An update to Troy Denning's seminal Dark Sun settting -- one of the best sword & high fantasy worlds ever created. Along with Planescape, in addition to being one of the coolest fantasy settings in general, this is the best setting created for D&D. If you want good fantasy without the standard medieval / foresty / goody toeshoe elves / evil orcs running around / copied off tolkien, then this is the world for you. Athas is a dying world, tainted by ecologically damaging Defiling magic, scorched by a damaged sun, void of the divine influence of egomaniac deities, ruled by Sorcerer Kings who think they can become deities, where tyranny and slavery are the norms, evil behavior ain't as bad as it is elsewhere, and adventurers adventure to survive not to save some dunce who ain't very good at surviving. Check out the original box and the updated box. ( )