Arkham
Arkham is a continent shaped by ancient wars, scarce resources, and the constant presence of monsters. Humans, elves, dwarves, vampires, and werewolves live throughout its territories, forming societies that differ from one another yet remain inevitably connected by the same dangers.
Most inhabited regions are protected by walled cities, fortresses, or small settlements. Beyond them, however, the world remains dangerous. Forests, swamps, mountains, and abandoned lands hide creatures that can turn a simple journey into a fight for survival.
Magic exists in Arkham, but it isn't common. Few people are born capable of using it, while others seek artificial ways to gain power through rituals and sacrifices. Even so, for most people, magic remains out of reach.
Monsters do not.
Monsters
Monsters are creatures born from the lingering resentment of the dead. When a person dies carrying emotions too intense to fade, a fragment of those feelings can remain in the world and, under the right conditions, manifest as a creature.
Not all monsters are created equal.
Regional Adaptation: Some appear in specific environments, developing traits suited to their surroundings.
Continuous Evolution: Others adapt as they encounter new conditions, becoming harder to predict the longer they survive.
For this reason, knowing a species doesn't mean you know every individual within it. A monster found in a forest might behave entirely differently from one lurking in a swamp. This adaptability is the main reason certain regions of Arkham stay deadly, even after years of hunting.
Threat levels vary wildly, too. Some creatures are barely more dangerous than wild beasts, while others can wipe out an entire mercenary squad. The most powerful entities are rare, but rarity has never guaranteed safety.
Spotting a dragon isn't just a tough monster encounter—it's an event that can reshape the history of a region.
Hunters
Hunters are humans altered through harrowing processes involving herbs, potions, and monster blood. The original goal was to forge warriors capable of taking down beasts that regular soldiers couldn't handle.
The process, however, is brutal. The transformation usually takes place during childhood, when candidates are young enough for their bodies to withstand the changes. Even so, many don't survive. Those who make it spend years training to fight, track beasts, and endure the wild.
Hunters aren't considered a separate race; they're altered humans. Yet their physical differences and abilities set them apart from the rest of society. Some see them as saviors; others view them as monsters wearing a human face.
Hunters' Eyes
The transformation affects everyone differently, but one of its most striking side effects appears in the eyes.
Red Eyes: Slitted pupils built for tracking, razor-sharp senses, and precise reflexes.
Yellow Eyes: Physical changes that grant sheer brute strength.
Blue Eyes: Heightened awareness and keen observation.
Green Eyes: Instincts and traits that mimic predatory beasts.
These traits don't define a Hunter entirely. They are simply clear indicators of how the body reacted to the transformation.
The Order
The Order oversees the training of most Hunters. Handpicked children spend years mastering weaponry, monster lore, wilderness survival, and control over their altered bodies.
Their training culminates in a final trial to prove they can survive without the Order's protection. Groups of young Hunters are dispatched into controlled regions infested with enough monsters to test their limits.
Few forget what happens out there.
Even fewer come back whole.
Magic
Magic is a rare force in Arkham. Some are born with the spark to wield it, honing their abilities through study and practice. However, innate talent can't be taught to someone who lacks it. A man could spend his whole life studying the arcane and never cast a single spell, while another is born gifted and spends years learning to tame it.
Magic isn't alchemy.
Alchemy relies on knowledge, raw ingredients, preparation, and precision. An alchemist can spend decades mastering substances without an ounce of magical ability. That doesn't make alchemy inferior: in tight spots, a well-brewed potion can beat a spell any day.
Witches and Sorcerers
Not everyone wielding supernatural power was born with it. Some take darker paths.
Rituals can grant power to those who would otherwise have none—some demanding sacrifices, others requiring different costs altogether.
Because of this, terms like "witch" or "sorcerer" mean different things depending on where you go. To some, they're simply everyday terms for magic wielders. To others, they refer strictly to those who gained their powers through forbidden means.
The Races
Humans: The most widespread race in Arkham, found in almost every corner of the continent.
Elves: Known for their longevity and rich cultural and magical traditions. Though less numerous than humans, they're common in major cities.
Dwarves: Deeply tied to the mountains and mining, famed for their unmatched metalworking and craftsmanship.
Vampires and Werewolves: Integrated into Arkham's societies. Despite their obvious differences from humans, both possess reason and self-awareness.
For this reason, Hunters don't view them as monsters—a distinction the average civilian often struggles to accept.
The Four Kingdoms
Valaria: A military powerhouse with one of the strongest armies on the continent. Its rulers are obsessed with expansion and resources, and they played a hand in developing the methods used to create altered humans.
Umbria: The wealthiest nation, perched along the coast with bustling trade hubs and advanced technology. Its wealth affords some regions a standard of living far beyond the interior's reach.
Karnazad: A kingdom carved into rugged mountains, heavily populated by dwarven communities. Its economy thrives on mining, smithing, and resource trade.
Mirior: The poorest kingdom, trapped between dense forests and treacherous swamps. With limited trade access, it suffers frequent monster attacks, forcing many villages to rely on Hunters and mercenaries to survive.
Diplomatic Note: Umbria and Mirior maintain an alliance to keep Valaria's growing influence in check.
The Adventurers' Guild
The Adventurers' Guild has outposts across Arkham's cities. Despite the name, it isn't just for thrill-seekers. Mercenaries, Hunters, explorers, and contractors of all kinds take on work here.
Contracts range from escort missions and deliveries to missing persons cases, reconnaissance, and monster hunts.
The Guild doesn't ask questions about your past. If you've got the skill to finish the job and bring back proof, you get paid.
For those in poorer regions, it's one of the few ways to make a decent living. For others, it's where you go when nobody else is crazy enough to take the job.
Mercenaries
Mercenaries don't always answer to a guild or organization. Some work alone; others form tight-knit squads. You'll find small bands of two or three traveling together, as well as massive warbands that have operated for years.
The Levis are one such group, well-known among mercenaries across multiple realms for their track record.
To some, reputation is just a price tag. To others, it's survival.
A group that fails its contracts stops getting work. Fail too often, and you lose more than coin.
You lose your name.
The War
Arkham's recent history has been defined by bloody conflicts between great nations. For a long time, three massive empires held power, until a rising faction shattered the status quo and triggered a wave of brutal wars.
Territories fell, cities burned, and resources dried up.
While humanity tore itself apart, something far worse was brewing in the forgotten lands: monster populations exploded.
No one knows why for sure. Some blame the sheer body count of the wars, claiming the influx of grief and resentment birthed more beasts. Others suspect deeper forces.
To this day, the truth remains unknown.
The World Beyond the Walls
Inside a city, Arkham can feel reasonably safe. You have guards, thick stone walls, paved roads, and laws.
But those protections cover only a fraction of the continent.
A few miles outside the gates is all it takes for the world to turn hostile. Roads narrow, forests close in, swamps swallow secrets beneath murky waters, and mountain ranges go unseen by human eyes for weeks at a time.
These wild stretches belong to those who have no place in cities:
- Monsters
- Hunters
- Mercenaries
- People who don't want to be found
Arkham belongs to all of them.
And for anyone brave enough to travel it, simply surviving is just the first hurdle.