Dark Sun Returns With “Lost Cities of the Trembling Plains” Sourcebook

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First published in 1991 for AD&D 2nd edition, the world of Dark Sun remains one of the most unique and controversial Dungeons & Dragons campaign worlds. Set on the planet Athas, a once verdant green paradise transformed into a brutal desert wasteland in the wake of a magical apocalypse, Dark Sun subverted many of the game’s traditional fantasy tropes and explored unique themes around ecological destruction and survival. Over the years, the setting spawned a dozen or so adventure modules, a series of novels and was ported over for the third edition of D&D by publisher Paizo, before later being revived by Wizards of the Coast for D&D fourth edition.

Since then, however, Dark Sun has been largely ignored, with Wizards of the Coast stating that they are unlikely to officially return to the setting anytime soon, due to its use of controversial elements like slavery, cannibalism and forced breeding. As such, much of Dark Sun’s continued existence is owed to the website Athas.org, a fan-run collective where new adventures and content is still being developed.

One of the latest offerings from Athas.org is Lost Cities of the Trembling Plains, a campaign sourcebook that was first started 20 years ago and which explores the a key area in the sprawling region known as the Forgotten North. You can download the book now as a free PDF on Athas.org. Below, we take a closer look at what’s included in this return to the blood soaked sands of Athas.

What is “Lost Cities of the Trembling Plains” about?

Dark Sun: Lost Cities of the Trembling Plains is a 174-page sourcebook created by the Pristine Tower Development Group, a team of fans on Athas.org founded by lead designers Jack Meyer and Adam Cieszlak. Designed primarily for Dungeon Masters, the book explores The Trembling Plains, a sprawling wasteland located in the region known as the Forgotten North that’s filled with ancient ruins, hard scrabble settlements, wandering nomads and vast herds of stampeding mekillots. Although thematically the content has a DnD 3.5 feel to it, it’s completely edition agnostic, meaning it can be run with DnD 5e and the current 2024 rules.

The book’s chapters are broken out as follows:

• Chapter One: Introduction introduces the Trembling Plains and provides a glossary of useful terms.
• Chapter Two: A Brief History: Offers a chronological view of the region, from the Blue Age to the Age of Heroes.
• Chapter Three: Lay of the Land: Details key areas in the region, from the Last Steppe to the Blood Prairie.
• Chapter Four: Seasons: Explores the regions unique and deadly seasonal weather patterns.
• Chapter Five: Peoples: Breaks out the inhabitants of the region, including the nomadic herders known as the Eloy.
• Chapter Six: Living Settlements: Details the many locations in the area, including the fortified oasis of Azeth’s Rest.
• Chapter Seven: Dead Cities: Outlines the ancient ruins in the region, many of which are still teeming with undead.
• Chapter Eight: Flora and Fauna: Includes the unique animals, monsters and plantlife in the region.
• Chapter Nine: Player Handouts: Includes overview sheets to help get players up to speed on the region.

Notably, the project originally began almost 20 years ago, stalling out several times before finally being completed with contributions from numerous fans and designers. The book is also a sequel of sorts to Secrets of the Deadlands, a 2022 project which was also spearheaded by the Pristine Tower Development Group via Athas.org.

Final Thoughts

It seems unlikely that Wizards of the Coast will ever return to the world of Athas, (although interestingly, they do briefly mention Dark Sun in the new 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide). As such, the closest we may ever get is from fan-led initiatives like Lost Cities of the Trembling Plains. It’s an impressive accomplishment that explores a relatively unknown region of the setting and proves that despite all appearances, there’s still plenty of life left in the world of Dark Sun.

You can download Lost Cities of the Trembling Plains for free now as a PDF on Athas.org.

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