Magnamund
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Magnamund is a world in the fantasy universe Aon, created by Joe Dever, in which the Lone Wolf and The World of Lone Wolf series of fantasy gamebooks are set.
It is the fulcrum of the struggle between the Lords of Good and Evil - the last world in Aon which has not fallen to the Darkness (under the god Naar) nor been rescued by the Light (under the gods Kai and Ishir); the victor of this battle wins total domination over Aon.
Maps of various parts of Magnamund were available on the inside front cover of the Lone Wolf books, and the original paintings of these by Joe Dever were made available in 2005 as "Lone Wolf Originals" through Project Aon[link].
The World
Magnamund is notable among fantasy worlds for not being yet another generic Dungeons & Dragons or Tolkienesque world. Notably absent are elves, halflings, goblins, and orcs.The land mass is split into the two continents of Northern Magnamund and Southern Magnamund, separated by the Tentarias strait.
Cosmology
For all eternity, an unceasing, timeless, formless war had waged between the Lords of Good and Evil. This war could never be won, as there was nothing to conquer and no standard by which victory could ever be measured.After countless years, Goddess Ishir, most prominent of the Lords of Good, secured a truce with Naar, the King of the Darkness. Ishir and Naar created a vessel to represent their truce, into which they infused their powers of life and death, creation and destruction. This vessel was Aon, the 'Great Balance'. To the surprise of the gods, from this vessel grew the physical universe with its myriad worlds and life forms.
The Lords of Good and Evil sought to control Aon. With their conflicting desires and a tangible battleground, their war began again in earnest, but with a clear purpose - the domination of Aon. Whichever side conquered the physical universe would become the victor, and the other side would be banished to the void. One by one the worlds of Aon were claimed by Good and Evil until only one free world remained - the world of Magnamund.
Geography
Originally Magnamund was comprised of one land mass. During the Age of Chaos, when Naar sought to destroy the wise dragon Nyxator, Magnamund was torn asunder, and the Tentarias strait split the land into the two continents of Northern Magnamund and Southern Magnamund.Northern Magnamund
The northwestern quarter of Northern Magnamund is the Darklands, a hellish wasteland ruled by the Darklords. It is in this terrible land that the Darklords create their armies and breed creatures of darkness.The northeastern quarter of Northern Magnamund is the Lastlands, giving rise to the human nations of Sommerlund and Durenor. It is against these bastions of hope that the full might of the Darklords is directed, for if Sommerlund and Durenor should fall, the rest of Magnamund would fall in their wake.
Southern Magnamund
The eastern third of Southern Magnamund is characterized by the Sadi desert and the Shadakine Empire. The tyrannical Shadakine Empire arose under the rulership of Shasarak the Wytch-king to conquer the free states of the south.Peoples
Sommlending
The Sommlending are seen as a "beacon of hope" by the other human nations of Magnamund. They are described as a brave people with stolid determination, standing firm against the shadow of the Darklords to the west. It is from the people of Sommerlund that the Kai Lords and the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star are found.
Bor
The dwarves of Bor, though they play a minimal role in the world of Magnamund, are famous for their invention of the arquebus.Shianti
The Shianti are a race of lesser gods that entered Magnamund through a portal from the shadow world of the Daziarn. Having entered into a voluntary exile at the bidding of the Goddess Ishir, the Shianti are known only through legends as the 'Ancients'.
Darklords
The Darklords are the latest incarnations of evil on Magnamund. Created by the God Naar to wage a final war upon the inhabitants of Magnamund, these 20 champions of evil are the most loathsome and horrible beings that exist. They breed creatures of darkness to serve their fell purpose, such as helghast (undead who can assume human form), kraan (winged lizard-like mounts), and armies of giaks (ferocious grey-skinned fighters).History
Media
Books
- 1984-1998 The Lone Wolf gamebooks - gamebooks written by Joe Dever , set predominantly in Northern Magnamund.
- 1985-1986 The World of Lone Wolf gamebooks - gamebooks written by Ian Page, set in Southern Magnamund.
- Legends of Lone Wolf - novels written by John Grant based upon the gamebooks.
- The Magnamund Companion, a gazetteer.
Computer games
Magnamund can be explored in the following computer games.- Lone Wolf Online (permanently cancelled)
- The Lone Wolf RPG from Ksatria Gameworks (Summer 2007)
- Flight from the Dark (Hutchinson)
- Fire on the Water (Hutchinson)
- The Mirror of Death (Audiogenic)
References
External links
- [Project Aon] - free downloadable Internet Editions of the Lone Wolf gamebooks.
- [Tower of the Sun] - a Magnamund fan site.
- [Lone Wolf, The Roleplaying Game] - a Magnamund role-playing game produced by Mongoose Publishing under license from Joe Dever.
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