Dread Ilk is a world that resembles the classical hell. Jagged outcrops of rock dot a landscape of red sand and lava rivers. The sky is black, save for a hazy red moon which bathes the landscape in an unnatural luminance. Long ago the Ilk was colonised as a prison world by an ancient race of interplanar travelers. It was here that dangerous criminals and prisoners of war from conquered worlds were sent. However, as the empire began to crumble the colony was abandoned and the prisoners were left to fend for themselves on a seemingly inhospitable world. But, through sheer tenacity, a debauched yet prosperous society rose from the scorched wasteland.
The government, if it can be called that, consists of a despotic consul of provincial lords who bicker almost ceaselessly over land and title. The consul is presided over by a nameless figure who is said to be the one true ruler of the Ilk, however next to nothing of this 'overlord' is known to the common folk. While racial divides do exist, the ethnic diversity of the Ilks inhabitants is less of a cause for problem than would be expected. As prisoners, the ancestors of the current generation were all considered equally worthless, and this equality has been passed down over the centuries.
Being that the entirety of its population are the descendants of criminals, the Ilk is a place of cruelty and violence. Laws are few, power is god, and the belief that the strong may do as they please has created a society in which every day is a constant struggle for survival. Slavery is a mainstay of the economy, abductions being common for those unable to defend themselves or pay their dues.
Those who are too poor or unfortunate to find themselves with a roof over their head huddle beneath the city streets in catacombs, drains or whatever else they can find to hide themselves from the sadistic claws of the Ilks populous. Begging is a hopeless pursuit in this world and likely only to lead to one finding oneself in a pot of stew, or worse, pressed in to slavery. As such the homeless and unemployed must fight for whatever scraps they can find. These unfortunates are known as ghouls and are treated as vermin.
