Dark Sun is officially returning in 2027 as the centerpiece of D&D’s Season of Survival, bringing new sourcebooks, a full Psion class, and the game’s first mature-rated campaign setting. The announcement suggests Wizards of the Coast is embracing Athas’ defining themes and brutal tone while giving longtime fans a substantial new edition to explore.
Ok, lot of what you state is true. However, the biggest thing Wizards, Influencers, etc. miss in their conversations is the controversial history. To me is a core pillar, the Cleansing Wars. This is keystone of history for why Athas is the way it is and why the current status is. Wizard’s 4th ed of Athas totally bypassed this. The Cleansing Wars is the mature content overshadowed by the advertised violence/nudity/stuff.
The Cleansing Wars we all know here (or assumed so) is the mature content of racism, ethnic cleansing, genocidal warmongering, etc. that setup behind why these wars occurred, why the ecosystem fell, why magic is hated, why the political systems developed, why each Champion had a genocidal title, etc. and so on.
This is the area I have concerns with the sanitization effect that WotC may invoke and repeat from 4th Ed.
Will this be covered or no in 5.5 E?
IIRC, didn’t 4e talk about the Cleansing Wars?
(Checked; yes, but they didn’t detail it)
For me, the thing about the Cleansing Wars is that there are probably less than a score of people who actually remember them, and it’s very unlikely that you’ll have much time to talk to them about it. While it’s common knowledge among players who read the books, most people don’t know that the elves were almost exterminated or that there used to be Wemics. The genocides were so far in the past that not even the bones can tell you things.
To me, it’s not a core part of the setting, because it’s so far in the past that no one knows it except by its invisible (to them) impact, which is just how the world is.
Cautious optimism is putting it mildly. After WoTC burnt the long-time Planescape and Spelljammer fandoms, it’s safe to say that anybody with above a room temp IQ already assumes this “rebirth” will be a letdown and is operating on that assumption until proven otherwise. All signs are already pointing to a let down, however. The art already brings entirely too much skepticism to the dance. Metal everywhere, beholder eye tyrant, biomechanical cyborgs, futuristic grand-scale city states…all of it points to WoTC yet again going wildly off course to defile another beloved setting. Unless the art departs drastically from the book material, I am gearing up for the death rattle of whatever is left of wotc’s credibility with dark Sun fandoms
I only saw them mention ages like the Blue, Green, and Red ages. They only mentioned wars during the Red ages.
For the main core of game play, the Cleansing Wars has no impact. It’s for lore buffs. However, people want to know the tone of the campaign. Why are we here today? What do you mean I cannot play a gnome? Some campaigns deep dive into history, right the back lore of something, the Cleansing Wars and its impacts plays into these things.
But every DM can/will change to make it fit. My own DS campaign is twisted beyond the official lore with different components.
But since WotC holds the official lore, I’d rather they stay true to its origins. 4th Ed didn’t do that for items of controversy. They kept slavery, but dropped the other portions and titles.
But if WotC follows the 4th Ed choices, as the DM - I’m make sure to crusade their short comings on the history into my game.
Yeah. The Cleansing Wars weren’t mentioned or even hinted at in the original boxed set.
You do make a valid point that the original box set doesn’t. Agreed. However, in the developed history from Troy Denning’s books and other supplements consider canon do.
The groups here at Athas.org continued the tradition of using these source materials to develop more content. Dregoth Ascending is a prime example.
Which titles? I did a quick scan, and Tectuktitlay is still Father of Life, Abalach-Re is still Grand Vizier, Androponis is still Dictator.
These titles associated to what they did or responsible for
Sacha of Arala — “Curse of the Kobolds”
Kalak — “Ogre Doom”
Dregoth — “Ravager of Giants”
Myron of Yorum — “Troll Scorcher”
Hamanu (Manu of Deche) — “Troll Scorcher”
Abalach‑Re (Uyness of Waverly) — “Orc Plague”
Sielba — “Destroyer of Pterrans”
Andropinis (Albeorn of Dunswich) — “Slayer of Elves”
Tectuktitlay — “Master of the Muls”
Wyan of Bodach — “Slayer of the Pixies”
Kurnan (Kurn) — “Bane of the Wemics”
Borys of Ebe — “Butcher of Dwarves”
Daskinor — “Destroyer of the Preservers”