I will be honest and say that when Jason asked me to test play Everstone I was excited for the opportunity, but when he gave me the quick rundown of the world and setting of the game I became a bit skeptical.

Jason gave me a brief (and I mean very brief) synopsis of the world of Lannith before he gave me the book. I was thinking in my head, “Hmmm, a mix of fantasy magic and technology. Sounds like Dungeons and Dragons with guns. Not my thing.”

I have been a role-player for about 25 years and have played a variety of games. Some I really liked and some I was not impressed with at all. I found that the genres that turned me off where the ones that tried to mix things that just should not be mixed.

In my opinion there were a few that made it work. But, they were set in a futuristic setting of computers and techno-magic. So, far Everstone sounded like fighting in cramped, dark dungeons with AK47s.

Well, I am glad to say, “BOY, WAS I WRONG”. After I picked up the book and began to read through the rules I was first impressed with the changes and the use of magic in the game. I liked the flow of the rules, and the character classes, attributes, and everything else in the rules section. In fact the beauty of the book itself was enough to win me over. Then I started to read the background, story line, and the setting of Lannith itself. I no longer had any doubts this was a classic in the making.

As I mentioned above, I have role-played for a long time and most of it has been as the Game Master (GM). As GM I wanted to provide my players with a fun environment they could explore with their characters. I have formed a few worlds for them to run amok in and felt pretty good about what I had created. I had unique races, organizations, cities, kingdoms and all the other great toppings that make a wonderful setting. But, they were still your typical fantasy worlds.

While reading Everstone I was immersed into a world like no other I have read about. The vivid descriptions and the tales that marked out the history of this impressive, yet troubled world drew me in. Lannith has many secrets that are yet to be unfolded and I have to say that after Jason asked me to write a few things for him and he shared in confidence the whole story of Lannith, you are in for a treat. As each book comes out and the lands and legends of Lannith are unfolded you will be amazed at the depth and color that has been put into each section. You will be on the edge of your seat waiting for the next book to learn more about the reasons Lannith is the way it is and all about the Hollow Lords.

The setting aloud me to really use my imagination to come up with some great adventures to test play the game and it also gave me the opportunity to get into the world itself. As I wrote some of the adventures for the Lannith Companion I was again glad to find myself on the roads of Everstone or in the skies above on a huge floating Sky-Hold.

Ok, enough about that. Let me share a little bit of the actual setting with you and let you see for yourself that Everstone is much, much more than you might first expect.

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I found (as did many of my players) that the golem was a grand character to play. They are not the mechs of other games, nor are they robots or walking mindless statues. Golems are one of the wonderful things that make Everstone unique.

Anyway, the Magi also create thunder guns (not the AK47 I was dreading) that can be modified and customized in numerous ways. These guns are not like their modern counterparts of today and make the setting that much fantastic. In fact when you run into some of the monsters of Lannith you may be glad that you brought one along. Technology in Everstone is not an overpowering part of the game. There is a perfect blend of fantasy magic and technology. While playing we never felt that the weapons or any of the items that are more technical than a simple wand or a magic ring, where out of balance. In fact the runes and the way technology works is an actual part of the world and the setting would not be the same with out it.

Back to the story, the Magi finally break out into the world again and take a small piece of their land back. They see the world almost as a new place and every corner or dark shadow hides a new danger or mystery to uncover. The races through out the lands have their own stories and legends that add flavor and realism to the world. The history and background is gripping enough to keep you in the game for hours of playing time and leave you wanting more after each session ends.

Lannith is filled with ancient ruins, lost temples, grand forests, huge lakes, running rivers, nasty swamps, exciting cities, new races, mystery, intrigue, and an enormous amount originality.

For players and GMs alike, the setting of Everstone is something unlike any other world you have explored before. I am glad that I have had a small part in helping create parts of Lannith. It allows me the opportunity to leave this real world of work, kids, bills, and debt and walk the wooded paths of the Grove of God on Sanctuary, watch a brutal fight in Cinder’s favorite tavern The Pitt, or explore an ancient ruin in the Tangle Vine Forest . 

I hope you find as much enjoyment in the game as we have. It is an experience that I am glad to be a part of.

Riko Reese