Sands of Tarisia Wiki

Sands of Tarisia RPG Setting

5 min read

Overview

In the sun-scorched expanse of the savage Sands of Tarisia, where Twin Suns cast relentless waves of heat upon the desolate land, a war torn world lies amongst the ashes of a forgotten era. Tarisia, a realm once lush and vibrant, now lays barren and unforgiving, consumed by the malevolent embrace of corrupting magic. In this crucible of survival, city-states rise like cruel monoliths, each ruled by despots, warlords, and oligarchs who wield the very magic scorned by those under their reign.

The inhabitants of this harsh world face a perilous reality where the embrace of Sorcery comes at a grave cost—Corruption that seeps into the very fabric of the earth, draining life from flora and fauna alike. In the fallout of this desolation, powerful rulers, Sorcerers and Psions, known as Thrones, hold dominion over the city states with an iron grip. Their quest for power transcends the mundane, reaching towards the elusive apotheosis of godhood, a goal attained by the fusion of otherworldly ritual and powerful, corrupting magic.

Amidst this bleak panorama, optimistic heroes emerge as reluctant champions, driven by eternal hope for a better world and the relentless pursuit of survival. Thrust into the barren wasteland, hiding in the scarce shadows of the cities, or worse, cast into the gladiatorial arenas where the roar of the crowd serves as a cruel soundtrack to their struggle. In a world where the desert itself conspires against them, these heroes navigate an arid landscape teeming with insectoid and reptilian creatures wielding unnatural psionic abilities.

The heroes’ journey takes them through a patchwork of vassal settlements, each clinging to existence in the unforgiving terrain. Water, the elixir of life, is a rare commodity, and these protagonists, with bones, obsidian, and chitin as their allies, find themselves entangled in the quest for survival not just for themselves but for the communities they encounter.

The omnipresent lure of sorcery, despite its corrupting influence, becomes a double-edged sword, a tool for both salvation and damnation. The Thrones and their Archons cast a looming shadow, ruling with capricious cruelty, yet holding the promise of survival in the harsh landscape. Still, those sorcerers tempted by the immense power find themselves shunned by society and hunted by the Archons.

The Pathwalker, a voice whispering through the shifting sands, is an unreliable guide to this world. Half-truths and shadows dance in his voice, leaving the heroes and readers alike uncertain of the ultimate truths that govern this desolate realm. The possibility of godhood, a tantalizing mirage on the horizon, may be a reality, a question that lingers in the air like the scorching winds that sweep across Tarisia.

In the savage Sands of Tarisia, where survival necessitates compromise and the pursuit of godhood blurs the lines between ambition and madness, morally complex heroes grapple not only with external threats but also with the shadows within themselves. As they carve their path through this world of cruel sorcery and corruption, these heroes stand as a testament to the indomitable spirit that refuses to be extinguished, even in the face of a world that seeks to devour hope itself.

The World

Known History

City-states

Key Locations

Key People & Groups

The Thrones of Tarisia

The Absent Gods

Cults & Organizations

Astronomy & The Sky

Weather, Sandstorms, and Hazards

  • Solar Zenith
  • The Seven Winds
  • Sandstorms
  • Quicksand
  • Deadly Flora
  • Other Hazards

Paths of the Traveller

Bone & Chitin

The Way of the Psion

Sorcery & Corruption

Bestiary

Making Heroes

Archetypes

  • Alchemist
  • Archon
  • Assassin
  • Barbarian 
  • Beastmaster
  • Corsair
  • Cultist
  • Entertainer
  • Gladiator 
  • Nomad
  • Psion
  • Relic Hunter
  • Sorcerer
  • Stoic
  • Swordhand
  • Sand Skimmer

Ancestry

Cultures & Affiliations

New Skills

New Hindrances

New Edges

Gear

Pre-gens

Recent Changes

Graph View