as you:

Call upon dark forces
Bind demons
Survive the impossible
Interfere with powers beyond your place

When Doom comes due, it does not ask permission.

The Young Kingdoms Await

You will sail black seas. Walk broken cities. Speak with things that wear human shapes poorly.

You may gain wealth.

You may gain power.

You will certainly gain enemies.

And in the end—

You will learn what your soul is worth.

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