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The Chronicles of Spellborn takes the MMO definition of "shard" a bit too far

by: Randy -
More On: The Chronicles of Spellborn
Upcoming MMORPG, The Chronicles of Spellborn, is about to throw what you generally understand about a fantasy world right out your precious Tolkien-shaped window.  This second Spellborn timeline is known as Death's Dream, taking place between year 0 - 500 AC (After Collapse).  During this time -- and I'm probably getting some of this wrong, due to the somewhat stilted, vague nature of the descriptions we were given -- Shards, being remnants of the destroyed Ancestor World, are floating within the Deadspell Storm.  These Shards have outer and inner carapaces, a have landscapes and peoples enclosed within.  Oh, there are also Fragments that float about, buffeted by the Deadspell Storm, since they're bereft of a carapace.  The illustrations they sent us are woefully inadequate.  But you can see for yourself if you want.

The only thing I can use to wrap my head around this is the old AD&D 2nd Edition campaign Planescape, where a globular world wasn't the norm when traveling various planes of existence.  This sounds a bit like that.  And perhaps Spellborn will have its own version of the Lady of Pain wandering the streets.

Spellborn Timeline

- The Great Collapse (year 0)

- Death’s Dream (0 - 500 AC)

To most scholars it is unknown what has happened in this period. Some of them are not even convinced it lasted a full 500 years. What is known is that the remnants of the world - the various Shards and Fragments - are covered in Undying Ice during this period and that all survivors of the Great Collapse are frozen in time, trapped within a deep slumber.

Want To Know More?

Shards: The Shards are remnant pieces of the Ancestor World floating within the Deadspell Storm. They usually shield their interior habitat (oppidan and levee) from outside influences with a gigantic carapace (consisting out of an inner and an outer carapace) stretching over it. Shards should not be confused with Fragments, which might be as large but lack a carapace. Nor should they be confused with Raftyards, which are considerably smaller, also lack a carapace and are man-made.



Oppidan: The inhabited pieces of land from the Ancestor World locked inside a Shard.
Outer Carapace: The outer rock shell of a Shard. Often has a recognizable form.
Focal Aperture(s): The hole(s) which reach through both carapaces allowing light coming from the Deadspell Storm to shine inside.
Inner Carapace: The inner rock shell of a Shard. The form of the inner carapace almost never follows that of the outside carapace.
Levee: The space inside a Shard which is not occupied by the Oppidan. It is often considerably larger than the Oppidan functionally requires.

Known Shards: Parliament, Ringfell, Quarterstone, Mount of Heroes.

Quarterstone

 

 

Mount of Heroes

 



Fragments: Fragments are like small Shards, yet they lack a carapace and constantly bathe unprotected in the swirling light of the Deadspell Storm. Life is possible and sustainable on them, although beings are subject to more violent manifestations of the Deadspell Storm, whether that be entities or rogue magic storms.
Known Fragments: The Athenaeum, Hood’s Belfry...

Impressions of The Athenaeum




Undying Ice: Magical ice that instantly encased all the created Shards and Fragments directly after the Great Collapse. It is believed to have formed after the magical energies of the Altar of the Undying were set free, thus it is assumed that the Ice is a direct consequence of destroying the Altar. Melting it requires a piece of the Altar itself to be hold in contact with it.