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  DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. 
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  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, GREYHAWK, LIVING GREYHAWK, D&D REWARDS, RPGA, Player’s Handbook, 
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  BLIGHT ON BRIGHT 
  SANDS SOURCEBOOK 
  Version 1.0 
  April 2005  
   
   
  Campaign Arc Direction: Creighton Broadhurst and Stephen Radney-MacFarland 
  Arc Design and Review: Creighton Broadhurst, Chris Chesher, Sampo Haarlaa, Mike Hinds, Tom Kee, Stuart Kerrigan, 
  Paul Looby, Greg Marks, Theron Martin and Bruce Paris, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Pierre van Rooden. 
  Cartography: Craig Zipse, modified by Stephen Radney-MacFarland 
  Special Thanks: Erik Mona. 
  Resources: Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand by Bruce R. Cordell, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, and JD 
  Wiker; Living Greyhawk Gazetter by Gary Holian, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, and Fredrick Weining; Rary the 
  Traitor by Anthony Pryor; “Into the Bright Desert” from Dungeon issue 98 and “Denizens of the Bright Desert” from 
  Dungeon issue 103; and “City of the Scorned” from Dungeon issue 109 by Paul Looby. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 2 
   
  INTRODUCTION 
  “It’s clear that a evil blight holds sway over bright 
  sands. We know him as Rary the Traitor, but in future 
  days I fear his sins will encompass more than 
  treachery. He seeks something best left alone, and I 
  fear that all of the Flanaess may suffer for his enterprise 
  far worse than even ancient Sulm suffered for its 
  transgressions against the Common Sense.” 
   
  Eritai Kaan-Ipzirel 
  High priestess of St. Cuthbert in Greyhawk 
   
  Not far from the Free City of Greyhawk, at the very 
  back doors of some of the most civilized powers of the 
  Flanaess, lies a scorched and alien landscape created by 
  the transgressions of a decadent mage in the last days 
  of his vile empire. Today, history is doomed to repeat 
  unless the fragment people of the region can rise up 
  against he who is determined to shackle them.  
  This document is a character creation guide and 
  regional sourcebook for this major new LIVING 
  GREYHAWK adventure arc that pits heroes—new and 
  old—against the rising hubris of Rary the Traitor, self-
  proclaimed Emperor of the Bright Lands.   
  This adventure arc makes extensive use of rules 
  appearing in the recently releases Sandstorm: 
  Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand supplement.  
  While LIVING GREYHAWK has had many other 
  campaign arcs in the past, this one is a little different. 
  By starting a new, 1st-level, character to play within this 
  campaign arc, new and different options not available 
  to the general campaign are open to you. For this 
  reason, much of this document describes creating a 
  new 1st-level character for the arc and the campaign.  
  If you don’t want to create a new character, don’t 
  worry; much of the campaign arc is still open to you. 
  Only the arc’s first adventure, COR5-06 Blood on 
  Bright Sands, is for new characters only. But keep in 
  mind that this campaign was specifically designed to 
  open new and exciting gaming options for new 
  characters, and you’ll find much of its story more 
  engaging and evocative if played with a new character 
  geared toward the story.  
  This document lists new rules available for 
  starting characters who choose the Bright Lands as 
  their home region. These rules supplement the Living 
  Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook and will be included 
  in the next version of that document.  
  Required Sources: The following guidelines 
  assume you have the following rulebooks: Player’s 
  Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual 
  and Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand.  
  If you’ve never played in the LIVING GREYHAWK 
  campaign, it’s also recommended that download a copy 
  of the Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook, which 
  is available as a free download on the RPGA website 
  (www.rpga.com), as this document compliments the 
  main LIVING GREYHAWK rules.  
   
  Adventure Arc Schedule 
  “Blight on Bright Sands” runs throughout 595 CY and 
  596 CY (that’s 2005 and 2006, for those of use still used 
  to Earth’s calendar) and consists of nine Core 
  adventures and two Core Special adventures. We’ll 
  announce the 596 CY arc schedule toward the end of 
  2005, but the 595 CY schedule looks like this:  
   
  �April 2005: COR5-06 Blood on Bright Sands 
   
  �August 2005 (with a premier at Origins 2005): 
  COR5-09 Gateway to the Bright Sands 
   
  �August 2005 (with a premier at Origins 2005): 
  CORS5-02 Mines of Father Eye 
  �August 2005: COR5-11 Dark Deceit on Bright 
  Sands 
   
  �November 2005: COR5-17 Time’s Tide on 
  Bright Sands 
  �January 2006 (with a premiere at Gen Con So 
  Cal 2005): COR5-20 Phantoms of the Bright Sands 
   
  The order in which a PC plays the adventures that 
  make up “Blight on Bright Sands” will impact on a 
  player’s understanding and enjoyment of the series. 
  For 595 CY the optimum order of play is the order of 
  release.  
  Both COR5-06 Blood on Bright Sands and COR5-
  09 Gateway to the Bright Sands are designed as a 
  starting point to the series. If you don’t want to start a 
  new character to participate in the adventure arc you 
  can begin the arc with COR5-08 Gateway to the Bright 
  Sands. Starting with a new character allows you to play 
  in both starting adventures.  
   
  CHARACTER CREATION 
  GUIDELINES 
  The first step in participating in the “Blight on Bright 
  Sands” LIVING GREYHAWK adventure arc is creating 
  a character. The following guidelines grant expanded 
  options for character creation for this adventure arc. To 
  gain access to these special options, the character must 
  fulfill the two following requirements.  
  1. 
  The character must have the Bright Lands as 
  its home region. If you’re not sure with what a 
  home region is, skip to Step 6: Home Region 
  for the basics on the concept.  
  2. 
  COR5-06 Blood on Bright Sands must be the 
  first adventure you play with the character.  
   
   
  Fastplay Characters: To speed play when a new 
  player shows up without a character, we’ve create six 
  fastplay characters for the arc. These characters can be 
  used as a starting character for any Blight on Bright 
  Sands adventure, but their first adventure must be 
  from the arc. Once started, these characters advance as 
  per the normal LIVING GREYHAWK campaign rules.  All 
  of the fastplay characters have the Bright Lands as their 
  starting region.  
   
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 3 
   
  Step 1: Ability Scores 
  Characters generated for the “Blight on Bright Sands” 
  adventure arc, and the LIVING GREYHAWK campaign in 
  general, assign their ability scores using the 
  nonstandard point buy for tougher campaigns (28 
  points). Rules for the point buy system of generating 
  statistics are found on page 169 of the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide.  
   
  Step 2: Race and Class 
  All race and class options detailed in the Player’s 
  Handbook and even those presented in the Living 
  Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook are available to new 
  characters created to participate in this campaign arc.  
  Many other races are known to dwell within the 
  Bright Lands. In addition to the core races presented in 
  the Player’s Handbook, several new races presented in 
  Sandstorm and Races of the Wild are available to 
  players creating a new character with the home region 
  of the Bright Lands. These races are: 
  �Asheratis 
  �Desert centaur (available to D&D REWARDS 
  members as a Polyhedron exclusive) 
  �Scabland half-orc 
  �Badland dwarf 
  Information about how the various races fit into the 
  Bright Lands, and special rules for races from this 
  region, are found in the “Bright Lands Region” section 
  of this document. 
  Sandstorm also presents several alternate versions 
  of existing classes. New Bright Lands characters may 
  elect to make use of some of these new options in 
  character creation. The classes that make use of these 
  optional rules are: 
  �Barbarian 
  �Druid 
  �Ranger 
  �Sorcerer 
  �Wizard 
  When the first level of any of the above classes is 
  taken the player must indicate on their character sheet 
  if they are advancing in the Sandstorm version of that 
  character class. Indicate this preference by placing a 
  bracketed “SS” after the class name on the PC’s 
  character sheet. Once this option is chosen, the 
  character may never advance in the normal Player’s 
  Handbook version of that character class.  
   
  New Spells Access: New Bright Lands characters 
  gain access to new spells from Sandstorm at 1st-level. 
  These spells are unlocked for those characters. 
  Unlocked is like core access, but you don’t have to wait 
  until 3rd-level to take them. These are the unlocked 
  spells:   
  New Cleric Spells 
  �Cloak of shade 
  �Locate water 
  New Druid Spells 
  �Cloak of shade 
  �Impede sun’s brilliance 
  �Locate water 
  �Summon desert ally I 
  �Sunstroke 
  �Waste strider 
  New Sorcerer/Wizard Spells 
  �Locate water 
  �Parching touch 
  �Sunstroke 
  Other spells in Sandstorm are core access for Bright 
  Lands characters (and many will no doubt be opened 
  up to core access to the campaign in general) with the 
  following exceptions: 
   
  Limited Spells: Ashstar, flashflood, flesh to salt, 
  mass flesh to salt 
   
  NPC Only Spells: Awaken sand, black sand, 
  sandstorm, slipsand.  
   
  Restricted Spells: Mantle of the fiery spirit, and all 
  epic spells. 
  New Domains: Any Bright Land cleric that 
  worships one of the regional deities listed on Table 
  1—1 may replace one of the normal domains for one 
  of the following domains. The choice is based on 
  deity.   
  �Beory: Sand, Summer, Thirst 
  �Geshtai: Thirst 
  �Llerg: Thirst 
  �Obad-Hai: Sand, Summer 
  �Pelor: Summer 
  �Phyton: Summer 
  �Skerrit: Summer 
  �Vathris: Thirst 
  Spells granted by these new domains are 
  unlocked, meaning that you don’t need to wait until 
  3rd-level to add these to your spell list.  
   
  Prestige Classes: The following prestige classes 
  from Sandstorm are available for play within the Bright 
  Lands 
  �Lord of the tides 
  �Scorpion heritor 
  Characters qualifying for these classes may freely 
  take levels in them as long as they maintain the Bright 
  Lands as their home region.  
   
  Deities: With the exception of asheratis 
  characters, character from the Bright Lands can 
  worship any non-evil deity presented in the Player’s 
  Handbook and the Living Greyhawk Campaign 
  Sourcebook. However, the worship of some deities is 
  more prevalent within the Bright Lands than 
  elsewhere. Details of these deities are presented in the 
  Table 1—1, below. 
   
  Because of their special background in the region, 
  Bright Desert asheratis characters may only worship 
  Geshtai. Those who renounce her faith fall into a pile 
  of sand, as they renounce the boon of life she granted 
  to save the race.  
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 4 
   
   
  Step 3: Hit Points 
  Characters start at 1st-level with maximum hit points. 
  When a character advances, don’t roll for base hit 
  points. You get half the Hit Dice +1 base hit points. For 
  instance, a 2nd-level cleric would gain 5 base hit points, 
  while a wizard would gain 3 base hit points. 
   
  Step 4: Skills and Feats 
  Characters spend their starting skill points on skills 
  listed in the Player’s Handbook. Craft, Perform, 
  Profession, Slight of Hand and Knowledge (Local) all 
  have special campaign rules. If you are taking ranks in 
  these skills, you’ll want review those rules on page 9 of 
  the Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook.  
  Feats: You can choose any feat from the Player’s 
  Handbook that you can meet the requirement for. 
  Normally, a character may not select feats from outside 
  the Player’s Handbook until they’ve reached 3rd level, 
  but new Bright Lands characters can choose the 
  following feats from Sandstorm at 1st-level.  
  �Blazing Berserker 
  �Drift Magic 
  �Eagle’s Fury 
  �Heat Endurance 
  �Improved Heat Endurance 
  �Judged by Aurifar 
  �Light of Aurifar 
  �Pharaoh’s Fist 
  �Priest of the Waste 
  �Rattlesnake Strike 
  �Sand Camouflage 
  �Sand Dancer 
  �Sand Snare 
  �Sand Spinner 
  �Sandskimmer 
  �Scorpion’s Grasp 
  �Scorpion’s Instinct 
  �Scorpion’s Resolve 
  �Scorpion Sense 
  �Serpent Fang 
  �Searing Spell  
  �Fiery Spell 
  Effectively these are Bright Lands regional feats. Your 
  character may choose feats from this list as long as they 
  keep the Bright Lands as their home region. Currently 
  these feats are only open to characters of the Bright 
  Lands region. You cannot gain access to these feats by 
  way of the Knowledge (local) skill.  
  In addition the following feats detailed in 
  Greyhawk: Regional Feats of Oerth and Greyhawk 
  Feats: More Regional Feats of Oerth, articles appearing 
  in Dragon issues 315 and 319 are available for starting 
  characters with the Bright Lands as their home region: 
  �Blooded 
  �Desert Fighter 
  �Vathrin Stigmata 
   
  Step 5: Equipment 
  Characters start with maximum gold pieces for their 
  starting class from the Player’s Handbook  Table 7—1.  
  Bright Lands characters can purchase equipment 
  from Player’s Handbook “Chapter 7: Equipment.” They 
  may purchase equipment from “Table 7—3 Trade 
  Goods,” “Table 7—5: Weapons,” “Table 7—6 Armor 
  and Shields,” and Table 7—8 Goods and Services” 
  except for the section titled “Spellcasting and Services.”  
  Much of the new equipment listed in Sandstorm 
  is available for use within the Bright Lands. Starting 
  Bright Lands characters can freely purchase equipment 
  from the following tables in Sandstorm: 
  �Table 4—1: Wasteland Weapons. 
  �Table 4—2: Wasteland Armor 
  �Table 4—3: Wasteland Gear  
  �Table 4—5: Vehicles; except for the cloudskate, 
  frame wheel, sand galley, sand schooner, sand 
  Table 1—1: Deities of the Bright Lands 
  Deity* 
  AL 
  Race 
  Areas of Concern 
  Domains 
  Weapon 
  Beory 
  N (NG) 
  Flan 
  Oerth, Nature, Rain 
  Animal, CreationCD, Earth, Plant, 
  Water, WeatherCD 
  Club 
  Geshtai 
  N 
  Asheratis 
  Lakes, Rivers, Wells, Streams 
  Plant, Travel, Water, WeatherCD  
  Spear 
  Llerg 
  CN 
  Suel 
  Beasts, Strength 
  Animal, Chaos, CompetitionCD, 
  CourageCD, Strength 
   
  Battleaxe (m) or 
  longsword (m) 
  Obad-Hai 
  N 
  Flan 
  Nature, Woodlands, Freedom, 
  Hunting, Beasts 
  Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water 
   
  Quarterstaff 
  Pelor 
  NG 
  Flan 
  Sun, Light, Strength, Healing 
   
  GloryCD, Good, Healing, NobilityCD SS, 
  PurificationCD, Strength, Sun 
   
  Heavy mace 
  Phyton 
  CN 
  Suel 
  Nature, Beauty, Farming 
  Chaos, CommunityCD, Good, Plant, 
  Sun, Water 
   
  Scimitar (m) 
   
  Skerrit 
  NG 
  Hueleneaer 
  Centaurs, Community, Natural 
  Balance 
   
  Animal, Good, Healing, Plant, Sun 
  Large shortspear 
  Vathris 
  LN 
  Flan 
  Anguish, Lost Causes, Revenge 
  Destruction, Law, War 
  Longspear 
   
  *For information regarding these deities refer to the LIVING GREYHAWK Deities Document 
  CD: New domain detailed in Complete Divine; SS: New domain detailed in Sandstorm 
  Additional Notes: 
  The Flan call Pelor “Aurifar.” 
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 5 
   
  skiff. 
  Also, desert centaur characters gain access to 
  nonhumanoid armors. And at 6th-level, when they 
  progress to Large size, they gain access to Large 
  nonhumanoid armor (see page 123 of the Player’s 
  Handbook) and Large weapons at 6th-level.   
   
  Step 6: Home Region 
  Every character in the Living Greyhawk campaign is 
  from a region. Regions not only influence a character’s 
  background, they also affect how much characters pay 
  in time units (TU) to play adventures, as well as access 
  to regional feats and other character options. Normally, 
  characters have to be from one of the Triad-controlled 
  regions of the campaign—usually a player’s local 
  region. Using these special character creation allows 
  characters to be from the Bright Lands region. The 
  region name is a bit of a misnomer, as the player region 
  is more than Rary’s new nation. This special region 
  includes the Bright Desert, the regions of the Abbor-
  Alz Hills surrounding that desert, and the city of 
  Hardby, with the city reserved for characters from the 
  region that have a more cosmopolitan bent.  
   
  Since the Bright Land is a not a standard region, 
  there are some special considerations. A Bright Lands 
  character continues to have access to the special rules 
  items detailed in the document until they change 
  region. If you change home region you are able to use 
  feats, spells, prestige classes, and equipment you 
  currently possess, but you lose access to gaining new 
  rules items granted by the Bright Lands region. 
   
  Also, “Bright on Blight Sands” adventures act like 
  the regional adventures for Bright Lands characters. 
  Bright Lads characters pay only one (TU) for 
  adventures that are part of the adventure arc. Bright 
  Lands characters have no metaregion, thus all 
  metaregional adventures are considered out of region.   
   
  Characters created with these rules may start with 
  the Bright Lands region, and those characters may 
  change regions normally (see page 11 of the Living 
  Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook, under “Step 6: 
  Home Region) and even take the Bright Lands again in 
  future years, but characters that did not start out as a 
  Bright Lands character cannot choose to take that 
  region later. It is restricted to all but starting Bright 
  Lands characters.  
   
   
   
  THE BRIGHT LANDS REGION 
  The Bright Lands is a region apart, with its own dark 
  history and areas of high adventure. This section is a 
  brief primer of an area. It will give you a general 
  understanding of the region, which helps in the 
  creation of a character with interesting regional flair.  
   
  A Brief History of the Bright 
  Desert 
  Two millennia ago Flan civilization reached its zenith 
  on the arid grasslands of Sulm. Here, the ancient Flan 
  learned the secrets of agriculture, ironwork and 
  engineering, and founded great cities and raised 
  majestic temples to their gods.  
   
  With 
  its 
  success 
  Sulm 
  grew, 
  absorbing 
  neighboring states. And like many empires, hegemony 
  breed arrogance and decadence. With those black 
  seeds planted, an evil rot eventually disintegrated the 
  Sulm civilization.  
   
  The final doom of the Sulm came suddenly, when 
  its last ruler—a mad sorcerer named Shattados—was 
  granted a boon from his divine patron, Tharizdun. The 
  dark god’s gift took the form of a powerful artifact 
  called the Scorpion Crown, which promised to allow 
  Shattados’s true and everlasting dominion over all of 
  his subjects. What it did was transform almost all of 
  Sulm’s people into hideous manscorpions bound to 
  Shattados, and precipitated the eventual decline of the 
  Sulm’s lush grasslands to a wasteland of sand and rock.   
  Thus Sulm passed into history, languishing all but 
  forgotten until events transpiring in the City of 
  Greyhawk thrust these accursed lands into the minds 
  of the great and the good.  
  The treacherous acts of Rary and his co-
  conspirator, Lord Robilar, on the Day of Great Signing 
  was the first overt act that brought the Bright Desert to 
  the forefront of Flanaess politics. His conspiracy 
  thwarted and his plotting exposed, Rary fled civilized 
  company. He wrenched his entire tower from the very 
  foundation-rock in Lopolla and transported it, along 
  with Lord Robilar and his fanatical followers, 
  thousands of leagues eastward to the Brass Hills. In 
  short order Robilar’s forces pacified the peoples of the 
  central desert forcing them to pay homage to the red 
  and blue of the fledgling empire.  
   
  The rise of a new military power in the region 
  would normally be met with little more than 
  indifference in the surrounding nations but doom-
  laden warnings from the Circle of Eight awoke the 
  Flanaess to a dire threat. The mage Mordenkainen has 
  made it known that the Traitor knew of the ancient 
  histories that cluster thick about the Bright Lands and 
  that he likely seeks the catalyst of Sulm’s unnatural fall, 
  an artifact of surpassing power said to contain a portion 
  of Tharizdun’s essence. All is not lost, however. 
  Although warriors of many desert tribes swell the 
  empire’s ranks some few tribes still resist Lord 
  Robilar’s forces and in other places small pockets of 
  those professing neutrality still survive. None stand so 
  bitterly opposed to The Traitor’s machinations as the 
  Hueleneaer—a race of desert dwelling centaurs. A 
  fierce and proud people, they war with the outlanders, 
  seeing Rary as evil and ambition personified. Their 
  guerrilla tactics have won many victories against 
  Robilar’s soldiers and their constant raiding continues 
  to tie down and harass the empire’s forces.  
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 6 
   
  And now a steady stream of adventurers trickles 
  into the region. Some are beguiled by tales of high 
  adventure and of the near limitless wealth rumored 
  buried in the sands of the Bright Desert. Others have 
  nobler goals. After all, if Mordenkainen is right, Rary is 
  working to free He Who Should Forever Sleep, and 
  what better cause is there than to rage against the 
  world’s dying by thwarting a traitor at every turn?  
   
  The Desert and Environs 
  All of the following locations (except Hardby) are 
  marked on the above region map. More information on 
  many of these locations can be found in the following 
  articles: “Into the Bright Desert” from Dungeon issue 
  98 and “Denizens of the Bright Desert” from Dungeon 
  issue 103; and “City of the Scorned” from Dungeon 
  issue 109 by Paul Looby.  
  Abbor-Alz: The craggy hills that ring the bright 
  desert. To the west, the highlands are actually a small 
  mountain range joining the Cairn Hills to the north. 
  Hill barbarians, dwarves, and giants dwell within the 
  various regions of the hills. The barbarian peoples of 
  the Abbor-Alz abhor Rary, but neither do they tolerate 
  other “civilized” peoples.  
  Brass Hills: The jutting peaks of the Brass Hills 
  now serve as the seat of Rary’s power in the desert. The 
  Traitor has pacified the place, and its only dangers are 
  his worldly and otherworldly forces, or so the tyrant 
  claims.  
  Dagger Rock: This ancient deformed pinnacle of 
  cracked granite stands amid a shattered landscape. 
  Rumored to be the lair of an ancient blue dragon, other 
  stories claim the wyrm was slain by Lord Robilar about 
  five years ago.  
  Fort Whiterock: The easternmost outpost of 
  Rary’s power, it from this place that Lord Robilar 
  campaigned against the hueleneaer at Gai Hur. The 
  place is a garrison for more than 400 of Rary’s nomads 
  and mercenary crossbowman. It was built atop the 
  ruins of an ancient white-walled Sulmish citadel.  
  Gai Hur: Its name translates to “Sky Peak” in the 
  Flan tongue. This roughly hewn stone pinnacle is a 
  vital landmark of the eastern desert. The place was 
  once an important regular biyearly meeting spot for 
  the hueleneaer, until Lord Robilar twisted one of their 
  592 CY moots into a parley of deceit and enslavement.  
  Ghazal: The Tareg tribe of Suel nomads controls 
  this small but sound fortress. They claim the “right” of 
  tribute from all who use the pass, but are fickle in their 
  enforcement of it. They deal harshly with those who 
  refuse to pay for passage.    
  Ghost Tower of Inverness: Many sages claim that 
  the extensive ruins predate even the Sulm Empire. 
  Most travelers avoid the place claiming that either it 
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 7 
   
  has no secret left to plunder or it’s still haunted and 
  dangerous.   
  Hardby—City of the Scorned (not listed on the 
  map, located on the Woolly Bay coast northwest of 
  Hardby Pass): This bustling port city of over 5,000 
  souls was once a free city, but Hardby has been a vassal 
  to Greyhawk for more than a decade.  Famed for its 
  long history, and its ancient tradition of rule by 
  women, collectively known as the Gynarchy, Hardby 
  serves, among other things, as the gateway to the 
  Bright Lands.  
  Hardby Pass: This rough pass travels from Hardby 
  past Storm Lake, the Ghost Tower of Inverness, and 
  the fortress of Ghazal, and then ending at the tent 
  village of Ul Bakak.  
  Histak: Once a neutral village that forbade open 
  conflict in its environs, Rary subjugated the place last 
  year. Built atop the ruins of a larger city with 
  architecture similar to that of Sennrae, the place is well 
  known for its healers.  
  Kalki’s Leap: Rary’s main fortress in the southern 
  desert, Lord Robilar uses the place as his personal 
  command center. The place is defended with strong 
  walls reinforce by the winding canyon it’s wedged in. 
  The place is filled with norkers and Paynims riders.  
  Kalundi: An important staging post for Rary’s 
  forces, this village’s fortifications have been recently 
  bolstered. This permanent village is cunningly 
  irrigated by the runoff from the Brass Hills.   
  Karistyne Castle: Home to a paladin of 
  Heironeous, this five-towered keep stands on a plateau 
  overlooked by some of the largest peaks in the Abbor-
  Alz.  
  Kolum Oasis: Once this place was harried by 
  manscorpions, until Rary’s forces annihilated a nearby 
  nest of the creatures. Nomads have returned to this 
  place, though now under the watchful eyes of the 
  Traitor.  
  Knife Edge Pass: This rugged pass reaches into the 
  Western Abbor-Alz March of the Duchy of Urnst, 
  where the barons of that place prepare eagerly for the 
  fight, as they are sworn to stop all the Traitor’s scum 
  who dare even look upon the duchy with greedy eyes.    
  Necropolis of Unaagh: Once Sulm’s most sacred 
  site, this is now a city of ghastly denizens ruled over by 
  an ancient lich. Some unknown agency binds the 
  undead to their grim, shattered capital. All intelligent 
  folk of the desert keep their distance from this 
  dangerous haunt.  
  Plain of Spears: This haunted battleground is 
  sprinkled with countless man-tall outcroppings of 
  rock. It’s said that the ancient weapons and armor of 
  the ancient Sulm people still litter the graveyard, 
  waiting to be plundered from their undead protectors.  
  Rary’s Tower: A settlement began with Rary’s 
  magically 
  transported 
  onion-domed 
  tower 
  has 
  sprawled into a surrounding fortress and a yet-
  unnamed town destined to be the capital of the 
  Traitor’s empire. A curtain wall completed in 593 CY 
  protects the entire settlement from attack.  
  Ruins of Darkbridge Temple: This old temple to 
  some long forgotten evil god revered by the Sulm is 
  now the lair of a shadow dragons who shares the site 
  with ancient undead and a ferocious tribe of jermaline.  
  Ruins of Utaa: Sulm’s former capital, this sand-
  covered ruin is home all forms of incorporeal undead 
  that some say are ruled by a dry lich.   
  Sennerae: This place has been a ruin since the 
  days of Sulm’s expansions. A handful of shattered 
  structures rest on treacherous cliff, but most of the 
  former city lies under the sea of Gearnat. The undersea 
  ruin is the haunt of an ancient dragon turtle named 
  Lhamzygax.  
  Shembai Oasis: The only major watering hole not 
  totally dominated by Rary, this place is a gateway to the 
  Abyss that opens each night to spit out fiends. Demons 
  despoil the area at nightfall, only to be sucked back 
  into the portal before the light of dawn hits the sands. 
  Desert nomads—loyal to Rary or not—keep away 
  between dusk and dawn.  
  Tower of Sands:  This recently uncovered tower is 
  an enigma. There are rumors that the place may be 
  older than Sulm, and other still claim the place is holy 
  to the hueleneaer.  
  Tulwar Oasis: The last safe oasis between Ul Bakak 
  and Rary’s capital, this place is guarded by a yugoloth-
  built fort and a tribe of nomads fanatically loyal to the 
  Traitor.  
  Twisted Canyon: This long but narrow canyon is a 
  holy place of the god Vathris. Somewhere within there 
  is at leas one hidden temple to the god of anguish and 
  lost causes.  
  Ul Bakak: Little more than a permanent collection 
  of tents, this nomad trading village stands at the foot of 
  three craggy hills at the end of Hardby Pass. The 
  settlement grew around a now well-guarded spring, 
  and is a holy spot for Suel and Flan nomads, as well as 
  Abbor-Alz hillfolk. Ul Bakak claims neutrality in Rary’s 
  fight to subdue the region, and the Traitor allows its 
  people this illusion because of its trade with Hardby.  
  Uplands of Unath: Long ago these hills were 
  home to a small but thriving colony of dwarves allied 
  to the dwur of the Abbor-Alz. The Unath dwarves 
  today are an isolated, dwindling people. Called badland 
  dwarves by outsiders, they tend not to intermingle 
  with other peoples of the Bright Desert, but some of 
  the younger generation has grown more adventurous 
  as of late. The Uplands are now infested with 
  jermaline, norkers, and the occasional clan of desert 
  trolls. Many of these foul creatures make their homes 
  amid the remains of Unath. 
  Var Oasis: This southernmost oasis is the largest in 
  the region. Hundreds of nomads gather here each day 
  to refresh themselves in Var’s never-failing waters. A 
  garrison of Rary’s troops lingers here to control the 
  natives.  
  Zochal: Now only a crater, the Zochal was once a 
  seemingly impregnable arcane magical building that 
  mysteriously exploded in 592 CY.  
   
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 8 
   
  Peoples of the Region 
  The Bright Lands region is home to a diverse group of 
  people. This diversity is breed by the harsh terrain and 
  ancient magics that have further fragmented the 
  wasteland’s population.  
   
  The 
  people 
  described 
  here 
  are 
  not 
  a 
  comprehensive list of the intelligence folk that dwell 
  in the region, but rather a list of those available for 
  play.  
   
  Going Native: Some typical races in GREYHAWK 
  don’t fit very well with the background and flavor of 
  the Bright Desert and Sandstorm. This is one of the 
  reasons that the city of Hardby was added to the 
  region. Characters of these types can originally be from 
  Hardby but through contact with the people of the 
  Bright Desert and the Abbor-Alz, have gone native; 
  learning local lore and desert skills from the people of 
  that land. When the description talks about characters 
  that have “gone native” it’s talking about the humans, 
  dwarves, elves, gnomes, half-elves, half-orcs, and half-
  elves who may have hailed from civilized lands, but 
  they have adjusted to ways of the desert though 
  experience and contact with its native people.  
   
  Humans 
  There are a few types of human native to the Bright 
  Lands that are open for play, they are:  
  Abbor-Alz Hillfolk: The barbarian folk of the 
  Abbor-Alz are a mix of Flan and Suel peoples. In the 
  past they have guarded their way of life jealously, 
  repelling all outsiders with force or its threat, but with 
  the coming of Rary things are slowly changing. 
   
  They abhor the Traitor and his fiendish servants, 
  and see his encroachment as a dire threat to their 
  independence and way of life.  
   
  With a love of isolation as fierce as any desert 
  nomad, hillfolk tribal culture is less divisive than their 
  desert neighbors.  An Abbor-Alz hillfolk feels he 
  should be the only one allowed to kill other Abbor-Alz 
  hillfolk. It is this unity against outsiders and the 
  foreboding terrain of the Abbor-Alz hills that earn 
  these people their continuing independence from 
  Rary, as the wizard does not yet want to face a unified 
  hillfolk force in their own environment.  
   
  They also differ from the desert nomads in their 
  treatment of women. Women are equals in hillfolk 
  society. Some of the backwards nomads blame this on 
  the hillfolk’s closer proximity to Hardby. Hillfolk 
  blame the nomad’s chauvinism on heatstroke.  
   
  The Abbor-Alz hillfolk are a tall, strong, and 
  tanned, favoring light colored hair and eyes. They 
  worship a strange mix of Flan and Suel gods, 
  predominately Pelor (who they sometimes call 
  Aurifar in the desert tradition), Fortubo, and Llerg.  
   
  Special Rules: Abbor-Alz hillfolk are humans as 
  presented in the Player’s Handbook.  
  Flan Nomads: The most numerous of the desert 
  peoples are the Flan nomads. Predominately of 
  unblemished Flan lineage, these people were originally 
  Flans of the Sulm periphery who were pushed into the 
  desert by the migrations of Suels and Oeridians in 
  centuries after the destruction of the Baklunish 
  Empire and the Suel Imperium.   
  The Flan nomads who dwell in the Bright Lands 
  are a surly, violent, honor-driven folk famed for their 
  incessant intertribal warfare, superstitious beliefs, and 
  disdain of outsiders. A strongly patriarchal society, the 
  nomads of the Bright Land value strength—be it 
  spiritual or temporal—as the only source of power. 
  Speakers of Flan, few know any of the Common 
  tongue, deeming it beneath them.  
  A stocky, bandy-legged race they exhibit few of 
  the characteristics of Flan existent elsewhere in the 
  Flanaess. Uniformly deeply tanned, they are a dark-
  eyed race. Similarly their hair is lank, straight and 
  brown-black or black in hue. Their dress typically 
  consists of dark-colored, lightweight flowing robes 
  over simple buckskin garments. When going into 
  battle, or when mourning, they daub sacred symbols 
  on their faces with ochre, which they believe imparts 
  strength to the wearer. They prize ornamentation—
  bone or brass headbands decorated with brightly 
  colored beads are highly valued.  
  A simple folk eschewing most forms of magic, 
  they worship the spirits of earth, air and water. Chief 
  among their pantheon are Beory, the Oerth Mother, 
  and her lord, Obad-Hai the Shalm known also among 
  them as Lord of the Wild Places. Above all they fear 
  Nerull, for to them he is death incarnate; some even 
  denounce Rary as the Reaper’s emissary. Some nomads 
  venerate Pelor, invoking him as a protective power 
  against Nerull’s pervasive evil, while others seek to 
  improve their lot through the worship of Vathris in his 
  original guise as patron of ingenuity and progress.  
  Special Rules: Flan nomads are humans as 
  presented in the Player’s Handbook, but have an 
  automatic language of Flan. They must take Common 
  as either a bonus language, or gain it with the Speak 
  Language skill. Flan nomads may choose from the list 
  of Flan racial feats presented in Chapter 3 of the Living 
  Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook.  
  Folk of Hardby: This old city was founded by a 
  Suel mage named Ena Norbe in –278 CY, and while 
  there are many folk of Suel extraction in the city, it is a 
  cosmopolitan place where the members of many races 
  (human and otherwise) rub shoulders. Humans of 
  every type can be found living in the city.  
   
  Special Rules: The humans living in Hardby are 
  humans as presented in the Player’s Handbook. If you 
  are interested in making a new character for the 
  adventure arc, but don’t want to utilize the special 
  options for new characters in Sandstorm, it’s 
  recommended that you make a character from this city. 
  Because the character is still part of the region they still 
  have access to the rules for Sandstorm, allowing play of 
  characters who “go native,” while adventuring in the 
  desert. Folk from Hardby may take Mercantile 
  Background and Well Read as regional feats. 
  Suel Nomads: A few tribes are of Suel descent and 
  speak only the ancient language of the Imperium. A 
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 9 
   
  thousand years ago several large bands of Suel, fleeing 
  the destruction of their empire, forced a passage 
  through the Abbor Alz in a fruitless search for a 
  bountiful land spoken of in Flan legends. By the time 
  their folly was revealed they had not the strength to 
  win free and were trapped by vengeful Flan tribes. 
  Now, dangerously inbred, they are reviled and 
  distrusted by their Flan brethren and are slowly being 
  hunted into extinction. Foremost among them are the 
  Tareg who, from the ancient Suel fortress of Ghazal, 
  control Hardby Pass, exacting a heavy toll on all who 
  pass through. These folk cling to fragments of their 
  ancient heritage, worshipping Llerg above all others. 
  In this harsh, but starkly beautiful, environment they 
  have forgotten most other deities of note although 
  some few still revere Phyton. 
  A tall and slender deeply tanned race, blue eyes 
  are common among them as is red or yellow hair, 
  which they wear closely cropped beneath their 
  leathern coifs. Warriors proclaim their tribal allegiance 
  by wearing cleverly crafted brass armbands inlaid with 
  mottled blue or black ornamental stones. Their 
  broaches are their honor and will never willingly be 
  surrendered. 
  Special Rules: Suel nomads are humans as 
  presented in the Player’s Handbook, but have an 
  automatic language of Ancient Suloise. They must take 
  Common as either a bonus language, or gain it with the 
  Speak Language skill. Suel nomads may choose from 
  the list of Suel racial feats presented in Chapter 3 of the 
  Living Greyhawk Campaign Sourcebook. 
    
  Asheratis 
  The rules for this race on found in Chapter 2 of 
  Sandstorm. The background of the Asheratis in the 
  Bright Lands has been slightly modified from that 
  presented in Sandstorm. In places where these two 
  sources differ the rules presented below take 
  precedence. 
   
  The asheratis as a race were created on the very 
  day on which Sulm fell. While the bulk of the Sulmites 
  were agonizingly transformed into manscorpions by 
  Shattados’ folly, those among the Sulmites not 
  irredeemably lost to evil cried out for mercy. As the 
  curse swept across the arid grasslands and sand began 
  to pour forth from the holy places and cities of Sulm 
  only Geshtai in her mercy heard these Sulmites’ pleas. 
  Foreseeing the land’s fate she used her divine power to 
  transform them into creatures that could survive the 
  wastes in return for their worship of her and her alone. 
  Those who forsake Geshtai are returned turned to 
  sand, but no asheratis has turned from her worship for 
  many generations.  
   
  Asheratis priest and elders have different 
  explanations for Geshatai’s harsh revocation of her gift. 
  Some believe that only exclusive worship can create 
  the conduit necessary to receiver he boon, while other 
  believe that the deity is moving the race to a greater 
  purpose in the future of the Bright Lands. Her harsh 
  ways are there to ensure that the race is ready when 
  time for the reclamation of the land from desert finally 
  comes.   
  Special Rules: Asheratis worship Geshtai to the 
  exclusion of all other gods, meaning that all asheratis 
  clerics must revere that deity.  If an asheratis ever turns 
  away from the worship of Geshtai, immediately fall 
  into a pile of sand, effectively destroying the character.  
   
  Dwarves 
  There are three types of dwarves in the Bright Lands 
  region. They are:  
  Abbor-Alz Dwarves: It is said that once dwarven 
  tribes controlled much the Abbor-Alz, but today only a 
  small number of settlements clutch around Hardby 
  and other civilized spaces. Driven out of their 
  traditional mine in the Abbor-Alz interior by their 
  chief enemy, the duergar, the dwarves of the Abbor-Alz 
  now focus on craftwork rather than mining, selling 
  their wares in the markets of Hardby  through 
  dwarven agents living in the city.  
  Special Rules: The dwarves living in the craftholds 
  of the Abbor-Alz are dwarves as presented in the 
  Player’s Handbook. Because the character is still part of 
  the region they still have access to the rules for 
  Sandstorm, allowing play of characters who “go native,” 
  while adventuring in the desert.  
  Badland (Unath) Dwarves: The Uplands of Unath 
  (a range of hills deep within the Bright Desert) were 
  named for a colony of dwarves inhabiting the range 
  when ancient Sulm was yet young.  
   
  Now, their civilization has all but failed, overrun 
  by successive waves of invaders. A few isolated 
  clanholds still survive but these final remnants of a 
  proud lineage are fragmented and failing.  
   
  Special Rules: Badland dwarves hail from ancient 
  Unath. Badland dwarves PCs treat all feats from the list 
  presented in Step 4: Skills and Feats as regional feats. 
  More information on this new race can be found in 
  Sandstorm, Chapter 2. Badland dwarf PCs may also 
  choose from the list of hill dwarf racial feats presented 
  in Chapter 3 of the Living Greyhawk Campaign 
  Sourcebook. 
   
  Dwarves from Hardby: The city of Hardby has 
  number of dwarves living within its borders. Some 
  have migrated out of the Abbor-Alz, and act as trading 
  go-betweens for the dwarven crafthalls of the western 
  hills, while others have settled here from other dwarf 
  holds and cities across the Flanaess.  
   
  Special Rules: The dwarves living in Hardby are 
  dwarves as presented in the Player’s Handbook. If you 
  are interested in making a new character for the 
  adventure arc, but don’t want to utilize the special 
  options for new characters in Sandstorm, it’s 
  recommended that you make a character from this city. 
  Because the character is still part of the region they still 
  have access to the rules for Sandstorm, allowing play of 
  characters who “go native,” while adventuring in the 
  desert. Folk from Hardby may take Mercantile 
  Background and Well Read as regional feats. Dwarves 
  may also take the Dwarf regional feats.  
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 10 
   
   
  Elves 
  Elves in the Bright Lands are all from Hardby. While 
  there have been elven explorers and adventurers who 
  have pierced the dry interiors of the Bright Desert and 
  the Abbor-Alz Hills, there are no settlements of these 
  folks in either place. 
   
  Special Rules: The elves living in the region are 
  elves as presented in the Player’s Handbook. Because 
  the character is still part of the region they still have 
  access to the rules for Sandstorm, allowing play of 
  characters who “go native,” while adventuring in the 
  desert. Folk from Hardby may take Mercantile 
  Background and Well Read as regional feats. Elves may 
  also take the regional feats of their sub-race.  
   
  Gnomes 
  Gnomes in the Bright Lands are all from Hardby or the 
  surrounding area. While there have been gnome 
  explorers and adventurers who have pierced the dry 
  interiors of the Bright Desert there is not settlement of 
  gnomes in the desert. 
   
  Special Rules: The elves living in the region are 
  elves as presented in the Player’s Handbook. Because 
  the character is still part of the region they have access 
  to the rules for Sandstorm, allowing play of characters 
  who “go native,” while adventuring in the desert. Folk 
  from Hardby may take Mercantile Background and 
  Well Read as regional feats. Gnomes may also take the 
  regional feats of their race. 
   
  Half-Elves 
  Half-Elves in the Bright Lands are all from Hardby. 
  While there have been half-elven explorers and 
  adventurers who have pierced the dry interiors of the 
  Bright Desert and the Abbor-Alz Hills, there are no 
  settlements of these folks in either place. 
   
  Special Rules: The half-elves living in the region 
  are elves as presented in the Player’s Handbook. 
  Because the character is still part of the region they still 
  have access to the rules for Sandstorm, allowing play of 
  characters who “go native,” while adventuring in the 
  desert. Folk from Hardby may take Mercantile 
  Background and Well Read as regional feats. Elves may 
  also take the regional feats of their sub-race. 
   
  Half-Orcs 
  There are two types of half-orcs in the Bright 
  Lands region. They are: 
  Half-Orcs from Hardby: The city of Hardby has 
  substantial half-orc population. Valued as caravan 
  guards, sailors, mercenaries, and enforcers, half-orcs 
  serve in potions of a martial persuasion throughout the 
  city. 
   
  Special Rules: The half-orcs living in Hardby are 
  dwarves as presented in the Player’s Handbook. If you 
  are interested in making a new character for the 
  adventure arc, but don’t want to utilize the special 
  options for new characters in Sandstorm, it’s 
  recommended that you make a character from this city. 
  Because the character is still part of the region they still 
  have access to the rules for Sandstorm, allowing play of 
  characters who “go native,” while adventuring in the 
  desert. Folk from Hardby may take Mercantile 
  Background and Well Read as regional feats. Half-orcs 
  may also take half-orc regional feats. 
  Scabland Half-Orc: The Abbor-Alz has long been a 
  refugee for outlaws, brigands, bandits and other 
  unsavory types. Many bands of raiders are composed 
  almost entirely of scabland half-orcs. As a race they 
  have an unsavory reputation and as a consequence they 
  are unwelcome in many of the surrounding nation 
  states 
  Special Rules: Scabland half-orcs PCs treat all feats 
  from the list presented in Step 4: Skills and Feats as 
  regional feats. 
   
  Halflings 
  Halflings in the Bright Lands are all from Hardby. 
  While there have been halfling explorers and 
  adventurers who have pierced the dry interiors of the 
  Bright Desert and the Abbor-Alz Hills, there are no 
  settlements of these folks in either place. 
   
  Special Rules: The halflings living in the region 
  are halflings as presented in the Player’s Handbook. 
  Because the character is still part of the region they still 
  have access to the rules for Sandstorm, allowing play of 
  characters who “go native,” while adventuring in the 
  desert. Folk from Hardby may take Mercantile 
  Background and Well Read as regional feats. Halflings 
  may also take the regional feats of their sub-race. 
   
  Hueleneaer (Desert Centaurs) 
  A dwindling people, these desert centaurs yet 
  lingering in the Bright Lands are the final inheritors of 
  a long and glorious past. The progeny of mercenary 
  warriors who once guarded the sorcerer-kings of Sulm, 
  they are a proud and noble race that still sings the 
  songs of their past recalling the folly of those who 
  venerate fell powers. Strongly good aligned in nature 
  they had all but abandoned their former allies by the 
  time Shattados donned Tharizdun’s “gift.” 
  An intelligent, cultured people they are rich in the 
  lore of elder days, still remembering where many of 
  Sulm’s ruins lie hidden. Although cultured they are 
  savage and merciless when aroused. Puissant warriors 
  and skilled scouts, they are a deeply tanned people and 
  although smaller than their sylvan brethren they more 
  muscular than their kin. Implacable enemies of the 
  manscorpions that roam the desert, periodically the 
  tribes unite to speed through the desert slaying all 
  such creatures they find. 
  Since 589 CY, when a prominent chief was slain 
  by unknown assailants they have waged a bitter 
  guerrilla war against Rary’s forces—for in him they 
  recognize the folly which doomed Sulm centuries ago.  
  After last year’s pitched battle at Gai Hur the war 
  drums beat and the blood-red war lance is being passed 
  among the tribes, summoning them to war. As a nation 
  the centaurs are preparing for what could be their final 
  
   
  Blight on Bright Sands Sourcebook 
   
  Page 11 
   
  crusade against the evil that again threatens their 
  homeland.  
   
  Special Rules: Hueleneaer PCs treat all feats from 
  the list presented in Step 4: Skills and Feats as regional 
  feats. 
  A hueleneaer character starts at first level with the 
  centaur monster class from Races of the Wild, with the 
  following changes: 
  Racial Traits: Automatic Languages: Common and 
  Giant 
  Class Features: Weapon and Armor Proficiency: 
  Hueleneaer centaurs are proficient with all simple 
  weapons, scimitars, and longbows, as well as light 
  armor and shields.   
  As per the rules for monster classes, the character 
  must complete all six levels of the centaur monster 
  class before taking any other class levels.  A character 
  progressing in a monster class gains feats and ability 
  score increases according to Table 2—5 of the Player’s 
  Handbook. That table also limits their maximum ranks 
  in class and cross-class skills.  
  Centaurs are not mounted creatures, and PCs can’t 
  be used as mounts by other PCs.  
   
  To play a Hueleneaer PC a player must be a D&D 
  REWARDS member and have a special starting 
  adventure record (AR) distributed in Polyhedron issue 
  142. A player must bring both the AR and their D&D 
  Rewards card when they play COR5-06 Blood on 
  Bright Sands to start playing a Hueleneaer character.  
   
    
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/EXTRAS/Greyhawk/Living Greyhawk - RPGA/Blight on Bright Sand (v1.0) (for COR5-06).pdf