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Description

Skartaris + Savage Land + Weird World (+ Kamandi’s Earth a little bit)

The hidden world of Skartaris, the Savaged Land was that mysterious land that hundreds of cultures referenced when their myths mentioned hidden lands, magical places, and sometimes even the afterlife. The land of Skartaris is frequently changing. Surrounded on three sides by the Eternity Mountain Range, the continent sized Skartaris also borders the Dragon Sea, home of lost Atlantea. Surrounding the entire savage land are the Mists of Time.

                The Mists of Time are the ethereal border between this dimension and the outer world, but true to their name, they don’t necessarily reach out to a consistent time period. The Mists of Time themselves are home to the Dreaming Dimension, where the Endless and the Fear Lords wage their continuous war. The Dreaming Dimension (and the Mists of Time themselves) are theoretically created from the minds of dreaming humans (and maybe dreamers of all realities).   The Fear Lords dragged the Justice Invaders here, hoping to have them fight their war with them, staging the entire battle as an endless Ragnarok. The forces are lead by the Sandman (The Endless Dreamers) and Doctor Nightmare (the Fear Lords).

                It is possible that when traversing the Mists that one could end up embroiled in the war, but it’s also just as likely that the traveler is simply lost in the mists forever or they make it to the outside world.

                In most of history, people from Earth making their way to Skartaris have done so through mountainous passages or caves that have been enveloped by the mists of time. Although some people end up in Skartaris through the gates in the Bermuda and Devil’s triangles by sea, the entry through the mountains led many to believe that Skartaris was in a hollow world in the center of the Earth. As more people find their way to and back from Skartaris, it has become hypothesized that the land is actually a pocket dimension, perhaps in a limbo or ethereal dimension.

                The Mists of Time have a lot of effect on the Savaged Land. The landscape, the peoples, and the cities of Skartaris can change over time, with entire realms simply disappearing or appearing seemingly at random. In fact, Skartaris never even had its name until the arrival of the City of the Apes. It is believed that the cities that travel too and from Skartaris exist on Phantom Frequencies of magic, weird physics, or other phenomena that causes them to become un-anchored from the outside world.

                From a dark future where the White Badoon had invaded the world and conquered humanity, the City of the Apes was created by the Ape allies of the White Badoon. The White Badoon “uplifted” the apes they found on earth to serve as their allies and foot soldiers. The Apes already had a healthy hatred for humans, but being indoctrinated by the Badoon definitely increased that. The White Badoon word for Earth was “Skartaris” so that is what the Apes called the planet (as Badoon is their common language). When the City of the Apes was displaced in time and transported to Skartaris, the Apes continued to call the world that… and it caught on.

                Most of the wildlife in Skartaris are preshistoric, largely dinosaurs, though some megafauna Pleistocene mammals exist as well (such as saber-toothed cats).   Many of the creatures in the Dragon Sea are prehistoric as well, though some come from the outer world through the mists (which seem to reach above and below the surface equally) in areas like the Bermuda Triangle.

                Also contributing the nature of the Lost World is the Nexus of All Realities in the center of the ManSwamp Bogs. Through this portal people from all times and realities (and wildlife as well) can wander lost into Skartaris.

                Some of the lands in Skartaris currently are K’un’nan Parbat and Feith Shalann in the mountains. Other cities in the mountains are known (along with K’un’nan) as the Seven Cities of Heaven.

    The Crystal World is at the base of a crystalline chain within the Eternity Mountains, and the largest volcano in the land is called the Fortress of Fire. Avalon is from the myths of King Arthur, and when the Three took his body into the mists off England’s Coast, they were taking him here. Some people suspect he may return.

                Krakoa, the Dinosaur Island may seem oddly named (as there are Dinosaurs everywhere in Skartaris) but the entire island is alive, and can form a massive ManSwamp-like plant creature to protect itself.

                The City of the Sun God was usurped by Cultists trying to worship Garokk, of the Parliament of Stone. After the God died, his cultists kidnapped an adventurer lost in the mountains and resurrected their god by means of a ceremony that involved the previous, deceased god’s ashes. This new incarnation was short lived as he fell into a deep chasm while battling heroes from the outside world.

                Fema-Mighdall is an island of Amazons that appeared in the Dragon Sea by dire curse. Mages in the Amazon’s population tried to undo the curse, but only managed to unanchor the island from both Skartaris and the Outside world and it will appear and reappear Brigadoon-like at random times.

                Shamballah is home to Tara, the She-Devil, princess of the King of the city-state. Shamballah is wealthy by Skartaran standards due to it’s control of diamond mines in the Mountains. It is a little bit medieval and a little bit “hyborian” in culture and technology. Another Medieval city is New Avalon, created by the Obsidian Knight when he overthrew the barbaric warlord that controlled the land before.

                Everything in Skartaris changed when the Outside World (lead by A.E.G.I.S.) discovered reliable ways to traverse the mists. This opened up a good deal of exploration and exploitation when Vibranium VIII was discovered. Unlike Vibranium Nth found in the hidden country of Wakumba or in the stellar empire of Than’iar, Vibranium VIII is known as Eighth Metal and the Metal of the Gods. It doesn’t absorb vibrations, impact or negate gravity, but can be made into weapons that can destroy metal defenses. It’s value is immeasurable and many outside forces (such as Lexxon) send people there to harvest all the metal they can. A.E.G.I.S. has worked with the outer world’s governments to try to establish Skartaris as a protected reserve, citing the prehistoric life forms. However, those who wish to despoil the land have sought to claim that the world’s governments have no jurisdiction, as Skartaris is clearly in another dimension or planet.

                These newcomers have christened Skartaris with a new name, many referring to it as the Weird World.

                Time is strange in Skartaris, and while it usually proceeds at a pace similar to the outside world, there are occasions where a person ages faster or slower than they should. Also, while A.E.G.I.S. and Lexxon and others have managed to travel to and from Skartaris with predictability, it’s entirely possible to enter Skartaris during one time period, then return to the outside world during a completely different time period. Certain Magics and Technologies can enforce that a character returns during their own time period, lands in the Savaged Land come from many different epochs, so it’s possible to use Skartaris to time travel.

Meta-Backstory
Well... this is a long time coming. I first toyed with the idea of amalgamming Skartaris and the Savage Land and the Weird World and Killraven's earth and Kamandi's Earth and all these ideas... eventually became one. I eventually decided to just combine all these places. I also had the idea of the Mists of Time for some reason, even though this seemed more like Ravenloft than Marvel or DC. My idea was that cities and whole realms would come and go in Skartaris... again, very Ravenloft and I wasn't sure I should keep it. Then my friend said he saw something in the Dark Knight: Metal crossover event that might rationalize my idea. The idea mentioned in the comic is thus (quoting): "There are pl;aces on this planet that lie outside of the normal math of things. Some exist at what we believe are PHANTOM FREQUENCIES. Spots where cosmic energy conducted through the earth's metal core cancels itslef out and creates a kind of 'static'' that disrupts space-time. A hidden pocket. Some are magic-induced, some are naturally occuring. Dinosaur Island. Themyscirat. Skartaris. Nanda Parbat. And this place..." Now, I'm not sure what "this place" is, the shot of the two panels doesn't go any further... but that was all I needed.

Anyway, since I first touched on Skartaris on Monsieur Magnetite's description, I knew I wanted to draw a map of Skartaris (this was also around the time where I created a map for the first time of my campaign world in DnD). As I thought of the idea of the map, I envisioned characters from the different realms floating over the locations as a sort of marker (rather than a star or arrow). But that meant I needed a LOT more Skartaran characters..

Obviously, the one glaring, glaring, glaring omission is the First Family of Skartaris themselves. Now that I have the map finally drawn, I feel prepared to finally draw Ka-Mandi, Zakiru, and Tara the She-Devil! Exciting (also, when I draw Tara, I may put her on the map by Shamballah and re-upload... we'll see...)

Thank you all for following me on this crazy journey!

Hmmm... as I was adding my tags... I typed up savage land, and the first suggestion was #savagelandrogue so... now I think I just have to do a savage land version of a rogue amalgam. Should I do Runaway? or make my own (I've never really liked Runaway...)

Description

Skartaris + Savage Land + Weird World (+ Kamandi’s Earth a little bit)

The hidden world of Skartaris, the Savaged Land was that mysterious land that hundreds of cultures referenced when their myths mentioned hidden lands, magical places, and sometimes even the afterlife. The land of Skartaris is frequently changing. Surrounded on three sides by the Eternity Mountain Range, the continent sized Skartaris also borders the Dragon Sea, home of lost Atlantea. Surrounding the entire savage land are the Mists of Time.

                The Mists of Time are the ethereal border between this dimension and the outer world, but true to their name, they don’t necessarily reach out to a consistent time period. The Mists of Time themselves are home to the Dreaming Dimension, where the Endless and the Fear Lords wage their continuous war. The Dreaming Dimension (and the Mists of Time themselves) are theoretically created from the minds of dreaming humans (and maybe dreamers of all realities).   The Fear Lords dragged the Justice Invaders here, hoping to have them fight their war with them, staging the entire battle as an endless Ragnarok. The forces are lead by the Sandman (The Endless Dreamers) and Doctor Nightmare (the Fear Lords).

                It is possible that when traversing the Mists that one could end up embroiled in the war, but it’s also just as likely that the traveler is simply lost in the mists forever or they make it to the outside world.

                In most of history, people from Earth making their way to Skartaris have done so through mountainous passages or caves that have been enveloped by the mists of time. Although some people end up in Skartaris through the gates in the Bermuda and Devil’s triangles by sea, the entry through the mountains led many to believe that Skartaris was in a hollow world in the center of the Earth. As more people find their way to and back from Skartaris, it has become hypothesized that the land is actually a pocket dimension, perhaps in a limbo or ethereal dimension.

                The Mists of Time have a lot of effect on the Savaged Land. The landscape, the peoples, and the cities of Skartaris can change over time, with entire realms simply disappearing or appearing seemingly at random. In fact, Skartaris never even had its name until the arrival of the City of the Apes. It is believed that the cities that travel too and from Skartaris exist on Phantom Frequencies of magic, weird physics, or other phenomena that causes them to become un-anchored from the outside world.

                From a dark future where the White Badoon had invaded the world and conquered humanity, the City of the Apes was created by the Ape allies of the White Badoon. The White Badoon “uplifted” the apes they found on earth to serve as their allies and foot soldiers. The Apes already had a healthy hatred for humans, but being indoctrinated by the Badoon definitely increased that. The White Badoon word for Earth was “Skartaris” so that is what the Apes called the planet (as Badoon is their common language). When the City of the Apes was displaced in time and transported to Skartaris, the Apes continued to call the world that… and it caught on.

                Most of the wildlife in Skartaris are preshistoric, largely dinosaurs, though some megafauna Pleistocene mammals exist as well (such as saber-toothed cats).   Many of the creatures in the Dragon Sea are prehistoric as well, though some come from the outer world through the mists (which seem to reach above and below the surface equally) in areas like the Bermuda Triangle.

                Also contributing the nature of the Lost World is the Nexus of All Realities in the center of the ManSwamp Bogs. Through this portal people from all times and realities (and wildlife as well) can wander lost into Skartaris.

                Some of the lands in Skartaris currently are K’un’nan Parbat and Feith Shalann in the mountains. Other cities in the mountains are known (along with K’un’nan) as the Seven Cities of Heaven.

    The Crystal World is at the base of a crystalline chain within the Eternity Mountains, and the largest volcano in the land is called the Fortress of Fire. Avalon is from the myths of King Arthur, and when the Three took his body into the mists off England’s Coast, they were taking him here. Some people suspect he may return.

                Krakoa, the Dinosaur Island may seem oddly named (as there are Dinosaurs everywhere in Skartaris) but the entire island is alive, and can form a massive ManSwamp-like plant creature to protect itself.

                The City of the Sun God was usurped by Cultists trying to worship Garokk, of the Parliament of Stone. After the God died, his cultists kidnapped an adventurer lost in the mountains and resurrected their god by means of a ceremony that involved the previous, deceased god’s ashes. This new incarnation was short lived as he fell into a deep chasm while battling heroes from the outside world.

                Fema-Mighdall is an island of Amazons that appeared in the Dragon Sea by dire curse. Mages in the Amazon’s population tried to undo the curse, but only managed to unanchor the island from both Skartaris and the Outside world and it will appear and reappear Brigadoon-like at random times.

                Shamballah is home to Tara, the She-Devil, princess of the King of the city-state. Shamballah is wealthy by Skartaran standards due to it’s control of diamond mines in the Mountains. It is a little bit medieval and a little bit “hyborian” in culture and technology. Another Medieval city is New Avalon, created by the Obsidian Knight when he overthrew the barbaric warlord that controlled the land before.

                Everything in Skartaris changed when the Outside World (lead by A.E.G.I.S.) discovered reliable ways to traverse the mists. This opened up a good deal of exploration and exploitation when Vibranium VIII was discovered. Unlike Vibranium Nth found in the hidden country of Wakumba or in the stellar empire of Than’iar, Vibranium VIII is known as Eighth Metal and the Metal of the Gods. It doesn’t absorb vibrations, impact or negate gravity, but can be made into weapons that can destroy metal defenses. It’s value is immeasurable and many outside forces (such as Lexxon) send people there to harvest all the metal they can. A.E.G.I.S. has worked with the outer world’s governments to try to establish Skartaris as a protected reserve, citing the prehistoric life forms. However, those who wish to despoil the land have sought to claim that the world’s governments have no jurisdiction, as Skartaris is clearly in another dimension or planet.

                These newcomers have christened Skartaris with a new name, many referring to it as the Weird World.

                Time is strange in Skartaris, and while it usually proceeds at a pace similar to the outside world, there are occasions where a person ages faster or slower than they should. Also, while A.E.G.I.S. and Lexxon and others have managed to travel to and from Skartaris with predictability, it’s entirely possible to enter Skartaris during one time period, then return to the outside world during a completely different time period. Certain Magics and Technologies can enforce that a character returns during their own time period, lands in the Savaged Land come from many different epochs, so it’s possible to use Skartaris to time travel.

Meta-Backstory
Well... this is a long time coming. I first toyed with the idea of amalgamming Skartaris and the Savage Land and the Weird World and Killraven's earth and Kamandi's Earth and all these ideas... eventually became one. I eventually decided to just combine all these places. I also had the idea of the Mists of Time for some reason, even though this seemed more like Ravenloft than Marvel or DC. My idea was that cities and whole realms would come and go in Skartaris... again, very Ravenloft and I wasn't sure I should keep it. Then my friend said he saw something in the Dark Knight: Metal crossover event that might rationalize my idea. The idea mentioned in the comic is thus (quoting): "There are pl;aces on this planet that lie outside of the normal math of things. Some exist at what we believe are PHANTOM FREQUENCIES. Spots where cosmic energy conducted through the earth's metal core cancels itslef out and creates a kind of 'static'' that disrupts space-time. A hidden pocket. Some are magic-induced, some are naturally occuring. Dinosaur Island. Themyscirat. Skartaris. Nanda Parbat. And this place..." Now, I'm not sure what "this place" is, the shot of the two panels doesn't go any further... but that was all I needed.

Anyway, since I first touched on Skartaris on Monsieur Magnetite's description, I knew I wanted to draw a map of Skartaris (this was also around the time where I created a map for the first time of my campaign world in DnD). As I thought of the idea of the map, I envisioned characters from the different realms floating over the locations as a sort of marker (rather than a star or arrow). But that meant I needed a LOT more Skartaran characters..

Obviously, the one glaring, glaring, glaring omission is the First Family of Skartaris themselves. Now that I have the map finally drawn, I feel prepared to finally draw Ka-Mandi, Zakiru, and Tara the She-Devil! Exciting (also, when I draw Tara, I may put her on the map by Shamballah and re-upload... we'll see...)

Thank you all for following me on this crazy journey!

Hmmm... as I was adding my tags... I typed up savage land, and the first suggestion was #savagelandrogue so... now I think I just have to do a savage land version of a rogue amalgam. Should I do Runaway? or make my own (I've never really liked Runaway...)