Here's my one-page submission for the Wizards of the Coast World Search.
While technically this isn't "free" in the way that the open gaming material I post on the site is, I have no problem with anyone using the concepts presented here as inspiration for their own games. Feel free to share your comments about the ideas here, or about your own world submissions, on our message boards.
The Land of Umber
… a harsh and rugged realm of faded glory
where even heroes fear the encroaching darkness,
and the nameless horrors it brings…
In days long past, the land of Umber enjoyed great power and prosperity. Beneficent monarchs ruled from towering crystalline castles. Wizards and warriors kept the peace. Magic was plentiful, and the people were happy.
But then began the long and final sunset. The warm, life-giving power of magic ebbed, and the land grew cold and dark. Once-friendly neighbors became distant and hostile. A united kingdom fragmented as jealous dukes and princes fortified the borders of their holdings. War tore apart the fabric of the land, and the glories of the old world tumbled into ruin. None ruled far beyond the length of his sword, and the mighty secrets of the ancients disappeared from memory.
No one remembers the first appearance of the rising darkness known only as the Gloom. But what began as tiny footholds in the shadowy corners of the land slowly spread, tainting all that fell beneath its dusky cloak. Now the many peoples of Umber stand at the very brink of their land’s existence. Can they stand together against the Gloom, or will the darkness take them all?
What Is Umber?
UMBER is a harsh and rugged realm of faded glory where even heroes fear the encroaching darkness and the nameless horrors it brings.
The brave and desperate heroes of Umber rage against the dying of the light, seeking to reclaim the fading power and splendor of the ancient times. They are bright and glorious aasimar; grim, battle-hardened dwarves; melancholy yet ruthless elves; crafty, thoughtful gnomes; wandering outcast half-elves; violent, savage half-orcs; impossibly fearless halflings; devious, Gloom-tainted tieflings; and the versatile, infinitely mutable race of humans.
Umber’s daring heroes delve into long-forgotten ruins of their ancestors, seeking gold, gems, and above all else magical treasures to aid in the struggle against the Gloom. They may also engage in political struggles, as the remaining fiefs and petty dukedoms vie for the meager resources provided by the weakening land, or defend the weak against cruel and evil predators.
The primary danger to the land of Umber is the Gloom—the merciless, unyielding darkness that slowly spreads across field and forest, over river and mountain. The Gloom brings with it horrible slithering beasts, corpses that walk like men, and foul demons from the pits of Hell. The Gloom also taints those creatures it touches, creating horrible mutated aberrations and the like.
Most sources of magic—whether the divine mysteries of slumbering gods or the arcane lore hidden in crumbling towers—rely on the secrets of the ancients. Such secrets are difficult to come by, resulting in a world relatively low in magic. But with the arrival of the Gloom comes a new, pernicious form of magic that taps into a power that is very new…or very, very old.
The land of Umber is a world of “post-apocalyptic Cthulhian medieval fantasy.” It takes the central theme of the classic D&D game—brave heroes battling terrible monsters in search of great treasures—and places it into a world where not only are the “good guys” not winning, they’re clearly losing the fight to horrible otherworldly forces. The low-magic aspect of Umber forces characters to work harder than ever for their rewards, but ensures that they will prize their victories all the more.
We may indeed die together battling the Gloom, but without a fight we will certainly die alone.