Player Information Sheet

World Overview

1. Welcome to ‘The Torment’ (or ‘Torm’), a mysterious and unknown world filled with hostile
creatures and environments. The humanoid inhabitants of The Torm live a single city, ‘The
Citadel’, a multi-racial settlement home to most of the humanoid population. A small
number of individuals also live in outposts beyond the city, but the majority of people live in
the Citadel.
2. The Citadel exists within a weather bubble, manipulated through magical means to create a
31-tenday calendar, designed to promote the fastest growth of the Citadel’s main crop,
Feltwheat. As such, there are no seasons in the Citadel, only the artificial climate created by
magic. Beyond the Citadel, the weather rages with unpredictability. The land beyond the
Citadel is often shrouded in fog, but is also highly volatile, unstable, and susceptible to
magic.
3. The people of The Torm live under a single sun and three moons. Scores of stars fill the sky,
along with these objects.
4. The people of The Torm worship 8 gods that are known to them and can be contacted within
the world: Death – Vael; Knowledge – Viser; Life – Shuut; Light – Lux; Nature – Flone;
Tempest – Stromforth; Trickery – Wincker; and War – Killith. The gods are known to be
powerful beings and can take many forms. They are genderless and can appear to
adventurers in any way that they please, although it is difficult for them to take full physical
form in the world. The god of trickery, Wincker, has been shunned by the people of the
Torm and its worship banned, because of the instability and unpredictability that Wincker
supports and symbolises.

The Citadel

1. The Citadel is the heart of non-monster life in the Torm. It is a sprawling urban settlement
characterised by three outer walls and a population of approximately 10000 individuals. The
inner wall outlines the old city, the second the suburban communities, and the third a
mixture of farming and suburban settlements. The area of the inner circle extends 3 miles in
diameter. The second ring extends the diameter to 9 miles, and the third to 15 miles. It is
built upon a large and hill, which was originally covered in grassland. Few have ventured
beyond the third wall of the Citadel, and so environments other than grasslands are alien to
them.
2. The inner circle, known as ‘the Landing’, contains several major amenities, including the
Citadel Tower, in which the government and the Arch-Protector reside. It is on a plateau at
the top of the hill, upon which the Citadel stands. The centre also contains the ‘Old Arena’,
in which citizens used to fight to determine who among them was the strongest, and
therefore the most capable of leading the government. It is now a heritage centre where re-
enactments are fought of great historical battles, and tickets are pricey. There is also the
‘Missing Market’, so-called because people who shop there often leave without any money,
for one reason or another. It is the centre of trade in the Torm. Temples have also been
constructed in the area, but the largest belongs to Killith and the second to Stromforth,
both of which are government-backed deities. Only Vael has another temple in the area,
 which is also connected to ‘Hero’s Rest’, the grand graveyard in which all those of a certain
rank in the city are buried. The most luxurious inns also exist in the area, most notably ‘The
Hero Comes Home’, the most expensive inn in the city and the place in which the wealthiest
and the most powerful meet to socialise, besides the Citadel itself. It is one of the grandest
and most ornate buildings in the Citadel. The ‘Grand Institute of Combat’ (GIOC) also takes
up a large area of the Landing, and is the primary educational institute for training
combatants in weapons and magic, whose future aspirations are to defend the city. It is
highly selective and acts as a club for adult members, who continue to train and learn from
one another throughout their lives. The GIOC also contains the greatest library in the Torm.
3. In the second ring, called ‘The First Push’, the ‘Grand Arena’ stands, a fighting pit in which
combat to determine the power rankings of citizens takes place. It is an enormous structure,
capable of holding almost all of the city’s population to watch fights. The second ring also
contains several other inns. The modest inn, ‘The Bloodied Blade’, is extremely popular with
adventurers and the place to go to discuss current issues and share rumours and
information. It is also a very large building, despite its modest accommodations. Temples to
the remaining deities, Viser, Flone, Shuut, and Lux also reside in this area, but Wincker is
shunned as a deity for the instability that his followers wreak in the Citadel. The less
prestigious ‘Combat Club’ also teaches its students combat and magic, but its fighters have
never quite matched those of the GIOC. The Vanguard Barracks and Citadel Guard Barracks
also lie in this area, and are home to these two military groups, taken from some of the most
powerful inhabitants of the city. The Grand Court is built in the sector and hosts individuals
accused of crimes, sentencing them to death if found guilty. The Man of Many Masks is the
centre of alternative entertainment in the Citadel. It is named after the great entertainer,
Finius the Fly, who in the 54th to 90th years, rocked the Citadel with his ability to perform
caricatures of any individual, or play any instrument. He was an inspiration for alternative
entertainment, performing in bars and inns across the city. A poor fighter, he held little
political power, but was a massive hit amongst the general population.
4. In the third ring, ‘The Second Push’, farmers sow seeds and grow the food that sustains the
Citadel, most notably Feltwheat. Crop from this area is sold at markets throughout the city,
but a traditional 1/3 tithe is taken by the Citadel and stored in its granary, in the event of a
siege or the collapse of the third wall. The Second Push also contains several smaller arenas,
where less powerful individuals are able to test their strength against one another in
combat. Smaller, even less prestigious combat institutions exist here, and are only attended
by the very poorest of the city. They exist in the Combat Zone. The combat institutions
outline the border of the Combat Zone, but beyond these institutions, combat is permitted
to every extent but death. It is a free-for-all of fighting beyond the training areas. The Flea
Market developed as an alternative to the Missing Market. It is a much lower quality
commercial district, but many rare and sometimes illegal goods can find their way there. The
Industrial Hub is the centre through which all materials entering the city must pass, while
the Western Fields provide the burial place for all the non-elite population. The bodies are
buried deeply under the ground and are wrapped in a special magical material called
Dreamcloth, which prevents them from decaying, or their bodies being defiled by monster.
5. Beyond the third wall, smaller settlements have been constructed and garrisoned for specific
purposes, such as for defending chokepoints and mining precious materials. The areas far
beyond the city are mostly unmapped, as the dangers are far too great and unpredictable to
warrant deep exploration.
6. Water flows down from the Citadel hill in perfectly geometrical streams to the rest of the
population. These streams run through magical filters, ensuring that they are always clean
 and fresh to drink. By the time the streams reach the third wall, they have split into over
1000 tributaries. When the tributaries reach the third wall, they evaporate, coating the third
wall in a lingering shroud of mist.
7. The city is illuminated by magic orbs of light, which appear and hover over the city at night.

History

1. 100 years ago, a group of 100 powerful individuals of various races and classes woke up in
the Torm. They had no memories of any previous lives. All they knew was a name, how to
fight, how to survive, and their languages.
2. Upon waking up in the Torm, the 100 individuals set about using their power and their
fighting abilities to secure ‘The Landing’. After creating a minor settlement, they needed to
select a form of leadership. They believed that combat should decide their leaders, and so
the 100 fought between themselves in the Old Arena to determine 8 Protectors and 1 Arch-
Protector, who together would run the group as a council. The Arch-Protector would have
the final say in all matters, but the council were there to advise him. The first Arch-Protector
was Uriel I (M), along with Saius (M), Balterman (M/F), Flint (F), Arbator (M/F), Doge
(M/F), Rend (F), Tider (M), and Zalto (F) as Protectors. A shooting star fell on the day that
Uriel was chosen, marking the point at which the Citadel Tower was to be constructed.
Under the direction of the Protectors, the 100 then pooled their powers to erect the grand
buildings and walls of the Citadel, constructing the first Citadel Tower and the first wall.
3. With the successful construction of the first wall after their first year in the Torm, the 100
pushed back the monster hoards in the First Push, successfully building the second wall.
Within the First Push, they then began to construct more housing and amenities, putting in
place a breeding programme, encouraged by magic, to produce a greater population to fight
off the monster hoards. Each female was imbued with magic to produce a pair of twins,
triplets, and occasionally quadruplets, allowing the population to grow much more quickly.
The Landing was also redesigned and the GIOC was built. The Missing Market also began to
form, along with temples to the new gods, which the most religious amongst the 100 began
to make contact with. The strongest combat gods, Killith and Stromfoth, were the most
important, while Vael came in a close third. Farming began to occur on a small scale in the
First Push.
4. After 10 years in this manner, the Citadel experienced an unprecedented era of peace. The
greatest threats to the Citadel had been quashed and the inhabitants conducted the Second
Push, building the third wall and claiming more farmland as they went. The population was
also rapidly expanding, but power became concentrated only in the upper strata of the city’s
elite. The Protectors had not changed since arriving at the Torm, and no one could match
any of them in combat.
5. While the Torm was at peace, unrest grew amongst jealous and power-hungry individuals,
who began to conspire against the Protectors. While the majority of the population revelled
in the peace and stability they had created, these jealous few assembled into a new, secret
faction, with the support of Wincker, the trickster god and bringer of chaos. They saw that it
would only be through chaos that they could bring down the Protectors, and so they formed
an alliance with Wincker and the creatures of the wilderness, calling themselves ‘The
Reckoning’.
6. The Reckoning marched on the Citadel in the 13th year, and some of the population rose-up
from within to challenge the Protectors. A great contest ensued. Many lives were taken and
 buildings destroyed, including the Citadel Tower. All seemed lost when the 8 Protectors
were slain, but the battle ended when the Arch-Protector, Uriel I, cast a powerful spell
which destroyed the leaders of the insurrection.
7. After winning the conflict, Uriel set about rebuilding the Citadel and the second Citadel
Tower. The next 8 powerful individuals were also promoted. becoming Protectors, and the
trend of growth and building continued. Hero’s Rest was created to bury the fallen
Protectors and high-ranking officials who died in the conflict. Worship of Wincker was also
made illegal, and all temples and images of Wincker in the city were destroyed.
8. In the 20th year, Uriel set off spontaneously in the middle of the night, disappearing in the
wilderness. He never returned. Over the course of the following year, search party after
search party was sent into the wilderness to find Uriel. Many did not return and those that
did were badly wounded and had found no trace of him.
9. In the 21st year, Uriel’s death was officially announced, and a grand memorial service was
held across the city. A new Arch-Protector was also announced.
10. Since then, the city has experienced an era of relative peace. Minor incursions by monsters
have done little to damage the city. However, growth, both in population and in buildings,
has been stagnant since Uriel. Instead, the focus of the government has been on securing
what the Citadel already has, maintaining a steady population level, managing the necessary
resources to sustain it, monitoring the city for unrest and illegal activity, and protecting the
city from monsters.
11. The city has only had two Arch-Protectors since Uriel: Magus I (M) came after him, who
passed away in the 87th year, and since then, Filus I (F) has ruled the Citadel, continuing
Magus’s policy of stability over expansion.
12. The current Protectors in the 100 th year are Hanaya (F), Wrelt (M), Pollus (M), Lunix (M/F),
Rode (M), Linten (F), Sera (F), and Kazen (M/F).

Culture and Governance

1. The Common Tongue is widely used, but other cultural languages have not died out.
2. Magic is upheld as the mightiest of weapons against the monsters, and spellcasters hold the
most powerful and influential positions in government.
3. The Arch-Protector is the most powerful being in the Torm. They have defeated all of their
foes in combat. Below them are the 8 Protectors, who are considered of equal rank to each
other, despite their rankings on the field of combat. Below the Protectors are the 4 Grand-
Stewards, who govern the military, agriculture, construction, and the treasury respectively.
Below them are the Stewards, under which exist multiple combat ranks, as dictated by the
Grand Arena’s standings. These are the only positions of significant rank in the government.
4. Anyone can challenge an individual of one combat rank above or below them to an official
ranked fight. If a higher ranked individual is defeated, they are demoted, and the lower
ranked individual takes their place. Higher ranked individuals are scorned if they refuse a
challenge from an appropriate lower individual. However, fights are only fought until one
individual is incapacitated or surrenders, but not until death. There is therefore a high price
for losing, with many individuals sustaining life-changing injuries, which are costly to heal.
5. There are also team battles in the arena, and very valuable prizes can be won for advancing
all the way to the top of the rankings as a group. Wildcards, such as monsters and hazards,
can be introduced to group matches, and so they are often considered more dangerous and
there is a higher chance of accidental death.
 6. If you kill an individual in the arena, your life is also forfeit. This rule encourages control and
poise in combat, rather than blind aggression.
7. The military has two primary components: the ‘Citadel Guard’ and the ‘Vanguard’. The
former protects the city, while the latter ventures into the wilderness to perform missions.
The Vanguard garner more respect from the population than the Citadel Guard, and they are
only composed of the greatest fighters. Leaders in government commonly come from the
Vanguard.
8. The Citadel relies on the farming of a unique crop called Feltwheat for its grain, which is a
soft but extremely nutritious grain that can be easily modified with magic. Feltwheat,
combined with water and manipulated using magic, is often enough to sustain an individual
in the wilderness. It can be manipulated in any way using magic. Feltwheat has only been
grown within the boundaries of the city at present, as it seems unable to grow beyond this
area.
9. The educational institution that a young individual attends depends on their capabilities at
age 5. They are tested against a range of different magical and non-magical criteria, after
which they are either selected for the GIOC, the Combat Club, or a lower level institution.
This system is traditional, but is not popular with everyone. Children of more powerful
individuals are more likely to be tested by the GIOC, while those from poorer backgrounds
never get the chance. Individuals will then undergo a rigorous education in the class which
they are assigned to, with a heavy focus on combat, until they graduate at age 18. They fight
during their education, but their first ranked fight is on their 18 th birthday.
10. Building materials and metal ore are not in naturally occurring supply within The Citadel
itself.
11. The currency of the Citadel uses PP, GP, SP, EP, and CP.
12. Mounts and creatures of the world have yet to be tamed by the residents of the Citadel.
Many are too scared to let any creatures live, and so any potential mounts are slaughtered
before they can cause any harm. Travel is therefore by foot, teleportation, or levitation.

Fighting Ranks

1. The fighting ranks follow a pyramid system below the government levels: 1 Arch-Protector;
8 Protectors; 4 Grand Stewards; 40 Stewards; 1 Grand Champion; 2 Champions; 4 Grand
Masters; 8 Masters; 16 Arch-Reapers; 32 Reapers; 64 Arch-Challengers, 128 Challengers,
256 Adepts, 512 Novices, 1014 Rookies, 2028 Shoots. The rest of the population are
considered to be ‘Militia’. Different ranks are drafted in for different purposes within the
military, which is why they are given certain names. Fights in the Grand Arena only begin at
Challenger rank. All other fights take place in secondary arenas in the Second Push.
2. While the upper ranks are heavily populated by magic users, non-magic users can also climb
the ranks. The highest ranked non-magical combatant in the 100 th year is Grand Steward
Cade.
3. Winners in the arena are also gifted rewards in the forms of money, weapons, and magical
items, depending on how much money a fight makes and how entertaining it is.
4. The Citadel Guard is composed of different groups. The ‘Last Shield’ are the personal guard
for the Protectors and the Citadel, and they recruit Challengers. The ‘Pacers‘ patrol the city
and maintain public order. They are recruited from the Adepts. The ‘First Shield’ line the
walls of the city and defend them. They are taken from the Novices and the Rookies.
 5. The Vanguard is composed of different groups. The ‘Spearhead’ are at the front of any
combat charge and are recruited from the Reapers. The ‘Full-Bloods’ make up the body of
an attack and are recruited from the Arch-Challengers. Their name derives from the fact that
they are the most likely to die during battle. The ‘Flankers’ are a small group of Masters and
Arch-Reapers who defend the flanks and flank the opponent when the time is right. The
‘Hidden’ are a small team of fighters, led by the Grand Champion and composed of the
Champions and Grand Masters. They head into the wilderness on top secret and extremely
dangerous missions.

Residential Districts

1. Fairfields is named after the beautiful farming land which the settlement was built upon.
However, the settlement itself is extremely impoverished and prone to infiltration by
monsters. It could be described as ‘slum-like’. It is a squalid area. Many people escape
Fairfields by becoming farmhands in different areas across the city, while others eek a living
through various other means.
2. Balterman’s March was named after the Protector Balterman, who led the Vanguard in a
desperate charge against the force of the Reckoning and perished there. The settlement is a
modest farming community, but the occasional Orc raid disturbs their sleepy agricultural
lives.
3. Gloomtown spends much of the year in the shadow of the Citadel Tower. It rarely sees
sunlight, and is a modest area within the second wall.
4. The Landing is the centre of the Citadel and is the most expensive and prestigious area of
the city. It is an aristocratic settlement, where only the most powerful and wealthy reside.
5. Flint’s Fallow was an area of farmland set aside for rejuvenation, after monsters wiped out
much of the Citadel’s Feltwheat in the 11th year. After experimenting with the Feltwheat in
this area, the Protectors found a resistant strain of Feltwheat which could grow to its
maximum size even if damaged, so long as its roots remained intact. Consequently, the
Feltwheat in the area became impossible to control, and so the Protectors decided to
eradicate all the Feltwheat in the area and found the Industrial Hub, along with the
settlement Flint’s Fallow. The settlement is a poor area, kept alive by work at the Industrial
Hub. The close proximity of the Combat Zone also provides individuals with a dangerous
route out of their poverty, and many people from Flint’s Fallow dream of making it big on
the scene of combat.
6. Wincker’s Fancy resides near the temples of the other gods. It was named this way because
it was the area in which a temple to Wincker was going to be built. However, the
government vetoed the plan, after considering the values which the deity stood for, which
were counter to those the government wished to support. It is a comfortable settlement,
characterised by a strong religious sentiment, due to its proximity to the temples of the city.
7. Hero’s Walk was named after the tradition of the Hero’s Walk. Upon becoming Grand
Champion, an individual must walk from the Grand Arena through all of the eastern gates
and into the wilderness to watch the Sun rise on his first day as ‘Grand Champion’. It is a
wealthy area, right by the barracks for the Citadel Guard and the Vanguard.
8. Sunkeep is the southernmost settlement in the city. Its name derives from receiving the
most sunlight throughout the year and from being next to the most heavily fortified gate in
the city. The southern gate experiences the most attacks by monsters throughout the year.
 However, Sunkeep itself is a comfortable and desirable area, well-protected and primarily
focussed on housing the elderly and retired soldiers. It is a generally peaceful place.

Lifestyles and Leisure

1. Various alcoholic beverages are available in the Citadel, but they are frowned upon for their
capacity to weaken an individual.
2. The rich and powerful live lives revolving around combat and decadence. They fight to
uphold their worth and rank, and informal duels often break out amongst individuals.
However, ranked battles only occur on the Grand Arena, and so any conflict outside of the
arena is only for pride and for settling disputes. Besides combat, the rich and powerful
govern the city and its policies. They focus singularly on maintaining the social order and the
stability of the Citadel. They fear chaos above all else, and so nothing else matters to them.
During their leisure time, they watch battles in the Grand Arena, socialise in ‘The Hero
Comes Home’, and attend court in the Citadel Tower. Gambling is common is one of the
main entertainments in the Grand Arena, and combat is one of the great entertainments for
the elite. While some of the elite enjoy these luxuries, others form informal hunting and
expedition parties, exploring the wilderness, defeating monsters, and gathering treasures
and magical objects to improve their social standing. The money of the elite is also used to
fund public projects, and social status can be gained by funding projects in the Citadel and
beyond.
3. For the middle-class, life in the Citadel revolves around occasional combat in the arena and
running the various shops and taverns in the city. Some middle-class individuals have also
helped the industries of the city to thrive, investing their money in projects, under the wing
of wealthy patrons. Further still, many middle-class individuals dream of glory in the arena,
and so they work to fund their training in combat schools, waiting for their big break on the
scene of ranked fighting. The bravest amongst them venture into the wilderness, but few
return from such foolhardy journeys.
4. Generally speaking, the poor in the city are the weakest individuals in the Citadel. They have
either failed or been injured in combat and are incapable of climbing the social ladder. They
live in slum-like accommodation, considered to be useless to the society that has been built
around strength. Victims of disease, trafficking, and murder by monsters, the poor are
preyed upon by everything in the Torm. The luckiest amongst them are employed as
farmhands, learning simple spells and cultivation techniques for Feltwheat, but the majority
fall into ruin and despair.

Law and Order

1. Those arrested by the Citadel Guard and accused of a crime are brought before an individual
of suitable rank in the Grand Court, at least one rank superior to them. The individual then
hears the evidence and pronounces them guilty or not guilty. If guilty, they are executed
within the Grand Court and their bodies are incinerated and ashes scattered in the
wilderness.
2. Upon death, the property of any individual passes to the government. Nothing is passed
through hereditary lines.
Death and Burial

1. Powerful individuals of Grand Champion rank or higher are buried in Hero’s Rest, upon their
death. The remainder of the population are buried in the Western Fields.