Towering over the Bressian capital of Trinisius, the Ruike Mountain Range is a place of breathtaking beauty and primordial dread. Join Adam as he explores the frozen peaks, the bottomless depths of Dheraris Lake, and the silent monks of the Order of the Eyes who listen to the very heartbeat of the world. You can learn more about DireLands here: https://reverendcampbell.com/direlands/
About DireLands Fantasy Campaign Setting
DireLands is a system agnostic, dark fantasy tabletop roleplaying campaign setting. It was created by Adam P. Campbell in 2024. DireLands is set in a land that is in the final century of an ice age that saw the rise of the Witch-Queen who subjugated the three realms’ populations and cast out the demi-human races. The Triumvirate rose in the last century and liberated two of the three nations, but after their victory, they have become corrupt themselves.
Transcript
Cold Open
High above the clouds of Bressus (BRESS-sus), the air is so thin that every breath feels like a choice. Here, the Ruike Mountain Range stands as a jagged crown on the world. It is a place of absolute silence, yet the stone itself is vibrating with a sound that hasn’t been heard in a quarter-century.
Intro
Welcome to this continuation of my DireLands system agnostic, dark fantasy campaign setting! My name is Adam and today we are traveling to the frozen peaks of the Ruike Range. If you appreciate the development of this campaign setting, or the features of other games on this channel, I would like to invite you to consider becoming a patron on Patreon. You can even purchase tabletop roleplaying games or get $10 by signing up to StartPlaying.Games using my affiliate links in the description below.
Details
This is the vertical frontier of Bressus—a land of staggering altitudes, hidden demi-human kingdoms, and a dying god. Let’s begin the ascent and see what we can learn about this mountain range which splits the nation of Bressus down the middle.
The Ruike Range is a massive geographical spine stretching from the Tantarus Mountains in the south all the way to northern Bressus. These are the “Frozen Peaks,” so named because at these heights, the ice never thaws, and the sun feels like a distant, cold memory.
Strategically, the Ruike Range is the only reason the capital city of Trinisius still stands. It is an unassailable wall that forces any would-be invader into narrow, lethal passes. But the greatest danger isn’t an invading army; it’s the altitude itself. Travelers frequently succumb to “The Thinning”—a state where the lungs fail and the mind begins to wander, lost in the vast, white silence. While the Jhion Order (GEE-on) has ordered studies and there are many high altitude scientific outposts, most have gone silent in recent months.
Tucked into a high-altitude basin is the mysterious Dheraris Lake. It is a body of water that defies the laws of nature. It is deep, still, and—according to local legend—bottomless. It is nearly 15 miles at its widest, appearing to be more of an inland sea than a lake. Its shores are regularly visited by wildlife and an ancient native cult once practiced their dark magic here, leaving a portion of its shores permanently blackened.
But the most haunting secret of the lake lies in its depths. It is believed that a primordial god from the antediluvian age lies dying at its base. This is a remnant of the time when the Wildlands covered all of Faulest (FAW-lest). The entity’s final, agonizing dreams are said to keep the waters from ever truly freezing over. Rumors abound that if you sleep a night on its shores, you will share this dying god’s dreams. It was seen as a rite of passage for the early Order of the Eyes monks. The water of the lake feeds the Tanner River, meaning every citizen in the capital below is drinking from the reservoir of a dying deity. While there have been no recorded side effects, the Tanner Delta is one of the most fertile regions in Bressus.
Perched on the highest precipices overlooking the lake is the Monastery of the Third Eye. Here, the monks of the Order of the Eyes live in isolation, tending to their terraced gardens. These gravity-defying plots grow rare, psychoactive flora that can only survive in the spiritual “exhaust” of the dying god below. The gardens themselves are seen as a true wonder of the world. They stretch for acres at an altitude nothing else is capable of growing in. The secrets to this technique are closely held by the monks in the Order of the Eyes.
The monks aren’t just meditating; they are listening. They monitor the cosmic vibrations of Ciar-mhonadh (KIERD-vonnig). Recently, they have stumbled upon a sonic manifestation—a rhythmic thrumming in the stone that marks the quarter-century procession of the moon, Dòiche (DO-chye). They don’t just watch for the largest moon; they hear the planet’s bone-deep reaction to its arrival.
While the monks look to the stars, the true threat may lie beneath their feet. It is rumored that entire demi-human kingdoms exist within the labyrinthine caverns beneath the Ruike peaks. These civilizations have remained hidden since before the Frozen Epoch, lurking in the dark, unexplored spaces beneath the Bressian capital. What they are waiting for—or what they are hiding from—remains a mystery.
The Ruike Mountain Range reminds us that the DireLands are built on the bones of things much older than humanity. Whether it’s the ruins of Hew Falls or the silent vigil of the monks, the mountains demand res pect.
Will the depths of the Ruike Range ever be explored, and if so, what dwells in its vast halls? Will the Order of the Eyes discover ancient secrets mapping the procession of Dòiche? And if there really is a dying god beneath the Dheraris lake, what would be the implications of consuming its waters? Only your home campaign can answer those questions, as the future of these DireLands are in your hands.
Outro
Thank you for watching today’s DireLands Fantasy Campaign Setting episode. Please consider subscribing to this YouTube channel, liking and commenting on this video. And if you enjoyed this episode, consider becoming a patron on Patreon.
Thank you Creator Patrons Aaron Hardy & D. Robert Handy and Developer Patrons Chris Androu & Sam Ruiz!
Always remember that evil spelled backwards is live, so get out there and be evil!