🌍 Heptaverse Setting
⚔ High Fantasy
✨ High Magic
🪨 Rune Stones

Chronicles of Ribhus

The Chronicles of Ribhus is a fully realised high fantasy setting of uncommon depth — a world that rewards curiosity, punishes complacency, and never mistakes spectacle for substance. It occupies the same tradition as the great pillars of the genre: the mythic grandeur of Tolkien's Middle-earth, the intricate cosmological architecture of Jordan's Wheel of Time, the unflinching political consequence of Martin's Westeros. It belongs in that company not through imitation, but through the same fundamental commitment — a world that existed before the story began, and will continue long after it ends.

Ribhus is a world of ancient powers in slow collision. Demon lords of elemental primacy. Dragon paragons whose influence bends civilisations across centuries. Mortal races who worship, resist, or attempt to bargain with forces that were old when their languages were young. A world where morality is complicated, history is contested, and the most dangerous entities are the ones absolutely certain of their righteousness.

At the heart of the setting lies the Heptaverse — a cosmological framework of seven primal elemental forces that shapes everything from the weather systems of continents to the bloodlines of divine creatures to the theological disputes of ancient cults. Every faction, every creature, every piece of history in the Chronicles is intelligible only in relation to those seven forces. Every spell cast is a theological statement. Every adventure is a thread in a tapestry that extends in every direction — and pulling it carefully matters.

This is a world built on the Ribhian Games 2d10 system — a ruleset designed alongside the setting, not bolted onto it. The mechanics reflect the world's nature. The world breathes life into the mechanics. They speak the same language, and that language is Ribhus.

Who You Are

The Children of Ribhus

The world of Ribhus cradles many peoples, each shaped by their ancestral lands, cosmic heritage, and the flow of the seven currents through their bloodlines. Five broad categories define the races of the setting — each with its own relationship to power, history, and fate.

⚒ Elder Races — Ancient peoples of deep memory
Mountain Dwarf
+2 Stamina · +1 Might
Endurance and ancient memory run deep in mountain dwarf bloodlines. Masters of stone, war, and the slow patience of geological time.
🏔
Hill Dwarf
+2 Stamina · +1 Sagacity
Craft masters and diplomats who built their civilisations in the gentler highlands. Renowned merchants and skilled artisans across the known world.
High Elf
+2 Intellect · +1 Agility · +5 Infamy
Arcane affinity and extraordinary longevity define the high elves. Their mastery of magic is unmatched — as is their reputation for inscrutability.
🌿
Wood Elf
+2 Agility · +1 Sagacity · +10 Infamy
Natural connection and uncanny stealth mark the wood elves. They move through the world's wild places as if born from them — because, in a sense, they were.
🍄
Forest Gnome
+2 Intellect · +1 Agility
Magical talent runs strong in forest gnome communities, concentrated in small, tightly-knit settlements hidden in ancient woodland. Curious, clever, and frequently underestimated.
Ledge Gnome
+2 Intellect · +1 Magnetism · +5 Fame · +5 Infamy
Innovation and trickery in equal measure. Ledge gnomes have built a reputation as the most inventive — and least predictable — artisans in the civilised world.
🌟 Cosmic-Touched — Bloodlines shaped by divine forces
Lightborn
+2 Karma · +1 Magnetism · +5 Fame
Celestial heritage flows through Lightborn veins, granting a radiance that marks them as touched by divine power. Their presence inspires — and occasionally unsettles.
🌑
Darkbrood
+2 Magnetism · +1 Might · +5 Infamy
Shadow essence runs through the Darkbrood, granting Darkvision and an affinity for the spaces between light. Misunderstood more often than they are feared — though both are common.
🐉
Wyrmkin
+2 Might · +1 Karma · +5 Fame
Draconic blood is not metaphor for the Wyrmkin — it is literal inheritance. A breath weapon, scaled skin, and the weight of draconic ancestry define every interaction they have with the world.
🐾 Primal — Born from the world's wild essence
🌳
Elderkin
+2 Might · +1 Sagacity · +5 Infamy
Natural guardians of ancient places, the Elderkin carry size and primal strength uncommon among mortals. Their connection to old growth forests and wild places runs deeper than language.
🐱
Felidar
+2 Agility · +1 Magnetism · +5 Fame
Feline grace and predatory instinct define the Felidar. Agile, perceptive, and fiercely independent, they navigate both wilderness and society on entirely their own terms.
🦅
Skyborn
+2 Agility · +1 Intellect · +5 Fame
Air affinity and the gift of flight set the Skyborn apart from every other race. They experience the world from above — literally and philosophically.
🗻
Titansblood
+2 Might · +1 Stamina
Giant strength and stone-like resilience are the inheritance of Titansblood lineages. The earth itself seems to acknowledge their passage. Civilisations make treaties with them before they make enemies.
🏛 Crafted — Shaped by civilisation and choice
👤
Human
+1 to Any Three Currents · Varies by culture
Adaptability and versatility are humanity's inheritance. No single talent defines them — which means no single limitation does either. Humans shape the world precisely because the world has not finished shaping them.
🐇
Burrow Weefolk
+2 Agility · +1 Stamina
Small in stature and fierce in community, the Burrow Weefolk carry an almost supernaturally good fortune through adversity. Their luck is not accidental — it is cultivated over generations.
🌵
Mesa Weefolk
+2 Agility · +1 Magnetism · +10 Infamy
Nomadic and fiercely independent, Mesa Weefolk carry both magical tradition and a reputation for aggression that their enemies have generally earned. They do not forgive easily — and they remember everything.
🩸 The Marked — Ulric Tribes, cursed by divine consequence
🦗
Carob · Locust
+2 Agility · +1 Stamina
Chitinous skin, legs that bend like insects. Swift Jumper and terrain mastery in the savannah. Bearing the curse's social weight with the stubbornness of their totem.
🐟
Daysat · Stingray
+2 Stamina · +1 Agility
Narrow tail, flat face, pectoral flaps. Aquatic Adaptability and a Stingray Defense that punishes those foolish enough to underestimate them in water.
🦔
Espin · Porcupine
+2 Stamina · +1 Agility
Spiked hair, elongated face, bristled body hair. Quill Defense punishes melee attackers. Masters of forest terrain and the art of making others deeply regret their choices.
🦌
Melam · Impala
+2 Agility · +1 Perception
Long horns, deer eyes, spotted or striped skin. Extraordinary speed and the Impala Leap. Ancient enemies of the Mesa Weefolk — a rivalry neither tribe has forgotten.
🐏
Oream · Ram
+2 Might · +1 Stamina
Ram's horns, goat-like face, hooves. Ram's Charge is exactly what it sounds like — and 20 feet of momentum behind it is exactly as dangerous as it sounds.
🐦
Pica · Magpie
+2 Intellect · +1 Agility
Bird-like eyes, feathers at the neck, a beak-like nose. Mystic Affinity, Mimicry, and Gliding Wings. The most magically inclined of the Ulric tribes — and the most unsettling to encounter.
🐺
Shagal · Jackal
+2 Agility · +1 Might
Jackal face, pitched voice, long canines, an unpleasant smell that enemies learn to respect. Pack Tactics and Predatory Nature make the Shagal devastating when operating as a unit.
Who You Become

The Paths of Power

All beings of Ribhus draw strength from three wellsprings — the Physical, the Mental, and the Karmic. Fifteen paths channel these forces, each a distinct tradition of power with its own philosophy, demands, and expression.

⚔ The Martial Path — Masters of the Physical Currents
🩸
Bloodletter
Heir to ancient tribal traditions of battle frenzy
Where Warriors master discipline, Bloodletters master surrender — to the current of rage, to the bloodline's ancient call, to the primal fury that predates civilisation. They are terrifying in combat precisely because something older than tactics is driving them.
Might 12+ Stamina 12+ Vitality d12
Notable Paths
Blood Frenzy Primal Elements Spirit Caller Primal Witch
Warrior
Master of arms, tactics, and the disciplines of war
The Warrior is the pure expression of martial excellence — study, discipline, and the patient accumulation of technique. Every weapon, every battlefield, every enemy is a problem with a solution, and Warriors dedicate their lives to finding it.
Two Physical 12+ Vitality d10
Notable Paths
Arena Veteran War Savant Arcane Warrior Tactical Commander
🛡
Templar
Divine warrior sworn to uphold the will of the gods
The Templar binds martial prowess to divine mandate. They do not merely fight — they adjudicate, execute, and embody the will of their deity in the physical world. Every blow is a theological argument. Every victory is a sermon.
Might 12+ Karma 12+ Vitality d10
Paths
Warrior Path Shepherd Path Seeker Path
🏹
Warden
Guardian of the wilderness, master of survival and the hunt
The wilderness is not a backdrop for the Warden — it is home, ally, and the source of all power. Wardens read the land the way scholars read texts, and they are equally lethal in either capacity.
Agility 12+ Stamina 12+ Vitality d10
Notable Traditions
Beast Master Elonid Warden Wyld Walker Shadow Stalker
📖 The Mentalist Path — Masters of the Mental Currents
🔮
Magus
Scholar of arcane sciences and practitioner of studied magic
Magic is a science for the Magus — precise, repeatable, and subject to the same rigorous analysis as any other natural force. They are the most intellectually demanding path, and the most intellectually rewarding.
Intellect 13+ Vitality d6
Schools
Wards Foresight Gems Dark Arts Temporal Reflection The Void
🎭
Scoundrel
Master of subtlety, deception, and shadow arts
The Scoundrel operates in the spaces others pretend do not exist — in shadows, behind false faces, through the gaps in every guard's attention. Information is their primary weapon. Everything else is just a delivery mechanism.
Agility 12+ Intellect 12+ Vitality d8
Notable Guilds
Order of Shadows Circle of Coins Grove Sentinels Courtly Shadows Storm Raiders
Spellbinder
Wielder of innate magic flowing through bloodline and soul
Where the Magus studies, the Spellbinder simply is. Their magic is not learned but inherited — a font of power flowing from bloodline and soul that requires no books, only the courage to let it through.
Magnetism 12+ Karma 12+ Vitality d6
Bloodlines
Astral Conduit Primal Elementalist Shadow Weaver Temporal Matrix
Ecclesiastic
Conduit of divine power, servant of the gods
The Ecclesiastic channels divine will into the mortal world. Whether they fight, heal, or seek hidden knowledge depends entirely on the deity they serve — and the gods of Ribhus have very different ideas about what they need from their servants.
Two Mental 12+ Karma 12+ Vitality d8
Paths
Warrior Path Shepherd Path Seeker Path
☯ The Karmic Path — Masters of the Cosmic Current
🥋
Ascetic
Master of inner discipline, harmony of body and spirit
The Ascetic has turned inward and found something vast. Through discipline, deprivation, and the patient cultivation of inner harmony, they channel ki — a force that bridges the physical and cosmic in ways no external power source can replicate.
Agility 12+ Karma 12+ Vitality d8
Traditions
Secular Ascetics Divine Ascetics
🌿
Druid
Keeper of ancient natural traditions and primal forces
The Druid's power is the world's power — borrowed, channelled, returned. Wild Shape is their most dramatic expression, but the depth of their connection to natural cycles makes them uniquely capable of understanding forces that predate civilisation.
Sagacity 12+ Karma 12+ Vitality d8
Circles
Reverie The Prime The Void Wildfire
📜
Pactmage
Wielder of magic granted through supernatural contracts
A Pactmage does not discover power — they negotiate for it. Every ability is the result of a contract with something older and stranger than mortal understanding. The terms are always worth reading carefully.
Magnetism 12+ Karma 13+ Vitality d8
Pacts
Pact of Edges Pact of Shackles Pact of the Dawn Pact of the Grey Tower Pact of the Scales
👁
Shaman
Speaker for spirits, mediator between worlds
The Shaman stands at the threshold between the living world and the spirit world — and has learned to hold the door open. They are intermediaries, negotiators, and occasionally very reluctant warriors against things that should not have been let through.
Sagacity 12+ Karma 14+ Vitality d8
Paths
Celestial Vision Glorious Nova Wondrous Nebula
💀
Witchdoctor
Channeler of elder powers through ritual and communion
The Witchdoctor traffics in forces that other paths politely refuse to acknowledge. Ritual, sacrifice, and direct communion with elder powers grants abilities that are difficult to categorise and deeply uncomfortable to witness. Their reputation precedes them — usually at speed.
Intellect 12+ Karma 13+ Vitality d8
Bonds
Bond of Alchemy Bond of Invocation Bond of Spiritualism Bond of Thaumaturgy
The Fortune Pool

Rune Stones of Ribhus

In Chronicles of Ribhus, the Fortune Pool takes physical form as Rune Stones — ancient carved tokens that channel the seven karmic currents of the world. Each stone carries a specific power that can be invoked when fate demands it.

⬡ How Rune Stones Work

Characters begin each scene with a number of Rune Stones determined by their Path. Stones are drawn, held, and spent — each one a reservoir of karmic potential. Rolling doubles on any 2d10 check restores 1 Rune Stone to your pool regardless of success or failure, and triggers an Oracle draw. Mystical Paths — Clergy, Shamans — access more stones and deeper manifestation abilities. Mundane Paths like Warriors access fewer but still benefit from their foundational effects.

Fehu · Wealth
1 Rune Stone
The rune of material fortune and flowing resources. Spend to add +3 to any roll after seeing the result, or to reroll one d10 from any check.
Uruz · Strength
1 Rune Stone
The rune of raw physical force and untamed vitality. Spend to add your Karma modifier to healing received, or to automatically succeed on a mortality check.
Thurisaz · Thorn
2 Rune Stones
The rune of directed force and breaking barriers. Spend to grant an ally advantage on their next action, or to force a re-roll on an enemy's attack against you.
Ansuz · Signals
2 Rune Stones
The rune of divine communication and revealed truth. Spend to ask the Oracle one question that must be answered honestly, or to remove one curse or magical compulsion.
Raidho · Journey
2 Rune Stones
The rune of movement, travel, and the right path. Spend to immediately disengage from combat without provoking opportunity attacks, or to automatically succeed on a navigation or tracking check.
Kenaz · Torch
1 Rune Stone
The rune of illumination, craft, and revealed knowledge. Spend to gain perfect recall of any information your character has encountered, or to see through magical darkness or illusion for one round.
Gebo · Gift
3 Rune Stones
The rune of exchange, sacrifice, and binding oath. Spend to forge a mystical contract that neither party can break without karmic consequence, or to transfer Rune Stones directly to an ally.