Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zylo_drizzt Jun 17, 2010 14:38:57	well you see I have a friend that says that even though he knows nothing of dark sun he would love to be able to play because of the premise that this is a very brutal place to live and adventure. Now he asked me alot of questions and I felt like I was qualified to answer at least partially if not fully but I believe us as a collective would be qualified to answer as a whole. So I prepose a sticky that is just about the flavor and such of dark sun. it answers such questions as who are the sk, what is unique about each area, why is the world a desert and many many more that one wouldnt be expected to ask.
#2 P1NBACK Jun 17, 2010 15:29:29	Athas in Seven Sentences The world of the Dark Sun setting is unique. This is not a world of shining knights and robed wizards, of deep forests and holy shrines. Athas draws on different traditions of fantasy storytelling; simple survival beneath the crimson sun is often its own adventure. With that in mind, here are the seven most important things you need to know about the Dark Sun setting: The world is a desert. Athas is a hot, arid world covered with vast stretches of desert—endless seas of dunes, stony wastes, thorny scrublands, and worse. In this forbidding world, cities and villages can only exist in a few oases or verdant plains. Beyond these islands of civilization is a barren wasteland roamed by nomads, raiders, and hungry monsters. The world is savage. Life is brutal and short in Athas. The vile institution of slavery is widespread in Athas, and hundreds, perhaps thousands, are sent to their deaths every year in bloody arena spectacles. Metal is quite scarce. Arms and armor are often made of bone, stone, wood, and other such materials, because steel is priceless. Arcane magic defiles the world. Athas was reduced to a wasteland by the reckless use of arcane magic in ancient wars. To cast an arcane spell, one must gather power from the living world around. Plants wither to black ash, crippling pain wracks animals and people, and the soil itself is sterilized; nothing can grow in that spot again. Terrible sorcerer-kings rule the cities. The city-states of Athas are ruled by defilers of immense power. These mighty spellcasters have held their thrones for centuries. The sorcerer-kings govern through templars, a class of officials and lesser defilers who can call upon the kings’ powers. The gods of Athas are silent. Athas is a world without gods. There are no clerics, no paladins, no prophets or religious orders. In the absence of divine influence, people have turned to other sources of power. Psionic power is well known and widely practiced in Athas, while shamans and druids call upon the primal powers of the world—even though the primal spirits of Athas are often wild and vengeful. Fierce and deadly monsters populate the world. Athas is home to its own deadly ecology. Cattle, horses, camels—none of these animals can be found in Athas. Instead, people tend flocks of erdlus, ride on kanks or crodlus, and draw wagons with inixes and mekillots. Wild creatures such as lions, bears, or wolves are almost nonexistent. In their place are terrors such as the id beast, the so-ut, or the tembo. Familiar races aren’t what you expect. Many of the fantasy stereotypes don’t apply to Athasian heroes. On Athas, elves are a nomadic race of herders, raiders, peddlers, and thieves. Halflings aren’t amiable river-folk; they’re xenophobic headhunters and cannibals who hunt and kill anyone foolish enough to venture into their montane forests. Each of the major races has adapted to Athas in new and unexpected ways.
#3 Jacek Jun 17, 2010 20:07:54	What I like the most of the Dark Sun setting is that it has everything set up, unlike Forgotten where I feel I can´t have a character that doesn´t bumps into Elmininster or Drizzt you get my meaning.  With Dark Sun you know what lurks in every city and in the wasteland the best part is that you can suit it to your DM-Players needs. If you go into the city you have to worry about several things, The SK and his templars, the elven thiefs, the poisonous bards and so on.... it truly adds up to the flavor, it´s like even if your character doesn´t have a personal plot. he´s like walking down the merchant sector and all of the sudden he hears a scream "WIZARD!!!" and a big mob starts too run "what do you do?" Thats the greatness of Athas. If you´re in the wasteland you have to worry about being the snack of some hungry monster, or beware of the slavers, or you found an oasis protected by a Thri Kreen druid that kills any visitors that take more of what they should. There are plenty of adventure hooks for any kind of player. Athas reborn!!!
#4 Pennarin Jun 17, 2010 22:11:52	I just started a thread on that. It's also linked in the Forum Archive.
#5 ascottbay Jun 17, 2010 22:15:24	I was recently informed that this board is already past its sticky limit, but it's been suggested that a second Dark Sun board will be made. So don't expect anything to happen quickly, but maybe "soon."
#6 Pennarin Jun 17, 2010 22:19:53	Some of the stickied threads should be brought down, having had no activity for years: [DS3] July 4 2005 release [Dragon Magazine] Questions about the athas.org article [DS3] How to provide feedback
#7 eric_anondson Jun 17, 2010 23:23:05	Most people ignore stickied articles. Just sayin'. You sticky it, and eyes will skip right past it.
#8 xlorep_darkhelm Jun 17, 2010 23:52:02	Most people ignore stickied articles. Just sayin'. You sticky it, and eyes will skip right past it. true, but it makes it easier to find and to refer to in other posts when people inevitably ask the same questions as are answered by the stickied thread
#9 ascottbay Jun 18, 2010 0:08:20	I think that's part of the reason forums are supposed to have a limit on their stickies (as it's clearly not a technical limitation), so that people don't habitually scroll past everything with a sticky icon. People skip posts just as often; an active thread can be on the first page of a forum and someone will still start a new topic to address the same thing anyways. I've passed along Pennarin's suggestion in the Community Business forum, too.