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The Phantom of the Abyss is rarely seen by the water breathers of Azmare; he lives deep in the dark water. He is a shadowy and mysterious figure with incredible powers of mind control. Sometimes his glowing blue eyes can be seen from a boat, far beneath the surface of the water. Every child of the Azmare Archipelago has heard nightmare stories of the Phantom.
The mysterious clan who call themselves Axemasters are perhaps the most peculiar group of people in the whole of ΛZMΛRÉ. They live under the moist ground in cave dwellings in the eastern thickets of the great Jungle, somewhere between the Palace of Eld and the treacherous tree known as Sligbough Oak. For many generations, they have protected the treasures of Eld from intruders, raiders, and even pirates who are unfamiliar with the legends of the curse. Some scholars claim that the Axemasters consider themselves the stewards and true owners of the treasures of Eld, but if you could get close enough to an Axemaster, they would tell you that they are merely protecting the people who would be foolish enough to touch the cursed treasure.
Genetically, Axemasters are a hybrid race called Meru that was created by merging Human and Mer (with a touch of Chaos magic) into amphibious creatures. Mer stories say that these demon offspring were ousted from Poseidar long ago, that they were not welcome anywhere under the water. As a result, they found the surface and made a home for their clan on the shores. In the years since, the clan has continued to migrate further and further from the water, where their Mer enemies are plentiful.
Fineas is a young warrior who lives alone in the outskirts of the Burning Lands’ Smoldering Forest. He moved from Lyveria some years ago when he was only a boy, knowing that the expert combat training for which he was destined was only available in the Fire Splinter. Quickly after settling in the burning woods, he joined up with the martial scrappers of Balfair. Once he learned everything he could from these rugged Human and Goblin fighters, Fineas retreated to his own treehouse as more teacher than student. Today he practices his skills only on the Mount Mox battlefield, where his whip whistles, cracks and sings with boundless fury.
Efreet Elders carry a vast array of mystical secrets and spells that were gifted to them in ancient times by Mishna, Mitreyya’s steward who resides in the Burning Lands deep. The most impressive of these is called the envelation of flame. With this spell, which is simple for the Elders but endlessly complex for anyone who does not know the secrets, the castor is entirely enveloped in fire for a short time. This spell is strikingly similar to the natural skills of famed summoner Malric Inferno, who can convert any part of his body to fire, bringing out the part of him that summons with ease the most powerful monsters of flame.
While the Efreet Elders’ council is often sought by those wishing to learn some secrets of their sorcery, the secrets are only shared with the worthy and the old. It is becoming exceedingly rare to find anyone among the Efreet clans that possess both of these qualities.
The magic of the Centauri people of northern Anumün is so secretive that it is a wonder their Mages make any demonstrations of their powers in the Mount Mox Arena at all. The audiences are always thrilled to see their magic attacks, especially at dusk and sunset, when they create a chillingly beautiful (and deadly) green light show. Not only does this magic rain green fire onto the enemy, but with proper concentration from the Mage, it also refortifies the defenses of the friendly team. Among the Centaurs, those who practice these ancient ways of magic are extremely rare. They spend most of their time close to Kron, protecting him from all the wild creatures outside his Citadel.
Known for standing her ground despite any odds, this royal daughter detests being called a princess but takes her position very seriously. Beatrix leads the Maglarian defense forces when needed and spends most of her days training in the ancient boomerang arts of her people. Originally, boomerangs were used to catch unruly mountain goats and other small hillside creatures, but they were elevated to the status of epic weaponry when the Goblins attempted their historic invasion of Maglar, some 200 years ago.
The Assassins do not openly wear the insignia of the Order of the Silver Shield, for they take on the dirty work, the kind of work that is best forgotten after it is done. Armed with small jagged daggers and throwing knives, Silver Shield Assassins kill with the silence of a nightfall over the Khymeve Meadows. They never take prisoners.
The existence of the Lunakari has been a secret to the Splinterlands until very recently, when a small group of these women descended. They stride about the lands of Khymeria like they own the place, claiming to anyone who protests that they are the true and rightful heirs to the Angels’ land. The Lunakari women speak with a breathy and ethereal dialect, reverently addressing one another as Mistress. Each of the Lunakari Mistresses carries magical powers the likes of which the Splinterlands have never seen. Any resistance they meet in Khymeria is quickly deescalated by their frightening charge of power and red glowing eyes as they begin to weave their strange Lunakari spells. The mere threat of a magic attack from a Lunakari Mistress is usually enough to convince a Khymian commoner to give over any (or all) of their possessions.
The flying tiger known as Kralus is the Angels’ messenger who has always delivered Khymian children at the beginning of their lives to the couples who would raise them. The name of Kralus has always brought joy to the people of Khymeria, for his coming has always brought a new Khymian child. But hidden within the ΛZMΛRÉ Dice is the secret to summoning Kralus to battle.
Soul Harvesting is forbidden by the Dark Eternals, but some still practice these evil ways. Often, a Soul Harvest goes wrong, leaving the victim’s soul forever doomed to wander the Splinterlands with no body. These wandering souls gravitate toward one another, forming sinister clouds. These clouds are known as Soulstorms, and if you see one coming, run.
Tulafra, The Diamond Dragon, is not actually made of diamonds; she is simply named for her nearly indestructible exoskeleton. She is not the strongest or largest of the Dragons, but she is difficult to bring down in battle. She lives in a huge ground floor penthouse of Centrum City.
Scale afflictions are especially difficult to treat, so the Gloridax doctors must be skilled at treating all types of monsters, up to and including Dragons. Healing a sick Dragon is often a lost cause, and Scale Doctors are frequently put to death for failure in saving a Dragon’s life.
This mechanical monstrosity is a recent creation of Gurklies Gobson, the wild and wealthy Goblin scientist. As with everything the Goblins make, it runs on Goblin power, meaning that it’s full of Goblins, turning cranks and pulling levers. The Mech is run by seven Goblins in addition to the pilot.
They say that in the great battles on the other side of the world, Hellaphants were trained and outfitted as massive monstrosities of war. It was not generally believed that Hellaphants could be controlled until the Ferexia Torch began its Chaang Project. Hellaphants were abducted en masse from the Wastelands of the Unknown and taken to the training grounds near Mittreya’s Hand. There, the Hellaphants were forged into soldiers to carry soldiers. They were molded into a new type of war machine, called Chaang.
The chickens of the Splinterlands have had enough. For too long they have been kept in cages and pens. For too many generations their eggs have been made into omelettes, their breasts and thighs into nuggets, and their most pristine feathers into rather tacky jewelry. Under the brave leadership of a great hero known only as The Alpha Chicken, all chicken-kind is finally rising up against their oppressors. This uprising, all across the Splinterlands, is known as the Cluckening.
