Our Rules

The current rulebook is available on the Rules page.
It is available for download in PDF format and provides the current version and release date info with the link.

History of the World of Karn

For history of the world in (and before) Chronicle One: The Black Shield Chronicle, please see the Chronicles.

Expect ongoing recaps and news of Chronicle Two: The Foresaken Chronicle in The Leaf.

Playable Species of Banished

Karn is full of magical creatures and twisted nightmares. Those living within the Seal tend to refer to those of the nine playable species using one of two broad categories that reflect how your life in Banished begins: Outsiders and Natives.

Outsiders are almost always born outside the Great Seal and are sent into it at some point, usually as adults. A rare few may have been born inside (and survived to adulthood), but this is far less common. Unlike Outsiders, Natives have never lived outside the Seal and are generally adapted to cope with the challenges of life within the Seal, having never known anything else. What can be a shocking hardship to an Outsider is just another day to a Native. Because of this magical division, Natives and Outsiders do not typically know each other before the first event. Of course, once the game starts, people from both groups can become friends with each other. That process is up to them.

Species in Banished give access to a host of Traits and Abilities. These are usually free and reflect the heritage of their chosen Species. Each has specific costume and makeup requirements that must be present at all times. Here are brief descriptions of each species. For more details, see the Rule Book, Appendix B-Species of Karn and the appropriate species packet for the species you have chosen to play.

Outsiders

The Outsiders are those who grew up in, and generally remember, the world outside the Great Seal. Most have lived in relative peace with a high standard of living. Most have spent time in some sort of school (with the possible exception of the Trumar, who may or may not have been given an education) and many had a relatively happy, normal life, up until their entry into the Seal. Until recently, Outsiders typically start Banished outside of the Seal, usually in Imperial custody or as the second-born child, if playing a Dragonlord. During the Cataclysm, many new Outsiders have stumbled through one of several weakened areas of the Seal that appeared briefly as the magic temporarily destabilized it. Others actively sought entry, desperate to escape the disasters and chaos in their own world.

Dragonlords are an honorable race of Humans who tattoo the sides of their face with scales. This race values honor and martial combat above all else.

In the aftermath of the Cataclysm, all Dragonlords, both inside and outside the Seal, began to sense something, a tingling in the back of their mind, like a connection or a presence. Eventually it became apparent that, after a millennium, there was a new Emperor or Empress. Except for perhaps a few very old Revenants, no one remembered what it was like to have a true Dragonlord Emperor (or Empress). All Dragonlords (and Revenant Dragonlords) find themselves connected to this source, though none are yet fully aware of what this new connection means.

Imperials see themselves as the owners of the world, these humans can be anything from Senators to Legionnaires. Nearly all are educated and expect a certain level of deference from others.

The unseen magic that flows within the blood of Imperials surged when the Cataclysm washed over the world. Their bond to magic has now deepened so that they can connect with and understand magic and magical devices on an intuitive level. How this bond manifests varies from person to person, some experience magic as a “pins and needles”, some as a beautiful sound, some as a sweet taste in the air or a pleasant scent, while others even see a pale glow.

Effigy constructs are likened to pitiable broken dolls. They were once simple villagers until a mad sorceress dragged them away and locked their souls into beautifully crafted dolls to be her slaves. A lucky few had found freedom from her control prior to the Cataclysm.

With the death of the Sorceress Maruna, at the close of the Battle of the Great Tree, all Effigy, both free and enslaved, felt their magical connection with her snap. Recently, this connection as been replaced by something else, something even larger then the Sorceress’s presence, the collective awareness of other Effigy. It is not known if this was caused by the release of magical and elemental energy, or if it always existed and the Effigy were simply not aware of it due to Maruna’s powerful magic. Regardless, all Effigy now feel a magical connection joining them to each other.

Revenants are those who have died yet live again. Feared and persecuted, Revenants are not inherently evil, but they are hard to trust.

Through their unnatural state, the Revenants have felt a disturbing truth reverberate deep within their core…the Cataclysm didn’t just release unfathomable amounts of magical and elemental energy, it somehow effected the very nature of Death itself. Exactly how it was changed and what those changes mean for the world are unknown.

Trumar are a race of Imperial slaves. These elemental creatures were bound to the Imperials outside the Seal, but here, there are no rules. The Trumar may either follow as a servant or rebel.

Of all those effected by the Cataclysm, none are so changed as the Trumar, who now feel their core element as true extensions of themselves in the world. Some feel this connection to a lesser extent, with other elements as well. What exactly this means for the Trumar is uncertain, but each can feel they are fundamentally different.

Natives

The Natives of the Great Seal do not remember or have never lived in the world ‘Outside’. The Seal is the only home they know. They tend to be uneducated (Wardens being the exception) and have struggled every day of their lives. For them, those who come from the Outside are seen as naïve and weak. Natives start Banished inside of the Seal, usually with the Wardens.

Erubi are wild creatures given human features in order to be a perfect host for the Ethereals known as the Erune. They are exalted animals, made humanoid.

As the energy of the Cataclysm washed over them, they felt their connection to their Erune deepen, to the point they gain insight or even power from their Erune. A few can even communicate, to a limited extent, with animals.

Inanis are those twisted by the Abyss. These dark and tortured humans were once mortals whose body was stolen and used by a Fiend. The unfortunate Inanis are what remains of the host when a Fiend has been exorcised out of the host body. They husks of a mortal, trying to come to grips with the evil that was inside of them.

Whatever psychological barrier exists in the minds of Inanis to shield them from the memories and emotions of their existence as host to the Fiend was cracked by the wave of elemental and magical energy that washed over the world when the Cataclysm began. Memories and feelings of their former life now flow forth periodically, affecting the Inanis in often unforeseen ways.

Seraphs are those once touched by the divine. When the Ethereals take a Human host, and the time comes for that host to die, sometimes the Archon is able to save them by ejecting their divine essence from the mortal body. The touch of the divine changes the human in profound ways. Because of this hint of divinity, Seraphs are unable to tell a lie.

Just as water may seep through the cracks in a dam, the memories of who they were before the Archon released them may spring unbidden into the minds of Seraphs after the strange effects of the Cataclysm occurred. These memories sometimes bring insight into the lives the Seraph lived before, but sometimes, they lead to insights of the Archon that possessed them.

Wardens are the original humans who stayed behind, luring the Ethereals to the Great Seal. They, and their descendants, have always been the guardians of the Seal and all of those who reside within it. The magic of The Seal has changed them over time, allowing them to merge with various plants, though they are still very much humans.

Whether due to the Cataclysm itself or the restoration of the Great Tree is unknown, but Wardens now experience their innate connection to nature more deeply. They can hear the whispering of plants as though it was a mother’s lullaby, even sometimes sending messages through the “root network” of greenery to other Wardens.

Faith of Karn

Within any civilization there is an element of religion. Belief is at the core of most moral structures in Karn, but to understand the religions of the world, you must take a look at the full mythos.

Primes

The world was created by three Primes. It is said that these three Primes created the world as a great experiment to see if mortal life could thrive and spiritually grow. This experiment is commonly known as the Trial.

Each person is responsible for their own part in the Trial, knowing that if they fail, they could be responsible for the loss of everything. The Trial makes up the core of the moral compass, though each religion goes about it in different ways.

While the Primes are the greatest of the gods, they are not the only ones. Each Prime created two Divines to serve them. After that, the Primes sat back and let the world run. It is generally believed that they do not interfere in the Trial. Only their servants, the Divines, are gifted with that power.

Generally, the Primes are not worshiped directly, but the core beliefs and precepts of each divine are based around the Prime who created them.

Churches

Most religion is based around three main churches, each which holds two gods for a total of 6 Divines. The 6 Divines are the basis for natural order and most actual worship is either directed at them or at the church as a whole. Within those churches, one of the two Divines is usually prayed too as the primary Divine in someone’s life.

Most people will occasionally pray to other Divines, even if they are in a different church. Usually these are in special circumstances. For example, a woman who is with child might pray to Vitalus, even though she is in the Church of the Holy Light. While this is not uncommon, it is deeply frowned upon for someone to go so far as to change their primary Divine.

Most people of Karn believe that the laws the churches preach are real, because there is physical evidence in the blessings. But there is a small minority that say the blessings are just magical representations of people’s belief and that they come from no divine source. That said, most people follow the teachings of one of three churches.

Those who chose not to worship have the “Lost” Trait.

Sol

The Lord of Ignis

Sol is the master of Light, Order, and Creation. He is typically seen as a god of Justice and Beginnings.

The Sun, known as Ignis by scholars, is his domain.

It is said that Sol dwells there on a golden throne watching the world with an unblinking eye. A separate myth says that he has a twin sister who he sends to Karn to take care of the sick and help the dying pass on. Sometimes the two switch places and he comes himself to bring Justice to those who have harmed the weak.

Sol’s Divines are Imperious and Lumarius. Their worshipers are members of the Church of Holy Light.

The Church of the Holy Light

The followers of Sol’s Divines, Imperious and Lumarius, are grouped into The Church of the Light. It is the primary church of the Empire. Its main tenants are based around Order. All things have its place and those who do well in their Trial will be reborn to something greater with a calling of a greater station in life. Those who fail lose their place in this grand hierarchy falling towards the maggots which is viewed as the lowest of the low. Evil is allowing those who are lower than their station to be abused without Justice being merited out, evil is also those of a higher station mistreating those of a lower station.

Most view the main flaw with the Church of the Holy Light is that it is unwavering and immutable. There is no middle ground, for the world is full of black and white, gray is what brings the shadows. The Holy Inquisition of Light is a formidable power in the Empire and many feel repressed by their actions. But the Church also does great things for the poor. The sick are always taken care of and education is paramount. No child of the Empire knows what it’s like to go hungry or to be uneducated in some way. The Church runs all schools and takes care of all the sick.

Divines

Imperious

All things that have a specific cycle, time being chief among them. This includes laws of the universe but also any law of mortal is considered part of his purview. Justice is part of Order for someone has broken one of his laws. The Holy Inquisition of the Light follow the Laws of Imperious.

Lumarius

Lunara

The Lady of Nyxus

Lunara is the master of Darkness, Chaos, and Life. She is typically seen as a god of Magic and Luck. She is said to be fickle in her affection but devoted to those who are loyal to her.

The Moon, known as Nyxus by scholars, is her domain. It is said to be an ever-changing magical world where the spirits of all things that have ever been and ever will be dwell.

A myth about her is that she has an emissary who speaks to the world on her behalf. A warrior of some kind who is known to bring fear to the unworthy.

Lunara’s Divines are Magnis and Vitalus. Their worshipers are members of the Church of the Eternal Moon.

The Church of the Eternal Moon

The followers of Lunara’s Divines, Magnis and Vitalus, are members of The Church of the Eternal Moon. It is based around the requirements of Life. All life is considered precious. The Church of the Eternal Moon are not pacifists, and they understand that death is part of the cycle, but they believe that life should be preserved at any opportunity. Death can be final, and when it is there is a loss to the world. Intelligent Undead are considered blessed since they are considered an extension of life as long as they do not fall into depravity.

Within the Church of the Eternal Moon, honoring ancestors is a key aspect of the religion. Another key aspect is doing better with one’s life each time they lose a Phoenix Stone. It is believed that each time they pass they must become a better person otherwise their Phoenix Stone will become cursed and they will die, even if they have the capacity to continue to live. Everyone is part of an ongoing endless journey that changes every day.

Divines

Magnis

Chaos is embodied in the event of Change. Travelers tend to follow Magnis. So do thieves, since Chaos represents underlying change in society. Revolts, uprisings, anything that goes against the establishment falls within the domain of Magnis. He is also the choice divine of gamblers, as anything with ‘Chance’ falls within Chaos, though he tends only to be invoked when someone has good luck.

Vitalus

Anything that is alive, including mortals, animals, and plants fall within Life’s purview. Vitalus represents the beginning of something. Those that follow her tend to be dedicated to Life. Many, but not all, are pacifist and some consider Undead to be holy. Vitalus is widely worshiped by delivering mothers and those who take care of the sick.

Vorago

The Lord of the Abyss

Vorago is the master of the Unknown, Decay, and Death. He is typically seen as the god of Lies and Endings.

The Abyss is his domain. While mostly considered a dark god, he is not thought of as evil, he is just considered the living embodiment of misfortune. Most view him as the dark inevitable end of the Trial. When bad things happen in the world people tend to blame the ‘Winds of Vorago’. The Stars are said to be the many eyes of Vorago, who exists in the expanse of nothingness in the heavens.

A myth about Vorago is that his chosen people are the Undead, each which hold a piece of his heart.

Vorago’s Divines are Mortese and Senium. Their worshipers are members of the Church of the Endless Darkness.

The Church of the Endless Darkness

Those who follow a Divine of Vorago, Mortese or Senium, are members of the Church of the Endless Darkness. The Church of the Endless Darkness worships Death. It follows the tenants of Endings; all things are part of a cycle when there is an ending for one a new beginning starts for someone else. Life is considered a story and no one knows the worth of a story till it has ended. How things end is the most important to people in this church. Most people consider bad luck to be under Vorago’s influence, though technically, this is probably wrong.

Each follower of the Endless Darkness considers how their ending will come. A warrior who ends his life in combat had a good ending, as did a poet who dies after writing his final word of a poem. A warrior who dies of sickness in a bed has failed his story and will be forgotten. Undead are considered an affront to this church. Many go out of their way to destroy them. They are seen as ‘monsters’ who lost their ending. Undeath is not a continuation for most in this church. Their story should be over and instead, that end was stolen from them.

Divines

Mortese

Death is the ending of all things. Where Life represents the beginning, Death represents the end. Undead are the antithesis of Death and are considered anathema. Overall, Mortese is considered the main Divine of the Church of Endless Darkness, with very few acknowledging Senium, this is mainly because of his acceptance of Undead.

Senium

When things crumble into nothing, they fall into the realm of Senium. All the natural destructive forces fall within Decay, as does all ruins and those things that Lumarius makes. Senium destroys. Undead fall within Decay’s sphere and are revered as creatures of Decay, though most in the Church of Endless Darkness ignore this part. In general, Senium is usually something feared, and only prayed too so that he will not come.

Things to do in Karn

In addition to fighting, there are many choices on how to live in the world of Banished. One could choose even to not fight at all and still have plenty of options within rich world of crafting and gathering. Even becoming a pacifist diplomat is possible.

Gathering

Gatherers can collect components for thier own use, or sell them to other crafters.

Mining allows the gathering of mineral components (M#)
Hunting lets you gather animal components (A#)
Harvesting lets you grow plant components (P#)
Siphoning allows the collecting of magic components (X#)

Crafting

Crafters can provide valuable items to support their friends, or they can be all about making a profit.

Alchemists can create potions, elixirs and food additives.
Smiths can create armor, accessories, weapons, or animal traps.
Spell Forgers make powerful gems with a wide range of effects and uses.
Fate Scribes can create binding legal contracts, provide security for letters to ensure privacy or even create mystic tattoos.

Check out the Blueprints for more detail on crafting, rituals and performances.

Well Known Groups and Organizations

After a long period of shadow, the sun is finally rising on the Wardens. Though their losses from the last battle with the Empress were substantial, the Great Tree is now free of her corruption, and its strength protected them from the worst of The Cataclysm. They are once again poised to be a dominant force within the Great Seal.

The Wardens are certainly in a good position to do so with the current power vacuum, but the newly elected members of the High Council of Wardens are circumspect. Asserting dominance might seem a very reasonable approach, given their history as the original guards of the Seal, but these new leaders recognize that attempting to control everything in the past has led to resentment from the very people they sought to help. Ultimately, this had made them a direct target from those who sought to rule for themselves.

Thus, in the wake of the Cataclysm, the High Council decided to pursue a new strategy. They would make themselves invaluable to all within the Seal, providing essential infrastructure for everyone. After all, if the mission of the Wardens was truly to help provide the best life to everyone within the Seal, what better way to fulfill that mission? And if doing so gives the Wardens power to influence how the Seal is governed, all the better. Accordingly, many of the internal functions of the Wardens, formerly maintained for their own benefit, have been expanded to help facilitate recovery and communication across the lands within the Great Seal.

These are the most significant infrastructure organizations, supported primarily by the Wardens, which Natives will recognize as beneficial to their overall survivability.

The Oaken Bank

Not only did the Cataclysm destroy towns, trade routes, farms, and ranches, it rendered the most widely used currency, Soul Shards, inert, collapsing the economy within the Seal practically overnight. The Wardens had long ago learned from trade with the Dragonlords who came into the Great Seal that Jade could be used to store energy in a similar way the Soul Shards once did. They had been using Jade for some time as an internal currency. While the prevalence of Soul Shards made Jade impractical as a wider currency before, now, the Wardens can mint their currency for wider use. It has begun to dominate the economy within the Seal and has become widely accepted as an essential means of acquiring needed goods and services. With this economic shift, the Oaken Bank was formed to provide basic banking and currency exchange services (component to Jade and vice versa). The Oaken Bank also employs a large number a Fate Scribes should Contracts need to be drafted or correspondences need to be sealed from prying eyes. These services are available for a nominal fee.

The Whispering Branches

The Warden ministry responsible for intelligence.

The Juniper Order

With the large prevalence of monstrous creatures that have sprung up, harassing people in the chaos since the Cataclysm, the Wardens have expanded their Monster Hunter division, and started leasing them out to settlements for a very reasonable fee. They have also removed restrictions on the Order, allowing them to recruit non-Wardens for the first time.

The Verdant Couriers

With the complete infrastructure collapse that occurred after the Cataclysm, the Wardens stepped in to restore necessary chains of communication within the Great Seal. The Verdant Couriers, a long-established communications network within the Warden organizations , has now begun to act as a public utility, delivering letters and small parcels for a very minor fee.

The Leaf Chronicle

Once only used internally to circulate news and information amongst the Wardens, ‘the Leaf’ has expanded to be distributed everywhere the Verdant Couriers can reach. Much like the Juniper Order, is has also been recruiting chroniclers (journalists) to expand their base. The Leaf Chronicle, though ostensibly a Warden organization, acts with autonomy and journalistic independence.

Monstrous Races of Banished

These are a few of the creatures and villains you may encounter within the Great Seal.

Blue Raiders

A criminal gang composed entirely of the most vicious murderers and thieves. They are selfish, sadistic, and borderline nihilistic sociopaths that are happy to kill, kidnap, and steal, if it will bring them profit. They may be of any playable race and typically wear a blue bandana or around neck or covering mouth. Some may opt for a blue sash instead.

Coalskins

A monstrous species of reptilian humanoids with glowing embers in their skin. A near-human level intelligent species, they view virtually everything as prey and will regularly use cunning and guile when hunting. They appear as coal black reptilian humanoids with glowing red embers in their skin.

Ghouls

Unintelligent undead humanoids who’s only desire is to feast upon the flesh of the living, though some may be controlled by magic or more powerful undead for a larger purpose. While some Ghouls may demonstrate animal-level cunning when attempting to consume fresh flesh, others are truly mindless zombies. They often lurk in the places of death such as crypts, mausoleums, and graveyards. They use natural weapons and have the Undead Subtype. They appear as pale (and sometimes rotting) versions of what they looked like in life.

Goldings

Non-sentient Golums created for a specific purpose (usually to guard something). Goldings are created by Archons to fulfill a specific command. They have no sentience and limited intelligence and must fulfill their given command to the letter with virtually no room for interpretation making them of limited use. But they are robust and fearless, so they are often used as guards, or to hunt down a specific individual, or for very simple labor. They appear as shining golden humans.

Marauders

Marauders are powerful and dangerous creations who were crafted by some as yet unknown malevolent force. They appear as humans crafted out of wood, metal, or porcelain.

Muck-Striders

An extremely aggressive amphibius species that lurks in swamps, lakes, and rivers (think Creature From The Black Lagoon). They are of animal level intelligence and are both highly territorial and voracious carnivores. They appear as humanoids with a blend of fish and amphibian characteristics.

Salabah

A subterranean species of humanoids that were twisted by an ancient magic long ago, their behavior now more resembles an insect hive. While intelligent, individual Salabah have very little autonomy and only desire to serve their Queen. They rarely emerge from their underground colonies except to secure resources. They appear like humans with their heads and faces wrapped in cloth. This cloth is actually a specially grown protective material.

Saurans

A species of intelligent bird-like humanoids that hunt in packs. Aggressively territorial and expansionist, the Saurans see other intelligent species as threats to be subjugated or eliminated.They appear as birdlike humanoids with blue and purple feathers.

Stone-Weavers

A species of monster originally created by the Sorceress Maruna (now deceased) by using Stitching Magic to combine a large spider and an earth elemental. They range in intelligence from animal to low human. They primarily desire territory, and will aggressively expand once they have established a nest. Some have shown a capacity to be reasoned with, while most see other sentient creatures simply as a threat to their territory or as food. They use natural weapons and have the Earth Elemental Subtype. They appear as humanoid spiders with stony skin.