Palaestra (pa-LAY-stra) is a land of high fantasy adventures and political intrigues where the magical kingdoms of Faerie vie with the monotheistic human Empire of Iconium.

Our heroes are vigilant Fianna warriors, noble (or ignoble) knights and proselytizing clerics of Logos, the one human god. Emancipated slave-gladiators from the empire, roguish human nobles and the mysterious Gray Rangers with their divided loyalties - all may take a hand in shaping the future events of Palaestra.

The greatest heroes of humanity have defended and expanded the empire and church by politics, treachery and force of arms, while the greatest heroes of the Faerie have used the same three tools to oppose them. Somewhere between are the true heroes, those who seek to bridge the gap between the human realm of Iconium and that of Faerie, for there are greater dangers lurking that threaten them both. Wizards seek to expand the power of their Collegium, Clerics of Logos struggle against heresy and darker forces, and the fierce Fianna protect and defend Faerie against her enemies. Dungeons sprawl in the hollow hills of forgotten Faerie kingdoms and catacombs wind beneath the human metropolises of Iconium and Thracan. Adventure, cultural exploration, battle, politics, trade, and conspiracy… Palaestra offers it all.

Iconium is a pious, Byzantine state with all the potential for glory, scheming, dissent and conspiracy that entails. Faerie is a mysterious realm made up of thousands of kingdoms and fay (Faerie races) of various mythoi: Alfar (Nordic elves/dwarves), Sylva (Greek fay, such as dryads and centaurs), Rolgulka (Slavic hags, orcs and ogres), and the Tuatha (Celtic sidhe and goblins).

For centuries these two cultures have lived in relative peace, but the balance of power is beginning to shift from Faerie to Iconium as humanity's power grows. The more reactionary leaders in Faerie preach that the time to strike humanity is now, before they truly rival the might of Faerie.

Moreover, tidings of old evils have begun to surface, and agents of the treacherous Balor - the unseelie king who plunged Faerie into civil war before humans set foot on Iconium's shores - have begun to stir. In the Empire, there is marked growth of the cult of Atavis, the evil counterpart of Logos. Worse yet, some have stumbled upon evidence that these two enemies of Faerie and Humanity have begun cooperating. The wise fear another war would herald an age of bloodshed - as fay and human kill each other for the dark gods' enjoyment.

Arcane magic was born in Faerie, a gift of ancient dragon bloodlines mingled with the first members of the fay races. The art of sorcery is common among the fay, and if the blood is strong in a sorcerer, their dragon heritage can give them access to the Wyrd - a pool of spells they can draw on from time to time, expanding their repertoire of magic, for a price. After emigrating to Palaestra, the ever-curious humans began studying fay sorcerers. Its exact discovery remains shrouded in controversy, but humans now can cast arcane spells via the science of wizardry. Many fay consider this theft, but the human church preaches that this enlightenment was a gift from their god, Logos. Few know the truth.

Divine magic exists in both cultures but is more common in Iconium. While the structure of the Iconian church is monotheistic, three orders of priesthood and a multitude of saints and angels give clerical characters the same choices in classes and domains as standard pantheons. You could play a kind-hearted Domenecan healer, or a grim, devil-hunting knight of St. Uriah - all embraced by the Church of Logos.

Palaestra is a world where humans do not dominate, and the traditional allies of humanity may well turn out to be its most implacable foes. All Palaestran cultures, human and otherwise, are vividly drawn from real-world analogues that provide inspiration for both player and DM, without tying the game to mere simulation or a tired collection of vaguely western-European feudal kingdoms. Palaestra is unique in that it offers rich societies for both humans and nonhumans to explore, as nonhumans have been reorganized into a comprehensive meta-society, Faerie. Playing an elf is also playing a member of the Alfar culture and a member of greater Faerie, for example. It also turns some basic concepts of D&D around like the history of sorcery and wizardry, and the need for human pantheons, yet still provides for a true D&D experience.