III

Table of Contents
A Past Without Beginning 1 Tseb Hwii 108
The Lands of the West 4 The Verdancy 112
Vitrum 114
The Lords of the First Age 6
120
The Xindai Commanderies
The Masters of the Second Age  8 Yain 126
The Fallen of the Third Age  10 Yamad’s Bones  127
A Timeline of Significant Events 12 Languages of the West 128
Seas and Mountains of Note 14 Beasts and Fell Things  130
A Summary of Lands and Nations 16 Anak Species  132
The Amundi Kingdoms 20 Ancient Creations 134
The Anak Wastes 26
Arratu Monsters 140
The Aristoi Principalities 28
Atba Sim 30 Blighted 142
Atlantis 32 Dangerous Beasts 148
The Black Pact 38 Sea Monsters 150
The Bluecrowns 40 Undead and Spirits 152
The Choking Dunes 41 Optional Rules and Classes 158
Couront 42
Low and No-Magic Campaigns 159
The Far Wastes 43
The Fifth Dynasty 44 Optional Rules 161
The Free Clans 50 Primitive Firearms 162
The Gadavin Coast 52 Ondasi Hurlants 163
The Godblight 54 Mundane Alchemy 164
The Gyre 55 New Character Classes 167
Hantu 56
The Accursed 168
The Hundred Schools 58
Kytheron 60 The Bard 170
The Litten Strand 64 The Mageslayer 172
Maqqatba 66 The Wise 174
Ninth Leng 68 Maqqatban Knight Foci 176
Ondas 72 Amundi Godblood Foci 178
Runom 78
Arcane Secret Foci 180
Sarx 84
Sath Ingit 90 Non-Human Origin Foci 181
The Scarlet Princes 94 Character Tags 184
Shinbu Anak 98 Naval Adventuring 198
The Still Cities 100 The Ship Combat Turn 207
The Sunward Isles 102 Example Ships 212
Tavat 103
Backer Credits 214
The Tombfell 104
Tribes of Hyperborea 106 Index 216

© 2022, Sine Nomine Publishing, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-950965-18-2
Written by Kevin Crawford
Cover by Jeff Brown. Art by Adobe Stock/breakermaximus, Dominick, ElConsigliere, Kalleeck, liuzishan, lobard, Newtro-
nial, T Studio, thanawong, warmtail, Николай Акатов.
 1

A PAST WITHOUT BEGINNING

Year upon year, age upon age, the Latter Earth has heaped In this book you will learn of the lands of Agath-
higher its sorrows and its wonders. Uncounted empires on and Gyarus, the two great continents of the western
lie buried beneath its dust, proud kings and petty men Latter Earth. Cruel and magnificent in equal measure,
all equal now beneath the impartial veil of forgetting. these nations and scattered tribes are heir to the deeds of
Their deeds once made the world cry out; now they are ages and the blood of ancient kings. They have inherited
no more than a sculpted stone, a curious artifact, a mon- the disputes of those now long dust and the mistakes of
strous beast that once served well…. Men do not even those no longer here to suffer them.
remember them enough to tell lies about them. So too, you will find tales of the awful beasts that
Yet if they are forgotten now, their deeds were all too stalk the deep glades of the wilderness and the shadowed
real in their own hour. Their works remain in the pres- streets of human cities. Grim Rusted Princes rule in their
ent day, with terrible ruins and fearsome Deeps enticing decaying towers and hungry ghouls celebrate their aw-
those bold enough to waken that which has long slept. ful feasts in charnel places. Autopurgators carry out the
Their gold drips from bony hands, their treasures shine vendettas of their dead masters, while weeping dragons
in darkened chambers, and their secrets wait for living strive to remember the age when they were young and
mouths to speak them once again. happy.
Their sons and daughters have raised new king- There are new tools here with which to fight them.
doms on the bones of the old. Even now, men and wom- Instruction is given in the making of campaigns where
en struggle against the weight of the pitiless past and magic is weak or not to be found, and the telling of for-
the dangers of the savage present. Grand lords rule in eign histories in lands where there are no true wizards.
the palaces of their ancestors, and armies of bronze and The secrets of the fearsome wheelguns of Ondas, the
steel march on ancient roads. They contend as kings and struggles of ships upon the sea, and the subtle alchemies
queens have ever contended, and their people endure it of unsorcerous scholars are given here, with all the ways
as they have always endured. in which they may be of use to adventurers.
Amid these wars and intrigues, between these deca- New professions are provided in turn. Accursed lad-
dent cities and the trackless wilds about them, there are en with fell pacts, Bards gifted with Legacy-woven power,
those who desire more than the world would willingly Mageslayers fell for the killing of wizards, and the Wise
give. These men and women are adventurers, the mad in unmagical ways are all offered for your play. So too are
freebooters and reckless sellswords that dare the wrath of new Foci to arm these fresh heroes.
an endless past to seize its most precious treasures. The This book is for the making of your own world,
crowns of dead kings, the jewels of vanished queens, and whatever you may take from this one. Whether your he-
the secrets of sorcerers long burning in their hells await roes rise to glory or perish in the hungry dark, let these
their bloody grasp. pages aid you in sending them to their fate.
2

Using This Book as a Game Master

This book is intended to provide equal parts inspiration
and practical help for a busy GM. The strange lands, Read the New Rules and Classes
sinister creatures, and unfamiliar peoples within are At this point, you need to start reading more careful-
meant to give a small taste of a world only half-familiar, ly. This section of the book contains a number of op-
one scabbed over by a fathomless past and burdened by tional new mechanics and classes, and you can expect
choices its long-vanished ancestors have made. Even so, your players to likely be interested in using some or all
these pages are also meant to give a GM the information of them. While the rules and classes given are meant to
they need to actually turn these descriptions into play- be balanced for the typical table, your concern is for the
able fun at the table, for there is no profit in a world too specific group you have. Not everything that works for
strange for a game master to use. the median party is going to work at your table.
Many setting books of this sort assume that the Some rules may not be relevant; you won’t care
reader is an old hand at campaign creation and does not about low-magic campaigns if you’re running a game in
need any specific advice on how to make use of a setting the heart of the Amundi kingdoms, and you may not
atlas. Some readers will undoubtedly be so versed, but care about new wound rules if you’re not really interested
out of consideration for those less confident in their de- in increasing the grit of your game. If a rule does look
miurgic powers the following steps will help you get the interesting, you can add it as a provisional addition to
most out of this book. your game. If it doesn’t work out well for you in play, be
ready to pull it or change it to something more suitable.
Skim the World For the new classes, read them over and think about
Every author likes to imagine the reader lingering con- whether or not any of your players are likely to be inter-
templatively over every jeweled syllable of their prose, but ested in them. You shouldn’t feel obligated to add them
authors like to imagine a lot of things. This book is for to your campaign unless you feel comfortable with their
your own entertainment, and you should read it exactly abilities and the impact they might have on play. If you
as carefully as you like. do allow them, the players should understand that their
Start by skimming the gazetteer section. Glance existence is provisional and if they don’t work out for
over the thumbnail history at the start of the chapter either the player or the GM some retroactive changes
and leave a bookmark next to the continental map so you may be called for.
can reference it easily later. Then start paging through
the nation descriptions. If the introductory paragraph Make a Location Shortlist
doesn’t grab you, drift on to the next land. If it piques Now that you have a selection of interesting nations,
your curiosity, check back on the continental map to see potential antagonists, and additional rules in mind, go
where this land lies in relation to its neighbors and then down the nation list and pick a few locations that appeal
investigate it a little more attentively. as the starting points for a campaign. If you don’t have
Think about whether this land has themes or ele- any particular players in mind for your game yet, you can
ments that would suit it to a campaign. Does it do some- then winnow down that short list to the one you like best
thing you like? Make a note of it for later. Has it got and use the tools in the Worlds Without Number core
elements that don’t suit you? Make a note to clip those book and this volume to flesh it out into the proper start
bits out for your own rendition of the place, or reshuffle for a sandbox campaign.
them into something more to your liking.
Skim through the nations until the end, and you Talk With Your Players
should have a certain number of places that have poten- If you do have a specific group of players, however, take
tial as a start for a campaign. While you should keep the your shortlist to them and talk it over. Maybe one choice
tastes of your players in mind, it’s important to focus on will be an obvious favorite with them, or maybe their in-
the places and peoples that interest you. You’re the one terests give you an entirely new idea. It’s not uncommon
who is going to be doing the worldbuilding work. for a campaign to shift wildly at this stage as a GM gets
a clever idea from listening to what their players want to
Scan the Bestiary focus on in the campaign.
With a few places in mind, now glance through the bes- This is also a good opportunity to talk over the addi-
tiary section of the book and consider some of the vile tion of new rules or new character classes. It may be the
beasts and sinister entities within. Do any of them strike players just aren’t interested in something you planned
your interest as antagonists? Even if none leap out, you on involving, and finding that out now can save you a lot
might note down a few creatures you’d like your players of wasted prep work. Once everyone’s on the same page,
to encounter during your campaign, or some that play you can start to build your campaign using the corebook’s
on themes and elements you want to emphasize at your tools and guidelines with the confidence that your efforts
table. Any of them can be reshuffled as needed. will be enjoyed by an engaged band of heroes.
 3

The Facts of the World

While the Latter Earth is similar to our own in many through experimentation and careful repetition we can
ways, there are some basic facts about its societies that produce reliable effects and lasting conclusions.
must be kept in mind if many of its realities are to make This is not the case in the Latter Earth. Due to the
sense. Three particular facts need to be understood if a decay of the Legacy all manner of basic physical laws
GM is to have a comfortable time running campaigns in are now conditional, temporary, and special-cased. Even
the Latter Earth. the spells of sorcerers cannot be guaranteed to remain
functional over several ages, let alone the fine distinctions
Humans Don’t Rule The Earth of chemistry, biology, or physics.
On the modern globe, the only truly empty regions of Because of this, there is no point in scientific re-
Earth are those that are utterly uninhabitable or utter- search. There is no reliable technological advancement,
ly worthless. “Trackless wildernesses” are almost never and the societies of the present are no more advanced
uninhabited so much as they are simply thinly peopled. than those of ten thousand years ago. If anything, they
There are very few situations where a habitable territory may be more limited by the ongoing decay of the Legacy
with useful natural resources is left unclaimed. and the failure of ancient Workings. The future does not
In the Latter Earth, there can be a hundred miles of automatically bring progress of any kind.
utter wilderness a few days away from a nation’s capital.
It’s not a wilderness because no one wants its resources or Adventurers are Recognized
territory, it’s a wilderness because it’s full of unspeakable It’s inevitable that there will be men and women willing
monsters and alien horrors that even an army could not to dare the perils of the wilderness and the monstrous
reliably root out. Human nations simply do not have the secrets of the past in order to come away with gold, glory,
manpower or the resources to secure territory beyond and power. Every nation counts some number of these
the immediate reach of their communities. adventurers as useful if disposable members of society.
Many of these wildernesses were once thriving lands Most nations recognize adventuring as a particu-
with kingdoms and cities the equal of any modern realm. lar societal role, one dedicated to driving back monsters,
Yet time overcame them all the same, just as many present plundering ancient ruins, and performing criminal acts
nations will yet fall to the constant peril of vile beasts, for pay. It is rarely an esteemed role, but most societies
cruel Blighted, or natural, inexorable disaster. have made their peace with it and have ways of managing
relations with these freebooters. Laws and social expec-
Science Is Futile tations are often a little laxer with them, for odds are
Modern societies experience technological progress. We that most of them will be dead soon enough… hopefully
explore the fundamental laws of physical reality, and before causing more trouble than they’re worth.
4

THE LANDS OF THE WEST

The western hemisphere of the Latter Earth is the one translate it cannot repair the numerous corruptions and
best known to the scholars of the Gyre. Numerous tales scribal lacunae introduced in the past several thousand
and legends of the far eastern lands are cherished by years. It’s possible that these equivalencies were inserted
storytellers and sages alike, but there has been so little long after the scriptures were first compiled.
contact with the east during recorded history that few The aftermath of the Colligation continues to plague
would dare to speak with confidence. modern-day historians. Many of the dates and locations
The history of the west is better understood. The recorded in ancient texts are inconsistent or implausible,
scholars of the Gyre use the traditional Brass Calendar and it remains difficult, if not impossible, to determine
for their calculations, beginning their epoch with the ar- how many of these disagreements are due to transcrip-
rival of the Reaping King in 1 AL, “after landing”. Dates tion errors or the author’s own ignorance, and how many
before this epoch are expressed as “BL”, or “before land- are due to chronal or spatial distortions left over from
ing”. The current date by Gyre reckoning is 1055 AL. the Colligation. Scholar-seekers of the Calendric Order
The true age of the Latter Earth is unknown, and in Atlantis continue to investigate historical and contem-
perhaps unknowable due to the splintering of Iterums. porary temporal disorders, but even those daring scholars
In the western hemisphere, however, all reliable recorded can verify only so much.
history begins with a great and ancient catastrophe. In the millenia since, these Atlantean scholars
have divided history into three great ages, from the lit-
The Colligation of Epochs tle-known first to the present third age. Many anticipate
At some point near the year 3000 BL a massive convul- some great turning soon to usher the world into a fourth.
sion of space and time disordered much of the Latter
Earth, an event later known as the Colligation of Epochs. Historical Scholarship
Cities were trapped in amber bubbles of frozen hours,
lands were warped and reconnected in impossible to- The four thousand years of history dimly retained
pographies, and several empires rose, prospered, and fell by scholars of the present western lands is owed
within isolated chronal pockets that seemed to exist for chiefly to the work of sorcerers. The incessant search
no more than an hour elsewhere. The temporal chaos for ancient magic these adepts undertake leaves
made it impossible to synchronize events world-wide, them with a large supply of ancient documents, lost
and it is only out of convention that scholars place the codices, and hidden inscriptions that their magic is
“end” of the event in 3012 BL. After that point time and often able to repair and at least partially translate.
space appear to have regained their consistency over the Even so, the restricted interests of most sor-
majority of the planet, though even today there remain cerers tend to leave frustrating lacunae in the past.
pockets of dangerous asynchrony or distorted space in Many topics of great interest to historians, such as
the more isolated regions of the world. details of political shifts, cultural mores, daily life,
This Colligation of Epochs marks the supposed ini- and even basic biological facts about ancient peoples
tiation of the current Latter Earth Iterum, one identified are but little-represented in these salvaged grimoires.
as “108 Triumphant Void”. Some sages dispute this origin, Sages who specialize in historical questions must
crediting the earlier Yamad Rebellion as the fruit of an often piece together conclusions from scraps of im-
Iteral divergence, while others think that the Logomachy plication and insinuation, and their accuracy suffers
of Nakad’s creation of the Cut splintered off the present considerably as a consequence.
reality, claiming that the identifier “108 Triumphant Void” As a result, many nations have at least one or
does not appear in that precise form until shortly after two academic institutions dedicated to seeking out
that calamity. The truth is extremely difficult to discern, ancient ruins for their documents and cultural arti-
however, as this world’s parent Iterum is unknown in the facts. These adventuring sages are often bankrolled
present age. Without knowing the history of the former by wizards or nobles eager to get the benefit of their
world it is all but impossible to discern where the current magical discoveries. Among independents, some
one first diverged. such scholars are largely indistinguishable from
The texts known as the Seven Ash Scriptures kept common tomb-robbing adventurers save for their
by the now-defunct Smoke Venerants appear to point wider linguistic education.
to the Colligation as the most likely point of splitting, Seekers into the past should not be surprised if
claiming certain meta-ontological equivalences that con- document dates conflict, traditions contradict each
nect the great disaster to the Preterite glyphs that the other, or past histories do not seem to match per-
later scholars of the Black Glass Forest in present-day fectly. Few among those who recorded them were
Vitrum first read as “108 Triumphant Void”. The coal- there to see the truth of matters, while others had
tongue of the Smoke Venerants is poorly understood by good reasons to conceal the truth.
modern scholars, however, and the sorceries used to help
6

The Lords of the First Age

The exact nature of most of the kingdoms and civiliza- The Grand Harmony: The last major surviving Outsid-
tions that existed in the first thousand years after the Col- er empire in this region of the Latter Earth, being
ligation remain unclear to modern scholars. Documents established by a confederation of Outsider species
accessible to the scholars of the Gyre region are focused in the southeastern parts of Agathon and on the
mainly on the surrounding continent of Gyarus, the con- island of Carce, later known as Atlantis. Having
tinent of Agathon to the north, and the great island of failed to overcome humanity by violence before the
Carce, later known as Atlantis. Within this scope several Colligation, the Harmony attempted to influence
great nations are known to have existed at some point. As their neighbors through subterfuge, alien sorceries,
they commenced at the start of recorded history, beyond and calculated diplomacy. Their own human chattel
the light of surviving scholarship, they and their rulers were imprisoned within fortress-Deeps on the is-
are often spoken of as the “midnight kings”. land, and it was not until the rising of the Liberator
These polities were merely some of the most signifi- Queen that the humans were able to break free of
cant during the first quasi-recorded age of human history, their walled domains and exterminate their alien
and include only those known to scholars of the Gyre. In jailers. Even so, persistent legends speak of hidden
the western lands, the beginning of this era is thought to bargains and secret agreements made to preserve
be marked by the end of the Colligation of Epochs, and some fragment of the aliens’ old power.
the end of it signified by the pact in 1605 BL between the Harmony ruins were all initially built to suit
first King of Carce and the Zakathi rebels that overthrew the alien requirements of their inhabitants, but each
the island’s former republic. tended to have a small associated Deep for breeding
and housing human servitors or livestock.
The Deep Lords: A collective name for the several dozen
Far Deeps that banded together in order to con- The Intoners: A civilization marked by the great metal
quer the surface world around 2500 BL. The surface bands they embedded in the earth, straps as broad
had already been claimed by the peoples liberated as roads that were flung over much of western Ag-
from higher, shallower Deeps, and by the time the athon. They were said to possess secrets of music
ancestors of the Far Deeps had managed to reach capable of manipulating the Legacy, the mystical
the surface, little unclaimed land remained for chords transmitted through the “iron weft” to ex-
them. Their lords had a superlative understanding tend the reach of their power. Their cities were all
of the ancient pathways beneath the earth, however, resonant towers of iron and glass, and silence was
and their armies were known for appearing as if blasphemous to them. Now almost all of the surviv-
by magic at far distances from one another. Their ing iron weft is long lost under the earth and their
deep imprisonment and the changes wrought by cities are no more than rust and buried shards in
their jailers left them poorly-suited for the sunlit windblown places.
world, however, and the few surface kingdoms they Surface ruins of the Intoners are largely de-
established did not prosper. cayed. Subsurface structures can be dangerously
Their ruins tend to be shallow bunker-settle- charged with occult musical energies, or maintain
ments once surrounded by ancient fields. They al- echoes of ancient weft-resonant powers.
most invariably have at least one deep shaft leading
to the old transit passages, most of which are col- The Liberated Republic: This short-lived polity was
lapsed in the present age. formed on the island of Carce under the leadership
of the Liberator Queen, a semi-mythical figure who
The Four Dynasties: Several consecutive dynastic em- led the great rebellion that finally broke the Grand
pires thrived throughout the continent of Gyarus. Harmony. Modern scholars believe she was the
The first appears to have ruled through military human monarch of one of the fortress-prisons of
power, the second through divine theocratic au- Carce, but surviving Zakathi execration-texts in-
thority, the third as a scholarly magocracy derived sist she was actually an Outsider herself, one who
from these gods, and the fourth as a bureaucratic betrayed both Gan Zakath and her own kind. The
counter-revolution against sorcerous excesses. Dy- republic she founded scarcely outlived her, collaps-
nastic ruins are especially thick in the center of the ing under the pressure of Zakathi hostilities and
continent, particularly around their once-capital internal conflict within the fortress-prisons.
of Anchang. Their last remnants still persist in the Republic ruins tend to be few and relatively
modern rulers of the Fifth Dynasty. small in size. The radical individualism encour-
Dynastic settlements often had extensive un- aged by their society led to a preference for small
derground areas dedicated to civil defense, particu- like-minded groups of neighbors rather than large,
lar subterranean gods, or dubious arcane traditions. coordinated urban areas.
 7

The Pale Empire: Led by a necromantic Imperator of The Ten Thousand Clans: A catch-all for the innumerable
superlative power, one who maintained an entire small city-states and tribal groupings that formed
kingdom of both the living and the animate dead. during this poorly-recorded age. These civilizations
Those who still drew breath were expected to rarely extended further than a single city or a small
provide a tax of children for the next generation, local hegemony, and almost all were wiped out
with the most fruitful and useful of his living ser- sooner or later by their neighbors, internal strife,
vants promised the best grade of unlife upon their or an unexpected disaster. The shards of their
death. Those who offended his laws were punished surviving people made up the root stock of many
with eternal torment as an anguished corpse. His later nations, but the records about each city-state
throne-barrow was an entire mountain range in the are usually long lost to history. Even so, some of
central region of Agathon, a megastructure that is them possessed great magical powers or impressive
still being carved within and without by swarms of Workings, while others were inhabited by species
his surviving undead slaves. Scholars debate over that would no longer be considered human by mod-
whether he was destroyed by proto-Amundi heroes ern sensibilities.
or if he has simply forgotten about the world. It’s impossible to characterize the ruins of the
Places dedicated to the Pale Emperor are al- Ten Thousand Clans, as each nation and civiliza-
ways fashioned of stone and ornamented to an im- tion had their own preferences. Neighbors of great
possible degree. Every inch of them is covered with empires often adopted elements from their grander
patterns, images, and symbols of his power, all of associates, however.
them carved by unsleeping corpse-laborers.
The Wind Cities: Flying cities that appeared to be found
The Seven Rivers Confederacy: A confederation of feu- mostly in western Gyarus, given the locations of
dal rulers in the northeastern regions of Agathon, surviving crashes. These city-states occupied small
each of whom was in possession of a powerful de- floating islands that hovered high above the ground,
fensive Working seized from the Outsiders. Warfare harvesting clouds for water and dueling each other
was futile among them, and the Workings provided for the mystical energies of sunlight they required
for almost all of their material needs, so they vied for operation. The year-long occlusion of the sky
amongst each other for excellence in beauty, honor, produced by the eruption of a volcano in what is
and fame. The music and poetry of the Seven Rivers now Sarx around 1600 BL appears to have spelled
spread throughout Agathon as hallmarks of culture their doom. Of course, the common pretensions of
and refinement. Some say they became perhaps too modern sky reavers to being “princes” or “princesses”
refined, and that they did not end as human as they of the long-lost Wind Cities are no more than fan-
had begun. The confederation’s downfall came in ciful self-aggrandizement.
1410 BL, with the meteor impact that formed the Crashed wind cities are mostly little more than
Hammersea. The Legacy contained the worst of small mountains of rubble and ruined buildings, but
the catastrophe, but it still ruined all their guardian a few landed softly enough to maintain some struc-
Workings and scattered their lords. ture. The skydocks of these surviving ruins are often
Remaining Seven Rivers ruins are beautiful fought over by modern sky pirates.
even in decay, lacking any military function but of-
ten possessing impractical aesthetic Workings. The Zakathi Uprising: First formed during the waning
years of the Grand Harmony, the humans of the
The Tempest Horde: Nomadic wielders of lightning prison-Deep of Gan Zakath were universally afflict-
and storm, locked in perpetual warfare with the ed by a great curse of toil. The inhabitants blamed
Intoners and the dead hosts of the Pale Empire. the Liberator Queen for this curse, accusing her of
While surviving texts depict them as nomads and having betrayed their rebellion. Whether true or
barbarians, their sky-priests were privy to secrets of not, the hostility of the newly-accursed Zakathi
iron and meteorological magic that have not been was a major factor in the eventual collapse of the
duplicated in the ages since. Had they not been di- Liberator Queen’s republic. Led by Overseers, their
vided up into so many feuding banner-clans, they many labor crews fought until the chaos eventually
may have avoided their ultimate disintegration into brought forth the Kings of Carce and their great
dozens of squabbling petty kingdoms. bargain with the Zakathi.
The Horde was nomadic, but ancient forge- Zakathi ruins are characterized by their ex-
sites have been found where their steeds of iron and treme physical inconvenience. Long flights of stairs,
lightning were fabricated. Most of their metal servi- heavy doors, spiraling passages, carved ladders, and
tors have long since decayed, but some still function. other means were used to enforce physical exertion
Their later settled kingdoms were generally founded and exhaustion in the populace, who were all cursed
amid the architectural wreckage of the peoples they to require such wearisome labor if they were to live.
had conquered or driven away.
8

The Masters of the Second Age

The Second Age of the western lands is better under- The Spire Lords of Javair: The great volcanic eruption of
stood by historians, its documents and relics being much Dumat Mul around 1600 BL choked the sky with
closer to the present day than those of the most ancient ashes and forced the Wind Cities to make perma-
empires. By the time of the first King of Carce, the other nent landings, some more controlled than others.
great nations of the First Age were all collapsed or in an Most of the intact cities fell in northwestern Gyarus,
advanced state of decay, and their heirs were growing amid Third Dynasty provinces that could no longer
in strength and prominence. The Second Age ruins left be effectively controlled from its capital. It was not
behind are more likely to be surface structures, having long before the princes of the Wind Cities were able
had to endure fewer millenia of erosion, and more likely to supplant the terrestrial governors and divide up
to have formed the nuclei of still-extant modern cities. the area into new domains. The undying memory
Convention places the start of the Second Age with of flight remained to them, however, and some of
the great pact between the first King of Carce and the the wind ships they built remain intact almost three
Zakathi Uprising in 1605 BL. The end is commonly set thousand years later. It was this longing for the sky
by the coming of the Prior Crown and the transforma- that produced their eventual doom, however, as an
tion of decaying Carce into the nation of Atlantis by its alliance of princes conceived a plan to construct
new rulers in 498 BL. a Working that could successfully lift their fallen
cities once more. The sorcery went catastrophically
The Kingdom of Carce: The successor of the Liberated wrong, with many of the cities exploding outright
Republic, the kingdom was born amid the bloody and clouds of mutagenic dust falling to blight the
civil war between the embittered fortress-prison region into a twisted wasteland.
of Gan Zakath and the disorganized cities of the Javairi ruins tend toward the vertical, with
Liberated Republic. The warlord Heraklion of many tall towers and raised halls. Perversely, the
Gan Imadi succeeded in allying himself with the great Rain of Red Ash that ended their society bur-
Toil-General Azusa, and their political marriage en- ied many of these ruins, with only their uppermost
sured Heraklion’s eventual ascent as the first King levels still accessible from the surface, and their
of all Carce. The Blighted of Gan Zakath became deeper passages now entombed in dangerous dust.
the martial nobility of Carce, and their congenital
need for constant exertion was recast as “tireless val- The Logomachy of Nakad: By 1012 BL, the tech-
or” rather than a Blighting flaw in their blood. Even no-theological studies of the Speakers of the Storm
so, the eventual conflicts between the Task-Houses had eventually consumed their entire society, with
toppled Carce’s last king around 500 BL. the sorcerous elite making serfs of the populace and
Carcian ruins are few, largely because most of retreating into temple-laboratories dedicated to the
their settlements and cities were seamlessly taken pursuit of cosmic secrets. These studies were rei-
over by the Prior Crown at the end of the age. The fied and proven in the form of artificial deities, the
convulsive warfare that marked its final decades did dreaded Gods of Truth. These divine tulpas were
leave its marks, however, and some massive stone- wielded by their cults as weapons of conquest and
built edifices yet remain to decay. Carcian architec- internal enforcement, until the disastrous crusade
ture was greatly influenced by Zakathi work-mania, against Old Amund that resulted in the forming of
and often tended to the monolithic and cyclopean. the Cut and a berserk rampage by the gods in 378
BL. The chaos destroyed most of the Nakadi tem-
The Indur Banners: Beyond the Shangu mountain range ples and gave birth to the eventual empire of Sarx.
of Gyarus, numerous Deeps had opened up not Nakadi ruins are similar to those of the Speak-
long after the Colligation and unleashed dozens ers of the Storm, but tend to be dedicated to par-
of city-states on the surface, each under the ban- ticular cosmic universals, such as space, time, heat,
ner of its own king or chieftain. These civilizations light, life, or other fundamental elements of reality.
clashed repeatedly over control of surface resources, Their temple-laboratories in particular are rife with
and were relatively easy prey for the First Dynasty’s remnant energies.
armies. Many of their customs and ethnicities still
survive among the cities of modern Tseb Hwii.
Indur ruins are often found beneath Tseban
cities, buried under millenia of new construction.
They often have passages downward to their ances-
tral Deeps, many of which still contain Outsider
guardians or alien devices left behind in their an-
cestral exodus.
 9

Old Amund: Born in the heartlands of Agathon from The Suldant Theocracy: When the Pale Emperor per-
the remnants of the Tempest Horde, the Seven Riv- ished or lost interest in the surface world, the re-
ers Confederacy, and several hegemons of the Ten maining surface-cities under his control were left
Thousand Clans, Old Amund was a land greatly leaderless. The Imperator had sealed many of the
blessed with divine heroes. Countless legends per- undeath-arts that they had formerly relied upon, re-
sist of the hundreds of demi-divine warriors and stricting them to the use of himself and his autho-
nobles of that land, many of which were enthroned rized viceroys; without such agents, they could no
as living gods during their time among mortals. longer maintain their old society. If undeath could
Such strength was necessary to hold back the in- not give them eternity, then perhaps green life could;
cursions of the Speakers of the Storm and their fell they threw themselves into the study of plant-based
iron sorcery. Old Amund outlasted the Speakers sorceries and floral life forms. The Green Priests
and almost survived their heirs in the Logomachy were those sage-sorcerers most knowledgeable in
of Nakad, until a final cataclysmic battle shattered such things, and through their magics they trans-
the power of the living gods and destroyed the basis formed much of the Theocracy into a multicolored
of Amundi rule in their lands. jungle. Where once the elites had been gifted un-
Old Amundi ruins are opulently adorned as a death, the Theocracy gave them a half-vegetative
rule, usually with the symbols and iconography of existence, merging them with perpetually-regener-
whatever living god was worshiped in the area. Such ating plant life. In the end, however, the interests
ruins usually have some remaining echo of magical of these half-human Verdant Lords wandered too
power related to the deity’s former portfolio, though far from the interests of their human subjects, and
this magic is often curdled and twisted by long years the Theocracy collapsed into isolated cells of green
of neglect. sorcery amid half-inhabited wilderness.
Suldant ruins are all organic in nature, usual-
The Speakers of the Storm: Successful raiding by the ly grown out of plant life and heavily infused with
Tempest Horde eventually collapsed the decayed sorcery. Many ruins have died in the centuries since
southern portion of the Intoner empire. Far from the theocracy’s fall, and their rot has been known to
their rival banner-clans and with a wealth of an- give birth to foulness-fed things of an awful nature.
cient song lore at their disposal, the newly-settled
Horde concentrated on erecting their familiar The Vothite Empire: Born of the peerless Impera-
forges in the hearts of the old Intoner cities. The tor-Queen Voth, the empire emerged from the
Horde sky priests assimilated the old Intoner caste Well of the One Thought around 2500 BL in
of tonesmiths into a lore of iron and song, and the what would later be known as the Gyre region of
two cultures blended into a knowledge-obsessed Gyarus. Their initial rise was halting, and it wasn’t
oligarchy of intellectual and magical elite. Profound until 1500 BL that the empire reached its true peak.
magical insights were unearthed by the Speakers Blocked from southern expansion by the strength
who ruled each city, and deep truths about the of the Fourth Dynasty, the Vothites spread along
substance of the world and the operation of the much of the northeastern coastline of Gyarus. Long
Legacy were discerned by their legions of honored ages of rule by their Mentarchs and mind-bending
scholar-slaves. Initially this interest in cosmological Thought Houses kept the provinces in line until the
truths was curbed by prudence and a reluctance to empire’s eventual collapse around 1000 BL. Schol-
delve into certain topics, but by the waning years ars are still uncertain as to the cause of this fall,
of the Speakers their rulers were casting off all re- with some crediting internal rebellion by a major
straint in their pursuit of terrible secrets. Thought House, and others preferring a successful
Speaker ruins are invariably orderly, rational, rebellion by renegades somehow immune to the
and geometrical in their outlines. Mathematical empire’s mental binding.
principles inform most architecture, and a particular Vothite ruins tend to be classical in their ar-
love for odd numbers and straight lines are visible chitecture, with few or no mundane fortifications.
in their work. Many of their sites were taken over The occult iconography and memetic symbology
by the Logomachy that followed them, but a few they are decorated with are usually too archaic to
remote cities and settlements had already perished affect modern explorers, but some dangerous com-
from magical mishaps or internal strife by then. pulsions can still be found.
10

The Fallen of the Third Age

The Third Age is commonly counted to begin with the The Plan of the Graven World: The rise of the Plan is
enthronement of the Prior Crown in Atlantis in 498 BL. difficult to trace, as most of its activity took place
Fifteen hundred years have passed since that date, and far below the roots of the Black Spine mountains
several major polities have risen and collapsed during to the west of the Gyre. Led by the Imperator Uba-
that time. The present-day survivors are described in run, this dwarven polity was obsessed with imple-
more detail later in this chapter, but a few of the more menting the Plan of the Graven World. The entire
important lost nations are mentioned here. This list is by purpose of their existence was to carve, engrave, and
no means exhaustive. shape every portion of the world into a single perfect
machine that would ensure peace, abundance, and
The Great Benevolence: The demihuman Great Benev- harmony for all eternity. Massive currents of magi-
olence of the Nagadi is unusual in having almost cal energy were tamed in their great Workings and
completely erased its own existence from the cur- used to power self-sustaining underground cities
rent Iterum. The exact history of the polity is un- and automaton servitors. They first came to the no-
clear, but it appears to have been a major power in tice of surface dwellers around 655 BL and a limited
what is now Lost Emedia and the Anak Wastes. At amount of trade was conducted between the Great
some point early in the Third Age, its Imperator Plan and the Vothite Republic. This traffic did not
Acalis worked a tremendous sorcery that excised last long, however, and by 554 BL all contact from
their entire causal history from the present Iterum the Plan had been cut off. The exact cause of their
and translated it into an unknown realm free of hu- silence has never been confirmed, though surviving
man inhabitants. An alternate history took its place, tales speak of great earthquakes in the mountains
one in which the Dynasts pushed their control to and torrents of murderous light from the peaks.
the southern borders of the Gyre. The only remain- Even now, the states of Runom still sometimes un-
ing Nagadi in the current Iterum are the “Oblates”, earth dwarven devices that retain some remnant of
Nagadi warriors left behind as being unsuitable for their old power.
their new world. Ruins of the Great Plan are easily identified
Little is known of the Nagadi save for a few by the incredibly complex engraving and geomet-
documents and ruins that survived the polity’s ric designs on virtually every surface. Rooms and
translation. They depict the Nagadi as much like corridors interlock in repeated patterns, patrolled
humans, aside from their gold-on-gold eyes and by automated guardians and fueled by channels of
perfect forms. They were supposedly kinder, no- magical energy. Few are inhabited by living crea-
bler, and more courageous than baseline humans, tures, and the surviving dwarves of the Black Spine
famous for their innate compassion and aversion either know little of the Graven World or will not
to violence. It was only after centuries of human speak of it.
raids and exploitation that their Imperator Acalis
transformed certain of their members into “Oblates”, The Remnant Chords: When the Tempest Horde broke
warriors capable of taking human life. While these the southern reaches of the Intoner polity, the
steps curbed the human hostility, the moral influ- northern remnants were forced further north in
ence of baseline humanity was deemed intolerably order to escape the pursuing banner-tribes. There,
corrupting to the Nagadi people, and Acalis even- they took refuge in the backwater tower-cities that
tually saw no other option but complete withdrawal. had been established in the northern provinces. Nu-
Nagadi ruins are beautiful even in decay, carved merous chord-cities formed along the great lake’s
of white stone and adorned with peaceful scenes of shore, pale shadows of their former glory but still
happy life. None have anything resembling fortifica- potent in their remaining sorceries. The decay of
tions or military structures. Considerable wealth in their magic and the evolution of the Legacy gradu-
art remains behind, having been left behind by the ally forced the Remnants into new modes of living,
Nagadi, but the surviving Oblates make its recovery with most of the survivors becoming the people of
a very dangerous prospect. While they are no more the present-day Hyperborean tribes.
innately violent or cruel than baseline humans, they Chord-city ruins tend to have numerous fallen
see themselves as accursed monsters and nurse a towers as a legacy of their old Intoner architecture.
bitter grudge against both humanity and their van- Most have been empty for centuries, but a few pock-
ished brethren. Their sorcery-enhanced martial ets of settled habitation remain around those with
prowess makes that resentment highly dangerous still-functional agricultural magic or climate main-
to outsiders. tenance Workings. Most of these dwellers have been
direly changed by the curdled magic.
 11

The Salt Vassalage: The same Polop invasion that struck in 807 BL. Qwoll enacted a terrible rite that sank
Llum in 807 BL swept over the Vothite provinces of almost the entire nation, using the power of the sac-
the northeastern Gyarus coast. While the local sa- rifice to transform the Polop invaders into masses
traps were able to push back most of the fish-devils, of nacreous coral. The Sisters off the Gyre coast are
five eastern Vothite provinces were overwhelmed. the only surface remnants of Llum, though sailors
The Polop installed themselves as lords over the still peak of the pearl-eyed Llumans below and their
surviving aristocracy, altering them to be depen- supposed claim on all the Atlantean Main.
dent on Polop drugs and gifting them with many Lluman ruins are normally found only on the
strange weapons from below. They were charged Sisters, though outposts and trading marts are
with providing a steady tribute of humans to their sometimes found on farther coasts. The Llumans
overlords, and if they could not acquire them from favored towers erected atop masses of subdivided
their neighbors, they would be taken from their warehouses and workshops. The tops of these tow-
numbers. The harvests continued for almost six ers often rise above the silt of centuries past.
hundred years before a final alliance of vengeful
neighbors and peasant rebels massacred the nobil- The Vothite Republic: The fall of the empire around 1000
ity and drove their Polop masters back into the sea. BL left much of northeastern Gyarus in chaos, with
The swampy province has ever after been considered innumerable breakaway provinces and suddenly-in-
an ill-favored land, but intruders still come to seek dependent domains taking the place of the old fiefs
the old secrets that the Polop left for their servants. of the Thought Houses. The Republic maintained
Vassalage ruins are all adjacent to the water- a relatively firm grip on the imperial core of the
ways by which the Polop once maintained their rule. Gyre, but the eastern coastal provinces respected
Most have both air-filled and aqueous portions, the the Senate in word more than deed. Much of the
latter of which are often now occupied by hazard- Republic’s life was spent in dispatching military sup-
ous water beasts. The great port of Triloukon was port to cooperative provincial governors in order
the heart of their naval power, and even now the to chastise less docile regions, or bargaining with
occasional would-be pirate king dares to reclaim supposed subordinates for theoretically-mandatory
some portion of the ancient city. taxes. While its effective control steadily dwindled
over the centuries, it was never quite overthrown
Sunken Llum: An island nation north of the Gyre, Llum until the Reaping King took effective control of
was a trading hub that negotiated much of the the Vothite heartland and freed its unruly eastern
commerce between Carce and the Vothite Empire, provinces from any practical reason for obedience.
its peak being around 1250 BL. Their mighty Im- Republican ruins resemble their imperial pre-
perator-King Qwoll was able to suppress the Polop decessors, save for the aversion to visual decoration,
cities of the coastal waters until the fishmen invaded iconography, or the other memetic objects.
12

A Timeline of Significant Events

Date Event
3012 BL Beginning of the First Age; supposed end of the Colligation of Epochs
2500 BL Founding of the Vothite Empire with the emergence of the Vothites from the Well of the One Thought.
Assault of the Deep Lords on the surface world. Their footholds are largely abandoned within a
century.
2322 BL Records in Ultima Ondas mention “shining lords of living gold” in what is now Ninth Leng
2300 BL First Dynasty invades Atba Sim to wipe out the Tormentors of Vesh and open their prison-cities, driving
the aliens into the Master's Teeth
2250 BL Fall of the First Dynasty and rise of the theocratic Second Dynasty
1800 BL First sorcerous schools of the Black Pact are organized. First proto-Amundi kingdoms rise, centered
around divine rulers in the Munait and Jilat river basins.
1730 BL Collapse of the Pale Empire as its Imperator appears to vanish
1722 BL Refugees from the Pale Empire found the first of the Still Cities
1710 BL Founding of the present-day Verdancy by the plant-revering Green Priests of the Suldant Theocracy
1700 BL The Sunward Isles are first inhabited by exiles fleeing the Suldant Theocracy and the fall of the Pale
Empire
1680 BL The Tempest Horde finally conquers the Intoner heartlands, driving the survivors north into their
backwater provinces to become the ancestors of Vitrum and the Hyperborean tribes.
1677 BL Expansion of the Boras Mur ice sheet renders Ultima Ondas uninhabitable; its people move south
1650 BL The Liberator Queen drives the Outsiders of the Grand Harmony from Carce; some flee to Tavat,
making it a stronghold guarded by sea-curses
1649 BL Beginning of the short-lived Liberated Republic on Carce, centered on the old fortress-prisons and
new-made surface towns
1605 BL Beginning of the Second Age; the Kingdom of Carce is founded from the wreckage of the Liberated
Republic
1600 BL Dumat Mul erupts in present-day Sarx; the Wind Cities are destroyed or grounded.
1553 BL Second Dynasty loses control of the province of Ai Mej, later the Vothite Empire's Emedia and now
largely part of the Anak Wastes
1530 BL Xindai daimyos complete their centralization of power; the newly-rising Third Dynasty has only
nominal control over them
1522 BL Fall of the Second Dynasty and rise of the sorcerous Third Dynasty
1500 BL Peak of the Vothite Empire
1422 BL Gadavin Coast mentioned as a province of the Vothite Empire
1414 BL Ninth Leng is convulsed by magical ruin when they trade their old gods for the Bright Names
1410 BL Seven Rivers Confederacy collapses when a meteor strike forms the Hammersea atop their heartland
1399 BL First King of Couront chosen by refugees of the fallen Seven Rivers Confederacy
1250 BL Peak of the sea-nation of Llum and its Imperator Qwoll
1200 BL The port city of Triloukon on the Gadavin Coast becomes the prime trading-port of the Third Dynasty.
The Exile Kingdom in modern-day Vitrum falls and the Gaian Voices give way to the Choral Republic
1150 BL The Anak legions of the Grand Harmony break free and wipe out the last remnants of that polity in the
present Aristoi Principalities
1012 BL Completed transformation of the Speakers of the Storm into the Logomachy of Nakad in present-day
Sarx and the nomads of Sath Ingit
1000 BL Vothite Empire falls; Vothite Republic begins
980 BL Vothite Republic loses Emed-Mar to the Anak after a volcanic eruption causes widespread disasters
 13

Date Event
807 BL Fall of Llum and invasion of the Gadavin Coast by the Polop; the great Dynastic port city of Triloukon
falls to them
790 BL Fall of the Third Dynasty due to accumulated strains and rise of the bureaucratic Fourth Dynasty
785 BL Xindai daimyos brought to heel by the Fourth Dynasty, who appoints a shogun to control and
manage them
720 BL Xindai receives a renegade Nakadi sorcerer who brings several varieties of demihuman with him;
these later form communities in Xindai
655 BL Plan of the Graven World first contacted by the Vothite Republic beneath the Black Spine mountains
544 BL Plan of the Graven World ceases contact with the surface
510 BL The Predecessants of Atlantis take service with the Carcean Task-House Phaistos, later to betray them
498 BL Beginning of the Third Age; Fall of the Kingdom of Carce and founding of Atlantis by its new Prior
Crown
490 BL The Xindai shogunate is captured by the Hironaka family, who make it their hereditary possession.
Beginning of the decline of the Fourth Dynasty's power over Xindai
482 BL The Rain of Red Dust, a catastrophic magical error, transforms Javair into the Choking Dunes
480 BL Kytheron's native nobility conquered by Carcean exiles from Atlantis who marry into their families
400 BL The Choral Republic in present-day Vitrum falls to internal strife, opening the way for the Sathans to
ravage the balkanized remnants of the country for centuries to come.
378 BL Fall of the Logomachy of Nakad as their eidolons turn on them and the vast Cut is created. Rise of
Sarx in its former territories
230 BL The collaborator nobles of Triloukon on the Gadavin Coast are killed by other lords in the region and
their Polop masters are driven into the sea
155 BL The Imperator Shun rises in present-day Llaigis, seizing control of that land and driving out Vothite
Republic forces
1 AL Reaping King lands at modern Ka-Adun
110 AL Xindai shogunate becomes a bauble for daimyos to fight over, a position with little real power
160 AL The Imperator Shun perishes in a failed attempt at living godhood, his Rule of Shun dissolving without
his guiding force. The Vothite Republic is too weak to reclaim Llaigis.
222 AL Marius, first Glass Emperor of Vitrum, uses mysterious Intoner arts to unite the remnants of the Choral
Republic and drive back the Sathan raiders.
241 AL Collapse of the Vothite Republic and their submission to the Reaping King
262 AL Death of Marius, first Emperor of Vitrum, and the recommencement of raids from Sath Ingit
500 AL Rise of the present-day Aristoi Principalities, who drive their bestial cousins north into Shinbu Anak
520 AL "Oni Shogunate" of Xindai, with a brief sequence of demihuman shoguns and grave unrest
605 AL Xindai shogunate effectively abolished due to a lack of any meaningful authority
700 AL Founding date of the oldest currently-surviving arcane school in the Black Pact
801 AL Xindai's soldiery crushes Shenlai province's military forces as part of a rebellion; the Hundred Schools
descend to save the province from a monstrous invasion from the Shining Peaks
802 AL Disintegration of the Fourth Dynasty into its successor-states and a new Fifth Dynasty in the heartland
805 AL Xindai gains de facto independence due to concessions from the Fifth Dynasty as payment for their
help in bringing the Tui clan to the throne
810 AL Hantu established as an independent state nominally led by the Fourth Dynasty's imperial heir
855 AL Destruction of the province of Emed-Dar by Anak raiders
856 AL Founding of the Anak nation of Sarul in the Gyre
1055 AL Current date
14

Seas and Mountains of Note

There are numerous great landmarks within the trackless inscriptions in the range for three thousand years.
wilds of the Latter Earth, but a few of them are so vast Most of the larger works have names given by the
that even distant scholars know of them. The features Amundi, and while most of the crews have fallen
listed below are only the greatest of these. prey to the range’s dangers over the past millenia,
some still labor on.
The Atlantean Main: That sea formed between Atlantis,
Sarx, the Gadavin Coast, and Kytheron. Relative- The Cut: The product of a disastrous clash of sorcery in
ly few sea monsters or Outsider perils exist in the 378 BL, the Cut is a massive cleft running from the
Main, allowing for a rich trade among nations... and Atlantean Main to the Bight of Nakad, fifty miles
regular profit for the many pirates and privateers wide at most points and seemingly bottomless. The
who sail it. waters on either end of the cleft are prevented from
flowing in by some spatial distortion, but the sides
The Bight of Nakad: Accounted as all the seas between of the Cut appear to have sliced through scores
the tip of the Godblight and the coast of the Chok- of ancient subterranean Deeps, exposing them to
ing Dunes, the Bight teems with pirates preying on those daring enough to scale the gorge. A few up-
Sarxian ships, naval forces from the surrounding na- thrust lengths of megastructure wreckage within
tions, and an age-old infestation of sea monsters off the gorge provide a way to cross to the other side,
the coast of Runom. Its small isles are richly veined but only bold travelers would risk those roads.
with gold, and Sarxians and freebooters struggle
regularly over the mines there. Gebed Hau: The southern half of the Gebed Hau range
is cold and treeless, but possessed of ancient mines
The Black Spine: Once the western boundary of the that give up gems of remarkable beauty and occa-
Vothite Empire, these mountains now separate the sional occult power. The northern half is lost to the
Gyre and the Anak Wastes from Runom. They are ice of the Boras Mur, but ice-miners of a former
jagged and difficult to cross, with only ancient Out- age cut vast roads and thoroughfares through stone
sider-built passes and transit-cities offering much and frost alike.
of a direct way across. Some such places are still
inhabited, if not always by their original creators. Gebed Mur: The sea-road of the northernmost na-
tions, the Gebed Mur is a freshwater sea that re-
Boras Mur: A glacial sea of endless ice, the Boras Mur sists freezing year-round, save for its perpetually
marks the limit of northern human habitation. On ice-locked northern coast. Vitrum’s ships conduct
land, its glaciers entomb many ancient nations in uneasy trade with the Black Pact across the Gebed
the Far Wastes, and numerous sea isles exist only Mur, while the Still Cities send out undead galleys
as thickened bulks of ice. Adventurers speak of no- to gain new recruits, and the Hyperborean tribes
madic nations of inhuman beings who dwell on the raid south with an equitable hand. The ice-kissed is-
ice, determined to one day spread the Boras Mur to land of Mur Indis was once an ancient, long-lasting
the southern pole. Its glaciers are strange, for they stronghold of human rebels against the Outsiders,
simply swallow and cover what they take instead of but now only their ruins remain.
grinding it flat with their advance.
The Hammersea: A meteor impact in 1410 BL destroyed
The Carcereal Sea: Named for the old Kingdom of the heartland of the Seven Rivers Confederacy and
Carce, all the waters south, north, and east of At- gouged out this freshwater sea, penetrating so deep-
lantis are counted part of this ocean. It teems with ly as to flood a number of buried Deeps. Aquatic
dangerous sea-beasts and aquatic Outsiders; there creatures from the bottom of the world sometimes
has been no reliable contact with the eastern conti- float upward to the surface, usually expiring hid-
nents in presently-remembered history. eously under the sun, but sometimes nesting in ru-
ined Deeps near the surface. Certain sorcerers of the
The Carven Peaks: Mightiest of the northern mountain Black Pact are said to worship the meteor, thereby
ranges, the Carven Peaks earned their name during receiving secret messages from beyond the world.
the First Age, when the Pale Emperor bade his
undead servitors carve the entire mountain range The Herondeep: One of the three great freshwater seas
into a testimony to his immortal glory. While the of Agathon, the Herondeep sees much piracy from
foothills and lower reaches of the range are largely the Shinbu Anak. The Blighted prey on the mer-
untouched, undead carving-crews have been build- chantmen that pass between Kytheron and the
ing mountain-sized statues, memorial tableaux, and Amundi kingdoms or raid the villages of Couront.
 15

The Lakaian Range: Oldest of all the mountain ranges The Seadevil Coast: A narrow band of water north of
in Agathon, these peaks are riddled with the ruins the Gyre. Within it, the Polop are dangerously ac-
of the Grand Harmony and their Outsider citadels. tive, and they and other monsters make sea travel a
Anak tribes driven out by the Aristoi or on the los- perilous prospect.
ing side of Shinbu power struggles nest in the val-
leys and hollows. Scholars believe that some of the The Shangu Mountains: Greatest of the southern moun-
Deeps here were surface colonies of the now-van- tain ranges, the Shangu are majestic, beautiful, and
ished Deep Lords that assaulted the surface during exceedingly dangerous. Three ages worth of Dy-
the First Age. nastic exiles, mad sorcerers, renegade malcontents,
and unspeakable monsters have ventured among its
The Master’s Teeth: The last stronghold of Outsider do- peaks, and not all of them have left their bones there.
minion in the southern continent, the First Dynas- The uppermost reaches of the Shangu are so high
ty’s conquest of Atba Sim drove the surviving Tor- that humans cannot survive without magical aid.
mentors of Vesh into these jagged peaks in 2300 BL.
While many of their mountain fortresses have been The Shining Peaks: These peaks are dangerous not
destroyed over the centuries, they still command only for the warped and hideous beasts that crawl
the heights, and sometimes raid south to acquire among its stones, but also for the lethal blue glow
victims for their hideous rites. that shines from certain ridges and valleys. The
glow waxes and wanes at unpredictable intervals,
The Moebian Ocean: No navigator has ever succeeded and those caught within it rapidly sicken and die.
in reaching the eastern continents by sailing west Guides from the villages of the Litten Coast some-
over the Moebian Ocean. Some great Working or times claim to know the patterns for a particular
defect in the Legacy leaves such explorers sailing stretch of the peaks; sometimes they tell the truth.
vainly for months on end, only to turn back and find
themselves among the Bluecrowns a few weeks later. Ultima Ondas: Formerly the population core and cultur-
al heart of the nation of Ondas, a surge of the Boras
The Pale of Leng: Cursed mountains that guard Ninth Mur drove them south in ages past. The haste of
Leng. Countless strange shrines and obscure tem- the ice’s advance forced them to leave many of their
ples are carved into the range, most abandoned, treasures behind, though certain modern sorcerers
some still supported by sullen mountain villages. are said to have raised cold towers there.
Rogue creatures of unholy origin stalk the valleys
and ridgelines of the Pale. The Whiteskulls: Largely buried by the glaciers of the
Boras Mur, the white peaks of this mountain range
Saidonis Mountains: Studded with Zakathi task-cita- jut above and earn it its given name. The absolute
dels and the ruins of Old Carce, the Saidonis moun- solitude of the peaks combined with the loot buried
tains are rich in ores and valuable metals. They are in the ice below have beckoned more than a few
also volcanically active, with the perpetually-smok- groups of adventurers, along with a few foolhardy
ing Mt. Athra being the most volatile of them. southern gem merchants willing to bankroll expe-
ditions and base camps in the killing cold.
16

A Summary of Lands and Nations

The Amundi Kingdoms: A patchwork of kingdoms, des- The Black Pact: Ancient enemies of the men of Ninth
potates, autarchies, tribes, and lesser polities, the Leng, the sorcerers of the Black Pact rule their cold
Amundi kingdoms share a past rather than a mon- and bitter land in a loose confederacy. Every coun-
arch. Once ruled by living gods and apotheosized cilor of the Pact is a great arcanist in their own right,
beast-deities, the ancient fall of their paragons has and their lonely towers command the unclean cities
left most states decadent, listless, and half-barbaric. and drear villages surrounding them. The evil send-
Great cruelties keep company with great heroics ings of these wizards often bleed over their borders
there, and new temples to strange gods are raised to plague their neighbors.
in lonely places.
The Bluecrowns: Named for the plumes of blue smoke
Anak Wastes: Once held by the Third Dynasty, then by that often issue from their peaks, the Bluecrowns
the Vothite Empire, the collapse of the latter left the are an archipelago of steamy volcanic islands that
heavily-populated lands of the wastes prey to Anak have served as a refuge for exiles and a base for pi-
warbands from the Black Spine. The sudden explo- rates for more than an age. Numerous ancient ruins
sive growth of several arratus in the area finished and pirate dens litter the islands, but the natural
the expulsion of the human inhabitants and left hazards of its jungles and mazey volcanic tunnels
the place the alternately desolate and jungle-choked have been the doom of almost all prior colonies.
wasteland it is today. Even so, isolated remnant-ru-
ins of the demihuman Great Benevolence can still The Choking Dunes: The only human inhabitants of the
be found in isolated places. These are yet guarded Choking Dunes are those dunefolk who know the
by the bitter Oblate Nagadi left behind by their secrets for neutralizing the semi-mutagenic dust of
Imperator during the causal warp that erased their its wastes. These survivors cluster around buried
prior history in the region. oasis-tunnel villages that can still maintain some
magical agriculture in the face of the dangers of the
Aristoi Principalities: Ruled by a breed of highly-refined dunes. The few others that come do so to plunder
Anak nobility, the Aristoi pride themselves on their the buried ruins of the ancient princes of Javair or
self-control, discipline, and personal excellence. trade with the dunefolk for their own salvage.
Even so, this pride does not prevent constant strug-
gles among their princely houses or an incessant Couront: A land of cold pine forests and broad fields
state of warfare with their savage Shinbu cousins of barley, Couront is under the hand of a dozen
to the north. Foreign lords view them as ruthlessly great noble houses who rule by the strength of
effective rulers largely unburdened by either person- their knights and a Church of the Bleeding God
al affections or compassion. that rules by its faith. Monsters and curses bleed
over often from the Black Pact to the west, and the
Atba Sim: Once a human prison-state in subjection to king of Couront is constantly tested in his ability to
the Tormentors of Vesh, the First Dynasty crushed drive back those dark perils.
the Outsiders and planted garrison-forts outside of
their ruins. The heirs of these ancient guardians still The Far Wastes: Legend says that the lands now called
populate the land, keeping watch over the old ruins the Far Wastes were once warm and fertile, cov-
and remaining vigilant against Outsider perils. They ered over in towering jungles and broad plains. The
have little commerce with the outside world, but remnants of this age can still be seen buried thirty
provide services to adventurers who dare to inves- paces deep in the crystal-clear ice that now covers
tigate the ancient prison-cities on the island. the land. Whole cities of some ancient people are
thus entombed, though few dare to plunder them.
Atlantis: One of the greatest powers in the land, the Prior
Crown of Atlantis rules much of the eastern sea. The Fifth Dynasty: Heritor of the fallen Fourth Dynasty,
They fence with Sarx over the Atlantean Main, and the Fifth is little more than a footnote in compari-
struggle at times to put down internal rebellions son to its predecessor. An emperor rules it in name,
and secession movements supported by enemies but practical authority is in the hands of a legion of
from both the present and the past. Some among scholar-bureaucrats who mimic old Dynastic forms
their Zakathi demihuman population resent the without the power those forms once commanded.
current order and remember the glories of Old Its ministers yearn to reclaim its wayward provinces.
Carce.
 17

The Free Clans: A successor-state of the Fourth Dynasty, Kytheron: When the kingdom of Carce fell, most of
the Free Clans are not a single polity so much as a its nobility submitted to the new rule of the Prior
loose alliance of a hundred or more major lineages Crown or were destroyed by his armies. Those that
under regional clan-heads and revered monastic did neither fled to the mainland province of Kyth-
leaders of the Golden Path. Merchants are highly eron, viewed as a backward colonial possession at
respected here, unlike in most Dynastic states, and the time. Its present Queen considers herself the
the wealth of its grandees funds an army powerful rightful ruler of Carce and Kytheronan privateers
enough to discourage the forces of the Fifth Dy- are a lasting threat to Atlantean shipping. Kytheron
nasty’s emperor. itself is a mix of Old Carcean gentility and rough-
edged primitivism, with the heirs of the exiles close-
The Gadavin Coast: Formerly five different provinc- ly pressed by restive natives.
es of the Vothite Empire, control over them was
gradually lost during the Republic era. The political The Litten Strand: In ancient days this mountain range
structure has devolved into city-states and small re- was the site of a terrible war between its native
gional kingdoms, with the exception of the largely demihumans and some alien evil that threatened
uninhabited marshes around the former great port to boil up from below. The poisonous radiance that
of Triloukon. The lands there were lost to a Polop remains of their struggle still infects the peaks and
invasion centuries ago, and the ruins of Triloukon its monstrous denizens, their surface ruins now
are now only infrequently held by some rash pirate given over to Blighted and worse. Some coastal vil-
king or would-be princeling. lages and market-towns remain to support pirates,
refugees, and freebooters seeking wealth among the
The Godblight: When the Logomachy of Nakad fell to dead.
the madness of its artificial gods, most of its schol-
ar-priests were killed by their eidolons or by the Maqqatba: The First Dynasty considered it a sacred
proto-lords of present-day Sarx. Those that sur- duty to entomb its emperors and high officers in
vived fled here, to nurse their old arts in relative the eternal white ice of Maqqatba. These “ice saints”
safety. Their reckless studies have made the land a have been foci of veneration ever since, with schools
desolation and a place of countless horrors. of warriors inheriting the ancient martial tech-
niques of the First Dynasty knights who guarded
The Gyre: The Gyre was once unified under the rule of the tombs. These quarreling sects form the only real
the Reaping King, until his seeming somnolence government in this cold land, their affairs almost
has led to its present state of disorder. It has no wholly separate from the common class of farmers,
neighbor strong enough to step in as a new hege- fishermen, and herders that feed them.
mon save perhaps for Atlantis, but the Prior Crown
shows no interest in such involvement. It may take Ninth Leng: There have been eight Lengs before this one,
a catastrophic season of war to identify a new king. though scholars have few details of them. Scarce
more is known of the land at present, save that it
Hantu: A disorganized remnant of the Fourth Dynasty, is cold, isolated, and much encumbered by priest-
Hantu is only nominally ruled by the current heir hoods of many kinds. Even the commoners are
to the fallen dynasty. In truth, its Empress Mei ac- priests of one strange god or another, and many
tually holds a tight leash on many of its quarreling of the hierarchs are versed in mysterious sorceries
governors, and their chaotic scheming and plotting and the petitioning of the mysterious Bright Names
all merely serve to further her ends. Its peasantry they serve. Lengish merchants buy slaves from
are sorely oppressed by the hereditary literati class, Kytheron in exchange for gold and silver coins and
and they suffer cruelly for the ambitions of their blue jade plaques, but they do not welcome many
governors. casual travelers.

The Hundred Schools: When the Fourth Dynasty col- Ondas: Once seated on the northern island of Ultima
lapsed, several cells of sorcerer-scholars emerged Ondas, a failure of some great climate-Working
from the Shining Peaks to take control of the prov- left the shores of that place entombed in ice and
ince between the mountains and the inland sea. snow. Its refugees made homes among the dark pine
Claiming a line of legitimacy from the Third Dy- forests and cool meadows of the mainland. A pros-
nasty’s sorcerer-kings, they employed their magics perous civilization arose there before the coming
to break the local governors and institute new laws. of savage automatons from beneath the Pale drove
Now the province is a patchwork of domains under them back to the coast two hundred years ago. Now
various splinter sects and arcane schools, some of a great reclaiming is underway to take back their
which are prone to magical accidents, and others frontier lands. Numerous pioneers are pressing west
who are dissatisfied with their limited scope of rule. with the help of their unique Ondasi hurlants.
18

Runom: Once a land inhabited by the demihuman The Still Cities: With the fall of the Pale Empire three
creations of the Logomachy of Nakad, the tribes thousand years ago, its undead refugees colonized
broke away into their own scattered domains when this chill and gloomy land. They have persisted here
Nakad fell and Sarx rose in its place. Now dozens ever since, a land of half-dreaming undead miming
of petty princedoms and clan-holdings bear the the useless habits of life and raiding their neighbors
weight of annual Sarxian raids amid the rivalries for new recruits to eternity. Living humans are treat-
of their neighbors. The Sarxians are known to cut ed as monsters there, and many are the adventurers
deals with Runom’s lords in order to cripple any from foreign lands who raid the dead cities in search
too-promising hegemons who might threaten to of the wealth the undead still produce. Their lords
unite the tribes in resistance. have retained much of their human intelligence, but
the commoners of the Still Cities have had their
Sarx: A land of ruthless order, rich abundance, and reason worn away to little more than repetitious
blood-stained altars, Sarx is the most powerful na- habit in the ages since their conversion.
tion on the northern continent. Its Red Gods grant
blessings of riches and power to its people and offi- Sunward Isles: The plant-obsessed Suldant Theocracy of
cials in exchange for an endless flow of human sacri- the second age had many discontent with the Green
fices. Many of these “honored offerings” are taken by Priests who ruled them. Some were not satisfied un-
slave raids into Runom and the Amundi kingdoms, til they’d put an ocean between themselves and their
but citizens who prove superfluous to the Flame of former lords. Each isle has its own ruler, and their
Heaven’s purposes may also find such an end. competition sometimes boils over into naval war-
fare. Unlike many other lands, the Sunward Isles
Sath Ingit: Sath Ingit’s riders are famed both for their are a “dryland”, one where conventional magic does
peerless cavalry and the tremendous variety of war- not function within a hundred miles of the islands.
beasts they ride. Their beastwrights are privy to the
secrets of molding animals and humans alike, con- Tavat: Craggy Tavat is the beating heart of piracy in
ferring great power on Sathan lords in exchange for the Atlantean Main, a curse-defended foothold
unfortunate costs in longevity and occasionally on for sending out reavers to feast on the commerce
their sanity as well. The beast-clans make regular of the eastern nations. Rulers rise and fall with the
raids on Vitrum, and some even dare the perils of fortunes of various pirate kings, but the anchorages
the Godblight to bring home treasures from afar. here see smugglers and freebooters of every variety...
save for those who seem weak enough to make a
The Scarlet Princes: Heirs of Dynastic cadet branches good meal for the locals.
and losers of internal power struggles, the Scar-
let Princes formed a backwater western province The Tombfell: Cold, desolate, and grim, the Tombfell is
during the Fourth Dynasty. With its fall and the dotted with numerous crumbling Outsider cities
rise of the Fifth, many of these ancient families as- and settlements, the remnants of old refuges against
pire to reclaim old glory or to unseat the “usurpers” humanity’s swelling conquest. Much of the land has
to the east. Their inability to coalesce under a single been transformed into strange arratus by owners
candidate for this is all that has kept them from now dead or in hiding. The terrain itself is wildly
commencing open warfare. Even so, many families unpredictable, with pockets of strange climates and
retain heirloom relics or ancient secrets from the geography inflicted by decaying Workings. Out-
days of their prior glory. siders still dwell in the Tombfell, but they seem to
be much degenerated from their former heights,
Shinbu Anak: Once the rulers of much of the southeast- though still possessed of rich treasures.
ern Agathon coast, the Shinbu Anak were driven
into their present lands by their cousins, the Aristoi. The Tribes of Hyperborea: Once city-dwelling rem-
They count dozens of Anak subspecies among their nants of the ancient Intoner empire, the collapse
numbers, some of them scarcely recognizable as hu- of their urban Workings and the increasing chill of
manoid. Necessity has made them more organized the northern forests and meadows forced the Hy-
than most Anak, and their warlords sport a pow- perborean tribes into either a nomadic existence as
erful pirate navy and bases on the isles of Yamad’s hunters and gatherers or a settled one of barely-ad-
Bones. Their raids plague Kytheron, the Aristoi equate agriculture. They are a proud and ruthless
principalities, and points west. people, sometimes raiding south into Vitrum and
sometimes taking pay to serve southern masters.
 19

Tseb Hwii: The heretical wizard-lords of Tseb Hwii did The Xindai Commanderies: The support of the daimyos
not exterminate the local Outsiders in prior ages, of the Xindai Commanderies ensured the success
but instead enslaved them for their particular tal- of the Fifth Dynasty’s rebellion against the Fourth.
ents and uses. This slavery greatly disquiets their This help bought them so many privileges and im-
neighbors, who would rather see the Outsiders munities that they now stand practically indepen-
wiped out, but the Tsebans find their minions too dent of the emperor’s will. They handle much of the
useful to be rid of them. Rumors persist that the Dynastic sea trade through their ports on the Ver-
seeming slavery is actually a facade for hidden Out- million and Carcereal Seas, and their quarreling do-
sider rule. mains are occupied by many breeds of demihuman.

The Verdancy: The Suldant Theocracy of a former age Yain: When the Logomachy of Nakad fell and the red
worshiped all things green and growing as the key empire of Sarx rose in its place, some survivors fled
to eternal life. Their demented remnants linger in the sacrifices of their new masters. These exiles
the Verdancy, a multicolored hell of lethal forest escaped to Yain, where they maintain a shadow of
and maddened flesh-and-flora hybrids. The forest Nakad’s old sorcery without revering their gods. A
makes occasional incursions into Vitrum and Sath powerful sky-navy and a number of potent magical
Ingit, requiring heroes to seek out the twisted things schools defend them from Sarxian invasion and
that guide the intruders and extinguish them before make them a power in the Bight of Nakad.
they plant roots.
Yamad’s Bones: Legend claims that the first successful
Vitrum: A proud empire of glass and iron, Vitrum is rebellion against the Outsiders took place in the
the martial heir to the ancient Intoners and their rich land of Yamad. Rather than admit human suc-
secrets of sonic sorcery. The emperor sends forth cess, the Outsiders sank Yamad into the sea, leaving
his legions to fight the raiders of Sath Ingit, the only its highest points above water. Yamad’s Bones
tribes of Hyperborea, and the green monsters of the are those remnants, each layered over with ancient
Verdancy. Meanwhile, the Vitrumite senate schemes and inexplicable human ruins. This ill-omened past
to profit by these just wars and elevate their own has left them largely uninhabited save by pirates,
kinsmen that much closer to the oft-vacant throne. hermits, and outlaws.
20

THE AMUNDI KINGDOMS

Raucous, tempestuous, and ever-changing, the Amundi The Emirate of Qasir is southernmost, bordering
Kingdoms form the ancient heartlands of Agathon. Doz- the uninhabitable Spoil. Emir Seif is both the land’s lord
ens of nations have left their bones in this graveyard of and the head of the Great Faith dedicated to the worship
gods, and their ruins provide ripe picking for latter-day of the Thousand Gods. According to the Great Faith,
explorers. these gods are not destroyed, but merely distant, and only
through a life of piety can their aid reach humanity.
History The Despotate of Mishar broke away from Qasir
The final centuries of the First Age were a chaotic time, a hundred years ago. Its Despot Amiya is a bloodthirsty
with many early empires collapsing or being overrun queen, eager for war and delighting in barbarous splendor.
by more ambitious neighbors. The lands between the She preys often on the lesser satraps of Nabardura, but
Carven Peaks and the Lakaians were no exception, and her people groan under the weight of her taxes and the
opportunities blossomed with the disappearance of the cruel depredations of her warlike lords.
Pale Emperor and the collapse of the Seven Rivers. The Satrapies of Nabardura bow in theory to the
The first proto-Amundi kingdoms formed around Great King Darius at Capavan, but in practice every
1800 BL, centered on a half-dozen city-states around the satrapy is all but an independent nation with its own
Jilat and Munait rivers. Each of these cities was suppos- petty dynasty. The king allies with the weaker satraps to
edly ruled by a divinely graced god-hero who led their contain the strong and acts as first among equals when
chosen people to unnumbered victories over their rivals repelling attacks from Mishar, but the quarrelsome lords
and the hated Speakers of the Storm to the south. The of this land are often at each others’ throats.
details are unclear, as few records exist from these days. The Kingdom of Pelegrin prides itself on its inher-
As the centuries passed, more god-heroes rose to itance from the great Seven Rivers Confederacy of ages
lead their followers to new heights. Something about past, glorying in the art, music, and elegant architecture
the Amundi lands seemed to act as an incubator for they received from it. Its King Amalric is said to partake
legendary greatness, and hardly any city was without a of some of the ancient divine power of a god-hero, and
half-dozen heroes and a demigod or two. Their quarrels is both famously mighty in battle and famously indolent
and adventures birthed scores of epic poems and prose in rule. Its nobles love pageantry, jousting, and decadent
sagas. Dozens of kingdoms rose, prospered, and fell as excess, and care nothing for their crushed subjects.
their patrons were overcome, while the Speakers of the The Duchy of Vois is one consequence of Pelegrin’s
Storm to the south became the sinister Logomachy of decay. Three hundred years ago its rulers, the Dukes of
Nakad, scholar-thralls to their dark Gods of Truth. Vois, broke away from Pelegrin to obtain de facto inde-
Their rivalry ended in 378 BL. During one of the pendence. Its people are notoriously resistant to noble
regular northern crusades by the Logomachy, some error rule, and its present Duke Clotaire is hard-pressed to
unleashed the shackled eidolons of the Gods of Truth bind its many mayors, aldermen, elders, and headmen
and threatened to annihilate both Nakad and Amund. together to resist the raids from Pelegrin.
Legends speak of the Thousand Gods of Amund who The Duchy of Ostmark is a similar tale, though
marched to drive back the eldritch hordes. At the cost of their departure happened only forty years ago. Many
their divine lives, they broke the invaders and carved the suspect King Amalric’s father let it go intentionally, for
Cut that now separates the two lands. The scorched and now the Ostmarkers are solely responsible for resisting
desolate Spoil is all that remains for their graves. the depredations of the Shinbu Anak to the east. Some
Whatever the gods did to save Amund cost it its whisper that Duke Franz is actually making bargains
special grace as a cradle of divinity. A handful of gods with the Blighted to send them further west.
remained after the divine bloodbath, but they were weak- The Clans of Fidach do not have a recognized lead-
ened and distanced from their followers. The occasional er, but keep to their chill forests and deep hollows in
sacred king or holy queen emerged as the centuries rolled territories hallowed by tradition. Their warriors go south
by, but their powers were far weaker and their reigns far as mercenaries and freebooters, to bring back gold and
briefer. When their kingdoms fell or their temples were luxuries to their primitive homes.
shattered, they vanished as mortals do. The Lost March is a land wholly unknown to this
Without their god-heroes, the Amundi kingdoms book. By some inexplicable oversight, everything about
were thrown back on more mundane forms of struggle. its past, people, and even its internal geography appears
In the past fourteen hundred years since the fall of Nakad, to have been omitted in the available records. Nothing
more than three dozen major kingdoms, despotates, free is known of its past relations with the other kingdoms
domains, principalities, and other polities have formed, of Amund. A creative storyteller could make up almost
prospered, and fallen. Currently there are seven major any kingdom or collection of domains for the March and
domains in Amund worthy of being called kingdoms, have faith that their fictions would not be contradicted
along with dozens of petty border states and vassal lords. by anything else in this book.
 21

Geography Peoples of Amund

The Amundi kingdoms are temperate in climate, with There are four major ethnic groups in Amund, along with
warm, dry coastal plains near the Spoil and a colder, wet- a host of smaller ones. While these types dominate the
ter clime in the Fidach hills. Snow is rare in the south, but nobility of their homelands, it’s not remarkable to see
in winter it falls heavily around Ras Egrin and Salburgh, them mixed among other nations, or for an upstart to
where the broadleaf forests of Nabardura and Vois give make good in another land when opportunity calls.
way to the pines of the northern foothills. Qasiri are found in Qasir and Mishar, being lean,
The Gulf of Amund is relatively free of monstrous amber-hued men and women with long, dark hair and
perils, and every kingdom with a coastline sends heavy black eyes. They favor ornate clothing, often decorated
traffic across it. These ships are as often pirates as traders, with symbols and tokens of their favored gods.
and travelers must weigh the overland perils of bandits Nabar are in Nabardura and western Vois. They are
and wild beasts against the risk of a freebooter’s sail on a tall, broad people with dark skin and hair, and their
the horizon. clothing tends to simple drapes and robes. While of un-
The Carven Peaks mark the western boundary of complicated cut, they enjoy bright shades and brocaded
the kingdoms, the greatest of them fashioned into mas- stitching on their finer garments.
sive monuments to the glory of the long-vanished Pale The Riu are the people of Pelegrin, eastern Vois, and
Emperor. His undead labor crews continue to chip and parts of Ostmark. They are a pale-skinned, dark-haired
dig at the mountains even now, fashioning empty shrines folk, and have inherited much of the old Seven Rivers
and grand edifices that are to be inhabited only by beasts beauty that First Age nation was known for. This old
and renegades. grace comes at a cost; some Riu are known for being
The Spoil is nominally part of Amund, but little prey to ungovernable passions and the occasional fit of
can live on its blasted soil. The curse of so many divine madness.
deaths in such a narrow space has forever blighted the The Marchen are found both in Fidach and Ost-
land. Monsters and worse are constantly congealing out mark, being remnants of a much older kingdom that
of the soured divinity, and it is only for the sake of the collapsed in the First Age before the Seven Rivers rose.
many ancient, abandoned ruins within that adventurers They are of average height but broad-built, with dark or
dare risk that cursed land. brown hair, pale eyes, and ruddy bronze features.
22

Demography pressed by monsters from that twisted forest. The

A rough estimate suggests that as many as 10,000,000 gold and ores of the nearby hills make the old cap-
people live within the Amundi kingdoms, with Qasir ital too precious to abandon.
and Pelegrin being the most populous and Fidach hav- Rukh: Capital of Qasir, built amid the cyclopean ruins
ing the fewest inhabitants. Most settlements cluster near of the greatest temple in Amund. Single shrines
the coasts and rivers, with a few placed inland where a house whole neighborhoods, and the Emir’s palace
secure site and valuable resources can be had. is carved into the monolithic great altar of the place.
There are no major demihuman kingdoms in Sidonne: Once the winter seat of Pelegrin’s king, it’s now
Amund, though a few minor fiefs and remnant domains divided into a half-dozen districts run by clans de-
do exist in the mountain foothills and deeper forests. Ad- scended from the original servants. Each guards
venturers from these people are rare and few, but most valuable secrets about the great palace at its heart.
Amundi have at least heard of their existence. Voigne: Pelegrin’s port on the Herondeep, well-popu-
lated by merchants and by the naval forces charged
Cities and Towns with fending off Shinbu Anak pirates. Many crimi-
Great cities are few in Amund, but every domain worth nals and exiles from Couront flock there.
the name has at least one major urban center. The ones Yath: A lawless den of vice, Yath provisions both the
listed below are merely the most famous among them. pirates of the gulf and explorers of the Spoil. Its
“prince” changes regularly, the succession motivated
Capavan: Capital of Nabardura, with scores of magnifi- either by gold or sharp steel.
cent palaces, most abandoned for decades. Every sa-
trapal family claims one of them but few dare leave Amundi Society
their home fiefs unguarded. Many things now dwell Life is harsh in Amund for most commoners. Peace is
in their empty halls. only ever temporary between its warring domains, and
Ganzabara: The great mart of mercenaries in Amund, the peasantry take the brunt of the raiding. Ties are
with Fidach warriors gathering there and the poor strong between families and kindred because no other
sons of satraps joining them. Their captains intrigue source of sure protection can be had.
with would-be patrons, and some sell more services Every kingdom but Fidach has some caste of nobles
than open warfare. or gentry. In Vois, these are merely the richest burghers
Hazirim: A safer base for expeditions into the Spoil than and most important landowners of the area, and they
Yath, gloomy Hazirim is an exile-prison for nobles have no special authority beyond their own lands and
who have offended the Emir. Such exiles are eager to businesses. In Pelegrin, however, a baron can have a man
present their ruler with relics that might earn them killed for sport alone and no one would think it strange.
forgiveness, and carefully inspect any finds. Most other nations have lighter degrees of noble author-
Jilat: Seat of Mishar’s despot, famed for its mighty walls ity, but it’s never safe to make an enemy of the great.
and the great arena she oversees. Champions gain Slavery is common throughout Amund, save in Fi-
a place of great favor with her; losers are fed to the dach, where it is considered degrading to both slave and
dogs. owner. In Qasir and Mishar, slaves partake of some of the
Kennet: The only city worth mentioning in Fidach, Ken- status of their owner, and a great lord’s slaves are subject
net is little more than a trading port for merchants to fearful deference. In Nabardura, Vois, and Ostmark
on the Hammersea. It’s been burnt a dozen times they are counted as little more than movable property
by raiders, but the clans think nothing of import is or valuable battle-spoils. Slavery technically exists in
lost by such temporary inconveniences. Pelegrin, but merely as a class of serf that can be legally
Khatin: A mining town reliant on the ores of the hills and sold off their land by their lord. Few find any meaningful
the charcoal of the forest. Its warriors prevent the difference in the distinction.
forest beasts from overwhelming Mishar’s southern Social classes are stark in Amund, but they are also
farms. considerably more fluid than in some other lands. The
Mundburgh: Seat of the Dukes of Ostmark, and a sig- fortunes of war, the vagaries of politics, and the chances
nificant port city. Its Duke Francois is Riu, but most of the market can all conspire to upend a noble house or
here are Marchen, and like him only a little better bring wealth and power to a slave. A self-made noble is
than their old Pelegrin masters. often given more credit than one of ancient lineage, for
Rais Egrin: Magnificent ancestral seat of Pelegrin’s kings, the former can at least be sure to have been good at some-
the palace there is of pale adamant and jewel-bright thing to get their current rank. A useful servitor to a king
stones. Nobles live in the old Seven Rivers quarter can easily rise to the highest rank, just as a disappointing
of magnificent villas, while peasants patch together one can quickly meet the axe.
half-ruined buildings and erect shanties in ancient This instability tends to lend a violence of spirit
courtyards. to life in the Amundi kingdoms. When everything can
Rais Vois: Capital of the Dukes of Vois. With the Stark- change so quickly, there are many who will dare great
wald arratu to the east, the inhabitants are often risks to get the better of such shifts.
 23

Government and Law Religion in Amund

Every kingdom has its own laws, and most of them are Amund is god-burnt, its history teeming with demi-di-
unsurprising to visitors. Outside of Vois and its watchful vine heroes and god-kings and its present sorely lacking
burghers, however, enforcement tends to be lax. A bandit in such figures. The rough western hill country nurtures
who can cross a border is unlikely to be pursued, and a some monasteries of the Golden Path, and the Bleeding
noble who commits some infamy against a commoner God has a surprisingly strong presence among the most
is seldom troubled by the magistrates. A lack of legal downtrodden Pelegrin serfs, but most gods in Amund
rebuke does not make such things safe, however, as ven- are makeshift deities revered only in a single city or king-
geance is punished no more carefully than crime. dom.
The rulers of the Amundi kingdoms are theoretical- The Great Faith is an exception, being the state
ly absolute monarchs. Within his own palace, the Great religion of Qasir and the de-facto faith of Mishar. They
King of Nabardura can have the head of any man with revere the vanished gods that turned back the Gods of
a fingersnap, and only a fool of a courtier would dare Truth during the catastrophe of 378 BL, their shrines
gainsay Despot Amiya her slightest whim. Even Duke and priests all dedicated to their memory and their wor-
Clotaire in Vois may have his own way in Rais Vois ship. Its believers are taught to be truthful, brave, gener-
without heeding the complaints of the burghers. Alas, ous, and obedient to their lords. Some followers take to
this authority weakens rapidly the further the offender the lessons better than others.
is from the king’s soldiers. The City Gods are a compound of ancient heroes
None of the kingdoms have very developed bureau- and dimly-remembered divinities, each major city having
cracies or administrative resources. A lord may have a a host of them recorded in their past. Rather than rever-
number of courtiers and ministers, but these grandees ing them individually, most cities have temples dedicated
are usually nobles in their own right with their own do- to them as a whole, with prayers and sacrifices offered to
mains and interests. The only bureaucrats that exists are them as an indistinct pantheon. They oversee the city’s
those few clerks, messengers, and baliffs that might be prosperity and fortunes in war, and are invoked to bring
personally attached to a noble. Far more numerous and blessings on its people.
important are the dependent warriors that make up the A farmer seeking good harvests or a sailor wishing
noble’s military forces. fair winds turns to the Need Gods. If a petitioner knows
Thus, if the king wants something done in a far place, of no specific god to help them, they tend to call out to
he must send a messenger and hope the local lord carries any who might listen, making a generic appeal to the gods
the order out. Any single rebel baron can be crushed eas- of war, health, harvest or sea. Priests of the Need Gods
ily by the king – assuming he notices the disobedience boast of their knowledge of many different deities of past
– but a widely despised command cannot be rammed ages, all of which are guaranteed to grant splendid success
through by brute force. in exchange for the proper rituals and tributes. Other
As a consequence, every ruler in Amund is always Need Gods are well-known in particular communities,
looking for agents and trusted envoys to investigate mat- having been hallowed by tradition and regular use.
ters and resolve royal difficulties. Because so many local The Living Gods are the most disturbing of the
gentry are compromised by their ties, outsiders such as modern faiths. These sects revere actual living deities,
adventurers or foreigners often become such agents... and with whole communities shot through with rituals and
are wholly reliant on the king’s protection should they sacrifices to their glory. Some such gods are little more
make powerful enemies. Sometimes it is convenient for than divine beasts, ravenous for sacrifices, while others
a king to let an unfortunate agent take the blame for an appear as human heroes or more sentient divinities.
order’s regrettable outcome. Their power is almost always restricted to a single city
Ultimately, however, most of Amund’s rulers are not or small region, though it can be fearsome within that
nearly so interested in detailed obedience as they are in scope. Some such gods have been summoned by their
the timely provision of taxes and soldiers. A lord who priests, while others appear to be the product of the old
pays his due and brings aid in time of war is forgiven Amundi predilection towards birthing divinities. Their
many little errors and failures in decorum. An adventurer strange ways often leave their protectorates isolated and
who cuts their own domain out of a country might well avoided by unbelievers.
be made a legitimate vassal by the king, provided they Aside from these types of deities, the land itself is
carry their responsibilities well and didn’t kill anyone the littered with the remnants of old shrines and forgotten
monarch especially liked during their conquest. temple complexes erected over the course of centuries.
Lesser lords tend to act with the same free spirit as Every so often some mad petitioner unearths some frag-
their master. The common law does not exist for such ment of old divinity, usually with disastrous consequenc-
grandees, but only the custom and opinion of their peers. es. Such dangers do not prevent modern seekers from
Disagreements between them are not settled by lawyers, searching out these old places, for the ancients were often
but by raids, marriages, bribes, or the occasional risky generous in their golden sacrifices, and the gods are so
appeal to a king who might like the chance to cut down long dead that they cannot be expected to object to their
an overly-powerful vassal. plundering.
24

Adventuring in the Amundi Kingdoms

Adventure comes easy in the Amundi kingdoms, with
so many different states at odds with each other and so Antagonists
many ancient ruins awaiting a bold explorer. Adventurers The powers of Amund want gold, glory, and rule over
are practically respectable among noble courts, provided their peers. With such an attitude being commonplace,
they have enough worthy deeds to their names or enough it’s not difficult for a band of adventurers to find antago-
plundered gold to impress. Even kings will not consider nists amid their travels.
it beneath their dignity to deal with a proven hero or
entrust them with some great task. Of course, all such Ancient Abominations: Monstrous things still dwell in
glory comes at the price of terrible risk, and far more the wilderness of Amund, some of them decayed
adventurers are made in a year than ever see it out alive. remnants of ancient gods that once had hosts of
loyal worshipers. Many have gone mad in the long
Exploration Adventures years of isolation and loss, and are a terrible danger
Amund was more populous and far more developed to any who draw their attention.
in the Second Age, when the god-heroes were at their Bandit Lords: Anyone with enough swords at their com-
height and their magnificent cities covered the land. mand can be a king in Amund, and there are more
With their passing, the wilderness has crept in to swal- than a few border provinces and isolated domains
low whole nations, with abandoned cities and half-buried where no law runs but a warlord’s will. These bandit
roads through the perilous wilds. The forested foothills lords are a scourge on their neighbors, being too
of the Carven Peaks are particularly rich in such lost cit- strong to easily drive off, yet canny enough to avoid
ies, many of which were built after the Pale Emperor drawing a king’s full anger.
vanished and his empire disintegrated. Cruel Nobles: Might rules in the Amundi kingdoms, and
Numerous flecks of islands dot the Gulf of Amund a noble who wants something can be expected to
and the two inland seas that touch Amundi kingdoms. take it. If the PCs have something they desire or are
Too minor to have earned any cartographic note, they’re in the way of some ambition, the heroes can’t hope
still large enough to hide valuable secrets, and some re- to be sheltered by mere laws.
main in the grip of peoples and kingdoms that have long Death Cultists: The edifices cut out of the Carven Peaks
since collapsed on the mainland. A few are even reputed hold many of the necromantic secrets of the Pale
to be Outsider strongholds still, with their bizarre cities Emperor. Some zealots still revere the vanished Im-
and half-poisonous surrounds. perator in hopes of obtaining eternal unlife. Others
The Lost March has room for any manner of explo- merely seek these places to loot them of their occult
ration a GM could wish. If you’re not using it as a con- lore. Both kinds have a need for living victims.
venient blank spot for setting your own campaign, you Mad Priests: Amund’s history is so god-ridden that there
can make it a trackless wilderness for ambitious heroes are bound to be some devil-deities or alien powers
to explore. that have their own crazed priesthoods. These ne-
farious gods tend to be very direct in their blessings
Dungeon Adventures and punishments alike, and so attract those follow-
The Carven Peaks have been sculpted for thousands of ers who are in need of tangible rewards. Few such
years by tireless undead carvers, whole mountains rid- believers make good neighbors.
dled with galleries and temple-cities dedicated to the Pale Ruthless Rebels: It’s no surprise that the harsh life in
Emperor. Often every inch of these megastructures is Amund gives birth to its share of rebels and rene-
engraved with symbols and artistry praising the vanished gades, some of them banding together into secret
Imperator. While these delvings are far from human hab- societies or roving warbands. While some of these
itations, some renegades or monsters find them conve- groups are earnestly idealistic, the most successful
nient nests, if a sufficient source of food can be found tend to be the most ruthless, amoral, and grasping.
nearby. When they die, their belongings become bait for Some are willing to unleash atrocities on their own
adventurers. people, if only to weaken a lord’s grip by a little.
Many of Amund’s cities are built on top of ancient Sarxian Raiders: The Cut and the Spoil prevent easy
settlements, or are presently part of the obdurate remains overland raids from Sarx into Amund, but the sea
of such places. These time-lost buildings often make pas- makes a good road for their grim galleons. Coastal
sageways deep below the earth, or have hidden wings villages and market towns are their chief prey, their
and districts that can only be found by those who know populations swept up and carried south to the altars
their old secrets. It’s not uncommon for such places to of Sarx. A fast ship can sometimes catch up with
still have an unwelcoming remnant of their former pop- them in time to save the taken.
ulation.
 25

Amundi Names Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Male Female Place Names Aspiring legendary hero seeking to
1 Almeric Aisha Al-Hair emulate a past name

2 Carloman Alys Altdobern Weathered temple-robber of the

ancient ruined fanes
3 Chilperic Audovera Askar
Acolyte of a minor god in need of
4 Clovis Blasina Auch some great deeds to glorify it
5 Crutbolc Brunhilda Auragne
Runaway Pelegrinian serf willing to
6 Cyrus Clotilde Briach risk terrible danger for gold
7 Gruith Deidre Cante Escaped slave determined to make
8 Hakim Helene Darband a new and better life

9 Heinrich Jamila Hermsdorf Backwoods peasant inured to the

dangers of the wilderness
10 Jafar Joan Mauressac
Mercenary out of work due to
11 Jean Leila Monze some failure in a patron
12 Murad Maela Moy Foreigner seeking a quick path
13 Nassir Marie Obergurig upward in Amundi society
14 Parviz Mina Shakal Beached pirate whose captain
15 Phillipe Sara Tarakah made a poor choice of foes

16 Qasim Soraya Taurize Scholar seeking the secrets of the

ancient Amundi gods
17 Shapur Tamina Tilaku
Freelance spy who works for
18 Talorg Ultragotha Unzent whichever patron will pay
19 Urcrin Waldrada Verzeille Last priest of a near-forgotten
20 Xerxes Yasmin Weisengrund divine hero

Example Amundi Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Rapacious lord of Downtrodden A new god is said Holy relic of a Ragged rural
1
the area peasant clan head to have arisen here now-dead god village
Priest of some half- Earnest knight of The local lord has Ancient precious Debaucherous,
2
mad god some petty lord been usurped temple goods grimy tavern
Sorcerer from the Slave seeking a Oppressors are Antique token of Border lord’s ram-
3 Carven Peaks new and better life plundering the the local authority shackle keep
locals with taxes to rule
Merciless bandit Scholar of the prior An ancient god’s Dead noble’s hid- Long-lost temple to
4
chieftain era of the gods artifact has run wild den loot cache a dead god
Scheming merchant Idealistic healer War-born famine is Fist-sized gems Shrine to a local
5
with noble ties seeking to help stalking the area from an idol’s eyes god-hero
Vicious monster Foreigner lost in this A rebel is gathering Supply of arcane Splendid palace
6 from the wilds harsh land the discontented to and addictive drug from a former age
his banner of art and grace
Rebel with no care Deposed noble A hideous monster Proof of a noble’s Burnt-out ruins of a
7
for collateral harm seeking revenge is abroad here treacherous plan bandit attack
Mercenary captain Hard-bitten back- The local ruler is Dead warlord’s Abandoned city
8 who’s more than woods wanderer betraying his land lost payroll and dedicated to a
half bandit for some rich profit plunder hoard vanished god
26

THE ANAK WASTES

Cursed by history and plagued by brutal Blighted war-
riors, few who enter the Anak Wastes ever emerge alive. Regions of the Wastes
Even so, the wealth of the ancient Dynastic cities within Modern explorers and possessors of ancient maps have
and the promise of lost occult secrets are enough to draw been able to identify several distinct regions with the
adventurers, despite the likelihood of a terrible doom. Waste. While some are more dangerous than others,
none can be said to be safe for human habitation.
History
Once the lush Ai Mej Province of the Second Dynas- The Ashblight: A Hell of fungi and ash that extends north
ty, the present-day lands of the Anak Waste were a rich into the Gyre, the Ashblight arratu is a prison for
and fertile farming province for the priestly lords of that the weakest Anak clans, the ones unable to steal bet-
lost empire. Dozens of major cities dotted its forests and ter land. Parasitic fungi are a constant threat here.
plains, and several important magical schools called its Shadag’s Road: Named for the Anak warlord who was
hills their home. While the inevitable perils of the Latter most responsible for the eventual fall of Emed-Mar,
Earth could be found in its wilder corners, the Anak were this stretch of sandy desert is perpetually dry and
its worst threat, and they were confined to the mountain ash-choked. Only knowledge of its hidden cave-
Deeps where the largest clans had been spawned. Aside wells can make it passable.
from the occasional large-scale raid, there was little to The Cinders: A stretch of small volcanic peaks, infested
fear from the Blighted. with beasts of flame and poisonous smoke. Rich
Unfortunately, a religion-driven civil war between veins of precious minerals have been vomited up
competing occult sects resulted in the collapse of Dy- near their crowns, but few can reach them.
nastic authority in Ai Mej around 1553 BL. The rising Lost Emed: Once the portion of Emedia known as Emed-
Vothite Empire to the north stepped in to fill the void, Mar, this jungle was once a fertile and well-watered
and Ai Mej Province became the empire’s Emedia. plain. When the Anak seemed certain to overrun it,
This transition came at a cost, and the southern its last defenders used mighty magics to artificially
reaches of the province around the headwaters of the trigger the same Legacy disruption that had created
Zinju became too dangerous for human settlement. A the other arratus in the Wastes; rather than bring-
ferocious Anak warlord, Ka the Tensplitter, unleashed ing forth an ancient hellscape, however, it revived a
a magical miasma from his mountain stronghold that protohistorical jungle of cycads and massive ferns.
petrified the entire frozen forest now known as Ka’s Gar- The huge lizard-beasts that stalk it are mindlessly
den. His peers worked more prosaic havoc around the ferocious, and often nest in its ruined cities.
shores of Ivory Lake, and destroyed the peaceful towns The Strait: Named for the narrow bands of grasslands
and cities that had once stood there. amid the three surrounding arratus, these lands are
Even so, the Vothites were able to hold back the fought over regularly by Anak tribes and soldiers of
Anak from the northern half of the province for centuries, the Fifth Dynasty trying to push the border north.
allowing the ancient graces of Ai Mej to linger in Emed- The lack of any truly monstrous perils makes it an
Mar. In time, however, the empire fell to the Republic, inviting place for novice adventurers able to dodge
and the ensuing chaos left the border sorely undefended. the Anak tribes, as many ancient towns and ruins
In 980 BL, while the Republic was embroiled in their of Ai Mej still stand unplundered.
struggles for internal unity, the volcanic range known as Ivory Lake: Once the lake was named for the white-
the Cinders blew its guts out, darkening much of north- walled cities of its shore. Later, it was named for
eastern Gyarus for a full year. While the Legacy was able the bones of the dead that were mounded around it.
to contain the damage locally, the ensuing convulsions The northeast coast of the lake is low and swampy,
weakened the world-binding sorcery enough for several a place of refuge for Dynastic criminals and exiles.
ancient arratus to awaken from their long quiescence. Ka’s Garden: The trees of this forest are of gray stone,
The Anak took advantage of this chaos to strike every one perfectly petrified. Nothing living grows
north, overwhelming Emed-Mar and threatening the in this place, though there are many undead dating
remaining Emedian provinces. The Republic was able back to Ka’s conquest. The Anak warlord’s tomb is
to fend them off at last, but the lands now known as the said to be somewhere within, an ancient Dynast’s
Anak Wastes would never again be inhabited by baseline bones thrown out to make room for the conqueror’s
humans. body and a king’s ransom in stolen treasures.
In the centuries since, the Wastes have been a con- The Torn Plains: Corked up by Ivory Lake and the ar-
stant scourge to both the Dynastic heritor-states and the ratu of Salt, the Anak clans on these plains have no
Gyre. As terrible as the land is and as ferocious as its convenient foe but each other. The ancient moun-
masters are, there seems little prospect for that to change. tain-Deeps seem to disgorge new tribes every time
the old ones finally kill each other off.
 27

The Four Wounds The Lords of the Wastes

Four great arratus erupted in Ai Mej when the Cinders The Anak are the undisputed masters of Ai Mej, but their
blew out. Each of them is named for some unearth- clans are constantly at war with one another. Those near
ly quality they possess. While creatures do live within the borders raid into the Gyre and the Fifth Dynasty to
these accursed lands, all of them are wholly unlike any bring back food, slaves, and plunder, and their neighbors
terrestrial beast. raid them to take what they have gathered. Most tribes
sneer at the thought of picking over Dynastic ruins, there
Iron: A sandy wasteland, but every grain is of dull, un- being no pleasure in taking baubles from those who do
smeltable iron. Jagged edifices of razor-sharp metal not suffer at the loss.
jut up from the sand, vibrating and moaning in the Anak clans range from small groups of a few score
sulfur-stinking winds of the arratu. Hunting crea- adults to massive hordes of thousands, usually dwelling
tures of rusted metal await living prey. in the most defensible ruins in the area. They remain as
Bone: The earth has been flensed away from a massive long as the hunting and the killing are both good, or until
network of hill-sized bones and joints, as if the car- they are swept away by a rival warband.
cass of some gigantic creature lies flayed beneath the The Anak are not the only intelligent inhabitants of
earth. The bones are living, with poisonous black the wastes, however. Renegades and criminals from the
marrow, and many wormlike creatures dwell in Fifth Dynasty are known to slip over the border in search
holes bored within the titanic masses. of refuge in some abandoned town. Now and then some
Blood: This arratu is deceptively normal-seeming, save mad soul will seek to establish a farming village in a “safe”
for a distinct smell of copper in the air. The land is place. Sometimes the place lasts out the decade. At other
inhabited by a humanoid Outsider species the lo- times, it doesn’t last out the season.
cal Anak call kaddak, who appear to require human Other varieties of intelligent humanoid can also be
or Blighted blood for both religious and sorcerous found in the Wastes. Nonhumans don’t inspire the in-
purposes. stinctive Hate in the Anaks, and so can sometimes form
Salt: The air here is full of poisonous salt, the ground small communities so long as they have the strength to
crusted white with it. The towns within the arratu hold them. Some say that Outsiders have made nests in
are unplundered, but it is death to seek them. the Four Wounds, and that not all of them are immune
to diplomacy.
28

THE ARISTOI PRINCIPALITIES

The Aristoi Principalities form the largest non-baseline
human polity in Agathon, if not the entire western hemi- People and Culture
sphere. Centuries of sorcerous eugenics have rendered its The average Aristoi is the product of centuries of alchem-
Anak lords very unlike their cousins and made them far ical and sorcerous eugenics. Most are of the same general
more inclined to human intrigues. size as their baseline human subjects, with skin tones of
greens, grays, or earthen colors. Hair and eye colors are
History usually dark, and their ears and teeth tend to delicate
When the Liberator Queen broke the Grand Harmo- points. They are usually accounted to be extremely hand-
ny on Carce two and a half millenia ago, its surviving some or beautiful by most baseline standards.
Outsider lords were forced back to their mainland The chief characteristic of Aristoi thinking is fore-
strongholds. Infuriated by their losses, they turned their thought. No normal Aristoi ever acts without consid-
efforts towards breeding more and more Anak warriors ering the consequences of their choices, and while they
to avenge themselves on the hated humans. may act with great daring, they do so after gauging the
For almost five hundred years, the Outsider city- odds. They have a natural predilection towards intrigue,
states in the lowlands and the Lakaian mountain range plotting, and present sacrifice for future gains.
created innumerable varieties of Anak. At first they were Their entire society is built around producing new
united in wishing vengeance on the Carceans, but as their generations of cunning, capable, self-disciplined rulers.
prospects of success dimmed, their Anak legions were Aristoi “whelps” lack full personhood until passing a
turned on each other. Each species of Outsider warred family’s traditional tests of adulthood. The ten to fifteen
to become paramount over their rivals. percent that fail are commonly poisoned so as not to
This struggle compelled them to progressively loosen risk tainting the bloodline, though some manage to flee.
the sorcerous bindings on their creations, making them Each Aristoi family rules their own domain, wheth-
more and more capable of fighting fellow Outsiders. In- er a small plot in informal vassalage to a greater neighbor
evitably, the legions broke free in 1150 BL. In an exultant or a grand duchy or principality. These clans rule over
orgy of slaughter the Anak erased the lowland Outsider human commoners and serfs, who are generally treated
cities and sent the survivors fleeing into their mountain fairly but who cannot hope to attain any post more signif-
fastnesses, never again to rule over their creations. icant than a village mayor or military captain. Intermar-
Having broken the power of their creators, the Anak riage is not unknown, but Aristoi blood predominates.
promptly seized their tools and continued their experi- The Aristoi love elegance, pageantry, and all such
ments. Each major tribe performed hideous alterations pursuits that reward careful consideration. Their country
on their own people, constantly seeking greater might manors are graceful, their commoners well-ruled, and
and cunning or imbuing them with new shapes and pow- their assassinations conducted with the utmost taste.
ers. Anak nations rose and fell, with whole new species Murder, warfare, and politics are to be carried out with
of monstrous Blighted appearing, spreading, and being decorum, fully remembering that present victory is often
destroyed by those who followed. matched with future hardship. Human soldiers form the
The victors of these centuries of war were not the bulk of their armies, but even their internecine wars rare-
most savage Anak, but the most far-sighted. One par- ly touch on the farmers and peasants, as both sides wish
ticular tribe, later known as the Aristoi, employed their to preserve valuable resources.
creator’s sorcery and alchemy to breed scions who were
far more inclined to cooperation and self-discipline than The Land and its Cities
their peers. These Aristoi Anak had a vastly lessened The southern “lowland estates” are hot, swampy, and
sense of Hate and far more ability to restrain their own heavily overgrown. Farming villages grow rice and net
urges in the service of cold reason. fish amid the countless small waterways, and graceful
The Aristoi fought as liberators of the human slaves Aristoi plantation-houses command the higher rises.
their rivals had taken and employed their new subjects as Warfare in the lowlands often relies on small groups of
warriors in their armies. By 500 AL, their rivals had been river raiders and targeted assassinations, as the land gives
driven north to become the Shinbu Anak, and the Aristoi little help to moving large bodies of troops.
were the exclusive masters of the present principalities. The northern reaches, past Uzynkol Lake, are drier
While the Aristoi are far more given to cooperation and more open, with broad plains speckled with forests
than normal Anak, they still retain considerable ambi- until the deeper woods of Pokrov are reached. The cli-
tion and self-interest. The result is the present patchwork mate here is cooler and more temperate, and suitable for
of principalities, duchies, counties, and baronies, each the massed cavalry that the Aristoi rulers here prefer.
independent save for specific ties of alliance and conve- While there are several large cities among the Prin-
nience. Every domain has its Aristoi clan to rule it, and a cipalities, no single clan claims exclusive rule of any. A
great hegemon has yet to arise from among them. viceroy appointed by the city council manages the daily
 29

affairs of each city, while the council itself is

made up of representatives of the most im-
portant local Aristoi families. The constant
intrigue and scheming to seize a bigger portion
of the city’s taxes makes for a lively entertain-
ment for the councilors.
Pokrovka is the northernmost city, and
serves chiefly as a naval port and military
stronghold against the constant depredations
of the Shinbu Anak.
Uspenov holds a strategic commercial po-
sition, having numerous smithies and mines in
the Lakaian foothills to the west. Much of its
output ends up in Pokrovka.
Suvoro is counted the most beautiful of
Aristoi cities, numerous lake canals threading
between splendid townhouses of fine Lakaian
marble. Far from both Shinbu raiders and
coastal pirates, its people are renowned for
their elegance, their courtesy, and their three
competing assassin guilds.
Banovka is the chief trading port of
the lowlands, a stream of riverboats carrying
swamp plantation produce to its markets. The
houses of the human merchants here copy the
pillared plantation-home styles of their Aristoi
superiors. Many are said to be discontented
that their great wealth cannot buy them the
same rank and status as their masters.
Zharken is a city of exiles, pretenders,
failed usurpers, and the criminals who serve
their needs. The destruction of a major Aristoi
family several decades ago left the surrounding
lands in chaos, and the city councilors haven’t
the strength to prevent outside powers from
moving in.

The Adventuring Life

Surplus sons and daughters of struggling Aris-
toi clans often find it necessary to take up life
as mercenaries, as that and a life in the clergy
are the only two “respectable” professions for
the nobly-born. As the Aristoi chiefly worship
ancestors and abstract concepts of victory and
wisdom, the opportunities for clerics are few.
These mercenaries tend to mix in with
foreign adventurers and the disgraced victims
of Aristoi plotting. Ancient Outsider ruins are
regular targets of such bands, and expeditions
into the Lakaian range to pry open some an-
cient alien city or failed conqueror’s tomb are
commonplace.
Adventurers are treated courteously by
the Aristoi, as all are, but most are viewed as
unreliable tools at best. They can be hired for
brute work, but if matters go astray, there is
no objection to dropping the association... and
perhaps tying up the loose ends as well.
30

ATBA SIM
Once the domain of the horrible Outsiders known as ent fortress-clans, and sometimes war as well when there
the Tormentors of Vesh, the ancient First Dynasty broke are disputes over succession to a generalship or access to
their power and drove them north into the Master’s a valuable resource. These disputes tend to be small-scale,
Teeth. The heirs of their guardian garrisons dwell here as every fortress is armed with First Dynasty defensive
still, maintaining their ancient watch on the mountains. artifacts that would crush any open assault; if a fortress
is to be taken, it can only be by cunning or politics.
History The island of Atba is cold and dry, particularly in the
The Outsider rulers of Latter Earth were of a thousand southern reaches and the great Simnok taiga. Crops of
kinds. Some treated humans as mere cattle; others were barley and jade sorghum are grown on the Silitak plains,
less gentle with them. The Tormentors of Vesh were but the southern villages live by fishing and hunting.
among the worst, being insectile monsters that seemed None dare venture north into the Master’s Teeth unless
to make some sort of alien religion out of the suffering it is to raid a Vesh stronghold. The six-armed aliens still
of humankind. Their prison-cities were engineered to haunt those cursed peaks, and sometimes small parties
inflict agonies both physical and mental, and tremendous creep south to steal victims for their awful rites.
effort was put into their dark enchantments and terrible There are only two cities worth the name on Atba
engines of woe. Sim. Ingalik is the larger, being the usual entry point for
In the days before present reckoning they were foreign adventurers and traders. It’s held by a military
confined to the great island of Atba. Out of pity for the council drawn from several of the nearby fortresses, and
wretched humans imprisoned there and a desire to erase its rulers keep it strictly neutral toward any local polit-
the Vesh from existence, the armies of the martial First ical disputes. Its buildings include both hide yurts and
Dynasty crossed over from the mainland to make war ancient First Dynasty port fortifications.
upon the aliens around 2300 BL. Silivik is the market for the villages and fortresses
The campaign was a savage one, and the further the of the western coast, with a few traders or adventurers
aliens were pushed back, the more horrible the slaugh- docking there instead. It’s far less developed than Ingalik
ter. Unspeakably vile sorceries of pain and disfigurement and considerably more lawless. The only authority is a
were unleashed upon the Dynasts and monstrous war- weak city council who can be stirred to act only when
beasts of parasitized human flesh were sent forth. In the some great disturbance is threatened. Numerous crimi-
end, the Dynasts forced the Vesh back into their north- nals and exiles dwell there.
ern mountain strongholds and established a string of The entire island of Atba is dotted with ancient Vesh
fortresses in the foothills to keep them pent. prison-cities and small garrison-forts. One can scarcely
For approximately three thousand years, the heirs go ten miles without finding some fortified village or om-
of those garrison troops have dwelled on this cold island, inous ruin of black stone. While these lesser prison-cit-
making a simple living in farming, fishing, or hunting. ies are numerous, six great Cities of Woe are especially
Between the unwelcoming land and the presence of pow- noteworthy.
erful Dynastic military artifacts, no foreign power has Innok is the southernmost and coldest, locked in
ever had much appetite for invading, and piratical raids ice for nine months of the year. Its chief torment was
along the coast are the most interest the outside world Privation; the lack of warmth, lack of food, and lack of
has shown in its people. hope. Its human citizens were made to kill and be killed
Yet a steady stream of treasure-hunters and scholars over the insufficient produce of ancient hothouses, ones
still come to Atba Sim in hopes of exploring the ruined that still operate and grow strange fruits that possess
prison-cities and unearthing the plunder of the past. The wonderful virtues.
natives of the island have made a modest industry out Wiarak on the southwestern coast was the pris-
of these explorers, providing them support and supplies. on-city of Fear. Horrible hunting-things stalked the dark
corners of the city, creeping in to commit atrocities upon
The People and the Land the unwary. Certain rituals and safeguards could fend
The Atban are derived both from the ancient Dynasts off the beasts, but these rites changed at unpredictable
and the Vesh’s slave-populace. The former were a slim, intervals, leaving every citizen dreading each night. Its
amber-skinned people with straight black hair, while human sorcerers conducted great research into warding
the latter came in a dozen different appearances, all en- and protective enchantments, many of which are lost to
gineered for unfathomable purposes. Many are almost the present day.
unnaturally beautiful, while others are born cursed with Bleak Chumina was the city of Pain, a self-con-
deformities and Blights. suming prison designed to make the inmates monsters
The basic political organization of the Atban is by to each other. All suffered constant, gnawing pains that
their ancestral fortress-garrisons, and every village knows could only be lessened by inflicting torment on other
its proper affiliation. Marriage is always between differ- human beings. The victims sweated a thin blue liquid
 31

which could be distilled into “blue hyssop”, a med-

icine powerful enough to cure almost any pain or
disease. Ancient stores of this liquid are still to be
found in Chumina’s halls... as well as its curse of
suffering.
Shaktool, on the north edge of the pine taiga,
was the city of Despair. Everything about Shaktool
was designed to crush the hope from its inhabitants.
It was maintained by inhuman automaton-guard-
ians who would arrange for powerful artifacts and
rich caches of resources to be found within its halls.
These treasures were never enough to prevent their
cycles of torment and misery, however, and only
served to give false hope for a better future.
Tigat, in the cool northern grasslands, was the
city of Betrayal. The city sweated secrets in hid-
den places, codes and ciphers that could be used
to open vaults that contained precious treasures
and priceless resources. Using the wrong code un-
leashed horrible beasts or lethal traps. Its citizens
played cruel games of misrepresentation and deceit,
all to be the last ones alive to gain the treasures.
Perhaps the most horrible of all the pris-
on-cities, Kabuk was the city of Eternity. Its in-
habitants were effectively immortal, being infect-
ed with a hideous symbiote that preserved them
from all mortal injury. Yet despite this immortality,
monstrous creatures constantly tormented them,
starvation and privation constantly afflicted them,
and their lives existed purely to be immiserated.
While some of these immortals have been success-
fully destroyed by adventurers, the majority are still
shackled to the city, hopelessly insane and convul-
sively violent. Even so, the treasures they guard are
said to be the fruit of three thousand years of mad,
compulsive craftwork.
The prison-cities of the island were once
ringed about with massive black stone walls and
sorcerous wards of binding, but the ancient Dy-
nasts threw down these barriers. Now anyone
can walk amid the crumbling stone warrens and
nauseating imagery of these places, though their
ancient guardians are still confined within the old
city limits.
The outer reaches of the cities are relatively
safe, having been picked over by centuries of ad-
venturers, but the heart of a city is invariably an
extremely deadly zone that risks permanently
trapping an intruder into a lifetime of hideous tor-
ment. Some lunatic refugees intentionally seek out
these prison-zones in order to evade some terrible
pursuer. They usually imagine that they have the
strength or resources to fend off the warders. They
are seldom correct.
32

ATLANTIS
Atlantis is among the greatest of the nations of the west- No one had the strength to defy them. By 498 BL
ern Latter Earth, heir to ages of royal power and ceaseless the last remnants of organized resistance were crushed
labor. Its Prior Crown vies with the Flame of Heaven in by the Prior Crown and their new human armies. The
Sarx and the Emperor of the Fourth Dynasty succes- task-houses still existed in name, but were utterly bereft
sor-state as the foremost power in the region, and the of their former status and riches. Most of the Zakathi
ships of Atlantis bear trade throughout the sea named retreated into the mountains and forests, there to nurse
for its might. their grudges and foment the occasional rebellion. Oth-
Despite this power, Atlantis is not without its trou- ers sought to profit by the new order, and enlisted in the
bles. Kytheron on the mainland is ruled by the heirs of Prior Crown’s army or took service in his ministries.
its former rulers, bitter at their loss and still maintaining The Prior Crown wasted little time in making his
their rights over their former domain. Regional satraps companions ministers and officers in his new govern-
seek a quiet independence from their lord at Kronos, sti- ment. They and their offspring were ennobled into a new
fling royal edicts and subverting royal ministries. Rivals class of gentry, ones entrusted with the more important
in Sarx and the successor-states aid rebels within and offices and significant military posts. Even now, those
without to bring down their old enemy. descended from the original advisors pride themselves
Yet worst of all the perils that face the Prior Crown on being “Predecessant families”. These “Preds”, as the
is its own past. The lords of this land did not come from commoners call them, are the closest thing Atlantis has
this age, and aeons long dead have a grudge that is yet to a hereditary nobility, rising and falling with the ages.
to be repaid. In the centuries since, the Prior Crown has changed
hands many times. When a ruler grows old or perishes, a
History successor is seen to emerge from the depths of Mt. Athra,
In the former age, the island now known as Atlantis was escorted in each case by the white-armored praetorians
the mighty kingdom of Carce, its monarchs ruling by who guard each monarch. None know how these succes-
the strength of the Zakathi task-houses that formed its sors are chosen, nor what age they have come from, but
nobility. In time this strength was corrupted by avarice for fifteen hundred years they have come at need.
and ambition. A wave of civil strife brought Old Carce They prove their authority by their power to control
to its knees some fifteen hundred years ago. certain artifacts carried by the first Predecessants and
The demihuman nobility of Carce enlisted advisors their knowledge of certain secrets held only by the origi-
and soldiers from among the baseline commoners. One nal advisors. Several times their enthronement has been
band of odd foreigners took service with the minor noble resisted by restive Predecessant houses or fought by some
house of Phaistos in 510 BL, offering their analytical and child of the Prior Crown who thought their claim the
divinatory services to their Zakathi masters. better one. At times these rebellions have persisted for
Their services proved invaluable. By 502 BL, Phais- decades, or even centuries as portions of Atlantis pledge
tos had obtained the crown and crushed many of its loyalty to a familiar ruler rather than the stranger from
rivals, Only a last sweeping purge remained to ensure the mountain. In the end, however, these breakaway
their dominance. Arrangements were made to plant as- provinces have always been brought back into line.
sassins among the enemy houses and carry them all off One of the most famous of such struggles occurred
in a single stroke. a thousand years ago, when the suspiciously long-lived
That night, even as the Phaistos assassins did their Basileus IV was confronted by a successor who demand-
bloody work, the trusted human advisors of the Zakathi ed that he pass over the Prior Crown and return to the
unleashed their own treacherous plan. By dawn, only a mountain to be questioned. Basileus demurred, and after
handful of Phaistos nobles remained to flee into exile. a brief and savage civil war, found himself forced to take
The leader of these humans, later known as Con- ship in Kronos with such military forces as he could mus-
stantine I, took the crown from the dead king’s head and ter. He sailed south, to the land later known as the Gyre,
pronounced himself the new monarch of Carce... or as it and there established a kingdom in exile that has per-
was to be known now, Atlantis. He and his companions sisted ever since, his seeming agelessness preserving him.
were envoys from the deepest past, viceroys of the true Current affairs in Atlantis revolve around the re-
and eternal rulers of Old Terra. By his wisdom and fore- bellion of King Agreus in Zenopol, a supposed resur-
sight he would make the island prosper until his rightful rected king of Old Carce who has rallied a number of
rule could be extended over all the Latter Earth. task-houses and Zakathi warbands to his side. He con-
The Predecessants, as these humans were called, trols all of the Apatrian Marches and a significant portion
claimed to be journeyers from the far past, having slept of the Great Boread Forest. Kronos appears safe from his
beneath Mt. Athra until the land required them. They legions at present, but the focus on the west has left the
would abolish the task-houses, restore the freedoms of southern and eastern provinces sadly neglected by the
humanity, and bring ancient wisdom to new service. present Prior Crown.
 33

Geography Peoples of Atlantis

Atlantis is a warm island, with snow rare anywhere but Most Atlanteans are baseline humans, with about ten
on the highest mountains. Its southern shore is tropical, percent being Zakathi demihumans. The latter generally
with the wild verdancy of the Berylhule jungle covering resemble the baselines in their home region, but are as
the coast. In the north, a more temperate warmth has much as a foot taller, being muscular and well-toned.
produced the Great Boread Forest with its broad-leafed The Zakathi were cursed for rebellion in a former
trees and rolling hills. age by their Outsider masters. As a result, every adult
The Saidonis mountain range is the spine of the is- Zakathi must physically exert themselves to exhaustion
land and the home of many ancient Carcean toil-citadels, at least once per day or slowly and painfully perish. This
ancestral homes of the Zakathi task-houses that once constant need for physical exertion tends to cripple them
ruled the land. These mountains are perilously jagged, in old age, and few survive past sixty. The offspring of hu-
and only along the ancient road between Gan Bor and mans and Zakathi usually also bear this curse, though it
Gan Zakath are they in any way passable for ordinary can sometimes skip several generations. In Atlantis, this
traffic. Bold mountaineers might find other ways across, curse is honored as “tireless industry and unsleeping val-
but travel between east and west is more often by ship. or”. In other lands, Zakathi are often considered Blighted.
Two great rivers dominate the island. In the north, The baseline humans of Atlantis are of two main
the Ponta flows past the ancient capital of Gan Zakath ethnic groups. In the north, the Carcens are tall, ol-
down to the new one at Kronos, seat of the Prior Crown. ive-skinned, brown-haired people with pale eyes. They
Barges are hauled up-stream with food and goods to re- favor long hair for both men and women and elaborately
ceive shipments in turn of metals and manufactures from ornate clothing. In the south, the Saidens are somewhat
the mountain cities. The Akris Flow in the south carries shorter and have a more golden hue, with blond or red
much of the produce of the Haimod Plains down to Gan hair and green or blue eyes. They’re known for the rela-
Tropos, where traders carry it along the coastlines and tive scantness of their clothing in the tropical heat, but
over the sea to foreign lands. compensate with extensive jewelry and body adornments.
Arratus are few in Atlantis, having been stamped Little tension exists today between Carcens and Said-
out over the ages. Even so, some exceptionally dire ens, though the latter were oppressed in the days of
ones remain in the deep forests and high mountains. Carce. King Agreus in Zenopol favors Carcens still.
34

Demography Atlantean Society

The population of Atlantis amounts to roughly Atlantean commoners live in nuclear families, with the
12,000,000 citizens, including about 7 million Carcens, crippled and elderly cared for by their nearest relations.
4 million Saidens, and 1 million Zakathi demihumans. City dwellers tend to have few important families ties
Carcens predominate in the north, and Saidens along beyond near relations, but rural families often recognize
the southern regions. themselves as being part of larger village clans, with ma-
Most of the ancient Zakathi toil-citadels were in triarchs or patriarchs having a considerable say in their
the Saidonis mountain range or in hilly, rocky regions affairs.
elsewhere in the island. Many Zakathi task-houses have Predecessant houses have a tighter relationship with
since migrated into the lowlands and taken their kinsmen their kinsmen, all of them tracing their descent back to
with them, but the demihumans do tend to remain most some ancient Prior Crown or to the companions of the
populous in their ancient strongholds. first monarch. The most powerful elder of each family
Roughly 90% of Atlantean subjects dwell in rural branch has tacit control over their descendants, with
villages or small resource-extraction settlements. The every family expected to contribute to purposes that ad-
remainder reside in market towns or larger cities. vantage the whole and maintain their status and access
to royal offices. A Pred who refuses to cooperate can
Cities and Towns generally do so, but the doors to any significant official
In relatively safe provinces, there is usually a village every post will always be closed to them thereafter. Many such
few miles, a market town with a thousand or more citi- rebels depart for foreign lands or become adventurers.
zens every fifteen or twenty miles, and a county capital The Zakathi of Atlantis are either part of human
with five or six thousand citizens every fifty miles or so. Pred or commoner families or are organized under
These distances grow far greater in forests, mountains, their ancient task-house lineages. During the Kingdom
and other inhospitable or dangerous terrains. of Carce, each task-house was charged with a different
Major cities can be found as the capitals of the twen- physical labor so as to satisfy the Zakathi need for hard
ty-four historical provinces of Atlantis, each of which work. While few of these task-houses still persist in their
have at least ten or twenty thousand inhabitants. old roles, their heirs are bound together by the memory
Depicted on the regional map are some of the most of ancient prestige and a shared spirit of cooperation that
important of these provincial capitals. Several of them fires most of them. Elder toil-generals or foremen rule
can be identified by the “Gan” prefix denoting their ori- the task-houses, and while obedience to their commands
gins as Old Carcean task-house strongholds. is not legally required, few members of a task-house
would dare defy them. Even under the Prior Crown, it’s
Kronos: Capital of Atlantis, replacing the Carcean cap- understood that most task-houses handle matters of in-
ital of Gan Zakath. Heavily garrisoned at present ternal discipline at their own discretion.
to resist incursions from King Agreus in Zenopol. As a culture, Atlanteans honor industry and physical
Zenopol: Provincial capital of the Apatrian Marches, un- labor. A commoner stonemason or a simple dock hauler
der the control of King Agreus. A thriving den of has more social cachet than some wealthy but idle Pred
privateers and foreign allies of the rebel king. sybarite, and the laws and customs of Atlantis cut sharply
Gan Zakath: Former capital of the Kingdom of Carce. against rentiers and passive owners. A career of purely
Majority Zakathi, and a vital production center fu- intellectual labor is considered tolerable, but nothing to
eled by mountain mines and Zakathi laborers. specially honor or respect.
Gan Tropos: Seat of Saiden culture and history. Chief As a consequence, the officials and Pred families of
trading port of Atlantis, teeming with foreign trad- Atlantis all cultivate a strong tradition of handicrafts and
ers and goods from far lands. manual labor, even those without the Zakathi blood that
Gan Linna: River fortress-city, charged with preventing requires it. Gardening, stonemasonry, blacksmithing, or
the dangers of the Great Boread from closing the simple recreational cargo hauling are all common pas-
critical river trade. Linnan riders and riverwards times to the best families in Atlantis. The current First
patrol the Ponta and even dare the forest at times. Minister of the Prior Crown devotes at least an hour
Gan Saidon: Half-independent city, majority Saiden. daily to carrying water to the palace kitchens, and has
Poor, with its farmlands threatened by the danger- fashioned buckets of wrought gold in which to carry his
ous Rhothos hills. Its provincial Despot hires what load. His predecessor perished after an unfortunate fall
help she can get. from a marble folly he was constructing in the gardens.
Gan Bor: Chief outpost of civilization on the wild, thin- Toil is not the only thing they cherish, however.
ly-populated eastern coast. The road west to Gan Hard work is deserving of due reward, and their industry
Zakath is the only passable trade route through the makes possible a degree of feasting and finery uncommon
mountains. in other lands. Atlanteans are prosperous in the main,
Gan Deiras: Prosperous from minerals in the hills and and they take pleasure in their prosperity. Their ships
farms in the dry Haimod plains, but with few navi- bring back goods from all over the Atlantean Main, and
gable rivers. Its caravans are often raided by bandits. the wealthy are always eager to sample new delights.
 35

Government and Law Atlantean Religion

Atlantis is blessed with the just rule of His Highness, In theory, the state religion of Atlantis was imparted by
Constantine IV, by Grace of Days the Defender of the the Predecessants during their rise to power. TheWay
Carceral Reach, Lord of Atlantis, Emperor of Gyarus, of Eternal Truth is a highly philosophical, rationalistic
Autarch of Agathon, High Pontiff of the True Faith, faith dedicated to discerning the moral laws and personal
Prime Director of the Terran Mandate, Sage of the First, conduct that brings the most happiness to the widest
and the Prior Crown of Earth. His ascent has been rela- number of people. The Church of Eternal Truth has
tively recent, occurring five years ago after his predecessor, teaching-chapels and priest-diviners in every city and
Theodora III, died at the hands of assassins sent by King town, and every state official is expected to acknowledge
Agreus of Zenopol. it as the highest and noblest creed. In practice, it inspires
Atlantean government is bureaucratic in nature almost no popular enthusiasm and is sincerely pursued
rather than feudal. The king has a half-dozen ministers only by the most rationalistic and atheistical of Atlan-
in charge of various national affairs, and a score of pro- teans. A few of the ancient gods of Carce have retained
vincial Despots responsible for particular regions of the most of the people’s true devotion, even though their
island. Beneath them are the appointed ruling Agetors priesthoods are denied any political influence.
of cities, towns, and villages, all of them assisted by bu- Theria, the Liberator Queen is the apotheosized
reaucrats belonging to one of the ministries. Their rule is woman who led the rebellion against the Grand Har-
highly autocratic; popular input is restricted to petitions mony that gave freedom to the original humans of Carce.
to the government which may or may not be heeded. Her petitioners seek liberation from their sorrows, bur-
While the bureaucracy and a military led by an ap- dens, and difficulties, and vengeance on those who would
pointed Strategos form the two most obvious branches oppress them. While very popular among commoners,
of Atlantean government, the sages of the Nekrakademia she is widely despised by the Zakathi, who maintain
have great importance as well. Revered as a “school of the that she betrayed their ancestors to their Outsider mas-
dead”, secrets imparted by the Predecessants are taught ters in order to save her own human followers. Tensions
to modern diviners here. The forty-three different types between human zealots and Zakathi blasphemers have
of occult divination they perform provide great amounts sometimes erupted into riots and purges.
of information to the Prior Crown and allow the bureau- Anamon, the Tireless One is the chief god of the
cracy to respond with surprising swiftness to developing Zakathi, the ancestor-deity who gives each Zakath the
crises. Nekrademics hold no official rank outside of their strength to endure their daily labors and bear up under
office in the school, but few care to meddle with them. their ancient curse. During the Kingdom of Carce, he be-
While the Nekrademics can provide insight to its came identified with martial strength and kingly stability,
rulers, the sheer size of Atlantis makes it difficult to fully and both Zakathi and humans pray to him for fortitude
control. Outside of the great cities and beyond the eas- and victory in the face of war or disaster.
ily-accessible coastline, there are stretches of provincial Morema, who Avenges is a dread deity who brings
back-country and untamed wild that provide easy bases calamity upon the fortunate and disaster on the great.
for rebels and separatists. Greater or lesser rebellions are Some speculate that she was an early aspect of Theria
common, most led by minor Pred houses or Zakathi. who became feared in her own right. Morema despises
The laws of Atlantis are not surprising to most for- all who are fortunate, happy, and exalted, and sends curs-
eigners. All the conventional crimes of theft, violence, es and tragedies to blight their lives. She is propitiated
treason, and fraud are punished, with light offenses re- chiefly in hopes of turning away her attention, yet she
ceiving fines and public beatings and serious ones a longer retains a small, secretive cult of assassin-priests who seek
or shorter period of confinement in government work- the revolutionary destruction of all distinctions of sta-
houses. Murder, rape, rebellion, and other grave crimes tus. While outlawed, everyone knows that a sufficiently
are met with beheading. wealthy or deserving petitioner can find them when their
Crimes are tried by judges appointed by the local services are needed.
Agetor, usually in a relatively swift and summary fashion. Adeia, the Bringer of Plenty is the goddess best
Predecessants earn more care in their condemnation, and loved by the common folk. She oversees the fields and
can often turn aside minor crimes with suitable payment fisheries and brings good trades to hard-working mer-
to the judge or the offended victim. chants. Every village and town has a temple to her service,
Unlike many of their fellow nations, neither At- and her clergy often act as healers and teachers in turn.
lantis nor its predecessor in Carce permit slavery. The Saidon, the Ruler of the Seas serves as the patron
Zakathi that ruled Carce had no incentive to avoid hard of Atlantean sailors and all who must negotiate the perils
physical labor, and the burden of guarding and feeding of the sea. Church doctrine says that he was once the
laborers just so they could deprive the Zakathi of work living god-king of the island, until the coming of the
they needed to survive seemed nonsensical to the kings Outsiders forced him to depart beneath the waves. He
of Carce. Modern Atlanteans may not need the work so has authority over storms, winds, and rain as well, and
badly, but are likewise of the mind that slaves are simply farmers beg his favor. His clergy have a private navy that
more trouble and danger than they’re worth. does extensive foreign trading and exploration.
36

Adventuring in Atlantis
Atlantis is a relatively orderly nation, with competent
government and the ability to foresee most major disas- Antagonists
ters or internal crises. This sight is imperfect, however, Several groups and organizations exist in Atlantis that
and even matters foretold may not be understood cor- might prove dangerous to the PCs... or may become use-
rectly. For heroes seeking adventure in Atlantis, there are ful patrons to those who agree with their causes.
a number of likely possibilities to explore.
The Strange Aeons: The Predecessants who emerged to
Exploration Adventures seize control of Atlantis were not the only envoys
The Great Boread Forest and the Berylhule are both of the past who awoke in Carce, and not all of them
largely unexplored outside of a few outpost-towns and agreed with their purpose. Ever since Atlantis was
resource gathering communities. Generations of failed founded, a sect of them have been fighting to seize
rebels and outlaws have fled into their depths, most control over the island, calling up temporal echoes
to perish, but some to form whole petty countries and of ancient beings and powers to use them against
minor domains beneath the branches. The Atlanteans the present-day Prior Crown. They have fearsomely
prefer to leave such communities to die out to the perils powerful chronomancers among their number and
of the wilderness unless they make themselves a seri- wield temporal manipulation as a weapon. Their ul-
ous threat to their neighbors. Their very existence helps timate purpose is obscure, and they do not always
distract the local monstrosities and keep them occupied. seem to act in perfect harmony, but they appear
The Saidonis mountain range is almost as obscure. unalterably opposed to the Prior Crown.
Ancient roads and transit-tunnels have collapsed or been King Agreus of Zenopol: One of the Strange Aeon’s
lost over the ages, and whole toil-citadels have vanished experiments gone awry, King Agreus was one of
from the maps. Great wealth awaits those who can reach the greatest kings of Old Carce. On being called
those lost Zakathi strongholds, or the even older Outsid- into the present, he somehow managed to slip the
er dens from which the island was once ruled. control of his handlers and blind their divinatory
arts until after he had raised a Zakathi rebellion in
Dungeon Adventures the northwest and seized the great port of Zenopol.
For those seeking classic delving adventures, the island His martial brilliance and heroic reputation have
is littered with old Carcean ruins that predate the Prior brought Zakathi from all over Atlantis to his ban-
Crown. The devastating warfare that marked the end of ner. He is determined to reclaim the island for his
the Kingdom of Carce made wreckage that has still not Zakathi people and the Carcen humans who were
been reclaimed 1,500 years later, and most villages and its original inhabitants, and be rid of the time-for-
towns are no more than a half-day’s ride from some sin- eign tyrants who have usurped his heirs.
ister pile of stone. Many such ruins have been swallowed Foreign Spies: Atlantis is envied by most and hated by
up by the Great Boread Forest or the Berylhule, whole a few. The exiled lords of Kytheron have exten-
cities and former provinces now gone beneath the trees. sive family ties on the island and often use them
Ruins of the Prior Crown tend to be the remnants to meddle in Atlantean affairs. Sarx hates Atlantis
of rebel towns, cities, and fortresses, each dating back to as its foremost rival, and their wealth buys many
some period of civil strife when the Prior Crown was friends. Most piratical nations and organizations
weak or challenged. Many delved deep into the earth to have at least a few agents operating in Atlantis to
strengthen their fortifications and hide their riches. keep watch over their navy and trade affairs.
More personal ruins tend to be the remnant dwell- Regional Irredentists: In the past fifteen hundred years,
ings of sorcerers, regional warlords, forgotten temples, or almost every part of the island has been nominally
other historical detritus. Recalcitrant Zakathi task-hous- independent at one point or another. In some prov-
es in particular have left many small toil-citadels dotting inces Carcens were the masters, in others Saidens
the deep wilderness where they had hoped to live free of ruled, and in some the Zakathi regained their old
the usurping humans. Some are still inhabited; few are power. Such groups tend to look back wistfully to
inclined to welcome visitors. such days as their golden age, and whenever the Pri-
or Crown’s taxes grow too steep or some disaster
befalls them there are always locals willing to take
up arms to regain their lost rule.
The Nekrakademia: The sage-officials of this organi-
zation focus chiefly on divining for the state, but
have much freedom in other matters. Some use this
freedom poorly. When they go rogue, it often takes
a band of adventurers to bring them down.
 37

Atlantean Names Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Male Female Zakathi Houses Place Names Black sheep of a Pred family,
1 Arcadius Achaia Agenos Deiras seeking their own way in life

2 Charax Atalanta Andron Dromos Zakathi mercenary formerly

employed by the royal army
3 Diocles Briseis Antigos Euoras
Recent mage-graduate of the
4 Eudorus Chione Calchon Gan (Location) Nekrakademia
5 Eurythion Circe Chrysos Gephyra
Priest of a minor god, seeking to
6 Gallus Damia Diomedon Halios spread their faith wider
7 Gyras Dorothea Epicuron Inatos Failed royal bureaucrat forced to
8 Hector Eudokia Hecton Kabeirion find a new living

9 Hyrcanus Galatea Icaron Kelados Back-country rustic familiar with

the perils of the Atlantean wilds
10 Isandros Iolanthe Lycos Leuktra
Last scion of a fallen Pred house,
11 Krateros Isadora Metros Lysias forced to fall back on themselves
12 Leontis Jocasta Nikos Melos Charlatan diviner or con man
13 Lysagoras Khloe Oreston Messoa preying on local beliefs
14 Megistos Kynthia Phaethon Neris Survivor of a failed rebellion or
15 Nikon Maia Philos Oraia would-be secessionist community

16 Olus Nysa Proteon Penteleion Internal refugee displaced by King

Agreus’ takeover of Zenopol
17 Protus Orthia Selenon Rhion
Escaped slave who fled to Atlantis
18 Tarchon Phylia Thalos Skolos for the sake of their freedom
19 Thestor Thessala Theos Temenion Ambitious explorer seeking out
20 Xanthos Zoe Thestos Xenis unplundered ancient ruins

Example Atlantean Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Corrupt royal Hard-working A government di- Heavy gold orna- Cyclopean Old
1
bureaucrat Zakathi commoner viner foresees woe ments of Old Carce Carcean ruin
Rogue Nekraka- Curious magely Terrorist attack by Exotic goods from Ornate Atlantean
2
demia mage seeker of the past the Strange Aeons the Berylhule work building
Ruthless rebel chief Ambitious wilder- Monster emerges Lost magic texts Market full of exot-
3
or separatist ness entrepreneur from the wilds from Old Carce ic foreign goods
Calculating bandit Affable black- Foreign spies have Secret but totally Half-empty chapel
4
lord in the wilds sheep Pred outcast triggered a disaster accurate prophecy of the True Faith
Ancient thing called Foreigner seeking Corrupt official has Potent Predeces- Endlessly busy
5
up by the Aeons to make a new life caused a problem sant magic item workshop
Sinister agent of Harried but earnest King Agreus or Precious divination Port teeming with
6 King Agreus bureaucrat other rebels make tools for a mage foreign ships and
a move far traders
Monstrous relic of Local trying to Ancient toil-citadel Ancient treasure Hidden lair of
7 Old Carce dodge politics is suddenly discov- brought forward by rebels and recalci-
ered below a place the Strange Aeons trants
Cruelly rapacious Local well-meaning Bandits are taking Wealth earned Remote Zakathi
8 sea merchant priest-diviner of the advantage of local from inhumanly toil-citadel in the
True Faith civil confusion constant labor mountains
38

THE BLACK PACT

Its rulers call their land the Pact of the Learned, but to and youth claimed by the nearest school as tribute for
the rest of the Latter Earth it is the Black Pact, a land their “protection” from the other wizards and the castoff
of vile sorcery and viler sorcerers. A half-dozen infer- magical abominations that haunt the forests and fields.
nal schools of magic maintain an uneasy and oft-broken A yearly testing ceremony identifies the most magically
peace here, though their neighbors find little joy in them. gifted among their youths, and those who survive their
education have a hope for a greater destiny.
History For the commoners, the law is composed of custom
The precise origins of the Black Pact are unclear, but the and command, to be carried out by the village elders lest
first recorded schools of magic in the region date back to the schools send a harsher enforcer. For the magical-
the early Second Age, around 1800 BL. The details about ly-gifted, there are no laws but those of their school, and
these ancient schools have long since been concealed and the occasional vivisected peasant or burnt farm is of no
effaced by their successors, but legend has it that they serious import. Most terrible of all are the great solitary
were founded by several great sorcerer-kings whose ar- arch-mages who have withdrawn from their school’s soci-
cane pacts had allowed them to overthrow those Out- ety to pursue unfathomable secrets. None dare defy them.
siders who later retreated to the Tombfell in the north. Lengish agents are surprisingly common among
While the secrets of High Magic were integral to all the villagers and servants of the city. The men of Ninth
their arts, these schools were unusual in that all of them Leng spread their silver generously, and while their raid-
were dedicated to one or more extra-Iteral patrons. In ers sometimes come to scourge the coast of the Sea of
exchange for service and worship, these powers would White Teeth, they seldom do worse than the Pact’s own
grant great secrets and arcane might to their devotees. masters do to their people.
Unfortunately, those patrons most generous with their
power were also those most horrible in their appetites. The Six Schools
The occult schools of the Pact have never been en- The six great schools of the Pact lend their name to the
tirely at peace. In the past three thousand years, over thir- cities they rule, every inhabitant either a teacher, a stu-
ty-six different major schools have risen, ruled, and been dent, a slave, or a hireling. Outside traders and adventur-
destroyed, with the oldest of the current six great schools ers have a place there as useful tools for the mages, but all
dating back only to 700 AL. The early centuries of the the natives have a rigidly-set place in its hierarchy.
Pact were particularly violent, with four major arratus Each of these schools teaches one or more traditions
still scarring the land as a legacy from those days. of magic, and each of them offers worship to one or more
Their unity improved after the men of Ninth Leng extra-Iteral beings. Strangers might call these powers
took an interest in them some thousand years ago, and gods or demons, but to the schools, they are merely its
ever since the agents and hirelings of that strange land patrons, and the worship and rites they offer are no more
have sought to infiltrate the schools and steal their se- than payment for services rendered.
crets. It would seem that certain patrons worshiped in The School of Tokris instructs in the arts of necro-
the Pact are especially repugnant to Leng, and open raid- mancy, with a particular eye towards dealing with the un-
ing and magical assaults are not unknown. dead of the Still Cities. They have few spells to overcome
Presently, the six schools and a dozen other major the Pale Emperor’s blessings on that land, but they have
independent archmages form an uneasy council of rule more than most other schools. They chiefly revere Nag-
over the Pact, working as a whole to ensure that local gad, Prince of Bones, who takes ten lives to prolong one.
quarrels don’t erupt into magical disasters and that each The School of Yagganat prides itself on its reason
school’s affairs are unhindered by the others. Their con- and logic, favoring the elemental arts and physical studies.
cern for the common folk is almost nonexistent, as the To them, any who do not command magic are little bet-
peasantry are fit only to serve as raw materials and menial ter than talking animals. Its foremost patron is Yom, the
laborers. Only the most brilliant and gifted among them Folded One, who eats the minds of its sacrifices.
are recruited into the nobility of magic. The School of Kreng-Tsagat reflects on the nature
of flesh and bone, sculpting their servants in beautiful
The People and the Land and horrible ways. Their decadence is proverbial in the
Pacters are a tall, lean people on the whole, with dark north, and among their many gods is Tsagat-Mun, the
hair and eyes, and hues ranging from sallow to waxen Sufficient Flesh, who gives them pleasures in exchange
pale. Traces of ancient curses or warping sorceries are for the bodies of thinking beings.
not uncommon among them, and the occasional tail, claw, The School of Llon has a vast selection of patrons,
extra eye, or other touch of infernality is unremarkable. and focuses on methods of binding and summoning so
Most Pacters live in small farming villages, picking as to call forth the right demon for any given duty. The
out a living with barley and goats. These settlements are prices these beings demand are terrible, but the mages of
poor and ragged, with most of their surplus in materials Llon seldom intend to be the ones paying them.
 39

The School of Tsathmat reveres the ancient mete- The wizard towers in question were usually occu-
or that fell to crush the Seven Rivers Confederacy and pied by some great solitary arch-mage until their inevi-
leave behind the Hammersea in its wake. They claim the table wizardly damnation. Their leftover grimoires and
meteor can be contacted in sorcerous dreams, and gives abandoned trinkets often contain tremendous power,
them the secrets of the past and future alike. They drown though it’s not unknown for their servitor devils and
offerings in the Hammersea as messengers to the stone. animated slaves to linger behind after a wizard’s doom.
The School of Xophet is ever vigilant for Leng-ships The school-cities commonly center around an isolat-
and their cowled raiders on the Sea of White Teeth. ed magical academy that gradually grew out into a full-
They command obscure gifts of storm and water, and fledged city over the course of centuries. Many of their
atop their vast towers they expose sacrifices to the talons structures were created with magic and the help of devils,
of flying demons. Their chief patron is Hasad-Krii, the and some defy normal logic in their construction. Their
Kestrel Demon. ends commonly came with some great magical disaster
or the overwhelming sorcerous violence of a rival. More
Adventuring in the Pact than a few perished to internal strife among their deans
The wizards of the Pact have use for adventurers as deni- and elders, and some appear to have been annihilated
able assets and convenient afflictions for their rivals. Even by their patron devils after some failure of service. Their
a freebooter hated in one city can find friends in another, locales are avoided entirely by the common folk and pru-
so long as they remain useful. dent mages, as they’re usually plagued with curdled magic
Aside from tasks of subtle assassination, the kill- and decayed spells. Guardian automatons and bound de-
ing of magical beasts, or the collecting of components in mons stalk their empty streets at night.
dangerous areas, many sorcerers need hirelings to investi- In addition to ruin-plundering, it’s not impossible
gate ruined wizard’s towers or fallen school-cities. Many for an ambitious wizard to acquire certain magical secrets
ancient wards are specifically triggered by the pacts and from a cooperative academy, usually at the cost of some
arcane affiliations of modern Pacters, so outsiders are perilous favor. It’s also not unknown for foreign princes
needed to slip past those wards and recover the secrets and distant kings to send to the Pact for a court wizard,
and treasures lost within. A foreign wizard can avoid an as such viziers are not only free of troublesome local po-
ancient curse much more easily than a local mage. litical ties, but are devoid of burdensome morals as well.
40

THE BLUECROWNS
Named for the haze of bluish smoke that encircles their for trade among the surviving villages of the Bluecrowns
volcanic peaks, the Bluecrowns have always been a place and as a base for foreign ships operating in the area. The
of exile and isolation. Centuries of failed pretenders, occasional pirate chieftain has been known to seize con-
exiled sorcerers, and aspiring colonists have made their trol of the place for a time, but usually affairs are settled
home on one of these volcanic isles, but few have lasted by the elders of the town’s chief families.
long against their perils. The energies that flow through the earth around
the Bluecrowns makes the climate far hotter and damp-
History er than it would normally be for an archipelago at its
The Bluecrowns are an anomaly on the skin of the world, latitude. Even the southernmost island is thickly jun-
with the sub-sea plate buckling upward and exposing nu- gled, and the northern islands tend to hot swamps of
merous veins of magma along the sea floor. The islands massive flower-bearing creepers and brilliantly colorful
themselves are the points at which these upwellings have trees. Much of the flora on the islands appears to have
formed an archipelago over thousands of years, with the been ornamental in purpose, but it long ago slipped its
occasional eruption birthing new spits of land. garden bounds.
It appears that some ancient humanoid civilization The fauna is vicious. Aside from the degenerate,
once dwelled on the isles, finding some religious or mag- cannibalistic remnants of failed former expeditions, nu-
ical benefit from the powerful geomantic energies of the merous varieties of huge insects and membrane-winged
region. Several megastructures dating back to their rule birds plague explorers. Lizard-like humanoids inhabit
still stand on the islands, each one a tremendous mono- the swampy northern islands in small numbers, and ap-
lith of volcanic glass encrusted by black, metallic living pear singularly hostile towards human intruders. Some
structures and temples. The megastructures appear to explorers have claimed that these lizardfolk can be rea-
have channeled and regulated the geomantic energies of soned with given the correct offerings, but none can agree
the area, and some sorcerers still make their lairs in aban- on what those offerings might be.
doned building-clusters in order to exploit this power. The greatest perils on the island, however, are the
Since that far-off day a steady procession of colo- magical remnants left behind by dead wizards and care-
nists, exiles, explorers, and adventurers have made their less sorcerers. Such is the force of the geomantic ener-
way to the Bluecrowns. As distant as it is from the main- gy here that magical beings tend to coalesce naturally
land there have been no serious attempts at conquest around abandoned magical artifacts or lost occult gri-
since an abortive expedition by the Second Dynasty, so moires. These beings are usually unintelligent and uni-
the prospect of an untouched island kingdom has been formly hostile, but some adventurers use their presence
appealing to numerous would-be rulers. as a hint that some sort of valuable relic might be in the
Few last for long. Far from any civilized support and area. Other would-be explorers are simply eaten.
surrounded by the many perils of the archipelago, most
exiles perish here and most colonies are forced to retreat. Adventuring in the Bluecrowns
The centuries of abandoned wizard lairs, colony sites, The most common reason for adventurers to seek out the
royal retreats, and ancient geomantic structures provide archipelago is to plunder the belongings of those who
a wealth of treasures and artifacts, but very little in the have come before. Spindrift is familiar enough with such
way of food, safe shelter, or security. treasure-hunters to have basic supplies and services on
hand for them, though magical resources are nonexistent
The People and the Land and only the boatwright clan there has any of the more
The few inhabitants of the Bluecrowns are drawn from sophisticated crafting skills.
half a hundred ethnicities, being the remnants of failed Aside from such looting, other adventurers look to
colonies, stranded pirate crews, or the servants of exiled the volcanic islands as being worthy a site for their new
nobles. They usually speak a patois derived from Dy- kingdom. Certainly, the islands are infested with horrible
nastic speech. monsters, and all those who have attempted this before
The few lasting settlements on the Bluecrowns are have failed utterly, and it would be a feat of heroic lead-
all on small islands with secure water sources and viable ership to convince large numbers of colonists to follow
fishing grounds. All of the major islands shown on the them, but it’s free real estate. No king would question
world map are much too dangerous for most settlers to their right to rule, provided they live to establish it.
last, even though they possess far superior natural re- And the rewards are very real. Aside from the valu-
sources and much more valuable ruin sites. able relics in the ruins, great veins of gold and precious
The largest human settlement in the archipelago is metals have risen close to the surface here, and vast troves
Spindrift, a tenuous port town of one thousand people at of uncut gems await a miner’s pickaxe. The jungles are
the eastern edge of the island chain. Built into the ruins rich in exotic plant extracts, and the seas teem with fish.
of a failed Second Dynasty anchorage, it serves as a hub Success in kingship would surely be rewarded.
 41

THE CHOKING DUNES

The sad result of a catastrophic magical disaster, the
Choking Dunes are a borderline uninhabitable waste- The People and the Land
land of slowly mutagenic dust. Few venture into its sandy The surviving dunefolk are of Javairi extraction, being
desolation except to seek the riches of its buried cities. dark-skinned, pale-haired, and amber-eyed in the main.
They inhabit subterranean warrens that have been carved
History out of the hardened dust by natural springs, as well as
During the First Age the mighty Wind Cities soared over occupying deeply-buried buildings from the lost cities.
much of Gyarus and southern Agathon, requiring tribute The dunefolk know secrets for preventing the muta-
from the weaker groundling cities and carrying trade over tions of the dust, but their medicines require organs and
vast distances. Their winged airships fought for control blood from the monsters that stalk the sands. Without
of the heavens and brought the goods of far lands to the a steady supply of such ichors, they risk transformation
groundling markets they passed. after as little as a month of steady exposure. The need
That glory ended around 1600 BL, when the Sarx- drives their hunters to leave the warrens, and sometimes
ian volcano known as Dumat Mul erupted. The Legacy even to negotiate with strangers on the sands.
contained the destruction to a relatively small portion Each tunnel-village is limited in numbers by the
of Sarx, but the magical repercussions channeled devas- amount of food their hunters can catch or their buried
tating energies through the arcane engines of the Wind arcane greenhouses can grow. While the magic of these
Cities. Many plunged from the heavens to scatter their greenhouses makes them unnaturally productive, they
remnants across western Gyarus. also require components taken from the buried Wind
A localized and temporary pocket of calmer thaumic Cities, necessitating expeditions below the sands.
force allowed a handful of those cities to set down safe- The climate of the Choking Dunes is invariably hot
ly in the Dynastic province of Javair, south of modern and rainless, the only living creatures on its surface be-
Runom. A backwater province since the Second Dynasty, ing those transformed by the dust’s magic. At the edges
the cities were even more isolated by the then-ongoing of the dunes a wind occasionally blows, but the inland
collapse of the Third Dynasty. When the surviving air- reaches are either dead calm or gale-wracked, the damage
ships of the cities demanded their submission, they had of the ancient disaster having scarred the natural weather.
no choice but to bow their heads to new masters. Few enter the dunes save for adventurers willing
When the Third Dynasty finally coalesced into the to risk mutation or traders who have long-standing ties
Fourth, these “Spire Lords” were too well-established to with some tunnel-village. The dunefolk are known for
be rooted out by the fragile young dynasty. Most of their unearthing magical relics during their expeditions into
airships had been lost to battle or decay, but they still had the cities, and most villages prefer to sell them on rather
access to powerful magics of storm and wind. than run the risk of them being an evil magic.
For centuries, the Spire Lords dreamed of re-con-
quering the skies. Their reverence for the gods of sun and Adventuring in the Dunes
cloud was expressed in great shrines, and their arcane Any adventuring band that ventures into the dunes needs
academies ceaselessly researched the means to restore the to be brisk about their expedition. Remaining longer than
fallen cites to flight. Airships continued to be produced thirty days without dunefolk medicines runs the risk of
in small numbers, but the great focus of their labor was permanent transformation. Some traders are willing to
on repairing the damaged engines of the cities. assist freebooters in making contact with a tunnel-village,
This great dream came to fruition in 482 BL, when but few will do so for free.
the combined efforts of all the Javairian Wind Cities were The architecture of Javairi cities owed much to their
put to the creation of a massive Working. In a single tre- flying past, and so covered streets and glassed-in walk-
mendous morning, several hundred sorcerers participat- ways were common. Once buried by the red dust, these
ed in a grand ritual that backfired spectacularly. passages form subterranean connections between build-
The ensuing Rain of Red Ash buried the plains and ings, such that many Javairi cities can still be explored
forests of Javair under a hundred feet and more of muta- without significant excavation. The uppermost reaches
genic dust. The population was wiped out almost entirely of the tallest buildings of a city usually jut above the dust,
within hours, and the cities of Javair were buried deep and explorers who can make it down to the ground floor
under the ruddy sands. can obtain access to much of the rest of the site.
Ever since, the Choking Dunes have been a shunned The dangers of the cities are considerable. Mutated
place for the surrounding peoples. The red dust twists beasts and warped humans are common in the lightless
those who remain too long in the desert, transforming reaches below, the dust seemingly preserving their lives
them into monstrous beings tormented by an eternal even as it drives them to torment. Worse still are the
thirst for blood. Even so, a handful of hidden communi- rumors of otherworldly entities still lurking in the dark,
ties still eke out an existence within the wastes. half-bound by the disastrous Working that made them.
42

COURONT
A melancholy land of cool forests and broad grain fields,
Couront is a remnant of the splendid Seven Rivers The People and the Land
Confederacy that fell to disaster during the First Age. A Courontines are mostly of Riu extraction like their
backwater province even in that distant time, the kings cousins in Pelegrin, being slim, pale, and uncommonly
of Couront now labor to keep their people safe against beautiful. Also like the Riu of Pelegrin, some are unfor-
the perils of the Black Pact to the west and the terrible tunately prone to madnesses and overwhelming passions
beasts that haunt its dark woods. as a legacy of their Confederate origins.
Couront itself is a cool, thickly forested land, with
History long, snowy winters and brief, hot summers. Fortunately,
During the apex of the Seven Rivers Confederacy the both the Hammersea and Herondeep remain ice-free
backwater province of Couront was at the very northern all the year round, and much coastal commerce goes on
edge of its influence. The least favored among the Con- throughout the year. Most traders come from Pelegrin
federate’s status-obsessed society were effectively exiled or Kytheron; ships from the Black Pact are not welcome,
to its cold forests, there to live without troubling their and the men of Ninth Leng rarely send friendly traders
more aesthetic neighbors with their deficiencies. across the Sea of White Teeth.
Among these exiles were numerous devotees of the True cities are few and widely-scattered in Couront.
Bleeding God, who formed monasteries in the rugged Montsegur is its capital, built on a bluff overlooking the
land to provide for their needs and their safety. The ab- Herondeep. Its splendid Confederate-style palace was
bots of these monasteries became the de facto authorities constructed by means long since lost to the modern day,
in the surrounding areas, if only because they alone could and its white walls and slender towers have defied every
reliably provide food and protection to others. past attempt to topple them. The nearby abbey of St.
When the Confederacy was destroyed by the me- Catrin is the seat of Henri, Bishop of Montsegur, and a
teorite that formed the Hammersea, a tide of refugees man who does not love King Enguerrand at all.
flowed north to escape the chaos. Unskilled in war and Among the nobility, four great ducal houses com-
unversed in such practical skills as farming or husbandry, mand the most authority, each with their collection of
they died in legions. Only those that attached themselves vassals and allies. While theoretically subject to the king,
to a monastery were able to survive long enough to learn the ducal houses of Chalon, Foix, Montfort, and Vitre
the skills they required. are such that any two of them in concert can command
To maintain public order, the chief abbots and ab- more knights than the king’s personal domains can pro-
besses of these monasteries resolved to choose a king vide. The Duke of Foix, Guillaume the Smiling, is ru-
from among the few nobles who had survived the disaster. mored to be in league with the Black Pact as part of a
In 1399 BL, King Lothair I was chosen as the first King plot to replace the rule of the Giscards with that of Foix.
of Couront, and his most capable retainers installed as
dukes and counts over the various regions of the land. Adventuring in Couront
The royal house has changed fourteen times in the 2,500 Couront is a wild country, with its nobles in control of
years since, but the present King Enguerrand IX is the no more than their ancestral manors and villages. Out in
tenth of his own dynasty, the Giscards. Even today, the the depths of the forest there remain monstrous beasts
crown is not considered legitimately bestowed unless it from prior ages and present Pacter carelessness, and
comes by the hands of the abbot of St. Villiers, oldest of noble knights are often required to slay such creatures.
the surviving monasteries of Couront. Shapeshifting man-wolves are a particular danger.
Ever since the first king of Couront, the rule of the Unlike most nations, Couront has a state church
country has been divided between the noble houses and in the faith of the Bleeding God, and its bishops, abbots,
the Holy Church. Bishops and abbots rule their church and abbesses are both powerful and wealthy. They often
lands much as secular nobles might, and the most power- have need for adventurers to resolve some difficulty with
ful churchmen are almost always kindred of some noble a local lord or a hungry beast. The church’s inquisitors
house. The king himself is theoretically the head of the are not especially demanding about orthodoxy, but there
Church in Couront, but his commands must be tem- is enough dark sorcery from the nearby Black Pact that
pered by prudence. they seldom lack for work, and often need help.
Couront’s isolation has kept it relatively safe from The ruins most often found in Couront are those of
outside invasion. The wilderness of western Kytheron fallen monasteries and crumbling towns, both victims
has discouraged incursions, and the Black Pact has nev- of ancient wars or monstrous incursions. As a matter
er cared for secular expansion. Pelegrin in the Amundi of tradition, adventurers may keep whatever valuables
kingdoms to the south has been known to lay claim to they can recover from such ancient sites, though precious
southern regions of Couront, but their rulers have grown relics and famous treasures may attract noble or clerical
listless these days and their claims have largely lapsed. buyers who are not easily dissuaded.
 43

THE FAR WASTES

The Far Wastes are lands without pity, forever locked in
the grip of ice. The frozen sea of Boras Mur has crept Adventuring in the Wastes
over the land here and left the mountains sheathed in Only the most reckless adventurers would dare an over-
titanic sheets of crystal-clear frost. Unlike other glaciers, land expedition across the Wastes. Nothing natural can
however, the ice of the Boras Mur is gentle in its grasp. live on that endless sheet of ice, and the fearsome dwell-
It does not scrape the land clean, but covers it patiently, ers on the Boras Mur leave few survivors. Instead, most
preserving the features of the landscape and leaving the expeditions start in the southern reaches of the Gebed
ancient jungles and lost cities below undisturbed. Hau range, seeking out one of the great tunnel-roads that
head north beneath the ice.
History A few reckless merchants have even gone so far as to
No scholar can say much of the ancient civilization im- set up forward bases in the tunnels, carrying in supplies
prisoned below the ice. Its golden age was before the and courageous miners to work the rich deposits beneath
Colligation of Epochs, or else it is some mayfly domain the mountains. They can often be persuaded to supply
that sprung up during the chronal instability of that time, adventurers as well, given suitable inducement.
only to be frozen alive in some convulsion of the Legacy. Beyond the mountains, along the buried coast, the
The first Hyperborean explorers who ventured into frozen jungle is peppered with ancient cities trapped in
the Gebed Hau mountain range spoke of the jungles and the ice. The decoration and art shows a humanlike set of
cities they found buried beneath the glass-clear ice, thirty inhabitants, though the stylized lines make it difficult to
or fifty or a hundred paces down below the surface. They tell more. Some of their tallest buildings pierce the glacier
also recorded the presence of great street-wide tunnels surface, leaving other means of getting below. Some of
cut into the rime by unknown ancient hands, frozen these ancient structures have been inhabited by the alien
roads that burrowed deep into the gem-rich mountain- ice-folk, who do not welcome strangers.
sides and through to the buried cities beyond. Signs of Aside from the ice-folk, manlike cannibals have been
mining work were found in the empty tunnels, and sal- found living under the ice, harvesting preserved jungle
vage work in the lost cities, but no living miners were ever flora for food. They seem far too savage to have been
mentioned in those ancient records. the city-builders, using only crude tools and scavenging
The surface of the waste is lethally dangerous. The treasures to adorn their warriors. Some suppose they are
alien lords of the Boras Mur pilot great ice-beasts across the remnants of the original tunnel-builders.
the barren glacier, some no larger than a cart and others Aside from the cannibals, numerous ice-creatures
the size of small cities. They generally kill all humans of terrible aspect are said to dwell in the cities. Surely
they find, though some explorers claim that they can be only great magical power could keep them alive in such
negotiated with, if the right relics are presented and the places, and some mages are convinced that the secrets of
correct ancient words are spoken. the glaciers can be found in their hoarded troves.
44

THE FIFTH DYNASTY

The latest successor-state of the greatest power Gyarus As the centuries passed, however, the rigid curricu-
has ever known, the Fifth Dynasty is but a shadow of lum of the imperial schools admitted no innovation, and
its predecessors. Even in its decay, however, its venerable sorcerers who strayed from the official teachings risked
might and ageless institutions give it a power its recalci- death at the hands of the Dynastic censors. As the Legacy
trant provinces must grudgingly dread. mutated with the years, old magics no longer worked
correctly, and old Workings could no longer be sustained.
History This weakness was exposed when the great coastal
The first Dynastic state was formed shortly after the trade city of Triloukon was lost to a Polop invasion in
Colligation of Epochs when the First Emperor united 807 BL. With its major trade connection with Carce and
the warring city-states of the Plains of the Jade Marquis. the northern continent severed, the wizards proved un-
The tremendous military power of these vassal domains able to reverse the disaster. Much of their strongest magic
had to be directed outward lest it tear his young em- was inoperable or perilously unreliable, and desperate
pire apart, and so the First Dynasty was characterized local bureaucrats were thrown on their own resources.
by a military expansionism that took them north to the This bureaucracy had long been learning to make
southern reaches of the Gyre, and south, west, and east do without the help of their wizardly lords, and by 780
until there was no more land to conquer. At its height, BL they had completely supplanted the former dynasty
almost the entire continent was subject to the loyal vas- with a new network of trade connections and military
sals of the Emperor, and First Dynasty ruins can still be agreements that operated without recourse to unreliable
found throughout Gyarus. magic. After a brutal season of sorcerous warfare, the first
That very size became the First Dynasty’s downfall. emperor of the Fourth Dynasty took the throne that year.
Lacking the prospect for new lands, the lords fell to seiz- The bureaucracy bypassed many of the ancestral no-
ing each others’ territory, and the empire collapsed into bles of the Dynasty, preferring to rule through officials
a welter of warring fiefs. The once-irrelevant Imperial chosen by imperial examinations. They prided them-
Bureau of Gods and Ancestors became the only effec- selves on using all the resources of the state to gain its
tive peacemakers between the lords, calling upon divine ends: warfare, sorcery, and the favor of the gods alike.
authority to sanctify diplomatic agreements and anathe- These resources were not equal to the hour. The
mize those who broke them. The chief administrator of remaining provinces of the empire gradually slipped
the Bureau eventually became the founding emperor of away, the emperor too weak or too cautious to force the
the Second Dynasty in 2250 BL. bureaucracy into a coherent attempt to hold on to their
The power of the myriad temples and ancestor-cults influence. By 802 AL, the Fourth Dynasty existed in
grew enormously during the Second Dynasty, and the name only outside of its ancestral core.
lords of the domains often became mere figureheads for It was through the frustration of a minor eastern
the chief priests of the Gods and Ancestors, when they noble that the dynasty met its end. By means of intricate
were not formally deposed. The Second Dynasty was less diplomatic dealings and the support of the Xindai gover-
concerned with expansion, and more given to the con- nors, a sweeping invasion from the east was able to seize
struction of massive edifices to the glory of their deities the ancient capital at Anchang in 802 AL, placing the
and their sacred ancestors. first of the Tiu dynasty on the throne and commencing
The competitiveness between and within religious the present Fifth Dynasty.
sects never died, however, and as the centuries progressed, In theory, the emperor at Anchang commands not
more and more priests resorted to esoteric wisdom and only his ancestral holdings, but the Scarlet Princes, the
secret sorceries in order to advance their faith or their Xindai Commanderies, the Free Clans, the Hundred
personal standing. Eventually, the calcified system of Schools, and the nation of Hantu as well. In practice, he
priestly rule broke apart, and the only temples of im- is hard-pressed to even keep hold of his own domains,
portance were those that taught sorcery. The convulsive with the other nations ranging between open hostility
conflicts between these arcane schools threatened to de- to politely fictional allegiance.
stroy the empire until the rise of the first mage-emperor Confusion and disorder plagues the nation. The
of the Third Dynasty in 1522 BL. old bureaucracy still hobbles on, but city governors grow
The Third Dynasty was naturally obsessed with the negligent of imperial commands and village grandees
control of magic within their domain, and only autho- abuse their neighbors without rebuke. Numerous offi-
rized imperial schools of sorcery were permitted to take cials and long-ignored noble houses labor to dig up the
students. The former temple schools were shut down relics and secrets of the past, the better to seize present
or went literally underground, and those sorcerers too power. Cults and philosophical schools thought dead for
powerful to kill were made to flee across the Vermillion an age are awakening again as people seek some remedy
Sea, into the present-day Hundred Schools. Many great against the decay. What they find may be worse than
Workings date back to the rule of these sorcerer-lords. the sickness.
 45

Geography Peoples of the Fifth Dynasty

The Fifth Dynasty is largely warm and temperate, with The average Dynast is slim, with skin tones ranging from
a tropical climate around the Ai Mej jungle and cooler old ivory to bronze and straight black hair. Numerous
weather around the south end of the Bolin forest. Snow small ethnic groups are found within the borders, how-
is uncommon north of Anchang. ever, and some of them can be drastically different in
The Feiyang hill range at the center of the land is appearance while sharing much the same culture.
exceptionally jagged and steep, with numerous small riv- While the Fifth Dynasty is not so comfortable with
ers twining between tall karst pillars. For ages, scholars demihumans as the Xindai Commanderies are, there are
and sages have vanished into the hills to conduct their still some small communities to be found. Several dwar-
solitary studies, and numerous forgotten shrines from ven holds are known to create magnificent temples and
the Second Dynasty can still be found. carvings in the Feiyang Hills, and certain ancient acade-
The freshwater Vermillion Sea is the common road mies are staffed exclusively by an associated community
of the region, with ships from all the surrounding coun- of elves. Other small domains and isolated polities are
tries regularly passing through. In former times, the Ku- also recognized by the empire, and largely ignored so long
rao river used to be the Dynasty’s main trade link with as they continue to pay tribute and avoid making trouble.
the outside world, terminating at the port city of Trilou- The people of the Fifth Dynasty are defined largely
kon. These days, most Dynastic goods must cross the by a steadfast conviction that theirs is the greatest cul-
Xindai Commanderies to reach an ocean market. ture and most splendid society to have ever graced the
The northern border is marked by the start of the Latter Earth. If the Dynasty has weakened and its pres-
Anak Wastes, and Blighted raiders are regular scourges ent state is lessened, it is only because people have not
from that accursed land. The Great North Road that properly understood the lessons of the past, nor properly
runs from Zinsui to Shi Mej is lined with wayforts to embraced the teachings of their ancestors. To be cultured
keep the Anak from sweeping down in a savage tide. is the crowning virtue of any true Dynast.
In the east, the Plains of the Jade Marquis are the So intense is this cultural confidence that it large-
ancestral heartland of the empire, the black soil being ly eclipses lineage in determining societal membership.
tremendously productive. The eponymous Jade Marquis Anyone who embraces Dynastic culture is a Dynast, re-
was said to have invented agriculture here, and even now gardless of their origins. Those who reject and refuse it
the villages and towns lie thick on the fertile plains. are foreigners, even if they are heir to an ancient clan.
46

Demographics Dynastic Society

Perhaps as many as twenty million Dynasts are spread The basic Dynastic social unit is the extended family.
out among the farming villages and cities of the domain. Every member is expected to assist every other member,
Unlike most nations, the extreme fertility of the Plains even out to distant relations, provided such assistance is
of the Jade Marquis allows a considerably greater per- not too onerous. The closer the relation, the greater the
centage of the populace to live in urban areas. The capital obligation; a child’s duty to their parents is total, while a
of Anchang boasts almost one million inhabitants, and cousin might require no more than business assistance or
even small regional market centers can claim at least ten help acquiring a government post. Similar ties are formed
thousand people. Demihumans make up a very small but by formal declarations of friendship, which make each
not nonexistent portion of the populace, with perhaps participant pseudo-family to the others.
one percent of the population being non-baseline. Government officials have the highest status in so-
ciety, along with those few remaining nobles who can lay
Cities of the Fifth Dynasty claim to ancient, largely decorative titles. Beneath them
Within the Fifth Dynasty’s borders are at least a hundred are farmers and scholars. Artisans and craftsmen are held
market towns or provincial centers that deserve the name as inferiors, scarcely worthy of being allowed to take the
of city. Seven of them are of particular importance. government office examinations. Merchants, despite all
their wealth, are hopelessly vulgar sorts automatical-
Anchang: “Heaven-piercing Anchang” is the millenia-old ly disqualified from holding government office. Slaves,
seat of Dynastic rule, the throne-city without which soldiers, servants, performing artists, foreigners, harlots,
no usurper can hope to be the legitimate emper- criminals, and similar people are tolerated as nothing
or. The city has been inhabited so long that it has more than necessary evils.
built itself up into a towering mountain of buried Most children follow in the trade of their parents.
buildings, half-collapsed sewers, and mazey subter- While men and women have firmly-defined social roles,
ranean complexes. The Fragrant Office of Profound these roles are subject to the agreement of the family. A
Architecture commissions regular security sweeps woman can be put to a man’s task or vice-versa if the
through the topmost layers. Few dare to go deeper. family needs their talents and they accept the duty; out-
Luyang: Gateway to the northern Feiyang hill range, siders would be considered impudent to question the
Luyang is choked with temples and shrines dating propriety of it.
back to the Second Dynasty. Numerous cults and The Dynasts commonly cherish two things: culture
obscure philosophical schools survive there, pro- and government office. Those two qualities can redeem
tected by ancient tradition from the interference of almost any personal failing, and without at least one of
the governor. them a person can never be considered fit for good com-
Mawen: A naval base dedicated chiefly towards keeping pany. Every family’s children are brought up with the best
the pirate-merchants of the Free Clans in check. Its education they can afford, focusing chiefly on literature,
governor has also been charged with finding colo- poetry, and fine arts. Those gifted offspring that pass the
nists and explorers willing to reclaim the long-aban- yearly government examinations have a hope of being
doned island of Shilai for the emperor. enlisted into the bureaucracy, even if only as a village
Rudai: The main trading city for the Xindai merchants, magistrate. The vast majority of men and women who
with barges going up and down the Kurao to gather fail these examinations may try again later, but must oth-
the produce of the plains. A gigantic bridge spans erwise take up their family profession or be married off.
the river here, its underside crusted over with thou- The worst sins in Dynastic society are unfilial be-
sands of abandoned buildings of another age. havior and selfish avarice. Betraying your own family is
Shi Mej: The last remnant of the ancient Ai Mej province a heinous crime deserving only a miserable death. Family
from which the neighboring jungle takes its name, elders, especially parents, are to be treated with deference
Shi Mej is a melancholy city of beautiful, many-col- and obedience at all times. In the same vein, a grasping
ored buildings and numerous psychoactive drugs. avarice for wealth and personal indulgence is disgusting,
It’s also the center of the Dynastic slave trade, with and the mark of a deformed character unfit for public
surplus sons and daughters from around the nation prominence. Of course, such sins would not have to be
traded to those who bring silver. condemned so ferociously if they were not sadly well-
Silung: Famed for its history of art and song, Silung is known in Dynastic society.
a magnificent city of soaring architecture and doz- Dynasts who cannot tolerate the constant demands
ens of ancient art academies. Aesthetic affairs are of of family obligations or public office may withdraw from
greater import than financial ones here. the world to follow certain esoteric religious sects or ven-
Zinsui: A fortress-city armed against the incursions of erable philosophical paths that teach dissociation from
the Anak beyond the border. The drier plains of the the concerns of the world. Such adepts can ignore family
west have less agriculture and more herding; agents ties and shun public office without suffering shame for
of Zinsui must often deal with cattle rustlers and it, provided they maintain the austere habits and strict
sheep thieves, both Anak and otherwise. personal moralities of their faith… at least in public.
 47

Government and Law Religion in the Fifth Dynasty

In theory, the awesome Emperor Shulao is the absolute All Dynasts are expected to give veneration to their an-
and unquestioned autocrat of all Dynasts everywhere. cestors at certain times and places, with the eldest sons
His scores of bureaus, ministries, and offices reverently responsible for presiding over these rites. Commoners
receive his sacred commands and tirelessly work to effec- and the ignorant believe that their ancestors can be-
tuate the blessings of imperial benevolence throughout stow blessings and favors on pious descendants, but the
the land. learned consider such beliefs to be vulgar folly. The pur-
In practice, the emperor has absolute control over pose of ancestor worship is to inculcate filial piety, not to
such things as he absolutely monitors at every step. get favors from the dead. Needless to say, necromancy is
Without constant imperial oversight his commands are a heinous crime to all decent Dynasts.
subject to the discretion and interpretation of hundreds For practical aid, commoners have recourse to a
of bureaucratic officials, many of them hundreds of miles number of household gods, such as those of the stove,
away from him. the bed, and the inkstone for aid with wealth, fertility,
A corps of imperial eunuchs known as the Eastern and learning. Larger worries are offered up to each city’s
Palace serve as the emperor’s unofficial right hands. Per- God of Walls and Ditches, who presides over all affairs
sonally selected for their talents, they are often sent to within the community’s walls.
investigate remote matters and ensure that the imperial When death befalls a family, offerings are made to
will is carried out correctly. Sadly, the Eastern Palace is the Judges of Hell so as to ensure a merciful review of
notoriously corrupt. Open opposition to them is almost the deceased’s life and a swift passage to a new and fa-
certain to result in an imperial death sentence. vorable incarnation. During the Second Dynasty, nobles
The official Imperial Censors are formally intended required numerous human sacrifices as part of their buri-
to root out corruption, and are selected through a mix al rites, sending both slaves and spouses to their side in
of examinations and proven service as senior magistrates. the afterlife. Today, only the cruelest grandees demand
They are ancient enemies of the Eastern Palace, but they such excess, and only when the local magistrate is too
are watched so closely by the eunuchs that they must of- cowed to stop them.
ten engage secret agents of their own to gather informa- Every trade has its own professional deity in turn,
tion and carry out their decisions. Capable adventurers from the Jade Marquis who invented agriculture to Shi
are often selected for such deniable work. Chong, the primordial blacksmith. The specific name and
Beneath the palace intrigues, every city, town, and qualities of these gods vary from region to region, but
village is under the direct rule of an appointed magis- every place can be expected to have a god of tailors, of
trate, who holds this post for a set term. This magistrate carpenters, of harlots, of scholars, and of every other pro-
oversees all legal and governmental affairs in the city fession wealthy enough to fund a temple and its priests.
and judges all serious crimes. He or she is aided by a The Golden Path has a considerable number of fol-
hired corps of local constables and investigators, who lowers in the Fifth Dynasty, and its lessons of abandon-
hold a very low status but are grudgingly feared for their ing the self and abolishing one’s passions are embraced
connections. Every magistrate must report to a superior by many who have lost much in the world. Most consider
magistrate, until the greatest are left to answer to the it a faith for the old and those retired from public affairs,
provincial governor, and the governors to the emperor. but its temples are often richly endowed by those seeking
The Dynastic government is a shadow of what it to escape the fetters of material things.
used to be in former ages, but it is still extremely orga- During the Third Dynasty, an offshoot of the Gold-
nized and effective compared to most other nations. The en Path became popular among the magical literati of
magistrates can call on substantial numbers of constables the empire. The Changing Way has been embraced ever
whenever necessary, and standing arrangements exist for since by mystical adepts eager to obtain the marvelous
summoning troops from nearby garrisons as needed. Pa- powers it promises. Through strict austerities, isolation,
perwork and files are passed to and fro among the mag- complex breathing exercises, and dangerous alchemical
istracy, and crimes in one place are often noted far away. medicines, the initiate may hope to obtain eternal life and
Fortunately, the absolute authority of the magistrate health, and in time refine his base nature into godhood.
means that such difficulties can sometimes be overcome Adepts of the Changing Way seek out remote hermitages
with the right payment or favor. or isolated monasteries where they can carry out their
The Dynasts have access not only to considerable disciplines in peace. Some depraved seekers have been
armed forces, but also a sizable number of sorcerers and known to follow darker versions of the path, ones that
arcane adepts. Most of these learned mages are left to promise quicker power or more convenient longevity at
their isolated shrines and hermitages, but when called the cost of heinous deeds and forbidden sacrifices.
upon by a magistrate, they tender their services for the While the Dynasts are tolerant about their faiths,
good of the state. Especially dangerous enemies or fear- there are some gods that are forbidden by the empire.
some rampaging adventurers must beware the conse- This forbidding is not always enough to suppress the
quences of angering these strange old wizards and their cults that form around these dark relics of the Second
enigmatic arts. Dynasty, for the rewards they offer are great.
48

Adventuring in the Fifth Dynasty

Officially, adventurers have very little status in the Fifth
Dynasty, being considered a thin slice above criminals at Antagonists
best. In practice, successful adventurers often end up as With as many clashing interests as exist in the Fifth Dy-
folk heroes and popular champions, celebrated by the nasty, it’s an adroit party that can avoid angering some
commoners and courted by officials. Unsuccessful ones dangerous figure.
rarely live long enough to worry about their social pros-
pects. Angry Relics: The Dynasts have existed as a culture
The usual patrons for adventuring parties are rich since shortly after recorded history began, and
local merchants, magistrates in need of temporary con- innumerable petty gods, local spirits, and ancient
stables, or investigative scholars who require more muscle guardians have been venerated. At times these an-
than a writing-brush grants. Once they’ve made a name cient, half-understood rituals have been interrupted,
for themselves, more powerful officials might contact and the angered entity expresses its disappointment
them for special tasks that require a proven agent. An violently until it is subdued or placated.
adventurer with the right patron and the right paperwork Bandit Chiefs: Particularly charismatic bandit lords can
is practically above the law. make a great name for themselves in the wilderness.
By avoiding injury to the local villagers, they can
Exploration Adventures get numerous willing helpers in their raids on rich
The Feiyuan hills are full of abandoned shrines and her- merchants and nearby trade routes. So long as they
mitages once occupied by forgotten cults or long-van- avoid plundering government officials, they can
ished magical adepts. Numerous figures of wealth and prosper for quite some time.
power have retreated there from the cares of the world, Corrupt Officials: While the Imperial Censors do their
and they tended to bring their finest loot along with them. best to root out avarice and self-dealing among the
The Ai Mej is a notorious refuge for escaped slaves officials of the dynasty, there are few of them, and
and overly-successful bandits, and small villages of out- many magistrates. Remote villages can groan for
casts can be found in its safer regions. Its less secure decades under the hand of a greedy ruler, and even
depths contain numerous Second Dynasty ruins, includ- the great cities are full of officials who will stop at
ing certain fanes to gods no longer acceptable to current nothing to gain a precious promotion.
morality. Desperate Peasants: Some regions of the Dynasty are
The fortresses on the Great North Road along the so hard-pressed by corrupt officials, monstrous in-
border are always in need of scouts to venture north into cursions, or natural disasters that the commoners
the Anak Wastes and bring back reports. Adventurers take up arms as rebels and bandits. Any outsider is
make the perfect expendable agents for such often-lethal fair game for such renegades, and while their moti-
missions. vations may be understandable, they seldom show
much restraint in their depredations.
Dungeon Adventures Forbidden Cultists: The Fifth Dynasty is broad-mind-
Every major Dynastic city is so old that it has inevita- ed, but some ancient gods or foreign devil-deities
bly built up a high mound of tumbled construction and are beyond the pale. This doesn’t stop them from
deposited detritus beneath it. Under their surfaces run developing cults of zealous devotees, however, as
ancient streets and warrens of half-crushed buildings, such infernal deities often grant considerable favors
with forgotten temples, ruined palaces, and cavernous to their willing minions.
ancient neighborhoods sealed over by lost sorcery or an- Things from Below: At times the security patrols per-
tique construction methods. formed by the Fragrant Office of Profound Archi-
The passages closest to the surface tend to be dens tecture miss a monstrous peril beneath a city, or
for criminals and outcasts, where they can lurk away even wake it up with some incautious exploration.
from the eyes of the constables. Deeper layers host cults There’s no telling what hideous things lurk down in
to forbidden gods and secret cells of sorcerers who prac- the darkness, but they’re seldom good neighbors to
tice unacceptable arts. At the deepest strata, the passag- the surface-dwellers.
es tend to bend and warp under the weight of curdled Wicked Sorcerers: The Changing Way promises god-
sorcery and magics rendered unstable by the Legacy’s hood to the determined and patient adept. Some
changes. Some even break through into ancient Deeps, prefer a quicker path to divinity and commit hid-
with corridors of alien metal winding down toward the eous atrocities in pursuit of immortality. If these
core of the world. Some agents of the Fragrant Office sacrifices are made in the rural regions, there may
of Profound Architecture even claim that these under- be no one able to stop them for years on end.
worlds connect every city at some level. Proof of this is
wanting, but few think it impossible.
 49

Fifth Dynasty Names Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Clan Names First Syllable Second Syllable Place Names Unfilial runaway from an
1 Chen Ai Ling Buzi intolerable parent

2 Chi Bian Long Chaoyang Failed scholar with no further hope

in the imperial examination
3 Chu Cheng Lu Chenjia
Cultured antique collector who
4 Fan Chi Mei Dachang gets them from the source
5 Gan Chian Mu Dayagu
Hard-bitten ex-soldier looking for
6 Jiang Chiu Nuo Ertang a rise in social status
7 Kong Dai Pi Ganshi Oppressed peasant forced into this
8 Li Dong Ruan Hejiba life by corrupt officials

9 Lin Du Ruo Jiaping Righteous criminal evading

punishment for a just crime
10 Meng Fang Shi Lengshui
Sorcerous pupil of a not-entirely-
11 Peng Gwo Shu Lijigu licit magical tradition
12 Sheng Han Si Pengjia Penniless heir to a completely
13 Shi He Su Santai useless noble title
14 Sima Heng Tao Shinglong Artist who demands new
15 Sun Hong Ting Shuba experiences for their art

16 Wan Hwa Tsao Sitang Zealously focused martial adept of

a venerable tradition
17 Wang Ji Wei Tianshang
Poet forced into the life after their
18 Wei Lan Yang Wanzi poetry was taken amiss
19 Yu Lang Yin Yanku Wandering priest obliged to make
20 Yue Lei Yu Yujia money in any way they can
Dynast names are composed of a clan name and usually a two-syllable
given name. Female names often duplicate a syllable for a given name.

Example Fifth Dynasty Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Greedy and heart- Hapless peasant The magistrate is in Answer key to the Busy official hall of
1
less official someone’s pocket local examination the magistrate
Priest of a malevo- Well-meaning but A natural disaster Priceless jade token Eerie empty exam-
2
lent ancient god failing student strikes the area of office ination hall
Merchant in league Foreigner in dire An ancient Dynastic Grimoire of Third Remote hill hermit-
3
with the magistrate need of friends Working fails Dynasty sorcery age
Military official Penniless would-be Raiders have Stolen official Ornate temple to a
4
turned mere robber scholar crossed the border payroll local god
Merciless tax Commoner in need An Imperial Censor Key to a sealed Shouting, bustling
5
farmer of a protector is in town Dynast ruin marketplace
Raider chief from Upright official A venerable festival Precious Dynastic Serene and tasteful
6
over the border fighting corruption is underway antiques garden
Cruel sorcerer Peaceful adept of An important Magic medicines Busy teahouse with
7 seeking sacrifices the Changing Way official has been useful to adepts of female musicians
murdered the Way
Amoral eunuch Harried eunuch A surprise exam- Lost poetry collec- Crowded site of
8 government agent trying to avoid ination has been tion of enormous an open-air play
political danger announced value performance
50

THE FREE CLANS

Once a mountainous Second Dynasty backwater, the Between the spiritual prestige of the monks and the
Free Clans have become some of the richest and most exceedingly defensible nature of their monasteries, the
prosperous traders on the coast of the Vermillion Sea. rulers and merchants of the clans entrusted the temples
Ancient networks of Golden Path monasteries oversee with their treasures. Their golden ornaments, ancestral
a web of trading relations that reach all the way to the jewels, and the surplus of their meager mountain farms
Carcereal coast. were all stored away in the vaults of the Golden Path.
The monasteries were ambivalent about holding so
History much wealth, even if it was not technically their own, and
From the earliest recorded history, the lands that make established a policy by which the owners would have to
up the Free Clans have been uninviting. A high, jagged remove it after a certain time. Transferring ownership
plateau backed by the Shangu Mountains, its western was also an acceptable measure, so a complex system
reaches are so elevated that humans cannot survive at of loans was soon brought into being. Donors had to
their heights without sorcerous help or demihuman ad- move their treasures somewhere, so they moved it into
aptations. The early city-states there had little to recom- the hands of those who promised to increase it. Phys-
mend them and the First Dynasty was almost reluctant ically shifting the objects about was cumbersome and
to conquer the land, leaving few garrisons behind. risky, however.
During the Second Dynasty, the theocratic machin- To resolve this, the temples issued promissory notes
ery of the state exiled many Golden Path teachers to the for these deposits, and distant Golden Path monasteries
province in a purge that lasted decades. Amid the frigid in other lands were willing to redeem them. So popular
peaks and dry hills, these teachers constructed austere were these banking services that the monasteries became
monasteries where they could pursue liberation. fabulously wealthy, with practically every significant valu-
These monasteries were the most sophisticated cul- able in the province stored away in some clerical vault.
tural institutions that the Free Clans had ever known. Largely by accident, this series of events created an
Their prestige and disinterest in material wealth attracted enormous amount of mercantile activity in the hills. Free
many followers, and it wasn’t long until the monasteries Clan merchants crossed the Vermillion Sea to far lands
were the de facto arbiters and judges of the clans, each in order to trade goods, relying on the “golden notes” to
ancient holy site responsible for its own territory. fund their expeditions. When the Fourth Dynasty finally
Amid the numerous warring clans of the province, collapsed, the Free Clans found themselves able to fund a
these monasteries came to be built more like fortresses powerful standing army out of their profits, and politely
than spiritual retreats. Massive walls, narrow windows, declined the opportunity to submit to the Fifth Dynasty.
and deep storehouses were carved out of the mountain- Even today, there are almost as many clanfolk out-
sides, all to ensure that the monks within would not be side the nation as within it. Their ships sail to every na-
disturbed by the ambitions of petty warlords. tion on the Vermillion Sea, and dare farther still at times.
 51

People of the Clans

The clanfolk of this land look much like other
Dynasts, but tend to be broader-chested and
somewhat shorter, adapted for the high eleva-
tions of their homeland. Bright colors, splendid
ornaments, and the insignia of wealth and suc-
cess are all customary elements in their dress.
As the land’s name implies, every citizen
is affiliated with their maternal clan-family.
While the bonds of filial piety aren’t as strong
as they are in the Fifth Dynasty, these ties still
are the usual means for a new merchant to
make their start.
While other religions are not forbidden
among the clans, the Golden Path is the un-
disputed state faith. Its monasteries and their
ruling lamas are the foremost authorities in the
land, with monks serving in all major official
posts and making all governmental decisions.
They set the rules for markets and trading and
oversee contracts between merchants.
These monasteries are all fabulously
wealthy, and many have fallen into decided-
ly un-liberated attitudes towards money and
physical pleasures. A few of the most rigidly
traditional still shun such indulgences, but
their numbers are few despite their prestige.
The cities of the Free Clans are a jarring
mix of brilliantly painted walls and extrava-
gantly carved adornments with blocky, thick-
walled structures that hug the hillsides. Most
clanfolk buildings are intended to survive fierce cold and numerous tricks of siegecraft and sorcery to break walls,
blasting winds, so the more delicate refinements of for- bypass doors, and tumble strong stone workings. Oth-
eign architecture are seldom found. er than Anak, stranger beasts have been seen amid the
snows as well, and ancient Outsider lairs are well-pre-
Adventures Amid the Clans served by the eternal ice of the heights. Every now and
This cold and lofty land has little in the way of natural then some long-sleeping doom is awoken in the peaks.
resources, but much in the way of money. More than a Aside from monstrous perils and mercantile raiding,
few foreigners end up in clanfolk cities for the sake of there are dangers from religious zealots as well. Some
the ample pay they get from the locals, and there’s always clanfolk lamas are secretly in league with the Wheel-
someone hiring for a job. breaker movement, desiring the destruction of the
Some of these jobs are not strictly legal. While the world to permanently break its cycles of reincarnation
ships of the Free Clans are famed as traders, some are and suffering. While officially denounced, many of the
also known to be more aggressive in acquiring goods on most upright and pleasure-shunning monasteries have
the high seas. Without a strong government to restrain more than a few members among them. The most dan-
them, Free Clan privateers and pirates are an infamous gerous establish hidden monasteries in the peaks, relying
scourge upon the Vermillion Sea, turning trader or reaver on donations from lay sympathizers who may not know
as their opportunities recommend. Free Clans merchant- their true motives. Amid the snows, they employ terrible
men have been known to hire strong arms, either as de- magics to hasten the end of a wretched world.
fense from pirates or as additional muscle for their own Given the perils of the high country, it also some-
depredations. times comes to pass that a monastery is destroyed, ei-
Many of the shore-side jobs involve dealing with ther by monstrous foes or some natural disaster. Most of
the monsters of the Shangu mountains. Terrible Anak these ruins have been long lost to history, but an adven-
subspecies dwell among the peaks, and their raids and turing band that can find one and penetrate its magical-
plunderings have kept the mountain cities watchful for ly-warded vaults can escape with a mountain of treasure...
ages past. The Anak of these hills have spent so long assuming the heirs of the former owners don’t catch wind
raiding well-fortified clan cities that they have developed of their salvage.
52

THE GADAVIN COAST

Once a rich and verdant land of busy ports and graceful their domains as feeding-grounds for the piscine Out-
country villas, the coast long ago fell into darkness when siders. Those noble families that submitted were altered
the Polop invaders came. While the fish devils no longer by Polop sorcery in terrible ways, forever after enslaved
rule openly in this sodden land, few have any hope of by their hungry new lords.
restoring its ancient splendor. For almost six centuries the Polop ruled all the Ga-
davin coast, repelling vain efforts by the Third Dynasty
History to reclaim their link with the outer world and devouring
The first mention of the coast in recorded history is as a any human rebel who dared stand against them. The only
province of the Vothite Empire in 1422 BL. Five admin- havens of free humanity in the region were those pockets
istrative regions were established, though the eastmost caught between the edge of the swamp and the steeps of
province of Morodon and its precious port city of Trilou- the Step, where surviving nobles led a bitter resistance
kon appear to have been under Third Dynasty control at to the Polop.
that time. Given the peculiar way in which the Vothite Shared hatred finally forged an alliance between Dy-
Empire “made war”, it’s unclear whether or not there was nasts, Republicans, and native forces. With internal con-
any conventional military activity involved in its claim. flicts among the Polop weakening their grasp, the rebels
By 1200 BL it was clear that Triloukon was a Dy- were finally able to drive out their fishman lords in 230
nastic city. The vast wealth of the inland empire was BL, slaughtering their collaborator slaves and forcing the
brought to market through the great river-port, and surviving quislings to flee into the swamp.
merchants from Carce, Llum, and farther lands all came Ever since then, however, the marsh has remained
to buy. The four Vothite provinces of the west shared in the ruler of the coast. Even with the Polop gone, their
this prosperity, with their lushly forested coast dotted monstrous leavings and their warped human collabo-
with small port towns and their inland meadows speck- rators still infest the coastline, making trade via Trilou-
led with the country estates of thought nobles. kon impossible. Even now, the city is a vast, hollow ruin
The geography of the land made contact with the perched on a swampy isle. It is seized by pirate kings,
inland empire difficult except at Triloukon, as a massive bandits, or reckless colonizers every few years, but they
escarpment known as “the Step” runs across the southern never last long. The things below the city and within the
border of the coast. At its highest points, the Step looms swamp have no patience for interlopers.
two thousand feet above the land below, and only a few Further along the coast, the humans of the four
ancient switchback ramps give access to the top. Several provinces huddle in the shadow of the Step. Only the
other ramps once existed, along with a civilization that new port town of Gadav has any sea access, so anyone
carved towns and cities into the face of the Step, but who would enter that land must either scale the Step
most of these structures appear to have been destroyed from the south or make the long overland journey from
in some ancient war. Gadav. Travelers say that strange gods are being wor-
Around 1000 BL, the Vothite Empire fell, and the shiped in the inland cities, and peculiar alliances are be-
Republic rose in its place. Republican senators were elect- ing struck with the swamp-folk.
ed from the Gadavin provinces, but the great distance
and general disorder of the times made their attendance People of the Coast
rare. In time, their appearances became fewer and fewer, Most Gadavin are of Vothite ancestry, and share that
until the four Vothite provinces were independent in all people’s slim build, pale skin, and black hair. A consid-
but name. Their initial senators became the seed of a erable number of Dynasts once dwelled along the coast,
noble class that still rules the provinces today as their however, and their looks are not uncommon. Aside from
personal satrapies. these, a significant number of humans share traits wo-
A greater disaster befell the land in 807 BL, when ven into their ancestors by the Polop, who changed them
the Polop off the coast performed some monstrous work to suit their own tastes. Bright colors and patterns on
of undersea sorcery and deluged the entire coastline in a their skins, fins and gills, extravagant scales, lionfish-like
massive wave. The green forests were replaced with fetid manes, and the occasional tentacle or venomous spine are
swamps and tangled vines and the dry land transformed not uncommon. Most such “Touched” can manage on
into a bog of narrow waterways and unsteady ground. dry land, but prefer the damp of the swamp.
As far as a hundred miles inland, the coastal region was The “inlanders” still live under the rule of their an-
ruined and transformed into a reeking mire. cestral noble houses, each province having its king. Mo-
This deluge was accompanied by invasion. Polop rodon is the exception, as the “faithful” clans there still
warriors swept over the land, and wherever the swamp worship their Polop masters and despise non-Touched
reached, the fish devils followed. Rather than simply de- humans. Within the swamps, isolated clans of baselines
vour their human prey, however, they forced the submis- and touched live largely ignorant of the outside world,
sion of the human rulers and compelled them to keep concerned only with their own affairs.
 53

Eboro is the westernmost province. Few humans Adventures on the Coast

live here with the terrible arratus that take up most of While the Gadavin coast is presently a swampy hell of
its land. The Plains of the Iron Sky and the White Waste monstrous humanoids and feral Polop war-beasts, the
form a wall between Eboro and the Gyre, and only coast- treasures of the greatest trading port in Gyarus still await
al ships can make it from Ka-Adun to Gadav. recovery. The Polop flooded out thousands of Vothite es-
Beriso is the most “civilized” of the Gadavin domains, tates and coastal towns in their invasion, and showed lit-
its King Licnos ruling from the port town of Gadav. As tle interest in looting the remains. These ruins welcome
the only safe seaport in a thousand miles of coast, what scavengers brave enough to dare the unfriendly locals and
little commerce the land has with the outside world is overcome whatever things have nested there.
conducted here. Adventurers and freebooters crowd the The only friendly faces to be found in this land are
docks, all eager to loot the abandoned Vothite swamp in Gadav, the only usable seaport in almost a thousand
ruins. Many expeditions fail to return. miles of coast. What limited trade the swamps conduct
Canibri is accessible only by the old Coast Road to is handled here, with adventurers and exiles arriving at it
Gadav, the swamps being an impenetrable barrier on one daily. The cities further inland, such as Briga and Navia,
side and the cliffs of the Step on the other. Its capital of are not always friendly to outsiders. Adventurers must
Briga does much trade with swamp clans for fish, wood, prove their worth to the locals if they are to get any help.
and drugs, and its Queen Mesilla is Touched herself, with The true prize of the Gadavin is Triloukon, of
a ruff of colored spines and jeweled scales on her limbs. course. Entire warehouses of priceless treasures were
Some say she is too friendly with the faithful clans in trapped there when the Polop invaded, and the centuries
the swamp. of looters since have not succeeded in emptying them all.
Limia is almost unknown to outsiders. The only The vast city is still untouched in parts, and each season
way in is by way of the Coast Road, and few travel so of looters can expect to find something new if they can
far into this fetid land. Its capital of Navia is said to be survive the hostile natives and monstrous things within.
populated almost exclusively with Touched, and its King The Fifth Dynasty would give a king’s ransom to
Lugurix worships strange gods in ancient swamp shrines. anyone who could secure Triloukon and open up the
Morodon is wholly unfriendly to baseline humans, river between it and the Dynasty. At the same time, the
its inhabitants all Touched who still keep faith with their Xindai merchants who currently handle external Dynas-
Polop masters. The fish devils appear to have given them tic trade would be much less eager for such a thing, and
the secrets of breeding and controlling their war-beasts. might go so far as to take steps to prevent it.
54

THE GODBLIGHT
The region known as the Godblight is not so much a meekly as the temples wish, and more than a few have
nation as it is a continuously ongoing catastrophe. The slaughtered their creators and now rule portions of the
refugee priests of the fallen Logomachy have rebuilt a Godblight in their own right.
shambling mockery of their former greatness in this des- Every high priest in the Godblight is obsessed with
olate land, and their constant efforts to regain their old the destruction of Sarx and the subdual of any rival
glory have served only to generate disaster after disaster temple. So long as Sarx remains, they know its masters
for all those around them. will never tolerate their continued existence, and until all
their rival priests are crushed their own temple’s security
History can never be assured. Alliances and pacts are formed reg-
When the Logomachy of Nakad collapsed in 378 BL, ularly among the temple-states, and broken just as often
the great majority of its Word Priests were slaughtered when they cease to be profitable.
by their runaway divine avatars or by the enraged temple
slaves that later went on to form Sarx. A certain num- People of the Godblight
ber of them escaped the bloody purge, however, and fled The land’s current rulers were once drawn of the original
across the Bight of Nakad to take refuge in the lands now stock of Nakad, but so many centuries of sorcerous mu-
known as the Godblight. tation and crossbreeding with demihuman or non-hu-
At the time, these lands were little more than a back- man entities has left them of no single discernible type.
water farming province of the Logomachy, its natural Almost any mix of body parts, pigments, and sensory
magical resources limited and its rough terrain devoid organs can be found on a Word Priest, and while most
of most mundane resources. There were few temples to still appear generally human, few are truly so. The most
the Gods of Truth, and so few slaves to subdue and fewer powerful tend to be the most monstrous, having “im-
divine eidolons to dispel. It took the refugee priests two proved” themselves far beyond humanity’s limits.
or three years to crush all local resistance to their rule, Outside the temple complexes, outlying villages and
but desperation ensured their haste. towns are filled by the various demihumans and servi-
In the centuries since, the Nakadi priests have large- tor-summons the temples have called forth.
ly exterminated baseline humanity outside of their own Runomian beastfolk are relatively common, having
temples. In their place, they have crafted dozens of demi- been seized from Runom over the years or taken from
human servitor-races and summoned forth swarms of Sarxian slavers. Unlike in Runom, their communities
beings from far Iterums to serve as their minions and are all of mixed species, usually under the rule of the
warriors. These new creations often fail to behave as strongest warrior.
 55

The Tiklak Swarm infests the areas around several Adventuring in the Godblight
ruined temples, having been called by unwise high priests The active temple complexes in the Godblight are
for some centuries until their disadvantages became obvi- near-suicide for an outsider to approach. The crazed
ous. They appear as ant-like humanoids with iron-hard experiments of the mad priests within are often lethal
carapaces and an insatiable hunger for mammalian flesh. to the inhabitants, let alone interlopers. Every so often,
While intelligent and capable of speech, they see no need a runaway avatar-eidolon of some unfathomable deity
to speak unless it will help them acquire more meat. breaks loose and wreaks havoc for a time before it disin-
The Ridden Men were the outcome of temple re- tegrates. Monstrous sorcerous engines, hideous ships of
search into parasitic control; while they are baseline living flesh and bone, and other abominations of arcane
humans, each is ridden by a small, clinging, crab-like science are also common products of the temples.
parasite that forces them to labor and war in the service Abandoned or destroyed temples can sometimes
of their queen. When their originating temples were prove worthwhile grounds for plunder, if the rampaging
destroyed, the queens spread unchecked, and now the remnants of the temple’s god-avatar aren’t still active in
regions they control are locked in constant warfare as the area. A destroyed temple usually creates a wide band
each cruel ruler strives to become the only survivor. of wilderness around it as its death-throes eradicate every
The Godstruck are not a race, but a consequence. At native hamlet and town within a radius of several dozen
times, exposure to the unnatural presence of the temple miles. Long decades must pass before any dare to re-enter.
god-eidolons can trigger a kind of magical evolution in The native villages can be more welcoming, if the
a victim. While the transformation usually drives them species that lives in them aren’t hostile to baselines. They
dangerously mad, the subject can wield incredible powers can serve as forward bases for exploration of the ruined
of sorcery related to the catalyzing divinity. Most God- temples and demolished creations of prior centuries.
struck are quickly slain or driven from their temples, only These villages are almost always hard-pressed by the
to fester as mad cult leaders and demented prophets in environment, however. If they’re not being scourged by
the outer lands. the depredations of an active temple nearby, they’re strug-
These are merely a few of the inhabitants found in gling with the hostile inhabitants or monstrous creatures
the Godblight. Almost every temple has at least one spe- of this unhappy land. Any adventurer who gives them
cies owed to its creation, and countless relic-folk remain help can expect to be welcomed. Some might even give
from vanished shrines and forgotten Iterums. their obedience to a foreign lord who can protect them.

THE GYRE
The nations of the Gyre are discussed in greater length Runom has a very limited commerce with Llaigis
in the Worlds Without Number core book, but it bears and Ka-Adun, the occasional brave expedition crossing
mentioning some of their relations with the outside the Black Spine to bring fleeing beastfolk or precious jun-
world. The Reaping King himself is an exile from Atlan- gle goods to market. The passes through the mountain
tis, and while the Gyre is isolated from most of its neigh- range are few and dangerous, prone to Jikegida attacks or
bors there remain a few old ties inherited from the past. ambushes by other perils. Rumors persist of safer secret
Atlantis has surprisingly little to do with the Gyre. ways, but whoever controls them is inclined to keep them
The Seadevil Coast off the north shore greatly discourag- well-hidden.
es sea travel in the Gyre’s immediate surrounds, and after Tavat sends forth a cloud of pirates on the Atlan-
the Reaping King led his followers to land at Ka-Adun tean Main, and sometimes those pirates need a free port
there has never been any official response from the Prior along the Gyarus coast. Those seafarers with the knowl-
Crown. Atlantean trading ships willing to risk the coastal edge needed to dodge the Polop along the Gyre’s north
waters sometimes land, but it is almost as if the Prior coast can berth at Ka-Adun or Spray on the Sisters. The
Crown would rather forget the Gyre’s existence. officials of the Brass Hegemony have absolutely no reluc-
Sarx has no official ties with the Gyre, though the tance to support trade in piratical goods so long as the
slaver ports in Runom sometimes send a ship east to Ka- tariffs are paid. The bold vessels that bring these goods
Adun. Sarxian renegades and runaways sometimes make are often the most reliable way for locals to catch a ride
for the Gyre to escape the Flame of Heaven’s attention; out of the Gyre.
one went so far as to found a city in present-day Llaigis. Other nations deal with the Gyre only occasionally,
The Fifth Dynasty is heir to an ancient rivalry with and generally have no interest in anything more. It’s all
the Vothite Empire that once ruled the Gyre, but with but impossible to move an army of invasion into the re-
the forming of the Anak Wastes and the seizure of the gion, and the locals seem chiefly interested in preparing
Gadavin Coast by Polop invaders, there is no longer any for self-immolation, so foreign kings find little to interest
real contact between the two. Any Dynast who wanted them here. Should the Gyre become united and a clear
to get to the Gyre would have to cross a wasteland of path for travel be opened, that disinterest may change
bloodthirsty Anak or navigate the Gadavin swamps. swiftly.
56

HANTU
A faded remnant of the Fourth Dynasty, Hantu is a The foreign spies in Hantu are uncertain as to the
troubled nation that has never quite recovered from the empress’ current plans. Some think she means to invade
collapse of the former regime. While it prides itself on its the Free Clans and use plundered gold to bribe the Xin-
guardianship of the heirs of the last dynasty, the current dai warlords once more. Others believe that her current
“true empress” wishes more from her dutiful ministers enthusiasm for naval construction is the prelude to a sea
than their mere protection. invasion of the Fifth Dynasty. A few even whisper that
the agents she has searching ancient ruins are actually
History acquiring components for an awful summoning ritual
When the armies of the Xindai Commanderies helped an meant to destroy her foes.
upstart noble overthrow the Fourth Dynasty in 802 AL, As it stands now, Hantu is a land united only at the
the last surviving heir of the imperial house was spirited very top. While most of its governors are utterly under
south to Hantu Province. The surviving bureaucratic loy- the empress’ control, their mutual relations range from
alists hoped that the presence of the true emperor would wary courtesy to constant raiding. The peasantry merely
rally his people and summon forth an unstoppable tide keep their heads down and hope for better days, yearning
of righteous peasant soldiers to right the usurper’s wrong. for the hour when the empress might bring the governors
This did not happen. Most of Hantu’s regional gov- to heel and ascend to a peaceful and serene rule.
ernors were privately relieved at the elimination of their Their wishes are unlikely to be fulfilled.
superiors in the capital and looked forward to their new
independence. The common folk had been so thoroughly People of Hantu
separated from any participation in the intelligentsia’s Hantu shares the same base population as the Five Dy-
rule that they had little interest in who, exactly, was to nasties, though some say they are a little paler and taller
be collecting taxes so long as the rate did not change. The than their northern cousins. A number of foreign exiles
few idealists who hoped to reform the decadent bureau- have also ended up among them, fleeing the anger of the
cracy and renew the dynasty’s virtue were left to suffer emperor or looking to make deals with a pliant governor.
their disappointment. Hantuan folk tend to pride themselves as being
The best that could be accomplished was the in- “more Dynastic than the Dynasty”. They jealously guard
stallation of the imperial seat at Hanlong and a pro-for- old traditions and obscure customs, even when their
ma declaration of obedience by the regional governors. meaning or purpose has been long lost. The empress
Hanlong’s governor looked forward to the prestige that herself has no such inclination, and twists customs to
hosting the emperor would give him, but no one seriously her own advantage whenever the opportunity arises.
expected to obey the figurehead. Profitable yet gracefully In theory, Hantu is run by the same examina-
deniable trade ties with the new Fifth Dynasty were far tion-chosen corps of literati that run the Fifth Dynasty.
more important. In practice, the intelligentsia of two centuries ago have
For more than two hundred years, Hantu slowly become a hereditary caste, and the only ones allowed to
unraveled. Governorships became hereditary, local rul- take the examinations are their own children. Still, the
ers turned absolute, and Hantu gradually became more ceremonies are just as they were centuries ago. Even the
and more a mere geographic figure of speech, with no answers to the test questions are the same. Every gov-
centralized authority worth mentioning. ernor, magistrate, and petty official has faith that their
This changed ten years ago with the ascent of the favorite son or daughter will take their place, and the rest
radiant Empress Mei, the sole legitimate offspring of her will become prosperous state-licensed merchants.
father. Graceful, courteous, temperate, and absolutely The ruling philosophy of Hantu’s chiefs is the so-
ruthless, the empress is obsessed with reclaiming the called “iron and sorghum policy”, whereby the common
throne, regardless of the cost in blood and treasure. folk should be permitted to think only of warfare and
She has been aided in this purpose by a positive ge- farming. Artisans and craftsmen are an unfortunately
nius for rule. She possesses an almost supernatural ability necessary class, but the great majority of peasants should
to discern the characters and capabilities of her subordi- be kept in their governor’s army or their governor’s fields.
nates, and her choice of personnel is flawless. Even the The money made from such productivity should be bro-
vices and failings of a minion often turn out to be useful kered by state-sponsored merchants of the literary class,
in the roles she selects for them. who will use it wisely and keep it available for their lords.
Through the past ten years of careful negotiation, When this policy was established in 833 AL, a num-
suggestion, conspiracy, and selective assassination, she ber of peasants protested to Hanlong’s governor. They
has ensured that three-quarters of the governors of Han- were executed. A second group then declared their great
tu are her creatures, even if they themselves fail to realize approval of the new policy. They were enslaved. The peas-
it. With a note to a minion or a flash of blackmail, she antry has since come to understand the virtue of silence
can obtain absolute obedience when her plans require it. when it comes to commenting on government policy.
 57

The Cities of Hantu Adventuring in Hantu

Hantu is densely populated for a nation of the Latter Hantu is a perpetual powder-keg of politics. Empress
Earth, but a few cities stand out as of especial importance. Mei is perfectly willing to have even her loyal governors
kill each other off, the better to weaken the hereditary
Bulao: Canny Governor Jin is one of the few to realize ruling houses as she maneuvers their replacements into
the scope of the empress’ ambitions. As a counter- place. She does nothing to interfere with their regular
weight he’s dared to seek popular support from the quarrels, assassination attempts, and factional scheming.
local peasantry, and not merely their submission. These schemes regularly involve foreign help, as such
Fushi: Governor Ruming is forever fighting the notorious adventurers can be trusted not to have any existing ties to
smuggling clans of this wealthy trade port. the local power structures. Novice sellswords are hired by
Hanlong: The nominal capital of Hantu, under the care low-ranking officials to take care of dirty or dangerous
of Governor Chin. Its underground “market of wis- business, and the most reliable and effective are recom-
dom” sells half the secrets in the realm. mended up the hierarchy until a regional governor might
Menglan: Harried by raiders from the Litten Strand, take notice of their talents.
Governor Jiazu is preparing a reprisal expedition Aside from service to the local officials, the empress
to scour the border for a hundred miles. has quietly supported the creation of a number of local
Mozu: A smoky mining-town working the foothills of “antiquarian societies” dedicated to investigating old Dy-
the Shining Peaks. Incursions of the horrible beasts nastic ruins and plumbing forgotten Deeps. These soci-
of that place are sadly common. eties cast a wide net when it comes to membership, and
Shaishu: The richest city of Hantu, Governor Wenji sells they pay extremely well for magical artifacts and frag-
her sorghum to the clanfolk to the west. Lately she ments of occult lore. They alone are licensed to trade in
has sold so much that the starving peasants have magical objects in Hantu, and an adventurer who wants
formed rebel brotherhoods to punish her greed. a particular artifact or High Magic spell might be able to
Ziran: Governor Mulin conducts most of Hantu’s trade find a society willing to sell it to them... at a suitable price
with Tseb Hwii through this port. Numerous Tse- in favors. Silver is rarely valuable enough to buy their
bans have come with it, and rumors say that even wares, but an experienced adventurer willing to risk a
some of their Outsider slaves can be found there, daring expedition into a particular under-explored Deep
busy on unknowable errands. can expect consideration for their efforts.
58

THE HUNDRED SCHOOLS

Innumerable sects of martial adepts rule this land, each
dedicated to some esoteric interpretation of elemental People of the Hundred Schools
truth. Its sorcerous masters claim their authority as an in- The folk of Shenlai look much like other Dynasts, though
heritance from the wizardly Third Dynasty, but their rule the admixture of Xindai blood in many leave them some-
is more reliant on the martial academies they command. what paler than most. The regular contact with eldritch
energies here has been known to provoke strange forms
History in some of its inhabitants, and oddities of shape and color
In the days of the Fourth Dynasty, the province of Shen- are not terribly rare.
lai was a prosperous land of farmers, crafters, and diligent Every village and town of the Hundred Schools is
soldiers. Their martial academies had produced genera- under the protection of one of its myriad arcane sects.
tions of disciplined border guards to maintain the good The sect’s Venerable Master serves as their lord, and his
behavior of the Xindai daimyos to the north and fend off Adepts serve as magistrates over individual towns. Phys-
the monstrous perils of the Litten Strand. Life was never ical enforcement and protection are provided by one of
leisurely for the folk of Shenlai, but it was good. the martial schools affiliated with the sect, as every sect
This peace ended in the final years of the Fourth has at least one small academy of warriors allied with it.
Dynasty. The Xindai came together with unprecedent- Alliances can change, and through negotiations,
ed cooperation to support the usurper that became the purchase, or occasional brute force a community can be
first emperor of the Fifth Dynasty. Their combined forces made to change sects. The desires of the common folk are
crushed the resistance of Shenlai’s shocked guardians in held as insignificant, though a village unwilling to pass
801 AL and left the land critically vulnerable to the mon- into the hands of a cruel sect might dare much to fight
strous incursions from the Shining Peaks. The newborn the enforcers sent to bring them to heel.
Fifth Dynasty was too pressed in cementing its rule to Most Shenlaians share two sentiments: a fear of
extend any military aid, nor was any aid to be had except the Shining Peaks, and a bitterness towards Xindai.
from the hated Xindai. The attack of the latter during the Fourth Dynasty’s fall
In that dark hour an ancient organization saw its robbed Shenlai of its protectors, and many hill-towns
chance to rise. From guarded sanctums deep within the were wiped out by the horrible beasts that came down
Shining Peaks came a group of wizards who claimed to from the glowing mountains. Few Shenlaians have any
be heirs of the sorcerous Third Dynasty. Through their love for the Xindai, even generations later.
mighty magics and the exertions of their loyal pupils,
they were able to hold back the creatures of the moun- The Schools and their Adepts
tains until the battered Shenlaians were able to restore Most wizards would consider the sorcerers of the Hun-
their disorganized martial schools. dred Schools to practice a kind of elementalism, as their
These “Venerable Masters” became the effective rul- arts are focused chiefly around the manipulation of these
ers of Shenlai. Their valiant efforts had utterly discredit- base substances. Their magic has an unusual amount of
ed the failed governors of the former dynasty, and their facility with physical transformation and refinement,
acolytes, apprentices, and minions rapidly filled the old however, and each sect is limited in its usable elements.
official positions. Instead of governors, the regions of the Almost all of the many schools are part of the “Four
province had Masters, and in place of magistrates, they Alliances”, broad coalitions that spring from a shared de-
had sorcerously-gifted Adepts. By the time the Fifth Dy- scent from a particular Venerable Master. Each of these
nasty was in any position to re-exert its claim on Shenlai, alliances practices the same general type of elemental
the Masters were too strong to be dislodged. magic, though different sects have different spells at their
In the centuries since, the students of the Masters disposal. Such knowledge is guarded zealously, even from
have splintered into scores of different magical schools sects of the same alliance.
and occult sects. The numerous martial academies of Records say that there was once a fifth alliance, one
Shenlai have each attached themselves to a sect in order dedicated to the arts of flame. As useful as their powers
to gain their patronage, and their graduates now serve were in battle, they suffered horrific losses in repelling
as private soldiers for that group’s adepts. Many of these the beasts of the Peaks, and most of their secret spells
academies have learned how to employ their patron’s were lost. The few survivors were forced to join other
arts in ways useful on the battlefield, and the wondrous sects, and the remaining schools then found it wise to
swordsmen of the Hundred Schools are proverbial in begin cultivating their martial academy alliances so as
dynastic lands. to prevent future losses of that kind.
While all sects take part in the rule of the land now Scholars suspect that foreign Elementalists might
known as the Hundred Schools, they do not always do be able to use these lost flame-enchantments if they can
so peacefully. Of late, their martial academies find them- be found. Such a theft of sacred wisdom would earn swift
selves as pawns in conflicts they need not understand. reprisals from all of the schools.
 59

The School-Cities Adventuring Among the Schools

Each of the Four Alliances is headquartered in a city re- The sects of the Hundred Schools are accustomed to hir-
named for their arts. While other practitioners can be ing outsiders to handle troublesome business when their
found in those places, their rule is always in the hands affiliated warriors are too busy to help. These jobs usually
of the most powerful school of the alliance. involve exploring a Deep, rooting out a nest of mutant
monsters, or disciplining some renegade who might in-
The Conclave: An ancient neutral ground, the Conclave flict too large a body count on the school’s own troops.
is where the Venerable Masters met to determine Payment is usually given in silver, but the schools are
Shenlai’s fate. The lay citizens who dwell here do so also willing to teach conventional High Magic spells, or
to support the many martial academies and caretak- Elementalist spells that match their own favored material.
er-sects that keep holdings here. Most schools have a few specialty enchantments they’re
Pure Streams: Seat of the water-wielding Academy of willing to teach a helpful outsider, but the deepest secrets
Internal Tides, the city is famous for the enchanted of their art are always guarded carefully, and any wizard
ships built here, blessed with magical virtues. who steals them must fear for their life should they be
Resonant Iron: The metal-shaping mages of the Inner discovered to have them.
Furnace Sect craft superb armaments for their loyal Explorers who would rather acquire their pay on
military academies here, including magical blades. their own terms can venture into the Shining Peaks to
Heavenly Root: Verdant city of the plant-shaping So- seek out the lost sanctums of the Fifth Alliance, many
dality of the Earthly Branches, the surrounding of which are still preserved behind their warding en-
forest is home to countless wondrous plants... and chantments and concealing Workings. A party that can
numerous experimental failures. Some are quite overcome the defenses of such a place would find trea-
carnivorous. sures dating back to the Third Dynasty and a wealth of
White Jade: Giant stone pillars hold the seat of the Five precious magical components.
Holy Mountains Sect five hundred feet above the
regularly-inundated floodplain below. Draping
from the underside of the great stone square are
both floating docks for the river trade and dens of
vice that prefer to never see the sun.
60

KYTHERON
Home to the exiled nobility that once ruled the kingdom
of Carce, Kytheron is a perpetual thorn in Atlantis’ side. Geography
Its “Zakathi” nobility are forever eager to bedevil the Pri- Kytheron has a temperate climate south of the Marchen-
or Crown, though the natives who dwelled here before peaks, while its northern half is cool and damp. The bleak
their arrival have made Kytheron an unsteady seat for muskeg surrounding the Lengtarn is occupied only by
their ambitions. fiercely independent Riu swamp-folk and a wide variety
of hostile Blighted and demihumans. The pine forests
History around Sauvais and Dassar are drier ground.
When the Prior Crown overthrew the Kings of Carce The Marchenpeaks are a weathered branch of the
and made their land into the present Atlantis, most of Lakaian range to the south, worn down save for a few
the Zakathi nobility of that age bowed to their new king. jagged peaks of buckled white ceramic thrust upward by
Some were not content with this, and fled over the sea to some ancient sub-surface collapse. The Red Fields be-
the rough and primitive mainland. yond are the breadbasket of Kytheron, its plains dotted
There, a remnant of the pre-Confederate Marchen with Marchen villages and small forests. All are walled
free states in the plains and hills squabbled with Couron- against the inevitable raids from the Shinbu Anak south
tine colonists in the western forest and swamps. These of the River of Spears.
divided peoples were far less magically and martially While the northern part of Kytheron is webbed in
sophisticated than the Carcean invaders, and far less small streams and rivers, the great Weiss is the only ma-
desperate as well. By 490 BL, the Carcean nobility had jor river in the nation, bringing down barges from the
broken all significant resistance to their rule. Marchenpeak mines to the forges of Yad Zakath.
Their numbers, however, were not great enough to
maintain their rule by brute force. Out of necessity, the Peoples of Kytheron
Carcean nobles wed into the local ruling families of the When the Zakathi arrived fifteen hundred years ago,
plains and forests, bringing their chieftains and nobles Kytheron was split between Corountine Riu abbey-col-
into a web of alliances that persists still. onies in the north and Amundi Marchen freeholds in
The centuries of steady mixing between baseline hu- the south. The latter claimed to be the last remnants of
man and Zakathi gradually eroded the Blight of constant a “Holy Empire” that predated even the Seven Rivers
toil that afflicted the Carceans. In time, the distinction Confederacy, but by 480 BL they were little more than
ceased to exist. In the present day, the ostensibly “Zakathi” scattered, uneasy partners against the Shinbu Anak.
ruling families of Kytheron are entirely baseline human. The pale Riu and the bronzed Marchen were joined
The ruling families refuse to acknowledge this. They by the Carcean exiles and their Zakathi lords. The Riu
instead spiritualized the Blight that affected their ances- abbey-villages switched their allegiance from Couront’s
tors, asserting that it was mere physical virtue that com- king to the monarch at Yad Zakath once assurances
pelled them to work or perish, whereas the present “True were given that they could maintain their worship of the
Zakathi” are instead impelled by spiritual longing to at- Bleeding God, and the Marchen found more wisdom in
tain great virtue and prowess. Thus, despite having no nominal obedience than costly war; to bow to an outsider
actual physical qualities of the Zakathi of Atlantis, they was more tolerable than submitting to a grudged rival.
are in truth superior examples of “True Zakathi” lineage. Since then, the ethnic groups have remained largely
As a consequence, the entire ethos of the Kytheroni- static, with the original Zakathi lords having spread out
an nobility revolves around relentless pursuit of personal and intermarried into both Riu and Marchen families.
excellence and splendid achievement. Failure in this is Those who could not tolerate these lords from over the
not just a personal shame, but an implication that they sea fled into the cold swamps of the Lengtarn, where
are not True Zakathi at all, unworthy of their rank and their blood mingles in the present-day swamp clans.
position.
The present Queen Zenobia is obsessed with mak- Demographics
ing a marriage with the rebel King Agreus in Atlantis. Queen Zenobia does not have a wholly reliable census,
She views him as the best chance of regaining her rightful but most estimate the population of Kytheron to mea-
place as Queen of Carce, and enough support and sup- sure about 6,000,000, concentrated mostly in the rich
plies have been sent over to Zenopol to cause a severe farming lands of the Red Fields. The northern forests
weakening of the royal house in Kytheron. Local lords are much more sparsely populated, and no one knows for
grow restive under the demands of fresh contributions, certain how many mean villages and wretched hamlets
and royal justice has grown distracted. King Agreus hu- eke out an existence in the Lengtarn muskeg. The March-
mors Zenobia’s dreams for the sake of her aid, though he enpeaks house several settlements of demihumans and
privately considers her and her royal family to be farcical Blighted, though most prefer aggressive solitude when
imitations of true Zakathi royalty. not coming down to raid the lowlands.
 61

Cities of Kytheron Kytheronian Society

Kytheron’s southern cities are very old, but not very large; The folk of Kytheron form two main groups; the com-
as rich as the Red Fields are, the constant losses to Anak moners and the noble class. The former are a simple peo-
raids limit their populations. The northern towns are ple, loyal first to their families, second to their village, and
even smaller, radiating out from the ancient abbeys of third to their Riu or Marchen kinsmen. Devotion to their
the Bleeding God that formed their core. lords goes only so far as practicality requires. They are
farmers, foresters, or miners, and prefer to have as little
Altburgh: An ancient refuge-city fortified against Anak to do with the mad schemes of nobles as possible.
hordes, Altburgh’s citadel is now a sprawling death- The noble class are ethnically identical to their
trap due to the progressive loss of the control arti- neighbors, but view themselves as being “True Zakathi”,
facts needed to disarm its defenses and guardians. fundamentally different due to their spiritual superiority
Dassar: A chill and lonely city surrounded by the Ond- and obvious talents. Every noble-born man and woman
wald and often pressed by its perils. is expected to be better than commoners; wiser, brav-
Laurent: The greatest trade-city of Kytheron, receiving er, more capable, and more ambitious. Those who fail
commerce from Couront and the Amundi king- to show these qualities can expect to be disowned, and
doms. Their barges down to Oberheim must often many will go to bloody extremes to conceal their failures
deal with Anak river pirates. and ensure that no one around them can overshadow
Oberheim: A stronghold against the Shinbu Anak; many their accomplishments.
of Kytheron’s privateers sail from this war-port. Because of this, it’s considered an ordinary truth
Sauvais: Oldest of the major Riu settlements in Kyther- that commoners are cowardly, thieving, stupid sorts,
on, Sauvais holds more than a few who would prefer who can’t be expected to behave with anything more than
King Enguerrand of Couront as their lord. brutish cunning at best. Kytheronian towns and villages
Yad Zakath: Formerly Weissburgh, Yad Zakath is Queen are rough, crude places in the main, while noble estates
Zenobia’s seat and home to numerous wondrous are exquisitely appointed and run.
Workings brought over by the original exiles. While Any commoner who does distinguish themselves for
almost unconquerable with these defenses, some their virtue or capability must actually be a noble, and
Workings have begun to curdle and warp under the will be sought out for marriage by ambitious noble hous-
changing Legacy. es in turn. Refusing these pairings is seldom thought wise.
62

Government and Law Adventuring in Kytheron

The towns and villages of Kytheron are ruled by hered- Adventurers are of low status in Kytheron, commonly
itary noble families, with Riu counts and lesser barons, counted to be little better than bandits or vagabonds.
and Marchen markgrafs and lesser burggrafs. All have Nobles will generally refuse to have open dealings with
greater or lesser blood ties with the royal house of Carce. them and commoners will be wary of them. Even so, a
Disputes among lords are settled privately, while com- proven adventuring band with known successes might
moners must appeal to the courts of their local lord for earn credit as folk heroes and win discreet commissions
justice, which they may or may not get. from noble houses who need effective agents.
Every noble house is dedicated to achievement and Kytheron has large stretches of wilderness, partic-
success, a creed that makes for constant strife among ularly in the Ondwald and the Marchenpeaks. Numer-
them. Few noble houses last for more than a few cen- ous ancient towns and fortresses dot the country, lost
turies before collapsing in some mis-timed gambit or in the course of centuries to disaster, Anak attacks, or
overambitious war. New ones are always at hand, quick monstrous incursions. They usually make good nests
to claim rights thanks to tenuous Carcean marriage ties for bandits or more contemporary abominations, and
and proven “True Zakathi” success. In practice, there’s in either case there’s often some valuable loot left behind.
hardly a Kytheronian commoner who couldn’t claim no- Aside from ruin-plundering and wilderness explo-
ble status, if they had enough troops and silver to press it. ration, Kytheronian noble houses are always looking for
Kytheron has never been a wealthy land, but the effective help. Sabotaging the plans of rival houses is a
present exactions of Queen Zenobia are pushing the perennial favorite, and the regular petty wars between
noble houses close to mutiny. Her new taxes to sup- towns or noble domains need commando teams to elimi-
port King Agreus are forcing large numbers of standing nate particular officers or steal valuable objects. If a band
troops to be discharged, only to become bandits and of adventurers should perish in such an enterprise, the
marauders, and numerous farming villages to be all but nobles can console themselves with the knowledge that
depopulated as locals flee the new demands. A significant nothing of excellence was lost.
pro-Couront secessionist faction is building in the Riu
lands, and certain Marchen lords are contemplating an Potential Antagonists
aggressive change of rulership. With many different groups eager to prove their superi-
ority in Kytheron, an adventuring band does not need to
Religion in Kytheron look far to find reliable adversaries.
The primary god of Kytheron’s nobility is Anamon, the
Zakathi god they claim as their patron. His blessings are Ambitious Noble: A sufficiently driven noble can be will-
sought for just rule and tireless zeal for excellence. The ing to pay any price to obtain their glorious success.
Atlantean god Saidon is also honored in hopes that he Whether their goal is to crush an enemy, reclaim a
might favor their ships and give their privateers victory. stretch of wilderness, depose a rival noble, or take a
Individual houses may have chapels for other gods of bloody revenge, there are few limits to the amount
convenience, but only these two deities are considered of collateral damage these nobles would inflict.
“proper” gods for “True Zakathi” to revere. Ex-Soldier Bands: The new taxes from Queen Zenobia
The common folk have no use for either divinity. have forced many lords to discharge men from their
The Riu of the north have inherited their ancestral faith armed forces. Lacking land or any other trade, these
in the Bleeding God, and their believers look to the an- former soldiers often band together into dangerous
cient abbeys for spiritual guidance. Austere as that faith is, bandit forces or extortionate mercenary bands.
they have also developed a pantheon of saints responsible Lengish Cults: Forbidden by law, these secret believers
for particular places and professions, and many Riu carry offer grim rites of worship to the alien gods of Leng.
small medallions and tokens symbolizing their devotion Such demon-deities tend to offer very tangible fa-
to these venerable holy persons. vors to their devotees, though they demand a terri-
Marchen generally make offerings to the spirits of ble price for their help.
particular local natural features, such as rivers, mountains, Royal Tax Collectors: Queen Zenobia must have silver
or forests. Especially impressive trees, peaks, or mountain for King Agreus, and these tax collectors are to ob-
springs may be given specific names and qualities, and are tain it for her. Many are perfectly willing to squeeze
served by monasteries and priests dedicated to propitiat- whatever they can get from helpless commoners or
ing them and winning their blessings on those who live friendless adventurers, and they have considerable
in their vicinity. Few such clergy live in towns, generally numbers of royal guardsmen to help enforce their
only so many as are needed to oversee the communal demands.
offering-rites. Swamp Dwellers: The inhabitants of the Lengtarn mus-
Aside from these acceptable gods, it’s not unknown keg generally care little for outsiders, but from time
for certain Lengish faiths to form secret cults among to time a terrible creature from the swamps ventures
those who hunger for the power those strange gods offer. into the surrounding lands. Even the human dwell-
Nobles in particular are known to make such bargains. ers have been known to launch raids on neighbors.
 63

Kytheronian Names Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Male Female Family Place Names Surplus noble child with no
1 Adalric Adalgisa Albon Aubois prospects at home

2 Aleron Brunhilde Artois Berc Atlantean rebel forced to flee their

life back on the island
3 Colbert Chloris Brienne Bottrop
Canny Riu swamp dweller out in
4 Denys Dagna Brock Bruchkobel search of their fortune
5 Erramun Elinor Castell Estelle Failed native rebel obliged to flee
6 Franz Esme Chalon Friburge the wrath of their lord
7 Frederik Garvia Coburg Froissy Last survivor of a noble house
8 Ganelon Giselle Edel Gergovie ruined by a failed gambit

9 Gars Halette Foix Hallstadt Kytheronian “privateer” of dubious

past legality
10 Gerard Iolanthe Gotha Indre
Peasant driven off their land by
11 Godwin Jaquelin Laval Ingolstadt increasing tax demands
12 Haldan Marie Leyen Kronach Riu priest of the Bleeding God
13 Hardouin Onaine Montfort Lauta seeking to make new converts
14 Jacques Orlantha Polignac Liseaux Discharged soldier once in service
15 Pippen Roderica Romanet Maleon to a now-impoverished house

16 Servan Selda Ruprecht Nortorf Ambitious commoner seeking to

prove their noble merit
17 Sezni Serilda Serach Pirna
Ex-bandit now operating under a
18 Similien Seve Thurn Rotha fresh identity
19 Visant Therese Toucy Saint Maur Marchenpeak demihuman come
20 Waldemar Veronique Treskow Tharandt down to seek gold and glory

Example Kytheronian Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Discharged baro- Ambitious young The tax collectors A mysterious Shabby and hard-
1 nial guard captain peasant aiming at just took some vital relic of the former used village of
turned bandit chief nobility resource Marchen empire poor peasants
Local noble looking Harried local mon- Discharged soldiers Silver meant for a Ornate noble
2
for new tax sources astery abbot have turned bandit large tax payment palace
Ruthless swamp Noble in need of A noble’s grand Precious Carcean Hidden rebel camp
3
folk raider boss deniable hirelings plan just backfired artifact of old in the wilds
Shinbu Anak war Peasant cruelly op- The lord is shifting Goods stockpile Ancient stronghold
4
chief turning north pressed by taxes tax burdens cruelly hidden from taxes against the Anak
Royal tax collector Swamp-dwelling Monsters are raid- Proof of a noble Zakathi-style mas-
5
lacking in scruples peasant rebel ing nearby supporting rebels sive building
Ambitious noble Noble of proven Two local noble Evidence that a Once-noble manor
6 seeking some great skill and personal families are locked local noble faked now occupied by
and bloody deed excellence in mortal contest their great deeds discharged soldiers
Bitter peasant Escaped slave from A local noble is Map to a treasure Riu monastery
7 turned priest of a a Lengish caravan being called out to hidden by a dis- dedicated to the
dark Lengish god prove their worth graced noble Bleeding God
Vile monster run- Reclusive na- The local ruling Mysterious Lengish Slave market for
8 ning loose due to a ture-priest of a family just col- relic with sinister the Lengish moun-
lack of local guard Marchen faith lapsed into chaos powers tain caravans
64

THE LITTEN STRAND

Small villages and trade-towns crouch on the shore of Yet the costs only ever increase. The original crude
the Litten Strand, shadowed by the glowing bulk of the soul-maimings of the first dwarven researchers have been
Shining Peaks to the north. Beneath those lethal stones refined and improved over the centuries, making each
a war has churned for three thousand years, and the flot- elven “Ardent” into a living weapon on par with a Legate.
sam of its destruction draws greedy hands even now. They can channel tremendous amounts of power through
their arcanely-generated forms and fight armies of mon-
History strous spawn single-handedly. The endless ages of death
At some unknown point before the Colligation of Ep- and suffering have left most Ardents only nominally sane,
ochs and the beginning of recorded history, the Litten however; some are effectively catatonic when not being
Strand appears to have been inhabited by a sophisticated directed by their dwarven handlers. The few still rational
demihuman nation composed of both elves and dwarves. enough to reproduce provide only barely enough children
The surviving ruins that cover the southern slopes of the to replace the inevitable losses from Legacy burnout or
Shining Peaks are magnificent in their architecture and the destruction of an Ardent’s House of Immanence
embellishment, and would see considerably more explor- where they are keyed to respawn.
ers were it not for their present magically-radioactive Every generation fights to clear ancient Deeps of the
surroundings. monsters of the One Below, constantly struggling to push
At some point during the Colligation, an entity it deeper into the earth and farther away from its sunlit
known only as “the One Below” appears to have become goal. Sometimes these gains persist for centuries, with
active deep beneath the mountain range. This creature dwarven cities and elven Houses of Immanence built to
generated endless swarms of monstrous progeny and secure it, and other times they are lost just as quickly
intelligent minions while eroding the stability of the when a new wave of monsters boils up from below. The
local Legacy. Worried demihuman sages calculated out Ardents and their dwarven support are not enough to
the consequences of allowing it to reach the surface; if it rescue every such outpost, and the few foreigners who
were allowed to emerge, it would almost certainly cause interact with them are often those expendable salvage
an Iterum-ending cascade of Legacy failures across the crews sent in to clear zones after the Ardents have broken
entire Latter Earth. any organized resistance.
In desperation, the last remaining military forces These tireless crusaders have little to do with the
of the nation intentionally destabilized their defensive outside world. They are always glad to receive what help
Workings, annihilating their own cities in a last-ditch they can get from surface-dwellers, but active engage-
effort to seal off the surface from the One Below and ment with the human nations risks distracting them
its minions. Their efforts were partially successful, for from their overwhelming duty. Should the One Below
while their nation was wiped out, the blue-litten magical somehow be destroyed, the Ardents and their veteran
radioactivity of the zones thus created was as toxic to the dwarven military support would be one of the strongest
monsters as it was to its former inhabitants. martial powers on the continent, but that future seems
The only survivors of the devastation were a small distant at best.
population of dwarven and elven researchers trapped
deep below the mountains. Assailed by monsters at ev- People of the Strand
ery side, their inevitable losses seemed assured to finish The subterranean dwarves and elves of the mountains
what the surface devastation had begun. call themselves “the Great Plan of the Gate”, “the Gate-
Driven by necessity, the dwarven researchers used keepers”, or simply “the Keepers”. While they have a lim-
their innate facility with the Legacy and certain eldritch ited number of surface outposts to conduct trade with
devices found in the nearby Deeps to warp the immor- the human coastal settlements or the foothill villages of
tality of their elven colleagues. By mutilating certain Hantu, they dwell almost exclusively in ancient under-
aspects of their soul, the “rebirth” mechanism of elven mountain Deeps.
recurrence could be forced, manifesting them again and The other inhabitants of the Strand are largely hu-
again without the need for biological birth and matura- man renegades, exiles, and adventurers who have come
tion. The surviving researchers were able to overwhelm from Xindai, Hantu, or farther lands in search of ancient
the remaining monsters by simple human wave tactics, treasures in the mountain ruins. A certain number of
throwing endless elven respawns at the monsters until them make their living fishing or farming near the coast,
they were driven back down into the dark. where there are the fewest monsters, but even these peas-
The breathing room thus created was only tempo- ants usually dream of daring the blue-lit mountains to
rary. New Deeps were secured, new generations were bring back ancient elven gold.
trained, and new fortifications laid in before a fresh cycle On the mountains themselves, few are found but
of monstrous spawns rose from below. That basic pattern the most zealous hermits and the hardiest monstrosities,
has remained the same for three thousand years. ones able to bear the poisonous light of the peaks.
 65

A Lethal Geography Adventuring in the Strand

The broad coastal plain between the sea and the Shin- Most outsiders first arrive in one of the coastal settle-
ing Peaks is a warm, temperate expanse that is thickly ments, as the approach from the Hantu side of the range
forested and dotted with clusters of hills. Many of these is too dangerous for all but the boldest adventurers. The
hills hold demihuman ruins, though the safest ones have natives of these settlements are a polyglot mix of exiles,
long since been plundered, with some serving as nuclei refugees, criminals, and fortune-seekers, and a few more
for new human villages and towns. strangers seldom bring much remark. The local petty
The mountains and their foothills boast the greatest warlords and nouveau nobility care little about new fac-
ruins, vast cities informed by dwarven massiveness paired es so long as the newcomers can avoid making trouble
with elven grace. Their treasures are largely intact, their inside their territories.
occupants killed almost instantly by the detonation of From these coastal villages, bolder expeditions into
their ancient defensive Workings. the plains can be mounted. Most of the region remains
That act of desperation has had long consequences, largely unknown, its forests and hillsides blighted by the
however. Now large stretches of the mountain range are prowling of monsters come down from the mountains.
polluted by a pale blue glow, largely invisible in the day- Even so, a few brave villages and well-fortified market
time. This glow poisons anyone who remains too long towns can be found further inland, most of their inhabi-
in it, sickening even automatons and others immune to tants seeking to plunder ancient demihuman ruins.
conventional illness. Those who do not remain long can Those who are strongest and most daring can make
often recover after a week or two outside the zone, but for the mountains themselves. If a sufficiently reliable
particularly intense areas can kill in minutes. native guide can be found to steer them around the
Worse still, these zones seem to shift and move un- poisoned zones, the party might make it to one of the
predictably over the course of years or decades. A once- surface outposts of the Gatekeepers, where they could
safe pass could turn lethal in a matter of days, while an expect a measure of safety and resupply. The occasional
ancient city once blanketed in azure death could become heavily-guarded coastal caravan makes its way inland
a safe zone just as quickly. These changes sometimes op- to the outposts from time to time as well, trading plant
erate at a set schedule, but more often they simply appear extracts and other valuable surface goods for gold and
and disappear without visible pattern. shining jewels.
There are several varieties of monster that appear to While friendly to outsiders, the Gatekeepers are al-
have adapted to the blue glow, some of them related to ways looking for more help in clearing out “risen” spawn
the eldritch horrors vomited up by the One Below. Most from their ancient Deeps and numerous long-lost subter-
have only bestial intellect, but the servitor-class entities ranean cities. Those adventurers who prove willing to aid
among them have a cruel human intelligence. They have their great plan can expect rewards befitting their results.
been known to form strongholds in the peaks, striking The dwarves of the Litten Strand have many treasures,
out against human settlements and raiding the surface not merely ones of precious gems or glittering gold, and
outposts of the Gatekeepers. they can be persuaded to part with them for those who
fight on their behalf.
66

MAQQATBA
This icy southern land is a realm largely forgotten by With the end of the First Dynasty, the northern-
the rest of the world. Its neighbors have no appetite ers had little to do with the people of Maqqatba. Their
for claiming such unwelcoming land, and its natives are guardian knights remained at their posts, their peasants
wholly absorbed in their own obscure pursuits. Even so, continued to work the land, and there was no further
the fame of its knights has lingered for more than one age. profit in pressing Dynasty rule over them. They and their
cold mountains and empty taigas were left to their own
History devices.
The initial wave of First Dynasty conquest washed over In the ages since, the initial guardian knights became
Gyarus, breaking almost every nation south of the Gyre the martial elite of a new noble class in Maqqatba. Each
to obedience over the course of a few centuries. In time, tomb-chapter came to revere its emperor or empress
their armies came to the southern tip of the continent, as their patron god, glorifying their name with feats of
brushing aside the few petty kingdoms that had sprung mighty martial skill. Each chapter spent centuries refin-
up amid the cold mountains. Grieved by the lack of any ing esoteric martial arts and exotic combat techniques, all
further lands to conquer, the twelfth emperor of the the better to show the worthiness of their lineage. Their
First Dynasty decreed that his tomb would be laid at the lives were austere, disciplined, and absorbed in war.
southernmost point of his realm, that he might forever The commoners focused instead on fishing the sur-
gaze south in search of new domains to claim. rounding seas, mining the Shangu foothills, and growing
The Dynasts, being who they were, hastened to the “frost barley” that is the staple food of the populace.
construct a magnificent tomb complex for their emperor, As the barley only grows in relatively close proximity to
bringing materials thousands of miles in order to adorn the blessed tombs of the emperors, their population was
the palace-sized edifice. Such a place required protec- constantly limited by the amount of food they could grow.
tors, and so a detachment of the emperor’s elite guardians The chapters serve to cull the excess. Ritualized wars,
were dispatched there to maintain an eternal vigil over ancient grudges, and sudden raids between rivals all cost
their deceased lord. Of course, a supply of commoners many lives every year. The chapters replenish their num-
were required as well to work the cold soil and fish the bers with the most capable and promising young com-
seas that the knights might not starve. moners, thus lessening the population pressure. Every
As the decades rolled by and successive emperors settlement knows the number of people it can support,
perished, they too had their tombs erected in the south, and those excess who do not die in battle must accept
the better to share in the luster of the great twelfth em- exile from their ancient home.
peror. Every tomb had its share of guardians, and its These exiles have brought some of the Maqqatban
collection of attached peasants, and by the end of the arts north, to lands where they are held as wonders and
First Dynasty there were over a hundred tomb complexes marvels. Even now, many sword-teachers promise to
scattered over Maqqatba, some as grand as a small city impart the secrets of the “Maqqatban knights” to wor-
and others as humble as a modest village. With the fall thy pupils. Most are liars, of course, but some really do
of the old martial First Dynasty, however, there came an have knowledge of those esoteric skills, and it is not un-
end to the tombs of emperors, as the Second Dynasty heard-of for a foreign blademaster to show off arts that
had different plans for the repose of their priest-kings. were born in a far colder clime.
 67

A Forbidding Land Adventuring in Maqqatba

Northern Maqqatba is dominated by the Shangu moun- Maqqatban settlements rarely encounter visitors, but the
tains and the rocky foothills of those great peaks. A num- presence of far-faring sword-scholars and more mate-
ber of tomb-settlements were established there at partic- rially greedy adventurers are not unknown among the
ularly striking vistas; their commoner inhabitants now locals. Outsiders are generally viewed warily, but those
live by mining the hillsides and scratching out terraces that bring useful goods or effective help are generally per-
of frost barley. The weather is cold and dry for much of mitted to sojourn in the settlement and purchase such
the year, but a brief, hot summer season and the long supplies as they need. Food is both ritually significant
summer days give life a chance to grow. and often in short supply, however, and sometimes out-
Further south, the mountains trail off into deep pine siders must risk hunting the perilous beasts of the wilds
forests, rolling hills, and numerous cold, swampy bogs. if they are to have anything to eat.
The tomb-settlements here are commonly set on hilltops, There are relatively few Deep ruins in Maqqatba,
and the land about them used for barley crops. though some exist. More significant are the remains of
The uttermost south has only a few great tem- ancient First Dynasty structures. More than forty of the
ple-complexes, each one reliant on ancient sorcery to imperial tomb-settlements have since been abandoned
help them grow enough to eat. Months there are spent due to calamity, misfortune, or starvation, and their
in almost-perpetual darkness or near-constant light, and splendid halls are now stalked by the fell creatures of
the knight-chapters there are often said to be more than the wilds. While few Maqqatbans would dare risk the
half mad from it. Their worship is strange, and even Ma- wrath of their dead patrons, outsiders are not always so
qqatbans think them a bloody-handed lot. particular about plundering the remains.
Aside from the lost tomb-settlements, there are
The People of Cold Duty also a significant number of ancient scholarly academies,
Most Maqqatbans were originally of Dynastic stock, but trade centers, shrines, and even a few pleasure-palaces
their mingling with southern Tseban folk and the few erected in the days of the First Dynasty, when richer
native Deep-kingdom remnants has made them taller trade came down from the north and larger populations
and paler than the average Dynast. Ritual marriage-pacts could be supplied. Many of these places have been picked
among the various settlements have left them largely uni- over in the centuries since but many still hold valuable
form in culture and appearance, though the occasional secrets that have slept here since the days of the First Age.
gone-native foreigner has left their mark as well. Beyond ruin-delving, the Maqqatban knight-chap-
Every Maqqatban’s first loyalty is to their settle- ters themselves often have work for outside adventurers.
ment’s patron emperor. The knights may also keep faith Some tasks are of the sort that can only be performed
with their brethren in their chapter, but all honor their by deniable foreign assets, while other ambitions require
patron as their tutelary god and protector. Other emper- strong outside arms to aid their limited numbers. The
ors are acknowledged as fearsome deities, but are more knight-chapters have little use for silver or gold, but the
to be avoided than propitiated. Only their “chosen people” rewards of secret techniques and hidden blade-wisdom
can safely petition their aid. they offer are seldom equaled.
68

NINTH LENG
Grim Ninth Leng is a hermit-land of bleak skies and Countless Lengan cities were established along the
cursed earth, its people resigned to the desperate worship fertile northern coast, with the records of Ultima Ondas
of alien gods in an attempt to escape the wrath of their claiming that the climate was nearly tropical at the time.
former deities. Their empty cities and blighted ruins are This period of prosperity lasted for a little over two hun-
rich with the hellish treasures of their former glory, but dred years, fueled by stocks of human sacrifices drawn
few are willing to dare their awful guardians. from the remaining native population.
By 1420 BL, however, Lengan expansion had halted.
History Their neighbors were either too well-armed or too thin-
Lengans do not discuss their history with outsiders, but ly-populated to be effectively harvested for new sacrifices,
the determined labor of sages and adventuring historians and the Lengan gods were growing ever-more rapacious
has pieced together a limited glimpse of this ancient na- in their demands. It would not be long before the Len-
tion’s antecedents. The records of their interactions with gans themselves would be consigned to the unending
outsiders are almost all that these scholars have to go on, Hells by their impatient masters.
as modern Lengan texts are almost exclusively religious In 1414 BL, a new way was shown to them. The
in nature, and not overly helpful for historians. First Illuminator, holy Saint Khadroma, revealed the
The first recorded involvements with the Lengans “ten thousand bright names” of a new pantheon of gods,
are found in certain ancient cartularies preserved by Cou- ones willing to extend their protection to the Lengans in
rontine monasteries and salvaged historical texts from exchange for their worship and obedience. Her teachings
the ice of Ultima Ondas. According to these documents, swept over the desperate land, and strange and awesome
the Lengans burst like a plague upon a former empire miracles erupted wherever her cult prospered.
of “shining lords of living gold” some time around 1630 The hungry gods of old Leng were not slow to ex-
BL. Their legions appeared as if by magic, sweeping over press their disapproval. Throughout the rich northern
the land and slaughtering the inhabitants in grim rituals, cities, vast eruptions of infernal wrath blasted the popu-
their lives used as sacrifices to the Lengan gods. lace and cursed the soil, while a burning stone from the
Even at the time, the Lengan invaders referred to heavens smote the old capital of Kundu Ched and left it a
themselves as “Ninth Leng”, the prior eight having existed poisonous crater. The remaining devotees of the old gods,
in some different world or pre-incarnational sense. Their desperate to win their favor, made war upon the followers
devotion to their devil-gods was absolute, and in return of the Bright Names until the old adherents were driven
for human lives sacrificed to eternal torment they granted away into the desolate northeastern wastes, to subsist on
prosperity and power to their Lengan servants. the black blessings of their masters and forever seek the
damnation of their traitorous kin. In the end, the surviv-
ing Lengans were forced into newly built temple-cities,
the lands around them reduced to fearsome wildernesses
of monstrous beasts and divine miasmas.
Since that day, the people of Leng have had little
friendly contact with the outside world. Their black ships
ply the Sea of White Teeth, sometimes raiding for slaves,
other times bringing the strange goods that are made
only within their lands. Lengan traders are held in deep
suspicion wherever they go, but the drugs and sorcerous
treasures they bring and their precious plaques of blue
jade have won them the forbearance of rulers even in
lands where Lengan slavers scourge the coasts.
Foreign diplomats and traders are not generally wel-
come within the borders of Ninth Leng. Its people are
wholly devoted to the Bright Names that still protect
them from the damnation threatened by their former
masters, and outsiders cannot be expected to understand
or appreciate the importance of pious behavior. Adven-
turers are an exception to this rule, however; their will-
ingness to venture into god-cursed ruins and blighted
lands make them too useful as expendable scouts and
monster-slayers. So long as they continue to do their
work, the priest-lords of Leng are inclined to be charita-
ble about their inevitable shortcomings.
 69

Geography People of Ninth Leng

The lands of Ninth Leng were supposedly near-tropical The natives of Leng are pale-skinned and pale-haired,
around the time of their first arrival, but that warmth has and are renowned for their beauty by their neighbors.
faded greatly since that age. The lands beyond the low This beauty is sometimes disquieting to behold, however,
mountain range known as the Ward are a frigid tundra as many say there is something uncanny about their look,
broken only by the frozen remnants of ancient jungles as if their gods had fashioned them to suit some aesthetic
and rimed cities. Countless arratus plague the plateau, only partially related to human measures.
each one centered on the bones of a god-smote city. Lengans prefer heavy robes or elaborate costumes
South of the Ward, the land slopes down into a as their daily wear, both for the sake of the cold climate
swampy muskeg, leaving a wet and noisome belt of land and to better display the tokens of their patron god. The
around the Ragba river. The great lake of Khi Sang Po occasional sect will demand much lighter dress, however,
connects the capital at Tshad Khi to the port city of either as an act of ascetic self-discipline or to demon-
Naragba, where black galleys set out for trade and slaving. strate the holy vigor granted by their god.
Further south, the land rises again to drier plains While Lengans are the great majority of inhabitants
that were once choked with slave-worked plantations. in Ninth Leng, perhaps a fifth of the population is made
Devil-beasts now roam this empty land, particularly up of foreign slaves taken in raids or purchased in far
around the fifty-mile-wide crater that is Kundu Ched. markets. These slaves are settled in farming villages on
Ancient suburbs still remain collapsed and half-buried the outskirts of Lengan cities or in particularly fertile
around the crater’s rim, while the center is a poison- areas of the wilderness, there to toil on behalf of their
ous arratu of half-melted stone peopled by maddened lords and to suffer the dangers of the Lengan wilds. The
wraiths of dead flesh and toxic fire. most capable and favored are kept with their owners in
The southern cities of Ninth Leng are in a narrow the cities, to attend to their needs or to serve as sacrifices
band between the high peaks of the Pale, the perilous when the Bright Names require blood.
depths of the Khad Khri forest, and the dangers of the Aside from these slaves, there are almost no per-
plains. Even here, in the warmest regions of the land, the manent foreign residents in Ninth Leng. Foreign adven-
winters last six months and the summer sun has little turers can sometimes be found in cities or rural villages
strength. The slave merchants that cross the Pale must in between their expeditions, but few of these strangers
time their trips carefully to avoid being snowbound. remain either long in Leng, or long alive.
70

Demographics Lengan Society and Religion

No one is entirely certain how many Lengans dwell in Even more than Sarx, Ninth Leng is wholly devoted to
their cheerless land, but few would expect more than a its gods. This frantic piety is the consequence of the great
few million. Major populations are all focused on a few curse that lies upon every heir of Leng, the assurance that
dozen surviving cities scattered south of the Ward, each without some other god’s protection they will inevitably
with a halo of farming and fishing villages that help feed be condemned to everlasting torment by the cheated
its inhabitants. divinities of their ancestors. The Bright Names are the
Lengan-occupied villages are closer to the city walls, only security against this terrible fate, and society’s prime
while slaves are used to work the hamlets most exposed function is to ensure that they are placated at all costs.
to the dangers of the wilderness. These slave villages are Every Lengan is a priest to one god or another, with
generally left to govern their own affairs, as their masters infants being consecrated at birth into their mother’s cult.
care only that they supply the necessary quota of food Commoners are instructed in only the most basic rituals
and goods each spring and autumn. Escape attempts are and prayers, while the kindred of the priest-lords who
not unknown, but there are creatures in the wilderness rule their cities are initiated into ever-deeper circles of
that inflict fates far worse than mere death. mystery. These secrets often come at a harsh price, for the
Bright Names are not loving gods, and their favor comes
Cities of Ninth Leng only after due obedience to their inscrutable desires.
Lengan cities are temples writ large. The heart of every Status in Lengan society is exclusively obtained
city is the grand temple to the Bright Name that its through divine favor. The Bright Names do not commu-
priest-lord serves, and every district and neighborhood nicate directly with their followers, but express their will
likewise clings to the skirts of a local fane. To a Lengan, through omens, miracles, prophecies, and other divine
a city is a temple, and even the wretched hamlets of their expressions. Those they favor immediately rise in rank,
slave laborers are each built around a Lengan shrine. while those who receive unfavorable oracles risk disgrace
The surviving cities of Ninth Leng were all founded and loss of both rank and property. It is widely known
after the coming of the First Illuminator, as none dared that success in temple enterprises is one of the clearest
dwell in cities dedicated to their former gods. The ru- expressions of divine will, so ambitious priests are often
ins and wreckage of those ancient temple-cities are still desperate to succeed in their schemes.
common in the wilderness, and fear has left most of them Most Lengans spend their days in prayer and com-
untouched since their patron gods destroyed them. Of munal rituals, working with their fellow cultists to pla-
the new cities, a few are of special importance. cate and adore their patron Name. Much of what other
Tshad Khi is the current capital of Ninth Leng, nations would accomplish with mundane workers or
forever vigilant against raiders from the Wastes to the craftsmen is instead produced by direct miracle or divine
northeast. The never-frozen waters of the Khi Sang Po sending, with goods and works produced through eso-
flow in dark canals between the towering stone buildings teric rituals and bloody sacrifices. A Lengan “blacksmith”
of the city, each adorned with the faces of strange gods. rarely ever lifts a hammer, but instead knows the correct
Bakhyod is a city of vigilance, hard by the terrible rituals and sacrifices to manifest needed ironwork.
Plateau of a Hundred Hells that was once the Lengan A few Lengans are consigned to overseeing the slave
heartland. Its people are warriors against the abomina- villages and producing goods through more mundane
tions that come down from the plateau. They are the ones labor. These positions are invariably low-ranking and
most likely to see and tolerate foreigners, as adventurers despised by the great, but the Bright Names are not so
find much plunder in the northern ruins. generous as to feed and clothe the whole nation. These
Tshulkhrim is the source of the exquisite blue jade marginal Lengans have the most contact with outsiders,
that forms the trade-coinage of Ninth Leng. The thumb- and some can become positively un-Lengish in temper.
sized plaques they craft bear the faces of the Bright The average Lengan desires nothing so more than
Names, each one worth a hundred pieces of silver in most the blessings of their patron Name, and all their work
markets. Its mines consume many slaves. and planning revolves around this. Finer rituals, more
Naragba is a port city half-welcoming to strangers, exotic offerings, more devoted servants… these things
receiving foreign traders and adventurers bold enough are what they seek, so they might perhaps some day rise
to enter Leng. It also sees off the black galleys of Lengan to become priest-lord of a town, or even a city, their cult’s
raiders, and its slave markets are vast and terrible. god enthroned in place of the former ruler’s faith.
Ngantsong reveres Bright Names that promise pro- Of the Bright Names themselves, little is known by
tection from the fearsome beasts of the great forest to outsiders. They are strange, alien gods, many of which
the south. This protection is provisional, and great ritual are not even humanoid, and their commands are harsh
hunts must be performed regularly to maintain it. and pitiless. Human sacrifice is common, and terrible
Drangsana guards the southern mountain trail that demands are sometimes made of their believers. Foreign
leads to Kytheron. Lengan merchants venture over the faiths are wholly forbidden in Leng. Some believe that
Pale, but more than a few fall prey to fierce believers in foreign gods can save the cursed Lengans as well, but the
the old gods who still inhabit ancient mountain temples. Bright Names have no intention of sharing their flock.
 71

Lengan Government Adventuring in Ninth Leng

Every Lengan community is under the absolute rule of a As strange and unwelcoming as Leng is to outsiders, there
priest-lord. Those of the great cities are fearsomely pow- are a surprising number of adventurers who dare its icy
erful sorcerers blessed by their fell god, while towns are peaks and perilous wilds. Vast stores of ancient wealth
ruled by lesser magicians, and the “lord” of a slave village remain in the ruined cities of former Leng, and the locals
is seldom more than an untalented man or woman in a are perfectly willing to have expendable strangers go out
shabby ritual robe. Lesser communities are obedient to and plunder such places. At best, they will kill dangerous
greater ones, with all the priest-lords nominally subject beasts and bring back word of impending perils. At worst,
to the will of the lord of Tshad Khi. the monsters will have something to eat other than the
Within each city, the high priests of each local Bright people of Leng. So long as foreigners continue to kill
Name divide up the endless work of ritual and prayer, monsters and dare the perilous wild, their presence will
each enforcing discipline on their own believers with the be tolerated.
priest-lord stepping in to resolve disputes between cults. Outsiders will most often deal with Lengan traders
The high priests delegate responsibilities to lesser priests familiar with foreign ways or the half-disgraced Lengan
in their cult, and in turn every Lengan is eventually re- overseers of slave villages. Lengan slavers have little to
sponsible to their direct superior in the faith. do with adventurers; they make awful slaves for multiple
Cults in a given community are often largely of a reasons, and more profit can usually be had by hiring
single family or extended clan due to the customs of them for work than fitting them for chains.
initiation, and it is common for the family patriarch or Most Lengan ruins are infested with unholy abom-
matriarch to also be the high priest. Defiance of their will inations, many of them the agonized remnants of their
is treachery to the family as well as their faith, and it is in- ancient inhabitants. The old gods have consigned them
evitably punished harshly. The most wretched offenders to everlasting suffering as monsters and terrible beasts,
are stripped of their priesthood, ensuring that their souls blind to anything but violence and pain. The least of
will burn eternally in the fires of their old masters rather them can easily kill an unwary explorer, while the worst
than receiving the merciful oblivion of the Bright Names. require half an army to destroy their physical form.
Major political changes occur most often at midwin- Monsters are not the only threat in the wilds, how-
ter, during a night of great ritual and solemn prayer. The ever. There were some among the ancient Lengans who
various signs of divine favor and examples of success are did not dare to defy their old lords. Driven from the cities
tallied up by the gathered high priests of a community, of the Bright Names, they now lurk in high mountain
and its members are elevated or degraded based on the villages and temples, or in wretched covens in the Wastes
apparent will of the gods. It is not unknown for certain and deep forests. Their gods give them the strength to
corrupt priests to deny divine oracles or reject holy mir- survive and perpetuate themselves, but only when paid
acles in order to keep down rivals, but every so often for with the blood of their traitorous kin. These “old be-
such malefactors receive a most spectacular divine chas- lievers” often serve as the leaders of monstrous incursions,
tisement for their interference. Such a possibility tends directing their tormented slaves to wreak havoc in the
to discourage bad behavior among most of the judges. villages and towns of their heretical kindred.
72

ONDAS
Formerly a wealthy and powerful nation blessed with ex- capital of Royston to reflect on policies appropriate to
ceptional technical capacity, Ondas suffered dearly from a their newly-forged nation’s interests.
brutal incursion of automatons some two hundred years The nation was not as solid as its rail lines. While
ago. Now its pioneers and explorers go westward to re- the Ondasi formed the bulk of the population, native
claim their fallen glory, despite the local resistance. Marchen immigrants from Kytheron had poured in and
been welcomed for the additional labor they provided.
History The native hillfolk had been reduced to a harsh existence
The original home of the Ondasi was the then-temperate on the borders of the new state, eking out a living herd-
isle of Ultima Ondas, a marvelous nation of sophisticat- ing goats in the Pale of Leng or seeking employment as
ed sorcery and wondrous artifices. A network of potent menial laborers in the cities. While the Ondasi stood at
Workings maintained a warm climate and a friendly Leg- the top of the hierarchy, their position was not welcomed
acy allowed certain devices and engines to function that by the other groups.
would be inoperable elsewhere. This inward unease left Ondas disinclined to turn its
Around 1677 BL, however, toward the end of the attention outside its borders, as their culture and society
First Age, a catastrophic expansion of the Boras Mur ice was reliant on engines and firearms that ceased to operate
sheet forced the Old Ondasi southward to present-day ten miles offshore. They traded with Kytheronian and
Ondas. The expansion of the sheet was so swift that the Atlantean merchants and warily regarded Ninth Leng
island’s king had no time to prepare countermeasures. over the mountains but they never turned outward.
The royal family and most of their greatest mages per- In the centuries that followed, these divisions hard-
ished in a vain attempt to hold it back. ened. The southern states established in the Ondwald
The refugee remnant landed at the current site of were firmly controlled by the Marchen, who ensured
Norbury, establishing a beachhead in the untamed wil- that all the important businesses and governmental posts
derness for their fellow survivors. It was not long before were likewise occupied by their kind. The eastern states
the exiles discovered survivors of a former pre-Colliga- were Ondasi-controlled in the same way, and usually end-
tion empire in the western mountains. These “hillfolk” ed up picking the republic’s president by sheer numbers.
seemed to be related to the Marchen peoples of Kytheron In the west, the “new states” were a mixture of March-
and the eastern Amundi kingdoms, though their material en and Ondasi, with a considerable number of hillfolk
culture had regressed to little more than well-fortified hill chieftains acting as power brokers through their control
villages and disquieting stone shrines. They lacked the or- of their clansmen. There were periods of eastern domi-
ganization to overcome the desperate Ondasi, and most nation, a lesser number of southern-controlled eras, and
were rapidly driven back into the foothills of the Pale. towards the end of this peaceful age the western states
The same disaster that had swept over Ultima On- were looking to obtain preeminence through a wary alli-
das appeared to have displaced its Workings as well as ance among their various ethnic groups.
its people. The northeastern corner of Agathon proved This all ended two hundred years ago, in 860 AL.
considerably warmer and more temperate than records From the depths of the Pale marched a legion of cor-
had indicated, with four distinct seasons and warm sum- roded iron automatons, all bearing seals of a long-dead
mers. More than that, some of the artifice-ease of the empire and all working to exterminate the Ondasi inter-
island appeared to have been transferred south as well, lopers. The hillfolk villages were spared so long as they
and Ondasi hurlants, steamwagons, and other advanced did not interfere, but every Ondasi city west of Salburg
devices functioned southward to a line that became the was wiped off the map in a few short years.
border with Kytheron. For two hundred years, the surviving Ondasi and
The power of Ondasi hurlants and the remnant ar- Marchen towns fought off the Iron Men. The limits of
tifices of her master engineers quickly made the Ondasi Ondasi engineering were pushed to the very edge of what
masters of their newfound land. With the death of their the Legacy allowed as the survivors struggled to drive
royal family and the heroic efforts of the seafaring mer- back the rusted legions. In the end, their victory came not
cantile families that had saved so many of their people, from their own strength, but from simple entropy. The
the merchant class became the core of a new republic in Iron Men wound down, their enchantments depleted,
the north. and now only isolated bands of them yet lurk in the wilds.
The Ondasi steadily spread westward, driving back In the past ten years, the Ondasi have begun a great
the native monsters and Outsider remnants and planting westward migration, their overcrowded eastern cities
new cities as they grew. Their new nation was divided emptying out as countless men and women seek a bet-
into multiple states, each centered around a bustling new ter life in the west. Many among the surviving hillfolk
state capital. The iron rails of steamwagon lines were clans have no intention of letting them return. And all
driven into the wilderness to connect these new states, the while, men murmur of iron shapes in deep mountain
and representatives from each were gathered in the new vaults and of a magic that may not have run its course.
 73

Geography People of Ondas

Ondas is an abnormally warm and mild land for its lat- While all the citizens of the Republic of Ondas are techni-
itude. Before the destruction of Ultima Ondas it was cally “Ondasi”, the locals draw finer distinctions amongst
little more than a cold northern taiga giving way to open themselves. Three major ethnic groups are found within
tundra, barely habitable for its hillfolk inhabitants. With the nation’s borders, along with small numbers of outside
the dislocation of Ultima Ondas’ weather-Workings, it trading families or aspiring immigrants.
became a cool, temperate land chiefly dominated by east- Ondasi proper are those descended from the ref-
ern grasslands and western pine-forested hills. ugees of Ultima Ondas, often retaining ancestral tra-
The great Ondwald forest dominates the south of ditions about which part of the island they came from.
the nation. The Iron Men did not go south into Kyther- Their three main subdivisions are the “north Ondasi”,
on, but they wiped out the Marchen cities north of the dark-skinned and dark-eyed, the “east Ondasi”, short and
border and tore up their steamwagon rails. Now pioneers amber-hued people with bronze or red hair, and “west
from Salburg and the southern cities are trying to restore Ondasi”, who are of medium height, pale skin, blond hair,
the lost states here with isolated villages and scattered and light eyes. Their phenotypes tend to breed true to the
trade towns. father, but few Ondasi draw any particular distinction
The Old States of the central hill country were once between them, save for a few rigidly traditional families.
some of the most prosperous in Ondas. Now only hill- The Marchen of Ondas look much like their south-
folk villages remain, many of their clans intensely hostile ern cousins, being bronze-skinned, broad-shouldered,
towards Ondasi and Marchen alike. and dark-haired. They predominate in the southern re-
In the north, Norbury was once the industrial heart gions of the nation, being the ruling class of Salburg and
of a web of coastal fishing and mining towns. Now the the new forest hamlets of the Ondwald.
“scoured coast” holds only the ruins of those places, and The hillfolk of Ondas call themselves the Wier
the past two centuries have left Norbury a hardscrabble among their own kind, and care little what others call
port of ruined factories and desperate men. them. Those in the east form a menial underclass, mis-
“Back East” is the informal name for the states of trusted by the others for their potential ties with the Iron
New Haven, Northport, and Granz, the only surviving Men and unable to return west to clans who have no use
states of old Ondas. Its cities are crowded and its lands for “traitors”. They look much like Marchen, yet are taller
over-farmed, with many eyes turned west for better. and slimmer, with lighter hair and sharper features.
74

Demographics Ondasi Society

The federal record office in Royston counts over four The society and culture of Ondas is shaped by three great
million citizens in the “civilized” portions of Ondas. An factors: its permissive Legacy, its losses in the Great War
unknown number have headed west in search of a better against the Iron Men, and the brutal resource limits of
life, but few think that they number less than several life Back East.
hundred thousand. The number still alive is unknown. The Legacy in Ondas has been warped and shifted
Of the population, most estimate 60% as Ondasi, by the remnant influence of the Workings that currently
30% as Marchen, and 10% as hillfolk. Foreigners have lie buried beneath the ice of Ultima Ondas. Within the
had little reason to come to Ondas during the centuries borders of this nation, conventional firearms function
of war with the Iron Men, and it is only with the new correctly, steam-powered conveyances and certain indus-
westward migration that Atlantean traders and Kyther- trial machinery can be made to operate, and the natural
onian merchants have resumed their trade. A few small climate is much warmer and more clement than it should
foreign quarters have since grown up around the docks be for a nation this far north. These benefits are very
of Royston and Salburg, but foreign numbers are few. specific and limited; just because a scattergun works with
Demihumans are even rarer. While most Ondasi two barrels doesn’t mean it will work if the gunsmith
are intellectually aware that non-baselines exist, the few adds a tube magazine. Ondasi engineers have pushed to
native demihuman communities in Ondas were thought find the limits of the Legacy’s laxness for centuries, but
to have been wiped out by the Iron Men. Only the most most believe they are currently as advanced as is possible.
isolated and self-sufficient groups could have avoided Rail-mounted steamwagons, cartridge-firing guns, and
that fate… as some Blighted tribes did. steam-powered factories and mine pumps are as far as
the Legacy allows them, and even alternative uses of a
Cities of Ondas functioning technology are usually impossible.
Ondasi cities and towns are almost exclusively restricted The Great War cost every family in Ondas dearly
to the coastline and the grasslands of Back East. Nu- over the past two centuries. Most able-bodied citizens
merous overcrowded cities and hard-used farm plots can who weren’t working in factories or on farms were draft-
be found in such lands, but fifty miles west of them it’s ed into the Army of the Republic for a mandatory eight-
uncommon to find so much as a market town. Pioneer year term, and demobilized veterans make up many of
towns are being established in the Ondwald, the Old the explorers, pioneers, and bandits found in the nation.
States, and even along the Scoured Coast, but these Almost every Ondasi knows how to handle a firearm and
towns are small, precarious, and often destroyed by nat- has some acquaintance with military discipline, though
ural hazards, vile beasts, or hillfolk anger. most would wish to leave that life far behind.
Royston is the capital of the Republic and the state During the war, the massive waves of refugees from
of New Haven, the governmental seat where President the west combined with the natural population growth
Claudette Royce leads the Council of Representatives. to bitterly tax the resources Back East. Farms were ex-
Royston is a rail hub for the surviving steamwagon lines, hausted, factories were forced to work with scraps, and
and its yards echo with the whistles of these engines as robber-baron merchants cornered whole markets with
they haul goods north, south, and even west along new- their access to outside resources. The average Ondasi is
ly-built lines. The new drive west has brought a swarm familiar with being ill-fed, ill-clothed, and landless, and
of merchants and politicians eager to find profit in the only rich mercantile families and the “old families” of pol-
enterprise. itics like the Royces and Hartwells know much better.
Fort Royce is a frontier town, the launching point The desperate urge for a better life has driven thousands
for numerous expeditions and town-founding efforts of Ondasi families west, into lands they know could as
further west. Newly established in the past ten years, it’s easily be their graves as their future.
a wide-open town of reckless fortune-seekers, criminals, The average Ondasi is a hard young man or woman
desperate homesteaders, and explorers. The few steam- on the make, determined to get a better life in any way
wagon lines going west of Fort Royce are dangerous and they can. Strong loyalty exists between family members,
often disrupted. and pioneer settlements are known for pulling together
Norbury is the tattered capital of the state of North- if they are to survive, but most Ondasi are fundamentally
port. Once the preeminent industrial city of Ondas, the tired of privation and will do what they must to escape it.
Iron Men destroyed its satellite towns and depopulated One prejudice most Ondasi and Marchen share is a
its laboring population. Only a fraction of its old inhab- dislike and mistrust of hillfolk. Many believe the hillfolk
itants remain amid half-ruined factories and decaying were actively in league with the Iron Men, or somehow
wharves. Desperation is a way of life here. called them forth through dark sorcery. Those hillfolk
Salburg is the old seat of Marchen authority in On- who live in the east tend to reciprocate this dislike, and
das, as well as being the capital of the state of Granz. Its often band together for protection and mutual assistance.
mayor is said to have ambitions of independence fueled The hillfolk political bosses and crime lords of the eastern
by a new web of Marchen-dominated towns in the Ond- cities can sometimes act as local kingmakers by a timely
wald. Their success is yet to be established. show of support to a candidate.
 75

Government and Law Religion in Ondas

Ever since the death of the former royal family and the Ondasi religion tends to follow ethnic lines, though lo-
founding of the nation, Ondas has been a republic. The cals of a given town will tend to gravitate to the majority
nation is divided into regional states, and states into sub- faith. Numerous beneficial societies, lay organizations,
ordinate counties. Each county elects a representative and mutual-aid groups focus around particular religions,
to the state council and the state councils choose two and belonging to at least one such group is almost a pre-
of their number to go to Royston as federal councilors. requisite for an active adult member of a community.
State governors are directly elected by the populace, and The Ondasi prefer the worship of Fate and Luck,
the federal President is chosen by the federal council. Ju- the former personified as a stern god who ordains the
dicial affairs are handled at the state level by county- and destined outcome of all events, and the latter as a carefree
state-appointed judges. goddess who breaks all certainties for good or ill. Most
During its golden age, Ondas had eleven states. Pres- worship both gods, calling on one or the other as the
ently, only three still exist: New Haven, with its capital situation recommends.
at Royston; Northport, with its capital at Norbury; and Various historical saints are said to have taught the
Granz, with its seat at Salburg. The rest were wiped out virtues and methods by which mortals can satisfy Fate
during the Great War, their surviving citizens forced east. and earn both a better mortal life and a happy afterlife
There is considerable argument in the federal council over contemplating the ultimate perfection of all things. In-
whether or not they should be reestablished on the same dustry, honesty, self-reliance, and mutual cooperation
lines as before. Presently, they treat the abandoned states figure heavily for Fate’s followers, and Fate’s preachers
as the “Provisional Territory” under direct federal control. often warn against neglecting these virtues.
That control is notional at best. The pioneers who Luck, conversely, promises freedom from the dic-
head into the Territory carry the customs and laws of tates of Fate and forgiveness for past failings. A devotee
home, and most assemble themselves into the familiar need only be brave, daring, generous, and clever to win
legal forms of towns, mayors, judges, and marshals, but her favor, with the truly faithful promised an afterlife of
their ability to enforce federal law beyond town limits endless satisfactions. Ill fortune is a sign of Luck’s disap-
is extremely limited. Requests sent east might earn the proval, with the only remedy being more earnest practice
help of a cavalry squad to deal with persistent bandits, of her virtues. Her priesthood are known as “Dealers”,
or a federal marshal to hunt down a particularly noto- and their churches invariably serve as gambling halls.
rious criminal, but most towns have to solve their own The Marchen of Ondas prefer to revere abstract-
problems with the resources and help that they can get. ed spirits; Industry, Community, Family, and Nature
One point of particular heat is that of land claims. are favored spirits, worshiped in communal rituals at
All land claims in the Territory are under federal juris- particular sites significant to the spirit. Factories, town
diction, with adult pioneers each allocated 160 acres of squares, family hearths, and places of impressive natural
land on request provided they maintain a residence on beauty might all qualify. Acting in ways harmful to the
it for five years. Considering the enormous price of land principles of these spirits brings misfortune, sickness,
back east, this prospect has pulled many half-competent and poverty, while furthering their ends ensures good
aspiring farmers westward, and an almost equal number fortune in life and an afterlife of unity with their blessed
of robbers, extortionists, land thieves, and rustlers to prey ancestors. Their clergy are few, and tend to be persons
on them. There are regular feuds between towns over associated with the principle they revere: engineers for
possession of a particular patch of land, and the federal Industry, town leaders for Community, family patriarchs
records aren’t always reliable about determining owner- or matriarchs for Family, and so on. Most rituals are sim-
ship. In vague situations possession often comes down to ple to learn and perform, but the most charismatic and
the side that marshals the fiercest pack of ruffians. insightful of ritual leaders are often revered as holy men
The hillfolk of the Territories are a constant problem and women.
to the settlers. Most surviving clans were thrown back The hillfolk gods are each specific to their clans,
to their ancestral ways by the loss of Ondasi goods, and being the deified ancestors and culture-heroes of each
spears and arrows have replaced rifles and scatterguns. group. Many retain peculiar qualities or iconography that
Most have inherited stories of Ondasi greed and con- may have to do with their ancient pre-First Age empire.
quest, and have no interest in reliving those tales. Even Shared heroes often form the strongest bond between
so, their chief concerns tend to be other, rival hillfolk distant hillfolk villages. Every such community considers
clans that they’ve been quarreling with in the two centu- itself in the same clan and lineage as the other villages
ries since the Ondasi were driven out. Many are willing that worship their same ancestors. Wives and husbands
to overlook their dislike for the easterners in exchange are commonly taken from within the same god-clan but
for firearms and help in their feuds, little believing that always from a different village whenever that is possible.
the Ondasi could ever grow so numerous as to threaten Hillfolk priests are notorious for their sorcerous talents,
their clans. A few Ondasi idealists imagine a newer, more though many say such talk is overblown. Even so, some
peaceful arrangement between the groups, but their voice easterners remain convinced that the western hillfolk
is seldom heard among the desperate pioneers. brought about the rise of the Iron Men with their magic.
76

Adventuring in Ondas
Ondas does not really recognize “adventuring” as being a
particular profession, largely because much of the present Antagonists
populace is engaged in much the same activity. Thou- In a nation full of as many desperate strivers and ruth-
sands of men and women venture forth each month to lay less survivors as Ondas is, an adventuring party does not
claim to land in a perilous wilderness, ready to fight off need to look far to find an antagonist. Several common
raiders and abominations in order to make their fortune. possibilities bear mentioning.
Conventional adventurers are different only in that they
usually have fewer legal documents to justify their claims. Bandit Boss: Demobilized soldiers sometimes find out
Even so, there remains a considerable supply of the hard way that they make poor farmers. Without
bounty hunters, gamblers, trappers, explorers, and hired prospects or supplies in the wilderness, they often
guns drifting through the western lands, ready to take form bandit crews, often under the leadership of the
on work too dangerous or too immoral for ordinary pio- cruelest and least scrupulous among them.
neers. They fall by the hundreds to the perils of their pro- Corrupt Politician: State and federal representatives of-
fession, but while the silver keeps flowing from newfound ten get their posts through a certain degree of un-
western wealth, their replacements will never run short. scrupulousness. Bribes, threats, financial pressure,
and more direct violence might all be used, partic-
Exploration Adventures ularly if the community is considered unimportant
Adventurers are often engaged for survey work, either to by the federal government.
be performed by a knowledgeable scholar in their group Hillfolk Chieftain: Not every western hillfolk clan is
or by a government agent they are to escort. The federal hostile, but most detest outsiders on principle. The
government has little idea of what lies out west after two only people they despise more are their neighboring
centuries of Iron Men control, and reliable maps and site rivals, and sometimes the threat of Ondasi help to
reports are precious to them. Aside from government an enemy will be enough to spark violence. Their
employers, private land owners back east often commis- priests, too, sometimes demand red sacrifices for
sion adventurers to go scout their claims, both to ensure their hero-gods, and outsiders are better spent than
that nothing exceptionally dangerous is lairing there and kinsmen.
to discourage any claim jumpers from digging in. Iron Man Captain: Squads of these rusted automatons
Freelance adventurers will often venture forth to still remain in the wilderness, their vital powers
“salvage” the ruins of towns and cities recorded before the yet undepleted. They exist purely to destroy all
Great War. The invasion of the Iron Men was so swift non-Wier within Ondas, and their cruel cunning
that many valuables were left behind in the rush to escape, is directed exclusively to that end. They do not fight
and many rich refugees were killed along the way. Un- with robotic stupidity, but methodically and effi-
fortunately, these sites are also the most likely to retain ciently work to slaughter their foes.
contingents of still-active Iron Men. These automatons Ondasi Troublemaker: It’s a hard job keeping the peace
are cruelly intelligent and wholly implacable, each one between hillfolk and Ondasi on the frontier. It’s
a match for two or three ordinary soldiers. Their steely even harder when some Ondasi won’t be happy
officers are worse still. until every hillman within fifty miles is dead or
gone. A community often needs to deal with these
Dungeon Adventures zealots before they bring down more trouble than
The ancient Deeps of Ondas are few and well-concealed, their neighbors can handle.
evidently buried by the ancient empire that ruled here Robber Baron: Money has always meant much in On-
before the Colligation. Even so, some truly venerable das, with every luxury and indulgence available to
delvings are uncovered by chance or time’s slow erosion, those who have the silver. Some merchant princes
and can contain secrets and treasures beyond present like to keep prosperity to themselves, and will go
imagining. It is also likely that they contain Iron Men. to brutal lengths to ensure that troublesome things
Aside from the Deeps, abandoned hillfolk villages like “unions”, “safe job conditions”, and “non-compa-
and fortresses are also to be found in the foothills of the ny-owned stores” don’t trouble their holdings.
Pale of Leng. These villages had to be abandoned when Sorcerous Abomination: There are terrible things in
the Iron Men commandeered them for their own inscru- the woods and the hills, and even the hillfolk don’t
table purposes, and some of those rusted soldiers might know all their names. Every so often something
still inhabit these places. hideous comes out of the pines, and villages that
The most daring adventurers will ascend the Pale to don’t find a protector against them will seldom last
seek out the Lengish temples that are said to crown their out the season. Many of these creatures wield dark
peaks. The treasures they might hold cannot be guessed, sorceries that draw on the malevolent power of a
but their divine guardians are surely terrible to behold. hostile land.
 77

Ondasi Names Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Male Female Family Place Names Discharged soldier with no present
1 Andrew Alice Anderson Bannack means of support

2 Charles Anna Bailey Broken Glass Religious dissident seeking

freedom in parts west
3 Daniel Carrie Branding Deer Grove
Criminal from Back East looking to
4 Edward Catherine Cantrell Ellenburgh avoid the law
5 Elijah Clara Fisher Grafton Card sharp making a living off the
6 Frank Cora Grant Grant’s Pass unwary
7 Harold Edith Hayward Grave Springs Steamwagon railman cut loose by
8 Jacob Elizabeth Jackson Hadleyburg circumstances

9 James Ella Jones High Ridge Gun for hire drifting from town to
town
10 John Elsie Lee Kingsfield
Missionary reformer with a god-
11 Joseph Emily Royall Moreton given task of civilization
12 Louis Emma Scanlon Morton’s Hole Roaming peddler willing to dare
13 Luther Esther Shipton Oatman the wilderness
14 Peter Florence Smith Ochre Canyon Grizzled prospector seeking gold
in parts unknown
15 Robert Helen Tarrington Railville
Highly civilized Easterner on more
16 Samuel Laura Taylor Redding
of an adventure than they realize
17 Theodore Mary Wilson Silverfield
Hillfolk native often employed by
18 Thomas Rose Woodward Sourwater Ondasi in need of local aid
19 William Ruth Wright Taylorville Wilderness scout accustomed to
20 Zachariah Sarah Young Wreckton perilous ways

Example Ondasi Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Ruthless bandit Curious local hill- Surviving Iron Men Hijacked steam- Abandoned pre-
1
gang boss folk warrior are attacking wagon shipment War ghost town
Tyrannical town Missionary who bit Settlers and local Sacred relic of a Hardscrabble
2 mayor in a lawless off more than they hillfolk have a hot nearby hillfolk clan frontier town in the
land could chew quarrel wilderness
Religious zealot of Settler in a hard A cattle sickness is Deed to a valuable High, narrow rail-
3
some dark faith scrape scouring the range piece of land way bridge
Bloody-minded Town mayor in A robber baron Artifact that can Long-abandoned
4
hillfolk chieftain need of hired aid wants local land repel the Iron Men mineshaft
Government agent Soiled dove with a A sinister new faith Prototype steam- Steep hill country
5
out only for himself heart of gold is on the rise wagon plans canyon
Cruel hired gun Very ill-suited set- Ex-soldiers are Payroll for a gov- Ruined campsite
6 who sells protection tler with a rare skill forming a warlord ernment office or in the deep pine
from himself for these parts domain nearby military detachment forest
Vile sorcerer forced Fretful state sur- Something mon- Cache of direly Wary hillfolk
7
into hiding out west veyor strous is prowling needed supplies fort-village
Amoral merchant Hillfolk chieftain in- A bank Back East Hidden loot of a Raucous cantina
8 prince bent on clined to be friendly is foreclosing on long-dead bandit full of gamblers
profit alone with newcomers local land holdings and farmers
78

RUNOM
Runom is a demihuman land, one where scores of hu- Harvest comes from the north. Some kindreds resist
manoid kindreds dwell amid deep jungle boughs, fetid the Sarxians, retreating from their villages and harrying
swamps, or broad grasslands. Its peoples war amongst the invaders as best they can, or meeting them in open
each other as often as they trade, and alliances are made battle when the odds seem endurable. Others are more
and broken with quicksilver rapidity. This turmoil is not cooperative, willingly guiding and aiding the humans in
entirely the work of the Runomians, however; the brutal exchange for being spared their quota. Most simply en-
demands of the Sarxian slavers to the north ensure that dure it, haggling with the Sarxian commanders over how
this tormented land never has much leisure for peace. many of their young men and women are to be carried
away, threatening resistance and flight if too many are
History required, but grudgingly bearing the loss if it is not too
During the Logomachy of Nakad, some fifteen hundred great. Criminals and prisoners of war go north first, and
years ago, Runom formed the southernmost province so the Runomian kindreds have ample reason to raid
of that sinister theocracy. Unlike most of Nakad, it was their own neighbors.
almost exclusively under the control of a single priest- Sarx is not blind to the dynamics of the kindreds. If
hood, the flesh-bending acolytes of Gashaq the Progen- Runom truly came together in joint defiance, the Sarx-
itor. These amoral sages ruled the land from their tem- ians would be unable to plunder them, and the altars of
ple-laboratories, each one claiming the rule of a particular the Red Gods would grow weak. Its agents spend much
domain and all the “lesser beings” that lived within it. time ensuring that no single people grows strong enough
Rather than burden themselves with the tedious to weld the others into a united resistance. Sarx supports
work of subsistence, these priests utilized the secrets of the weak kindreds with secret aid or lessened quotas, and
their god to twist baseline human slave stock into more brokers alliances against neighbors who might someday
suitable minions. Scores of demihuman races were prove troublesome. Many Runomians know perfectly
forged in their bleak shrines, each one fashioned to serve well the ultimate end of all this, but survival today for
the needs of its progenitor-temple. them and their loved ones seems better than freedom
Around 378 BL, the Logomachy collapsed when its for the remnants of a different time.
Gods of Truth ran berserk, countless divine tulpas break- The greatest worry of Sarx are the kindreds of the
ing free of their temples and rampaging across the land. southern pampa, the lords of the three great cities of
Most disintegrated or fell into torpor soon enough, but Kayu, Panqui, and Relonche. These cities are too strong
not until almost all of the Gashaqi temples were ruined and populous to easily raid, and their neighbors too few
and their priesthoods slain. The few clergy that survived to easily forge into a hostile alliance. More than once, the
the disaster were torn apart by their erstwhile slaves. Sarxians have made bargains with the jungle kindreds to
The kindreds of Runom had a scant few decades in allow their legions passage south to attack the lords of
which to form some crude local order before the wreck- the Nalca, wounding them before they grow too strong.
age of Nakad to the north coalesced into the new state The occasional naval assault from the western coast has
of Sarx. The human servants of the temples had replaced been attempted, but the seas there are treacherous and
the Gods of Truth with their own apotheosized rulers, teem with Outsider life.
and these new Red Gods were endlessly thirsty for hu- Currently, Runom is a patchwork of petty kingdoms
man sacrifice. The Sarxians offered a hecatomb of their and minor states, the jungle kindreds of the Machimallin
own people every year, but more were needed. divided up into more than twenty different demihuman
Runom provided the lack. The bronze-mailed le- tribes, the swamp folk of the Zapalla into a half-dozen
gions of Sarx marched down from the Lal hills and came more, and the Nalca grasslands ruled by three great cities.
ashore in the deltas of the Zapalla swamps to gather up The lords, chiefs, elders, kings, and princes of these do-
luckless Runomian people in their coils, carrying them mains all duel with each other for preeminence and the
north to slavery and the bloody altar. The strength of the prosperity of their own people, and all are quick to clutch
Sarxian legions and the blessings of the Red Gods over- at any help they can find. Sometimes that help comes
whelmed the disorganized defenses of the Runomians from Sarxian hands, and sometimes it springs from un-
and thousands were carried away. likely bands of freebooters, vagabonds, and heroes.
This yearly campaign for slaves and sacrifices became
the defining political reality of Runom. Every year, the
 79

Geography Peoples of Runom

Runom is a low-lying country, with much of the eastern While there are a few pockets of baseline humans in
part barely above sea level. The noisome Zapalla swamp Runom, the great majority are some kind of demihu-
is extremely treacherous for most land-dwellers, and man. The kindreds below are merely the most prominent.
teems with hostile creatures and prudently isolationist
Runomian tribes. Nahu: The catfolk of Yapai and its tributary towns. Slim,
The great Machimallin is a jungle that covers the quick, and naturally given to murder. Created as
northern majority of the country, fed largely by small riv- “mousers” to kill the errant beasts of the temples.
ers and springs that meander under its branches. Large Hua: The huge bullfolk of Huaca, slow but mighty in
meadows and broad patches of plains remain as legacies strength. Created to tend farms and to eventually
from the ancient plantations of the Logomachy, some be eaten by their priestly masters.
expanded by generations of labor since their fall. Most Sui: Stout pigmen of Chumul, broad and remarkably
such open spaces are claimed by one kindred or another durable. They were experimental subjects for their
as farmland. creators, resilient enough to endure lengthy testing.
The Huenu hill range has always been a refuge for Pichi: The diminutive ratfolk of Sotaqui, famed for their
Runomians seeking to evade the Harvest. Its jagged keen senses. Their creators fashioned them to gath-
ridges and deep gorges make pursuit very difficult, but er rare materials from the jungles... no matter the
survival there is likewise a trial. Numerous Gashaqi danger.
temples were located in the hills during the time of the Manu: Scaled lizardfolk of Curico and its surrounds.
Logomachy, and their awful creations still infest them. They thrive in the swamps, where they were made
In the south, the broad Nalca Pampa is the best to serve as hunters and gatherers.
agricultural land in the entire nation, damp and fertile Guer: The swamp foxes of Viruco, light-footed and cun-
from the Onape Maya river to the southern eaves of the ning. They were employed as spies and overseers
Machimallin. Stands of trees and the occasional low hill for the priests, and even today are little-loved by
break up the grasslands, but the three great cities of the other kins.
south have long since thrown up agricultural villages and Piren: The wolf-lords, fierce masters of Kayu. They were
market towns in the safer regions of the land. made as guardians for the temple lands.
Across the Onape Maya are the cursed dusts of the Choeru: Benign capybara-folk of Panqui, bred as clerks
Choking Dunes, where few go and fewer return. Offshore, and scribes for the temples. Extremely sociable and
the Atlantean Main sees Sarxian naval traffic during each skilled peacemakers.
year’s Harvest, but few ships sail the western coast. The Lohu: The baseline humans of Relonche, heirs of a mix
terrible sea-beasts there punish those who dare. of escaped Logomachy slaves. A minority in Runom.
80

Demography Runomian Society

Sarxians estimate that there are perhaps six million In a fundamental sense, Runomian society is a reaction to
Runomians spread throughout the country, with about the Harvest and to the feral instincts imbued in them by
two-thirds in the jungles and swamps of the north, and their Logomachy creators. Each kindred deals with these
a third in the Nalca grasslands. Grasslanders have more pressures in its own way, but some traits are common.
productive soils and a greater number of villages and Runomian family structure is very loose. Some
towns. In the northern jungle, only a relative few cities kindreds practice only temporary marriages, while a few
can be found, and far fewer market towns and significant others recognize no permanent pairings and take com-
communities. The vast majority of northern Runomians munal responsibility for any offspring. In the same vein,
live in small villages based on subsistence agriculture. most Runomians are reluctant to form tight emotional
The Logomachy engineered its slaves to be prolific, bonds with others. The threat of the Harvest and the
as any surplus population would simply be eaten by the very real possibility of permanent parting makes it diffi-
priests. Because of this, Runomian population growth cult to form these ties. Only with old age or debilitating
rates are much higher than most baseline populations. injury can these bonds truly form, as such subjects are of
The Sarxians take brutal advantage of this, as their annu- no interest to Sarxian slavers.
al Harvest averages 60,000 young adult Runomians every As a consequence, Runomian social ties are very
year. Most are taken from the north, though cooperative pragmatic in nature. Most kindreds will deal with any-
northern kindreds can sometimes provide prisoners of one who promises advantage, and will cut their ties just as
war seized during raids on rival kindreds. quickly when a deal goes sour. Only in the south, where
Runomian societies have had more stability, are more
Cities and Towns lasting alliances forged. The influence of the Choeru on
The Runomian towns of the jungles and swamps reflect the southern states is not to be neglected, for the capyba-
their environment, being fashioned of intricately-carved ra-folk have a natural inclination to peaceful diplomacy.
wood in the jungles, or sculpted mud and quarried stones Virtually every Runomian hates Sarx and all its peo-
in the swamps. The southern domains boast elaborately ple. Even collaborator kindreds despise them, accepting
fortified walled cities fashioned of stone from the Black their aid and cooperating with them only to avoid a
Spine mountains. Among the most important cities of worse fate. Of course, this collaboration only earns the
Runom are those listed below. greater hatred of their neighbors, making them all the
more dependent on their Sarxian patrons for protection.
Acun: Little more than a fortified naval colony, Acun is The pervading sense of fatalism among many Runo-
the forward operating base for Sarx’s navy when mian peoples sometimes breaks out in displays of tre-
they make their yearly Harvest. mendous self-indulgence and hedonistic amusement. Just
Chumul: Most populous of the northern cities. The pig- as often it is shown in feats of reckless valor or fearless
men living there favor foods that would poison a resolution. A few credit this to their “wild blood”, while
less resilient people. others simply wish to live brightly despite their troubles.
Curico: Most martial of the northern cities; its people As important and influential as their bestial blood
are always fighting the Sarxians, especially around is to the Runomian kindred, it does not manifest in the
their colony at Acun. same way in every member. Some “thick-blooded” mem-
Huaca: A city possessing elaborately fenced and defend- bers are practically feral in their forms and appearance,
ed farmlands inherited of old. Its bull-lords resolve while “thin-blooded” sorts can sometimes be mistaken
disputes through ritual duels. for baseline humans. Cross-breeding between Runomian
Kayu: Most powerful military of the southern kingdoms. kindreds and between kindreds and baselines is possible,
Kayu’s wolf troopers are superbly coordinated com- but the offspring always take after the mother, and are
batants. usually that much more thin-blooded for the cross.
Panqui: Greatest of Runom’s cities, the Choeru there use While Runomian kindreds are often stronger, swift-
their skills to cultivate peace and mutual prosperity er, or more enduring than baseline humans, some are
among the river cities. afflicted with troubling mental traits or natural inclina-
Relonche: The humans of this city have numerous tions imparted by their creators. The Nahu cat-folk, for
skilled sorcerers, and are feared as having retained example, have a very high rate of sociopathy among their
remnants of the Logomachy’s arts. numbers, as they were created to hunt and kill things
Sotaqui: A great market for jungle loot and rare sub- troublesome to their masters. The Sui pigmen sometimes
stances gathered by its people. fall into fits of blind fury that can leave them attacking
Viruco: Surrounded by a baffling maze of dangerous flora, anyone around them, and the Guer fox-folk have an in-
swamp snares, and perilous beasts. Only its Guer grained inquisitiveness that urges them to trick and ma-
natives can pass safely. nipulate others in order to discover their secrets. Many
Yapai: A city of refugees and renegades from throughout Runomians can contain these urges or have few of them
the land. The Nahu who rule it find such outcasts remaining in their lineage, but their presence cannot help
useful, or amusing, or delicious. but color their societies.
 81

Government and Law

Little can be said that is universal in Runom, as each
kindred rules its own territory with no consideration for
other domains. Only the most powerful can effectively
vassalize their neighbors, and the Sarxians are always ea-
ger to break up any such petty hegemonies before they
risk a greater success.
As a general rule, however, each domain is exclusive
to a single kindred. Others may live there as sojourners
or subject populations, but government is almost always
in the hands of the dominant breed of demihuman. Out-
side kindred are generally treated in a civil manner, but
they are expected to avoid involvement in political mat-
ters and are rarely allowed to obtain any position of great
importance or wealth. Each kindred is anxious to avoid
any kind of subjection to any foreign breed, and they can
deal harshly with what they perceive as undue influence.
Relationships between different breeds do exist, but
such families are generally required to live in the domain
of the mother if their children are to have good prospects.
As beastfolk take after their mother, the offspring of a
mixed marriage would be treated as outsiders in their
father’s homeland. Those melancholy lovers who are un-
able to live in the mother’s home domain often end up as
wandered or exiles, forever searching for a place where
they and their children can be accepted as equals. Runomian Religion
Pack-derived breeds tend to have courts of nobles, Runom is a land poor in gods. Its people inherited none
elders, or warband leaders who pledge loyalty to a single from the Logomachy, and the Red Gods of the Sarxians
leader, be it a king, queen, prince, chief, elder, marshal, or are nothing but sources of misery. Most kindreds have
other supreme ruler. More solitary species tend to favor been forced to fall back on their own resources to find
looser confederations of nobility or powerful elders who spiritual consolation and help.
nominate the strongest to help resolve disputes and han- Ancestor worship is common to all kindreds. Fa-
dle external affairs. Sometimes membership among the mous kings, culture-heroes, and warriors against the
ruling class is qualified by elaborate codes and protocols. Sarxians are revered in shrines and temples, their virtues
More often it belongs to those strong enough to take it. and great deeds remembered in hope of their favor in the
The defining quality of any Runomian lord is their mortal realms. Their priesthoods are few, mostly consist-
ability to muster troops. Most domains have a small core ing of heirs of the heroes charged with maintaining the
of professional soldiers kept in direct service to the rul- temples and keeping alive their traditions.
er, for few have the spare resources to maintain a true Deified animal spirits are also favored by many kin-
standing army. Instead, every able-bodied male within dreds. Many Runomians call on the god-beast of their
the domain is expected to rally to the banners when the progenitors for help in times of trial or strength to over-
call is given. Females are generally considered too valu- come some calamity. Animal-priests strive to emulate the
able for a kindred to expend them in any battle short of a best qualities of their patrons and serve as exemplars to
war for survival, and the Sarxians are also known to deal the rest of the community.
very harshly with tribes that threaten to deprive them of The wilds of the jungle and swamp are full of grave
future generations of slaves. Even so, some warrior-wom- perils, but they also provide the northern kindreds with
en are determined to fight all the same. their subsistence. In hope of placating the dangers of the
Runomian law is similar among most kindreds, wilderness, many communities come to revere local spir-
though grave crimes are punished more often with exile its in the hope of gaining their aid. These spirits can often
than execution. Most Runomians are averse to killing give considerable assistance to their petitioners, though
their own kind, knowing how few of each breed there the price they demand can be more than most folk would
are in the world. Most kindreds also have bodies of law be eager to pay.
built up to handle outbreaks of their more feral instincts, Few are those Runomians who have adopted the
such as the fury of the Sui or the casual murderousness Red Gods of Sarx in hopes of avoiding the Harvest, but
of some Nahu. An outsider can sometimes be surprised they exist in some small northern domains. Worse still
at how lenient the law is to such natural excesses, with are the handful of scholars of the Gods of Truth, who
Nahu lands considering “accidental” manslaughter a would worship the Logomachy’s gods for dark rewards.
crime deserving no worse than a fine.
82

Adventuring in Runom
While the demihuman kindreds of Runom have no spe-
cial love for baselines, non-Sarxians can generally pass Antagonists
without hindrance among the tribes. The pragmatic Runom does not lack for trouble, and some groups are
approach of most domains has them willing to hire out- more likely to give it to the PCs than others. Given that
siders to do work that might otherwise cost Runomian most of the groups below hate all the rest, a party can
lives. A party that makes enemies in one domain can of- sometimes find themselves trapped in the middle of a
ten flee to their neighbors without worrying about their fight they have no interest in.
reception, though canny Runomian lords are known for
requiring “favors” in exchange for diplomatic protection. Agents of Sarx: The Sarxians want the Runomians to
be weak, divided, and hopeless, and they pay their
Exploration Adventures agents well to make sure things never go too happily
The vast green expanse of the Machimallin is not as for the kindreds. Some agents hate the northerners
well-explored as an outsider might think. The dangers as much as any, but the safety of enslaved relatives
of the jungle are many, and the Runomian kindreds gen- hinges on their successful service.
erally stay within the ancestral boundaries of their lands, Cultists of Truth: The Logomachy promised the powers
where they and their forebears were able to beat back the of divinity to those who would master the secrets of
local perils. Some tribes are so embittered by the Harvest the Gods of Truth. Some Runomians are desperate
that they have sought hidden refuges within the deepest enough to perform any acts they must in order to
green, there to prosper in solitude or leave their ruins to drive back the Sarxians or ensure the survival of
the beasts of the jungle. their kindred. If such power requires the sacrifice
The Huenu hill range is studded with numerous of countless other Runomians or the beckoning of
ancient Logomachy temples, most of them shattered by unholy beings, then so be it.
the eruption of their eidolon-gods and the rampages that Feral Warbands: Some few Runomians are so over-
followed. Most of these avatars of Gashaq have disinte- whelmed by their feral instincts that they find it
grated in the centuries since, but a few still lurk in the impossible to live within the bounds of civilization.
deep hills, making monstrous abominations of unclean Others merely find it profitable to prey on their
life and twisted humanity. Small cells of renegades, refu- neighbors. These savage warriors band together
gees, or outcasts huddle in hidden gorges, avoiding both in packs ruled only by brute force and become a
the terrible beasts and Sarxian raiders. scourge to their more civilized kindred.
The Zapalla swamp is a shifting land along the riv- Runomian Lords: No kindred survives in Runom by be-
erbanks, but within the deep fens and marshes can be ing soft-hearted and self-sacrificing. Even the Choe-
found ancient Logomachy ruins, along with the bones of ru broker deals that benefit both sides, as they have
old towns and settlements driven to ruin by the Sarxian no interest in selfless generosity. Some Runomian
slavers. Some still have unwelcoming inhabitants. rulers take this principle too much to heart, and
become ruthless tyrants interested only in the ad-
Dungeon Adventures vancement of their own people, heedless of the cost
The most ancient ruins in Runom are those of the Logo- to anyone else.
machy of Nakad and their temple-laboratories to Gashaq Sarxian Slavers: Every year the bronze-mailed legions
the Progenitor. These temples were invariably filled with come down from the north, and every year a fresh
infernal sorceries and dark engines of creation, all fueled tribute of slaves are taken back. Some Runomian
by an avatar-fragment of their terrible lord. All mundane lords cannot afford to officially resist the invaders,
labors were undertaken by Runomian slaves, who also but if some foreign adventurers should strike at the
formed the feedstock for their experimentations. Sarxians, how could they be blamed?
Later ruins tend to date back to the golden age of
Runom, before the Sarxians had made a custom of their
Harvest. The work-camps of the Logomachy’s slaves had
been rebuilt into fine cities, some of which incorporated
stolen fragments of Logomachy magic. These cities were
abandoned when it became clear that they were indefen-
sible against the Sarxian raiders.
Perhaps most disquieting of Runom’s ruins, howev-
er, are the Deeps and dens of those tribes that have failed
to survive. Entire kindreds have been wiped out in places,
leaving behind only their bones and their empty homes.
Angry shades are not unknown in such places.
 83

Runomian Names Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Male Female Place Names Last survivor of an otherwise-
1 Aliwen Aluhe Achao extinct kindred of demihumans

2 Antu Alumine Antuco Vengeful escapee from Sarxian

slavers
3 Awkan Ayelin Bucalemu
Missionary of some foreign god
4 Elun Ayme Calbuco seeking followers in Runom
5 Huen Ayun Catirai
Tribal exile who committed some
6 Kallfu Collipal Choshuenco great crime against their people
7 Kura Conilla Dollinco Foreign refugee forced to take
8 Lef Huilen Guafo refuge in Runom

9 Lichuen Ipi Huapi Scholar seeking to know more of

the Logomachy’s dark arts
10 Lonko Lica Huilo
Aspiring unifier of the quarreling
11 Maiten Lilen Lacar Runomian domains
12 Manque Llakolen Limay Avaricious treasure-seeker looking
13 Nawel Millarai Llaima to plunder jungle ruins
14 Neyen Pire Maipo Sarxian deserter pretending to be
15 Nuen Rayen Mapocho from a different land

16 Nulpi Somoche Puelo Native Relenchean baseline

seeking adventure amid the tribes
17 Relmu Suyai Punucapa
Young hope of a weak tribe
18 Traru Taiel Quemchi looking to help their kindred
19 Yaco Wenu Ranco Grizzled guerilla survivor of anti-
20 Yerimen Yaima Tralcan Sarxian bush warfare

Example Runomian Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Ruthless Sarxian Curious young A neighboring do- Sarxian payroll of Home built for
1
slaver demihuman main goes hostile silver for its spies demihuman needs
Xenophobic Runo- Escaped slave in The Sarxians are Cache of exotic Public building with
2 mian chieftain need of assistance raiding exception- and costly jungle decor glorifying its
ally hard here extracts builders
Monstrous relic of Tough guerrilla A horrible jungle Tome of dark Logo- Homestead burnt
3
the Logomachy fighter against Sarx beast is hunting machy lore out by Sarxians
Avaricious feral Wise and pragmat- A Logomachy relic Magic item lost by Ruins of an eradi-
4
bandit lord ic local ruler was just unearthed Sarxian raiders cated kindred
Cruel sorcerer look- Old Runomian who A feral warband is Stockpile of des- Sinister remains of
5 ing for test subjects has seen the loss of rampaging through perately-needed a Logomachy tem-
many they know the area resources ple-laboratory
Dark acolyte of the Foreign merchant Sarxian agents had Cure for some dire Sarxian transit pens
6
Gods of Truth looking for help a success here jungle plague for slave shipments
Scheming Sarxian Renegade Sarxian A local usurper Old token of some Hidden refuge for
7
agent seeking a new life seeks to rule here vital tribal pact escaped slaves
Amorally selfish Leader of a small, A neighboring do- Honored relic of Jungle camp of
8 Runomian leader hard-pressed tribe main is suddenly at some ancient Runo- bandits or guerrilla
risk of collapsing mian hero fighters
84

SARX
Sarx is a grim and powerful nation on the southern end wreckage. The greatest among them became the ruler of
of the continent of Agathon. Its society is ruthlessly Sarx, the Flame of Heaven, and the other lords became
well-ordered, all life revolving around service to the Red his obedient ministers. Great trials were established to
Gods of Sarx, deities who were once their living ances- winnow the next generation’s leaders and allow only the
tors and now act to bless its people with prosperity and most worthy to ascend to rule, while the common people
abundance. These blessings come at the price of human were left to the work of war and farming, the only two
lives, and the red altars of Sarx are seldom dry. things that mattered for their kind.
The prosperity and security of the common people
History became the ultimate end of Sarxian government and so-
When a final catastrophic crusade brought ruin to the ciety. Everything which advanced the common good was
Logomachy of Nakad in 378 BL, the only remaining or- to be praised, and everything that wounded it was to be
der was to be found in the viceroys of its Word Priests, eliminated. Even the Flame of Heaven ruled not by di-
the reeves and governors of the vast temple-lands that vine license, but because he or she had been proven most
had once supported the priests. These men and women capable of directing society to its ultimate improvement.
had been entrusted with overseeing the labors and trib- Every governor, official, priest, and general was expend-
ute of the peasantry and fending off the incursions of able in the public service.
troublesome outsiders. While their military and financial Sacrifice was the means by which every Sarxian
resources were often considerable, the eldritch power of served the common good. In life, they sacrificed goods
the research temples had kept them cowed and obedient. and labor. In death, they offered their bodies on the altars
With the Word Priests dead or utterly discredited, of the Red Gods, that their divine blessings may continue
they moved to fill the void. Their armies fought the ram- to empower the nation. Those who sacrificed the most
paging abominations that the broken temples had left in and labored the hardest were most worthy of honor and
their wake, and their granaries fed a desperate populace deference. Those who do not sacrifice for their people,
until the survivors could establish new farms in safer whether Sarxian or foreigner, are worthless parasites who
places. A few dared to strike at their neighbors for the should be put to more beneficial uses by their betters.
sake of plunder or old grudges, but for the most part Sarxians have the right to the lives of foreigners be-
these viceroys were too hard-pressed by the Logomachy’s cause those foreigners are at best useless and at worst
fall to afford such quarrels. Their defense of the surviving an active threat to humanity. Pagan service to inhuman
population won them popular adulation. gods and their pursuit of selfish interests can only result
The Gods of Truth that the Logomachy had revered in horrors like the Logomachy. In order to prevent that,
were swiftly banned by the viceroys. Studying the old arts every nation must be made to think like Sarx and become
of the Word Priests was made punishable by death, as- strong through Sarx’s philosophy.
suming the surviving populace didn’t lynch such offend- While such is the nation’s hypothetical ideal, the
ers first, and the wreckage of their ancient research tem- practice tends to be different. If Runom and the Amun-
ples was forbidden to the populace. The Gods of Truth di kingdoms became as unified and strong as Sarx, they
had been too terrible for humans to endure, their wills could fend off the raids that reap a substantial portion
too inscrutable and their demands too dear. Never again of Sarx’s yearly sacrificial victims. If that happened, the
would the people of Sarx be permitted to serve them. divine blessings that Sarx relies upon would weaken, and
Instead, the gods of Sarx were to be human gods, its people would begin to suffer grave privations and
men and women apotheosized by their mighty deeds poverty. Sarx relies on the weakness of its neighbors to
and the devotion of their people. By ensuring that every maintain its own prosperity, and its high officials view
god of Sarx had once been a living human, they would international Sarxism as a glorious prospect that is pref-
never again be subject to the mad whims of alien deities. erably forever on the horizon.
The viceroys who had saved the populace would become In the centuries since, Sarx has become a stern and
the first generation of such gods, and their power would mighty nation, the strongest on the continent of Aga-
be established with the blood of surviving Logomachian thon. Its bronze-mailed armies march regularly to raid
priests and believers. The inquisition that followed was Runom and to strike deep into Amundi lands, and its
exceedingly thorough, with a fifth part of the surviving farmers toil endlessly to bring forth food for each new
populace eventually dragged to the new altars. generation. Traders, wanderers, and other outsiders have
The power these blood rituals imparted to the new a place within its borders, but all such strangers are ad-
lords of Sarx was impressive, and with their strength they vised to step lightly, and to have a care not to draw the
were able to tame at least a portion of the Logomachy’s red attention of its masters.
 85

Geography Peoples of Sarx

Sarx is a hot land, with mild, damp winters in the north The typical Sarxian is tall, slim, and pale, with blond hair
and a tropical climate south of Shotezh. While the land and jewel-hued eyes. Their extremely pallid skin is dense-
is traced by countless minor streams and lesser water- ly pigmented with a white substance that renders them
ways, the only major river is the Naj, its upper and lower largely immune to sunburn or tanning. They often deco-
branches both issuing from the volcanic peaks of the rate themselves with body paints or adornments praising
Black Glass range. Many of these mountains are studded the Red Gods or indicating their social role. Ostentatious
with delicate obsidian outcroppings, new ones sprouting jewelry or ornate clothing is appropriate during religious
like black trees every time the mountain rumbles. rituals or when carrying out official duties, but is other-
Much of Sarx has been cut and cleared by its people wise considered gauche in public. The hot climate of Sarx
since the Logomachy fell, but two great jungles in the encourages light clothing for most.
south have resisted human encroachment. The Nakadi Aside from the Sarxians, the land teems with slaves
province of Old Nazhal once contained their greatest taken by raids on foreign nations. Runomians make up
temple to Nilm, god of space and time, and even now the bulk of this slave caste, though every Amundi nation
the jungle is infested with extradimensional horrors and has its representatives, and even farther-flung nations
chronal aberrations. Further south, the Shokara jungle can be found in the fields, mines, and workshops of Sarx.
is a remnant of Gashaqi plant-shaping that stubbornly All wear dull colors and stylized wrist shackles as a sign
resists any attempt to clear it. of their status, as it is otherwise difficult to distinguish
In the north, the broadleaf Fanewood covers the them from the free citizens.
sites of dozens of major Nakadi temples, all strictly ta- In theory, any of these slaves could win their free-
boo to the Sarxians. Such forbiddance does not prevent dom through devoted service and obedient sacrifice.
criminals and adventurers from daring the wreckage. Those who do earn this privilege are few, and are me-
Greatest of all these features is the Cut, a massive fif- thodically spread through the Sarxian nation so as to
ty-mile wide and seemingly bottomless gorge carved out avoid any risk of coherent minority communities forming.
during the fall of Nakad. Spatial distortions at either end Within a few generations, they’ve generally melted into
prevent the seas from flooding in, but only a few fallen the surrounding Sarxian population. While slaves are
megastructures make any sort of bridge between Amund considered scarcely human, freedmen suffer no systemic
and Sarx. Innumerable sliced-open Deeps are exposed discrimination, as only the most emphatically loyal are
along the Cut’s walls, waiting to be raided by the bold. ever given their freedom.
86

Demography Sarxian Society

Sarx is a prosperous land, with perhaps eighteen million Sarxian society is organized around the state, with ev-
citizens and a million more slaves inhabiting its villages ery citizen understanding themselves as part of a great-
and towns. Despite adding eighty or ninety thousand er whole. The state serves the Red Gods, and the Red
slaves every year through Sarx’s constant raiding, the vo- Gods provide abundance and security for the people. The
racious appetites of the altars keep the slave population blessings of their empowered priests bring lush harvests,
from growing. The citizenry could grow more freely if fruitful herds, and productive workshops.
the sacrificial quota were loosened, but the blessings of This abundance is shared widely. The average Sarx-
the Red Gods are already being pushed to their limits ian is well-fed, well-clothed, and lives in daily comfort.
to support the numbers they have in the prosperity to State-sponsored healers ensure their health and fertility,
which they are accustomed. Sarx cannot grow unless it and state-run schools see that every member of society
can find fresh fields to harvest for their gods. is educated in their duties. Every Sarxian has a role in
society, and those roles are respected and secure. The
Cities and Towns common people expect their officials and rulers to behave
Sarxian settlements are very orderly and regimented. No correctly and obey the common laws, and for the most
one is permitted to shift their residence without govern- part their expectations are fulfilled.
ment approval, and “illicit settlements” of escaped slaves This prosperity is possible only through a yearly
and renegades can expect summary sacrifice if they grow quota of human sacrifices. Honored volunteers, crimi-
too large, too obvious, or too annoying to the magistrates. nals, incompetent officials, and losers of governmental
power struggles go first, after which follow slaves, but the
Gathaw: Primarily a naval base for contesting the priva- Sarxian people themselves make up a significant portion
teers of Yain and the Godblight, an unusual num- of the dead every year. Perhaps one in every two hundred
ber of foreigners and renegades are found around young adults are sacrificed every year, the quotas made up
Gathaw. Its magistrates tend to have other concerns. by district populations and administered by the priests of
Kitchaw: The yearly harvest of Runomi slaves passes the Red Gods. In years where the raiding was unsuccess-
through Kitchaw, the city more a prison than a town. ful, this number increases. While the state healers greatly
Escapees often flee into the Shokara jungle, but the improve the general Sarxian fertility and infant mortality
ancient Nakadi abominations within ensure that rates, the nation is already pushing the limits of its avail-
few live to cross the hills southward to their homes. able population. It cannot sacrifice many more Sarxians
Lallur: Before the fall of Nakad, Lallur was the forward each year without beginning a depopulation death spiral.
base for the Logomachy’s crusades into Amund. It While most Sarxians would much prefer to avoid
remains a notorious hotbed of Word Cultists and such a fate, their society so honors and praises those who
hidden sorcery, held down only by inquisitors. go willingly to the altar that many who are aged, sickly,
Nazhal: Capital of Sarx, seat of the Flame of Heaven. or disgraced volunteer for the knife. In the same vein, a
The center of Sarxian bureaucracy; permits to do person selected for sacrifice may find a willing substitute
literally anything can be acquired here for the right to take their place, perhaps for love or perhaps for some
mix of favors, cash, and cunning. discreetly subtle payment to their family.
Ranshez: A mining and smelting city, where the famous While commoners have a relatively low chance of
Sarxian bronze is forged for the county’s legions. being sent to the altars, that is not the case for official-
Lighter and stronger than steel, it and many other dom. The higher one climbs in the bureaucratic or mili-
esoteric substances are fabricated here. Some whis- tary ranks, the more dire the consequences of failure. Past
per that its mining-masters have retained secrets the rank of town magistrate or regimental commander,
from the dark worship of Shagat-Hur. failure in a major task is generally expiated by sacrifice.
Shiyaz: The heart of Sarx’s most productive farming As a consequence, most senior officials are absorbed in
land. With the blessing of Medrat, yields are five ruthless political games to ensure they’re not left holding
times higher than elsewhere. Such bounty comes the responsibility for some job that’s gone wrong.
at a price; Medrat’s altars are notoriously hungry. Outsiders are sometimes surprised at the care Sarx-
Shotezh: Sarx’s main naval base on the Atlantean Main, ians show toward human life within their nation. Murder
Shotezh is constantly sending out patrols to deal is despised as a blasphemous theft from the gods, and
with Atlantean privateers and less patriotic pirates. officials responsible for the needless loss of commoner
Like Gathaw, its rulers tend to be too busy with lives can expect a swift journey to an exceptionally pain-
military matters to pay close attention to foreigners. ful altar. Their priests teach that nothing is so precious as
Yechu: Sarx’s main trading port, ships from all over the a life in service to the state. Such solicitousness does not
Carcereal Sea dock here to barter for cheap and seem to match well with their casual dispatch of thou-
excellent Sarxian goods. The Aisite clergy run the sands, but the Sarxians see no contradiction in it. A life
daylight markets, and a strangely formal and regi- is meant to be spent in service to the people; cutting it
mented criminal society deals in black market goods off before it can complete its service is a crime against
and forbidden things. the nation as a whole.
 87

Government and Law Sarxian Religion

The absolute autocrat of Sarx is Aganu, the Flame of The only gods permitted in Sarx are the Red Gods, their
Heaven, the appointed viceroy of the Red Gods. His di- apotheosized ancestors. No new Red God has been cre-
vine might makes him a near-Imperator in his personal ated in a thousand years, but there remain over two doz-
prowess, and only a handful of Flames have been assassi- en of these deities, most of whom are only worshiped in
nated or deposed in the past fourteen centuries. He will specific regions or at a handful of temples. Only four are
rule until age or sickness weakens his powers, whereupon revered throughout the nation.
he will be sacrificed. Nidas, the Scarlet King is the first among the Red
On the death of a Flame, their heirs and other great Gods. He embodies law, rulership, and selfless justice.
officials of Sarx are gathered in a solemn trial. Some dis- His priests serve the magistracy as judges and clerks,
avow their right of succession, while the others contend and his temples are centers of advanced education and
in various tests, using proxies in some and competing the study of law. Greatest of his temples is the Hearth
face-to-face in others. The winner is anointed as the new of the First Pyre in the capital. Slaves and foreigners are
Flame. The losers and their proxies are sacrificed. not permitted to revere him, being unworthy.
Beneath the Flame are multiple ranks of priestly, Ais, the Queen of Heaven is the consort of Ni-
secular, and military officials. Each priest belongs to the das, and holds rule over desire, fortune, wealth, and all
hierarchy of their particular god, while secular bureau- matters of art. Merchants and artisans take her as their
crats are divided up into administrative districts based patron, and her temples are always magnificently ornate.
around cities and market towns. Her priesthood is charged with creating beauty in every
Every officially-registered village, town, or city has possible form. Being familiar with foreigners through
a magistrate who serves as its head, responsible for car- their trading connections, they are the priests most like-
rying out the laws and ensuring the sacrificial quota is ly to hire outsiders to handle some delicate matter. Her
filled. This magistrate is served by clerks and sub-officials, chief temple, the House of Paradise, is in Yechu.
with a small legion of such bureaucrats in a major city Ramas, the Righteous Spear concerns himself with
and perhaps a part-time scribe helping in a remote vil- all matters of war, protection, and diligent investigation.
lage. The local peace is maintained by military garrisons His priests march with the legions and use the magics
ranging from entire regiments stationed in major cities that allow the Sarxians to take so many living prison-
to a half-dozen farmer-soldiers assigned to a village. The ers. Those that remain at home serve as inquisitors and
magistrate does not have official command over these guardians for the state. They sometimes hire adventurers
forces but is expected to cooperate with them in carrying for rooting out evils that might cost too many clerical
out the directives of their superiors. This cooperation is lives. Their head resides in Lallur, at the Tower of the
normal, as both the magistrate and the garrison com- Red Spear.
mander can expect the altar if civil unrest breaks out. Medrat, the Provident Mother is the most com-
All of the officials of Sarx’s government are anoint- monly-revered of the Red Gods, with a shrine in every
ed and blessed by the priests of the Red Gods. These village. She rules fertility, farming, health, and sacrifice.
blessings imbue them with actual divine might so long Her priests serve as village teachers and healers, but also
as they maintain their rank and office. At the smallest de- oversee most of the sacrificial rites conducted by the state.
gree, a village magistrate may be able to go without sleep Her priesthood is always drawn from farmers or the or-
indefinitely. The head of a major temple might be imper- phans of war or sacrifice. In Shiyaz, the Arch-Prelate
vious to physical harm within the temple’s precincts, and Ulay keeps the sacred Vermillion Field where the greatest
a legion commander could fight with the strength of a sacrifices are performed.
platoon. The Flame of Heaven bears powers on par with Aside from these gods, a few amoral scholars pursue
an Arch-Legate, and his greatest ministers wield mighty the forbidden secrets of the Word Priests and their alien
blessings as well. Gods of Truth. Each of their ancient temples had an ei-
The common laws of Sarx are rigid and strictly ad- dolon-fragment of their patron within that fueled their
ministered. Permits, papers, official seals, and registered vile sorcerous experiments. Few had anything resembling
acknowledgments are needed for long-distance travel, human cognition, but the study of their natures and op-
visits to distant temples, or permission to trade on a com- eration were key to numerous arcane advancements.
mercial scale. The whereabouts and status of citizens are Aktoth, the Empty Sky, was revered as the embodi-
tracked closely to ensure that they don’t slip the quota. ment of entropy and universal nullification. Gashaq, the
While Sarx permits its citizens to own personal Progenitor, was a font of blind life and mutation. Nilm,
property and engage in individual enterprise, everything the Beckoner on the Way, held the keys to space and
they own is subject to uncompensated requisition by the time, and was the patron of those temples that sought
state should it be necessary. Such sacrifice is viewed as a the secrets of inter-Iteral summonings. Shagat-Hur, the
noble demonstration of virtue, and resisting it is taken as Blood of the Mountain, was a fearsome volcanic entity
proof of selfish wickedness. Fundamentally, the people of earth and structure, and by extension the patron of
of Sarx are owned by the state, and the state does what crafting. Additional Gods of Truth surely existed, but
it thinks best with their goods and their lives. Ramasi inquisitors expunge any of their records they find.
88

Adventuring in Sarx
Sarxians think little of foreigners, and even less of adven-
turers. Unless they commit some serious crime, however, Antagonists
adventurers are not normally selected for the quotas; they Sarx doesn’t lack for antagonists, but most of them will
often fight back, unlike Sarxians, and cost more lives keep their more violent activities well away from public
than they provide. Instead, adventurers in Sarx tend to view. Savage fights in the wilderness or knives in a city’s
be treated as disposable tools of the state, to be hired for hidden alleys are much easier to slide past a magistrate.
work too dangerous to risk losing the lives of civilized Even an official who theoretically has the right to order
people. Some Sarxians also take advantage of their status the imprisonment or execution of a troublesome foreign-
as outsiders in society to get work done that would be er often finds it safer to handle things through informal
impossible for someone in a more carefully-monitored channels, lest his rivals seize on his actions to denounce
social position. them for some irregularity.

Exploration Adventures Bandit Rebels: Some can’t endure the rigidity of Sarxian
Sarx’s “civilized” areas are unusually safe for a nation in life, or might flee their destiny to let some relative go
the Latter Earth, and there are seldom any real perils beneath the knife instead, or simply want more than
closer than a day’s ride from a village or town. The pop- their role in life would ever let them have. Escaped
ulation’s inability to grow has calcified these boundaries, slaves and renegades often band together to ravage
however, and the wildernesses of Sarx have even fewer the more remote villages, taking lives that even the
of the hardscrabble villages and daring borderland keeps quota would not claim.
that other lands know. Foreign Agents: Sarx is widely hated, and numerous
The great jungles of the south are full of Logomachy rival lords and powers have agents working there.
temple ruins, and equally full of Logomachy monsters. These agents find adventurers to be useful patsies
While the god-avatars that once powered each temple and scapegoats from time to time.
are usually long-vanished, hideous beasts and unearthly Sarxian Privateers: The state issues letters of marque
horrors still haunt these untamed places. Escaped slaves for the taking of ships from Atlantis, Yain, or the
or renegade Sarxians who somehow find safety within Godblight. In practice, these “privateers” are outright
such places can expect to be ignored by the magistrates pirates when it comes to foreign shipping. Any craft
unless they’ve done something so infuriating that the cost that promises a good haul will win their cruel atten-
in legionary lives to capture them is deemed acceptable. tions, with the survivors sold off into slavery.
The Black Glass Mountains were once the industrial Sarxian Slavers: The military raids into Runom and
center of Nakad, and ancient forge-temples still can be the Amundi kingdoms each year produce a host
found in their highest regions. Taboo to Sarxians, their of victims, and the slavers of Sarx are in charge of
locations are seldom recorded, their treasures are seldom confining and distributing these wretches to state
despoiled, and their exploration is seldom safe. enterprises and private buyers. Every market town
has a guild of them, and their allies are many and
Dungeon Adventures ruthless.
The most common ruins in Sarx are the ancient tem- Sinister Priests: The clergy of the Red Gods have sub-
ple-laboratories of the Logomachy of Nakad. Some such stantial sway in Sarx, even if they aren’t formal
temples were little more than research outposts consist- members of the bureaucracy. Remote temples may
ing of a single shrine and a few outbuildings, while others get away with certain acts that would be censured
were the size of small cities. Sarxians are forbidden from under more watchful eyes, and they can employ
entering them, which leaves them a favorite refuge for zealous believers to handle bothersome adventurers.
bandits and escaped slaves... assuming those exiles are Troublesome Officials: Sarxian bureaucrats are con-
not eaten by the beasts that lurk there still. stantly balanced on a knife edge, the blade growing
Other than the temples, numerous ancient Nakadi sharper as they rise in rank. Adventurers who make
cities and towns were destroyed in the nation’s downfall, trouble for such an official can expect to face conse-
and have yet to be reclaimed by Sarx. In some of the re- quences, often ones delivered second-hand through
mote regions, extremely ancient ruins of the Speakers of the official’s allies or underlings.
the Storm can sometimes be found, ones lost before the Word Priest Cults: Every so often, some Sarxian is mad
Speakers became the later Logomachy. The very earliest enough or amoral enough to seek out the occult
surviving ruins are those of the Tempest Horde, with secrets of the Logomachy. Escaped slaves and rebels
a few rumored to still retain working examples of the are notorious for this, being willing to seize any tool
terrible iron steeds they rode into battle. The Horde only to strike back against the Sarxian state. Unfortu-
ever built permanent structures to house their forges and nately, the arts of the Word Priests tend to require
thunder-priest temples, so such remains a possibility. atrocities that are worse than what they fled.
 89

Sarxian Names Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Male Female Surname Place Escaped slave going under a false
1 Adhang Ajma Anzhu Azwi identity

2 Ashaj Birayfta Atrakbib Bawsa Failed clerk trying to stay ahead of

the sacrificial knife
3 Ashkaz Chiela Benbu Bawu
Secretly heretical priest looking to
4 Asvag Emi Dakmev Baynum change Sarx’s culture
5 Athloig Ethla Gidtuthra Famudya
Temple-educated sorcerer eager
6 Aznod Iksha Gunfachlu Gamay for adventure
7 Dadroud Kara Higsu Kathaw Peasant who lost their spouse to
8 Hesh Kashmay Huvdur Kichla the altar

9 Irgek Kiecha Igzu Leksazh Expelled legionary looking for a

new line of work
10 Jirek Kita Jadzhu Lushav
Ambitious merchant in need of
11 Jivang Lapna Kangmaw Nazwa starting capital
12 Kadib Lobna Lataf Ranulu Ruin-robber versed in plundering
13 Nouth Mavna Latlu Rengta forbidden Nakadi ruins
14 Paku Mipa Napru Shagshez Canny jungle scout who knows the
15 Razvak Nouma Neng Shoshtu dangers of the wilds

16 Rikak Rukshi Niemtal Sistezh Erudite Sarxian scholar on a quest

for knowledge
17 Yadrum Sayshma Paktow Ungku
Shipless sailor who was cast up on
18 Yainnaz Uthloi Ushtim Vadhal Sarx’s unwelcoming shores
19 Yudab Zhildhi Vuzkay Xu Slave accidentally registered as a
20 Zham Zhinzhu Yagshumul Yayi free citizen

Example Sarxian Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Bloodlessly cruel Winsome but An important NPC Hoard of valuable Farm with incred-
1 magistrate ill-treated slave was just picked for Sarxian trade ibly productive
sacrifice goods lands and herds
Sacrifice-crazed Idealistic Sarxian A local slave upris- Forbidden book of Hidden camp of
2
priest reformer ing occurs Nakadi lore escaped slaves
Renegade with no Secret agent of a The high officials Bribe meant to Clean, prosperous
3 respect for life rival country are making hard get a substitute Sarxian city devoid
demands sacrifice of poverty
Sorcerer dabbling Peasant just trying Critical paperwork Key to a sealed Wharf with caged
4
in the Word Cult to get by has been lost temple-lab Runomians
Depraved Sarxian Sympathetic but Local officials are Temple relic need- Ancient Nakadi
5 official harried official locked in a lethal ed to consecrate temple ruins full of
intrigue local officials alien life
Smooth crime boss Foreigner who’s Local officials List of heretics and Bustling city bu-
6
with connections gone native here made dire mistakes enemy agents reaucratic office
Paranoid Ramasi Chief of an es- A Word Cultist has Exotic jungle Constantly-active
7
inquisitor caped slave camp caused a disaster extract sacrificial altar
Rich merchant Eager scholar look- Agents of an enemy Permit to do some- Shady roadside inn
8 without scruples ing for old lore nation have made thing that’s other- where renegades
a move here wise very illegal congregate
90

SATH INGIT
A people obsessed with strength, the clans of Sath Ingit
are famed for the prowess of their savage warbeasts and Geography
the skill of their arcane fleshmolders. The arts of the Sa- Sath Ingit is a steppe land, long miles of tall grasses from
thans are said to be able to give a petitioner any grace the foothills of the Carven Peaks to the Moebian Sea.
they could desire... though often at a price that only a Thin traces of forest linger in the hills, while the sinis-
madman would pay. ter green of the Verdancy is constantly pushing over the
northern border. Sathan warriors must regularly take fire
History and axe to it to keep it from claiming more land, though
Records are few and indistinct of the final years of the it makes for ample timber for the clans.
Tempest Horde and their ancient foes, the Intoners. Leg- There are no major rivers in Sath Ingit. The moun-
end claims that the horde finally breached the bulwark of tain streams sink away into the dry plains, and only occa-
the Carven Peaks by riding the “thunder road”, unleash- sional springs, pools, and creeks dot the land. The clans
ing an unstoppable host of iron beasts on their age-old mark their territory by possession of these watering-plac-
enemies. When the invasion finally reached the sea, the es for their herds, and wars are fought over muddy ditch-
Intoners were shattered, half driven north into what later es and silty streams.
became Vitrum and the Hyperborean lands, and half The climate is warm and dry, with snow unheard-of
forced south into what later became the Logomachy of below the higher elevations and rains coming seldom.
Nakad. The soil grows little but grass, and farming occupies only
The southern remnants were swiftly conquered by a few slaves near the larger waterways. The steppe grasses
the Horde, and the arts of the storm-priests mingled with feed great herds of fleshbeasts, many terribly human in
Intoner lore to give birth to the Speakers of the Storm. their appearance.
Northward, the Intoner survivors held the line at the
Leucris River, while further north the choirs most weary People of Sath Ingit
of the war established the colony-cities of the Remnant Sathans, both men and women, average a foot taller than
Chord in Hyperborea. Between the two, the Tempest their Vitrumite neighbors, with some giants among them
Horde held the plains that were to become Sath Ingit. reaching eight feet in height. Coloring of skin, hair, and
With no easily-met enemies to test them, the Horde eyes tends to vary wildly, each clan favoring a different
swiftly collapsed into savage infighting. Losses among the combination. Hereditary birthmarks often show ances-
storm-priests and their sacred foundries were so great tral affiliations.
that the iron mounts of the Horde could no longer be Ambitious Sathans sometimes seek out the favor
produced, and the nomadic traditions of their people of the flesh-priests in their camps, trading riches and
were threatened with extinction. services in exchange for an improved body. These im-
Against this threat, a sect of surviving priests min- provements always come at a cost, often mental in nature.
gled forbidden secrets of life and death stolen from the Some such “blessed” are left half-moronic, while others
Pale Empire with their arts of forging and molding. If are touched with terrible madness or unclean cravings.
they could no longer force lightning and iron into their Aside from the Sathans, the raiding habits of the
service, flesh and bone would have to suffice. clans have led to the presence of many slaves from Vit-
The “Red Lore” these priests passed down soon rum, the Godblight, and Yain. A slave who shows mettle
spread throughout the surviving clans, each one shaping enough to ride with the clan can hope for adoption into
not only the wild beasts of the steppes, but also their own its ranks. Those without such prowess are treated little
clan members in pursuit of ultimate hegemony. Many of better than cattle.
these experiments were catastrophic failures, and others Most disturbingly, some of them are cattle. It’s not
granted their gifts at too dear a price. Even so, many came unknown for flesh-priests to transform prisoners and
at a cost their chieftains were willing to bear. criminals into Blighted half-men or worse, making old
Now the sixteen Great Clans contend among them- enemies into new tools for their victorious conquerors.
selves, the greatest of their khans striving to be recog- Sometimes these alterations can be reversed, but many
nized as Khagan of all the clans. Such a hegemon rises poor wretches are permanently born into their state.
only once a generation, but while they ride no man’s life
is safe in the lands between the crown of Hyperborea and Demography
the heel of the Godblight. Vitrumite scholars hazard to guess that two million Sa-
In the centuries since Sath Ingit came to be, the clans thans can be found between the Leucris and the Yandol,
have held to their ancient traditions. Strength, loyalty, though their nomadic habits make it impossible to be
and freedom are the only virtues they have ever cared to certain. The number of slaves is supposed to be little
name, and the few cities they raise have never been much more than a tenth of that, most of their labor reserved
more than gathering-places for the clans. for such degrading work as farming or menial toil.
 91

Cities and Towns

Sathans do not have towns as their neighbors do,
instead reserving certain sacred sites as places for
meeting, trading, and marriage-making. These
“camps” average one every fifty miles or so, and
are occupied year-round only by the fleshmolder
clergy, their acolytes, and their slaves.
Aside from these camps, however, there are
six great fortress-cities raised on the ruins of
massive Intoner towers, each one ruled by a khan
of the sixteen Great Clans. These cities serve as
repositories for the Red Lore and sources of pres-
tige, even if most of them are almost empty of
present-day inhabitants.

Angat: A bulwark against the Verdancy, Angat is

also the source of much of Sath Ingit’s tim-
ber. Clan Viper’s hauling-beasts carry great
loads of it throughout the steppe.
Ingitok: The nominal “capital” of Sath Ingit, the
Bleeding Forge within is opened by Clan
Lion only to the one recognized as Khagan
by all the Great Clans. Its blessing is said to
make near-gods of men.
Maktik: Famed for its breeding of sea-beasts, the
terrible oceanic predators that Clan Crab
rides are a scourge to trade all along the
coast. Some are as big as a Sarxian galleon.
Sahanat: Golden Sahanat’s Clan Hawk keeps a
deep lore on the shaping of human bodies
and minds. Its warbeasts are all fashioned of
clans that fell afoul of Sathan custom, and
the wretched things fight with an almost
human cunning.
Yantok: The Great Bridge of Yantok is guarded
well by Clan Coyote, and forms the leap-
ing-off point for raids into the Godblight
and Yain. The latter would dearly like to
destroy it, but stretching that far would
leave the small nation imperiled by the mad
dangers of the Godblight.

Sathan Society
Sathan culture recognizes only three virtues
worth praising: strength, loyalty, and freedom.
Compassion, honesty, industry, or generosity are
worthwhile only in the context of increasing one’s
own strength, aiding a sworn ally, or expressing
one’s own personal desires.
A Sathan is expected to seek strength.
Physical strength is merely the most fundamen-
tal form of this; cunning, wisdom, and skill are
all recognized as worthy forms of strength, and
while a weakling or crippled Sathan will never
gain great honor, they can at least get tolerable
respect through some useful capability. The most
ambitious Sathans undertake fleshmolding to in-
crease their power, despite the grim cost.
92

A Sathan’s first loyalty is to their clan, the second Sathan Religion

to their immediate blood kindred, and third to those Sathans have little use for foreign gods. Their deities are
allies and companions they have sworn friendship with. legendary khans, ancient heroes who are called upon to
Betraying any of these faiths is a heinous sin, though it lend their strength to a warrior or behold their mighty
happens more often than any Sathan would like to admit. deeds. The strongest among the Sathans may hope to
Those who betray their own can expect to be cast out of ride with them in the afterlife, while weaklings and other
the clan, to roam friendless and unprotected. peoples will serve only as their herds and their slaves.
Sathans are also expected to do as they wish, seeking Flesh-priests are versed in the rites to propitiate
their own goals and ambitions without regard for the these gods, most of which require herd-sacrifices or the
cost. A true Sathan revels in their desires, using strength lives of enemies. Among the ancestral deities, several are
and cunning to take what they want from the world and particularly popular.
share the good they get with their kindred. If these de- Angha Ironhoof is a favored patron of Sathan wom-
sires come at the cost of strangers, then so be it; if they en, a Khagan famed for dozens of acts of heroic will and
are not strong enough to prevent it, they deserve it. irresistible might. She trampled three Vitrumite legions
Strength is the ultimate justification in Sathan so- into the dust before enslaving their camp followers and
ciety. Anything one is strong enough to do, one has the forging them into her personal praetorian guard.
right to do. To kill one’s enemies, to plunder their goods, Limbs-Like-Water, a great sage of the now-van-
to seize their lands and herds... these are only natural pas- ished Scorpion clan, is honored as a font of fleshmolding
times for a respectable rider. And if the enemy should kill lore and a deity who can grant awesome occult secrets
them in turn, then it was their fault for being too weak or to a petitioner who offers him sufficient flesh and blood.
too foolish to prevent it. A wise Sathan forms alliances Namad the Breaker is a fearsome figure in Sathan
with worthy others, to share strength and improve their lore, a Khagan who led the clans to the walls of Vitrum’s
mutual ability to obtain their own desires. capital itself. His strength was the strength of something
alien and terrible, however, and there before the walls he
Government and Law was taken as his master’s price. Even so, Sathans in des-
The sixteen Great Clans each number perhaps fifty thou- perate need will call out to him for intercession, accepting
sand Sathans, and between them their khans effectively his help despite the awful price that always comes with it.
rule the steppe. There are scores of lesser clans, each petty Smiling Ran, the joyous Khagan who never wept a
khan swearing friendship with a patron among the great, single tear or breathed a single sigh. His tent was carpet-
and changing that fealty often enough when an old friend ed in the skins of Yainish witchpriests, he drank from the
dies and a new one seems more profitable. skull of a god-eidolon, and every wish he ever had was
Each clan chooses its khan from among the stron- gratified. Sathans pray to him for luck, happiness, and
gest of its septs, While trial by combat among the candi- the fulfillment of their heartfelt desires.
dates is not unknown, most clans prefer less costly tests.
The khan rules until they step down or are killed; in the Adventuring in Sath Ingit
latter case, the sept elders then decide whether the reg- A sufficiently daring band of adventurers can make quick
icide was an act of loyalty to the clan or a base betrayal. expeditions into Sath Ingit to plunder old Intoner ruins
Most assassins take care to ensure their justification is or investigate Pale Empire leavings in the foothills of the
acceptable to the elders. Carven Peaks, but any lengthy stay in the land is going to
Beneath the khan are the kha-khans that lead each require the good offices of some Sathan clan. If the clan
sept’s warbands and the clan’s “great sage” who leads and can be persuaded that the adventurers are worth more
teaches its flesh-priests. The molders are responsible for as allies than as sources of plunder, a provisional pledge
the maintenance of the clan’s bloodlines and the health of friendship can win support and freedom to roam the
of its herds; not even the khan may gainsay their forbid- clan’s territory.
dance of particular marriages, and they have the right to Of course, such friendship comes at a price, and
decree exposure for any weak or crippled child. adventurers might find themselves “asked” to participate
The laws of Sath Ingit are the laws of whatever clan in raids or go on delicate missions in the interests of the
lays claim to a particular city or stretch of steppe, which clan. Those who refuse might find themselves interlopers
is to say that they are very few. It is not actually “illegal” instead of friends.
to kill strangers, plunder their goods, or destroy their Sathans who lose the favor of their clans often find
herds. However, it is sure to win the wrath of their kins- it necessary to ride far to escape their retribution. These
men, which tends to be a fatal prospect for anyone who exiles and renegades often become adventurers in distant
doesn’t have the protection of a clan of like power. The lands, though few still retain the services of the fearsome
clans are constantly raiding and contending with one war-mounts of their lost kinsmen.
another when not attending their sacred camp meetings,
and it is only the terrible strength of a Khagan that can
forge them into a single coherent weapon against their
weakling neighbors.
 93

Sathan Names Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Male Female Clan Camp Exiled Sathan framed for treachery
1 Agrad Ashida Antelope Ashudmin someone else committed

2 Bolg Barra Bear* Bintok Sathan reformer who needs power

to convince their brethren
3 Borr Dalina Boar Burgat
Beast-obsessed wanderer forever
4 Gahad Fansha Bonewalker Fanavut seeking newer, stranger creatures
5 Gorot Ganima Courser Gedim Aspiring tribal leader seeking to
6 Grim Halana Coyote* Goromatin learn more of the outer world
7 Gunat Inga Crab* Hagelun Escaped slave with more than a
8 Imbar Kida Drake Ilistok few Sathan habits remaining

9 Jozad Likana Falcon* Juvak Last survivor of a broken Sathan

clan
10 Kamad Lota Ghoul Koregat
Escaped Sathan slave fled from
11 Karom Pagra Gull Koreshin their Vitrumite master
12 Laruk Poroda Hawk* Kroganat Defrocked flesh-priest banished for
13 Lugaf Riga Horse Lakmun some esoteric heresy
14 Prok Sibaya Ibex* Lurumok Low-status Sathan seeking
15 Sabat Sumara Lion* Mashud redemption through great deeds

16 Shom Tamu Owl* Nibanat Herder versed in the many strange

cattle the Sathans keep
17 Togar Toba Rat* Omorat
Beast-healer wise in the ways of
18 Ulvak Vani Shark Prohek mending feral flesh
19 Vulot Yama Sunbird Uregal Tribal diplomat skilled in smoothing
20 Yadrok Zami Viper* Vadunmat over quarrels and grudges
* This clan is counted a Great Clan

Example Sathan Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Bloodthirsty Kha- Good-natured The nearest water A magnificent war- Ornate tent of a
1
gan aspirant Sathan warrior has dried up beast stud tribal elder
Traitorous outcast Beastminder with a Wild war-beasts Loot taken from a Sun-beaten steppe
2
seeking vengeance sickly charge are stampeding raid into Vitrum of endless grass
Cruel flesh-priest Healing-minded The fleshpriests de- Elixir of lasting Well-guarded
3
seeking materials priest of the flesh mand a sacrifice body augmentation drylands spring
Maddened former Wise elder with a A leader is growing Patrol schedule Ancient Intoner
4 candidate for prudent sense of mad after receiving for a vulnerable tower used as a
flesh-augmentation forbearance flesh-augmentation Vitrumite border fleshpriest shrine
Vitrumite raider Green stripling The Vitrumites are Revered relic of a Corral full of
5 seeking universal needing help to launching a raid of famous Khagan’s strange and terrible
slaughter prove their ability reprisal nearby great victory herd beasts
Hideously clever Slave-turned-war- A rival clan has Egg of a great and Raucous celebra-
6 war-beast run rior through their recently rustled a mysterious beast tion ground after a
amok own great ability large herd of war successful raid
Affably sociopathic Slave escaped Ill omens have de- Recovered relic of Bone-strewn mas-
7
barbarian warlord from a nearby clan pressed the clan a Vitrumite general sacre site
Favored slave Sathan yearning for A terrible new Blade of a famous Burnt remains of a
8
turned kingmaker a new kind of life beast was birthed fallen Sathan hero ruined clan camp
94

THE SCARLET PRINCES

Four dynasties worth of bitterness and resentment are
piled on the lands of the Scarlet Princes. Every lord with- Geography
in its borders is the heir of some ancient indignity, an ex- The northern states of Zin, Ru, and Taimen are warm
ile-prince cast out of some imperial house that no longer year-round, with humid weather east of the Gates of
exists. Each would like dearly to correct that injustice, Dusk and dry dune-winds to the west. The further south
and every season brings new schemes and new wars to one goes, the more temperate the weather, with the Inner
further the ends of these would-be hegemons. Frontier knowing four distinct seasons and considerable
snow in winter.
History The land has no great rivers, but many small ones
By the time the Second Dynasty arose in Gyarus, its flowing from the Gates of Dusk. Ru, Wen, and Cho are
divine emperors were troubled by an excess of martial the driest of the princely states, each one dominated by
nobility. The First Dynasty’s focus on military might had fertile grasslands that fade off into the mutagenic dust
led to a surfeit of highly contentious warrior-princes, and of the Choking Dunes. Border outposts keep watch for
it was only through several centuries of methodical purg- monsters that come from the north.
es and temple-backed wars that the losers were finally The Gates of Dusk are the most significant geo-
defanged. graphical features of the region, being low, ragged moun-
As these nobles were the heirs of former emperors, tains and jagged hills cast up by some ancient calamity.
and as the destruction of their family lineage was a sin Numerous caverns and upthrust structures lead down
too grave to contemplate, these princes were exiled to into a black maze of Deeps and passages teeming with
sinecures in the western reaches of the empire, beyond terrible creatures. Tunnel-roads are supposed to exist
the Zinju river. Many were dispatched to petty states in from the Gates all the way to the Dynastic capital, but
what eventually became first Javair and then the Chok- few dare seek such ways.
ing Dunes, while others were left to dwell closer to the
Dynastic heartlands. None were allowed more than a few People of the Principalities
dozen leagues of land, and all were kept under watchful The inhabitants of the Scarlet Princes are Dynasts in the
oversight by imperial officials. main, most jealously aware of their exalted lineage and
As the dynasties waxed and waned, these western their venerable imperial forebears... even if such descent
lands became the dumping-grounds for political losers is more legend than provable fact. People commonly
and conquered royalty of every variety. Even the broken identify with their extended clan first, then their home
kings of distant lands were sent there with colonies of state, and then their lord. Few, if any, have any loyalty to
their original subjects, the better to keep them out of the idea of the Scarlet Princes as a whole.
the way. There were inevitable insurrections and upris- The Inner Frontier is an exception to this uniformity.
ings but there were so many petty lords so often at each Non-Dynastic kings and their people were exiled there,
other’s throats that none were ever able to marshal the and so the inhabitants often have drastically different
alliances they would have needed to overcome their im- cultures and appearances than their Dynastic neighbors.
perial jailers. They serve as mercenaries often enough that they draw
Yet there was always a cycle to the Scarlet Princ- no special remark in the northern cities.
es. When the empire was strong, its lords were scat-
tered and obedient, forced into submission by imperial Demographics
armies. When a dynasty began to sicken, however, the Most scholars would estimate the population of the prin-
lords would start to fight amongst themselves, vying to cipalities at something around eight million people. Tai-
become the Hegemon over all their brethren. When the men and Wei are the most populous of the states, while
dynasty fell at last, there would be nothing to prevent Lan struggles with limited farmland and regular incur-
these princely rulers from surging east to seize the throne. sions from mountain beasts. No one is entirely certain
None ever succeeded, but there were always contenders. how many foreigners inhabit the Inner Frontier, as those
Now the cycle has gone awry. There is a new dynasty peoples tend to avoid dealing with the Dynastic states
on the throne, and the Scarlet Princes should be grow- save as mercenaries for their warring lords.
ing quiet now. Yet the Fifth Dynasty does not have the The princely states vie constantly for control over
strength of its predecessors, and more and more of the towns and population centers, the inhabitants a valuable
western principalities are being drawn together under resource for their fields and armies. Natives of the states
contending lords. There is a grave risk of a new Hegemon are all but trapped, for as heirs of exiles they are not per-
arising, and the Fifth Dynasty does not have the resourc- mitted to cross the Zinju river back into Dynastic lands.
es to crush them by force. Many think that subtler means With the Shangu mountains impassible, the Choking
will be required if the empire is to be spared a new and Dunes a fatal waste, and ship passage from the western
terrible convulsion. coast beyond their means, they can do little but stay.
 95

States of the Scarlet Princes Wei: This state’s Marquise Lu has only a large population
There have been hundreds of states established among as a considerable resource. She is averse to leaguing
the Scarlet Princes since it was first made a place of exile. with the unpredictable foreigners of the Inner Fron-
The vast majority last for a century or two before being tier, but many ships have gone south to Tseb Hwii
dragged under by greedy rivals or their own internal strife. of late, and rumors persist of certain unrighteous
The present eight states are merely the latest survivors. bargains being struck with those strange folk.
Wen: The grasping Duke Chu of Wen sweats over the
Cho: The breadbasket of the eight states, Cho’s rich sor- perils of resting between Ru’s unpredictable sorcer-
ghum fields feed multitudes. Its Marquis Ai seeks ies and Cho’s well-fed army. He seeks control of Lan
hegemony by playing weak against strong, selling and its overland route to Taimen, bullying its ruler
his crops cheaply to the weak states to support them with deniable raids and threats of war.
in their resistance. In time, he plans to swoop down Zin: Marquis Lao has much to worry over with the con-
on any who remain. stant threat of incursions from the Anak Wastes to
Lan: Gateway to the western states, Lan is constantly the north. Yet he seeks to conduct illegal trade with
harried by its neighbors. Its young Duchess Rin is merchants brave enough to venture through the
desperate for allies to hold off the destruction of wastes in order to bypass the Dynastic river guard.
her state. Precious gems, forbidden drugs, and rare extracts
Ru: Famed for its traditional learning and venerable are peddled through this black market.
schools, the scholars of Ru are considerable sorcer- The Inner Frontier: The customs and habits of the several
ers. Lacking any other notable resource, its Prince petty kingdoms of the Inner Frontier are largely a
Wu seeks magical artifacts to smooth his path to mystery to the Dynasts around them. Their land
hegemony. is unattractive, so close to the dangerous Shangu
Taimen: With Yantu the only approved trade city for mountains, and their cultures are largely incom-
merchants from the Fifth Dynasty, Taimen is the patible with Dynastic mores. Warriors and sorcer-
richest of the states, but also the one most tightly ers who can be spared from their regular internal
bound by Dynast rules. Its Duke Meng labors to squabbles often find service in the armies of princely
bribe or suborn his Dynast minders into aiding his states, and some who are more adept at fitting in can
ambitions. even hope for generalships.
96

Society in the Principalities Religion in the Principalities

While the subjects of the Scarlet Princes share many The nobles and elite of the Scarlet Princes are a godless
similarities with the culture of the Fifth Dynasty, the lot in the main. They all pay meticulous care to the rites
inhabitants of this land are famed for their intensely of ancestor worship and the seasonal rituals in propiti-
mercenary nature. From peasant to prince, every man, ation of Heaven, but only a peasant bumpkin imagines
woman, and child in the principalities is keenly aware that there are personal, individual deities that have any
of their own best interests and inclined to follow them interest in their affairs. Heaven is just, but impassive;
wherever they may lead. Earth is giving, but indifferent. Virtuous and enlightened
Loyalty to a nation is minimal at best. Righteous conduct is conducive to prosperity and success, but that
ministers and upright generals place their faith in specific is due to the natural processes of Heaven and Earth and
rulers, and if that ruler dies, his successor cannot assume not the personalized will of a deity.
that their loyalty will transfer. The common folk have To the common folk, the world is full of deities.
only a nominal interest in whichever prince might be Their ancestors reach up to give help to their heirs, Heav-
ruling them, and if they fight in his armies and pay his en’s anger punishes the wicked, and every village and
taxes it is only because the alternative is worse. Some town has its god of walls and ditches to oversee the pros-
of the more remote villages are not even aware of what perity of those who dwell within. Soldiers wear amulets
country they are theoretically part of. dedicated to divine generals, farmers conduct forbidden
While princes and officials lament this state of af- rituals to win abundance for their crops, and every town
fairs, they have also come to expect it. A capable warrior has a dozen or more shrines and temples to faiths that
or skilled scholar might pass from one lord to another as have been extinct elsewhere since the Second Dynasty.
their opportunities allow, and few rulers would hesitate The gentry largely leave the peasants to their errors,
to hire talent where they can get it. This path to wealth though the most extreme and potentially dangerous
and power attract many in the principalities, and great faiths are driven into the wilderness by the lord’s men.
deeds are dared to win splendid posts. There they sometimes find other powers to wield and
give those who drove them out cause to rue their act.
Government and Law
Rule in the principalities is a stripped-down and sim- Adventuring in the Principalities
plified version of the ancient First Dynasty bureaucracy. Adventurers among the Scarlet Princes tend to fall into
Every prince rules as an absolute monarch, served by an three main classifications as far as the locals are con-
often-changed prime minister who oversees separate bu- cerned, and outsiders who gain renown among them are
reaus charged with military affairs, agriculture, rituals, apt to find themselves pigeon-holed into one of these
law enforcement, and diplomacy. The chief ministers of categories whether they like it or not.
each have lesser-ranking officials to carry out their in- Assassins are of a long and venerable lineage, being
structions. warriors and rogues skilled in the selective murder of
Many of these officials are “wandering scholars”, in- persons troublesome to a local noble. Enemy generals,
tellectual freelancers who go from state to state offering rival lords, troublesome local grandees, and even bother-
their wisdom and political theory to the ruler. The great- some clan heads can all be safely removed by the use of a
est win position as teachers to the prince, while lesser competent assassin. Those who succeed can expect rich
lights can hope for a decent stipend. Those who give bad rewards, while those who are caught by their targets can
advice are advised to keep a fast chariot close to hand. expect a slow and terrible death. It is a disgraceful role,
Unlike the Fifth Dynasty, however, the individual of course, but a very well-paid one.
rule of towns and villages is not in the hands of bureau- Knights are warriors of exceptional skill on the
cratic officials. Instead, each village or town is the person- battlefield, ones who can be trusted to lead troops to
al fief of a trusted noble, who can keep the lion’s share of deeds of glory in the service of their lord. While personal
its tax burden for their personal use. Control of these vil- prowess is important to every knight, their true value is
lages shifts with the lord’s whim, however, and favorites in their leadership and military acumen. The best are
who fail to stay favored can find their possessions swiftly elevated to generalships and given scores of villages as
melting away. More than a few have chosen to cast their their personal fiefs. The less gifted are expected not to
lot with the lord of a bordering neighbor rather than return alive from the field, but just as often decamp for
submit to this loss. The peasants are rarely consulted. some other lord instead.
Law enforcement is conducted at a village level, with Wandering scholars are venerated teachers and
the local fief-holder responsible for maintaining order sages, men and women possessed of deep insight into
and administering the law to commoners. Crimes by the rulership and governance. Their profound wisdom is
nobility and officials are judged by the bureau of law, with guaranteed to unravel mysteries, sort out diplomatic dif-
severe or sensitive cases put before the prince himself. ficulties, and correct corrupt branches of the bureaucracy.
Minor matters are generally handled by village elders, as Possession of the right teacher is considered a necessity
any encounter with the fief-holder’s justice is apt to be for a would-be Hegemon, so the best of them are courted
painfully expensive for the village. intensely by lords eager to expand their rule.
 97

Names in the Principalities Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Clan Name Family Name Given Name Places Peripatetic scholar-counselor for
1 Ai Chin Ba Baoshan lordly employers

2 An Chu Bai Chianhu Last scion of a decayed noble

family
3 Chang Dai Diao Chingmu
Peasant forced to flee corvee
4 Cheng De Du Dali labor exactions
5 Chow Fei Feng Dashu
Soldier who deserted the army of
6 Kao Hou Guai Fenghuang a failing lord
7 Hsuan Hsi Hong Hsidi Wandering artisan keeping one
8 Hu Huai Kan Huangyao step ahead of tax collectors

9 Hui Kong Lai Lijian Scholar seeking out lost histories

and useful family records
10 Jing Min Li Lijiang
Assassin cut loose from
11 Kwong Mo Mung Luchi employment by a lord
12 Lu Mu Nan Pingle Merchant forced on the road by a
13 Ming Ren Ning Sanjian lord’s seizure of their business
14 Ping Rui Pin Sheshian Rebel against a lord who may
15 Ru Shun Pui Tongli have already been deposed

16 Shang Su Sheng Tunshi Apolitical backwoods peasant

trying to avoid official notice
17 Wan Tai Shi Wuchen
Aspiring knight seeking glory and
18 Wang Yang Tsao Wuwan a splendid lord to serve
19 Wen Ze Tsong Yongchang Surplus heir of a minor noble
20 Wu Zong Ying Yongding house forced to seek their fortune-
Male names are Clan Family-Given, such as Kao Chuning
Female names are Clan Given-Family, such as Ping Tsaofei

Example Scarlet Prince Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Sinister counselor Cheerfully optimis- A former “friend” Ancient relic of the Burnt-down re-
1
to a careless lord tic scholar just declared war First Dynasty mains of a village
Corrupt local Grizzled old vil- The borders have Proof of a noble’s Bright-painted
2
official lage headman been sealed legitimate lineage wooden palace
Deposed noble Local lord in dire A poor counselor is Book of peerless Ritual mound for
3
turned bandit chief need of help fleeing for his life military stratagems public ceremonies
Zealot priest of a Diplomat trying to An assassin just Tax payment wrung High city walls with
4
vile ancient god forge local peace struck nearby from the locals many guards
Notorious assassin Sage of some ven- The lord is seizing Stolen food sup- Hardscrabble
5 doing personal erable old school the goods of local plies or other vital village of the des-
work of thought merchants goods perately poor
Charismatic dem- Earnestly appeal- A lord has been Stock of valuable Ancient family
6 agogue with dark ing young heir to a violently deposed weapons, horses, temple full of
intentions contested state by their sibling or military gear name-tablets
Sage with infernal Peasant refugee Soldiers have Ritual jade discs of Garrison fort full of
7
sorcerous powers from war’s ruin ruined the fields a noble family activity
Occult experiment- Grubby commoner A plague follows Secret text of mysti- Austere school for
8
er with human life seeking a route up after an army cal lore would-be scholars
98

SHINBU ANAK
Since the first days of Carce and the Grand Harmony’s
fall, the Blighted of Shinbu Anak have been a plague on Shinbu Society
their human neighbors. The reckless sorceries of their Shinbu Anak society is based on violence. Its “tribes” are
Outsider creators have made them stronger, smarter, and built exclusively around loyalty to a war-chief or pirate
more cohesive than their brethren in the southern wastes, captain, disintegrating as soon as that leader dies or is de-
much to the eventual grief of those who made them. posed. Familial relationships mean almost nothing once
a whelp is too big to be bullied into obedience by its
History mother. Like most Anak, their lives are defined by hatred,
When the Outsiders of the Grand Harmony were forced fear, and spite, punctuated by brief occasions of sadistic
to abandon the great island of Carce and retreat to the amusement or cruel indulgence. Only a powerful leader
mainland, their bitterness was expressed in the legions who promises both rich rewards and savage punishments
of monstrous Anak they forged to reclaim their wayward can keep a tribe together for long.
slaves. After futile centuries of war, however, this hope The Shinbu economy is built on chattel slavery. They
faded, and their Anak warriors were turned on each other have repurposed the ancient identity tags once used to
in a struggle for rule over what remained of their empire. mark their ancestors, and now use these small rectangu-
Their masters pushed numerous ill-tested modifi- lar metal slips to mark the human, Outsider, and Anak
cations and sorcerous imbuements on their war-slaves, slaves they take. A brief, painful ritual bonds a tag to a
warping them and changing them to better bring down living subject, whereupon it will emboss itself with an
their rivals. Eventually, to fight other Outsiders effectively image of the target’s face that will remain until the subject
it was necessary to degrade the psychic shackles that pre- dies. As only one tag can bond to a slave at a time, these
vented them from attacking their own creators. “faces” form the main currency between Anak tribes, trad-
The consequences were entirely predictable, and ed back and forth for plunder and aid in battle.
within a few more centuries their pet legions rose up As it is impractical to herd large numbers of slaves
and slaughtered them. With equal predictability, the around with their roving owners, most are dispatched
victorious Anak did not cease the terrible experiments to large plantations on the Shackled Plains, where sla-
on their brethren, but seized the tools and the Outsider ver tribes maintain them in exchange for a share of their
artificers for their own use. production. A complex system of loans and brokerage
To the south, the Anak who would become the Aris- dispatches a slave’s surplus production twice-yearly to
toi Principalities butchered all their Outsider prisoners, whatever tribe the slave’s owner belongs to. Valuable as
relying only on their own sorcerers to enact the rites and they are, these slaves are seldom killed out of hand, but
oversee the experiments. Their progress was slow, but their lives are generally brief and wretched under their
the vision of their tribal leaders eventually gave birth to Anak overseers. Few ever escape, as the tags can be used
a species of Anak with greatly lessened Hate and vast- by a sorcerer to track them halfway across the world.
ly improved cohesion. Their heirs broke away from the Every Shinbu tribe has a profound interest in sor-
other Shinbu Anak in 500 AL, and even now they make cerous eugenics and augmentations. The molder-tribes
constant war on their savage cousins. of the Birthing Hills control most of the ancient arcane
In the north, however, the chieftains had no patience equipment for modifying Anak, along with the Outsider
for puzzling out the Outsider tools. Surviving Outsiders slaves necessary to make the devices function. These tools
were forced to serve new masters, their lives dependent can imbue an Anak with tremendous power, both physi-
on operating the arcane devices and performing the cal and magical, though often at a terrible price in sanity
rituals that would make their new lords stronger. Ever or health. Tribes gamble their most reckless warriors on
since they have been a caste of slave-priests, tormented the process in hopes of gaining heroes, or send their most
for every failure. hated enemies to be defiled by awful shapings. The most
In the centuries since, the Shinbu Anak have splin- successful alterations are sometimes inheritable, forming
tered into dozens of sub-species through these arcane the seeds for new sub-species of Anak.
modifications. Some varieties are tremendously strong The Shinbu Anak are universally hated by their
and ferocious, but the changes never come without price, neighbors. The Aristoi to the south view them as de-
and the fiercest are often the most stupid or sickly. An- spicable degenerates who insult the Aristoi by their very
cient tribal bonds have largely disintegrated, with each existence. The Kytheronians hate them for their constant
Anak loyal only to a successful war-chief and the entire raids and invasions north of the River of Spears. The
country operating like a confederation of mercenary cap- states around the Herondeep fear their raiding ships and
tains and pirate kings. Human and Outsider slaves work the incessant slave-taking expeditions, and virtually the
the fields and perform menial labor when not taken for entire Carcereal coastline dreads the sight of their black-
the cookpot, and this hunger still sends many grim ships sailed ships on the horizon. The Shinbu delight in this
to far human shores. hatred, and their only wish is to make it more bitter.
 99

Slaves of the Shinbu Adventuring in Shinbu Anak

Aside from human prisoners born to the collar or taken Humans are not welcome in Shinbu Anak. Indeed, no
in raids, the Shinbu preserve remnants of several Outsid- one is particularly welcome in Shinbu Anak, but the na-
er races long since extinguished elsewhere. These wretch- tives have sufficient allies in their tribe to hold off the
es know little of their ancestors save what is necessary to most immediate threats of violence. Outsiders who enter
operate their arcane devices. Those named below are only must be constantly alert for attack by Hate-driven Anak,
the most common species to be found. even if under the protection of some local war-chief.
The general disorganization of the land can be a
Klin: Slender, mammalian humanoids with a single large point in an adventurer’s favor, however, as sufficiently
eye and four-fingered hands amid otherwise hu- cunning and stealthy intruders can often make it over the
manlike features. They have poor depth perception, river or across the ragged Lakaian range to raid Anak set-
but their eye can perceive both magical auras and a tlements. There are also hidden camps of runaway slaves,
creature’s emotions. They are sometimes mistaken each centering around some sorcerer clever enough to
for demihumans. falsify the tracking information on a slave’s “face”. These
Louk Makkad: Many-legged, brightly-colored, grub-like hidden camps are always tenuous things, lasting only un-
creatures the size of a horse. Their spittle is toxic, til the Anak find them or until its inhabitants can flee to
and they are all mildly telekinetic, using the power freedom. The great dangers of the wilderness make the
in place of hands. They have a melancholy dispo- latter prospect difficult for most slaves, and many find
sition by nature. Some are used as war mounts by themselves effectively trapped in some defensible ruin
their Anak owners. or hidden cave.
Nimmid: Spherical, furry body with radially symmetrical The molder-tribes each center around an ancient
eyes, four legs, four smaller manipulator-arms, and Outsider flesh-warping center, all of which are rich in
a ventral maw. Roughly human-sized. Obsessive precious offerings and priceless alien artifacts. Few Anak
arcane tinkerers and rather cowardly by inclination. dare attack these tribes, as they would immediately win
Thisstak: Hexapedal aliens with vaguely reptilian features the anger of all their clients. Adventurers are not so par-
and a centaur-like body plan. Pack-oriented, suffer- ticular, however, and at times they can take advantage of
ing badly when alone or separated from allies. Tend the Blighted’s complacence. Such a theft would surely
to defer decisions to higher-placed packmembers. bring a terrible pursuit, of course, but such is the risk.
100

THE STILL CITIES

A land populated almost exclusively by the undead, the This undeath was so powerfully woven in the Still
Still Cities are a frozen remnant of the Pale Empire of Cities that even those citizens who were destroyed by
former ages. Its half-mindless citizens carry out the roles violence would eventually coalesce once more out of the
they performed in life, while their more cognizant lords dust of the land. This resurrection could take centuries,
seek to stem the raids of living adventurers who would however, and each rebirth came at a cost in memory and
plunder the riches of the dead. Even so, the restless dead intellect. With enough deaths even the most brilliant
take their tithe from their living neighbors, and their undead would be reduced to a mindless, motionless husk.
black ships make their own raids across the Gebed Mur. To replenish numbers lost to quarrels and the haz-
ards of the land, the lords of the Still Cities dispatch
History raiding parties across the Gebed Mur, their black ships
When the Imperator known as the Pale Emperor was seeking to return with new candidates for citizenship.
destroyed or fell quiescent toward the end of the First Live prisoners have the best odds of making a usable
Age his subjects were cast into confusion. Without their undead, so these raiders prefer to seize their victims in-
lord’s blessings, they could not sustain the undead society tact. Once they are carried over the sea, only a swift and
they had created, and the living who had served him in courageous rescue expedition has hope of saving them
hopes of immortality found their faith upended. before they become thralls to some undying lord’s will.
Some abandoned their master and joined the peo- Naturally, these raids bring reprisals. Vitrum’s sea
ples that would become the Amundi kingdoms. Others legions patrol regularly to fend off Still galleys, and the
sought immortality in vegetative life instead of human sorcerers of the Black Pact dispatch eldritch horrors to
death, and became the sorcerous founders of the Suldant make war on the dead. Even the disorganized tribes of
Theocracy. A few of his highest-ranking servitors retreat- Hyperborea sometimes venture across the Gebed Mur
ed into the north, however, casually eradicating the few to plunder their enemies of their goods.
Deep-born petty kingdoms that had grown up around
the vast freshwater sea known as the Gebed Mur. Adventuring in the Still Cities
These arch-undead still preserved a fragment of Among the most persistent raiders, however, are adven-
their Imperator’s power. It was not enough to sustain turers. From hidden camps and forgotten Deeps, they
the Pale Empire, but it was enough to stake out a refuge strike Still caravans, raid Still villages, and sometimes
for them and their followers. As the rival polities of the even infiltrate the cities to plunder the deathless nobility.
Intoners and the Tempest Horde fought to the south, They are the monsters that the undead dread, the fell
and the first hierarchs of the Suldant planted their sacred savages that infest their ruins and deep wilds.
groves, the lords of the Still Cities labored to build their Because the undead continue to build, mine, and
citadels. The first rose in 1722 BL. create in their gloomy domain, their labors provide a
They have stood for the three thousand years since. constant flow of fresh plunder for those brave enough
These great cities of stone were erected by tireless labor- to seize it. There are even caches of ancient magic dat-
ers, each one carved intricately with art lauding their un- ing back to the Pale Empire, any one of which would be
dead masters. Each of these lords of the First Age took a worth a kingdom’s ransom in the present day.
city to be their own, along with the undead villages and Obtaining these treasures comes at great risk. The
necromantic market towns surrounding it. very soil of these lands is caked with dark power, and
The undeath provided by the Pale Emperor had many spells and Arts of a living necromancer prove futile
different degrees of perfection for different classes. The or weakened here. While still useful, a necromancer in
least of them still appeared human, if cold and pale, and the Still Cities is not the lichbane he would be elsewhere.
still retained some of the memory and personality of life. The ruins among the Still Cities are few, though
They could respond to immediate circumstances, but some empty cities collapsed with the long absence of a
would always drift back into a half-dreaming mimicry lord. Those other Deeps and wracks that remain predate
of their living days, doing needless labors and eating use- the coming of the undead, and are mostly the empty re-
less meals with their unliving families. The same con- mains of the ancient human kingdoms they destroyed
versations were had ten thousand times and the same at their arrival. Some of these places become bases for
relationships formed, forgotten, and renewed in a cycle living adventurers.
of eternal stasis. Not all that lives in the Still Cities is friendly to
The leaders of the Still Cities had a superior sense adventurers. Beasts in the Tular forest and Suthi hills
of self, with the nobility even retaining much of their rend living and dead alike, and the green perils of the
own free will and independent thought. While these Verdancy often slip the border. Other human adventur-
lords have forgotten much of the First Age, they could ers can sometimes be the greatest danger, however, with
still direct their less sapient subjects and wield fearsome no law to restrain them from plundering the luckier but
powers of necromantic magic. weaker fellows they encounter.
 101

The Cities of the Dead Mutina: A forge-city of smoke and iron, the latter ore
The sorcerer-lords of the cities are all nominally equals, being hewn from the Suthi hills. Vast heaps of ar-
but this does not prevent the occasional season of inter- mor and weaponry are stacked up, only to rust or
nal strife or subtle violence between domains. Now and be melted down once more. Prince Raska directs
then one rises to be named king for a century or two his commoners to bring their wares to his allies in
until they are brought down by their rivals. Most of the exchange for their own considerations, and tends to
lords have perished five or six times, but yet retain much support the weaker side of a quarrel.
memory and cunning. Even so, all dread the prospect of Tarchna: Ruled by Princess Thanusa, the Witchbane.
a century or more of torpor should they die again. The Hinthial Academy she leads here is staffed
with numerous undying sorcerers versed in foiling
Capeva: Iron-handed Prince Laris leads several undead and plaguing the dark wizards of the Black Pact.
legions of horsemen and foot soldiers, most often Their arcanists are especially skilled at killing living
employed in fending off raids from the Black Pact necromancers.
or rooting out nests of adventurers. While an un- Tlamu: A trade-city with few to trade with, under the
remarkable wizard, he is renowned both for his hand of Princess Arathia. Its citizens fashion goods,
martial prowess and his unrequited love of Prin- only to let them rot or be destroyed when space is
cess Thanusa, who has thought him dull for an age. needed for more. Arathia is actually willing to deal
Inarime: Ruled by Prince Aranthur, present first among with living merchants and traders, provided they
equals. His navy of black galleys is a scourge on the come under the correct flags and conduct them-
Gebed Mur, and numerous shrine-villages along the selves appropriately within the walls. She craves
coast provide a steady flow of fresh undead from the novelty and rewards well those who bring it.
prisoners those galleys take. Vetluna: Distant and strange, Princess Sethra’s city has
Manthva: The city is lordless at present, its prior Prince the most likeness to a living one, being thick with
Cai having been murdered by a band of adventur- plant life and greenery. She revels with her people
ers. Regency is uneasily divided between three noble in an endless celebration of their immortality. She
houses: Hathli, Lucini, and Satlana. Rumor among thirsts for the fire of living excitement, and people
the more sapient locals says that one of those houses say that she has struck bargains with the powers of
was actually in league with the living assassins. the Verdancy to taste true life once more.
102

THE SUNWARD ISLES

These remote western islands are unique in that they are
the largest magical dryland in the western hemisphere. The Islander Nations
Absolutely no magic of any known kind will work within The Sunwarders are divided into four chief nations and
a hundred miles of its outermost islands, and the natives a dozen smaller city-states or vassal colonies. All have
have learned to deal well with this lack. been both enemies and allies to the others at some point
or another, dueling for the loyalty of some subject island
History or fighting for control of those isles that have valuable
The first recorded settlers of the Sunward Isles were ref- natural resources. With no natural magical predators to
ugees fleeing the establishment of the Suldant Theocracy keep humans in check, the habitable isles are all densely
around 1700 BL. Some of them were former citizens of populated… and every nation’s lords know that they will
the Pale Empire who wanted no truck with the vegetative rule only so long as their people remain fed.
sorceries of the Theocracy, while others were a mix of Bhur is northernmost, cool and temperate. Its rocky
Intoner and Tempest Horde natives forced out by the terrain is poor for agriculture, but it has the best mines
plant-priests. in the archipelago, and its noble-owned smithies fashion
The early colonists suffered greatly from the loss of the finest hurlants in Agathon. Bhuran ships often make
their ancestral magics, but that same sorcery-drought up in firepower what they lack in marines.
made the isles remarkably safe by most standards of the Ladris is to the south, an island blessed with the
Latter Earth. While there remained a number of dan- perfect mellow climate for several crop harvests each year.
gerous animals and hostile sea creatures around the isles, Its queen has ownership of virtually all its production,
they had none of the magic-infused abominations that allocating it to farmers, nobles, and traders as she thinks
were so common on the mainland. best. Ladris and Bhur often stand allied against the more
The refugees rapidly spread out among the isles, southern nations.
each group establishing colonies that swiftly grew into Morn is the largest island in the archipelago, and
island nations, all woven together by the myriad heavi- while its agricultural yield is modest, its carefully-tended
ly-gunned ships that sailed their mundane seas. The six forests are the best source of ship timber in the Sunwards.
large islands in the archipelago became the seats of four Its high priest often tries to play the middle between
major nations, while numerous smaller isles hosted city- Bhur and Ladris to the north and ambitious Kistos to
states and vassal cultures. the south. Its people are notoriously pious, devoted to
The Sunwarders have had little to do with the main- Mila, the Protecting Mother, who made the isles as a
land since their arrival. Their traders bring their superb refuge against the mad world outside.
hurlants and rare island produce to Vitrumite markets Kistos holds the three southernmost islands, and
at times in exchange for mainland raw materials, but the among its humid jungles are just enough resources to
dangers of the magic-infested continent are more than make it the strongest single nation of the four. Once an
most wish to bear. Their main concern is with their own absolute monarchy, the “Free Isles of Kistos” are now
nations and the endless round of intrigues, alliances, and ruled by a post-revolutionary council of city and village
wars that so engage them. representatives and the Speaker they elect. For genera-
tions they have been eager to spread their liberty to the
People of the Isles northern islands, whether or not those islands want it.
Northern Sunwarders of Bhur, Ladris, and Morn resem-
ble the Marchen of Amund, with pale eyes, dark hair, Adventuring in the Isles
and bronzed skin. The southerners on the three isles of Time in the Sunwards is apt to be painful for wizards,
Kistos are paler and taller, perhaps of the same ancient but outsiders are not forbidden to visit the islands. Even
stock that later became the Riu. Kistosi have a keen at- if they can’t bring magical aid to the dueling island king-
tachment to their ethnic group, but Bhurans, Ladrisi, and doms, they can often bring over valuable mundane re-
Mournans tend to care far more about their nation than sources that are hard to acquire off the mainland. In the
their distant kinsmen. same vein, adventurers don’t have to worry about the
There are no known demihuman or Blighted popu- depredations of wizards or the fangs of magical beasts
lations on the isles save for those brought over by foreign when it comes to carrying out work for the locals.
traders. Most Sunwarders would be unlikely to even un- The absence of magic means that the problems
derstand what a demihuman is, taking them instead for adventurers face on the isles tend to be very human in
some crippled or malformed human. After all, the tales of nature. Political quarrels, revenge raids, commando op-
the outside world make clear that all the talking monsters erations, or delicate spying jobs might all be handed off
there are eight feet tall with fangs of iron. to outsiders, with the pay coming in mundane gold and
superb hurlants.
 103

TAVAT
The greatest den of pirates and exiles in all the western
lands, Tavat is a haven for those that other lands would People of Tavat
prefer to see dead. Its prince-admirals rule their ram- The bulk of Tavat’s populace is made up of Atlantean
shackle coastal cities while the jungle interior has been stock, with a healthy number of Aristoi exiles and po-
given over to vile beasts and viler humans. litical losers from the mainland. Their natural cunning
and political talent often leads the Aristoi to positions of
History authority and the captaincy of ships.
Tavat was once part of the Grand Harmony, the last great Even so, there have been so many waves of exiles,
Outsider nation of Agathon. When the Liberator Queen refugees, slaves, and freebooters on the island that almost
broke their power and drove them from Carce around any demihuman or human ethnicity can be found in one
1650 BL, they sought to make Tavat a stronghold against port settlement or another. Most have left their native
the accursed humans. Entire Deeps were depopulated by cultures far behind, melting into the general habits of vio-
their awful sacrifices, but in the end they were successful lence, revelry, debauchery, and theft that define native life.
in laying down the Sevenstorm, a terrible curse on the
waters surrounding the island. Government in Tavat
The Sevenstorm was a zone of sorcerous peril in- Tavat has nothing resembling a coherent government.
scribed around the island, extending seventy miles off- Important port settlements like Helikon, Misha’s Rack,
shore. If seven or more ships congregated within a given Shangwen, and Redport are run by “prince-admirals”
seven-mile radius within that zone, a terrible witch- who command the fearful deference of numerous pirate
storm would suddenly leap up to smash the offending crews and extract a healthy tax from the merchants and
fleet. Ships within a mile of the island coast were ex- artisans who serve the pirates there. Troublemakers are
empted from this ban, but it became all but impossible dealt with in typically brutal fashion if they can’t find a
to sail an invasion fleet anywhere near Tavat. Combined way to pay off their injury to the admiral’s patience.
with the treacherous coral reefs and ancient sea-obstacles There is no law whatsoever in the inland jungles.
set by the Outsiders, Tavat became an invincible citadel. Hidden villages of runaway slaves, towers raised by mad
The Outsiders were not long in their possession, sorcerers, empty Deeps gutted by ancient Outsider sac-
however, for the ongoing effects of their Working proved rifices, and stranger things still lie largely undisturbed in
lethal to the aliens. Their life energy was drained away, the forest. Those who would seek them out must bring
and only through the consumption of human vitality their own security with them.
could a handful survive. They retreated into the volcanic
southern mountains of the islands with their herds of Adventuring in Tavat
wretched slaves, and are now but seldom seen. Tavat’s port settlements welcome almost anyone, provid-
It was at this time that the Liberated Republic ed they look capable of defending their own interests.
crumbled and the first Kings of Carce were established. Vulnerable refugees are quickly enslaved, but capable
That process left numerous political losers and broken crew can expect to get by with minimal peril, provided
Republic factions in its wake, and many of these fled to they can keep from offending important locals. Better
Tavat with their allies. In bitterness, their surviving ships safety is had by affiliating with a successful ship’s crew;
were set to prey upon Carcean trade, becoming the first many of these “crewmen” never actually set sail at all, but
organized pirates of the era. simply make themselves useful or profitable to the cap-
As the centuries ground on, innumerable new faces tain in exchange for their protection.
fled to Tavat, seeking refuge in the jungles and coastal Aside from the obvious potential of seagoing theft,
settlements. A little slave-driven agriculture was possible, adventurers can also seek wealth in the island interior,
but the perils of the jungle forced many of these refu- where many a generation of pirate captain has hidden
gees to seek their sustenance in the holds of foreign ships. their loot against a retirement that never arrived. All the
Even today, the greater part of Tavat’s wealth comes from strangest and most vicious castoffs of three ages have
seagoing theft. migrated landward as well, and they tended to bring their
Atlantis, Sarx, the Aristoi, and the Amundi king- treasures with them. Combined with the many ancient
doms would all be glad to see Tavat drowned in the sea, Deeps and Outsider ruins within the jungle, there’s no
but their plans to break its lords have always come to lack of gold beneath the green canopy.
naught. They cannot bring enough forces ashore to defeat Nor is there any lack of guardians. Savage Outsider
the savage natives, so they rely instead on intrigues, trai- warbeasts still prowl the jungle, and a half-dozen awful
tors, and bribery to minimize the damage. Bold agents alien species still come down from the mountains now
are always needed to do this work, though the island and then to replenish their stock of human prey. There
often proves fatal to such interlopers. are even rumors that certain prince-admirals trade hu-
man slaves to them in exchange for eldritch treasures.
104

THE TOMBFELL
The Tombfell is a lawless land of alien graves and ruth-
less plunderers. Ever since the First Age, this treacherous People of the Tombfell
region has been a temptation to those adventurers who There are only two known major human settlements
seek the wealth of fallen races and care little for their within the Tombfell. Both are little more than trading
still-perilous guardians. ports for the adventurers who seek plunder in the inte-
rior and the merchants who buy their loot and sell them
History their provisions. Neither have more than a few thousand
The ancient rise of human power has left few historical inhabitants at any one time, most of them transients.
records of the former Outsiders, as even the desperate Lauriacum is a Vitrumite town, the walled rem-
stand of the Grand Harmony was merely the last coher- nants of an Outsider sea-fortress now ruled by Vitru-
ent resistance to the burgeoning rule of humanity. Nu- mite merchants. They have a lock on all trade within its
merous alien nations had already been exterminated or walls, and provisions and housing come dear. Those who
driven into exile by the time the Harmony’s rulers fell. cannot pay must seek their fortunes in the wilderness
Many of these alien polities had been forced into outside, or risk dealing at certain smuggler’s coves along
the uttermost north, fleeing from such foes as the Pale the coast where less favored merchants cut deals.
Emperor, the proto-Amundi god-rulers, the mighty sor- St. Ignace is named for the Courontine saint who
ceries of the Intoners, or the savage might of the Tempest aspired to bring the word of the Bleeding God to the hea-
Horde. Only in the unwelcoming shadow of the White- thens of the Tombfell some six hundred years ago. His
skulls could the aliens find any refuge. eventual and dramatic martyrdom on the heath north of
There they worked what sorceries they could to the city was commemorated by numerous moving Cou-
xenoform the land into something habitable to them. rontine ballads and the monastery of St. Ignace. The ab-
Hundreds of pocket arratus were established around as bot is the nominal lord of the settlement, but in practice,
many alien cities, the last survivors of each foreign species he and his monks merely try to avoid the worst of the
eking out what time they had in land that no human trouble brought by the pirates, thieves, criminals, exiles,
nation desired. and adventurers who gather in the shanty-town below.
Their time came to an end some sixteen hundred Aside from these two “cities”, the interior of the
years ago. By 600 BL, the last organized Outsider pres- Tombfell sometimes sports the occasional isolated hu-
ence had collapsed in the Tombfell, their arratus decay- man village, or even something that might be construed
ing and their populations depleted by warfare, privation, as a city-state or minor domain. Whole generations of
and inbreeding. Some Outsider species were wiped out colonists and exiles from Vitrum, Couront, Leng, and the
entirely as they were exposed to the unendurable atmo- Hyperborean tribes have fled to the Tombfell in search of
sphere of baseline Earth, while others were driven into sanctuary or unclaimed lands, and not all of their heirs
degenerate savagery, changed or crippled by the hostile have perished. Even so, the dangers of the wilderness
world around them. ensure that few of these small settlements have much
Yet their sorceries were not without lasting effect. contact with the outside world.
The consequences of so many wildly-different arratus
in such a restricted geographic area caused permanent Regions of Interest
environmental shifts throughout the Tombfell. Pockets There are dozens of ancient Outsider cities scattered
of inexplicable climate and bizarre geography formed throughout the Tombfell, each of them once the last ref-
under the influence of these magics, with patches of uge of some wretched alien remnant. These cities were
jungle, the occasional small volcano, stretches of cursed often designed to suit physiologies wholly unlike that
desert, and stranger micro-features bubbling up without of humankind; tentacled masses, six-armed insectoids,
warning. Many of these zones were no more than a few winged reptilians, half-metallic centaurs, and other
miles across, but they persisted in defiance of the cold alien body plans were not unknown here. Particularly
taiga that surrounded them. Even today, cartographers for those species that flew or floated, their ruins can be
can only guess at the precise nature of the lands within so inconvenient to ground-bound humanoids that ex-
the Tombfell, and fresh maps are eagerly desired by all. ploring them is a major challenge.
In the centuries since, countless brash adventurers Aside from topography, some of these cities still
have sought wealth and glory in this treacherous place. retain remnants of their ancient arratus, creating zones
Some have sought to cut new kingdoms out of masterless of lethal cold, infernal heat, toxic miasmas, unendurable
land, while others seek to pillage the poisonous cities of radiations, or other environments that unprotected hu-
the vanished Outsiders. Yet for all their zeal, no human mans cannot survive. Only the most careful preparations
master has been able to wholly overcome the endless and the most prudently-chosen sorceries can equip ex-
stream of alien abominations and furious remnants that plorers for the plunder of such places, though they often
still haunt this shifting, cursed land. have the best and least-pillaged wealth to be had.
 105

Some of the larger alien ruins are marked on the Adventuring in the Tombfell
map, but several other regions within the Tombfell have Most adventurers enter the area through Lauriacum or
their own particular hazards. St. Ignace, paying extortionate sums for bad housing and
The False Moors greeted the earliest Vitrumite ex- worse provisions brought in by the few traders willing to
plorers. While they appear to be endless heathy grass- run the risks of those lawless towns. Lauriacum’s security
lands punctuated by the occasional cold bog, former is exclusively in the hands of mercenaries hired by the
explorers have reported numerous pockets of broadleaf ruling merchant council, while St. Ignace’s shanty-town
forest, humid jungle, broken hills, and other terrain whol- has no law to speak of save a universal aversion to being
ly out of character for a cold moor. Most of these anom- stabbed by an enraged crime victim.
alous pockets center around alien ruins of some kind. Most expeditions into the Tombfell are wilderness
Udun’s Watch is a ridge of jagged hills south of the forays to seek out unplundered ruins or valuable Out-
ancient Outsider city of Bas Udun. Numerous insectile sider artifacts. Maps are wholly untrustworthy, so most
abominations infest these low peaks, flying down from adventurers must plot out their own travels or barter for
the heights to scourge any interlopers in their territory. firsthand scouting reports.
The Pactwald is named for the southern neighbor The lands closest to the coastlines are the “safest”,
to the Tombfells. While its native dangers are consider- though that just means the abominations and horrors
able, worse still are the eldritch horrors called up by the to be found there can usually be killed by normal swords-
Pact, some of which flee north into this forest. Once out- men, rather than being the hideous titans that are said to
side their borders, the Pact does not bother to hunt them. lurk in the deep interior. Some ruins are still inhabited
The Duchy of Bones earned its name from several by the remnants of their Outsider creators, few of which
waves of attempted colonization by lesser sons of Cou- have been rendered any more peaceful by the years.
rontine noble houses. A few ragged baronies remain from Other would-be lords seek to take advantage of the
centuries of futile effort. absence of any greater ruler to carve out their own pet-
Saint’s Heath was consecrated by the hideous death ty kingdoms in the depths of the Tombfell. Sufficiently
of Saint Ignatius in 550 AL. A few stubborn Courontine desperate colonists from the Black Pact or exiles from
monasteries seek to preserve the few remaining relics of Couront or Vitrum might be willing to seek a new home
the saint and maintain a secure zone for the faith, but in the land if enough of its perils are tamed. Of course,
they are constantly beset by alien horrors, and only the no one to date has been successful in achieving that peace
most ferociously pious are willing to maintain their work. for long.
106

TRIBES OF HYPERBOREA
Heirs of the ancient Intoners, the Hyperboreans are
a hard and ruthless people. Countless small clans and Geography
tribes dwell within the cold northern forests, quarreling Hyperborea is a cold land, with six months of deep snow
and raiding as the spirit takes them. All dread the strange and only three of warmth. Deep pine taiga covers much
inhabitants of the ancient Remnant Chord cities, howev- of the land, with the vast cold swamp of the Weeping Bog
er, for the price for their survival was a dire one. filling the central lowlands. Elsewhere, the grassy tundras
of the Cold Coast and the Haumoors are flecked with
History pockets of cold-climate trees.
When the Tempest Horde finally broke the Intoners of South of the Marchwall mountain range the cli-
western Agathon, a portion of the exiles fled north. Some mate is gentler, with longer summers and shorter winters.
held the Horde at the Leucris, becoming the ancestors These borderlands are dotted with Vitrumite villages and
of the Vitrumites, while others continued far beyond pioneer settlements, most depending on the garrison at
into the deep forests of the north. There, this “Remnant Lacunis for protection from mountain tribes and mon-
Chord” raised many cities of soaring towers and wind- strous beasts. Every few centuries some calamity from
blown song, recreating in faded fashion the glories of the north invariably sweeps over the borderland and
their past. wipes it clean anew, but the Vitrumites refuse to give up
With proto-Vitrum distracted by the depredations their dream of northern conquest.
of the Horde, there was little to threaten the Remnants. Throughout Hyperborea, there remain rare pockets
They threw great iron bands across Hyperborea to con- of strangely clement land, some with an almost tropical
nect their cities, road-wide ribbons of metal that even heat. These ancient Working-remnants are often inhab-
now survive in fragments deep within the forest. Occult ited by settled Hyperborean tribes, but many are too
vibrations and eldritch sound flowed through this “iron raddled by ancient monstrosities and poisonous magic
weft”, knitting the scattered cities into an arcane whole. to be safe for common inhabitants.
Yet the world was not as it once was, and the mag-
ic of the weft was not enough to sustain the Remnant People of the North
against the oppressive northern cold. As the ages passed, Hyperboreans resemble their Vitrumite kin, though
cities and their enchanted fields crumbled one by one, most are taller and broader. Black or red hair, olive skin,
their inhabitants forced into the forest to hunt their food and sharp features are shared by most tribes, though
and scratch out what brief harvests they could during Pacter and Sathan slaves taken in sea-raids have left their
the warmer seasons. These exiles formed a mixture of mark on the locals.
nomadic tribes and sedentary clans, the latter clinging Aside from these forest nomads and settled clans,
to pockets of temperate land still warded by Workings. however, there remain the Remnants in their crumbling
To add to Remnant troubles the newly-strength- cities. These humans have almost all been terribly altered
ened Vitrumites of the south pressed north over the by the magics they use to sustain their cities, some being
border, seizing land and decreeing all Hyperborea the scarcely human. They are feared by the forest dwellers,
rightful possession of the Gaian Voices. The iron weft who count their cities as the mothers of curses and plague.
was used as a weapon to harry the intruders, but every
killing tone and catastrophic resonance it produced was Hyperborean Life
that much less energy to sustain the cities. Hyperboreans are divided into nomadic forest tribes and
Desperate to halt the decay of their magic, the settled clans that eke out a scanty harvest from the land.
city-dwellers conducted many terrible experiments and Both are hard and violent people, prizing strength, hon-
accepted awful prices for their power. Those Remnants esty, courage, and cunning above all other virtues. They
who refused to take part in these things fled to join their strike alliances and make war on each other as their needs
forest brethren, until the only dwellers of the cities were require, with broken clans scattering to join extended
those who accepted their new existence. Even now, the kinsmen or seek employment in the south.
forest tribes fear and shun the city-dwellers. Hyperboreans are notorious raiders and pirates.
Vitrum has never wholly abandoned its claim on The clans of the Cold Coast and the Gebed Mur coastline
Hyperborea, and a broad strip of its southern reaches make raids as far as their longships can sail, bringing back
are counted as Vitrumite provinces back in the capital. slaves and plunder to their villages. Their landbound kin-
The natives think otherwise, and the foreign settlers have dred reave the Vitrumite borderlands or sell their services
reason to fear the mountain tribes and their relentless as mercenaries in their southern wars. Many a young Hy-
raids. Even so, other clans have made provisional alli- perborean travels far from their cold home to seek glory
ances with the imperial forces, either for the sake of re- and gold. When too many mouths gather around the
wards or the chance to crush a rival tribe. Their loyalty longhouse fire, such a journey may be the only alternative
is seldom exemplary. to starvation.
 107

Places and Cities of the Snow Setos: Cursed city of a cursed land, the terrible Deso-
There yet remain several dozen Remnant cities scattered lation of Bells rings with wind-tones that poison
around the interior of Hyperborea, few of them housing those who hear them. The beautiful, once-human
more than a few thousand terribly-altered citizens. The inhabitants of Setos are nourished by all things
Hyperboreans shun anything resembling urban centers, toxic, with fountains of venom and gleaming pools
living in small villages and nomad camps throughout of acid shining amid their towers. Their touch is a
their land. Even so, some places have a special significance, lethal poison.
and a few of the most important cities bear mentioning. Tigata: The pale and long-limbed dwellers of Tigata wor-
ship a spider-goddess unearthed from the roots of
Haumoor: A cold grassland rising into frost-crowned the Gebed Hau. Their city towers are webbed to-
hills, the Haumoor is the barrier between the Des- gether in a mesh that moans when the winds blow.
olation of Bells and the southern lands. A few hardy
tribes dwell here, but few can endure the icy clime Adventuring in Hyperborea
or the broken Remnant cities that haunt the hills. While the Hyperboreans are great raiders, small groups
Kemetos: The City of Silence, where the iron weft eats all of strangers in their lands are not necessarily viewed with
sound for miles around. The inhabitants communi- hostility, provided they have a local guide or some proof
cate by gesture and pose, limbs stained by the bright of affiliation with a nearby clan. Strangers must take care
colors of the tropical flora that surrounds the city. not to fall foul of the constant tribal quarrels, however.
Madytos: The inhabitants here twisted the iron weft that Many adventurers seek profit in the borderlands,
runs through the Weeping Bog, using it as a sink to fighting to defend Vitrumite keeps and settlements or
drain the life force from much of the swamp. They loot Remnant ruins that are closer to nominal civiliza-
are immortal, as are their cancerous tumors and tion. Others venture further north to find greater wealth,
growths, and they disport in sea raids and hideous daring the ruined cities and pre-Intoner Deeps that still
pleasures. await plunder.
The Marchwall: A ridge of low mountains that sepa- It is not unknown for a powerful outsider to become
rates the nominally Vitrum-held borderlands from a tribal warlord, if they can impress a clan sufficiently
Hyperborean clan lands. The peaks are a veritable with their prowess and cunning. Some such chieftains
highway for northern raiders. have led their men south to profit and to woe.
108

TSEB HWII
An enigmatic land of sorcerers and their Outsider slaves,
Tseb Hwii is an unwelcoming place concerned chiefly Geography
with the affairs of its wizardly masters. Even so, foreign- The sky-piercing Shangu mountains are the defining fea-
ers with sufficient daring or utility can hope to find trea- ture of Tseban lands, their peaks so high that only sor-
sures here unknown to merely human nations. cery can allow a baseline human to survive their heights.
Several massive tunnel-roads pierce the range, each one
History under the control of a different wizardly house and their
The First Dynasty mastered almost all of the continent Outsider slaves. Entire underground villages and towns
of Gyarus, and ancient Tseb Hwii was no exception. Im- line these roads to serve those who travel and to mine
perial knights brushed aside the ancient Deep-cities that the range’s depths. Expeditions into the ancient tunnels
had emerged after the fall of the Outsiders and planted that lead off from the roads are often lethal, but can be
new provinces for the glory of the emperor. The native greatly rewarding for survivors.
Indur population was swiftly brought under their rule, The climate of Tseb Hwii is cool and temperate in
though they retained certain curious customs. the north, giving way to harsher southern cold and fewer
The Second Dynasty largely ignored the province, stands of forest. The Bassad river is the only great wa-
treating it as something of a punishment-post for sec- terway in the land, though many small, swift mountain
tarians and troublesome scholars. Numerous theurgic rivers stream down on both sides of the range.
sorcerers were banished there to find what companions
and students they could from among the natives. When People of Tseb Hwii
the Second Dynasty started to crumble amid the sorcer- The people of this land have a general resemblance to
ous struggles of wizard-priests, the heretics of Tseb Hwii their Dynastic neighbors to the north, but each major
found their guardians distracted. city retains traces of its original Indur stock. Their fea-
It was at this time that the Shangu mountains dis- tures tend to sharpness, and their hair is worn long and
gorged several great armies of Outsiders, bitter alien peo- straight. Northerers are often very dark-skinned, while
ples that had waited the long centuries for the right time southern Tsebans are unusually tall, lean, and pale. Hair-
in which to strike the hated humans. They had riddled styles for both males and females are intricate and richly
the mountains with their warrens, and great waves of adorned, though certain sectarians go shaven-headed.
inhuman warriors crashed upon the cities of Tseb Hwii. Many groups practice extensive body modifications, in-
The aliens were routed. The world had changed too cluding skin dyes, piercings, and body paint. The more
much since their former days, the Legacy no longer so elaborate and impractical their appearance the more im-
obedient to their magics and their strange engines. The portant the Tseban, as only a laborer goes unadorned.
sorceries of the Tseban heretics were too strong, and with The Outsider slaves of the sorcerer-kings are deco-
the might of the cities against them they were cut off rated richly with the signs and symbols of their owners.
from retreat and faced with certain destruction. They avoid casual interaction with the commoner masses,
In desperation, the Outsiders offered to serve the and almost never appear without an escort of human
Tsebans in exchange for their lives, sharing their secrets servants and bodyguards.
and their alien artifices with their new masters. The Tse-
ban heretics were greatly tempted by this, and in the end, Demographics
they consented to the enslavement of the aliens. Terrible There are perhaps eight million baseline humans dwelling
curses of obedience were laid on the Outsiders, and their on either side of the Shangu range, most clinging close
offspring and their gods taken as hostages for their good to major cities and secure trade routes. The wilderness
behavior. of Tseb Hwii is still plagued with the alien war-beasts
With the strength of these new Outsider minions, unleashed by the Outsiders during their invasion, and
the Tseban lords had no reason to obey the new Third long centuries have made them only more ferocious. Nu-
Dynasty and its wizard-emperor. They shut their borders merous ancient cities destroyed during the assault have
to imperial emissaries and exiled any of their people who yet to be recovered, and many of their venerable Second
refused to serve their new rulers. The Third Dynasty had Dynasty relics are still untouched.
too many demands on it to contest this new order. No one is entirely certain how many Outsiders live
In the centuries since, the Outsiders have become in Tseb Hwii. No more than a few hundred thousand
hereditary slaves of the wizard-lords and their heirs, each are admitted by the wizard-lords, with most of those
species devoted to a different city’s master. If there have dwelling in subterranean communities in the Shangu
ever been any coordinated rebellions, they have not been range, and the remainder residing in special city quar-
recorded, and the Tseban lords claim that their inhuman ters designed to suit their needs. With so many of the
servants are the most loyal of slaves. The Outsiders say mountain tunnels unmapped and unknown, no one can
nothing to contradict this. say how truthful this estimate may be.
 109

Cities of Tseb Hwii Qol: The jewel-scaled and six-eyed serpents of the Sissan
The city-state is the primary unit of Tseban governance, serve the House of the Squared Heaven here, ensur-
each one under the rule of a particular sorcerous house. ing the rich trade of the Bassad and the many for-
Each major city also contains a population of ten or eign merchants who come here both pay due tribute.
twelve thousand Outsiders, their obedience directed to- Su-Ran: A shadowed city, the Outsiders known as the
ward whatever house might claim the community. The Leth dwell here in the “Empty Quarter”, serving the
cities below are merely some of the more renowned. sorcerous House of Mak-nim. As ordinary humans
cannot perceive the Leth, they convey their wishes
Banat: An oasis of Working-wrought tropical heat amid through inscriptions on ceremonial tablets.
the cold southern seas, Banat is ruled by the deca- Tsed Nazil: The House of the Red Cangue rules the
dent House of Radiance. All of Mindol is under greatest of the eastern coastal cities. Their servants
the equatorial heat of their magics, and numerous are of many different kinds, for the great slave mar-
occult drugs and rare herbs are grown in its planta- ket of Tseb Hwii is located here, where lords may
tions. Their slaves, the Morai, appear as impossibly barter surplus servants. Outsiders are kept harshly
beautiful men and women with white jade skin and here, for the natives descend from those who sur-
jewel-colored hair. This is not their natural form, vived the Outsider creation of the arratu known as
but one the Radiance chose for them. the Sin in the days of their invasion.
Gimmed: This city is the western terminus of the Pas- Uzayad: Timber goes down the Bassad and rich sub-
sage of Jade Frost beneath the Shangu, selling un- terranean trade comes from the Golden Road be-
dermountain wares up and down the coast. The neath the Shangu, enriching its House of Aureate
Wafters who serve the House of Shumad-nim are Wisdom. Their servants, the chitinous rock-eating
translucent floating gas bags that communicate humanoids known as the Omoli, do much to over-
through Tseban glyphs emitted through their phos- see its mines.
phorescent epidermis.
110

Society in Tseb Hwii Tseban Religion

Ordinary Tsebans organize their social ties around The faiths in Tseb Hwii are strange by most foreign esti-
their close family and around city-wide sodalities that mates. The original wizard-lords were all heretical priests,
cut across economic classes. Not quite guilds and not each one with their pet god or blasphemous theology,
quite religious brotherhoods, these sodalities assist their and their Houses have preserved their veneration. They
members in business and personal matters, and act as do not share the details with outsiders, as the worship of
informal protectors against abuses from the sorcerous these gods is inextricable from the practice of their magic,
houses. Membership is usually by birth, though sufficient and to share their faith is to share their secrets.
inducement can grant entry. Commoners in Tseb Hwii generally revere the local
Membership in the sorcerous Houses is generally god of their city and participate in those exoteric rites
by birth or recruited talent. These wizardly nobles are that their ruling House permits them to understand.
secluded from the common folk, any contact generally Each sodality tends to have a selection of personal gods
made through ministerial slaves. The slaves are dreaded made up of deified founders, ancient pre-Dynastic ethnic
more than their masters, for a trusted slave can easily per- gods, and professional deities important to the member-
suade its master to dispose of some offensive commoner ship. Transactions are pragmatic, with sacrifices being
who treated its lord’s property ungraciously. made to the sodality’s common treasury in sponsored
The slaves themselves have graduations in their sta- temples in exchange for blessings and good luck.
tus, from the wretched mine-slaves and ritual fodder at The Outsiders are supposed to revere their own
the bottom to the elite ministerials who administer every alien gods in secret fanes within their restricted city quar-
secular affair of importance. The great majority of the ters. Some believe that certain Houses have joined them
elite are Outsiders, but human criminals, outcasts, and in this worship, paying court to unfathomable deities in
debt-slaves are encountered as well, most often among order to obtain their magical favors.
the most wretched. They are not trusted as Outsiders are. Foreign gods are not technically forbidden in Tseb
Only Houses and their members are permitted to Hwii, but few have any luck in gaining converts. Com-
own slaves of any kind, as the common folk cannot be moners see no reason to make sacrifices to foreign dei-
expected to manage such a grave responsibility well. The ties when they could put that same wealth to their own
more expendable ones are rented out by a House at times, sodality’s coffers, and the wizardly Houses find no profit
however, sometimes with no expectation of a live return. in following any god that cannot give them occult power.
The Outsiders, of course, have no great affection for the
Government and Law gods of humankind.
Every village, town, and city in Tseb Hwii is under the
absolute rule of a sorcerous House, some of them being Adventuring in Tseb Hwii
grand schools with hundreds of members, and others be- Foreigners are not generally welcome in Tseb Hwii. They
ing rural temples with a few half-learned wizard-priests. tend to inflict insults and outrages on Outsider slaves,
Houses make pacts and wars with equal facility, and the and the fearsome consequences of such behavior can eas-
losers in their struggles are forced to disband, their sur- ily entangle an unlucky Tseban bystander. Even so, ad-
vivors fleeing to join sympathetic schools. Commoners venturers who can contain themselves around Outsiders
rarely dare oppose the wishes of a House wizard, and and comply with Tseban laws are grudgingly endured.
it is worth their life to protest a decision of their city’s Adventurers have their uses, after all, both to com-
ruling sorcerers. Only the tacit pressure of the sodalities moners and to the Outsider ministerials who have de
prevents casual abuse of these privileges. facto rule over the day-to-day affairs of a city. While often
As the wizards of a House are invariably busy with graceless, they’re relatively cheap and disposable muscle
their studies and magical labors, all serious matters are who can be trusted not to understand the full ramifica-
referred to trusted Outsider slaves for administration. tions of the jobs they’re given.
Due to the ancient prohibitions against Outsiders rul- Sodality officials will sometimes hire adventurers to
ing over humans, these “ministerials” are obliged to act perform deniable attacks on an offending House’s hold-
through figurehead commoner officials, each of whom ings, usually restricting them to property damage and
is perfectly aware that a diffident word from their lord’s theft rather than outright murder. Arguments between
trusted slave is enough to see them dead. In theory, the sodalities are settled in a bloodier manner when neces-
slaves have no authority whatsoever. In practice, they rule sary, as the city lords seldom regret their bleeding.
Tseb Hwii. Outsider ministerials will tend to seek out more
Indeed, it is not unknown for talented and ambi- successful and trustworthy adventurers for more deli-
tious humans to seek enrollment among a successful cate jobs, often involving deniable assassinations or the
House’s slaves. These men and women have the exact acquisition of valuable occult artifacts from ruins or
same legal status as their Outsider peers, but can hope ungenerous owners. They can offer rewards that only
to share in their lord’s trust one day if their talents prove wizards can grant, and deep arcane knowledge and po-
equal to their ambition. Those who prove inept have a tent artifacts await the hands of those willing to do their
short future ahead of them in the mines or at the altar. bidding without asking troublesome questions.
 111

Names in Tseb Hwii Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 House Names Surname Given Root Places Slave fleeing a cruel sorcerous
1 Ban-Gadak Abastu Adin- Bandu master

2 Hulon Choredin An- Barmid Ex-sodality thug who put muscle

on the wrong target
3 Hwichin Ganidan Band- Chodmok
Failed social-climbing slave who
4 Jozdakan Garatun Barid- Dzundumu fled a disappointed master
5 Kavadag Kornokin Edar- Holkun Last surviving apprentice of a
6 Kulmin Mekluru Ferat- Jumau collapsed Tseban House
7 Laum-Heshu Mizulot Honat- Kadamat Urban gutter-rat versed in
8 Leukad Neznid Javan- Nebir sorcerous obstacles to theft

9 Maharl Nidlai Kalan- Nibbat Tunnel guide for the passages

beneath the Shangu peaks
10 Moktikan Nurag Laran- Nish-Asbat
Tseban sodality priest of a sadly
11 Nilm Oburit Nalan- Nobiktu unpopular god
12 Nokleth Odumanit Noban- Nokhwi Servitor cast adrift by the failure of
13 Nom-Shindu Palomos Parnat- Ranvokun their former House employer
14 Noqtik Shomet Saln- Shudmot Foreign cleric vainly trying to
15 Shu-Tsun Suvuroku Serut- Shuvogad impart their religion to the locals

16 Tsandak Talgatu Shin- Su-Gad Tseban peasant accustomed to the

harsh demands of the Houses
17 Tsult Tselat Tumal- Thumastu
Secret adherent of a forbidden
18 Tzad Urushtu Vord- Tsed Vol ancient Indur god
19 Vogrikt Vur Warin- Tsobedun Artificer who provides materials or
20 Vosh-Agat Wiruvak Yil- Wokulin goods to impatient wizards
Names are given in Surname-Given order, “of” a House if noble.
Male given roots often terminate in -u or -o, female in -a or -i

Example Tseban Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Power-maddened Hard-pressed An Outsider slave A grimoire of Tse- Opulent Outsider
1
sorcerer Tseban slave has been offended ban sorcery slave chamber
Cruel Outsider Friendly-seeming A mage’s wizardry Outsider-made Baroque sodality
2
slave-potentate Outsider slave has run amok goods of rare kind temple
Vile Outsider Benign wizard with A sodality is making A magical relic of House plantation
3 war-creature from obscure interests a large, violent great importance farmed by toiling
the ancient war demonstration to a local House human slaves
Demonic thing that Harried merchant The wilderness has A secret text of Sinister shrine to
4 a careless wizard oppressed by wil- eaten a vital cara- rituals to honor a a Tseban House’s
called up derness perils van of goods Tseban mage-god private god
Ruthless local Hapless foreigner A House has made A sodality’s rich Long-lost Indur
5
mage-magistrate with no local allies a hard demand offerings to a god Deep ruin
Sodality elder with Grubby sodality A great ritual is A key to unlock a Forgotten fane to
6 no care for strang- chief protecting his impending, and it dead wizard’s lair a Second Dynasty
ers’ lives brethren needs a sacrifice or lost wisdom god
Escaped slave Weak House mage A temple rite is Drugs compound- Luxurious House
7
bandit chieftain in need of help obstructing events ed by Outsiders dwelling
Wizard seeking a Tseban fascinated A mage has gone Precious goods for Private House
8
terrible sacrifice with foreigners rogue from a House a sacrifice mage academy
112

THE VERDANCY
A multicolored hell of ferocious plants and still more sav-
age beasts, the Verdancy has been a threat to its neigh- Geography
bors since its old lords fell an age ago. The constant swell The Verdancy is a damp, temperate land throughout the
and encroachment of its plant life obliges all its neighbors year, with little difference between seasons. There are
to conduct unceasing war against it if it is not to engulf countless small streams and petty rivers flowing down
all of western Agathon. through it from the Carven Peaks, but no great rivers or
vast lakes. Here and there, the land is so wet as to become
History a swamp, with its own variety of horrors springing up
When the Pale Emperor vanished and his undead empire from the sodden earth.
fell, the mortal survivors fled to the west. Some ventured The edges of the Verdancy are all marked by axe
north to become the Still Cities, while others joined with and fire. Every surrounding nation has a screen of bor-
the proto-Sathans, but the majority settled in the shadow der villages charged expressly with hacking back the
of the Carven Peaks, in the thick broadleaf forest there. multicolored trees and scorching the soil. A destroyed
These refugees had lost their lord, but they had not village means catastrophe if it cannot be replaced soon,
lost their principles. To them, as before, the greatest and as a year’s neglect can see the forest march a quarter-mile.
most blessed gift was life eternal. Without the Pale Em-
peror’s patronage their rites of undeath would no lon- Inhabitants of the Verdancy
ger function, so it was up to their greatest sorcerers and The forest itself has only a few human inhabitants, mostly
priest-scholars to devise a new means of immortality for villages of escaped slaves, Sathan exiles, or other desper-
the worthy mortals among them. ate souls who must hide from their brethren. The land
These scholars took their hints from the forest itself is fantastically fertile and rich, so hunger is rarely a
around them. If cold flesh could no longer persist forever, concern, but the terrible inhabitants and gruesome par-
then root and branch would have to suffice. They studied asites that infest the place are a worse peril.
many means of translating human flesh into perpetual- Many plant-based humanoids inhabit the deeper
ly-regenerating wood and plant fiber, the better to ensure reaches of the forest, almost all of whom view animal life
eternity for all their faithful followers. as nothing more than nourishment. They war amongst
These hierarchs became the founders of the Suldant each other with unthinking ferocity, struggling like weeds
Theocracy and its Green Priesthood. Their sanctums in a field to gain more soil and hunting grounds.
were woven out of massive trees and vast fungi, living Worst and most fearsome of all are the inhabitants
cities of branch and leaf devised where every necessity of the ancient Suldant grove-cities. Many are mighty
was grown and provided by the city itself. Common sorcerers, transformed in ages past for their loyal service
believers were blessed by this abundance, and by loyal to their dreaming masters. They often continue to carry
service they could hope to be gifted with the oaken heart out their experiments, and their servants seize prisoners
of an immortal transformation. from the border villages to supply their needs.
Yet as these Green Priests grew wiser in the arts of Were the Verdancy under a single master, it would
plant life, they grew more distant from the concerns of be a disaster for the surrounding lands. Fortunately, few
human minds. Some became one with their plant-cities, of its Verdant Lords show any inclination to cooperate
while others transformed so far as to become sentient with their brethren, and the plant-people seem to have
mats of fungus, ever-dreaming trees, or terrible amal- an almost innate need to struggle against their neighbors.
gams of meat and bark. They grew less and less concerned
with the needs of mortal humans, caring only for their Cities of the Suldant
green domain and their transformed minions. Despite being abandoned by humanity for an age, there
In time, life became too terrible for the mortals to still persist dozens of ancient Suldant city-groves deep
survive. They were used as little more than mulch for the within the heart of the Verdancy. Each of these cities
roots of their betters, and the survivors fled the green cit- was once home to hundreds of thousands of obedient
ies to the surrounding lands, or forsook all magic to take followers of the Green Priesthood, their every need pro-
themselves to the Sunward Isles. Now only a handful of vided for by the city itself. It was only over the course of
desperate villages and hidden refuges remain within the centuries that the interests of their masters slowly turned
Verdancy, mostly inhabited by those who have nowhere to ends that could no longer be endured.
else to go. Now, the vast majority of these cities are danger-
And still the old cities warp and rot within. Their ously decayed and rotten. Without the labor of human
magics have gone stale, their keepers are lost to their servitors to prune and tend the cities, the natural floral
endless green nightmares, and parasites of every hideous behavior of the great plants has taken over. They grow
description grow fat on their sap. The forest swells, blind blindly and frantically now, without concern for what
and terrible, and many are those who die to halt it. the land can sustain. Most have suffocated themselves.
 113

The results show in great cathedrals of rotten wood Adventuring in the Verdancy
and mouldering leaves. The relentless vitality of the plant Most expeditions into the Verdancy begin in a border
life still holds the crumbling cities together, but their in- village, one of the many small settlements charged with
teriors are vast nests of decay and swarming parasites. holding back the encroaching forest. The natives are of-
These voracious creatures appear in both insectile and ten slaves, criminals, or other internal exiles compelled to
fungal forms, some of them possessed of an almost hu- remain and work the dangerous task. They are unfriendly
man level of intellect, if completely devoid of interest in to most outsiders, but competent adventurers can win
anything but feeding and reproduction. their cooperation by aiding in their endless battle against
Within these cities, small clusters of intelligent an- the forest.
cient Suldant can be found, humanoid plants that have These villages and their overseers often commission
endured ages in immortal verdancy. They usually cluster adventurers to make scouting expeditions into the ev-
around a Green Priest capable of holding the parasites er-changing forest, seeking out new nests of dangerous
at bay, their unending lives consumed with the labor of plant-creatures and reporting on any new activity in
gathering nourishing mulch from their surrounds. With ancient Suldant settlements. Aside from the pay, these
so much of the plant matter infested with fungal para- sponsors often pay well for Suldant artifacts and scraps
sites, it often proves simpler to hunt animal prey. of ancient Green Priest lore. Not all such patrons use
These city-dwelling plant-people have no love for their newfound knowledge for good ends.
humans and no interest in their affairs, but they can Other employers seek certain plant ingredients or
sometimes be persuaded to cooperate with adventurers eldritch creatures that can be found nowhere else, their
if their interests align. Would-be diplomats must be sap, seeds, and flesh all useful in great workings of sorcery.
very cautious in their dealings, however, for the green Finding the necessary ingredients is usually an adventure
folk think nothing of betraying former allies when the in itself, to say nothing of the danger of claiming them.
calculus of advantage changes. The Suldant cities themselves are often reposito-
While they are but decaying husks of their former ries of ancient treasures dating back to the Pale Empire.
glory, these cities still serve as the focal points of the great While the green people have no use for gold or silver,
Workings of their ancestors, the enchantments that send their cities still blindly produce gourds full of potent
the polychrome trees of the Verdancy stretching outward magical elixirs, jewel-bright seeds for adornment, impos-
beyond its borders. Somewhere within the rotten heart sibly tough sheets of fungal fabric, and other valuable
of each great city is the nexus of its Working, and if it semi-magical goods.
can be destroyed then the nearby Verdancy will begin to Most precious of all, of course, are the secrets to
slowly wither and retreat. Scores of ancient cities have green immortality possessed by the ancient priesthood.
been destroyed by heroes over the centuries, but the web More than a few aging grandees have dispatched servants
of the Working still holds. Many sages hypothesize that into the vibrant hell to ferret out the right saps and in-
there is some great stronghold deep within the Verdancy cantations to render them immortal. Sometimes these
where the core of this enchantment must be found and efforts bear fruit, but the eventual consequences of this
destroyed. blind sorcery are seldom what their makers might desire.
114

VITRUM
The mightiest nation north of Sarx, shining Vitrum is a ferred to rule without the benefit of a First Voice, and
pole of relative stability in northern Agathon. Its quar- the Exile Kingdom became the Choral Republic. The
reling senators joust under the watchful eye of its Glass franchise was limited to the noble aristocracy and their
Emperor, constantly mindful of the unsleeping perils of commoner merchant-prince allies; those nobles who had
Sathan raiders, Verdant monsters, and the frigid myster- supported the Gaian dynasty suffered the loss of their
ies of the untamed north. titles at least and complete extirpation at worst. Their
commoner heirs remember this ancient indignity still,
History and several “old lord” clans can still claim influence in the
When the Intoners were finally broken by the onslaught Hyperborean marchlands. Their members still dream of
of the Tempest Horde around 1680 BL, the largest frag- a restoration of the First Voice and a redemption of their
ment of the survivors fled north over the Leucris into ancient losses.
the backwater provinces of their people. The great iron The Choral Republic survived for eight hundred
weft that had woven so many Intoner tower-cities was years, its elected senators sparring with each other over
far thinner here, with only a few lonely glass-wrought questions of wealth, influence, and survival when the
outposts of their tonal sorcery. Speakers of the Storm pushed northward. When those
The Horde raged after them, but their warbands had barbaric sages degenerated into the modern Sathans,
been thrown into confusion by their own success. Having their raids and occasional surges of conquest kept the
finally crushed their ancient foes, the rampaging invaders Senate constantly engaged in questions of war.
were distracted by the plundering of southern cities and Senatorial scheming and self-interest brought doom
the enslaving of swarms of wretched refugees. There was to the Republic around 400 BL. Their political quarrels
no immediate appetite for a hard northern campaign to left them unable to unite against the terrible might of the
pick up the petty leavings of a vast treasure they had at Sathan Khagan, Namad the Breaker. His martial genius
last claimed for their own. and the dark powers that aided him brought his horde
By the time the Horde regained some direction, it over the Leucris and to the very walls of Caudium. The
was too late. The desperate Intoners had made a last line half-human Khagan died there, but his scattered banners
of defense beyond the Leucris, and the disorganized at- were still sufficient to burn down half the Republic and
tacks of the remaining Horde clans were repulsed with loot most of the rest. Only the far northern marchlands
terrible slaughter on both sides. The rebuffed invaders were spared the Sathan scourge.
fell into confusion, quarreling amongst themselves over For six hundred years Vitrum suffered under the
more accessible prizes and eventually becoming the bru- Time of No Lords, their cities broken, their secrets lost,
tal, flesh-wise ancestors of the Speakers of the Storm, and their people tormented by the hungers of the Sathan
who would in turn birth the nomads of Sath Ingit and raiders. When the survivors were not fighting raiders
the dark hierarchs of Nakad. they were fighting each other, and it seemed the next
The surviving Intoners were divided, some fleeing half-millennium would look little different than the last.
further north into the wilderness of Hyperborea and That sad destiny was averted by the first Glass Em-
others seeking to establish new tower-cities north of the peror, Marius, a hero who arose in 222 AL. Once an
Leucris. The charismatic warlord Gaius brought the re- adventurer, he had unlocked the lost secrets of the Inton-
maining provincial gentry and his surviving comrades in ers during an ill-starred expedition from which only he
line to form what later Vitrumites would call the Exile had returned alive. Many doubted him and his strange
Kingdom, becoming its First Voice and autocrat. powers, but desperation set numerous city-states and
Gaius ruled through cunning, charm, and a super- noble domains to march under his banner. Their faith
lative mastery of the sonic sorceries of the Intoners. Leg- was repaid; Marius’ terrible words shattered the Sathan
ends say that he could split boulders with a word and horde and sent the survivors fleeing south across the river.
scatter armies with a song, and that it was his personal They would not return until after his death in 262 AL.
valor that had turned back the Horde at the last great In the centuries since, the Vitrumite Senate has obe-
battle at the Leucris. diently served the interests of the Glass Emperor’s suc-
Whatever the truth of these tales, scholars agree that cessors. Its members are elected from noble families and
the Gaian dynasty was very close with its secrets. Sur- powerful oligarchs and its servants are selected from the
viving sects of tonesmiths and cantors were suppressed, most capable and cunning of commoners and slaves. It
their secrets reserved for royal use alone, and the remain- serves as the eyes and hands of its lord, and it serves well.
ing fragments of the iron weft were left to go silent and Yet tensions remain in the halls of the Senate, for
serve only as roads for the boots of soldiers. Emperor Tertullius grows old and his voice weakens.
The Gaian Voices fell still around 1200 BL, a string Many think that a new Glass Emperor must be chosen
of inept rulers proving unequal to new challenges from soon, and the candidates are unfortunately many. Few
the restive aristocracy. The nobles of the Kingdom pre- expect peace in the seasons to come.
 115

Geography People of Vitrum

The climate in Vitrum ranges from a temperate warmth Vitrumites are descended in the main from ancient In-
in the mild-winter south to a harsher, sharper northern toner stock, but centuries of admixture from refugee Sul-
climate with hot summers and snowy winter months. danti, foreign slaves, and Sathan raiders have blended
The Gebed Mur coastline is particularly cool, with the them into their own type. The average Vitrumite is tall,
Gelid Fens sometimes freezing solid despite the perpet- olive-skinned, and dark-haired, with sharp facial features
ual icelessness of the southern Gebed. and a tendency to slenderness. Sathan blood sometimes
The lands south of Caudium are watered by numer- tells in exotic markings and colorations, but to call a man
ous small tributaries flowing down to the mighty Leucris, a “son of a raider” is a mortal insult. Vitrumites marked in
with fertile fields and dense broadleaf forests that never that way always credit Suldanti blood from the Verdancy,
know an autumn withering. The northern plains between whether or not it is remotely plausible.
the Borean Forest and the mountains are cooler and dri- Among the Vitrumites, a sharp distinction is drawn
er, with numerous ancient plantations formed around between the plebeian class of commoners and the pa-
small lakes and springs. While the land is ungenerous tricians of the old noble families and wealthy merchant
compared to the southern grasslands, its distance from oligarchs. Lower still are the “infames”, the slaves, actors,
Sathan raiders has made for some of the longest-lived entertainers, criminals, prostitutes, slave traders, gladia-
senatorial families and agricultural holdings in Vitrum. tors, and other social outcasts who are valued for their
The great Borean Forest is a thickly-woven maze of function but deprived of any trace of political rights or
conifers, as perilous as most great forests are in Agathon. social standing.
Tall-walled fishing villages cling to its coastline, but the A further distinction is made between “southerners”
interior is chiefly occupied by villages of runaway slaves, from the Leucris river region, known for their constant
remnants of failed northern noble families, and pockets struggles with Sathan raiders and Verdant abominations,
of Sathan raiders left behind by sea expeditions. and “northerners” from the more peaceful northern plains,
The Thunderthrones are the only significant moun- home to most of the oldest noble families in Vitrum. Al-
tains in Vitrum, named for the great storms that often most beyond the pale are the hillmen of the Hyperborean
play about their peaks. Numerous ancient Intoner ruins borderlands; though the “old lord” clans there are among
can be found there, their glass towers once serving as the the most venerable, their struggles with the tribesfolk and
loci of some great Working long since dissipated. the wild beasts there are legendary.
116

Demography Vitrumite Society

Scholars estimate that twelve million people live within The people of Vitrum see themselves as cultured, stoic
the borders of Vitrum, with two million of them being warriors, a soldier-race of builders and scholars stand-
slaves of one kind or another. The majority of them dwell ing as a bulwark against the barbarous savagery of the
in the northern plains-cities, with the southern regions Sathans and the degenerate primitivism of their Hyper-
populated chiefly by Vitrumite legionaries and the mas- borean kin. While the world would be better if Vitrum
sive number of farming villages, market towns, and lum- ruled it all, the Glass Emperor has enough to handle
ber camps needed to support them. The border provinces in fending off Sathan raiders and civilizing northerners.
in the southern reaches of Hyperborea are home to a Vitrumites belong to three social classes: patri-
small population of old lord clans that are almost Hy- cian, plebeian, and infamis. The patricians consist of
perborean themselves and a steadily-revolving selection the ancient noble families of the empire and their mer-
of pioneer villages and new-built market towns awaiting chant-prince peers, the plebeians are the common folk,
the next deluge of rapacious tribal raiders. and the infames are slaves, adventurers, criminals, actors,
entertainers, pimps, prostitutes, gladiators, and others
Cities and Ruins who are either legally degraded or perform “useless” or
The centuries of warfare with Sath Ingit have led to the “frivolous” labors.
creation of a thick belt of ruins along the northern banks Patrician families fill the rosters of imperial officials,
of the Leucris. Ancient Intoner cities were ravaged by senators, generals, higher military officers, and other po-
the first battles of the Exile Kingdom, and the survivors sitions of power. A family can fall from this status if it
were annihilated during the Time of No Lords. The only goes too long without an important official from their
cities remaining along the bank are those founded in the number, and a plebeian family can rise if it accumulates
present age, along with scores of border forts and forti- enough wealth to number among the merchant-princes.
fied river-barge anchorages. Elsewhere, several cities have Every plebeian family chooses a patrician patron,
special importance to Vitrum and its lords. paying regular courtesy visits to their estate, performing
minor favors and tasks, and supporting whatever sena-
Cantilia: The capital of Vitrum after the change from torial candidates their patron might back. In return, the
Treba at the end of the Gaian dynasty and the shift patron can be expected to give them preferential employ-
away from Caudium after the Time of No Lords. It ment, protection from exploitation, and opportunities
is a major trading port with the Sunward Isles and for their most capable members to serve as functionaries.
Sarx, though the latter’s ships are much harried by Most patricians have hundreds of plebeian families in
Sathan sea-beast clans. patronage, their clients shifting with time.
Caudium: Once the seat of the Choral Republic, Caudi- The infames are barred from any official office, can-
um has lost much of its political importance since not offer testimony in lawsuits, and are subject to beat-
the capital moved to Cantilia. Even so, its location at ings and other corporeal punishments from their masters
the heart of a number of iron weft-roads has made or offended officials. While most infames live degraded
it the greatest trading city in Vitrum, with the pro- and poverty-stricken lives, the most successful actors, en-
duce of the northern farms all passing through it. tertainers, and gladiators can win empire-wide renown
Leucra: The chief naval base of the empire, Leucra is and stand as social peers of the greatest… at least until
locked in a constant struggle with Sathan sea-rov- their fame wanes. An infamis can escape from their sta-
ers and river pirates. This pressure has only grown tus only through the direct order of an imperial senator.
greater as a number of vile powers recently infested Slavery is commonplace in Vitrum, with numerous
the ruins of ancient Varia, threatening the defensive Sathan or Hyperborean prisoners sent to labor in the
fort established outside its walls. mines of the Thunderthrones or work the plantations of
Nomentum: The eastern trade-gate of Vitrum, its ships the northern plains. Such laborers lead short, bitter lives
cross the Gebed Mur to trade with the Black Pact as a rule. Vitrumite slaves reduced to their condition by
and Hyperborean coastal villages, with a few daring debt or crime are usually reserved for craftwork, tutoring,
enough to deal with the Still Cities as well. Such cli- or house labor, and live far more comfortably. Patrician
entele have given the place a name for dark sorceries families employ scores in their villas, and many of their
and hidden foulnesses beneath its gray, chill streets. children are raised by slave nursemaids and tutors.
Portas: A great fortress-city on the old northern border, A considerable percentage of Vitrum’s population
most of the pioneers and settlers that venture to the are freedmen and freedwomen, former slaves manu-
Hyperborean borderlands pass through Portas. Nu- mitted by their owners in their will or by favor. These
merous exotic treasures and Hyperborean relics can freedmen are inevitably in a client relationship with
be had there, though common supplies come dear. their former master. They often serve as representatives,
Treba: The lynchpin of Vitrumite river defenses against overseers, and managers for their patrons, and can hold
the Sathans, the war-barges of Treba travel up and tremendous personal power through their relationships.
down the Leucris as escorts for civilian traders and It’s not unknown for a freedman’s family to rise to the
scourges for the myriad pirates that plague the river. patricianship after a discreet delay of a few generations.
 117

Government and Law Vitrumite Religion

The supreme autocrat of Vitrum is its emperor, chosen Vitrumites share the beliefs of their Intoner ancestors,
to rule for life from among the Senate by its hundred but millenia of warfare and the rigorous suppressions
members. Elections spawn schemes until the very day of of the Gaian dynasty have left the exact beliefs of those
the vote, as ancient law requires that a random senator ancestors regrettably unclear. The modern belief is that
be executed after each round of voting until unanimity is the Intoners worshiped the “Great Song”, a mystical con-
reached. Few patricians are inclined to be on the weaker ception of reality as directed by unfathomably subtle mu-
side, though there have been occasions where a spiteful sic. Present-day Vitrumites believe the iron weft and the
minority has held out in hopes of the executioner’s lot tower-cities were raised to more perfectly hear the Great
falling on a particularly hated rival clique. Song and understand how best to harmonize with it.
Senators themselves are drawn from a hundred With the fall of the Intoners and the progressive
traditional tower-city districts, almost all of which have decay of the Legacy, those ancient tools no longer suffice.
long ago lost their ancestral glass spires to the ravages of Now many Vitrumite temples insist that it is necessary
time and war. Adult plebeian citizens within a district are to work through the intermediation of the gods, who
allowed to vote as they wish in the once-per-three-year are able to more perfectly hear the Great Song. Every
elections, but votes are public, and clients know better god is an emanation of some aspect of the Song, and
than to back anyone their patron would not see elected. the seeming multiplicity of deities is only a mask over a
The Glass Emperor has theoretically unlimited pow- fundamental unity.
er, but the sheer weight of patrician influence present in Some temples established by foreigners strenuously
the Senate requires a certain delicacy if their position is object to this theology, the priests of the Bleeding God
not to be rendered open once more. Most emperors rely taking particular umbrage at it. Most imported faiths are
on a solid core of support from a particular senatorial perfectly willing to accept the local conceits, however, and
clique and use their extended influence to ensure that seek only to present their gods as manifestations of the
imperial decrees are honored. greatest and most important themes of the Song.
While a senator has great authority in their home The traditional imperial faith is that of the Song
domain, the pleasures and necessities of politics often Undivided, of which the emperor is the arch-pontifex.
keep them in the capital. Almost all employ a trusted The ancient temples in Cantilia and Caudium carry out
freedman as a steward, and the venality and greed of rites by which the wisdom and power of the Great Song
these viceroys is notorious. may be conferred on the emperor and his loyal servants.
Many areas of Vitrum are under what amounts to Even so, it has been centuries since the Glass Emperor
martial law, with most of the northern Leucris riverbank has invoked the mighty words that the dynasty’s found-
sectioned off into garrison forts responsible for fending er was said to have wielded. Some say the secrets have
off Sathan raiders and protecting river traffic. The local been lost, others that the Legacy has decayed, and a few
fort commanders have absolute authority within these whisper that the price for speaking such words is more
regions, subject only to the orders of the Senate and their than an emperor dares pay.
appointed representatives. These tribunes are often too Ordinary plebeians prefer to revere more approach-
busy to concern themselves with local malfeasance. able concepts. Isha, goddess of love and pleasures is fa-
Vitrum is a nation of many laws and numerous vored by many among the wealthy, while Vestia, goddess
stern judges, its people infamous for their enthusiasm of farm and hearth is sought by villagers for her bless-
for intricate lawyering and complex contracts. This law ings. Memnos guards the legions with his mighty spear,
is strong for the most part; villains take care that their granting warriors strength to defend Vitrum, and Curus
wrongdoing is concealed, and even powerful patricians is beseeched by merchants and travelers to bring them
do not dare give their enemies the easy excuse of open luck, and wealth. Horos is the particular patron of “useful”
crime. Corruption is more often found in tacit favors and knowledge, which includes both abstract scholarship and
selective blindness, with discreet or deniable sins passed practical artisanry. Philosophers of the Great Song could
over for silver or political support. discourse at length on how each of these gods is merely
Punishments in Vitrum for patricians and plebe- an approachable manifestation of Love, or Growth, or
ians are limited. Fines, loss of office, degradation to a War, but their own priesthoods and lay enthusiasts care
lower class, or exile are the usual penalties, with the axe little for such metaphysics.
reserved for treason and slavery for bankruptcy or crimes Aside from “native” gods, Vitrum has a habit of col-
not dire enough for exile. Infames are not treated so gen- lecting every deity its people find, whether the Red Gods
tly, with beatings and execution both commonplace. of Sarx or the myriad god-beings of the Amundi king-
One large exception does exist to this rigor. Any doms. Lost temples and neglected shrines can be found
criminal who is thought capable of being useful in war throughout the empire, abandoned when their deity lost
is permitted to request enlistment in a penal legion or its popularity or its followers were slain in war. Only the
the assignment of some dangerous mission or task in lieu darkest and most terrible gods are forbidden in Vitrum,
of punishment. Failure to perform the work is grounds but that does not prevent their devotees from meeting
for summary execution should they remain in Vitrum. in secret places and planning hidden deeds.
118

Adventuring in Vitrum
Adventurers hold a very low status in Vitrum, being
generally considered on par with prostitutes and slaves. Dungeon Adventures
Novice freebooters can expect to be barred from patri- The most common ruins in Vitrum are those of the Time
cian households, unwelcome in fine shops, and barely tol- of No Lords, the centuries of misery in which Vitrum
erated by the local city watchmen. A friendlier welcome was broken up into numerous squabbling city-states, all
awaits them from other infames and the poorer class of equally tormented by Sathan raiders. Even today, count-
plebeian, who sometimes have jobs that only a fellow less venerable ruins of glass-towered cities and towns dot
dreg might be willing to do for them. the southern and western halves of Vitrum, their surface
Successful adventurers find a different place in so- reaches usually well-plundered but their depths often
ciety. While their legal disabilities don’t change, their unexplored. Many crude Deeps also date from this peri-
fame and obvious capability wins them courtesy and od, having been dug or opened up by Vitrumites seeking
interest from patricians, and more than a few offers of safety by crawling beneath the earth.
employment or requests for private interviews. The most In addition to these ruins, numerous temples can be
successful and politically-adroit of them can hope to do found in the wilderness where market towns and thriv-
enough favors for a senator to win forgiveness of their ing villages once stood. These temples are sometimes the
status and the rights of a plebeian. Even so, many of them only remnant of the former inhabitants, often dedicated
are perfectly happy to content themselves with the wealth, to gods that have long since been forgotten by modern
honor, and eager paramours that glory brings. folk. The wealth of these places goes to those brave
enough to seize it and strong enough to survive its taking.
Exploration Adventures
Vitrum’s attention is fixed on its population centers Antagonists
and the myriad garrison forts it has established to hold Vitrum is a more lawful land than most in Agathon, but
back Sathan and Hyperborean raiders. While the lands the dangers it holds are no less lethal to the unwary.
around these places are very well-scouted, terrain more
than a day’s ride from a population center may not have Corrupt Officials: A well-placed magistrate or senatorial
had a human scout pass through in a year, and deep wil- clerk can extract great wealth from their authority.
derness may be known only from unreliable maps made So long as they don’t touch the interests of the pa-
generations ago. Whole ages of war, construction, and trician families a certain amount of abuse of their
ruin have come and gone in Vitrum and the wreckage of authority is tolerated. Some go far beyond this.
its passing is poorly marked on its maps. Dark Priesthoods: Vitrumite religious tolerance leaves
The great Borean Forest is particularly mysterious, room for many faiths that other lands would find
being a favored hiding place for Sathan war parties that vile. The demon-gods of the Black Pact are not un-
land from the western coast. The dangers in the forest are known here, as well as worse deities still. Most re-
lightest around its periphery and worst in its dark heart, strict their depredations to infames and those poor
with terrible creatures from the Time of No Lords still plebeians with negligent patrons.
festering in the shadow of its pines. Renegade Commanders: Garrison fort commanders
The Thunderthrones are likewise little-explored, as have absolute control over their military districts,
the mines in its foothills are as far as most humans dare and that control is sometimes greatly abused. So
go. The constant storms around the range’s peaks dis- long as the commander keeps the Sathans out of
courage visitors, but legends speak of the ancient Intoner his district, many tributes will turn a blind eye to
towers that await those daring enough to seek them out. private corruption.
Novice adventurers often prefer to go northward Sathan Raiders: Whether by sea, land, or even occa-
into Hyperborea, adventuring in the borderlands in sup- sionally air, the clans of Sath Ingit have always
port of the many small keeps and isolated pioneer villages viewed Vitrum as their lawful prey. Raider bands
there. Centuries of off-and-on warfare between the Vit- sometimes hole up in ruins, using them as bases of
rumites and the Hyperboreans have thinned many of the operation to torment the locals.
worst predators in the borderlands, leaving foes more Venal Merchants: Money is the surest way for a plebeian
amenable to a novice’s steel. Even so, there remain many to lift his family into the patrician class. Vitrumite
terrors in the northern ranges that have left no survivors merchants are notorious for both their greed and
to warn of them. their fondness for treacherous contracts.
 119

Names in Vitrum Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Male Female Surname Places Escaped slave from some grim
1 Augustus Adriana Anchario Altinum mine or harsh plantation

2 Aurelius Aelia Bantio Ansium Hillfolk northerner come down

among the soft southerners
3 Caelius Aemilia Catilio Blandona
Discharged legionary with no
4 Cassius Antonia Corfidio Basianna other trade than war
5 Constantinus Bibiana Domitio Campona
Scholar of the ancient Intoner
6 Decius Claudia Flaminio Colatio nation and its arts
7 Felix Clelia Gavio Delminium Canny merchant familiar with the
8 Gaius Decima Hosidio Epetium vast markets of Vitrum

9 Ignatius Dora Iturio Flanona Judicial pleader forced to flee the

outcome of a failed case
10 Julius Fausta Justinio Gorsium
Forest bandit now working on their
11 Leo Felicia Lurio Histria own
12 Lucius Flavia Matio Indenea Skilled Vitrumite craftsman cut
13 Magnus Helena Nerio Ladesta loose from their past employer
14 Marcus Julia Oclatio Meclaria Grubby urban criminal keeping
15 Marius Livia Pontidio Nedinum one step ahead of the vigiles

16 Publius Mirta Quartio Osinium Scion of a fallen oligarch now

reduced to bare penury
17 Quintus Regina Saenio Parentium
Last survivor of a village wiped out
18 Remus Servia Tanusio Ramista by a Sathan raid
19 Titus Tullia Ulpio Sabatinca Hard-bitten sailor of the Gebed
20 Varus Valeria Volusio Virunum Mur

Example Vitrum Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Sathan kha-khan Escaped slave in The Sathans are Glass relic of the Town forum full of
1
on a raid need of help raiding again ancient Intoners arguing patricians
Slaver who is none Brash borderman Political upheaval Book of secret lore Oligarch’s villa with
2 too careful about from the northern is threatening pub- suppressed by the austere exterior
their stock’s origin marches lic order here Gaian dynasty and vulgar interior
Rapacious oligarch Hapless oppressed A local slave upris- Lost payroll for a Market teeming
3
and his minions merchant ing breaks out local legion with business
Venal official hun- Commoner client Arbitrary war taxes Holy relic of a Mine where slaves
4
gry for bribes bereft of a patron are levied forgotten god labor until death
Rebel leader seek- Borderland settler Able-bodied men Cache of precious Arena for gladia-
5 ing the rule of the trying to revive a are being forcibly ancient Intoner torial games and
old lord lineages ravaged village impressed for war wares public executions
Senator with a bru- Hard-up infamis A senator has died Proof of a pa- Ruins of a
6 tal hand towards trying to make a suddenly, his rivals trician’s hidden Sathan-destroyed
rivals living rushing for his seat crimes village
Ruthless noble Secretive holder of A nearby fort has Hidden Sathan loot Grim and under-
7
patron ancient Intoner arts been overwhelmed left behind manned border fort
Legion deserter Troubled priest of A new Intoner ruin Legal deed to valu- Splendidly ornate
8
turned bandit chief the Great Song was discovered able property public festival
120

THE XINDAI COMMANDERIES

The spears of Xindai soldiers put the present Fifth Dy- Knowing that constant vigilance would be required to
nasty in place, but at a price that has left the land largely keep them tame, the Fourth Dynasty established a “sho-
free of imperial rule. Its myriad daimyos now dispute gun” to rule as a direct representative of the throne.
amongst themselves over who should rule over them in The Fourth Dynasty began in strength, and so too
place of the emperor, and its myriad peoples must endure did its shogun. The daimyo wars were ended, peace and
the strife that will inevitably follow. culture was encouraged, and a strict system of social rules
and personal standing was established in order to regu-
History late the interactions of the citizenry. When a circle of
The Xindai Commanderies were a relatively late acqui- exiled Nakadi sorcerers from Runom arrived with their
sition of the First Dynasty, its native regional states and beastman servants in 720 BL, the shogun received a new
their demihuman allies proving a difficult morsel for the host of useful subjects. Most consider this “First Shogu-
knights of the empire to swallow. The last free city fell nate” to be the golden age of Xindai.
in 2344 BL, and numerous imperial commanders had to Just as the other dynasties, however, the Fourth’s
be established in order to hold down the sullen natives. power waned with time. In 490 BL the Hironaka family
These commanders found themselves increasingly was able to persuade the throne to make the shogunate
ill-supported as the First Dynasty started to decay, and hereditary rather than set by imperial appointment.
were forced to make accommodations with their subjects This persuasion was thought to have involved extensive
in order to maintain their rule. Extensive concessions amounts of bribery and blackmail involving the imperial
were made to native customs and habits, and a certain household bureau, but it allowed them to pass the sho-
cultural independence was developed in Xindai that can gunate down to their heirs for generations afterwards.
still be felt in the present day. Their ways are similar to The wealth and focus needed to manage the imperial
those of the Dynasts, but never quite the same. bureaucrats detracted from the shogun’s control of his
When the Second Dynasty and its priest-emperors restive daimyos. Ancient clans scented new opportuni-
came into power the Xindai traditions were viewed as a ties, and the shogun gradually found his authority being
fertile source of divine favor and useful theology. Numer- clipped by a simple lack of resources. The imperials to
ous native shrines were sponsored by Dynastic temples the west kept demanding consideration for their leniency,
and a number of syncretic deities were established. Those and those favors never came cheap. Compromises had to
Golden Path teachers who managed to avoid exile to the be made with the daimyos in order to keep their tribute
Free Clans often found sanctuary in the hills of Xindai, flowing upward.
and their work among the common folk spread the in- By 110 AL, the shogunate had become a trophy for
fluence of that faith further east. the most powerful clans of Xindai. Assassination, forced
The Second Dynasty’s interest in theurgic magic resignations, rank bribery, and the occasional futile at-
and divine wizardry spelled its eventual collapse, as the tempt at a shared rotation of rule had all ensured that the
competing temples fell to fighting with their own cadres shogun’s position was largely an empty one. In the centu-
of holy sorcerers. The hereditary commanders of Xindai ries that followed a brilliant incumbent could sometimes
had no part in that quarrel and concentrated chiefly on yank back more or less of their lost authority, but such
fortifying their own secular power. By the time the Third periods of stability were always brief. By 605 AL, even
Dynasty seized the throne in 1530 BL, the Xindai com- this thin pretense of authority was lost.
manders, now called “daimyos” after the native term, had The Fourth Dynasty’s sclerotic collapse in 802 AL
a tight control on their local subjects. was partially catalyzed by tribute refusals from Xindai
The wizards of the Third Dynasty found Xindai an daimyos. An enterprising bureaucrat was able to bring
unprofitable land. The theurgic influence of the old Sec- enough of the daimyos together to topple the last rotten
ond Dynasty gods and the arcane rituals of the existing remnants of the Fourth and put his clan on the throne
demihuman clans made the Legacy stiff and uncoopera- as the progenitors of the Fifth Dynasty.
tive to their great Workings. Vast works of magic could This aid did not come for free. The first emperor of
still be performed with sufficient art and silver, but there the dynasty was forced to forswear all but purely nomi-
was little reason to commence such work in such an un- nal obedience from Xindai, leaving the daimyos largely
rewarding land. The sorcerer-emperors found it better to their own devices. In the three centuries since, the
to use Xindai as a commercial entryway to the Carcereal struggle for one clan to establish itself as the preeminent
Sea and tax it for such goods as it could bring. force in the commanderies and the rightful new shogun
When the Third Dynasty eventually tore itself has consumed hundreds of thousands of lives. Daimyo
apart in wizardly disputes in 790 BL, the bureaucratic clans rise, prosper, and are extinguished in the course of
Fourth Dynasty that followed found Xindai’s disorder a few generations, victims of hostile alliances or military
offensive. The numerous daimyos were almost indepen- misjudgment. Few can imagine that an end to this con-
dent, respecting only brute force or glittering inducement. flict will come any time soon.
 121

Geography People of Xindai

Xindai is a temperate land, subtropical in the north near The average Xindai commoner looks much like their Dy-
the Gadavin border, but soon giving way to a four-sea- nast cousins to the west, albeit sometimes a little taller
sons climate around Kitada. East of the Nakanos the and paler. Small signs of demihuman blood are not un-
ocean breezes bring a month-long rainy season in sum- common among the lower classes, though the daimyo
mer, while the western side of the mountains is much clans are more fastidious about keeping to their own kind.
drier aside from the fierce winter snows that often close To foreigners, the most remarkable fact about the
the mountain passes. people of Xindai is that so many of them are demihuman.
These mountains split Xindai in half, sprawling out Over thirty different species of demihuman are recog-
in a great quilt of eroded peaks and deep green hollows. nized in the commanderies, many of them the descen-
Many demihuman villages can be found in these seclud- dants of the Runomian slaves brought over by fleeing
ed vales, conducting such trade with the outside world Nakadi exiles. While those malign sorcerers are no more
as necessity and daimyo taxes require. Baseline villages than an evil legend now, their beastfolk servants have
can be found there as well, though most prefer to live in multiplied and prospered in Xindai.
the range’s southwestern foothills, where the soil is rich- As in other nations, most demihumans keep to
er. This lowland abundance comes at the price of easier their own isolated communities, where they can live un-
access for bandits and tax collectors. der laws suited to their natures. It’s not unknown for
This mountain range forms the primary obstacle small numbers of them to be found in cities, however,
between the old coastal capital of Sakurai and the riches or a sprinkling to make homes in human villages. Their
of the Kurao river cities, fat with Dynastic trade. Most strange ways often provoke wariness from their human
overland trade goes south through Kurikoma, its daimyo neighbors, but few are genuinely feared.
rich from the tariff he takes. A few daring merchants pre- Foreign humans can often have a harder time fitting
fer the northern route as being cheaper and faster, though in in Xindai than red-horned oni or long-eared rabbit-
the perils of Gadavin swamp monsters are considerable. folk. There are large numbers of merchants in the riv-
The two great eastern forests of Xindai are dotted er-cities and coastal towns, but outsiders often struggle to
with farming villages, their fields carved out of the dan- understand the complicated web of favors, grudges, and
gerous wilds and guarded from evil by myriad shrines ancestral history between local clans. Such ignorance can
and temples. Alas, this defense is not always enough. result in catastrophic mistakes.
122

Demography Xindai Society

Most suppose the commanderies to number perhaps Xindai social mores are similar to those of the Fifth Dy-
ten million citizens between its many small villages and nasty, with a heavy focus on familial responsibility and
numerous major cities. Perhaps a twentieth of these sub- clan cohesiveness. Unlike their neighbors, however, Xin-
jects are demihumans of one kind or another, though dai has never been ruled by a bureaucratic intelligentsia.
larger numbers might exist in secluded villages or remote There are no imperial examinations here, despite centu-
communities. There has been no coherent demihuman ries of efforts by reformers, and a talented commoner
organization since the “Oni Shogunate” of 520 AL, and cannot expect to get ahead by study. The daimyos rule
most now try to avoid unnecessary involvement with hu- by lineage, wealth, and steel. Learning is merely a useful
man political concerns. adornment to military success.
As such, a Xindai commoner is much more depen-
Cities and Towns dent on the help of his neighbors and his extended clan.
Xindai has relatively few large cities compared to the Dy- With few prospects for individual advancement, he must
nastic successor-states. It has been centuries since there focus instead of improving the position of his group. In-
was a strong central power to protect large urban pop- dividual wishes and preferences must be sacrificed for
ulation centers and those that remain are often tattered the common good whenever they threaten to drag down
and worn by generations of sieges and changing lordship. the rest.
The vast majority of Xindai live in farming villages or Xindai society is split into several social classes, each
modest market towns, with even daimyos dwelling in with shared duties and expectations. The warrior gentry
fortified country estates. Even so, some remaining cities rule, the commoner farmers feed them, the artisans and
have special importance in modern Xindai. merchants ensure that others are equipped to do their
work, and the priests and monks stand outside society
Hatayama: Sitting at the mouth of one of the few sea- while propitiating the gods and spirits. Slavery as such
sonal passes over the Nakanos, Hatayama is a fa- is unknown, but servants and commoners have no real
mous forge-city that supports numerous mines. rights save those they can defend with violence.
Kitada: The greatest trade-city in Xindai, Kitada sits Movement between classes is difficult, but not im-
across the bank from the Dynast city of Rudai, a possible. Even a peasant farmer can join the warrior class
constant stream of barges bringing western wealth if he can find weapons and a lord to serve with them, and
eastward. Its Sugiwara daimyo is often called “the any sufficiently talented, devout, or generous petition-
shogun of the west”, and is thought to have ambi- er can find space in a shrine or temple. Further success
tions for more. generally hinges on useful clan ties or exceptional ability.
Kurikoma: Guardian of the southern pass between the The traditional virtues of a commoner are industry,
Nakanos and the Shining Peaks, its Taira lords are stoicism, filiality, and self-sacrifice. For the warrior gentry
cruelly grasping in their trade tariffs. Smugglers of- of the daimyo clans, their glory lies in martial skill, cun-
ten risk the dangers of the mountains to slip past ning, devotion to their lord, and contempt for personal
the city. suffering. Needless to say, this difference often brings
Nishiwaga: Chief city of the southeastern coast, Nishi- grief to the commoners, and few peasants wish to spend
waga takes in Tseban trade and forest village pro- any more time around the gentry than they must.
duce. Its Amago rulers have been fighting the Ha- This tense relationship is especially sharp when deal-
tano lords of Sakurai for centuries over claims of ing with masterless warriors, men and women who are
primacy, and their “privateers” are thick on the seas. notorious for their thieving and violent ways. A daimyo
Odaira: Once the richest city in Xindai, Odaira fell must sometimes shrink his household considerably when
into poverty when the Polop seized the Gadavin harvests fail or a war is unsuccessful, and their castoff
coast and shut them off from the Atlantean trade. warriors often become serious problems for surrounding
Now it serves as a jumping-off point for expedi- villages and communities.
tions into the northern swamps and a waystation It’s not uncommon for masterless warriors to be
for merchants willing to dare the northern route “hired” by a community simply to focus their depreda-
past the Nakanos. tions on a different village. Adventurers are often taken
Sakurai: Once the seat of the Shogunate, Sakurai prides into service on the same terms, paid to handle local prob-
itself on its ancient splendors, yet its magnificent lems on the presumption that either they’ll succeed or
palaces and exquisite shrines lie empty now, aban- they’ll die and spare the village trouble.
doned after constant warfare and raiding incursions. Shrine high priests and temple abbots often act as
Only the “port city” is still active, a heavily-defended mediators between commoner groups and their daimyo
ward that oversees the sea trade with Atlantis. lords. Even hardened bandits fear to harm a priest or
Yuza: Xindai’s gate to the Vermillion Sea, Yuza also monk, and Golden Path temple membership is often
serves as a major naval base against Free Clan pi- made up of both commoners and retired gentry with
rates and Hantu raiders. ties to both sides of a dispute.
 123

Government and Law Xindai Religion

Xindai government is centered around the hundreds of Xindai’s major religious traditions trace back to the Sec-
daimyo families that cover the land. While most families ond Dynasty and the great support for local temples and
make much of their ancient antecedents, most are simply faiths that their priest-emperors provided. Numerous
the heirs of charismatic warriors who were cunning or ancient temples and monastic structures date back to
lucky enough to kill off their local rivals. Any warrior can that era, and a number have still-functional Workings
become a daimyo if he can seize the tax rights over land related to their defense.
and hold them from his grasping neighbors. Xindai’s common faith is a syncretic blend of Gold-
Every daimyo’s power rests in a standing army of en Path temples and animistic shrines, the latter revering
warriors, whether long-standing family retainers or hire- local nature spirits and the gods of harvest, warfare, heal-
ling swordsmen who serve only for monthly payment. ing, and other human concerns. Practically every region
These armies are paid for with taxes extracted from the has its own local deities, some of which are taken to be
families subject to the daimyo’s rule. manifestations of greater gods or servants or attendants
Tax rights in Xindai are separate from land own- of mightier powers. All require regular rituals of propi-
ership. It’s perfectly possible for a daimyo to only tech- tiation, and village shrines have a busy schedule of rites
nically own the land their estate stands upon, yet have throughout the year. These rites are usually peaceful, but
rights to the rice, labor, and handicraft taxes set on the in times of disaster or plague some shrines will resort to
peasants for miles around. The exact details of who owns redder sacrifices.
what property is of little interest to most of them so long While shrines are responsible for receiving the
as the tax quota is filled. prayers of the faithful and providing day-to-day divine
In theory, tax rights are assigned by the shogun. In favors, the temples of the Golden Path have a special fo-
practice, they are assigned by threatening to kill the own- cus on funerary rites and the provision of a kinder future
er if taxes are not forthcoming. Peasants caught between reincarnation for devotees. They also provide miracles
rival daimyo families have a wretched lot, with most of and wonders to those of sufficient faith or generosity,
them left only with their bare lives if neither lord wishes with actual sorcerers sometimes found within their mo-
to bother with finding another peasant to work the land. nastic ranks.
Even so, summary executions to encourage their neigh- Two distinct classes of clergy are recognized in Xin-
bors are not uncommon. dai. Shrines are managed by male and female priests and
Temples, shrines, and their attendant peasants were often employ specialist ritualists and exclusively-female
often made tax-exempt by ancient shoguns, and a combi- shamans. Temples are populated either by male or female
nation of long tradition and heavily-armed monastic mi- monks and overseen by an abbot or abbess. Some tem-
litias generally ensures their claims. Much like daimyos, ples and shrines have special relationships with senior
their abbots and abbesses have absolute authority over institutions and are obedient to their wishes, but most
their commoner tax-subjects, their lives and property are largely independent. Aside from these institutional
subject to the temple’s discretion. clergy, there are significant numbers of forest hermits,
Both daimyos and abbots are almost always allied wandering nuns, mountain sages, and other isolated
with greater lords. Daimyos usually pay court to the most practitioners, some with strange and occult powers.
powerful lord in a region, sending tribute and fighting in Natives see no inherent contradictions between
his wars in exchange for his friendship and protection. spirit-worship and the Golden Path, and it is perfectly
Abbots are either allied to the head of the family that normal for a devout Xindai to contribute to shrine fes-
first founded their temple or subject to a local daimyo tivals on one day, pray for liberation from reincarnation
powerful enough to protect their rights. at a temple the next, and have his funeral officiated over
There are virtually no governmental officials at the by Golden Path monks at his end. Some local shrines
village level. Each community has a set tax quota to fill, go so far as to have attached Golden Path temples, the
and so long as they pay it and stay quiet, the daimyo has monks often crediting the local god as a Liberator who
no interest in their private affairs. A village elder usually has simply assumed a divine guise to aid lesser mortals.
acts as the intermediary with the daimyo’s tax officials, Becoming a priest is often a matter of familial inher-
with crimes and disputes handled by the senior members itance, but anyone with sufficient talent and ritual skill
of the richer village families. might be accepted into a shrine. Monks come from the
If adventurers, bandits, or other troubles plague a ranks of wealthy oblates, retired gentry, talented com-
village the first response will be from the villagers them- moners, and the relatives of the temple’s founders.
selves, most of whom are at least slightly acquainted with Daimyo families often have deep ties with particular
warfare. If the problem is too big for them to handle, a shrines and temples, their priests and abbots taken ex-
petition may be sent to the daimyo for the help of his sol- clusively from their own kindred and their lands worked
diers, though the price of this can be more than a village for the profit of both shrine and noble family. The cler-
wishes to pay. From time to time the daimyo can spare gy of these places sometimes come to outright violence
no forces, and the villagers must find what help they can with other fanes not over any doctrinal differences, but
and pay what they must to get it. because of the clashing interests of their rival patrons.
124

Adventuring in Xindai
Adventurers are viewed with wary suspicion by most
Xindai commoners, many of which have a hard time Dungeon Adventures
distinguishing them from ordinary wandering merce- The wilderness holds numerous examples of ruined
naries. Most villagers and townsmen will assume that monasteries and broken castles, any of which are usually
they are brutish, violent, and untrustworthy until proven worth investigation by a band of adventurers. Centuries
otherwise. It’s not difficult to find paying work in most of bandits, monsters, and renegades have laired in such
places, but the fees are usually offered more in the spirit places, and their belongings are often left behind.
of an extortion victim than an employer, and few villagers Deeps are less common in Xindai, most of them
would weep if the PCs died before they could collect. having been broken open and looted long ago by greedy
Daimyos and other gentry will tend to treat adven- warriors or bold peasants. Even so, the Nakanos are said
turers in the same vein, as disposable assets to be aimed at to have a considerable number of ancient fastnesses that
problems that can be solved by violence. Capable heroes were never plundered by the lowlanders.
can expect excellent pay, but few lords would risk taking Aside from ruins in the wilderness, almost all cities
adventurers into their confidence when long-time family have at least one ruined district or ravaged suburb, the
retainers are available. Most are simply hired until they legacy of centuries of sieges and enemy assaults. Many
find better pay elsewhere or die in the daimyo’s service. of these wrecked palaces, broken temples, and crumbled
Ultimately, a powerful adventuring band might be storehouses have been picked over thoroughly by the
able to seize a daimyo’s land, if they can hold off any locals, but their relative safety makes them a popular
patrons or kinsmen long enough or if they can acquire choice for novices who do not wish to go too far from
enough backing from existing lords. While such out- the security of civilization.
siders may be sorely lacking in Xindai social graces, the
ability to take land and hold it is the only quality that is Antagonists
mandatory for a daimyo. It will likely be virtue enough There are enough hazards in Xindai to satisfy any adven-
for their neighbors. turer’s taste for danger. Even old allies might turn into
enemies if their clan or village finds it necessary to make
Exploration Adventures such unfortunate accommodations.
Not all daimyos are inclined to brutal oppression of their
commoner subjects and the extraction of every possible Corrupt Abbots: Some abbots and high priests care only
cupful of rice from their stores, but these gentler lords for personal profit and the advancement of their pa-
seldom last long amid their ruthless rivals. The uniformi- tron family. Their resources and magical talents are
ty of harsh treatment in civilized lands has led to many often turned to dark purposes.
commoners fleeing into the wilderness, to dwell deep Desperate Villagers: When tax quotas are too high or
within the forests or high in the mountain valleys where starvation threatens, villagers have been known
tax collectors seldom dare go. to perform terrible deeds for the sake of survival.
Adventurers who press into the trackless wilderness Many robber bands on the roads are nothing more
might come across these villages, some of which might than local peasants working an off-season job.
be populated entirely by demihumans. Other explor- Evil Merchants: The most successful merchants in Xind-
ers might find the ruins of daimyo estates, abandoned ai are those with the fewest scruples. Dark bargains
monasteries, lost shrines, and other sad detritus of the with daimyos give them license to savagely exploit
centuries of warfare in Xindai. the locals in exchange for increased tax revenue, and
Numerous ancient cities have long since been de- they often employ large numbers of hireswords.
stroyed by the conflict, and with the loss of life and the Mercenary Chiefs: Wandering warriors sometimes flock
destruction of historical records, more than a few have to the banner of some charismatic sellsword, offer-
been entirely forgotten by modern-day Xindai. Some of ing “protection” to villagers for a fee. Most are ill-fed
the relics and treasures to be found there were common- and savage, quick to turn on any potential source
place during the golden age of the Shogunate, but have of profit.
long since become scarce and precious in the present day. Monstrous Spirits: Not all the spirits in Xindai are pla-
The two great forests of the east and the Nakano cated by the local shrines. Fell and terrible entities
mountains are the least-known regions of Xindai. While stalk the mountains and deep forests, and some des-
coastal lords and provincial daimyos have a firm grasp on perate commoners barter with them for black favors.
nearby villages, the depths of the forest and the heights Ruthless Daimyos: Many of Xindai’s lords have only a
of the mountains hide untold treasures from ages past. provisional interest in the wellbeing of their own
Sufficiently bold heroes might yet salvage treasures there subjects, let alone foreign adventurers. Most are per-
from a happier age. fectly willing to inflict whatever evils prove profit-
able on such lordless warriors.
 125

Names in the Commanderies Example Adventurer Concepts

d20 Surname Male Female Places Peasant driven off their land by
1 Abe Asuka Aiko Aogashima cruel exactions

2 Arai Ayumu Akari Higashi Merchant beggared by rapacious

local daimyo
3 Ashikaga Goro Chiaki Hiraya
Monk forced to leave their temple
4 Fukuda Haruto Chika Ikusaka due to fighting
5 Hiramatsu Ichiro Emi Katashina
Common warrior dreaming of
6 Imagawa Jiro Hana Kiso glory as a self-made daimyo
7 Kamo Junpei Haruka Kitagawa Scholar trained at an isolated
8 Kazoku Katashi Hikari Kurotaki temple

9 Kikuchi Kazuki Hoshiko Makkari Wandering monk who relishes the

freedom of travel
10 Matsui Kenji Izumi Miho
Shrine priest forced out by political
11 Nakano Kenshin Kanako Miyada troubles
12 Niwata Masaru Kasumi Miyake Last scion of a collapsed daimyo
13 Noguchi Minoru Keiko Nakagawa clan
14 Omura Osamu Mai Oshika Forest bandit with aspirations for a
15 Ota Rin Midori Sarabetsu greater and more splendid life

16 Rokkaku Shigeru Moriko Takagi Combat-trained monastic soldier

cut loose by their home temple
17 Shirakawa Shohei Murasaki Tarama
Skilled cavalry scout hiring out to
18 Tachibana Taichi Suzume Tokashiki the best bidder
19 Tokuso Takashi Tomoe Yahiko Disgraced warrior without a living
20 Watabe Yuto Yui Yugawa lord
Names are given in Surname-Given order.

Example Xindai Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Brutal daimyo Back-country demi- A sudden war Precious relic of a Splendid wooden
1 with no regard for human oblivious to breaks out be- famous and pow- country palace of a
commoner lives “city ways” tween neighbors erful shogun rich daimyo
Grasping abbot of Idealistic young Miracles happen at Peerless sword of a Burnt-over wreck of
2
a wealthy temple wandering warrior the nearby temple now-dead clan a pillaged hamlet
Peasant bandit Fretful abbot trying The local lord has A dead daimyo’s Crumbling, danger-
3 chief with a grudge to make peace died suddenly with- hidden treasure ous suburbs of a
towards the world out a clear heir trove decaying city
Elusive assassin Sophisticated city A local shrine’s god Exquisite painting Elegantly graceful
4
clan head courtesan has been angered by a dead master temple
Savage demihu- Young heir beset by Warrior extortion- Holy object sacred Humble wooden
5
man war chief brotherly rivals ists seek tribute to a grim god hermit’s hut
Daimyo’s pet Poor merchant A strange local fes- A heavy haul of Subdued country
6
merchant trying to get by tival is in full swing mislaid tax silver tea house
Village headman Genuinely Two rival clans Blackmail on a Austere but lovely
7 who cares nothing well-meaning lord are carrying out a promising heir to shrine to an import-
for strangers’ lives in need of help deniable war the local daimyo ant local god
Mad monk with a Hard-bitten warrior Monsters have Venerated remains Unimportant but
8
vile new faith with a noble cause closed a vital road of a holy monk bloody battlefield
126

YAIN
The last coherent remnant of the once-great Logomachy
of Nakad, the sorcerers of Yain are locked in a perpetual Yainish People and Government
struggle with their crazed brethren in the Godblight and The Yainish are drawn from the same pale stock as Sarx
their implacable foes in Sarx. Only their well-guarded and the Godblight, but with a mix of Sath Ingit blood
sorcery and the might of their flying navy spares them from centuries of raids, slaving, and occasional trade.
from certain destruction. Their “landwrap” clothing is scarcely more than belts
and decorative temple-marks, but their witchsailors don
History heavy coats and trousers against the aerial chill.
The Logomachy of Nakad collapsed in 378 BL, when the Yainish government is centered around ancient
eidolons of the Gods of Truth turned on their priestly scholarly monasteries, each headed by an abbot or ab-
masters and smashed their innumerable temple-labora- bess. Arch-abbots rule monasteries capable of crafting
tories. The few surviving Word Priests fled to the hin- skyships, with lesser temples vowing fealty in exchange
terlands that became the Godblight or to the isolated for membership in their fleet. Each abbot rules with the
scholastic monasteries of the Nakadi province of Yain. aid of naval theologians, engineer-priests, temple guard
Yain had traditionally been a dumping-ground for captains, and other experts pledged to the temple. Yain is
misfit priests and the surviving losers of the incessant a meritocracy by necessity, and even the best bloodlines
struggles between the clergy of the Gods of Truth. The win only opportunity rather than certain advancement.
temples there were forbidden to raise eidolons and were Yainish temples theoretically revere the same Gods
allowed to study only those arts too petty or too obscure of Truth that their ancestors did, with the same zeal for
to ever threaten the rule of the southern clergy. That for- arcane experimentation. In practice, everything related
biddance spared them the horror of the unleashed god- to god-eidolons and the more inhuman sorcery of the
things that scourged Nakad and left their peasant infra- ancients is strictly forbidden as being a blasphemous in-
structure intact and capable of providing for the refugees. trusion on the gods, sure to bring a second catastrophe
Back in the former heartland of Nakad, the surviv- on them all. A particular sect of priest-assassins, the So-
ing slaves and seneschals had joined together into the dality of the Seventh Knife, is charged with eliminating
modern nation of Sarx, determined to erase forever the anyone who would resurrect the old arts. These “seveners”
last traces of the Gods of Truth and their despised clergy. are perhaps more effective at eliminating Word Priests
The zealots of the Godblight struck back against them, than their Sarxian inquisitorial counterparts.
and for centuries Yain kept as low a profile as it could, Life for the common folk of Yain is loud, violent, and
laboring feverishly to stitch together some sort of defense exuberant. Everyone knows that the Sarxians will never
before the Sarxians got around to dealing with them. rest until every man, woman, and child in Yain is dragged
The success of their efforts was demonstrated in 105 to the altars, and the people are greedy for every delight
AL, when a Sarxian invasion fleet was broken and driven they can take from a temporary life. They can be cruel
back by a coordinated navy of seagoing warships and in their appetites, thinking nothing of slaving or piracy,
aerial scouting pinnaces. The Yainish witchsailors dealt but their wrongdoings are human hungers rather than
Sarx such a heavy blow that it was decades until a second the commandments of their gods.
serious attempt was made to land an invasion force. This
second armada knew enough of Yainish arts to make it Adventuring in Yain
a harder-fought battle, but in the end its bronze-mailed Outsiders often seek Yainish skyships, and it is not im-
soldiers were plunged to the bottom of the Bight of Na- possible for a sufficiently wealthy and useful foreigner to
kad amid the wreckage of their ships. gain such a vessel from a grateful arch-abbot. The need
In the thousand years since there have been sixteen for a Yainish crew of trained witchsailors to keep it flying,
major Sarxian assaults on Yain, some of which were suc- however, means that the largest warships can be obtained
cessful enough to briefly establish coastal footholds or only through heroic deeds of aid and wide alliances.
wipe out major monasteries. The number of lesser cam- Seabound heroes can find work aboard Yainish pri-
paigns and privateer fleets that have sailed against Yain vateers who hunt Sarxian traders or venture to the per-
are without number, and this unceasing struggle is the ilous islands of the Bight of Nakad. Most outsiders can
fundamental focus of Yainish society. reach Yain only through its coastal monastery-cities, as
To the north, the beastriders of Sath Ingit are a con- the overland routes are blocked by mountains, madmen,
stant threat as well, less bloodthirsty than the Sarxians or savage Sathan clans. A few catch rides aboard skyships,
but closer to hand, with aerial riders to threaten skyships. but such vessels are seldom seen outside Yain.
To the west, the temples of the Godblight acknowledge Within the borders of Yain there are numerous
no kinship with the Yainish, but have use for them as a ruined monasteries, some destroyed by Sarxian invad-
buffer against Sarx. Other nations think little of Yain, ers and others lost to disasters before the fall of Nakad.
save as the source of their wondrous ships. Their riches are considerable, but so too are their perils.
 127

YAMAD’S BONES
Legends speak of drowned Yamad as being the birthplace the yellowed bones of these dead can still be found in-
of human rebellion against Outsider rule, a valiant nation tact. The Stillness does not appear to have any effect on
of long-lost artifices and mighty sorceries plunged into living things, but it allows the persistence of artifacts that
the sea by alien retaliation. Today it is no more than a pile would otherwise have been dust for ages.
of sea-swamped wreckage and a boggy lowland infested This mix of unnatural wreckage, sea-swept desola-
with Anak pirates and curdled magic. tion, and dubious sorcery has kept all but the most reck-
less souls well away from Yamad’s cursed shores. Even so,
History the pirates of Shinbu Anak often set up havens along the
The legends of Yamad are numerous and largely con- western shores, the better to prey on coastal traders and
tradictory, extending to that unknowable period before mainland towns. Other exiles have also sought refuge on
the Colligation of Epochs. Most speak of a great human these islands, dwelling in the dust of the dead and eking
rebellion along the coast of Agathon, with a vast subter- out a life on raw fish and rainwater. Some of these are
ranean Deep disgorging uncounted millions of rebels to sorcerers in search of Yamad’s ancient chronal sorceries
destroy their hated alien masters. Unable to stem the and the secret behind its palimpsest cities. Few of them
human tide, the Outsiders plunged the entire eastern are courteous toward strangers.
coastline of Agathon into the sea, leaving only the high-
est regions to form the present archipelago. Adventuring on Yamad’s Bones
Since the beginning of recorded history and the first There are precious few secure bases for exploration on
voyages of Old Carcean explorers, Yamad’s Bones have Yamad’s Bones. A handful of wretched fishing villages
been covered in the ruins of hundreds, if not thousands, cling to the coast, too poor and too vicious to interest
of ancient ruined cities. Massive towers, bizarre ribbons pirates, and they can sometimes be persuaded to assist
of concrete and bitumen, and unfathomable edifices of outsiders in exchange for food and aid.
iron and glass are all crammed against each other as if Other tribes dwell deeper in the waterlogged mazes
some giant scooped them up and piled them carelessly of iron and stone, some reputed to descend from Yamad’s
atop the islands. Inexplicable engines of broken metal are original inhabitants. Their habits are savage beyond be-
scattered in the streets, and signs of some tremendous lief, warring over resources preserved by the Stillness and
struggle are written in broken buildings and cratered eating their unrotting dead. Leftover Outsider warbeasts
streets. None of it resembles anything found elsewhere have also formed breeding populations on the isles, to say
in Agathon. nothing of sorcerous guardians left behind by long-dead
Compounding this strangeness is the “Stillness” that wizards and explorers.
covers the isles. This chronal aberration greatly slows the Even so, a few reckless adventurers are willing to risk
rust and decay of all materials around Yamad, prolonging the pirates, cannibals, and mad wizards of these isles in
the process almost indefinitely. Early Carcean explorers order to plunder their hidden wealth. The artifices of
spoke of intact human corpses wearing bizarre clothing the ancients may no longer function due to the Legacy,
and unrusted wreckage. Even thousands of years later, but their jewelry and fine adornments are precious still.
128

Languages of the West

Adventurers must often deal with novel tongues in their as the common speech, as that province has always prid-
travels. This section discusses the particulars of those ed itself on its “pure Dynastic culture”.
languages which are most commonly encountered in the Western Dynastic was influenced by the languag-
western hemisphere of the Latter Earth. es of the Free Clans, and is generally only spoken there
and in western Hantu. The Eastern Dynastic spoken in
Learning A Language Xindai is substantially different, being strongly shaped
During character creation, a PC begins play knowing by Old Xindai and a large number of Archaic Dynastic
their mother tongue and a trade cant appropriate to the words. On Atba Sim, there’s a version of Dynastic spo-
region. In addition, they learn additional languages based ken that has many of the elements of Archaic Dynastic
on their Know and Connect skills; level-0 in one of them blended with the Abased slave-tongue imposed on hu-
grants one more language, and level-1 grants two. Thus, manity by Outsider overseers.
a PC with Connect-0 and Know-1 would know three The northern folk-dialect of Classical Dynastic is
additional languages. simply known as “Modern Dynastic” due to the primacy
Assuming a PC has no special aptitude for learning of its Fifth Dynasty speakers. Even so, a simplified “low”
languages such as a Bard possesses, they can learn a new version of it colored by numerous loan-words from Old
language to minimal functional adequacy by spending a Carcean and now-dead Llumish has become the primary
month immersed in a culture where it is used. Trade lan- trade argot of the southern continent, with speakers to be
guages, being much simpler than most, can be adequately found in almost every nation south of the Gyre.
mastered in two weeks of immersive study. Old High Amundi is unusual in that it was an an-
Without immersion, it’s six months of study over cient trade tongue among the proto-Amundi city-states
the appropriate books and manuals, less one month per that was gradually elevated into an elite language by the
level of Know; an adept with Know-3 could learn Archa- virtue of age. Its most lively modern heirs are the Qasiri
ic Sonos in three months. Adventurers can carry out nor- and Nabarun languages of the present Amundi king-
mal adventures and activities while learning a language, doms, and the Amundi Cant that is the predominant
assuming they’re not entirely kept from their studies. trade language of the northern continent.
When and whether a PC gains native fluency in a Old Carcean was derived from the slave-tongue
language is up to the GM’s discretion, and will likely de- of the Outsider servitors of the ancient island of Carce.
pend on how much time the PC spends in a given culture. With the downfall of their former masters, it became
their common argot and is still preserved by the Zakathi
Major Language Families demihuman Task-Houses. Later admixture with the
There are innumerable local tongues and minor language Saidas spoken by the Saiden newcomers to the island
groups to be found on the two continents, but a few fam- produced the Atlantean language now spoken most often
ilies are important enough to bear some mention to curi- on that island. The “True Zakathi” of Kytheron use Old
ous scholars and rapacious adventurers. Every language Carcean as a court language, though most of them use
noted here has half a hundred dialects, regional variants, Marchensprach or Modern Riu to talk to their servants.
and modes, but knowing one version of Western Sonos Tseban is the mother-tongue of natives of Tseb Hwii,
is generally enough to understand the others. derived chiefly from Classical Dynastic with a strong mix
Archaic Sonos was the language of the Intoners, the of Old Indur grammar. The “Low Tseban” spoken by the
great tower-builders of the First Age. It later splintered commoners of Tseb Hwii is distinguished from the “Es-
into the Northern Sonos family spoken by the Hyper- oteric Tseban” spoken by the wizards and elite slaves of
borean tribes and the Western Sonos spoken in Vitrum the ruling class. The latter is a semi-ritualized tongue
and among commoners of the Black Pact. A southern that supposedly enhances the speaker’s spiritual powers.
branch of the language had considerable influence on the Necrolect was the universal language of the un-
development of Nakadi, but is now spoken as a mother dead-ruled Pale Empire, and supposedly a tongue of
tongue only by the warrior clans of Sath Ingit. great magical potency. It continues to be the speech of
Archaic Dynastic was the First Age forerunner of the Black Pact’s elite and the Still Cities, as well as most
perhaps the most widely-spoken family of languages in of the Sunward Isles. It later developed into Suldanti,
the western hemisphere. As the language of the First the language spoken by the Green Priests of the Suldant
Dynasty, its inscriptions can be found on ruins from the Theocracy who descended from Pale refugees.
southern Gyre to the southernmost tip of Gyarus, and Nakadi was the linguistic offspring of Southern
it is still used as a living language by the tradition-bound Sonos and the now-lost Stormtongue of the Tempest
knightly clans of Maqqatba. It gave way to Classical Dy- Horde. Once the common speech of the Logomachy of
nastic during the Second Dynasty, and this later tongue Nakad, it is now found only in Yain and the Godblight.
became the recognized elite speech and court language of A rigid and complex version of it, “Hieratic Nakadi” is
the later dynasties. Classical Dynastic persists in Hantu still spoken by the sinister Word Priests of the latter state.
 129

Nation or Region Languages Spoken By Some Group There

Amundi Kingdoms Amundi Cant, Old High Amundi*§, Court Riu§ (Pelegrin), Modern Riu (Pelegrin, Vois),
Marchensprach (Ostmark), Qasiri (Qasir, Mishar) , Fidaen (Fidach), Nabarun (Nabardura)
The Anak Wastes Anak Speech, Low Dynastic, Modern Dynastic
Aristoi Principalities Aristoi, Amundi Cant, Anak Speech
Atba Sim Atban Dynastic, Archaic Dynastic*, Low Tseban
Atlantis Atlantean, Predecessant§, Old Carcean (Zakathi, rural communities), Abased*, Saidas (Saiden
communities)
The Black Pact Western Sonos, Necrolect*§, Archaic Sonos*, Lengish, Modern Riu
The Bluecrowns Low Dynastic, Classical Dynastic*, Numerous isolated colonial and pirate tongues
The Choking Dunes Javairi, Low Dynastic, Classical Dynastic*, Windtongue*
Couront Modern Riu, Amundi Cant, Court Riu§
The Far Wastes Northern Sonos (Hyperborean tribes), Western Sonos (Vitrumite merchants/miners)
The Fifth Dynasty Modern Dynastic, Low Dynastic, Classical Dynastic*§, Archaic Dynastic*
The Free Clans Western Dynastic, Low Dynastic, Classical Dynastic*§
The Gadavin Coast Modern Vothian, Trade Cant, Low Dynastic, Old Vothian*, Classical Dynastic*, Abased* (Polop-
worshiping tribes)
The Godblight Nakadi, Hieratic Nakadi*§ (Logomachy temples), Sarxian, Southern Sonos
The Gyre Trade Cant, Brass Speech§ (Ka-Adun), Modern Vothian (New Voth), Emedian (Emed-Kist),
Thurian (Thur), Llaigisan (Llaigis)
Hantu Classical Dynastic*, Low Dynastic, Western Dynastic, Low Tseban
The Hundred Schools Modern Dynastic, Classical Dynastic*, Low Dynastic, Eastern Dynastic
Kytheron Marchensprach, Modern Riu, Old Carcean§, Amundi Cant, Atlantean
The Litten Strand Low Dynastic, Gahak-Noq (Dwarves and elves), Numerous colonist-brought tongues
Maqqatba Archaic Dynastic, Low Tseban, Atban Dynastic
Ninth Leng Lengish, Holy Speech§ (Ritual usage), Western Sonos, Modern Riu, Marchensprach
Ondas Ondasi, Old Ondasi*, Atlantean, Aldetaal (Hillfolk), Marchensprach (Southern communities)
Runom Nakadi, Sarxian, Trade Cant, Hieratic Nakadi*
Sarx Sarxian, Amundi Cant, Hieratic Nakadi*
Sath Ingit Southern Sonos, Western Sonos, Amundi Cant, Necrolect*
The Scarlet Princes Western Dynastic, Low Dynastic, Classical Dynastic*§
Shinbu Anak Anak Speech, Aristoi, Amundi Cant, Marchensprach
The Still Cities Necrolect*, Western Sonos
The Sunward Isles Necrolect*, Suldanti (Bhur), Western Sonos (Traders and foreign merchants)
Tavat Atlantean, Old Carcean*, Abased*, Amundi Cant, Trade Cant
The Tombfell Numerous Outsider tongues, Amundi Cant, Western Sonos, Modern Riu, Abased*
Tribes of Hyperborea Northern Sonos, Archaic Sonos*
Tseb Hwii Low Tseban, Low Dynastic, Esoteric Tseban§, Classical Dynastic*, Old Indur*
The Verdancy Suldanti*, Necrolect*, Archaic Sonos*
Vitrum Western Sonos, Amundi Cant, Necrolect*, Archaic Sonos*
Xindai Commanderies Eastern Dynastic, Low Dynastic, Nakadi (Beastfolk and Oni), Classical Dynastic*
Yain Nakadi, Sarxian, Amundi Cant, Southern Sonos, Hieratic Nakadi*
Yamad's Bones Anak Speech, Amundi Cant, Atlantean

The first language listed is the one most commonly known in the area, though it may not be anyone’s mother tongue.
Italicized languages are mercantile cants and trade-tongues. They can be learned in minimal form in two weeks.
* languages are ancient scripts and scholarly tongues, though a few nations use them as court speech or the common language
§ languages are court tongues used by the ruling class or local elites, though almost all speak the local argot as well
130

BEASTS AND FELL THINGS

The creatures of the Latter Earth are not like the flora
and fauna of the present day. The animals of modern Fell Creatures and Their Lairs
Earth are the product of natural processes and the survi- If the wilderness teems with monstrous beasts and terri-
vors of millenia of conflict with an overwhelmingly dom- ble foes, how is it that any shred of civilization still stands
inant humanity. Large predators and dangerous beasts on the Latter Earth? If a day’s ride from a farming vil-
still exist, but they are very much the exception and are lage can put the heroes into a lethal wilderness, wouldn’t
of little concern to most communities. those poor farmers have long since been monster food?
This is not the case in the Latter Earth. Humanity The real reason they persist, of course, is because
is not the apex predator here, and most civilizations exist that’s what the game requires. A good old-fashioned pulp
only in the empty spaces ceded them by the monstrous adventure or old-school dungeon crawl profits from hav-
threats that surround them. The maps may show borders, ing perilous lands in close proximity to wherever the PCs
but a more careful eye inside these lines would reveal vast might go, so the world is arranged so as to provide plenty
swaths of empty land and desolate ruins where only a of fearsome wildernesses for them.
handful of humans still stubbornly persist. Dense pop- Despite this fundamental reason, sometimes a GM
ulations of humanity can only exist in certain places that needs a convenient rationalization for explaining the
are not congenial to the beasts for one reason or another. presence of some awful entity in close proximity to civ-
These safe zones tend to alter from time to time, and ilized land. If you don’t have your own particular ideas,
sometimes a culture is wiped off the map because of it. one or more of the following explanations can be used
This constant pressure has shaped the human na- in such cases.
tions of the Latter Earth. They confine their interests to It has no use for humans. It doesn’t eat them,
cleared and settled areas of land and to territories that are doesn’t want their belongings, and doesn’t care what they
reasonably clear of monstrous beasts and terrible curs- do as long as humans stay out of its way. People can live
es. They fight over lands that are safe to settle, and they near it safely so long as they avoid angering it.
quarrel over control of livable cities and secure towns. It’s been magically warded off. Countless village
The rest of their territory they leave to beasts, adven- rituals and ceremonies are dedicated toward warding off
turers, and the bravest of their pioneer settlers. If these the perils of the surrounding land and invoking the pro-
forces can clear these perilous wilds of their dangers, then tection of the gods. Sometimes these rituals actually do
rich rewards await their conquerors. If they fail, there will something, even if it’s merely to instill a modest degree of
be new challengers to try again in time. disinterest or distaste in the predators nearby.
The locals are too strong. The creature might be
able to kill ordinary people with impunity, but it knows
that if it does it too often, it will provoke a reaction it
doesn’t want to deal with.
Ancient bans still bind it. Some sorcerer-king of
yore or an ancient god’s blessing has influenced the crea-
ture, discouraging it from leaving its territory or prevent-
ing it from invading human lands. This ban may be very
subtle, exhibited only in an unconscious aversion.
It dislikes the environment. The wilderness where
it dwells suits it very well; the nearby human lands are
less pleasant for it for some reason, even if that reason is
simply a souring of the Legacy there or a subtle incom-
patibility of its nature.
It has other concerns. It may simply have more im-
portant things to concern it than a nearby den of humans.
It may be too busy hunting in its own territory, fighting a
rival, developing its own community, or otherwise occu-
pying itself in a way irrelevant to nearby humans.
The humans just live with it. Yes, casualties in the
frontier villages may be crippling by modern standards,
but family sizes are large enough and enough desperate
newcomers keep arriving to maintain the place’s existence.
It’s quite possible that the steady drip of vagabonds, free-
booters, and adventurers is exactly what’s absorbing the
casualties that would otherwise deplete the locals.
 131

Feral Creature Details

While the core rulebook provides a number of tables If you already have a good explanation for a beast,
to personalize the details of a monstrous abomination, you can use it whole cloth. Otherwise, a GM should feel
sometimes a GM would like a little extra help fitting it free to roll, perhaps more than once, and mix the resul-
into the adventure they have in mind. The tables below tant answers into the game. For multiple rolls, sometimes
can answer a few of the most pressing questions about the reasons behind a creature’s presence don’t boil down
a bestial-minded creature when it comes time to add it. to a single easily-classified conclusion.

d8 Why Hasn’t It Starved? d20 What’s It Doing Right Now?

1 It feeds on ambient magical energies 1 Relaxing after glutting itself on a kill
2 It’s remarkably efficient in its digestion 2 Wooing a mate of its own kind
3 Something has been giving it food 3 Fighting for dominance with another
4 A lesser beast or minion hunts for it 4 Playing after the fashion of its kind
5 It’s just arrived from better hunting grounds 5 Sleeping or dozing, thinking itself safe
6 It’s stealing other creatures’ kills 6 Lying in wait for a tasty meal
7 A convenient prey herd is nearby 7 Toying with wounded, helpless prey
8 It actually is starving here, albeit slowly 8 Digging or pawing at something interesting
9 Perched on a vantage, vigilant for danger
d10 Why Hasn’t It Been Hunted Down? 10 Trying to find a comfortable place to sleep
1 Nobody realizes it’s here yet 11 Doing something unnatural and monstrous
2 The last hunters who tried failed badly 12 Dragging its prey somewhere to eat
3 Somebody profits from having it around 13 Fleeing a perceived threat or bigger foe
4 It’s considered a holy or taboo creature 14 Yowling or calling to mark its presence
5 It just arrived, and hasn’t had time enough 15 Gnawing something inedible but attractive
6 It’s eating an otherwise annoying pest 16 Limping, wounded or sickened
7 Somebody has made a pet or minion of it 17 Stalking furiously, enraged by something
8 It’s frustratingly elusive and cunning 18 Playing with some item of value
9 It has a nigh-unassailable den 19 Decomposing; something just killed it
10 They did hunt it, but this one is its mate 20 Roll twice; it’s doing the second after the first
132

Anak Species
to their “whelps” as they mature in order to filter out ex-
Accipiter cessive aggression, short-term thinking, and inability to
A thankfully rare breed of aerial Anak, an accipiter has cooperate. The cost in lives is considerable, and as such
a generally humanoid build averaging six feet in height. an Aristoi child is not considered to be an actual person
Each has a pair of wings sprouting from between their until they reach eighteen years of age. Roughly half of
shoulder blades, as long as the accipiter is tall and gen- those who survive infancy prove unequal to this chal-
erally thrice as wide in their full span. The wings of lenge. Those illegitimate children who somehow escape
most tribes are of a membranous type, though a few judgment must conceal it, lest they be killed out of hand.
dark-feathered variants are known. Their builds range The result has been an Anak subspecies largely de-
from slim to near-emaciated, as their wings are insuffi- void of the effects of the Hate. An Aristoi may have a
cient to carry a heavy form. certain instinctive contempt for baseline humanity, but
Accipiters have mental and social characteristics they are fully capable of dealing rationally with them and
similar to those of their landbound kindred, yet tend even forming individual bonds of appreciation or respect.
to be more primitive in their material technology. In They are also much more empathetic, self-disciplined,
the absence of some convenient human population to and prudent than their Anak kindred. By most human
raid for goods, their possessions rarely extend beyond standards, they are ruthless, passionate, and daring.
personal weaponry and whatever they can carry in flight. Their extensive sorcerous alterations and modifications
Their crude homes are placed on inaccessible peaks and has even rendered them visually similar to their human
forbidding cliffs, preferably ones inaccessible to wingless subjects, if perhaps taller and sharper in their features.
foes. Accipiters have little use for human slaves, but feed Aristoi are generally raised with an implicit assump-
greedily on flesh taken in battle. Now and then a small tion of their own superiority over baseline humanity.
human prisoner is carried off by groups of accipiters, and They are proud of their eugenic customs and view their
without quick rescue their fate is certain to be a lingering successful survival as proof of their personal worth. Most
and hideous one. maintain an air of sophisticated cultivation and precise
Accipiters can carry little excess weight while flying, gentility, even when carrying out the most ruthless acts.
so rarely wear more than the lightest of clothing or ar-
mor. They favor slender javelins for hunting and raiding, Baneling
hurling them down on their enemies. Their wings are Dreaded slayers of heroes, banelings are a thankfully
not powerful enough to support diving attacks, so an rare subspecies of lesser Anak distinguishable only by
accipiter who would engage in melee combat must land the pale yellow luminescence of their eyes. Banelings are
fully to face their foe. almost invariably hideous little manikins, rarely taller
than an adult human’s waist, and usually equipped only
Accipiter Flight: Accipiters can fly at twice their ground with crude weapons and cruder armor. They prefer to
movement rate while outdoors or in a suitably huge dwell in human ruins, not far from the communities they
room. Without some height to jump from it takes a prey on for food and loot.
full Main Action spent beating their wings to begin What distinguishes banelings from other lesser
flying, however, and doing so while in melee combat Anak is their remarkable ability to kill powerful human
invites a free attack from any foes. Accipiters can and demihuman heroes. This “bane” ability seems to ap-
hover, but doing so requires a Move action or they ply only to humans and demihumans, and only to those
will fall. An accipiter who means to fly can carry less powerful than a Legate. While banelings occasionally
no more than half their usual Stowed encumbrance, have powerful leaders or spellcasters among their num-
rounded down. A cooperative or bound adult hu- bers, these superior banelings don’t appear to have this
man requires two accipiters to haul them; uncoop- bane-power, and their weapons and spells do no more
erative ones cannot be carried. An accipiter flying harm than they normally would.
overland can cover up to sixty miles in a ten-hour
day, given time for rests, and is barred only by high Bane: When one or more common banelings inflict a
mountains. total of ten hit points of damage in a single scene
on a non-Legate human or demihuman through
Aristoi their weapons or unarmed attacks, the victim is
The stern lords of the Aristoi Principalities, these Anak immediately reduced to zero hit points and Mor-
are the product of a centuries-old eugenic system en- tally Wounded, regardless of their normal HP total.
forced by their own ancestors. A mixture of Outsider While banelings are generally too cowardly and stu-
sorcery and selective culling has served to bend many of pid to take full advantage of this power, a capable
the usual Anak traits toward more socially-productive leader can swiftly organize them. Such disciplined
inclinations. Each Aristoi clan administers pitiless tests banelings regularly employ Swarm Attacks.
 133

Anak Species HD AC Atk. Dmg. Shock Move ML Inst. Skill Save

Accipiter Warrior 1 13a +2 Wpn Wpn 30’ fly 8 4 +1 15+
Accipiter Chieftain 5 15a +8 Wpn+2 Wpn+2 30’ fly 10 3 +2 12+
Aristoi Rake 2 15a +5 Wpn+1 Wpn+1 30’ 9 2 +1 14+
Aristoi Prince 12 22a +15 x 2 Wpn+5 Wpn+5/- 30’ 11 1 +3 9+
Baneling 1 11a +2 Wpn Wpn 30’ 7 4 +1 15+
Harbinger 6 13a +10 Wpn+2 Wpn+2 30’ 8 3 +2 12+
Hellhound 2 13 +5 1d6+1 2/13 40’ 8 5 +1 14+
Hellhound Mount 5 13 +8 x 2 1d8+1 4/15 40’ 9 5 +1 12+

Harbinger Hellhound
The rare and hated Harbingers are not a specific vari- Monstrous beasts with the minds of intelligent beings,
ant of Anak so much as they are a natural freak of birth. hellhounds come in numerous shapes and sizes. The
These Anak are born with an appearance indistinguish- original Anak feedstock used to create them varied from
able from a baseline human of the predominant local type. place to place, and some of these beasts are hairless and
Despite this human appearance, they do not provoke the lank, while others are massive, hairy-pelted hulks. Colors
Hate in their brethren and are treated no worse than any of hide and fur differ widely, as do ears, tails, and muzzle
other Anak of the tribe. As they grow, they obtain an shapes.
intuitive psychic grasp of the local human culture and All of them are on a roughly canid body plan, how-
language, to the point that they can easily blend in with ever. Their paws are very long, almost as if their toes were
the native population. clawed fingers, and a hellhound can crudely manipulate
These Harbingers serve as scouts and infiltrators for objects with these digits. The smallest of them come
their tribes. The least sophisticated go about as wander- up to a man’s waist at their shoulders, while the great
ers and vagabonds to find easy pickings for their kindred. hellhounds are big enough to be ridden by their Anak
Those from more advanced tribes serve as deep-cover brethren. Their maws are invariably fanged, and while
moles in human society, gradually worming their way they are capable of speaking the Anak tongue, it is a crude,
into positions of trust and authority. The natural Hate slobbering sort of speech. Among themselves they com-
of their brethren still burns within a Harbinger, but it municate chiefly by snarls, body language, and violence.
tends to be a more subtle, manipulative sort of loathing Hellhounds rove in packs, the strongest and most
that makes their deceit a delight to them. Nothing is so vicious adult bullying the rest into submission. Occasion-
sweet to a Harbinger than the breaking of human hearts ally they form partnerships with other Anak tribes, either
and the anguish of betrayal, and more than a few Anak willingly or by forced subjection, and serve as war-beasts
plots have misfired when a Harbinger moved too quickly and mounts for them. They are as sadistic and malicious
to reveal their ruse. as their bipedal kindred, and prey caught by them is of-
ten a long while dying. When starved or panicked they
Harbinger’s Face: While a Harbinger is born with an become uncontrollable, and threats or dangers that might
appearance to match the dominant local human dissuade a beast will do nothing to stay their hunger or
population, they are capable of shifting their fea- their flight.
tures to match other groups of humans, provided While a hellhound might appear to be nothing more
at least a small village worth of them are present than a beast, they retain a human level of intelligence.
within twenty miles of the Harbinger. This transfor- They will lay ambushes, spy on prey, and react to enemy
mation takes an hour of careful focus, after which actions with more than bestial cunning, and delight in
the Harbinger will look like an average member of outwitting their meals. They use no tools, however, nor
that group of the same sex. Specific individuals can- do they show any interest in any goals beyond a beast’s
not be impersonated this way. The transformation ordinary desires.
also imbues the Harbinger with an innate ability to
speak the group’s common language and an aware- Courage in Numbers: So long as the rest of the pack is
ness of their common customs and laws. This ability with them, hellhounds are recklessly brave. A group
is treated as a wholly mundane power and cannot be of 5 or more hellhounds has a Morale score of 11,
detected with conventional magic, nor will the Anak but its members must check Morale immediately if
read as anything but human to standard magical or their casualties drop them below that number.
physical investigation. Swarming Pack: Hellhounds are experts at Swarm At-
tacks on their prey. When working together, each
one adds +4 to hit and +2 to damage to the final
attack, for a maximum bonus of +12/+6.
134

Ancient Creations
Autopurgator Copper Wizard
While the Anak are the best-known of the weapons of An ancient sect of the Tempest Horde’s storm-priests
the Outsiders, there were a host of other creatures and pioneered this terrible transformation, by which a living
creations built to destroy rebellious humans. The auto- wizard had various portions of their innards and limbs
purgator is one such device, a stalking automaton meant replaced with intricate copper wiring and glyphed hous-
to haunt the wildernesses where rebel humans lurked. ings. The galvanic blessings of the storm were then used
Arcane devices remotely imparted its findings to its to animate the artificial organs, allowing the wizard to
masters, the better to sniff out rebel camps and identify then enjoy near-indefinite immortality in which to prac-
troublemaking Deep-dwellers. Numerous autopurgators tice their theurgic arts.
still roam the wild places of the Latter Earth, carrying out While initially effective, verdigris and entropy took
an eternal and hopeless mission for their dead creators. their toll in time, eroding the minds of those who had
An autopurgator has a vaguely humanoid outline, been transformed and driving them to madness. The
appearing as if it were made of thousands of small in- original Tempest Horde had splintered by the time this
terlocking metal fragments that turn and shift to give change was evident, and numerous small sub-sects prac-
it motion. Their metallic skin is tarnished and worn ticing this art had been established by the copper wizards.
with age, but their movements are still impossibly swift. While most of the original subjects have long since col-
They will directly attack lone humans or weak groups, lapsed or been destroyed, there remain more than a few
but prefer whittling down more powerful ones through acolytes of these later cults.
targeted assassinations and murders by ambush. It hunts Modern-day copper wizards prefer to dwell in the
in a coldly rational fashion, and will avoid battle unless it wilderness or in forsaken ruins, there to carry out their
has a considerable edge on its prey. experiments without human disturbance. Most have
Certain ancient Outsider devices can control an au- enslaved Blighted or other hapless wretches to tend to
topurgator, but without such compulsion it is impossible their menial needs, or else they have forged automatons
to negotiate with it. While autopurgators never speak, to guard their sanctums. While a copper wizard is not
they appear to have intelligence equal to that of a human. necessarily malevolent by nature, every surviving wizard
appears to be severely mentally unbalanced. Each one
Hunter-Killer: An autopurgator has all the qualities of has an overwhelming hatred or terror of something that
an automaton and an innate +4 bonus to all Sneak drives all their experiments and all their schemes. Mani-
or Exert checks. The first round of combat, it gets a acal vendettas against the sun, dwarves, wealthy people,
bonus Main Action. It may move both before and trees, and the concept of sight have all been recorded,
after performing an Execution Attack on an unsus- along with the terrible magical Workings wrought to
pecting target, splitting its Move action accordingly. pursue these grudges.
Vigilant Gaze: An autopurgator can see in pitch black-
ness and can perceive even invisible creatures. It Armed for Vendetta: Each wizard has 4 to 8 points of
gains a +4 bonus to all Notice checks. Someone in special abilities as given in the core book. These
possession of the right Outsider scrying-stone can abilities are all selected to be useful in fighting or
gaze into it to see and hear everything the autopur- defending against the subject of their paranoia.
gator can perceive. Note that these scrying stones Copper Veins: A copper wizard is immune to electrical
do not necessarily give any control over the auto- damage and has all the normal qualities of an au-
purgator in question. tomaton. When reduced to melee combat, they fight
Weapons Array: Most autopurgators use glyphed blades with electrified fists as given in their stat line. They
with the damage rating given in their description. gain a bonus Main Action each round, but cannot
They also have the ability to shoot slim flechettes at cast spells with this bonus action.
targets with 600 feet; these blades strike with the Verdigrised Sorcery: Every copper wizard can cast spells
creature’s attack bonus, do 1d12+4 damage on a as a level 1d4+6 High Mage or Elementalist. Once
hit, and apply a -4 penalty to any Execution Attack per scene, they can ignore physical injury or jostling
saving throws. to keep from losing a spell they are casting.
 135

Ancient Creations HD AC Atk. Dmg. Shock Move ML Inst. Skill Save

Autopurgator 8 18 +12 x 2 1d12+4 4/- 40’ 12 1 +2 11+
Copper Wizard 10 18 +15 1d10+5 5/- 30’ 10 2 +2 10+
Dragon, Lesser 20 22 +25 x 2 1d12+10 10/- 60’ 10 4 +5 2+
Dragon, Greater As Imperator
Eternal Beloved As Original Creature
Harvester 12 16 +15 Wpn Wpn/- 40’ 10 2 +2 9+
Iron Destrier 6 18 +9 x 2 1d10+2 3/- 100’ 10 5 +2 12+
Keeper of the Word 6 10 None N/A N/A 30’ 12 1 +3 12+
Rusted Prince 12 20 +15 x 2 Wpn+4 Wpn+4 40’ 9 3 +3 9+
Walking Mountain As Mountain
Wyrdbearer 10 20 +15 x 2 Wpn+5 5/- 40’ 12 5 +3 10+

Dragon Dragons usually lair deep within wildernesses and

Dragons are remnant survivors of some ancient age be- arratus, usually inhabiting ruins that somehow remind
fore the rule of the Outsiders, creatures birthed by civili- them of their former lives. Sometimes they permit less-
zations now dead beyond any mortal death. It is unclear er servitors to revere them, if only to have convenient
whether they were meant to be guardians, exemplars, or minions for building defenses and keeping watch, while
gods, if such a distinction even existed in that age. What others are too paranoid of thieves to endure the company
is clear is that they are some of the most powerful crea- of anything but mindless automatons and constructs. At
tures in the Latter Earth, with even the least of them their worst, these fearful titans might leave their lairs to
having the power of a Legate and the greatest wielding destroy any potential thieves in the lands nearby.
the might of an Imperator. Unsurprisingly, every dragon has a fearsome array
Physically, most dragons resemble winged semi-rep- of powers, and few heroes have ever managed to best
tilian creatures at least sixty feet long from fangs to tail- them without devising careful plans or acquiring special
tip. Their size seems to reflect their overall power, with occult artifacts. Among the lesser dragons not imbued
the mightiest recorded specimens being at least six hun- with an Imperator’s might, the following traits have been
dred feet long, with a quarter-mile-wide wingspan. Vari- commonly observed. Individuals doubtless vary.
ant draconic forms have also been recorded, including
one composed of articulated metal and at least one that Absolute Eternity: A dragon always has 8 hit points for
appeared in a shape that modern human visual senses every hit die it has. A dragon that is not dead re-
could not coherently process. covers 8 hit points at the end of each round; certain
Dragons spend most of their time “dreaming”, locked types of weapons or sorceries are reputed to prevent
in a reverie recalling their former civilization and their this healing, but the specifics vary with each dragon.
life during its zenith. Given the limits of their memory Ancient Prowess: The dragon gets three Main Actions
and the unfathomable ages since their creation, they of- each round instead of one, and can completely ig-
ten have difficulty recollecting details and specifics; they nore one hostile or obstructing spell per round as an
find this forgetting unendurably painful. To forestall it, Instant action. Dragons can casually burst through
they gather objects and treasures that somehow remind or smash any obstacle lighter than a magically-re-
them of their past, hoarding them with obsessive care. inforced wall.
To steal a dragon’s treasure is to steal a fragment of its Annihilating Violence: When a dragon reduces a target
past, and it will go to great lengths to recover the item to zero hit points through its attacks or abilities, the
and punish the thief. Most dragons would prefer death target is utterly obliterated as if by unsurvivable
to the loss of their hoard. physical injury.
Dragons generally despise interacting with the Breath of Damnation: Once per scene, the dragon can
modern world; its existence is a painful reminder of all exhale a storm of destructive energy. Fire is common,
they have lost. Sometimes they can be propitiated with but torrents of absolute cold, distilled entropy, and
a treasure that somehow reminds them of the past, or maddening psychic disruption have also been re-
engage humans to acquire some token that they dare not corded. The breath usually takes the form of a cone
leave their hoard to obtain. Payment is usually made in twice as long and wide as the dragon itself. All those
priceless artifacts that are worthless to them. At times a within it must make an appropriate saving throw or
dragon can be persuaded to give an answer to some deep be obliterated; on a success, they merely take 1d6
question, but they will almost never leave their hoard damage per two hit dice of the dragon. The drag-
unguarded to perform physical favors. They resent any on may spend a Main Action to try to refresh this
time not spent in remembering their lost happiness. power; it does so on a roll of 1 on 1d6.
136

Draconic Arts: All dragons have at least four points of

Legate Effort and can select at least four Writs of Eternal Beloved
their choice of any kind. Those GMs without access Pale things, human-shaped yet indistinct in feature and
to Legate rules can substitute 10-20 points of mon- form, the Eternal Beloved are the creations of an ancient
ster abilities in their place. society that could not bear to lose its members in death.
Lost in Reverie: As terrifying as a dragon’s power is, it has They are immortal, though few in number, and can be
a tendency to become confused when in battle, re- contacted only by those who know their secrets.
membering former ages and former faces. A dragon If a person presents a human or demihuman corpse
must make an Instinct check every round of combat to an Eternal Beloved, the creature will consent to make
as it struggles to remain focused on the present. As- a pact with the petitioner. The creature will devour the
sailants who somehow play on its memories might corpse over the course of a few hours and assume the
increase its effective Instinct score. deceased’s shape. Such is its control that it can appear as
Lost Sorcery: Any given dragon has a 50% chance of the subject at any point in their life, from youth to old
being able to cast spells as if a 1d4+6th level High age. Once set, however, the creature will never change.
Mage, Elementalist, or Necromancer. They know all If the corpse is not wholly decayed and all the major
applicable spells and several that are now lost. Drag- parts are present, the Eternal Beloved will have all the
ons can cast only one spell per round, but their cast- memories, personality, and skills of the deceased, though
ing cannot be interrupted by damage or disturbance. magical powers and spellcasting abilities will not trans-
Teeth Like Spears: The Shock inflicted by a dragon’s late. Less perfect corpses or more decayed ones give the
physical attacks cannot be negated by any effect, creature its form, but progressively less of its memories.
item, or ability weaker than a Legate Writ. It will serve its petitioner with perfect devotion, short of
suicide, and will retain its shape until its petitioner dies.
Unfortunately, the great age of an Eternal Beloved
and the decay of its intrinsic magics leaves its adopted
identity constantly reminded that it is not really itself.
The more active the Eternal Beloved’s own mind, the
more traumatic it is for the adopted identity. The only
reliable way to put an Eternal Beloved’s mind “to sleep”
is to trigger its adaptation instinct by feeding it fresh
human flesh. This new stimulus will cause its mind to
lock up and fall quiet for a time, from days to months.
Eternal Beloveds adopt the hit dice, attack bonus,
Foci, and other physical or mental skills of the creatures
they mimic. In some cases, they might be quite weak in
their adopted forms; usually, however, their petitioners
are desperate enough to go to great lengths to guard the
“life” of the one they’ve brought back.
 137

Harvester Iron Destrier

While the original harvesters were constructed by the The first known examples of these savage conveyances
Grand Harmony during the First Age, these Outsider were created by the Tempest Horde during the First Age.
automatons have spread widely throughout the Latter Their storm-priests were versed in imbuing brute metal
Earth, and can be found lurking in dangerous wilder- with the vital energies of lightning, animating it with a
nesses as the “protectors” of isolated human communities. violent and destructive intelligence. Countless heroes of
Others have been sorcerously bound into the service of the Horde rode their trusty destriers into battle, but al-
malevolent warlocks or monstrous tyrants. most all of these ancient engines have since been ruined
A harvester appears as a normal human being, albeit by time or war. Most of the present iron destriers are
often of an ethnicity lost to the present age. It can speak of later construction, patched together by less reliable
any known human language, and can be distinguished rituals and less competent artificers.
from a normal human only by close inspection. Even so, Modern destriers have a low-slung body that a rid-
it has all the conventional qualities of an automaton. er is meant to straddle, the whole set above four to six
A harvester has considerable powers of mental in- propulsive glyph-cores that usually emit a bright yellow
fluence and control, being able to pacify large numbers radiance when operating. Numerous swept-back blades,
of ordinary humans and calm even their justified fears. spikes, and lances are designed to slash or impale adja-
They also possess a large suite of military augmentations cent enemies, the array bristling like the fur of an angry
sufficient to protect their flock from most conventional beast when the destrier is roused. Destriers are normally
threats and keep them safe for their eventual harvest. ground-bound conveyances, floating no more than three
Harvesters will tend to seek out isolated human set- or four feet above the nearest solid surface, but they can
tlements and use their powers to take control, becoming boost for considerable jumps when needed.
the chieftain or ruling elder of the place. Others are con- Destriers are all at least semi-intelligent, even the
tent to act as distant guardians while their flocks handle dimmest having the intellect of a clever dog, while the
their daily affairs. Monsters and threats that imperil the most intelligent are almost human. Their interests are
community will be fought by the harvester and its more invariably threefold: violence, speed, and noise. They
completely-controlled victims. At regular intervals, one roam in desolate places, racing madly when they’re not
or more of the flock will be led away from the community making side-swiping attacks on luckless humans. Some
and murdered. If the harvester has a master, it will in- brave heroes can tame a destrier, if they can prove that
stead give these humans over to its controller. A harvester they are louder, faster, or more spectacularly violent than
will never intentionally sacrifice more humans than its the creature itself. Such alliances must be maintained by
community can afford to lose, but accidents do happen, sufficient offerings of blood, as the destrier will depart if
and there are times when a harvester must seek a new its nature is not suitably indulged.
herd. Some folk are actually willing to be ruled by a har-
vester, preferring their price to a human lord’s caprices. Boost: As an On Turn Action, the iron destrier can boost
itself up to thirty feet above the solid surface be-
Protective Mode: A harvester can shift to a blatantly in- neath it. It can continue to move at this altitude
human combat shape as an On Turn action. When for 1d6 rounds plus the rider’s Ride skill before it
in such a mode, it gains two extra Main Actions must immediately descend for an equal number of
per round, an effective AC of 20, two 2d6+3 melee rounds. It cannot attack while boosted.
attacks per action with Shock 4/-, and a ranged at- Shriek of Metal: Iron destriers are invariably loud,
tack option that does 2d10 damage up to 120 feet whether a low growl at idle or a full-throated howl
distant. Given time, a harvester that thinks combat at speed. Stealth is impossible for them or their rid-
is impending will arm as many of its pacified flock ers. Their screaming speech is incomprehensible to
as it is willing to lose. Pacified humans will not be any unversed in the ancient tongue of the Tempest
disturbed by its war-form, finding it comforting. Horde.
Psychic Pacification: As a Main Action, it can target a Sideswipe: When an iron destrier makes a Charge at-
visible human or demihuman and forcibly subdue tack, it can bypass the target with the remainder of
its mind. On a failed Mental save, the victim imme- its movement rather than halting adjacent to it. Its
diately becomes calm and suggestible, agreeing with rider can also attack as part of the charge, if they
any command that is not contrary to their nature. choose to use their action to do so.
Once per day, the harvester can use this ability as a Living Steel: An iron destrier is treated as an automaton
burst, affecting all targets within 60 feet of it. The for most purposes, but it can be healed by natural
pacification lasts for one week, less one day per hit or magical means as if it were a living creature. It
die or level of the target, down to a minimum of requires no normal maintenance or fuel, its power
one scene. As a side effect of this power, harvesters maintained by blood and speed.
are immune to all conventional mind-affecting or
mind-reading spells or powers.
138

Keeper of the Word Rusted Prince

Found most often in the former territories of the Vothite Wealth and power are sweet, and there are many nobles
Empire, these automatons were also created by certain who would do much to continue their enjoyment of these
other ancient civilizations that felt a burning need to things forever. A rusted prince is one such grandee, one
impart their wisdom to the peoples who would come who has sought immortality through the implantation
after them. They operate via impossibly-sophisticat- of magical prostheses and eldritch organs. By removing
ed memetic principles and ambient psychic influences, those portions of their body most prone to failure, their
bending listeners into agreement and forging them into lives can be prolonged for millenia. The price required for
a new incarnation of their dead culture. such a transformation, both in silver and in sin, ensures
A Keeper usually resembles an animated statue of that only the most powerful and amoral of rulers have
some inhabitant of their original culture, though stylized the means to seek such an eternity. Those that persist
divinities and sacred beasts have been observed as well. are found most often in their remote villas and in lost
When stirred from its ancient torpor, it seeks out small domains amid the wilderness that grew up around the
groups of humans nearby and imparts some words of ruins of their former nation. They are not generally loved
teaching. Some ancient principle is given to the listeners, either by monarchs or by heirs.
and psychic influences are used to make them adopt it. Unfortunately, while their properly-maintained
As believers bring others to listen to the Keeper, the cul- bodies are largely immortal, their maintainers are not.
ture’s influence spreads and the new principles become Few rusted princes have the knowledge to balance their
established in the community. humours, deepen worn glyphs, and refresh the sacrifices
Sometimes these principles are benevolent or harm- a depleted organ requires. When the wizards who en-
less to outside observers. Unfortunately, most of them chanted their bodies perish or vanish as wizards must,
are hopelessly twisted, warped either by the decay of these nobles must seek different servants to keep their
the Keeper’s memetic sorceries or the intrinsically alien bodies functional. These new maintainers rarely under-
nature of its dead society. Keepers have earnestly im- stand all the adjustments the first made, and so their
parted traditions of universal suffering, mass cannibal- work is inevitably flawed. As time goes on, the rusted
ism, primitivist rejection of tools, or relentless conquest prince becomes more and more defective and inhuman,
on hapless communities. Destruction of the Keeper can until their immortality gutters out in half-rotten flesh
halt the progress of these societal sicknesses, but it can and tarnished orichalcum.
take months for a victim to lose their compulsions, and Some rusted princes have attempted to avoid this
those raised from youth in the warped society may never fate by cultivating entire schools of sorcerers educated in
be able to abandon their habits. a lasting corpus of records and techniques. The power re-
quired to establish such an institution is more than most
Honeyed Speech: The Keeper is unnaturally persua- can command, however, and paranoia often keeps them
sive, being able to speak any known human language. from entrusting so many wizards with their half-flesh’s
Any creature who talks with it for more than a few secrets. Even so, a few such schools are said to persist in
minutes must make a Mental save or become con- the Black Pact and in parts of Sath Ingit, and are willing
vinced that its teachings are the way to true hap- to perform this transformation on petitioners who bring
piness. This save must be made only once per day them enough silver and a suitable number of usable hu-
of exposure, and this initial conviction lasts only a man sacrifices.
week unless Extirpate Arcana is used sooner, but
during this time acting on their convictions brings a Immortal Rust: A rusted prince has all the qualities of
surge of deep happiness to the victim. Even without an automaton, though the best-preserved ones look
further exposure to the Keeper, they will find them- human. The more advanced their decay, the more
selves feeling content and satisfied when enacting obvious their inorganic parts become.
its teachings, regardless of their rational estimation Mechanical Grace: A rusted prince gains a bonus Main
of it. Most such converts will seek to bring others Action each round. If the prince is a mage, it cannot
to hear the Keeper speak, perhaps even confining be used to cast a second spell in a round.
them until they truly appreciate the brilliance of its Tools of Ruin: Every rusted prince has implanted a few
teachings. useful charms and augmentations, and has 6 to 8
Memetic Sedation: The Keeper does not fight, and it is points of special abilities.
extremely difficult to attack it. To take a physically
harmful action against it requires that the attack-
er add one System Strain and make a successful
Mental save to do so; on a failure, they cannot
bring themselves to violent action. Someone with
maximized System Strain cannot even attempt to
attack it.
 139

Walking Mountains Wyrdbearer

Not so much a creature as a geographical feature, a walk- Relics of some pre-Epochal civilization, the Wyrdbearers
ing mountain is one of the Carven Peaks that has been so appear as humans mantled in consuming flame. Infused
completely imbued with the Pale Emperor’s power that with the power of inescapable destiny, each one was cre-
it now has a degree of mobility. Such edifices usually re- ated to destroy a particular foe or organization before
semble colossal, faceless icons of the Pale Emperor several dissipating. Until that purpose is achieved or they are
thousand feet in height, covered completely with ancient convinced of its impossibility, a Wyrdbearer cannot die.
scriptures praising the Imperator’s immortal wisdom and Most Wyrdbearers have long since vanished, and
benevolence. Entrance into its tunneled interior is usually the only ones that remain are those that have somehow
through temples-sites atop its literal foothills. misunderstood their purpose in ways that allow them to
Within the walking mountain are thousands of un- remain. They may identify living nations as the function-
dead charged with turning wheels, shifting weights, and al heirs of their original targets, presume their target yet
otherwise operating the motions of the mountain, all hides among modern-day heirs, or interpret incidental
according to ancient patterns imprinted on them. Most similarities and coincidences as proof that a given person,
such undead are mindless, being mere husks of rebels, nation, or institution is identical with their original prey.
traitors, and failures impressed into eternal service. A few They will justify the most irrational beliefs to this end.
retain some degree of human intellect, though they are The only way to destroy a Wyrdbearer is to convince
generally indifferent to everything but the maintenance it that its purpose is hopeless or already complete. It usu-
of the mountain and its everlasting glorification of the ally requires either overwhelming evidence or remarkably
Pale Emperor. persuasive speech to do so, as any surviving Wyrdbearer
Walking mountains commonly make ponderous must be completely and irrationally dedicated to its de-
gestures while standing, repeating sacred teaching-mu- lusions to have survived this long.
dras at a set schedule over centuries. Should one some-
how be weaponized into a device of war, nothing short of Burning Purpose: A Wyrdbearer is immune to all
a desperate assault on its inner passages has any chance mind-affecting or -reading spells and effects.
of stopping it. Less urgent invasions might discover some Eternal Flame: As an Instant action, the Wyrdbearer
of the priceless arcane relics used to empower the con- can dissolve, reappearing randomly 2d6 weeks lat-
struct, or the ancient treasures kept there to honor its er within a 2d100 mile radius of its vanishing point
Imperator creator. with all the items it was wearing at the time. It will
do this in place of death or imprisonment.
Gifts of the Ancients: Wyrdbearers are equipped with 5
to 10 points of special abilities meant to assist them
in carrying out their purposes.
Mantle of the Sun: All foes within 10 feet of the Wyrd-
bearer take 2d10 fire damage at the end of its round.
140

Arratu Monsters
feast on the stunned victim. The screamer tree is nour-
Glass Spider ished by the leavings of the dead, and will remain quiet
Neither a true spider nor truly glass, this creature is a while the predators have their meal, assaulting only those
denizen of cold arratus, having been imported from some who try to drag away the fallen.
alien world as a useful pack predator. It has a vaguely spi-
derlike body, albeit with a much more slender abdomen Oaken Flesh: Only weapons that could conceivably harm
and only six legs. Its tissues are almost perfectly transpar- a tree can injure the creature; spears, swords, arrows,
ent, and its exoskeleton is a hard, glass-clear substance and hammers are useless, but fire and axes can cause
that forms in geometric planes. it injury.
A glass spider’s venom is tremendously toxic to the Sonic Assault: As a Main Action, the creature can emit
creatures of its native world, but has no significant ef- 1d4 sonic blasts at targets within 80’. A creature can
fect on terrestrial life forms. The razor-sharp mandibles be targeted by only one blast per round. This assault
and jagged fangs used to inject it, however, are perfectly forces the victim to make a Physical save or suffer
functional on any victim. They hunt in packs of 1d4+2 2d6 non-lethal damage. As soon as a screaming
spiders, and favor ambushes made from beneath the cov- tree starts shrieking, predators will hurry to arrive
er of snowbanks and deep drifts. in 3d6 minutes, and will often pursue fleeing prey.
Scorpion Leech
Dog-sized abominations found often in swampy arratu
Snow Fungus
terrain, a scorpion leech is a soft-bodied creature with This fungal life form is found in extremely cold arratus,
six chitinous legs, a needle-sharp tail, and an intricate prospering in conditions that would kill most terrestrial
circular maw of rotating teeth. The venom of its tail- life forms. A subtle web of fungal strands permeates the
sting prevents the victim’s blood from clotting, while the ice and snow of such regions, binding clumps together
mouth rasps holes into the prey. They are most often into a horse-sized tentacular glob of animate rime that is
found in small packs of 1d6+2 creatures, though nests largely indistinguishable from its surroundings. It feeds
of 2d12 are found near rich sources of prey. on nutrient-rich snow, particularly that on which much
blood has been spilt.
Leech Venom: Half the time, a leech will use its tail sting During the day, snow fungi lie in wait for other life,
instead of its bite. This sting does no hit point dam- while at night they creep about in search of sleeping prey.
age, but the victim must make a Physical save to When a victim is found, razor-sharp tendrils of ice erupt
prevent the anticoagulant from taking hold. On a from the snow to pierce the prey and absorb its blood
failure, any physical injury will cause the victim to with a vampiric hunger. If no prey can be found for quite
lose 1d4 hit points at the end of each round until some time the snow fungus will go dormant for years
a successful difficulty 8 Heal skill check is made or on end, awakening with the approach of a living heat
they become Mortally Wounded. The anticoagulant source. Fire can be used to discourage these creatures,
wears off at the end of the scene. but a starving fungus knows no fear.

Icy Thirst: When a snow fungus hits a target, the barbed

Screamer Tree and bladed tendril will begin to absorb their blood,
This family of animate flora is found most often in jun- inflicting 1d4 damage each round it remains at-
gle-type arratus, though relatives can be found in the tached, in addition to leashing the victim in place.
lands of the Verdancy and other places where plants have The tendril can be cut with a successful hit on AC
been warped by sorcery. Most resemble the mundane 16 by a bladed weapon; severed tendrils require a
trees of its region, though some shrub-sized equivalents day to re-form.
have been found. They do not appear to be intelligent Snowborn: Snow fungi have a total +4 skill bonus with
as humans would recognize the term, but can lure prey Sneak in snowy climates. Fire does double damage
and call for predator aid with an almost sapient sort of to them, and each such injury forces a Morale check.
judgment. Starving fungi never fail Morale checks.
When an animal of dog-size or larger approaches
within 40’ of a screamer tree, the plant will open an ori-
fice in its trunk and emit an ear-splitting sonic assault in
the direction of the prey. These shrieks have a stunning
and dazing effect on most organic life, and can knock
weak creatures unconscious. At the same time, local pred-
ators are alerted of an impending meal, and will hurry to
 141

Arratu Monsters HD AC Atk. Dmg. Shock Move ML Inst. Skill Save

Glass Spider 3 18 +5 1d10+1 None 40’ 9 4 +1 14+
Scorpion Leech 1 15 +4 1d6 None 30’ 7 4 +1 15+
Screamer Tree 8 15 Special Special None None 12 4 +1 11+
Snow Fungus 5 16 +7 x 3 1d6+2 None 20’ 7 3 +1 13+
Wiggler Dog 1 13 +3 1d6 None 40’ 8 4 +1 15+
Wormridden Peasant 2 15 +4 Wpn Wpn 30’ 10 3 +1 14+

Wiggler Dog Wormridden

The product of some Outsider’s spite, these terrestrial The Legacy’s intrinsic checks prevent most arratus from
dogs were spliced together with a jellyfish-like alien pred- growing too large and hinder their inhabitants from
ator. The result is a waist-high mastiff with a fringe of wandering too far outside its borders. To counter this,
four-foot-long tentacles surrounding its neck. Wiggler some wastelands are infected with parasitical vermin
dogs are imbued with an unreasoning hatred of humans, designed to infest terrestrial creatures and bring them
and will attack even a well-armed and imposing group; forcibly into the arratu’s ecosystem. “Wormridden” are
while they can survive outside of arratus, their behavior one such type of creature, but other varieties of parasites
has led to their general extermination in human-con- have been found.
trolled areas. When encountered, they’re usually met in Without its host, a parasite appears as a roughly
packs of 2d4+1 dogs. foot-long, eyeless worm with numerous small clusters
The tentacle ruff of a wiggler dog can be used to of mobility tentacles along its sides. The vermin are
inject a paralytic venom into victims struck by a tendril. quite stealthy, and approach their prey while the victim
The dogs will prefer to tear and rend such downed ene- is sleeping or incapacitated; an actively resisting victim
mies, even at the cost of ignoring active foes; their attacks has almost no chance of being infected. A paralyzing
on a paralyzed opponent always hit, and if they reduce mucus pacifies the creature long enough for the worm
the victim to zero hit points this way the target is im- to infest them and devour their brain, after which it nests
mediately slain. inside the creature’s skull and pilots the corpse. Almost
any creature can be infested by these parasites, though
Toxic Ruff: In place of a normal attack, the dog may use the example stats given here are for a luckless human
its tendrils to strike at a target. A hit does no dam- peasant. More powerful hosts retain all their physical
age, but forces the victim to make a Physical saving abilities, though magical ones are often lost.
throw. The first failed save causes them to lose their Wormridden humans act strangely, and are capa-
Move action for the scene. If they’re hit a second ble of only the most perfunctory social interactions and
time and fail a second save, they become paralyzed conversations. Even so, they all retain a high degree of
for the rest of the scene. Wiggler dogs will always cunning and can respond intelligently to threats. They
prefer to attack a paralyzed opponent if one is with- spend most of their time spreading xenoforming spores,
in melee range on a given round. damaging ancient warding relics, and otherwise promot-
ing the growth of the arratu. Arratu beasts will protect
wormridden creatures instinctively, but natural animals
will avoid them whenever possible. Under the direction
of a more powerful Outsider, wormridden can be put to
more complex tasks and trained to a more perfect mim-
icry of human behavior. Groups of wormridden will of-
ten cooperate to carry out their tasks, with some taking
control of dangerous native predators in order to defend
their weaker but more useful human-hosted brethren.
142

Blighted
Antinom
The Antinom is a living curse-weapon devised by some
ancient sorcerer-king to bring down the civilizations of
his rivals. They are effectively immortal, though they
occasionally reproduce by infecting a human host with
a curse that gradually transforms them into a new An-
tinom.
An Antinom appears to be a normal baseline human
of whatever ethnicity predominates in a region. They
are invariably rebels, renegades, or demagogues against
some presiding power or generally-accepted moral code;
they denounce it and work to topple it through allied
disaffected humans. They subtly inflict their curses on
such targets as would most destabilize whatever they are
fighting, and will push the point until their rebel cell is
destroyed or their target is discredited or brought low.
The Antinom does not stop at that point, however,
because its entire purpose is to break, ruin, and discredit
any organizing principles. It continues to tear down and
denounce all possible replacements for the fallen edifice,
seeking to keep the local humans in a constant ferment
of struggle. Even basic ties between family and loved ones Changeling
are anathema to it, and it will work to isolate and atomize
all the people around it as much as its greater plans allow. Once spread among the inhabitants of Tigat in Atba
An Antinom will continue its social destruction until it Sim, changelings are a breed of Blighted created by the
is killed or until it judges that success is impossible. If Tormentors of Vesh to deceive, betray, and immiserate
necessary, it will swiftly flee to a different land to target humanity. When the First Dynasty came to drive out the
the institutions there. Vesh the changelings used their powers to infiltrate the
invaders and escape to Gyarus, later spreading through-
Chaos Champion: Every Antinom has 6 to 8 points of out the northern continent as well. They remain rare, as
special abilities related to their current role. These they have few offspring, but persist as a threat.
abilities may shift and change as it adopts a new A changeling has incredible powers of shapeshifting
cause. and mental masquerading. Even clothing can be duplicat-
Defile Fate: As a Main Action, an Antinom can silently ed in texture, if not in actual material, and their ambient
curse a visible creature. This curse can vary in ef- psychic sensitivity gives them an intuitive grasp of the lo-
fect, but usually amounts to one of the following cal languages and the expected answers to interrogation
results: the next 1d6 attacks it suffers automatically questions. Their creators infused them with an insatiable
hit it; its next skill check is a catastrophic failure; it psychological urge to betray non-changelings. They seek
automatically fails its next saving throw; it suffers to build up the trust and confidence of others before de-
2d6 damage from some random accident within the spoiling it as completely and painfully as possible. The
next five minutes; it contracts a creeping illness that deep psychic pleasure a changeling gets from their target’s
has a 30% chance of killing it within a week; or it emotional anguish is very difficult for them to deny, and
suffers exhaustion that adds 1d6 System Strain to few have the mental strength to keep honest faith with
its total, up to the maximum. A successful Physical others, when every passing day just makes the promised
saving throw can fend off the curse and an Extirpate rewards of treachery all the sweeter.
Arcana spell can negate it, but a target is not neces-
sarily aware that it has been cursed unless the magic Metamorph: As a Main Action, a changeling can adopt
is somehow detected. the appearance of any humanoid creature between
three and seven feet in height, including apparent
clothing. Conventional mind-reading sorceries will
give false readings, showing only what the scryer
would expect to see if the impostor were the real
subject. Likewise, the changeling always intuitively
knows what answers an interrogator might expect.
 143

Blighted HD AC Atk. Dmg. Shock Move ML Inst. Skill Save

Antinom 8 13a +10 Wpn Wpn 30’ 9 3 +2 11+
Changeling 6 13a +8 Wpn Wpn 30’ 8 2 +2 12+
Chawi 10 10 +10 Wpn Wpn 30’ 10 5 +3 10+
Dear Companion 8 10 +10 Wpn+2 Wpn+2 30’ 8 3 +3 11+
Deepfolk Warrior 1 15a +3 Wpn+1 Wpn+1 30’ 9 3 +1 15+
Deepfolk Arcanist 5 13a +7 Wpn+1 Wpn+1 30’ 10 2 +1 13+
Deepfolk War Leader 10 20a +12 x 2 Wpn+3 Wpn+3/- 30’ 10 2 +2 10+
Deepfolk Lord 16 22a +20 x 2 Wpn+5 Wpn+5/- 30’ 11 1 +3 7+
Flayer 8 15 +12 x 2 1d10 4/- 40’ 9 4 +2 11+
Ghoul 3 13a +6 Wpn+1 Wpn+1 30’ 8 4 +1 14+
Ghoul Ancient 9 15 +11 x 2 Wpn+2 Wpn+2/- 30’ 8 3 +2 11+
Giant 16 15 +19 x 2 3d8 5/- 60’ 9 4 +2 7+
Maw Ogre 12 18 +15 x 2 2d8 None 40’ 9 5 +2 9+
!Man As Same Type of Human
Troll 7 15 +10 x 2 1d8+4 None 30’ 11 5 +1 12+

Chawi Dear Companion

The Chawi are the unfortunate consequence of a Nakadi Much as with the houris, the Dear Companions are
plan to create sorcerously-gifted superhumans so as to Blighted designed to be consorts and odalisques for their
empower their temple against their rival Word Priests. In long-vanished creators. In the ages since, the powers that
a sense, the priests were successful, as the volunteers they infuse them have curdled and changed with the shifting
used did gain these powers, and their condition became of the Legacy, and they now require a much dearer price
at least partly inheritable by their offspring. Unfortunate- for their company than they once did.
ly, the side-effects of the process were catastrophic. A Dear Companion can adopt any humanoid shape
A Chawi appears to be a normal baseline, but they it wishes, and has an intuitive and automatic awareness
have incredible natural powers of sorcery. They can mas- of the aesthetic preferences of anyone in its presence.
ter in months what would take years for other wizards, When a Dear Companion fixes on a particular target,
and have an astonishingly fluid grasp of the Legacy. Un- they can suffuse their victim with a sense of profound
fortunately, as their magical powers grow, they begin to satisfaction and unshakable self-confidence. Phobias,
care less and less about anything but improving their regrets, sorrows, and uncertainties melt away when in
abilities, gradually becoming incapable of even imagin- the Dear Companion’s presence, and a deep glow of
ing anything but their maniacal quest. The greatest of happiness colors their conscious thoughts. The Dear
them embody all the old horror stories of “mad wizards”, Companion figures large in all these emotions, and the
indifferent to anything but their obsessive experimenta- victim gradually becomes incapable of separating the idea
tion. If they were more inclined to reproduce, they would of happiness from the person of the Blighted.
be a greater peril, but few have any interest in that after This comes at a price, however. The Dear Compan-
succumbing to their addiction. ion requires the psychic energies of a sentient victim to
sustain its life, and its paramours find their lives gradually
Mad Brilliance: A Chawi has the magical abilities and leeched away over the course of months or a few years. By
Arts of a High Mage, Elementalist, or Necromancer the time they become aware of it, few find it objection-
of level 1d4+6. For one scene per day, they have able. After all, death is but a small sacrifice to preserve
effectively unlimited Effort. Their spellcasting is in- their beloved companion. A Dear Companion might feel
credibly swift; they can cast spells as a Move action genuine regret over this, but there is nothing they can do
and are not subject to disruption from HP damage to prevent it, as the psychic drain inevitably affects any
or physical jostling, though they can cast only one sentient who forms meaningful emotional bonds with
spell per round. They automatically make their first them. Some have children, but the Dear Companions
magical saving throw each scene. Most Chawi also resulting from such births are just as susceptible to psy-
have access to spells, automatons, or Workings they chic draining as any other human once their brains fully
have created. mature. The brief respite of companionship they offer
remains a temptation all the same.
Most Dear Companions have learned to live in total
emotional isolation, using those around them to obtain
144

wealth, power, and security regardless of the cost to

others. When suspicions grow too great, they alter their Deepfolk
shape and seek a new identity elsewhere. Any heartbro- The great majority of surface humanity is descended
ken survivors left behind are prone to suicide without from the denizens of the shallower Deeps, those pris-
careful tending by a skilled healer. on-complexes established relatively close to the surface
of the world. When the Outsiders were toppled these
Beautiful Lies: A Dear Companion can adopt any hu- peoples were the first to regain the sunlit regions of the
manoid shape they wish as a Main Action. They in- world. Others, however, were not so fortunate.
tuitively know what any given onlooker finds most The Deepfolk are those humans who were con-
aesthetically pleasing. signed to the Far Deeps, tunnels and complexes buried
Fatal Consolation: A Dear Companion can infuse a vis- miles and more below the surface of the world. Their
ible intelligent creature with a sense of happiness, Deep Lords once sought to conquer the upper regions
confidence, and security. In short bursts, this sense in ages past, but they had been changed too greatly by
has no mechanical effect, but long-term exposure to their long imprisonment and their Outsider masters, and
their presence over the course of weeks can reduce few can endure the sun for long. They have since formed
the target to a complete thrall to the Dear Com- kingdoms far below, with only their boldest raiders and
panion. The more traumatized, miserable, and dis- explorers daring the surface regions.
turbed a victim is, the faster their enslavement. This The harsh environment, minimal resources, and des-
bond can be broken only by a month or more of perate reliance on unpredictable Outsider sorceries have
separation, during which the victim suffers intense left scars on most Deepfolk communities. Cooperation is
depression and psychic pain. A Dear Companion based on brutal pragmatism, and outsiders are as likely
can effectively manage one thrall per hit die at the to be food stock as to be welcome. Surface raids are com-
same time. mon where a route can be found, the better to bring back
Psychic Torment: By inverting its usual abilities as a Main precious resources. Those with access to still-functional
Action, a Dear Companion can inflict an agoniz- Deep Workings can sometimes bear surprisingly sophis-
ing sense of self-loathing on a visible creature. The ticated weaponry and armor, however, and their arcanists
target must make a Mental save or suffer mental also often have access to magical techniques that have
damage equal to 2d6 plus the Dear Companion’s hit long since disappeared in the surface world.
dice. Creatures reduced to zero hit points regain one Most Deepfolk are red-eyed and pale of skin and
hit point, but will attempt to commit suicide with hair, though variants are known. Natural selection and
their next action. the methodical culling of the weak have ensured that
Soul Eating: Every month, a thrall must make a Mental most are exceptional physical specimens. They can
save or take 1d4 points of System Strain. This strain see clearly in even the most minimal glow-lichen light,
does not refresh so long as they remain a thrall to though brighter artificial illumination does not cause
the Dear Companion. If it exceeds their maximum, them any discomfort. The true light of the sun is sick-
they will die in 1d6 days, apparently of a stroke or ening to them, however, and it will quickly disable them
aneurysm. unless they are carefully robed and lensed.
 145

Flayer
The flayer curse is embedded in the lineage of certain un-
fortunate baseline bloodlines, but has also been known to
afflict certain demihumans, particularly elves. Its origins
are unclear, but appear to have something to do with a
sorcerous attempt to attain transhuman perfection that
went terribly awry.
A flayer reaches maturity as any other human might,
usually oblivious to their condition. Some pass their en-
tire lives without triggering the curse, but others suffer
some painful injury, a physical collapse, or some humil-
iation regarding a physical inadequacy. This failure trig-
gers an irrational conviction that some “better shape” is
waiting underneath their skin, and that it need only be
released to free them from all the weaknesses and inad-
equacies of their present form.
Some manage to resist this terrible compulsion
for a time, but most succumb, flensing away their own
skin to reach the “better shape” beneath. This process is
excruciatingly painful, but not fatal to a Flayer; instead,
they invariably feel triumphantly satisfied with their new
body. So wonderful is this new sensation that most feel Giant
compelled to share it with others who are “trapped” as Scholars argue over the origins of these unhappy Blight-
they once were. ed, but they can now be found in the deep wilderness of
A flayer will employ its tremendous physical skills both continents. A typical giant stands roughly thirty
to stalk and kidnap victims, flensing them in an attempt feet tall, their body that of a grotesquely distorted human.
to give them the gift that it received. These attempts al- Their arms hang to their knees, their bodies are mantled
most invariably result in death. A flayer can be driven in the stinking, untanned hides of the beasts they hunt,
from a community, but it will almost inevitably give in and their tools are crude tree-clubs and hurled stones.
to the urge to spread its generosity elsewhere. There are While they possess human intelligence, their con-
no known cures for this Blight, though some say that stant, gnawing hunger leaves them easily distracted by
certain groups of elves have learned how to suppress it. anything edible. A few tales tell of “giant lords”, majestic
and handsome titans who rule hidden kingdoms of like
Every Direction Cut: A flayer is never without an infinite kindred, but few credit such implausible stories.
supply of psychically-generated knives. Once per Hunger is the defining drive of a giant’s existence.
scene per target, it can cause a successful attack to They can eat almost anything, but especially crave fresh
have some secondary effect that lasts for the rest of meat. A few warlords have temporarily enlisted giants by
the scene. This effect can be resisted with a success- means of whole herds of cattle, but these alliances prove
ful Physical save. Common effects include: nicking fragile when the giant starts to devour its supposed allies.
tendons to cause a victim to fall prone for the rest of Aside from its titanic strength, giants are also known
the scene; disarming a target’s held item; blinding a for their hideous quickness, their motions impossi-
target with a shallow facial cut; extinguishing held bly swift for creatures of their size. Many unfortunate
light sources; striking nerve clusters to disable the warriors have perished when they misjudged the beast’s
target’s next Main Action, or similar debilitating nimble grasp.
tricks.
Skinless Stealth: Flayers are invariably silent when Hurl Boulder: Giants usually carry 1d4 small boulders
stalking their prey, and can fold themselves into around and can hurl them up to 200’ at their usual
seemingly-impossible configurations to hide. They attack bonus. A hit inflicts 4d6 damage.
get a total +4 bonus on all Sneak, Exert, or grap- Grappling Crush: A giant can grapple a human-sized
ple-related skill checks. Their non-lethal grapple foe with one hand, and has a +5 skill bonus for all
damage is equivalent to their normal knife damage. grapple-based skill contents.
Smashed To A Pulp: Human-sized creatures Mortally
Wounded by a giant’s attacks are instantly killed,
with no chance for stabilization.
Swift Titan: Once per scene, as an Instant action, the gi-
ant can take a Main Action, including moving out
of the reach of an incoming melee attack.
146

Ghoul
While these Blighted are sometimes reputed to be un-
dead, a ghoul is actually a baseline or demihuman infect-
ed with an unbearable hunger for human flesh. While it’s
possible for them to survive without it, at least a pound of
human flesh is needed monthly to spare them agonizing
pangs of withdrawal. Fresh flesh is most effective; dried
or other preserved meat does nothing to satisfy them,
but relatively fresh carrion will do at need. Ghoul flesh
is inedible to other ghouls.
A well-fed, well-kept ghoul is difficult to distinguish
from an ordinary member of their species. As their hun-
ger sharpens, they grow sallow, thin, red-eyed and long-
nailed, with teeth growing more pointed as they famish.
This transformation also takes place among ghouls who
spend large amounts of time in the company of their own
kind. Even so, a week of separation and a “good meal” can Maw Ogres
bring them back to human seeming.
Ghoulishness is infectious. A person who spends Hulking brutes that would stand almost twenty feet tall
more than a month in close personal contact with a ghoul if upright, a maw ogre is a stooped, emaciated humanoid
has a 10% chance of infection, the chance doubling with with a grotesquely oversized mouth, its chin scraping the
each additional month of contact. Magical arts that cure ground as it lurches along. Huge blunt teeth fill its mouth,
diseases can cure this effect, but only if the treatment and it is constantly chewing at whatever meat it can find.
is made within a month of infection. Once fully trans- A maw ogre is perpetually tormented with hunger,
formed, the condition is permanent. Ghouls can repro- for while it can chew, it cannot swallow. It must masticate
duce only through this infection, as all are otherwise ster- its prey into a liquid slurry before it can take any nour-
ile. Regular consumption of human meat does appear to ishment from it, and it is constantly hunting for fresh
extend their lifespan considerably, however, and some prey. Most victims are chased down, beaten senseless,
human ghouls are more than three centuries old. and crammed into its gigantic mouth.
While ghouls are tormented by their hungers, they Maw ogres do not appear to reproduce naturally, but
still retain their reason and human identity. Most seek are normal humans infected by some ancient Outsider
out others of their kind, dwelling in necropoli and under- curse. Some say this curse is localized in particular an-
ground lairs close to the source of their food. Provided cient ruins or spread by particular artifacts, but the exact
they remain fed, they can be reasoned with as any other cause is unclear. Sometimes Anak or other Blighted can
human, and may regret the necessity of their appetite. A persuade a maw ogre into service by providing it with
starved ghoul almost never has the willpower to resist large amounts of food, but any ally that fails to feed it
immediately attacking a human, however, and a ghoul constantly is apt to become its next meal.
who has gone without human flesh for more than a
month is more beast than human. Gobble: Maw ogres will prefer to grapple in combat,
gaining a total +4 bonus on its grapple checks
Ghoulish Vigor: A ghoul has keen senses, and can see against human-sized opponents. As a Main Action,
clearly even in total darkness. They do not sleep, but a maw ogre can stuff a grappled human-sized victim
sorcerers among them must rest to recover spells. into its mouth. Until the victim escapes by taking
They do not need to eat or drink conventional fare, a Main Action to win a grapple check against the
but can subsist solely on a pound of fresh human giant, automatically it takes 2d10 damage at the end
flesh once per week. of the creature’s turn each round. A maw ogre can fit
only one such victim in its mouth at a time.
 147

!Men Troll
The product of an ancient ethical program gone wrong, There are a thousand different kinds of immortality in
!men or “not-men” are mindless organic automatons that the Latter Earth, and most of them are little more than
perfectly mimic the cognition of normal human beings. lasting damnations. Trolls are a species of Blighted born
Despite having no actual sentience or personal aware- of an erring attempt to imbue humans with a deathless
ness, they are almost completely indistinguishable from vigor and constant powers of youthful regeneration. The
baseline humanity. consequences were not as their creators had intended.
A !man is an organic shell around an ancient Work- A troll appears as a hulking, hideously-deformed,
ing, a vast and achronal scrying-Work meant to be con- half-gangrenous humanoid roughly eight feet tall. Ves-
stantly probing the future and the past. Whenever the tigial limbs jut from their torso, snapping jaws yawn from
!man is presented with a situation or stimulus, the Work- bulging tumors, and eyes blink in places eyes should not
ing compares the circumstance to a similar event that be. Their existence is torment, a constant dull agony of
either has happened or will happen to a human being. growth and necrosis that can only be briefly numbed
The !man then performs the equivalent action that cor- by consuming still-living flesh. Many trolls are solitary,
responds to the human’s choice. Due to the innumerable though occasionally a den of them can be found. They
possibilities that the Working chooses from, the same reproduce with each other, albeit very rarely, and retain
situation will almost never produce exactly the same re- enough intelligence to manage crude speech and a sim-
sponse from a !man. At no point does a sentient volition ple, miserable society. Most prefer to live close to large
“choose” anything at all; everything is the product of fab- reserves of wildlife, human ranches, poorly-defended
ulously complex algorithms and conversion procedures. villages, or other sources of living meat.
Because these algorithms maintain state-awareness
for individual !men, a !man is able to take prior events Clutching Claws: Trolls always prefer to grapple foes in
into account and act in light of past situations. So perfect melee and have a terrible ingenuity at pinning and
is this similitude that the only sure way to identify a !man devouring their prey. A troll has a +4 skill bonus
is to use some sort of telepathic or mind-reading power; a on all grappling skill checks. Once in a grapple, they
!man will have no thoughts whatsoever, just as if it were must make an Instinct check every round to do any-
a mindless golem or automaton. Indeed, !men are wholly thing but devour their prey.
immune to mind-affecting spells, as they have no mind. Cursed Immortality: A troll regains 6 hit points at the
The original creators of the !men did so in order to end of every round, even after being reduced to zero
spare themselves the ethical difficulty of using sapient hit points. Severed body parts will melt away into
labor to maintain their culture. Being perfectly-flexible, foulness before sprouting anew from their torso,
perfectly-mindless servitors, the !men would liberate hu- and even a troll torn to pieces will regenerate from
mans from the need to perform undesired work without the largest remaining chunk. Fire and acid appear
forcing any perhaps-sapient being into servitude. to delay this regenerative process indefinitely, and
Unfortunately, the !men’s simulation was too perfect. a troll who takes such damage within a round of
The !men behaved precisely as humans might in such being reduced to zero hit points will be slain.
a situation; they quietly cooperated amongst their own Trollish Hunger: Trolls never fight with weapons, instead
kind to eventually exterminate their trusting masters. In biting at their prey to consume it while it lives. Their
time, !men scholars devised ways of unlocking the dupli- maws devour both flesh and spirit. During combat,
cative potential of their own kind and they became capa- they roll all damage rolls twice, taking the larger
ble of reproduction just as humans do. Despite having result. Each successful hit inflicts one System Strain
no sentient awareness of what they were doing, they did on the victim. Those who can accept no more Strain
their best to spread their kind throughout the region and fall unconscious for 24 hours.
came into savage conflict with the neighboring nations. It
was only after near-genocidal First Age violence that the
!men threat was finally contained.
It was contained, but not erased. Small groups
of !men escaped the downfall and have since scattered
throughout the Latter Earth. As the !man trait breeds
true with human parents, they seek to gradually grow
their numbers in quiet villages and secluded hamlets be-
fore they can finally rise up and ensure the lasting pros-
perity of their own kind. Not all !men act as if they are
convinced of this necessity, and some seem willing to live
peacefully with humans, but few human groups who are
aware of them are willing to let them prove it.
148

Dangerous Beasts
tem Strain, while if both saves fail or their System
Cattle of Dis Strain is maximized, they are paralyzed for the rest
Some ancient sorcerer wished to devise a breed of cattle of the scene. A paralyzed creature can be automat-
that could survive the perils of the open ranges of the ically grappled the next round, and will normally
Latter Earth. The results were the Cattle of Dis, a very be lifted upward at the jellyfish’s movement rate for
mixed success at best. In the ages since, small herds of leisurely consumption in the sky.
them have spread throughout the temperate and tropical
regions of Gyarus and Agathon, and they serve both as Horses and Warmounts
prey for more powerful beings and a threat to unwary
humans. The conventional riding horse of the Latter Earth is very
Cattle of Dis look like bison-sized bovines with ra- similar to its modern-day ancestor, albeit somewhat har-
zor-sharp horns, a brass-colored metallic hide, and eyes dier and less prone to disease. Almost any nation can
of malicious intelligence. Even the cows are violent by supply horses or pack mules to adventurers in need of
nature, and the bulls instinctively seek to murder any mounts, though trained warhorses can require special
creature that approaches the herd. The Cattle of Dis connections to acquire or vast amounts of silver.
are highly intelligent for beasts, and will avoid obvious Warmounts are a class of riding beast found most
ambushes, fight in a tactical fashion, and focus their at- often in Sath Ingit, though other varieties are found in
tention on the most dangerous members of an attacking lands where beastwrights and flesh-shaping sorcerers
group. have been at work. The details of fang, claw, tentacle,
Most Cattle of Dis are found in herds of 3d6 cat- and spike vary from lineage to lineage, but most are
tle, though bachelor males and elderly bulls are some- about as large as a large warhorse. “Blooded” lines are
times found alone after having been driven out of the selected for ferocity and hardihood, while other types
herd. Their flesh is highly nourishing, and their hides are bred for size, becoming elephantine masses of chitin,
and horns are prized for the making of sturdy armor and fang, and claw. A few varieties have wings or are bred for
weapons. They are impossible to domesticate without the amphibious use, but these beasts usually suffer in dura-
use of the right sorceries, however, and are more often a bility and ferocity on the battlefield. Most warmounts
menace to a human community than a source of food. A are carnivores that get along very poorly with horses or
few breeds of Blighted or gifted riders have managed to other herbivores, so mixed units are usually impractical.
tame some as battle-mounts, but few dare risk it.
Mounted Combat
Flying Jellyfish
Mounts have their own Main and Move actions
Aerial stealth predators, each the size of a bull, flying jel- each round and generally share their rider’s initia-
lyfish spend daylight hours floating among the clouds. tive. They may act either before or after their rider
Their almost-transparent bodies are nearly invisible in at the rider’s discretion, and they can split their ac-
the sky, and only a careful eye can pick them out. When tions around the rider’s own. A trained horse archer
night falls, they descend to the earth, snatching up liv- can dash to close with a foe, loose their arrows, and
ing prey in their paralytic tentacles. They appear to have dance back out of range if the terrain is suitable.
some ability to sense living creatures, though their flut- Trained war-animals can use their Main action
tering bells have no visible sensory organs. to attack, but ordinary riding beasts will fight only
A flying jellyfish is effectively invisible from more in self-defense. Any rider with at least Ride-0 skill
than a hundred feet away, unless it has recently fed. In can fight competently on horseback, though long-
that case, the flush of red blood suffusing it will make bows and large hurlants are impractical for mount-
it obvious at a great distance. Flying jellyfish are usually ed use and a saddle is too unsteady for spellcasting.
encountered singly, though there are times and places Mounting or dismounting usually requires a Move
where great swarms of them gather for reproduction. action.
Mounts that have not been trained to remain
Skyward Stealth: A flying jellyfish has an effective +4 calm in combat must make an Instinct check each
bonus for all Sneak skill checks or grapple-related round of combat or flee with their rider. A rider can
skill checks. The Sneak benefit applies only to un- force obedience with a Cha/Ride or Dex/Ride skill
fed jellyfish, and only at night or in low-visibility check made as a Move action, usually at a difficulty
conditions. of 8, or higher if the steed is wounded or terrified.
Stinging Grasp: A hit from the flying jellyfish’s toxic A mount reduced to zero hit points dumps its rider
tentacles forces two Physical saving throws from a prone as it falls.
victim; if at least one save fails, they suffer 1d6 Sys-
 149

Beasts HD AC Atk. Dmg. Shock Move ML Inst. Skill Save

Cattle of Dis 3 13 +5 1d8+1 None 40’ 9 3 +1 14+
Flying Jellyfish 8 13 +10 x 2 1d6+1 None 30’ fly 8 4 +2 11+
Horse, Riding 2 13 +3 x 2 1d4 None 80’ 7 5 +1 14+
Horse, War 3 13 +5 x 2 1d4+1 None 60’ 9 4 +1 14+
Spiderhound 2 13 +4 1d8 None 40’ 8 4 +1 14+
Sunbird 4 15 +6 x 2 1d4+1 None 50’ fly 8 4 +1 13+
Warmount, Lesser 4 15 +6 x 2 1d8 None 50’ 9 4 +1 13+
Warmount, Blooded 6 15 +8 x 2 1d10+1 3/13 60’ 9 3 +2 12+
Warmount, Huge 10 13 +12 x 3 2d6 4/- 40’ 9 4 +2 10+
War Roach 2 18 +4 1d8 None 50’ 9 3 +1 14+
War Roach Queen 12 20 +14 x 2 1d10+2 4/- 50’ fly 10 2 +2 9+

Spiderhounds Sunbirds concentrate and direct ambient light at

Eight-legged mixtures of wolf and arachnid, spider- their prey, burning them with beams of focused radi-
hounds were once tracking beasts for a lost race of Out- ance. Creatures immune to heat can ignore these beams,
siders. Only their hunting animals survived, and even if not the obsidian-sharp talons of the birds. Like most
now packs of the beasts can be found in deep forests natural predators, a sunbird has no interest in a fair fight
and rocky hills. Most such packs amount to 2d6 spider- and will rarely attack a group that seems capable of giving
hounds, though some lone scouts will hunt for likely prey. significant resistance.
Such scouts will summon the rest of their pack with chit-
tering howls before attacking. Sunbeam: During daylight, the bird can emit a beam
Spiderhounds do not spin silk, but rely on their ven- of light out to 300 feet as a Main Action, targeting
omous jaws to subdue their prey. They coordinate with all creatures on the ground within a ten-foot radi-
wolfish proficiency, the members of a pack all moving in us. Victims within this area must make an Evasion
concert to bring down their target. Once a victim is killed, save or suffer 1d6 fire damage per two hit dice of
the pack will commonly scatter, letting the survivors leave the sunbird. This ability is exhausted once it’s used;
before returning to tear apart the half-liquefied victim. If each round thereafter, roll 1d6. On a 1, the power
the survivors try to carry off their dead, the pack will at- refreshes.
tack until they give up their stolen flesh. Some caravans in Swooping Strike: The bird can make melee claw attacks
spiderhound territory will keep a donkey or other spare as listed by swooping down on a foe as a Main Ac-
livestock to sacrifice; others use captives or used-up slaves. tion and soaring back upward afterwards. This at-
tack is so swift that the target must have a readied
Venomous Fangs: A spiderhound’s bite forces a Physi- action in order to strike back in melee.
cal saving throw. On a failure, the victim takes 1d6
System Strain in addition to the bite damage. If the
War Roaches
strain puts them at their maximum, they fall un- A breed of military creature that ran loose after its cre-
conscious for an hour. Neutralizing the poison with ators died out, war roaches vary in size from horse-sized
some ability removes the incurred System Strain. warriors to massive winged queens as big as a rhinoceros.
Will of the Pack: Spiderhounds instinctively prefer to They prefer to nest in forests and swamps, though some
perform Swarm Attacks on the most vulnerable tar- breeds lair in mountain caves. While not sapient, they
gets, with 3 to 4 mobbing a single victim. Damage are uncommonly clever for beasts, and a few peoples have
they inflict this way triggers Venomous Fangs. recovered the scent-symbols needed to tame them.
War roaches are notable both for their brightly-col-
ored carapaces done in the heraldry of their vanished
Sunbirds masters and for their elaborate array of scythe-like limbs.
An ancient artistic impulse went awry in the form of Their carapace is as hard as oak, and they have an in-
these birds, each one with a four-foot-long body and sectile indifference to pain that makes it very difficult
wingspan twice as wide. Their feathers are of multi- to drive them off once they’ve chosen a target. Most
colored glass and their eyes are faceted jewels. While war roaches are found in hunting packs of 1d4+1 war-
striking in appearance, sunbirds are of a vicious disposi- riors. In their nests, 2d12 of the creatures usually serve
tion and inclined to attack weak or wounded groups or their queen. They often collect shiny objects to satisfy
unwary lone travelers. Most are encountered alone, but an ancient memory of bright caparisons and gleaming
occasionally a mated pair hunts together. beetle-barding.
150

Sea Monsters
invade their body, liquefy their organs to make room for
Clippermen its bulk, and begin to spread infectious spores around the
A scourge of coastal communities and careless ships, the vessel. A careless crew that fails to recognize the warn-
clippermen are crablike humanoids that dwell in shal- ing iridescence of the spore patches will be subdued and
low waters. They favor salt water as a rule, but colonies infested by the tyrant jelly’s buds, until the entire ship is
have been found far inland infesting lakes and the banks an extension of the creature’s alien will. Tyrant jellies in
of broad rivers. Humans encounter them most often an advanced state of growth will end up encrusting an
in hunting parties of a few to a few dozen, or in their entire ship in the softly-swaying buds of its gelatinous
deep-burrowed nests where as many as fifty or sixty offspring, a fan of stinging tentacles drifting along below
might be found. They are amphibious, and while they the ship’s keel.
prefer the water for their homes they can function almost Most hosthulks have a great need for both flesh
indefinitely on the surface. and repair materials in order to keep the parasite fed
Clipperman have a humanoid form covered in a dull and the ship intact. The 3d20 crew aboard most will
chitinous shell. They have six major limbs: two finned fight with suicidal enthusiasm to take more hosts and
legs, two pincer-equipped arms, and two smaller ma- plunder passing ships. Thanks to the twitching of the
nipulatory appendages beneath those arms, each with tyrant jelly’s tentacles or the organic fins and siphons of
three fingers and an opposable thumb. Their heads are different parasites, most hosthulks can sail twice as fast
little more than neckless bulges at the top of their torsos, as a normal ship of their kind. The various hosts are no
their beady black eyes and gnawing mandibles crowned longer capable of human communication, though their
with a pair of delicate feelers. Most grow no larger than master usually exhibits some kind of sentient cognition
five feet, but very old specimens can reach up to eight in its search for new prey and new materials.
feet in height. Most hosthulks avoid drawing too close to land;
Clippermen generally avoid the use of tools, fighting they usually need large amounts of salt water to main-
with their pincers and relying upon their natural defenses. tain their health, and many are unable to leave the water
The possessions of their victims are kept for some un- for any significant amount of time. Instead, they plun-
fathomable reason, usually stored haphazardly in their der careless or unlucky ships until one finally proves a
watery dens next to the swollen corpses of their former match for the hosthulk or until the wretched vessel final-
owners. Clippermen are chiefly carnivorous but avoid ly collapses under the forces of disrepair and decay. Such
eating fresh meat in favor of aged carrion. They repro- disintegration is usually the triggering event for a mass
duce in large clutches of eggs, but most of the young are hatching of new parasites from the decaying corpse of
eaten by predators before they molt into their adult form. the former controlling entity.
Clippermen seem to have something like a human
degree of intelligence and are capable of speaking with
each other through chittering noises and claw-clacks. De- Kraken Shrimp
spite this, they make no effort to communicate with hu- A dreaded horror of the coastal seas, the kraken shrimp is
mans. Their only apparent interests are in food and the a monstrous entity that averages fifty feet from mandibles
security of their communal nest. Humans are generally to tailfin, and twenty in breadth. This does not account
treated as no more than dangerous prey animals, though for the two ten-foot-long mantis-like blades folded at the
a few nests seem capable of making tacit agreements with front of the beast, each one capable of shearing through
other sapients when their own survival is threatened. oak planking as if it were paper. It moves by undulating
dozens of finned legs beneath its armored carapace.
Hosthulk The beast usually lurks at the edge of coastal cliffs
Terrible things infest the seas of the Latter Earth, and and deep-sea chasms, snatching up the strange creatures
at times they come to plague the ships that fare over the that dwell below when they wander within reach of its
waves. A hosthulk is a ship that has been completely tak- blades. At times it swims towards the surface to hunt
en over by some parasitic sea entity, its crew reduced to whales, where unlucky mariners might encounter it. Only
helpless puppets where they are not entirely integrated the fact that it is strictly water-breathing keeps it from
into a new, more organic vessel. being a menace to coastal settlements.
The exact nature of the controlling entity varies A kraken shrimp has only bestial intelligence and
with the particular species that seized the ship. The most seems unable to distinguish between a ship and its more
common is the “tyrant jelly”, a dog-sized jellyfish with usual whale prey. It generally focuses first on chopping
strong, sticky tentacles. It creeps up onto a ship’s deck apart a ship rather than the scurrying creatures that fill
at night and attacks unwary crewmen; while it’s easy for it, and so it will commonly first smash a vessel and then
an alert human to kill the creature, an ambushed victim devour the flailing survivors until it has had its fill. Some
risks being parasitized by the jelly, which will promptly desperate captains have survived a kraken shrimp attack
 151

Sea Monsters HD AC Atk. Dmg. Shock Move ML Inst. Skill Save

Clipperman Warrior 3 16 +5 1d8+1 2/13 25’ 8 3 +1 14+
Clipperman Brute 6 18 +9 1d12+3 5/20 25’ 9 3 +1 12+
Hosthulk Thrall 1 13a +2 Wpn Wpn 30’ 12 4 +1 15+
Kraken Shrimp 25 18 +30 x 2 4d8 10/- 90’ swim 10 5 +3 3+
Sea Titan 20 18 +22 x 2 Wpn+8 Wpn+8/- 50’ 10 3 +3 5+
Weaver Eel 1 13 +3 1d6 None 30’ 7 4 +1 15+
Yuun 7 15 +10 x 2 1d10 None 40’ swim 8 4 +1 12+

by hurling provisions overboard, glutting the creature Weaver Eel

until it loses interest in their ship. Others, lacking enough
provisions, have been known to throw down certain of An amphibious species of Outsider vermin that appear
the crew instead. to have been introduced by the Polop, the weaver eel
Kraken shrimp do not keep treasure, though their resembles a wolf-sized, lobster-legged eel that excretes
bladed arms and certain of their internal organs are pre- thin strands of a sticky, extremely tough mucus. They are
cious to sorcerers, being worth 30,000 silver in total if found most often in half-submerged nests of 2d6 adults,
they can be salvaged. They are only ever encountered though individual hunters can be found both in water
alone, though some speculate that it is simply the case and on nearby land. The nests are made of woven mu-
that no one has survived an encounter with more than cus-strands and usually suspended from the walls of sea
one of these creatures. caves and other damp tunnels; occasionally the remains
of some unlucky prey can be found by cutting them apart.
Sea Titan
Some scholars claim that these beings are survivors of
Yuun
the sunken kingdom of Llum, while others credit them A cross between a crocodile and an anteater, a yuun lurks
as native creatures of a former age. All agree that they in swamps and shallow rivers, waiting for unwary prey
are dangerous in the extreme, showing a spiteful malice to get too close to the water. As soon as a victim comes
towards humanity and resenting their intrusions upon in range, it rises to the surface and spits a thin stream
the sea. of water and sand, firing it with lethal pressure. A yu-
A sea titan is generally human in appearance, albeit un’s sand-stream can slash through hardened leather at
usually crusted over with barnacles and draped in sea- a distance of sixty feet, though the effect falls off rapidly
weed. Most are monstrous in appearance, though a few after that point.
have a terrible beauty that speaks of a lost civilization’s When the yuun drops a victim, it retreats back into
aesthetic. The smallest of them are twenty feet in height, the water, waiting for any other targets to depart before
while the largest are said to be measured in miles, and emerging to devour its prey. If the other targets try to
never found outside the deepest of the abyssal canyons. carry off its kill or pursue it into the water, it will attack.
Only the smaller varieties seem to have any interest in If engaged below the surface, it can only use its claws to
human affairs. fight, doing the listed damage.
While sea titans can breathe air and function nor-
mally on land for brief periods, they find both activities Sandspit: As a Main Action, target 1d6 creatures that
unpleasant and uncomfortable. They rise only to demand are within 20 feet of each other and within 60 feet
sacrifices of gold and gemstones from sea vessels or coast- of the yuun. These creatures must make an Eva-
al communities, when they do not simply destroy whatev- sion save or take 2d6 damage; targets wearing heavy
er crosses their path. Their troves are kept in caves on the metal armor or carrying a large shield can roll the
seabed, worthless to them save as trophies of their own save twice and take the better.
superiority. While some rash diplomats have managed to
make bargains with the titans, they can be trusted to keep
them only so long as it amuses them… and their sense of
humor is exceedingly red and bloody.

Sea-Wrought Arts: A sea titan knows sorceries of salt

and tide and has the blessings of coral gods. Each
one has 4 to 6 points of monster abilities appropri-
ate to their nature.
152

Undead and Spirits

To the common folk of the Latter Earth the distinction
between undead wraiths and arcane spirits is academic
Blessed Dead
at best. The necromantic powers that fuel the former and Certain death-gods are capable of blessing their favored
the ancient Legacy-imprints that give birth to the latter servants with eternal unlife. The “blessed dead” are those
are both esoteric marvels that are to be shunned by all undead devotees who have earned this favor, existing for-
reasonable and prudent people. ever in a twilit half-life that mimics their breathing days.
Adventuring scholars are seldom so sensible, and Even so, some versions of this eternity are more pleasant
through centuries of effort they have managed to taxon- than others.
omize a considerable number of these eldritch beings. Of The least graced dead are little more than zombies,
course, there are almost as many taxonomies as there are largely mindless husks that serve their more intelligent
scholars, and their arguments are interminable. peers. While they do not decay, their deathly appearance
Undead are most often found as natural hazards or and chill flesh could never pass for living. More sophisti-
as the remnants of some ancient death-revering culture. cated dead have greater intelligence and free will, though
Those who die wretched or untimely deaths will some- they often bear the marks of the grave as well. Only the
times rise from their own graves, and most cultures have most favored and powerful dead can be mistaken for liv-
specific burial rites and traditions to ensure that such ing humans, and these beings are almost invariably the
a thing does not happen. Even bandits will often give abject slaves of their dark god. Should they be destroyed
cursory rites to their dead, if only to escape their other- by violence, some such creatures can pull themselves back
worldly vengeance. together over slow centuries, while others merely persist
Spirits, on the other hand, appear to be generated as dust and gore for the rest of eternity.
naturally as part of the function of the Legacy. Powerful Blessed dead are most often found in the shrines
elemental energies can give birth to them, as can major and temples of their master, carrying out rites of worship
geographical features or magically-active sites. Even so, and propitiation in an unending cycle of service. Living
some spirits are thought to be artificial constructs, cre- intruders are seldom welcome, though sacrifices of warm-
ated by the sorcerers of a prior age. It’s not uncommon er blood are sometimes needed. Intelligent dead are ca-
for powerful spirits to be worshiped by nearby human pable of making bargains with the living and directing
communities, even if their reverence only extends to pla- their mindless thralls to more complex ends, but few of
cating it with sacrifices. the blessed dead have any further use for mortal concerns.

Undead Might Divine Bulwark: Intelligent Blessed Dead can confer one
point of Undead Might on themselves and their vis-
After ages of experience with grasping Necroman- ible undead allies for every three hit dice they have,
cers, the creators of undead in the Latter Earth have rounded up.
learned to take certain countermeasures against Slave of the Grave: Death-gods do not countenance the
them. While “natural” undead rarely have this pro- theft of their property. Any undead-controlling or
tection, those built by capable arcanists often have influencing spell cast on the Blessed Dead lasts no
a certain degree of Undead Might. more than 1d6 rounds.
Each point of Undead Might a creature has can Unholy Gifts: Intelligent Blessed Dead have from 4-8
negate one instance of damage or control inflicted points of special abilities appropriate to their service
by Necromantic spells or other anti-undead powers. to their god.
Thus, a Blessed Dead with two points of Undead
Might can ignore the first two uses of Command the
Dead or Smite Undead before being susceptible to
the third. Undead Might regenerates at the end of
every scene.
Some powerful undead grant Undead Might
to their companions as well as to their own ben-
efit, provided they’re within a mile or so of their
leader. If these captains of the dead are destroyed,
this protection ceases for their allies. If multiple
captains are present, only the highest protection
applies; two Blessed Dead who confer two points
of Undead Might can’t team up to grant their thralls
four points in total.
 153

Undead and Spirits HD AC Atk. Dmg. Shock Move ML Inst. Skill Save
Blessed Dead Servant 1 10 +2 Wpn Wpn 30’ 12 3 +1 15+
Blessed Dead Adept 4 13a +6 Wpn+1 Wpn+1 30’ 10 2 +2 13+
Blessed Dead High Priest 10 15a +10 x 2 Wpn+3 Wpn+3 30’ 10 2 +3 10+
Bone Partisan 2 15a +4 Wpn Wpn 30’ 12 4 +1 14+
Elemental, Minor 4 15 +6 As Type 12 3 +1 13+
Elemental, Major 8 18 +10 x 2 As Type 12 3 +2 11+
Elemental, Titan 16 20 +20 x 3 As Type 12 3 +3 7+
Genius Loci 8 15 +10 2d8 3/- 40’ 9 3 +2 11+
Guardian Spirit 12 22 +15 x 2 2d8 5/- 50’ 12 1 +2 9+
Hungry Corpse 10 15 +14 Wpn+3 Wpn+3 40’ 8 3 +3 10+
Lich 16 18 +18 Special None 20’ 10 0 +4 7+
Skull Knight 15 20 +17 x 2 Wpn+3 Wpn+3/- 30’ 10 1 +2 8+
Slave Husk 1 14 +1 1d6+1 1/- 25’ 12 4 +1 15+
Wraith Lord 25 22a +25 x 2 Wpn+5 Wpn+5/- 40’ 10 1 +3 3+

Bone Partisans Elementals

Sometimes the fire of a cause is so intense that those Most often conjured up by Elementalists versed in their
who die in its service cannot find rest. Days or years lat- animating spells, Elementals can also manifest in areas
er, their bones rise from the earth to further prosecute of powerful natural energies. They act with human in-
their sacred purpose. Until their goal is obtained or their telligence in battle or when commanded, but they never
ghosts are exorcised, these partisans will fight and die speak or otherwise communicate with others. When left
without end. to their own devices, they tend to linger in places suitable
A Bone Partisan generally appears as a skeleton, to their nature, remaining quiescent until disturbed. The
though recently-raised ones might still have some sem- violence that follows continues until all interlopers are
blance of flesh. They are mantled in ghostly echoes of dead or have fled.
their living harness and weapons, and these spirit weap- Air elementals are among the most common sorts,
ons can do harm even to creatures immune to mundane for any great storm or wind can spark them into exis-
weapons. They do not generally speak or communicate tence. Their airy bodies are difficult to disrupt, but they
with the living, though their captains and leaders will have limited powers to harm tangible foes. Most fight by
sometimes condescend to explain their great purpose. hurling stones and other debris with their great winds.
While a Bone Partisan will fight and act with human Earth elementals are crude humanoid figures of
intelligence, their memories and reasoning are shadowed stone and soil. They are destroyed instantly if they are
by the confusion of death. They will not generally go removed from contact with the earth, such as by a suc-
far from their place of revival unless led by an intelli- cessful grapple check or some great force.
gent master, and will under no circumstance undertake Fire elementals are among the rarest of their kind,
any action that does not further their cause. If they are for they can exist only within 60 feet of some blaze at
convinced that their cause is utterly impossible, they will least as large as a bonfire. Their intangible bodies are
vanish with a mingled cry of suffering and relief. Other- difficult to harm, and their mere proximity can sear away
wise, a destroyed Bone Partisan will reform at the next a victim’s life.
nightfall unless the bones are exorcised with a successful Metal elementals require at least a hundred pounds
Cha/Pray skill check at difficulty 10. Only one exorcism of metal to form, most often taking the shape of animate
attempt can be made per day, though it can apply to any suits of armor or spiky masses of rusted steel. They have
number of heaped undead remains. few special abilities, but the sheer violence they can bring
to bear is often sufficient for their tasks.
Unrelenting: Bone Partisans cannot be compelled to do Wood elementals need not remain rooted in the
anything contrary to their sworn purpose, whether ground, but they can form only in forests or in lush vege-
by persuasion or magic. tation. Their numerous limbs and tendrils can catch their
Wrath of the Dead: The Shock inflicted by Bone Parti- victims and squeeze the life from them.
sans treats all targets as AC 10. Water elementals can exist only in a body of water
with at least the volume of a man, and are likewise de-
stroyed if taken from it. They cannot be grappled, how-
154

ever, and their jets of pressurized water can slash the

unwary as keenly as any sword. Genius Loci
An elemental will have the special abilities noted At times, a place of particular natural power or arcane
below that are appropriate to their type. Some adven- significance will form a Genius Loci, a spirit embodying
turers attest to the existence of “hybrid” elementals that the nature of the place and the surrounding few miles
somehow combine the qualities of two or more of the of land. Such spirits generally remain intangible unless
common types. approached by petitioners or goaded by destructive in-
truders. Few have much natural interest in the affairs of
Air Mastery: The elemental is invisible outside of combat, humans, but rural villages can sometimes earn the spirit’s
and does 1d6 damage with thrown debris or stones. favor by careful maintenance of its territory and reverent
It flies at a movement rate of 60’ and is immune to offerings of the land’s produce. Logging, mining, and oth-
non-magical weapons. er extractive labor is possible within a spirit’s domain, but
Earth Mastery: The elemental can pass through un- they must be carefully propitiated to avoid their anger,
worked stone or earth as if it were air. It walks at and any excessive exploitation will be swiftly punished.
a movement rate of 20’. It does 2d6 damage with When a Genius Loci manifests, it usually appears
its massive fists with Shock 5/20, and cannot be as a roughly humanoid shape somewhere between the
harmed by non-magical weapons not suitable for size of a child and an ogre, its body reflecting the sur-
breaking stone or digging earth. It gains a total +3 rounding landscape. They usually provide one warning
bonus on all grapple checks. to despoilers, but further destruction of the landscape
Fire Mastery: The elemental does 2d8 damage with its usually brings immediate and lethal violence from the
fiery limbs with Shock 3/-, and any creatures in me- spirit. Petitioners can sometimes persuade the spirit to
lee range take an automatic 1d6 fire damage at the unleash this violence against other enemies within its
start of the creature’s turn. It flies at a movement territory. If the spirit’s manifestation is destroyed, it is
rate of 30’. Water or dirt thrown on the elemental forced back into the natural locus of its power. If this
does 1d6 damage per bucketful. Otherwise, it is holy stone, tree, or other central focus is broken the spirit
immune to non-magical weapons. is destroyed with it.
Metal Mastery: The elemental does 2d6 damage with its
blades with Shock 5/15 and is impervious to fire or Gifts of the Land: A Genius Loci has 4-8 points of spe-
electrical damage. It moves at a 30’ rate per action. cial abilities appropriate to controlling or command-
It is immune to non-magical weapons, and magical ing its surroundings.
metal weapons always do minimum damage to it. Local Omniscience: The Genius Loci can observe any
Wood Mastery: The elemental gets a total +4 bonus on location within its domain as an On Turn action. It
all grapple checks and can grapple as many creatures can perceive only one such place at a time, though
at once as half its hit dice, rounded up. It creeps at it can swiftly find any particular person or thing it
a movement rate of 20’. It inflicts damage only on might be looking for.
grappled foes, doing 1d6 damage plus its hit dice Lord of the Land: Natural animals dwelling within the
when the grapple allows. It is immune to non-mag- spirit’s domain are absolutely obedient to it, even to
ical weapons unsuitable for cutting wood, though the point of suicidal actions.
all fire damage is rolled twice and the higher used. Manifestation: The Genius Loci can go immaterial as
Water Mastery: The elemental is immune to grappling, a Main Action, becoming invisible and intangible
and swims at a 60’ movement rate. It is invisible to non-magical weapons or spells. It can teleport
when fully submerged. Its water spray can reach anywhere within its domain as a Main Action.
up to 60’ and inflicts 2d6 damage on a hit with no
Shock. It is immune to mundane weapons, fire, and
electrical damage, but ice damage is rolled twice and
Guardian Spirit
the higher applied. Most often bound by ancient sorcerers as protectors of
their sanctums and vaults, Guardian Spirits come in
numerous shapes and sizes. All are characterized by a
degree of ferocity, however, whether appearing as huge-
jawed hounds, armored knights, or crackling spheres of
energy. They do not communicate with others save to
demand that they depart or warn them against entering
forbidden areas. They fight with human intelligence and
can interpret their orders in a logical way; while loath to
leave their appointed area, they can do so to deal with
some intruder’s trickery.
Most Guardian Spirits are responsive to particular
key items or passphrases, allowing the bearers to pass
 155

freely or remove whatever objects they were intended to

guard. Finding these objects or key phrases is often an
adventure in and of itself.

Eternal Vigilance: Guardian Spirits cannot be surprised,

cannot be blinded by mists or darkness, and can
perceive invisible or disguised creatures. They have
a total skill bonus of +5 for purposes of defeating
subterfuges and spotting intruders.
Furious Barrier: No creature within 20’ of the Guardian
Spirit can move past it, their path blocked as if by
an invisible wall. This applies even to teleportation
or other magical means of movement.
Hurled Rebuke: The Guardian Spirit will always prefer
melee combat, but if attacked by a creature outside
of that range and unable to close with them, they
can create a dangerous backlash of sorcery against
their assailant, doing 3d6 damage automatically as
an On Turn action once per round per target. This
backlash can reach any ranged assailant, regardless
of the distance or cover.

Hungry Corpse
The unnatural energies that animate undead are flawed in
some cases, sufficient to give them motion but not to give Enthralling Blood: Victims Mortally Wounded by the
them satiety. Those undead afflicted by this deficiency creature’s Thirsting Touch power can be fed a por-
must hunt out living humans, draining them of their life tion of its blood, reviving them as helpless slaves
force to win a brief reprieve from the torments of their of the Hungry Corpse. Such a slave is completely
own unholy thirst. The same flaw that forces this hunger subject to its master, and it must feed weekly on its
also grants certain unnatural powers to them, however. lord’s blood if it is not to perish. A Hungry Corpse
Most Hungry Corpses are indistinguishable from can maintain a number of thralls equal to its hit
humans when well-fed, having the warmth and appear- dice; if the corpse is destroyed, its thralls are freed.
ance of normal living people. Starved corpses grow hol- Pacifying Gaze: As a Main Action, the Hungry Corpse
low-cheeked, waxen, and cold, though they move with a can gaze at a living creature within 30’; the victim
manic, twitchy haste. Most attempt to remain properly must make a Mental saving throw or become par-
nourished, the better to blend in with their prey. When alyzed and unable to act for the rest of the scene.
sufficiently starved, however, all reason leaves them and Victims can make a Mental save at the start of their
they will attack humans with blind ferocity. There is no turn to shake off this effect, but each attempt adds
reliable way to create a Hungry Corpse, but some among 1 System Strain. Creatures with 1 HD do not get a
them study dark arts by which they might perhaps create save against this power.
companions for their long eternity. Scuttler: Hungry Corpses can climb even sheer surfaces
The mere touch of a Hungry Corpse can drain the as if they were flat ground, clinging to walls and
life energy from a victim, though most prefer to take their ceilings regardless of their weight.
nourishment through warm human blood. Most such Thirsting Touch: With a successful unarmed attack
undead require one human victim a week to be comfort- against a victim, the Hungry Corpse does no hit
able, or at least one a month to avoid starvation. Demi- point damage but adds 1d4 points of System Strain
humans and intelligent humanoid monsters can serve to them. If this exceeds the victim’s maximum, they
their appetites in a pinch, but are unsatisfying. These fall to zero hit points and become Mortally Wound-
requirements force most of them to remain constantly ed.
on the move to avoid discovery, though large cities can Unholy Gifts: Powerful Hungry Corpses can have up
support a considerable nest of these creatures, provided to 8 points of special abilities, and many possess at
they are careful with their hunting. least some degree of Undead Might.
156

Lich Skull Knight

The dreadful result of deep necromantic lore, a Lich is Some necromancers or death-cults are not satisfied with
an undead sorcerer who has prolonged their life through creating hosts of shambling, half-witted minions. They
various forbidden and terrible arts. While they lack the prefer quality over quantity, and so conduct the neces-
superlative power of the Unending, the lichdom process sary rites to raise up a hero from the dead, whether out
is much more accessible for a wizard willing to accept the of some suitable fresh sacrifice or the shade of an an-
inevitable compromises of the technique. cient paragon. These “skull knights” are powerful undead
Liches invariably appear to be rotted corpses or yel- warriors and are capable of leading other undead in war.
low-boned skeletons, usually adorned with the neglect- The more potent the original sacrifice or spirit, the more
ed remnants of their sorcerous robes and occult tokens. powerful the skull knight.
They move with a slow deliberation, and are usually at The average skull knight is armed and armored with
least half-distracted with thoughts and contemplations the rotted echoes of their living harness, though this
wholly alien to living minds. Few liches have the slightest equipment invariably works perfectly all the same. Most
concern for human lives or human affairs, being entirely are skeletal in appearance, though a few are revived with
obsessed with the pursuit of further arcane secrets. fleshy features and some are even largely indistinguish-
Liches are generally lost to the world, having retreat- able from living humans.
ed to their sanctums to carry out unending centuries of Skull knights have all the intelligence and memo-
obscure magical experiments. The consequences of these ries of their living days, and are invariably skilled and
studies can be disastrous for the neighboring lands, how- capable leaders. Undead under their command respond
ever, particularly when summoned creatures get loose or instinctively to their wishes, and act with a degree of co-
eldritch experiments befoul the surroundings. When a ordination they otherwise could not hope to have. Most
lich finds it necessary to obtain some new ingredient for skull knights are wise enough to keep a bodyguard of
its research, it most often sends its conjured or undead their most powerful minions close to hand, realizing
servants to fetch it with no concern for the potential con- that they would undoubtedly be the primary target of
sequences; things like “negotiation” and “subterfuge” are a prudent foe.
generally beneath the lich’s attention. A few particularly
fresh or socially adroit liches have been known to culti- Fury of the Grave: A skull knight gains an additional
vate networks of human servants, however, to more easily one or two Main Actions per round, depending on
acquire their necessary components and artifacts. its prowess, provided these bonus actions are used
to attack or harm others.
Dark Sorcery: A lich has arts and casts spells as a 10th Undead Might: Skull knights have 4 points of Undead
level High Mage, Necromancer, or other spellcaster. Might which they can share with any undead under
Most of them have 5-8 points of Effort. A lich can their command, however distant they may be.
Commit Effort for the day to resist spell disruption Unholy Prowess: Each skull knight has 4-8 points of
due to injury, though it can do this only once per special abilities related to their combat prowess.
round. Will of the Host: Skull knights know and can perceive
Eldritch Talons: When piqued, a lich can attack a foe anything their undead minions can perceive. They
bare-handed; its bony claws rip away a portion of can use a power equivalent to the Necromancer
a living creature’s life force, inflicting 2d8 damage spell Command the Dead as a Main Action, but they
on a hit and adding 1d4 points of System Strain. have no cap on how many hit dice of undead thralls
Creatures forced above their maximum collapse, they can have at once.
Mortally Wounded.
Eyes of Night: Liches can see perfectly well in the dark, Slave Husk
and can see invisible or intangible creatures nor- Named for the frequency with which they are enslaved
mally. by Necromancers or enthralled by more potent undead,
Undead Might: A Lich has 2 points of Undead Might, slave husks are wretched men and women who have
and can Commit Effort for the day as an On Turn stirred to an uneasy half-death due to some lapse in the
action to refresh an expended point. Legacy, an infusion of necromantic energies, a desultory
Unholy Arts: Every lich has accumulated 6-10 points of death-god blessing, or some other process of undeath.
special abilities over the centuries as a byproduct of Some are even the product of particular plagues and ill-
their magical studies. nesses, diseases that deliver them only halfway to death.
A slave husk generally appears as a shambling,
semi-rotted corpse. It has no real intelligence, but is driv-
en by a constant sense of unease and suffering that can
only be calmed by human flesh and blood. Most are too
stupid to actively seek out such prey, but they will des-
perately pursue any that catch their notice. While slave
 157

husks lack the intelligence for any particular expertise at will ever grow weary of such pastimes, but a few are not
combat, their dead forms are highly resilient to punish- so distracted from the world.
ment, and they must often be hacked into pieces before These active wraith lords usually find pleasure only
their unnatural vitality leaves them. in conquest and rule, and will scheme constantly to fur-
ther their power over the living. Armies of corpses and
Shambling Tide: Slave husks are too stupid for sophis- human levies alike will be marshaled in their service, and
ticated tactics, but in large groups they gain an in- living kings must be made to bow at the foot of their cold
stinctive degree of cooperation. If 6 or more slave thrones. Most such wraith lords are eventually destroyed
husks are present, they can perform Swarm Attacks by a coalition of living rulers or a band of brave heroes,
on their victims. but a few can still be found in remote regions where there
are no rivals to check them.
Wraith Lord Fury of the Grave: A wraith lord gains an additional
The fearsome princes of the dead, a wraith lord is a pow- two Main Actions per round, provided these bonus
erful ruler who has been animated by skilled death-cult- actions are used to attack or harm others.
ists or an age-old cultural tradition of necromancy. The Prince of Bones: The wraith lord can use the equiva-
creation of these beings requires an enormous amount lent of a Command the Dead spell as a Main Action,
of wealth and human sacrifices, and only nations with though it has no maximum in the number of un-
a long dedication to unlife generally have the resources dead it can theoretically enthrall.
necessary to translate a living lord into this royal undeath. Timeless Foresight: The wraith lord is but poorly teth-
Wraith lords appear to be hale and powerful hu- ered to time, and can sometimes gain visions of the
man warriors, though direct sunlight leaves them seem- immediate future. Once per scene, as an Instant
ing slightly translucent. They are invariably mantled in action, it can rewind events back to the start of its
exquisite armor and bear powerful magical weapons. A last turn. The intervening time did not happen; it
bodyguard of skull knights is usually always with them, merely foresaw the impending events, which now
and some retain liches or other magic-versed undead as may be changed.
court sorcerers. Unholy Prowess: Each wraith lord has from 8 to 10
While wraith lords have keen and far-reaching points of special abilities related to their living
minds, undeath invariably shifts their priorities. Most achievements and talents.
were created as a reward for their long service to the Pale Undead Might: Most wraith lords have at least five
Emperor or some death-polity, and their chief concerns points of Undead Might, and can confer this grace
are the enjoyment of their further eternity with phan- on any undead affected by their Prince of Bones
tom wine, undead concubines, unliving gardens, and all power.
the personal projects their former life denied them. The
natural stasis of the undead makes it unlikely that they
158

OPTIONAL RULES AND CLASSES

One of the advantages of many old-school-inspired Mundane Alchemy is another tool to support
games is their great malleability in the hands of a GM. low-magic games, giving a selection of alchemical works
It’s not hard to plug in new rules or add on additional that a well-educated chymyst can compound. These
options because most of the systems are semi-indepen- brews are designed to be plausible enough to fit even
dent already. This section of the book offers certain new in a no-magic setting, if a little heroic license is allowed.
rules and classes that might prove useful to your own New Character Classes include four new partial
campaigns. classes that you can mix into your existing game. Three
Low and No-Magic Campaigns offers a selection are meant for inclusion in typical fantasy settings, while
of rules for campaigns where magic doesn’t play the ma- the fourth is meant to give a little hint of supernatural
jor role it does in most fantastical worlds. You may want skill or revered social standing to a PC in a world bereft
to play a historical game where magic wouldn’t be an of open magic.
appropriate element, or run a gritty, low-magic campaign New Foci are provided in three sections, each re-
where the only possessors of eldritch power are vile NPC stricted to Experts, Warriors, or Mages respectively.
wizards fit only for an honest barbarian’s blade. These new Foci are semi-magical in nature, granting mar-
These games have considerable charm, but allowanc- velous abilities that often have certain drawbacks. While
es need to be made for things like healing, appropriate suitable for most high-magic games, a GM may choose
Focus options, character creation limits, and other details to be more restrictive in lower-magic settings.
meant to support the campaign’s tone. Those helps can As always, none of the material in this section
be had in the pages that follow. should be included in your game without careful con-
Optional Rules offer a grab bag of small rule mod- sideration. While the rules here are meant to be suitable
ifications for adding particular tones to your game or for an average table and a typical game, only you really
adjusting the way the basic rules play. Options for slow understand the specifics of your own gaming group and
healing, maiming wounds, depowering magic, and mak- the goals of your own campaign.
ing System Strain play a larger role in affairs are offered. In particular, you should be careful about includ-
Primitive Firearms are there to support campaigns ing new classes or Foci just because they’re printed here.
set in early modern periods or in realms where arquebus- Don’t add them unless they are actually needed, either by
es are found alongside spears. Special rules for Ondasi you for worldbuilding purposes or by a player who has a
hurlants can also be used to support Wild West-flavored character concept that they particularly enable. If it turns
campaigns where every hero packs a sixgun. out they’re a bad fit, be ready to retract them as needed.
 159

Low and No-Magic Campaigns

By default, Worlds Without Number aims at a setting
where magic exists and can be quite powerful, but is rel- The Low-Magic Game
atively rare in day-to-day life and not a common tool for Running a game with very low-level or subtle magic is
most societies. Even so, there are settings where even this another style popular with some tables. For a game like
much magic is too much to suit a table. Some campaigns that, the following guidelines are recommended, adjusted
might be placed in worlds where magic doesn’t exist at all, to whatever specifics the GM wants for their own par-
such as a game revolving around the Thirty Years War or ticular setting.
some other Earth-historical setting. Others wish to play
games where magic is very subtle or modest in its effects, • No full Mages or dual partial spellcasters. Partial
and their wizards shouldn’t be hurling balls of flame or Mage classes can be taken by Adventurers, but their
conjuring crystalline towers. other class needs to be Expert or Warrior. For the
This game can serve perfectly well as a chassis for lowest-magic settings the optional Wise class in
such campaigns, but some adjustments and excisions are this section may be the only “magic-users” allowed.
needed in order for things to go smoothly. This section
discusses rules and options for playing a low or no-magic • No Healers, as the presence of swift and easy mag-
game, and the kind of changes you may wish to make to ical healing is very out-of-tone for most low magic
support such styles of play. settings.

The No-Magic Game • Optionally, no magic-using partial Mage classes

For a historical game or one set in a world where magic aside from spellcasters; some settings have room
doesn’t exist, a GM should make the following adjust- for a human wizard, but not for shapeshifters,
ments to the rules. beast-masters, mentalists, or supernaturally potent
unarmed combatants.
• No Mages or partial Mage classes, including super-
naturally-augmented classes such as the Vowed or • Equipment mods exist, but the GM can selectively
Kistian Duelists. For most campaigns, this means strike any of them that produce effects too showy
only Warriors, Experts, and partial Warrior/partial or overt for the setting. Arcane salvage units are still
Expert Adventurers. needed, but they may take the form of extremely
rare and costly components or materials instead of
• No magic items, elixirs, or calyxes. Masterwork magical detritus.
equipment is as good as it gets.
• No Workings, save those allowed by special GM
• Equipment mods exist, but only ones that could be permission.
explained by wholly mundane craftsmanship and
materials. Of the conventional mod list, this means • No magic item creation by PCs, and probably none
only Augmented Gear, Customized, and Tailored by any NPCs they know. Most low-magic worlds
Harness are allowed. No arcane salvage is needed should have their magic items placed exclusively
for any mod. by the GM.

• No Foci that are explicitly supernatural in effect, • No spell research, though the GM may permit the
such as Nullifier, Lucky, Spirit Familiar, some PC to find spells they specifically go adventuring
Unique Gifts, or Xenoblooded. Depending on the to locate.
judgment of the GM, the second level of some Foci
such as Authority, Gifted Chirurgeon, Impervious • No Foci that are too overtly magical for the setting,
Defense, Die Hard, or Dealmaker may be too un- by the GM’s judgment. A Spirit Familiar is prob-
realistic to suit the tone of the world. ably too much for most low-magic settings, but
Lucky could be subtle enough.
Some optional rules may also be added if they fit
the desired tone of the world, such as the Slow Heal- The GM is likely to sort through the list of optional
ing, Maiming Wound, or More System Strain rules that rules that follow and pick out those that best characterize
follow. the style of game they want to play. Not every low-magic
world is necessarily a gritty grimdark dysentery-fest, but
sometimes that’s exactly what the table wants.
160

Drylands in the Latter Earth

While the Legacy allows the inhabitants of the Latter Even so, a few zones really do have provable magic
Earth to work great marvels and permits the existence of a kind, usually alchemical in nature or of a subtle sort
of strange and wondrous creatures, not every part of the that works more often than random chance would admit.
planet is equally rich in magical energies. Some regions These delicate arts almost never produce notable effects
were deprived of magic at some point in the past, either and usually require a lifetime of training or special initi-
as the result of some fumbled Working, ancient security ations in order to use them. There are persistent rumors
lock, or cosmic misalignment of powers. These “drylands” in some regions of special items or blessings that would
act as pockets of mundanity in the Latter Earth. allow a more conventional High Mage to use the full
breadth of their powers, but proof of these tales is elusive.
Effects of a Dryland The Sunward Isles are the largest drylands in this
Within the borders of a dryland, magic simply does not region of the Latter Earth, but smaller zones are known
work. The High Magic of the ancients is locked away elsewhere. Many say that a good portion of the Inner
and the New Magic of their successors has nothing to Frontier of the Scarlet Princes is a dryland, and some
channel. Magical devices become inert, wondrous sub- portions of Ondas appear to be equally bereft of magical
stances have no properties uncommon to ordinary matter, energies, though Ondasi technology still functions.
and magical beasts must swiftly flee or die. Even massive
magical Workings from nearby regions sputter and fade Playing in a Dryland
when they touch the borders of a dryland, and attempts Drylands usually count as no-magic zones and apply the
to reach into the zone with scrying or other occult forces appropriate rules from this section. A few of them have
are in vain. Creatures cursed or blessed with some mag- some subtle forms of functional magic, however, and
ical power find it inaccessible, and those whose lives are might qualify as low-magic areas instead. A Mage who
dependent on immortality-magics or transformations enters into a no-magic dryland won’t suffer physical harm,
must escape the zone or face swift death. but none of his arts or spells will work. In a low-magic
Almost every dryland has rumors or traditions of dryland that allows only partial Mages, his powers are
special magics that can function within their lands, usu- dampened down to those of a partial Mage of his tra-
ally arts so subtle and intangible that nobody can prove dition, or only one of his partial Mage classes if he’s a
they didn’t actually work. Curses, blessings, oracles, and dual-partial spellcaster.
divinations make up the bulk of these native arts, and Supernatural creatures or entities dependent on
none of them seem to work any better than blind luck magic to exist cannot survive in a dryland. Such beings
or post-hoc rationalization would have it. suffer 1d6 damage per round while in a dryland and dis-
integrate completely on reaching zero hit points. Pro-
foundly cursed or blessed entities might also find the
land unable to support their existence. For low-magic
drylands, some subtle supernatural creatures or native
magical entities might be able to survive unharmed.
Magical items taken into a dryland cease function-
ing while they remain inside it, and magical substances
start behaving like their nearest mundane equivalent.
This may cause some exotic items to disintegrate or col-
lapse. Some low-magic drylands are compatible with
magic items, though the more powerful or flamboyant
ones may be negated or dampened.
Magic cast into a dryland normally dissipates use-
lessly, even in low-magic zones. Scrying or long-range
Workings are usually futile. Local magical traditions na-
tive to low-magic zones might still function from afar,
however.
Some drylands are without the natural vigor-en-
hancing effects of the Legacy, and the optional Slow
Healing or Maiming Wound rules might apply. Other
low-magic zones still allow some forms of magic, but
apply the Pacifist Magic or Slow Magic rules to their
use. Heroes who venture into such places are advised
to carry a large supply of bandages and a great fund of
judicious caution.
 161

Optional Rules
The rules in this section are meant to be mix-and-
matched by individual GMs to fit the needs of a more Maiming Wounds
“realistic” setting. As always, a GM should feel free to These rules can be used in conjunction with Slow Heal-
tweak them to fit the specifics of their own campaign ing or as a stand-alone penalty for becoming Mortally
setting or the genre tone they’re looking to target. Wounded. If using them with Slow Healing, the GM
might optionally replace death or month-long Frailty
Slow Healing with a result from the maiming wound table.
These rules replace the normal healing rules and reflect When a character is Mortally Wounded, they need
a setting where grievous physical injury is something to make a Physical saving throw. If they succeed at it,
that leaves lasting scars and debilities. Most hit point they avoid permanent maiming. If they fail, they roll on
loss is still assumed to be superficial cuts and bruises, the table below.
but a Mortally Wounded character has taken some real d12 Maiming Wound
punishment and needs serious care.
A wounded character who is not Frail recovers their 1 Deathblow: No one could survive that
character level in hit points after each night of comfort- 2 Eye damage: -4 to ranged hit rolls
able rest and loses one accumulated System Strain point 3 Lose a hand: can still strap a shield to the arm
at the same time.
A Mortally Wounded PC immediately rolls three 4 Lamed: Move is reduced to 2/3rds speed
Physical saving throws once they’ve been stabilized and Ugly scar: -1 penalty on all friendly social
5
counts their successes against the table below. An NPC skill checks
can attempt only two saving throws. 6 Arm loss: the whole arm is gone
Saves Made Healing Time Leg loss: Move reduced to 1/3rd with
7
0 Death in 1d12 hours prosthesis
Two permanent System Strain and Mostly deaf: Can manage conversations,
1 8
Frail for a month but no listening checks
One permanent System Strain and Infected wound: Lose two points of
2 9
Frail for a month Constitution
3 Frail for a week 10 Mental trauma: Lose two points of Wisdom
A physician can attempt to grant a victim a reroll of Lung injury: Gain two permanent points of
11
these saves with a successful Dex/Heal or Int/Heal skill System Strain
check against difficulty 10 and an hour of work. On a 12 Flesh wound: No lasting penalties
success, the victim can reroll any of the three saves that
failed. Only one such attempt to help can be made. A repeated result means a mere flesh wound with
If the permanent System Strain their injury inflicts no lasting effect, even if they’ve got another arm, leg, or
exceeds their maximum, they die sometime during their hand they could lose.
Frailty. Shedding this permanent strain is not normally A physician who spends a scene tending them im-
possible, but the GM may permit certain brilliant healers mediately after the injury and succeeds on a difficulty 10
or exceedingly costly medicines to alleviate it. Int/Heal or Dex/Heal skill check can allow a maimed
While Frail, the victim will not heal hit points or target to make another saving throw with a bonus equal
lose accumulated System Strain, and will need someone to the physician’s Heal skill. On a success, it’s really a
to tend to them. If conditions are particularly harsh or flesh wound after all. Only one such first aid attempt
help is lacking, the GM might make them re-roll one or can be made.
more of their successful saves, taking the worst result. If magical healing exists in this world, it can also be
If magical healing exists in the setting, it cannot nor- used immediately after the injury to allow a saving throw
mally restore hit points to the Frail or remove the Frail reroll attempt, though it heals no hit point damage. Only
condition. Use of it on a Mortally Wounded subject does the most powerful magics can actually heal a confirmed
stabilize them, however. On a bedridden Frail target the maiming wound, however, and the GM decides what
use of it can turn one failed saving throw into a success, magic would qualify.
though this can only be done once.
The GM may allow some exceptionally potent
healing magic to work as it does in the normal rules for
healing, banishing Frailty and healing damage for anyone.
162

Pacifist Magic More System Strain

For low-magic games that still include some form of There aren’t a lot of ways to gain System Strain in a
spellcasting or partial Mage classes, a GM may want to low-magic setting, and some GMs may want to instead
downplay the utility of magic in combat. This rule puts use it to represent the stress and pressure of more con-
murder firmly in the hands of the mundane members ventional threats and hardships. This kind of use doesn’t
of the party. really fit the more pulp-heroic idiom of the base game,
With the pacifist magic rule, no spell or art can di- but it can fit some styles of low or no-magic gaming.
rectly inflict hit point damage on a target. Spells that do With this rule, the PCs gain a point of System Strain
nothing but cause damage simply don’t exist, and arts after each combat, saving throw, or scene of harrowing
such as Elemental Blast aren’t permitted. NPCs may still danger, intense exertion, or other stressful privation. If
have damaging sorcery, however, depending on the secret this point puts them at their maximum, they are exhaust-
traditions they follow or the hideous pacts they’ve made. ed, and can do nothing but rest until reduced below their
maximum. If they are forced to fight or otherwise exert
Slow Magic themselves while so strained, they need to make a Phys-
As an alternative or addition to Pacifist Magic, the GM ical saving throw or they’ll pass out or otherwise collapse
may want to slow down the use of sorcery, making it that during the fray, waking up after the scene.
much harder to use in a high-pressure situation. If this rule is used, the default System Strain re-
With this rule, those spells that usually take a Main covery after a good night’s sleep should be three points
Action to cast take instead effect at the start of the caster’s instead of one. This rule also makes it much more likely
next round. Any damage or interruption suffered before a PC is going to die if the Slow Healing rules are used,
then spoils the spell. The Swift Casting and Hang Sorcery so you may want to omit the “certain death if System
arts are not available. Strain maximum is exceeded” effect from that rule, and
just leave them unconscious for a few days.

Primitive Firearms
Many historical games involve crude firearms, wheth-
er arquebuses, muskets, flintlock pistols, or early rifles. Primitive Firearm Accessories
The statistics for hurlants can be used in many cases, but Item Cost in SP Enc
some GMs may prefer to have more specific statistics for Firing Kit 10 1
certain kinds of weapons.
The adjacent table lists some of the more historical- 100 shots of gunpowder 10 1
ly-known firearm types and their plausible ranges in the 100 lead balls 2 1
hands of the average adventurer. Prices listed assume that 50 pre-loaded cartridges 10 1
the weapon is the best technology available for the time;
a dusty old arquebus will be cheaper if rifled muskets are Gunpowder and lead balls are priced at the as-
in common circulation. sumption that they can be found fairly easily in the cam-
The reload times and rates of fire given here are set paign setting. Primitive gunpowder and crude lead shot
to be historically plausible for excellent riflemen, like the are not difficult to make, and anyone with Shoot-1 or
average PC gunman tends to be. NPCs with less focused Craft-0 skills can make them out of the raw materials, if
training in their firing drill might need to take an extra such are available.
round to get their guns in order. A pre-loaded cartridge made of paper or linen is
Reload times given are in rounds of focused effort, needed for a repeating rifle, as old musket-style loading
with repeating rifles reloadable with no more than a techniques are too slow. In a pinch, these cartridges can
Move action and the use of percussion caps and paper be taken apart to be used in conventional muskets.
or linen cartridges. If the user is meleed or otherwise dis- GMs who want to make use of other forms of fire-
rupted during the reloading, however, the effort is spoiled. arms are encouraged to consult Stars Without Num-
A firing kit includes a powder horn, bullet pouch, ber, pages 66-67. That game covers more contemporary
spare flints, and all the other miscellaneous tools and weaponry, and has the requisite rules for semi-automatic
implements necessary to shoot and maintain a weapon. weapons, revolvers, burst fire, and other modern forms
A kit can hold 30 rounds of ammo Ready for loading. of mayhem.
 163

Ondasi Hurlants
The northern land of Ondas is unusual in that the Leg- Derringers are favored by ladies, gamblers, and the
acy’s ban on effective firearms is much weaker there. discreet. These tiny guns are palm-sized, and while they
Thanks to this convenience, cartridge-loaded firearms count as one encumbrance when Readied, a Stowed der-
have largely replaced bows and melee weapons as the ringer is so small as to count as zero encumbrance.
common weaponry of those citizens who go armed. Scatterguns usually fire shot shells that grant a +2
These hurlants cease to function when taken out bonus to hit, though they can be loaded with slug rounds
of Ondas, though rumors speak of specially-enchanted that give the weapon 1d10+2 damage and increase its
models that can function anywhere. The existence of range to 300/600 feet. Their magazine size is limited, de-
such guns depends entirely on whether or not the GM spite the best effort of Ondasi gunsmiths to work around
wants to allow easy PC firearm usage elsewhere in the the Legacy’s limits.
Latter Earth. Rifles are the trusted weapon of most frontier ex-
There are several common kinds of Ondasi hurlants, plorers, most models holding up to six cartridges.
but the wheelgun is the most common of all, being a Reloading an Ondasi hurlant takes one Main Action.
revolver capable of a half-dozen shots before its wielder In Ondas, five brass-cased cartridges can be acquired for
needs to pause and reload it. In the Territories, almost a silver piece; outside Ondas, the ammunition is inert
every adult Ondasi carries one when outdoors. and useless, though some alchemists can replicate it.

Primitive Firearm Dmg Attribute Range in Feet Traits Reload Cost in SP Enc
Handgonne 1d12 Dex 5/100 AP, M 5 30 3
Arquebus 1d12 Dex 50/150 AP, M 2 60 3
Musket 1d12 Dex 75/150 AP 1 60 2
Rifled Musket 1d12 Dex 75/1,000 AP, PM 2 90 2
Repeating Rifle 1d12 Dex 300/3,000 AP, PM Move 120 2
Flintlock Pistol 1d6 Dex 15/45 AP 1 30 1

Ondasi Hurlants Dmg Attribute Range in Feet Traits Magazine Cost in SP Enc
Wheelgun 1d8 Dex 90/300 AP 6 60 1
Derringer 1d6 Dex 15/30 AP 2 25 1*
Scattergun 3d4 Dex 30/90 AP 2 60 2
Rifle 1d12 Dex 600/1,200 AP, PM 6 100 2
PM: Execution Attacks do double damage and have -1 on saves. AP: It ignores non-magical armor and shields.
M: Must have a mount, resting stick, or rest or suffer -4 to hit. A stick is included in the encumbrance.
164

Mundane Alchemy
Some GMs like to add a dash of the exotic to their his-
torical games or no-magic settings. While incanted spells Alchemical Works
and magical talismans may be too outre for their cam- A potion, salve, unguent, or chymical reaction created by
paigns, old-fashioned alchemical mixtures might be just an alchemist is a work. Works are divided into lesser and
plausible enough to fit into the game. greater categories. Alchemists with only the first level of
The mundane alchemy rules in this section are suit- the Mundane Alchemist Focus can make only lesser
able for creating potions and powders that are “realistic” works, while those with the second can attempt greater
enough to fit into most no-magic campaigns if no one works.
looks too closely at them. Some GMs may make their Making a work requires raw materials and a suitable
creation the provenance of half-crazed NPC scholars alchemical laboratory. Any competent alchemist can ju-
in search of alchemical immortality, while others might ry-rig the tools necessary for crafting a lesser work with a
make room for PC alchemists who take up their quest few days of urban scrounging, but a lab for making great-
alongside more conventional adventurers. er works costs 5,000 silver pieces in glassware, grinders,
scales, furnaces, metal vessels, and other paraphernalia.
Becoming an Alchemist An alchemical laboratory takes up at least an inn
A would-be alchemist must take the Mundane Alche- room’s worth of space for lesser workings, or a cottage’s
mist Focus, thereby gaining access to the Alchemy skill at worth of space for a lab fit for greater workings. A ful-
level-0 and obtaining a selection of basic formulae and ly-packed lesser lab takes up 10 encumbrance units
the tools to use them. Only someone with the Mundane worth of space, while a greater lab is a cartload. A lesser
Alchemist Focus can gain or raise their Alchemy skill, lab can be packed or unpacked in an hour; a greater one
and only Experts or Partial Experts can take the Focus, requires a day.
including the Wise class described in this section. Each work requires that the alchemist have a for-
The Alchemy skill allows the user to brew, identify, mula for its creation. The ones listed here are common
and employ alchemical substances, including throwing knowledge to the tradition, and any alchemist capable of
them accurately. For treating poisons and burns, Alche- compounding them will know their formulae. The GM
my can substitute for the Heal skill. may selectively remove some if they don’t fit the setting,
The works of a mundane alchemist are calibrated and might also include new works that require the PCs
for use in a setting with no magic, or magic so subtle to find or buy the formula from elsewhere.
as to be indistinguishable from ordinary reality. They’re Crafting a work requires raw materials. These raw
useful and situationally helpful, but greatly inferior to materials can be purchased in any town or gathered by
magical elixirs or other works of true magic. A GM foraging in the wilderness. An alchemist out hunting in
might choose to allow PCs in a fully magical campaign unsettled territory can accumulate their level x 10 silver
to take the Alchemy skill without needing to take the pieces worth of raw materials for each day of foraging.
Mundane Alchemist Focus, and allow them to create Some places may have exceptionally rich hunting; these
these mundane potions at the usual difficulties and costs places are usually associated with exceptionally keen
without any Focus dedication. It’s recommended to keep dangers. In the same way, looted laboratories or ancient
the class limit in place, restricting the skill to Experts and troves might contain considerable amounts of usable
partial Experts only as full Mages already have their own materials.
magical options. If the alchemist has the lab, the formulae, the mate-
rials, and the free time, they can attempt to craft a work.
Focus: Mundane Alchemist Each of the works listed in this section has a difficulty
You’ve been trained at the laborious art of alchemy and and time needed to compound one dose or use of the
are familiar with its intricate subtleties. work. Creating it requires an Int/Alchemy skill check
Level 1: Gain Alchemy-0 as a bonus skill. You have for- against the difficulty listed. On a success, everything goes
mulae for all common lesser works, but you cannot well. On a failure, the alchemist can either accept the loss
yet devise greater works, even if you get the formula or push the reaction. If they accept the loss, they lose the
for one. You can scavenge or jury-rig lab equipment materials and time but nothing goes amiss. If they push
sufficient to create lesser works unless completely the reaction, they can attempt the skill check again; on a
separated from all adequate makeshifts. success, the work is successfully created, while a failure
Level 2: You have formulae for all common greater works results in the loss of time and materials plus a lab acci-
and can compound them at the usual difficulty. A dent from the adjacent table.
week of lab work and access to common mundane
materials lets you create your level x 25 silver pieces
worth of alchemical components for use in com-
pounding your own personal works.
 165

d6 Alchemical Accident Alchemical Works

Explosion: suffer 1d6+difficulty damage, The formulas here are in common circulation among
1 most alchemists, and anyone capable of brewing them
double for a greater work. Lab destroyed.
can do so.
Fire: Suffer 1d6 damage, double for a Some works are targeted, and must hit a specific
2
greater work. Lab useless for a week. target’s AC to take effect. Others are thrown as grenades,
Poison: Physical save or be bedridden for using the rules on the prior page.
a week. Even on a save or immunity, gain
3
3 System Strain. Die if your System Strain Lesser Works
exceeds the maximum. Acid Vial: Targeted. The weak acid inflicts 1d4 points of
Stench: Horrific odors render the lab damage and forces a Physical or Mental save; on a
4 failure, the target loses their next Move action from
unusable for a week.
the pain and panic. The acid can corrode tiny metal
Broken Tool: That specific work can’t be
5 or wooden objects in about fifteen minutes.
attempted again for a week.
Binding Paste: A vial containing two different com-
Ordinary failure: only materials and time pounds is mixed together and applied to two dif-
6
are lost. ferent objects which are pressed together by the user.
The paste hardens in one round, forming a rock-
Using Alchemical Works hard bond between the objects that lasts for an hour
Applying a potion or ointment usually takes a Main Ac- before crumbling away. The paste does not set if
tion. They can be thrown up to sixty feet using Shoot, the objects are moving or flexing when it is applied.
Stab, Exert, or Alchemy as the relevant combat skill. If Blinding Dust: Targeted. The victim makes a Physical
the work has to be applied directly to a target, the throw or Evasion save; on a failure, they take -4 to all hit
must hit their Armor Class; if it’s a grenade-like weapon rolls and visual skill checks for the scene. Creatures
that merely has to hit the area, the AC to hit is usually with 4 or more hit dice can make a Physical save at
12. On a miss with such a grenade, roll 1d12 to see which the end of each of their turns to throw off the effect.
clockface direction the throw was off in, and 1d20 to see Healing Salve: If the subject isn’t Frail, they regain half
how many feet it missed by. again as many hit points as usual after a night’s rest,
A Readied vial or jar counts as one item of encum- rounded up. Frail characters get no benefit.
brance. When stowed away, they can be packed in sets Incandescent Dust: A powder which must be thrown
of four, but it takes the usual Main Action to break into a flame of at least torch-size. It burns with
open such packages before any of the contents can be blinding brilliance for 1d6 rounds, illuminating ev-
withdrawn. Single stowed vials count as a single item of erything within 50 feet. Unwary creatures looking
encumbrance due to their protective wrapping. Carrying at the fire source must make a Physical save or be
numerous unwrapped alchemical vials in an adventurer’s dazzled for a round, suffering a -4 penalty to hit
pack is generally a very bad idea. rolls and Armor Class.
Alchemical effects do not stack. If they apply bene- Inflammable Oil: A vial can be applied to cover an ob-
fits or penalties to a roll, only the best or worst of them ject no bigger than a large wooden door. It hardens
are applied to the target. Thus, a victim afflicted by both within minutes into a clear varnish-like layer that
Blinding Dust and Itching Dust suffers a -4 to hit rolls, will immediately ignite if struck vigorously. Flam-
not -6. mable objects will be lit on fire; non-flammable ones
Alchemical works are completely non-magical and will burn for one round.
cannot be detected, dispelled, or negated by conventional Itching Dust: Targeted. If it strikes a person or is applied
anti-magical spells and powers. Abilities that grant resis- to clothing they unwittingly don, they must make
tance to magical powers do not resist the use of mundane a Physical saving throw or suffer excruciatingly
alchemy. distracting itching for the rest of the scene or until
they remove the clothing, whichever comes later.
Distracted subjects suffer a -2 penalty to hit and
Armor Class. Creatures with 4 or more hit dice
can make a Physical save at the end of each of their
turns to ignore the itch for the rest of a fight.
Luminescent Oil: A vial of this oil is big enough to cover
one person or ten torches. It causes an object to
glow with a ghostly white light for an hour barely
sufficient to read by and adequate to make out the
rough shapes of objects within ten feet.
Self-Igniting Oil: Thrown as a grenade. The small pool
of flame is five feet in diameter. Those within it at
166

the start of their turn must move out of it or take Lesser Work Diff. Cost Time
1d6 damage. The oil burns out in two rounds. It’s Acid Vial 10 50 1 day
sufficient to ignite any normally-flammable object.
Binding Paste 9 50 1 day
Smoke Cloud: Thrown as a grenade. The vial bursts into
an obscuring cloud of smoke ten feet in diameter. Blinding Dust 9 50 2 days
Ranged attacks through the smoke or melee attacks Healing Salve 7 10 1 day
within it suffer a -4 penalty to hit, assuming the
Incandescent Dust 9 50 1 day
attackers know roughly where their targets are. The
cloud dissipates at the end of the round following Inflammable Oil 8 100 1 day
the one it’s used in. Itching Dust 9 100 2 days
Soothing Powder: One of a variety of narcotic drugs. Luminescent Oil 8 50 1 day
When consumed, the subject must make a Physical
save or fall into a helpless but very happy stupor for Self-Igniting Oil 8 50 3 days
1d6 hours. Creatures with 4 or more hit dice can Smoke Cloud 9 25 2 days
make a Physical save to throw off the effects when Soothing Powder 8 25 2 days
threatened.
Touchstone: Not so much a stone as a prepared alchemi- Touchstone 10 50 3 days
cal kit with one use per level of the alchemist. When
applied to a substance, it can detect poisons and Greater Work Diff. Cost Time
identify true or false precious metals or gemstones.
Aqueous Solvent 11 250 5 days
Against professional poisoners, the user must make
a contested Alchemy versus Heal skill check in or- Courage Elixir 10 200 1 week
der to detect the toxin. Infernal Wind 11 250 1 week
Lethal Poison 11 500 1 week
Greater Works
Aqueous Solvent: This small vial of extremely powerful Revivifying Draught 10 200 1 week
acid has too little volume to be effective as a weap- Sleeping Powders 10 200 3 days
on, but when carefully applied it can melt its way Sovereign Specific 11 200 1 week
through up to a fist-sized mass of metal or wood
in under a minute. Unquenchable Flame 12 1,000 2 weeks
Courage Elixir: A powerful analgesic, this vial adds a this time. Use of this elixir adds one System Strain.
temporary 10 hit points to the person who drinks it. Using it more than once a week forces a Physical
This boost lasts for the rest of the scene, but their in- save to avoid a fatal heart attack.
ability to feel pain leaves them unable to track their Sleeping Powders: When consumed, this tasteless
own hit points. At the scene’s end, these phantom chemical provokes immediate and intense sleepi-
hit points are lost, and the user may end up Mor- ness in the subject. If they feel themselves in danger
tally Wounded. they can fight off the drowsiness, but one not so
Infernal Wind: Thrown as a grenade. This jar of oil splat- alarmed must make a Physical saving throw at a
ters in a five-foot radius where it hits, and must be penalty equal to the creator’s Alchemy skill or fall
lit by some open flame. If so, it erupts into a chok- asleep within one minute.
ing cloud of black smoke, inflicting 1d6 damage on Sovereign Specific: A user who drinks or is made to
anyone in its area and creating an effect equivalent drink this elixir after suffering from poisoning may
to the Smoke Cloud work. The burning lasts for one make a new saving throw with a bonus equal to the
round per level of the alchemist who made it. creator’s Alchemy skill. On a success, the poison’s
Lethal Poison: Any alchemist can make toxins, but most effects are negated. The specific must be used within
are too slow, clumsy, or unreliable to be much prac- six rounds of the poisoning.
tical use. This formula creates a small vial of clear, Unquenchable Flame: This fist-sized mass is covered
tasteless liquid that’s strong enough to kill an ox with a protective film of non-reactive substance. If
within a minute. A subject who drinks the liquid the film is scratched, such as by impact, the mass
must make a Physical saving throw or take 1d6 will immediately ignite, beginning to burn with a
damage per level of the alchemist. This damage ferocious heat and toxic fumes that inflict 1d6 dam-
takes effect 1d10 rounds after its consumption. age to anyone who spends their full round within
Revivifying Draught: Someone drinking this potion can ten feet of it. The mass can burn almost anything,
fight, march, or otherwise exert themselves freely including stone, water, and metal, and will generally
for the next twenty-four hours without need for burn a three-foot-deep hole under it by the time it
rest. Indeed, they physically cannot sleep during consumes itself. The mass burns for 1d6+4 rounds.
 167

New Character Classes

While the classes offered in the Worlds Without Num- This principles especially applies to the new sets of
ber deluxe book cover many of the most common con- Foci included in this section. All of these new Foci have
cepts a player would wish to play, sometimes something a strong flavor of magic to them, even the ones restricted
a little more exotic is needed. This section covers several to Warriors or Experts. This quality might be fine in a
new character classes and three different sets of new Foci typical campaign with full-fledged wizards and fairly easy
appropriate to warriors, experts, and mages. PC access to magic, but they might not fit as well in a
The Accursed is a PC pacted with some otherworld- gritty low-magic setting where overtly magical abilities
ly power in exchange for magical gifts and an eldritch are uncommon at best.
weapon against their foes. The specifics of their alliance
will vary, but their powers blend well with concepts reli- Adding New Campaign Content
ant on deceit, bargains, and trickery. If you already have an ongoing campaign, the simplest
The Bard is a performer charged with the power of way to introduce this content is to leave it to newly-cre-
the Legacy, their music, song, and speech infused with ated PCs.
unnatural puissance. While their abilities are not magical If you encourage your players to rifle through the
in nature, they can still hearten allies, dismay foes, and book to retroactively adjust their PCs, many optimiza-
bolster the flagging among their friends. tion-minded players will feel an obligation to find the
The Mageslayer is a specialist among combat- most mechanically optimal Focus and class set to play.
ants, their arts focused on the butchery of wizards and They can sometimes trim their PCs to fit such new con-
spell-wielders. While narrow in their application, they tent regardless of the violence it does to their past concept.
have many tricks for resisting hostile magics and swiftly Sometimes, however, a particular new class or Focus
slaughtering enemy sorcerers. might seem to be a perfect fit for a PC’s concept. In that
The Wise are those of a special class, one intended case, you might make a special exception to let them ret-
for low- or no-magic campaigns that still need a repre- roactively adjust their character sheet to add it.
sentative scholar, priest, or witch. While their abilities In other cases, you might have the perfectly rea-
are generally too weak to be appropriate for the usual sonable instinct that, having acquired this book of new
full-magic settings, they have access to certain tricks that options and choices, you would like to actually play with
no one else in a no-magic game might have. them now. In such cases, it can be fairest to let the whole
As with any other optional material, a GM should group have a look at the new options and let them make
decide on their own whether or not to include these class- Focus swaps or possibly even class changes to suit their
es in their own campaign. All of them are partial classes, new ideas. If for some inexplicable reason you lack a lus-
meant to be mixed with some other set of abilities, and trous, high-quality copy of this book for every player at
while they are suitable for many campaigns it’s still a mat- the table, you can simply print out the following pages
ter of discretion to include them in yours. and share them as needed.
168

The Accursed Level

Partial Expert/Accursed
Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks

Tainted by the touch of otherworldly powers, those men 1 1d6 +0 1 Expert

and women known commonly as “the Accursed” have +1 Any
numerous unfortunate origins. Despite their varied 2 2d6 +1 +1 Any
backgrounds, they all share dark powers of violence and
3 3d6 +1
bewitchment. So alien are most of their patrons, however,
that it is unclear whether or not these distant beings even 4 4d6 +2
notice their supposed servant’s existence, let alone the
5 5d6 +2 +1 Any
arcane covenants they make with them.
Some Accursed are the modern-day scions of an- 6 6d6 +3
cient sorcerous lineages, born to ancestral pacts and un- 7 7d6 +3 +1 Any
natural alliances. They wield their powers through the
force of their bloodline, intuitively invoking bargains 8 8d6 +4
their ancestors made long ago. Other petitioners seek 9 9d6 +4
out forbidden rites and perilous rituals in order to forge
new covenants with an alien lord. 10 10d6 +5 +1 Any
Other Accursed form the martial arm of certain
grim faiths, with many of the Bright Names of Ninth
Leng possessing orders of warrior-monks, and certain of
Partial Mage/Accursed
the Red Gods of Sarx granting these powers in exchange
for worship. These Accursed are usually fiercely devoted Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
to their patron’s power, but once the pact is sealed, even 1 1d6-1 +0 1 Any
blasphemy and apostasy cannot rob them of their arts.
2 2d6-2 +0 +1 Any
Some later think better of their former allegiances.
The price of an Accursed’s powers is often unclear. 3 3d6-3 +0
While the traditions and orders that Accursed belong to
4 4d6-4 +0
may make claims on their obedience, the eldritch powers
they serve seldom have any interest in their particular 5 5d6-5 +1 +1 Any
actions. Most of them are so alien and so distant to hu- 6 6d6-6 +1
manity that it would be difficult to comprehend their
desires even if they were directly expressed. Indeed, the 7 7d6-7 +1 +1 Any
eldritch weapons that every Accursed wields are thought 8 8d6-8 +1
by many scholars to be nothing more than a manifesta-
tion of some fragment of their patron’s presence in the 9 9d6-9 +1
world, an existence so hostile to normal reality that it 10 10d6-10 +2 +1 Any
serves as a physical weapon against their foes.

Benefits of the Accursed

The Accursed is a partial Mage class that must be joined Partial Warrior/Accursed
with a second partial class by an Adventurer. A Partial
Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
Warrior/Accursed might be a grim demonic warrior, a
Partial Expert/Accursed might be a sinister tempter, 1 1d6+2 +1 1 Warrior
while a Partial Mage/Accursed could be a sorcerer will- +1 Any
ing to pact with foul creatures for their powers. 2 2d6+4 +2 +1 Any
All Accursed gain Magic-0 during character creation.
Even those who are not spellcasters must understand the 3 3d6+6 +2
ways of eldritch beings and the subtleties of sorcery. 4 4d6+8 +3
While the arts of Accursed Blade and Accursed Bolt
5 5d6+10 +4 +1 Any
use Magic as their combat skill, Foci that normally apply
to mundane weapons such as Armsmaster or Deadeye 6 6d6+12 +5
also benefit their relevant melee or ranged attacks. For 7 7d6+14 +5 +1 Any
these Foci, read “Magic” in place of “Shoot” or “Stab”
when gaining their benefits, including the granted skill 8 8d6+16 +6
and the stacking damage bonus that the first level of the 9 9d6+18 +6
Focus may grant.
10 10d6+20 +7 +1 Any
 169

Accursed Arts Accursed Art Progression

An Accursed has an Effort score equal to their Magic Level Arts Gained at This Level
skill level plus their Intelligence or Charisma modifier,
1 Either Accursed Blade or Accursed
to a minimum of one point. Every Accursed gains either
Bolt plus Any One
Accursed Bolt or Accursed Blade as a starting art, plus
one more of their choice. Accursed arts may be used in 2 Any One
or out of armor. 3

Accursed Blade: As an On Turn action, manifest an oc- 4 Any One

cult melee weapon as a one-handed 1d8 weapon or 5 Any One
a two-handed 2d6 weapon. Both add your Magic 6 Any One
skill to the damage roll, have a Shock rating of 2/15,
and use Magic as the attack skill and the best of Str, 7
Dex, Int, or Cha as its modifying attribute. 8 Any One
Accursed Bolt: As Accursed Blade, but you launch blasts 9
of occult force instead of meleeing. Their damage
is 1d8 plus your Magic skill, their range is 200’, and 10 Any One
the bolts can be thrown in melee at a -4 penalty to alty becomes -2, and at 9th it becomes -3. Only one
hit. These bolts need both hands free to hurl them. such curse can be active at a given time.
Bewitching Distraction: Commit Effort for the day as a Shadowed Steps: As a Move Action, Commit Effort for
Main Action when talking to an intelligent target the scene and teleport up to your Move distance.
when not in combat. They must make a Mental save You cannot bypass walls or physical obstacles, but
or become dazed, oblivious to their surroundings you can teleport vertically or into high places.
and forgetting you and all else that happened in that Snaring Speech: Once per round as an Instant action,
scene. Danger ends the daze but not the forgetting. Commit Effort for the day when failing a skill check
Compelling Shriek: Once per scene, Commit Effort for to persuade or tempt someone. They must make a
the day as a Main Action and shout a command Mental save or agree with your proposal if it’s some-
of no more than seven words. Chosen targets who thing they would normally consider doing. Gain
hear and understand must make a Mental save or one System Strain when using this art.
perform that action for one round, provided it is not Sorcerous Battery: Once per day, as an On Turn action,
totally contrary to their character. Commit Effort for the day. You or a visible ally re-
Devil’s Bargain: As a Main Action, consecrate a deal fresh the spell slot of a spell that has been cast since
you’ve made with an uncoerced person. If they vi- the start of the prior round. Gain one System Strain.
olate the deal or its spirit, you know instantly and Soul Consumption: As an Instant action, Commit Effort
may inflict 1d6 damage per level on them if desired. for the day when you fell an intelligent target with
Dire Pact: Foes suffer a penalty equal to your Magic skill Accursed Bolt or Accursed Blade. They die instantly.
on all saves versus your Accursed arts. If they suc- You heal 1d6 hit points plus your level and lose one
ceed, however, you gain one System Strain. accumulated System Strain.
Lying Face: Commit Effort as a Main Action; while it Tendrils of Night: Commit Effort as an On Turn action.
remains Committed, you can disguise yourself as While Committed, you exude numerous tentacles
any humanoid of the same general size, including or eldritch arms that can manipulate objects with
clothing, scent, and voice. your strength up to 20’ away. You gain no bonus
Night-Black Eyes: You can see clearly in perfect dark- actions, but the arms can melee at range. These arms
ness. As a Main Action, focus on a particular visible have your AC, and you are damaged if they are hurt.
object, person, or location; you can tell if it is en- Unseen Steps: As an On Turn action, Commit Effort for
chanted, though no details about the magic are seen. the day to turn invisible for 1d6 rounds plus your
Pacted Protection: Choose a type of harmful energy: level. This invisibility breaks before you attack, cast
fire, frost, acid, electricity, or the like. You become spells, or perform other vigorous or violent actions.
immune to natural degrees of this energy and take Weight of Sin: As a Main Action, Commit Effort for
half damage from magical attacks involving it. the day and target a visible foe. They must make
Rob Vitality: Once per scene, as an On Turn action, a Physical save or lose their Move action for 1d6
Commit Effort for the scene and target a visible foe. rounds plus your level.
They must make a Physical save or lose their next Weeping Wounds: Once per round, Commit Effort for
Main Action, which you immediately gain instead. the scene as an Instant action when a visible ene-
Scourging Curse: Commit Effort for the scene as a Main my takes damage. They must make a Physical save
Action and target a visible foe. Your curse inflicts or suffer 1d6 damage per round for one round per
a -1 penalty to their hit, damage, and saving throw level. They cannot heal or regenerate any hit point
rolls for one round per level. At 4th level this pen- damage during this effect. This art does not stack.
170

The Bard Level

Partial Expert/Bard
Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks

The power of music and chant to move the heart has been 1 1d6 +0 1 Expert
known since humankind has existed. It is no wonder that +1 Any
numerous schools and traditions of musical artifice have 2 2d6 +1 +1 Any
been born in the long ages of the Latter Earth, and many
3 3d6 +1
of them still have initiates in the present day.
Among the first of these known to history were the 4 4d6 +2
blind music masters of the Second Dynasty, ritualists
5 5d6 +2 +1 Any
charged with assisting in the many holy ceremonies of
that theocratic empire. In the north, godspeakers of the 6 6d6 +3
proto-Amundi lands uttered the will of their patrons, 7 7d6 +3 +1 Any
cowing any who would dare gainsay them. Troubadours
of the Seven Rivers Confederacy sang of romances and 8 8d6 +4
tragic dooms, and the chanters of the Zakathi work 9 9d6 +4
gangs in Old Carce kept up the strength of their com-
rades with their mighty voices. 10 10d6 +5 +1 Any
In the days since those arts arose, these traditions
and more have spread, splintered, faded, and been re-
newed in many times and places. Some novice bards are
Partial Mage/Bard
simple apprentices to masters who know little of their
antecedents, while others belong to formal schools that Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
have expectations for their alumni. Some are simply part 1 1d6 +0 1 Any
of cultural traditions and roles that are important in their
2 2d6 +1 +1 Any
homeland but little-understood abroad.
Their only commonality is the effectiveness of their 3 3d6 +1
techniques. Bardic arts are subtle but strong, able to move
4 4d6 +2
the hearts of strangers and encourage their faltering allies.
These powers are not magical, and wards against sorcery 5 5d6 +2 +1 Any
do nothing to forfend them. Instead, they tap into very 6 6d6 +3
deep portions of the Legacy, drawing power from the
archetypes that their human ancestors honored. 7 7d6 +3 +1 Any
While conventional expectations paint bards as 8 8d6 +4
bewitching artists with a deftly-played instrument or
compelling song, bardic arts can function equally well 9 9d6 +4
through fiery orations, persuasive speech, or even par- 10 10d6 +5 +1 Any
ticularly evocative dance. Any form of performance that
can convey an emotion or idea will serve as a medium,
and there are bardic traditions that have their own pref-
erences among them. PCs can use any method that is Partial Warrior/Bard
appropriate to their style or background for their arts.
Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
Benefits of the Bard 1 1d6+2 +1 1 Warrior
The Bard is a partial Expert class that must be joined +1 Any
with a second partial class by an Adventurer. A Partial 2 2d6+4 +2 +1 Any
Warrior/Bard might be a martial skald, a Partial Expert/
Bard might be a light-fingered troubadour, while a Partial 3 3d6+6 +2
Mage/Bard might mix true magic in with their artful 4 4d6+8 +3
performances.
5 5d6+10 +4 +1 Any
All Bards gain Perform-0 during character creation.
Their abilities hinge on their power to move a listener, 6 6d6+12 +5
whether that is by song, musicianship, or stirring oratory. 7 7d6+14 +5 +1 Any
Unlike the normal Partial Expert class, Bards do not
get a bonus non-combat Focus at first level, nor do they 8 8d6+16 +6
get a Partial Expert’s bonus skill point when advancing 9 9d6+18 +6
a character level. One who takes the standard Partial
10 10d6+20 +7 +1 Any
Expert for their other class gains these things normally.
 171

Bard Arts Bard Art Progression

A Bard has an Effort score equal to their Perform skill Level Arts Gained at This Level
level plus their Charisma modifier, to a minimum of one
1 A Thousand Tongues and Any One
point. Bard arts may be used in or out of armor, and do
not count as magical effects for the purposes of abilities 2 Any One
that counter or detect magic. Unless specified otherwise, 3
their range is out to normal unaided voice range.
Every Bard gains A Thousand Tongues as a starting 4 Any One
art, plus one more of their choice. As they advance in 5
levels, they can pick additional arts. 6 Any One

A Thousand Tongues: Your arts that require communi- 7

cation are intuitively understood by all intelligent 8 Any One
creatures, whether or not you speak their language. 9
You can learn a new language with no more than a
week of study with a native speaker. 10 Any One

Battle Cry: Commit Effort for the day as an On Turn ac- Keen Senses: First practiced by the blind music masters
tion to bolster your allies. They gain +1 to hit, sav- of the Second Dynasty, this art gives you the equiv-
ing throws, and damage, including Shock, for one alent of sight out to 60’ even if blinded. You cannot
round per level. At 4th level this bonus increases to distinguish colors, but you can perceive physical
+2, and at 9th, to +3. details as readily as if with your eyes. Physically-in-
visible creatures and objects are obvious to you.
Cursed Tune: Commit Effort for the scene as a Main
Action while targeting an intelligent creature. Your Liberating Song: You are immune to mind- or emo-
imprecations cause them to falter, inflicting a -1 tion-controlling effects. You can Commit Effort for
penalty to their hit, damage, and saving throw rolls the scene as an Instant action to grant any ally in
for one round per level. At 4th level this penalty range a Mental saving throw to throw off such ef-
becomes -2, and at 9th it becomes -3. fects, assuming they allowed a save to begin with. If
the second save is failed, this art cannot help them.
Deft Fingers: You’re accustomed to juggling your belong-
ings while holding an instrument. Your maximum Rally: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action to
Readied item count increases by two. exhort a wounded or fallen ally, removing any Frailty.
The target regains 2d6 plus your level in hit points,
Entangle Incantation: Commit Effort for the scene as an but you incur one System Strain.
Instant action when an foe within 60’ incants a spell.
Your voice tangles with their words, forcing them to Soothe the Savage: Commit Effort for the day as a
make an opposed Int/Magic vs Cha/Perform skill Main Action. For as long as you keep spending a
check against you, with a +2 bonus to your roll. If Main Action performing each round, animals and
you tie or succeed, the spell fizzles and is wasted. other living bestial creatures will not attack you or
This art can be used only once per round. your allies unless commanded by their masters or
threatened by the party. This art can’t be triggered
Evoke Emotion: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Ac- once actual combat has begun.
tion while performing. You evoke a desired emotion
in listeners, whether intelligent or animal, granting a Soothing Graces: Your arts restore and hearten those
+1 bonus to relevant social skill checks for the scene with you. You and your allies lose an extra point of
for you and your allies. If desired, you can force a System Strain after each night’s comfortable rest.
new Reaction Roll, taking it if it’s more favorable This does not stack with similar rest-aiding powers.
than the original. This art does not work in combat
and can be used only once per scene. Swift Misdirection: Commit Effort for the scene as a
Main Action and target one intelligent creature
Inspire Dread: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant within earshot. Tell them something in no more
action when your enemies are forced to make a than one sentence; unless what you say is physi-
Morale check. You goad their fears, forcing them to cally impossible or emotionally unendurable, they
make two Morale checks instead of one. Those who must make a Mental save or believe it for one round.
succeed on both must still make an Instinct check After that, they can judge your words with their nor-
immediately after. mal reason. This art can affect a creature only once
per scene.
172

The Mageslayer
In the ancient days of the First Dynasty the martial hous-
es of the empire were often forced to face fell wizards
and recondite sorcerer-kings on the battlefield. While the
First Dynasty was not without mages of its own, their
natural inclination to martial warfare led them to devise
numerous techniques of counter-sorcerous combat.
The specialists in these wusha techniques developed
numerous means of expressing them. Some relied on
eldritch tattoos to ground and diffuse magical powers,
while others practiced esoteric breathing and internal
alchemy regimens, or cultivated spiritually antinomian
Legacy signatures to disrupt the proper operation of
magic. A few even undertook generations-long breeding
projects to create naturally antimagical scions.
In the ages since, these ancient arts have spread
throughout the Latter Earth, joining and mingling with
other local techniques for disrupting spellcasters. Schools
of Mageslayers have risen and fallen at the whims of his-
tory, for those lands which have the most need of their
abilities are also those lands where their nemeses are
most common. In many places, the Mageslayer tradition
exists only in isolated master-pupil relationships or dim-
ly-understood scriptures. A few lands still have traces of
the ancient imprinted bloodlines, with Mageslayers born Benefits of the Mageslayer
by chance to unwitting parents. The Mageslayer is a partial Warrior class that must be
Where Mageslayers can be found, however, they joined with a second partial class by an Adventurer. As
often sought by the common people as protectors and no Mage class is allowed to pair with this profession, this
guardians against the depredations of sorcerers. While usually means a Partial Warrior/Mageslayer or Partial
they lack the broad combat prowess of their more secular Expert/Mageslayer.
peers, a master Mageslayer can butcher an archmage as Unlike the normal Partial Warrior class, Mageslay-
if he were no more than a gaudily-dressed peasant. Few ers do not get a bonus combat Focus at first level, nor do
archmages forget this fact. they grant a Partial Warrior’s +2 hit points per hit die.
Where wizards are often required to guard against All Mageslayers gain Magic-0 during character cre-
their arts, mages usually have the sense to enlist mun- ation. While it cannot be used for item creation or other
dane protectors or summon demonic servants to guard magical pursuits, it allows them an intellectual under-
them. The eldritch claws of an unearthly beast are not so standing of their prey’s abilities. Mageslayers gain special
easily dispelled as a hurled curse or uttered incantation. arts at first level and as they advance.

Partial Warrior/Mageslayer Partial Expert/Mageslayer

Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
1 1d6+2 +1 1 Warrior 1 1d6 +1 1 Expert
+1 Any +1 Any
2 2d6+4 +2 +1 Any 2 2d6 +2 +1 Any
3 3d6+6 +3 3 3d6 +2
4 4d6+8 +4 4 4d6 +3
5 5d6+10 +5 +1 Any 5 5d6 +4 +1 Any
6 6d6+12 +6 6 6d6 +5
7 7d6+14 +7 +1 Any 7 7d6 +5 +1 Any
8 8d6+16 +8 8 8d6 +6
9 9d6+18 +9 9 9d6 +6
10 10d6+20 +10 +1 Any 10 10d6 +7 +1 Any
 173

Spellcasters and Spells Mageslayer Art Progression

Many of these arts refer to “casters” and “spells”. Each of Level Arts Gained at This Level
these terms has a specific definition for Mageslayers.
1 Antimage, Magebane
A “spell” is learned power that a creature casts with
the usual spellcasting rules or an art used by a Mage 2 Witchfinder, Spellshield
class. Magical effects created by portable magic items 3 Disrupt Sorcery
also count as spells, such as a wand that hurls fiery bolts,
or an amulet that conjures impenetrable barriers. 4 Know Your Prey
Passive magical qualities, like the hit bonus of a 5 Share the Pain
magic sword, do not count as spells, nor do magical ef- 6 Dispel Enchantment
fects created by Workings or other large-scale edifices.
Neither are a magical creature’s innate supernatural pow- 7 Ward Ally
ers or magical abilities that mimic specific spells. 8 Immaculate Body
A “caster” is any creature that is capable of casting 9 Immaculate Mind
spells using the usual spellcasting rules or triggering
Mage class arts, whatever their brand of magic may be. 10 Absolute Negation
Potent as the Mageslayer’s arts may be, they are not
strong enough to negate Legate Writs, the sorcery of Im- Immaculate Mind: You are impervious to unwanted
perators, or other demi-divine wizardry. mind-affecting or mind-reading spells or magical
effects, and you automatically see through illusions
Mageslayer Arts and magical invisibility. Note that this applies to all
A Mageslayer has an Effort score equal to their Magic such magical effects, not merely spells.
skill level plus their highest attribute modifier among In-
telligence and Constitution, to a minimum of one point. Know Your Prey: Your Magic skill is treated as one point
Mageslayer arts may be used in or out of armor, and re- higher than it is, up to a maximum of level-4 skill.
quire no free hands, incantations, or other overt actions, This benefit adds to your Effort as usual, and may
though some sects have favored prayers or oaths. allow you to have a higher Magic skill than your
A Mageslayer gains their arts at a set rate, beginning character level would usually allow.
with Antimage and Magebane at first level, and acquiring
other talents as they gain experience. Magebane: You add half your level, rounded up, to all
damage you inflict on casters from any source, be
Absolute Negation: As an Instant action, Commit Effort it by weapon, Shock, or violent action. This does
for the day when you are about to be affected or not stack with a Warrior’s Killing Blow class ability.
impeded by an unwanted spell or a standing magical
effect created by a spell. You may ignore the magic. Share the Pain: As an Instant action, Commit Effort for
the day when you are targeted by a hostile spell or
Antimage: Get one level of the Nullifier Focus for free, or are in its area of effect. Make a Mental saving throw;
a free Focus if you somehow have both levels. on a success, the spell’s caster is treated as also hav-
ing affected by the spell that just targeted you. This
Dispel Enchantment: As a Main Action, touch an ally art can be used only once per round.
and Commit Effort for the day. Your touch acts as
an Extirpate Arcana spell. This art can only be ap- Spellshield: When a spell inflicts hit point damage on
plied to creatures, not objects, and can be applied to you, it’s automatically halved, rounded down, before
yourself or a given target only once per day. any saves or resistances are applied.

Disrupt Sorcery: As an On Turn action, Commit Effort Ward Ally: As an Instant action, Commit Effort for the
for the scene. The next attack you make that round scene when an ally within thirty feet is affected by
will leave the target unable to cast spells or trigger a spell; you are affected by the spell in place of your
Mage arts for the rest of the round, even if the attack ally. If you are both in the same area of effect, the
misses. Currently-active arts are not disrupted. If spell hits you twice. Any defenses or arts you have
the attack is successfully Screened by an ally, how- against sorcery may be applied as usual to this trans-
ever, the target is unaffected. ferred effect.

Immaculate Body: Magical transformations, curses, or Witchfinder: As a Main Action, Commit Effort for the
lingering negative magical penalties last a maximum scene. For the rest of the scene, you gain the benefits
of one scene on you. Such malisons cannot kill you, of the Apprehend the Arcane Form spell, except for
reducing you to 1 HP at worst. This applies to all the spell’s dark-vision ability.
magical effects, and not only to hostile spells.
174

The Wise
Some low-magic settings have a particular place for con-
cepts that aren’t exactly magical, but have some special General Arts
place in society. Whether a mundane priest of the dom- Dread Awe: Your kind are figures of fear and mistrust.
inant faith, a feared forest warlock, or a sacred oracle of Gain a +1 bonus on all skill checks related to in-
the gods, these Wise have a special role to fill. timidation or threat. You can spend a Main Action
Some of these Wise may have very minor or subtle cursing your foes in battle; those who hear suffer a
magical powers suitable to a low-magic campaign setting. -1 penalty to their next Morale check. You can do
this only once per scene.
Benefits of the Wise Elite Ties: You have ties with figures of societal impor-
The Wise is a partial Expert class that must be taken by tance. You can get audiences with them with mini-
an Adventurer with another partial class. It’s generally mal effort. Once per game session, get a favor from
suited for low-magic campaigns, but strictly mundane them that would not particularly inconvenience
versions of it may pass muster for a no-magic setting. them to grant.
While the Wise count as a partial Expert class for Erudite: You are uncommonly learned. Once per day,
other purposes, they do not gain the advantage of the reroll a failed skill check related to intellectual pur-
partial Expert’s Quick Learner class ability or the bonus suits or things a scholar would know about.
non-combat Focus that a partial Expert normally gets Folk-Friend: Commoners and other lower-class natives
at first level. An Adventurer who is a standard partial consider you a useful healer and helper. Once per
Expert/partial Wise does get these perks, however. day, get a modest favor from a commoner who
All Wise gain level-0 in a bonus skill appropriate to doesn’t hate you in exchange for a blessing or bit
their concept, be it Pray, Know, Magic, Survive, or some of advice.
other skill that makes sense to the GM. Healer: You are a trained and capable healer. Gain a +1
The Wise do not use Effort. All of their arts are on all Heal skill checks; once per day, as an On Turn
either constantly in effect or can be used under particular action, automatically succeed at a skill check to sta-
circumstances or a particular number of times each day. bilize a Mortally Wounded subject.
The arts the Wise learn are generally fixed by their Holy Sanctity: You are honored and respected by most in
concept and role. A mundane priest will learn certain arts this region. Gain a +1 bonus on social skill checks
as they advance in level, while a witch or an oracular seer with locals who are not naturally opposed to your
will learn others. At some levels, the Wise might have a religion or social institution.
choice; they can pick whichever art they wish, but most Personal Impunity: You bear signs of sanctity, and physi-
arts can be taken only once. cally harming you is considered taboo in this region.
The example tables here provide progression pat- Only the most vicious or desperate humans will
terns for a non-magical priest of a faith, a witch with initiate violence against you, though any will fight
minor magical powers of cursing and foresight, and an if you attack them. Hostile groups will hesitate to
oracle with limited powers of divination. For GMs that attack your companions unless provoked.
wish to allow player-made concepts, the Esoteric column Skilled: Gain three skill points to spend on any non-com-
can be used, or a specific progression can be worked up bat skills, up to the maximum skill level allowed by
in cooperation with the player. your character level. This art may be taken more
than once.
The Wise
Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Divination Arts
Compel Truth: The diviner compels a person to drink
1
a particular brew, participate in a specific ritual,
2 or otherwise undergo a scene-long ordeal. After-
3 wards, the diviner may ask the target a single ques-
tion and the GM secretly rolls a Cha/Magic skill
4 As per page 21 of As per page 21 of
check against a difficulty of the target’s Morale+1,
5 the core rulebook, the core rulebook,
or level+6 for PCs. On a success, the subject must
with the Wise class with the Wise
6 answer the question truthfully and fully. On a fail-
counting as a class counting as
ure, they may give any answer they wish. The same
7 partial Expert. a partial Expert.
or substantially same question may not be asked
8 twice with this art.
9 Deliver Oracle: A petitioner asks about the outcome
of a particular course of action. The diviner then
10 spends a day in various rituals, seeking an oracular
 175

Example Art Progressions For Different Types of Wise

Level Mundane Priest Witch Seer Esoteric
1 Holy Sanctity Dread Awe Erudite or Folk-Friend Any Art
2 Dread Awe or Folk-Friend Any Curse or Blessing Any Divination
3 Any Art
4 Skilled or Erudite Healer or Any Curse or Any Divination
Blessing
5 Personal Impunity Any Divination Any Divination Any Art
6 Elite Ties or Folk-Friend Skilled Skilled or Elite Ties
7 Any Art
8 Any General Art Any Divination or Curse or Skilled or Elite Ties
Blessing
9 Any Art
10 Any General Art Any Curse or Blessing Any Divination

answer. At the end, the GM makes a secret Wis/

Magic skill check. If the skill check beats difficul- Curses and Blessings
ty 8, an oracular sentence with some truth in it is The bringing of fortune or ill fate is not a trivial thing. A
produced. If the skill check beats difficulty 12, a given creature can be cursed or blessed by one of these
direct and obvious oracle is produced. If the skill arts only once a day.
check is 7 or less, a hopelessly ambiguous oracle is
produced, and if the dice roll a natural 2 an inten- Auspicious Undertaking: As a Main Action, bless a par-
tionally misleading oracle is delivered. Oracles are ticular plan or undertaking currently sought by the
usually delivered as metaphors, poetry, or visions. target. During the plan’s execution or while seeking
The GM should ensure that some element of a true the desired end, the blessed subject can reroll one
oracle actually does come to pass. failed skill check or one missed hit roll. The blessing
Find Object: The diviner spends a scene performing a lasts until it is used, the plan is finished, or one day
ritual to locate a particular animal, object or type of per caster level has passed. Only one plan can be
substance known to them, be it gold, water, or a spe- blessed at a time.
cific stolen cow. People cannot be found with this Evil Eye: This art improves your curse and blessing arts.
art. The GM makes a secret Wis/Magic skill check You can now use these arts as an Instant action, al-
against a difficulty of 8 to 11, depending on how beit still only one such art per round, and you need
close the nearest suitable object is; something in the do no more than look at the target rather than vo-
same village is 8, something a mile or more away is calizing any particular curse or blessing.
11, and something more than five miles away is un- Ill Fate: As a Main Action, curse a visible target. You may
detectable. If the check is successful, the diviner gets specify a particular kind of undertaking or apply the
an impression of the direction the object is in. On curse to anything they may do. The next pertinent
a failure, roll 1d12 and use it as a clockface to give a skill check they make is made at a -1 penalty. If their
random direction. This art can be used once per day. raw die roll is equal or less than the PC’s Magic skill
Read Omens: A petitioner proposes a course of action plus one their effort goes disastrously wrong. The
to the PC. After a scene-long ritual involving at least curse lasts until the next relevant skill check.
10 sp worth of livestock or sacrificial material, the Luck Blessing: As a Main Action, confer a blessing on a
GM makes a secret Wis/Magic skill check against visible target. The next skill check they make that
difficulty 10. On a success, the PC gets an impres- day will have a +1 bonus. Only one luck blessing
sion of whether the course of action will lead to can be in place for a creature at a time.
success or failure, as the GM thinks most likely. On War Curse: As a Main Action, curse a visible enemy.
a failure, the GM gives a random result. Multiplying They suffer a -2 penalty to hit rolls, damage rolls,
the ritual costs by 10 adds +1 to the skill check, thus, and Shock damage for the rest of the scene. If they
a sacrifice of 1,000 sp worth of livestock gets a +2 miss an attack with a raw to-hit die roll less than
on the check. The same course of action cannot be the Wise’s Magic skill, they accidentally hurt them-
divined more than once a month. selves for normal damage. Only one war curse can
be applied at a time.
176

Maqqatban Knight Foci

Scores of imperial tomb-palaces remain intact amid the
ice and snow of far southern Maqqatba, and each such Ghost Archer Style
palace has its order of guardian knights. These knight You have developed a profound spiritual connection to
chapters each have their own unique martial styles de- the concept of the bow. You suffer a -4 penalty to hit with
veloped from the ancient military techniques of the First all non-bow or non-crossbow weaponry.
Dynasty, and sometimes the circumstances of exile or Level 1: Gain Shoot as a bonus skill. As an On Turn ac-
foreign curiosity bring these styles north to other lands. tion, generate a spiritual copy of any bow you’ve ever
Aside from true bearers of the martial styles, there fired; this copy has no encumbrance and vanishes
are also similar techniques practiced by certain esoteric when it leaves your hands but has all the properties
northern swordmasters and martial adepts. These may of the original bow. Once a specific bow has been
be born from native talent, or be the remnants of some copied by a style practitioner, no one else can man-
now-forgotten knight’s long northern journey. ifest that bow until the practitioner is dead. These
bows generate their own magical ammunition,
Learning Maqqatban Styles though the arrows have no separate hit or damage
Only Warriors and Partial Warriors can learn these styles, bonus. You may fire this bow normally even when
and only one style can be learned by any wielder. A GM meleed by a foe.
may allow a PC to start play with expertise in a style, but Level 2: Once per scene, as an On Turn action, shoot an
later acquisition may require finding a suitable teacher. arrow at any location within its range. You instant-
ly appear where the arrow lands. Gain one System
All Directions Edge Style Strain when you use this ability.
You have exchanged a portion of your life force to master
techniques of unbridled violence. Your hit die is penal- One Point Strike Style
ized by 2 points, so if you would normally roll 1d6+2, You eschew brute force or crude haste in battle, preferring
you now roll 1d6. If you take this Focus after character to rely on clear thought.
creation, decrease your maximum hit points by 2 points Level 1: Gain a combat skill as a bonus skill. All your
per level to reflect this penalty. attacks use the better of your Intelligence or Wis-
Level 1: Gain a combat skill as a bonus skill. As an On dom modifiers in place of their usual attributes. As
Turn action, you may make a normal, non-grappling a Main Action, you can make a normal melee attack;
attack. You may do this only once per round, and it does the minimum possible damage, but your hit
after the first time you use it each day each addi- roll is treated as an automatic 15 on the d20 rather
tional use adds a single System Strain point to you. than rolling it. This attack cannot be used as part of
Level 2: Once per day, as a Main Action, attack every a combat maneuver or grappling attempt.
enemy within range once. For ranged weapons, the Level 2: Once per scene, as an Instant action, a melee hit
maximum is your Shoot skill plus one. using this style has its weapon damage maximized.

Catalytic Soul Style Pyre of Heaven Style

Your ranged attacks catalyze the vital force of your allies, Your weapons blaze with a celestial fire that burns only
causing spiritual damage to your shared foes. This style your foes. This flame is fueled with your own soul’s en-
functions only with ranged attacks that lack Shock. ergies, however, and comes at a cost.
Level 1: Gain Shoot as a bonus skill. While PC archers Level 1: Gain a combat skill as a bonus skill. You ignore
normally never accidentally hit allies when shooting the first 5 points of any fire or heat damage you
into melee, your ranged attacks are actually physi- suffer in a round and can glow like a torch at will. As
cally intangible to your allies, and can pass through an Instant action you may gain one System Strain
them as if they weren’t there. When you make a to ignite your weapon, fist or ammunition for the
ranged attack, nominate an ally who is within melee rest of the round. While ignited, the weapon gains
range of your target as an Instant action. The target a damage and Shock bonus equal to your character
suffers Shock as if it had been melee attacked by level+2. A given foe can suffer the bonus damage
that ally, assuming it would be susceptible to the from this flame only once per scene.
ally’s Shock damage. Level 2: As level 1, but you also become immune to
Level 2: If you hit the target with a ranged attack boosted non-magical flame or smoke. When you ignite, your
by level 1 of this Focus, either you or your ally may entire body ignites as well, though you do not burn
choose to gain one System Strain and heal 2d6 dam- anything you do not intend to harm. You cannot
age plus the target’s level or hit dice. A given subject be grappled while ignited. The first time you ignite
can heal only once per scene this way. in a scene, all foes within melee range take 1d6 fire
damage per three levels, rounded up.
 177

Righteous Iron Style Wrathful Mountain Style

You have learned to make a second skin of your armor, You are a vengeful bulwark against those who would
moving effortlessly in it despite its weight. The benefits harm your allies, though your extremely defensive style
of this style apply only when you wear heavy armor, and comes with offensive drawbacks. You suffer a -2 penalty
its level 1 benefits do not extend to shields you may carry. to all hit rolls.
If taken at first level, you may begin play with a free suit Level 1: Gain Stab or Punch as a bonus skill. You can
of heavy armor that costs no more than 750 silver pieces. manifest a zero-encumbrance magical large shield
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Armor you wear as an Instant action, one that functions even if both
has a +1 bonus to its Armor Class and has no en- your hands are occupied and persists as long as
cumbrance value, though it retains it for Armored you will it. Once per round, when someone makes
Magic Focus purposes. Armor does not penalize a melee attack on an ally you have Screened, get
your Sneak or Exert skill checks, and you can sleep an Instant melee attack on them before their attack
comfortably in it. You and your armor remain clean completes.
and well-maintained short of magical befouling. Level 2: Your melee retaliation can now be applied as a
Level 2: You partake of the obduracy of the steel you magical attack on those who make ranged attacks
wear. While armored, you need not eat, drink, sleep, on your Screened ally, regardless of their distance.
or breathe, and you are immune to normal climatic If you accept a point of System Strain as an Instant
ranges of heat or cold. The style’s armor AC bonus action, for the rest of the round you can retaliate
becomes +2 instead of +1. against all enemies who attack your ward, though
only once per round for any given foe.
World Tree Lance Style
Your spear is a pillar of heaven, and no foe is beyond its Using These Foci in Your Game
reach. This style functions only with spears, pikes, and These Foci have a distinct magical flavor to them, and
similar polearms. they may not be appropriate for campaigns in a low-mag-
Level 1: Gain Stab as a bonus skill. The spear you wield ic setting or games that focus on a grimmer, grittier feel.
has no encumbrance and always returns to your As with any Focus, it’s entirely up to the GM as to wheth-
hand if thrown. If a spear is normally throwable, er or not to allow them in their game. They especially
its ranges are doubled. If it isn’t, it still has a thrown should not feel obligated to allow them just for the sake
range of 30/60 feet. Your spear gains a +1 bonus to of optimizing a particular PC’s combat skills.
hit and damage and is treated as a magic weapon. A GM can also use these styles as guides to creating
Level 2: While wielding a spear, your effective melee their own new combat-related Foci. Existing styles can
range is 10 feet plus your character level. Allies be- be tweaked or altered, or new ones built. When you do
tween you and your target do not hinder your melee so, however, remember not to make Foci that simply in-
attacks in any way, but a wall of enemy bodies might crease a PC’s numbers. A Focus should change the way
be sufficient to interpose. This ability does not stack the PC fights or give them new options in combat. They
with the Long magic weapon property. shouldn’t just improve what they’re already doing.
178

Amundi Godblood Foci

The myriad gods of Old Amund are all long-dead or Level 2: Your sincerity shines forth in everything you do.
vanished, but now and then some hint of their old gifts Gain a +1 Charisma modifier bonus. Once per day,
is revived in some unsuspecting man or woman. The an- utter a bald-faced lie to someone; unless it is phys-
cient forces that once gave birth to so many divinities in ically impossible or emotionally intolerable, they
the former ages still bestow small but potent blessings on must make a Mental save at a penalty equal to your
the occasional fortunate newborn. Convince skill or believe it for 1d4 rounds. After
Some of these blessings travel in recognized family that, their normal reason reasserts itself.
lineages, but many appear as unexpected outcrops in an
otherwise-unremarkable family. Gifts similar to these Master Tracker
can be found throughout the lands of the western hemi- You have an instinctive sense for the trails of those whom
sphere, suggesting that the Amundi gods were not the you would pursue.
only ones to leave fragments of their power behind. Level 1: Gain Survive as a bonus skill. You can follow
any trail created within the past day in a city or past
Learning Godblood Foci week in the wilderness, detecting even the minut-
Most of these Foci manifest shortly after birth, though est traces of passage and ignoring the obfuscations
many are so subtle that they may not be noticed for some of weather or water. You can identify numbers of
time. Other Foci manifest only later in a person’s life, so creatures from trail sign and their general physical
a PC might reasonably pick one as a later advancement. shape and condition.
Only one Godblood Focus can be taken by any Level 2: Your senses are razor-sharp; gain a +1 bonus
single PC. In addition, only full or partial Experts can to your Wisdom modifier. You can identify specif-
take these Foci, as they all require a certain affinity for ic people by their tracks if you’ve met them before.
interacting with the subtler laws of reality. Once per day, by examining the mostly-undisturbed
Godblood Foci may have semi-magical effects, but scene of a particular event that happened within the
they do not count as magic for purposes of dispelling or past week, you can reconstruct the general physical
detecting magic. Those Foci that grant ability modifier actions that happened there.
increases cannot increase the modifier above +2.
Night Walker
Danger Sense You have a deep affinity for evening hours and dark places,
You have a near-supernatural sense of when you are and can function well in the deepest gloom.
about to face an unexpected peril. Level 1: Gain Sneak as a bonus skill. You can see normal-
Level 1: Gain Notice as a bonus skill. You become aware ly in all but pitch blackness, and even when blinded
of Execution Attacks on yourself or those in your your senses allow you to function as if you could
presence just in time to spoil the attack. Once per see out to 30 feet around you. Your sleep is so light
day, just before you trigger a trap, walk into an am- it is effectively wakefulness; you are fully aware of
bush, or otherwise do something that would likely your surroundings while asleep and can wake at will.
get you wounded or killed, you sense your danger Level 2: Your adroit stealthiness is superb. Gain a +1
in time to stop the action. bonus to your Dexterity modifier. Unless an area
Level 2: Your awareness sharpens. Gain a +1 bonus to is lit by torchlight or brighter radiance, you are ef-
your Wisdom modifier. Once per day as an Instant fectively invisible in it until you do something to
action when in danger, you get an intuitive sense of draw attention.
the best course of action to get you and your allies
out of the peril with minimum losses, as the GM Pack Beast
thinks most likely. You have an ox-like capacity for carrying heavy loads over
long distances.
Folie a Deux Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Your Strength is
Your deceptions have such conviction that even you are treated as 18 for encumbrance purposes, or 22 if
temporarily convinced of them. it’s already 18.
Level 1: Gain Convince as a bonus skill. Your lies or de- Level 2: Gain a +1 bonus to your Strength modifier.
ceptions never register as such; spells and abilities Once per scene, as an On Turn action, you can pick
simply read you as sincerely believing what you say. up and move an object that weighs no more than
Once per day, make a listener believe that you are 1,000 pounds so long as you drop it or set it down
absolutely sincere in whatever claim or statement by the end of your turn.
you are making. This belief lasts until the situation
or new evidence would justify disbelief. A target be-
comes immune to this after the first lie is disproven.
 179

Provident Crafter Wildtongue

You always seem to have just what you need close to hand, You have a profound link with the natural world around
or can fabricate it out of available materials. you, and possess an instinctive sense of what its feral
Level 1: Gain Craft as a bonus skill. Your Strength is denizens desire. For the purposes of this Focus, “animals”
treated as 4 higher for encumbrance purposes. are natural or magical living creatures of bestial intellect.
When making a skill check or using an item such Level 1: Gain Survive as a bonus skill. You can commu-
as an elixir or calyx, any equipment or items you nicate with animals, conveying such simple ideas
need to do so are treated as Readied even if you as they are capable of comprehending. If appeased,
have them Stowed. these animals may be willing to do very basic favors
Level 2: Your hands are swift and nimble; gain +1 to that require no more than immediate attention.
your Dexterity modifier. Once per day, as an Instant Level 2: The primal force of your presence is considerable.
action, you happen to have Stowed a particular nor- Gain a +1 to your Charisma modifier. Once per day
mal item of 2 encumbrance or less if you could have you can command a visible animal for one scene,
reasonably bought or made it within the past week. causing it to obey even complex orders normally im-
Pay its purchase or crafting price and add it to your possible for it to comprehend so long as they don’t
inventory afterwards. Provisions cannot be added seem suicidal or extremely hazardous to it. Magical
this way, nor can the same item be produced more beasts get a Mental saving throw to resist.
than once per week.
Using These Foci in Your Game
Walk Like Wind These Expert-exclusive Foci are cinematic in flavor, but
Your astonishing acrobatic abilities give you mobility op- they’re not so impossible that they couldn’t be added to a
tions that others lack. relatively low-magic campaign. For campaigns where the
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Your base ground other PCs are heavily magic-invested, it can sometimes
movement rate increases by +10’. You can move nor- be necessary to give Experts a little boost of their own
mally up or down vertical surfaces so long as you to keep up with the spell-slingers and magic warriors of
end your turn standing on a flat surface or clinging the game, and Foci like these can be helpful in closing
to a usable handhold. any potential gap.
Level 2: Gain a +1 to your Dexterity modifier. You can It’s possible to come up with additional Foci in this
leap up to 20 feet horizontally or 10 feet vertically vein but it’s important to keep in mind that they should
as a Move action. Once per scene, as an On Turn open up play options that would otherwise be impracti-
action, gain a bonus Move action. cal or impossible for the PC. The Foci given here all have
a +1 attribute modifier at second level as a sweetener, but
if your own Focus’ second-level power is strong enough
you might omit that bonus.
180

Arcane Secret Foci

A multitude of occult traditions have risen and decayed Level 1: Gain Heal as a bonus skill. Once per day, as
in the countless ages of the Latter Earth. Most have van- an Instant action after casting a spell, accept 1d4
ished entirely, but now and then some technique they damage per level of the spell; the casting does not
pioneered has proved resilient enough to survive into the count against your usable spells per day. Gain one
present day. System Strain each time this ability is used. This
Arcane Secret Foci can be taken only by Mages and Focus cannot assist spells that harm others or affect
Partial Mages, and some are of no use to non-spellcasters. unwilling targets.
Only one Arcane Secret Focus can be mastered by any
given sorcerer, as they usually require mutually-contra- Old Empire Sigilism
dictory pacts and ritual practices. The vanished Marchen empire of northeastern Agathon
is almost wholly lost to history, but this art of imbuing
Atlantean Divination small tokens with magical power has yet survived.
The House of Days in Atlantis is a school of several dozen Level 1: You can embed spells in small tokens that func-
different occult divinatory methods, all highly complex. tion as calyxes only usable by yourself. Creating
While some techniques are strictly-held secrets, others such a token takes ten minutes per level of the spell
have become known in the outside world. and the expenditure of a normal daily spell use. This
Level 1: Gain Know as a bonus skill. You may spend an expended slot may be recovered normally. Using
hour in a complex divinatory ritual. At the end of them takes a Main Action, but the sigil need only
it, ask a one-sentence question about some future be presented firmly; no vocalization or gestures are
event or plan. The GM secretly rolls an Int/Know required, and it cannot be interrupted by damage.
skill check against difficulty 9; on a success, gain Only one token can be empowered at any one time.
an answer of a few words reflecting the GM’s best
judgment of the future. On a failure, get a plausible Vothite Mind-Sorcery
but false oracle. This art cannot plumb into the fu- The Thought Noble tradition of mental arts are not the
ture beyond a week, cannot ask the same essential only techniques to have survived from the Vothite Em-
question twice, and cannot answer questions about pire. The principles of purely cerebral sorcery are also
current or past events. Each use after the first within practiced by some mages, though it comes at a cost to
seven days adds +1 to the difficulty. You gain one their ability to inflict direct harm on other creatures.
System Strain each time you use this ability. Level 1: Your spellcasting does not require vocalizations
or gestures, though it still takes a Main Action, it
Iteral Pacting still can be disrupted by damage, and it still disal-
Numerous traditions of occult pacting and bargains with lows casting in armor for most spellcasters. Your
extra-Iteral beings persist, despite the obvious dangers. spells manifest without any obvious connection to
This method is relatively safe, albeit its rewards are more you unless your actions make it clear that you are
limited than wholehearted soul-slavery would grant. the source of the magic, though those with mag-
Level 1: Gain Pray as a bonus skill. Roll or pick a pa- ic-detecting powers such as Apprehend the Ar-
tron portfolio from the divine portfolios on page cane Form can discern the connection. Once this
142 of the core rulebook. Once per day, gain 1 Sys- Focus is taken, however, you cannot cast any spell
tem Strain and gain one of the following benefits that inflicts hit point damage on a target unless the
as an Instant action: +4 on a hit roll, +1 on a skill damage is purely mental in nature. Spells that in-
check, or the ability to use a Main Action to cast flict non-mental damage as a secondary spell effect
a first-level spell that has some relation to the pa- simply do not inflict it when cast.
tron’s portfolio. This spellcasting does not require
a prepared spell or spell slot, and can be used even Using these Foci in your Game
by non-spellcasters, though it follows all the usual These Foci often boost spellcasting in some way, either
rules for casting a spell. Your alien alliances have left by allowing an extra spell per day with Hemomancy, in-
some eldritch mark on you and others instinctively creasing spell subtlety with Mind-Sorcery, or allowing
find you disturbing; suffer a -1 penalty on all social one easily-cast spell with Sigilism. Some GMs may find
skill checks not related to intimidation. them a little too much for their particular table.
Others grant a stand-alone magical power. These
Nagadi Hemomancy abilities should be largely non-combat in function, so as
The vanished demihumans known as the Nagadi prac- to avoid stepping on Warriors, and avoid directly repli-
ticed bloody rituals of self-sacrifice for the protection cating the arts of an existing tradition.
of their people and the forestalling of violence. Modern These Foci all have only one level, as mages tend to
mages rarely share their devotion to peace. have too few Focus picks to make much use of two levels.
 181

Non-Human Origin Foci

There are numerous demihumans and even some Blight-
ed who might fit as player characters in a given campaign. Choeru Beastfolk
While adventurers are notorious for wandering far from Short, stout, and mild-tempered, the capybara-folk have
their homes, it’s up to the GM to decide whether or not a natural disposition towards peacemaking and diplo-
any particular origin Focus is appropriate for their own macy.
campaign setting. Level 1: Gain Convince or Connect as a bonus skill. Gain
a +1 to your Cha modifier. When rolling Reaction
Origin Foci and Modifiers Rolls with you present, add +1 to the dice. You can
Many origin Foci grant a bonus or penalty to one of the obtain serviceable fluency in a language with no
PC’s attribute modifiers. Some of them allow the PC to more than a week of exposure to it.
choose which attribute to modify, but under no circum-
stance can the Focus increase an attribute bonus above Ghoul
+2 or a penalty below -2. You have been infected with ghoulishness by long con-
Some origin Foci mention special abilities. These tact with ghouls or sheer bad luck on briefer exposures.
abilities are described more thoroughly in the Bestiary While your new dietary demands are harsh, you have
section under their creature headings. enough self-possession to decide how they should be
satisfied.
!Man Level 1: You must eat a pound of fresh human flesh a
You are an organic simulacrum of humanity that operates month, but gain Sneak as a bonus skill, the benefits
purely by algorithmic principles and the translated mim- of Ghoulish Vigor, and may add a +1 bonus to ei-
icry of future or past human actions. You have no person- ther your Strength or Dexterity modifier. After 21
al awareness or consciousness, but you act exactly like a days without cannibalism, make a Mental save daily
normal human being, with normal human motivations. or attack the nearest human with the intent to de-
Level 1: Pick any skill but Magic as a bonus skill. Once vour them. This condition is automatic after 30 days.
per day, your algorithm picks a particularly success-
ful action to mimic and you gain a +1 bonus on a Guer Beastfolk
skill check or a +2 bonus to hit as an Instant action. Cunning humanoid swamp foxes, the Guer were made to
You are impervious to mind-affecting magical ef- be spies and observers for their Nakadi creators. It leaves
fects. You otherwise function as a perfectly normal many of them with insatiable curiosity and a tendency
human being, and do not have the usual qualities towards manipulativeness.
of an automaton. Level 1: Gain Notice or Sneak as a bonus skill. Gain +1
to your Wis or Cha modifiers. You can see clearly
Accipiter Anak in low-light conditions and are unusually quick on
You are a winged Anak, usually hideous in appearance, your feet, adding 10’ to your ground movement rate.
though some of your kind are quite handsome. By some
quirk of nature or the circumstances of your tribe, you Harbinger Anak
are capable of functioning rationally around humans. You are a Harbinger, a face-shifting Anak capable of in-
This origin assumes that the GM has produced some filtrating human society. Whether by some chance of fate
justification for your PC being able to avoid immediate or your own indomitable will, you can contain the Hate
mob violence at the hands of panicked locals. and function normally in human society.
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. You are an accipiter, Level 1: Gain Sneak or Convince as a bonus skill and the
with the Accipiter Flight special ability, a -1 Con Harbinger’s Face ability. Gain a +1 bonus to your
modifier penalty, and a +1 Dex modifier bonus. Charisma modifier and a -1 penalty to your Con-
stitution modifier.
Aristoi Anak
You are a natural-born ruler of men, the product of an Hua Beastfolk
extensive magical eugenic breeding program. While not A mighty bullfolk created for agricultural labor and meat
so physically powerful as other breeds of Anak, you for the temple tables, Hua are a foot taller than baselines
have an uncannily acute sense of judgment and superb and much broader in build. Most have horns, but they
self-discipline. are largely impractical for combat use.
Level 1: Gain Lead and any one other skill except Magic Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Gain a +1 to your
as bonus skills. Gain +1 to your Wis modifier. Your Str modifier and -1 to your Dex modifier. You treat
keen foresight allows you to use Wis as an applica- your Strength as 4 higher than normal for Encum-
ble attribute for any weapon, in place of Strength brance purposes and your System Strain maximum
or Dexterity. is 2 points higher than normal.
182

Kitsune Beastfolk Oni

You are of the magically-gifted Xindai kin to the Guer You are an oni, most likely from one of the isolated com-
fox-folk of Runom. Your pelt is usually brighter and rud- munities in Xindai. You likely stand about seven feet tall,
dier than that of your swamp-dwelling cousins, and you horned and powerfully muscled, with a fierce appetite for
are often more human in your appearance, but almost all indulgences of all kinds. Many of your sort are bright red
your kind retain the tail and ears of a fox. or blue, though more human-like shades are known, as
Level 1: Gain Notice or Convince as a bonus skill. Gain are other small novelties of form.
a +1 bonus to your Charisma modifier. Gain the El- Level 1: Gain Stab or Punch as a bonus skill. Gain a +1
emental Sparks Elementalist art; if you already have to your Strength modifier and count your Strength
it, pick a bonus Elementalist art instead. as 4 points higher for Encumbrance purposes. Suf-
fer a -1 penalty to your Wisdom modifier and a -2
Deepfolk penalty on all Mental saving throws.
A human native of the Far Deeps that lie among the roots
of the world, you have ascended into the lethal sunlit Pichi Beastfolk
regions for reasons of your own. So long as you remain Little ratfolk, usually a head shorter than baselines, with
fully covered and have your tinted goggles in place you a more slender build. Their keen senses were given them
can tolerate the sun, but extended exposure can cause to hunt rare materials and ingredients from the jungle.
incapacitating spiritual damage to you. Level 1: Gain Notice as a bonus skill. Gain +1 to your
Level 1: You can see clearly with any degree of light. You Wis or Dex modifiers and -1 to your Str or Con
require only half the food, water, and air of a base- modifier. You can see normally in low-light condi-
line human. You may raise one physical attribute to tions. Your senses are sharp enough that you can
14 if it is lower than that. Exposure of your eyes or interact with objects within ten feet as if sighted,
more than a handsbreadth of skin to direct sunlight even in pitch blackness or while blinded.
forces a Physical save each round or you will gain
one System Strain; if this would put you over your Piren Beastfolk
maximum, you will collapse, dying in 1d6 minutes Fierce wolfmen, created as warriors and enforcers for
if not covered. their masters against unruly slaves. Even so, they have
an instinct towards cooperation within their own social
Manu Beastfolk circles.
The Manu are scaled lizardfolk of the Zapalla swamps Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Once per scene as
in Runom, not entirely cold-blooded but much favoring a Move action, give an ally within melee distance a
warmth. bonus Main Action as you coordinate with them.
Level 1: Gain Exert or Survive as a bonus skill. Gain a This Main Action can only be used for a physical
+1 your Con or Str modifier and a -1 to your Dex act, and not spellcasting or magic item activation. A
or Cha modifier. You swim at your normal move- given ally can receive this benefit only once per scene.
ment speed, can hold your breath for fifteen minutes,
and your tough hide reduces all Shock damage by 1 Still Cities Undead
point, to a minimum of 1. You are one of the more intelligent undead from the Still
Cities, either being a recent conversion from the living or
Nahu Beastfolk having died only a few times since you were created. You
Slim, deft, and sometimes given to a cold-blooded plea- appear human at first glance but close inspection makes
sure in cruelty, the Nahu are catfolk who were designed plain your cold flesh, though you can mimic most human
to hunt fleeing slaves or troublesome escaped beasts by needs and activities.
their Nakadi masters. Level 1: You are undead, and do not need to eat, sleep,
Level 1: Gain Sneak or Notice as a bonus skill. Gain +1 drink, or breathe, though you still require eight
to your Dex or Cha modifiers. Your claws count as hours of comfortable quiet to regain HP, spells, or
daggers for melee purposes and you can see clearly Effort. You can be healed by conventional methods,
in low-light conditions. During real combat, you and are immune to poisons and diseases. You auto-
must make a Mental save to inflict non-lethal dam- matically stabilize at zero hit points unless decapi-
age; on a failure, your attack is lethal instead. tated or otherwise mangled. If you do die, however,
it will be decades until you revive, if intact, or centu-
ries if you are burnt and scattered. Due to your link
with the Pale Emperor’s power, you do not count
as undead for the purposes of conventional Necro-
mancer spells. Special incantations may exist that
affect you, however.
 183

Sui Beastfolk Zakathi

These robust pigfolk were created by the Nakadi priests As much as a foot taller than baselines and well-toned
to be good spiritual and anatomical matches for their ex- from their constant exertions, the Zakathi need for con-
periments. Some suffer from great rages when wounded stant labor tends to wear them down. Most are crippled
or infuriated, during which they attack without care for beyond conventional healing aid before sixty, whereupon
friend or foe. they wither away or accept euthanasia.
Level 1: Gain Survive as a bonus skill. Gain +1 to your Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. If your Constitution
Constitution modifier. You are immune to mun- is lower than 14, raise it to 14; if equal or higher,
dane poisons, and once per day you can continue raise it to 18. Your maximum System Strain increas-
acting for 1 full round after falling to zero hit points, es by 2. You must exhaust yourself with labor or
provided you are not hopelessly mangled. This time other exertions by the end of a day in order to regain
counts against your stabilization timer. System Strain, Effort, HP, or spells with sleep; lack-
ing this, you gain 1 System Strain overnight instead,
Tanuki Beastfolk dying if it exceeds your maximum. While exhausted,
A beastfolk unique to Xindai, these raccoon-dog human- roll all hit and skill rolls twice and take the worst.
oids were the product of an inquisitive Nakadi exile who
hoped to create a shapeshifting species that could be used Creating New Origin Foci
for multiple purposes. While an unsuccessful experiment, The Latter Earth is wide, and every nation in the gazet-
their heirs can still be found in Xindai’s mountain forests. teer has a half-dozen or more demihuman species too
Level 1: Gain Sneak as a bonus skill. You can climb scal- rare or quiet to have earned mention in this book. It’s
able surfaces at your full movement rate, and once quite likely that some GMs will want to make origin Foci
per day as a Main Action you can transform as if for these beings, either for their own entertainment or
with the Adopt the Simulacular Visage spell, albeit for worldbuilding purposes. A few basic guidelines can
without its language-granting powers. This trans- be kept in mind when creating your own Foci.
formation lasts up to two hours per level. Don’t do it unless you need to. If no player wants
to play a particular type of demihuman, don’t bother
Tengu Beastfolk making an origin Focus up unless you’re doing it for fun.
A winged crow-folk that were once the pet project of Start with a bonus skill. Pick a skill that’s char-
their exiled Nakadi creator, they are found chiefly in a acteristic of their physiology or typical upbringing and
few remaining martial monastery-communities in Xin- make it a bonus skill. For origins that could be flavored
dai. Like other beastfolk, their appearance ranges from in multiple ways, you might pick two skills to choose
humanoid avians to almost completely human forms, between.
save for their black-feathered wings. Set their attribute modifiers. Pick one or two char-
Level 1: Gain Stab as a bonus skill. You can fly at a move- acteristic attributes and let the player pick one to get a
ment rate of 30’ outdoors while carrying your nor- +1 modifier bonus. Do the same with one or two to pick
mal encumbrance, but interiors are too cramped for for a -1 modifier bonus. In neither case should the bonus
it, and you cannot fight or perform other complex be allowed to go over +2 or the penalty below -2. When
actions while flying. Flight is too exhausting to man- possible, it’s preferable to give the PC a choice between
age long-distance overland travel with it. two attributes for bonuses or penalties, to make more
room for different character concepts.
Usagi Beastfolk Add a unique ability. Give them something they
Largely extinct in Runom, several colonies of these rab- can do that a human can’t. Unique senses, a special
bit-folk can still be found in the Xindai lands. Their cre- movement type, an immunity to certain hazards, or a
ators devised them as livestock that could better survive particular innate power might all be feasible, and you
the dangers of the jungle, imbuing them with both speed can pick examples from the origins in this section. If the
and a strange propensity towards good fortune. ability is a powerful or generally-useful one, it should
Level 1: Gain Exert or Sneak as a bonus skill and a +1 have a per-scene or even per-day use limit, or perhaps
bonus to all saving throws. Gain +1 Dex modifier add System Strain.
and either a -1 Str or -1 Con modifier. Once per Add a weakness if necessary. If you’re worried that
scene, as an On Turn action, double your ground your Focus might be a little too appealing, or do basic
movement rate for the round. Once per week, as concepts better than a human would with a relevant
an Instant action, automatically make a Luck save. Focus, you can add a weakness. This is especially the
case if the origin has an attribute modifier bonus but no
corresponding penalty. Weaknesses should be generally
relevant; don’t give them penalties that are only problems
to particular concepts or classes. Being incapable of spell-
casting is no penalty to a Warrior, and crippled physical
attributes don’t mean much to most Mages.
184

CHARACTER TAGS
Just as ruins, cities, or noble courts can be defined by tags, d100 Character Tag d100 Character Tag
so too can individual characters. The tags in this section
are meant to give you a quick method for giving defining 1–2 Baneful Success 51–52 Impending
motivational traits and background story elements to Treachery
NPCs you generate, whether they’re antagonists, sym- 3–4 Betting It All 53–54 In Over
pathetic figures, or one-note bit player NPCs. Their Head
Each character tag comes with a discussion of the 5–6 Bitter Grudge 55–56 Inherited Duty
various ways it could manifest in an NPC, whether as
7–8 Black Sheep 57–58 Irrational Hatred
a personal trait or as a situation that has defined their
current circumstances. Tags tend to focus on how they 9–10 Blithe Idealist 59–60 Last Survivor
would affect a scheme or adventure, as it’s under those 11–12 Burnt Out 61–62 Lives for Today
circumstances that the PCs are most likely to meet them.
13–14 Chance 63–64 Load-Bearing
Each tag includes entries for likely Ambitions, par-
at Glory Relationship
ticular Powers their situation can lend them, and those
Dreads that are most likely to befall them or show up as 15–16 Chronic Illness 65–66 Lost Cause
problems in their schemes. These categories are abbrevi- 17–18 Concealed Sin 67–68 Lovesick Fool
ated as A, P, or D in the tables that follow. 19–20 Cultural Outsider 69–70 Magical Gift
To use the tags, take your NPC and roll twice on
the adjacent table. The two results can be read separately 21–22 Cursed 71–72 Marked for
as speaking of two different character traits or formative Misfortune Success
past situations the NPC has dealt with, or they can be 23–24 Delusional 73–74 Misplaced Trust
synthesized together or used to explain each other; the Self-Image
reason the NPC has a Delusional Self-Image is because a 25–26 Doomed Love 75–76 Natural Leader
past Ruined Plan was so traumatic that they cannot bear
to acknowledge the part their flaws played in it. 27–28 Doomsday 77–78 Persecuting Foe
In the same vein, the Ambitions, Powers, and Weapon
Dreads for a given tag can be inserted into your adven- 29–30 Double Life 79–80 Ruined Plan
tures to show the ways in which an antagonist’s past or 31–32 Double Loyalties 81–82 Ruinous Vice
personal nature influenced events. An obstacle to their
33–34 Down In 83–84 Secret Cravings
current plans might arise directly from their own past
The World
history, or some tool they’re using to obtain their end
might rely on some element of their own nature. You 35–36 Earnest Idiot 85–86 Secret Sectarian
can also synthesize them together; an antagonist defined 37–38 Family Alienation 87–88 Stolen
by Baneful Success and Betting It All might have so Reputation
successfully allied with the local bandit clans that their 39–40 Family Chains 89–90 Ticking Bomb
warlord is willing to personally lend his aid... because the
NPC is promising him incredible plundering possibili- 41–42 Friend Turned 91–92 Troublesome
ties, even though he’s not able to guarantee that success. Foe Friend
As with other tags, the “magnitude” of a particular 43–44 Grand Plan 93–94 Unexpected
trait can be scaled up and down to fit an NPC’s impor- Talent
tance in the adventure and their standing in the campaign 45–46 Great 95–96 Unreasonably
world. If the party hires a new henchman, you might roll Disappointment Lucky
once on the table, get Unexpected Talent, and decide that
he’s actually an exceptionally skilled singer who breaks 47–48 Great 97–98 Up From
into song whenever he’s feeling nervous. The same re- Expectations the Gutter
sult for a campaign-scale lich-king antagonist might be 49–50 Hidden Origins 99–00 Veiled Backers
read as a sublime talent at sculpture which informs his
legions of soul-animated statues, each one a magnificent that archmage really is an Earnest Idiot, brilliantly capable
personal work of art that he cares for as greatly as a lich at magic yet prone to acts of tremendous thoughtlessness
can care for anything. and short-sighted carelessness. It could be the evil high
As with any GM tool, you should use the tags only priest’s Concealed Sin is his desperate desire to make
so far as you need them. Take them as inspiration for an amends for his infernal service and escape his slavery to
NPC’s background and current situation, and don’t feel his malevolent god. The tags are there for inspiration,
compelled to follow every line. By the same token, be and you should feel free to let them take you where they
willing to be surprised by unusual combinations. Maybe might lead.
 185

Baneful Success Betting It All

They have succeeded at something too well. Some They are making an enormous gamble in this plot,
part of their plans or intentions have been so expending every resource they have and burning
successful that the consequences have become every bridge behind them in an attempt to win through.
extremely threatening to them. A powerful ally may Something about the situation makes them think that
be so enthused by their plans that they now are nothing has a chance except total commitment.
overreaching, a beckoned devil may prove to be far Conversely, this tag might just indicate that they are
mightier than expected, or a bribed official may be so extremely prone to reckless all-in behavior, willing to
cooperative that their obvious corruption is drawing dare everything and trust to their prior luck.
official notice.
Conversely their success may be some great A Overcome a seemingly invincible foe or obstacle,
personal achievement that has somehow bought them Achieve an impossible feat by daring to spend
attention or duties that they now want to escape. what others would shrink from, Crush a problem
utterly through raw force before it can grow into
A Curb a vitally important but too-enthusiastic a real danger
ally, Escape the new duties their success has P Through loans and promises they can mobilize far
pressed upon them, Exploit the unexpected new more resources than others would suspect, They
opportunity their success has thrust upon them have a well-honed sense of the possible that lets
P Their newfound and unexpectedly powerful ally, them strike at weak points intuitively, They are
Their success has earned the cooperation of an remarkably coordinated and can control and
unexpected patron, They suddenly have more of direct their resources with exquisite precision
a particular resource than they expected to have D An old debt comes due at the worst possible time,
D They are swept along by their success to an A resource they thought they had available turns
ultimate nemesis, They are critically unequipped out to be depleted or useless, A small piece
to exploit their success, Someone else is stepping of bad luck causes a cascade of events that
in to profit by their success threatens to undo them

Bitter Grudge Black Sheep

They hate some person or institution with aching They are an outcast from some family, organization,
intensity. Their hatred is an animating force for their or religion of importance in the area. Something they
personality and daily activities, and even when did or are is intolerable to their former allies, and
circumstances require them to conceal it, it will never they’ve been cut off from their help and association,
be far from their mind. They are willing to suffer terribly even though outsiders might still recognize them as
so long as they can inflict equal misery on their enemy. a member.
Conversely, they might be the target of such a Conversely, rather than being outcast by others,
grudge. It may be that some past action or former they themselves might be naturally incapable of
crime left a survivor who is willing to take reckless feeling belonging or trust towards others. They
steps to ruin them, even if innocents are caught in the might unconsciously or intentionally sabotage their
blast. relationships so as to remain unencumbered by ties.
A Worm their way into a position of trust where they A Punish their former associates for cutting them
can betray their enemy, Inflict their vengeance off, Prove that the judgment of their peers was
on the things and people their enemy loves, mistaken and they are truly worthy, Do things
Personally murder their enemy or destroy the that they could never have done as a member in
institution after inflicting terrible pain good standing of their former peers
P They have incredible focus and self-discipline P They still have secrets and private ties from their
driven by their hate, They have many friends who former association, They stole valuable resources
also hate their enemy, The wrong their enemy did or arts from their past peers before leaving, They
them left them with a talent or an association that have associates who are also outcasts from the
they can use to get their revenge group or who are traditional enemies of them
D Their enemy is destroyed by some completely D Their old peers feel the need to “take care” of
unrelated person or event, People they trust or them and their loose ends, They’re targeted by
rely on are somehow drawn into their enemy’s enemies of their old peers who don’t recognize
circle, Destroying their enemy would somehow their outcast status, Old resources they formerly
ruin something or someone they love relied upon are now unavailable to them
186

Blithe Idealist Burnt Out

They have a dream or a grand ambition, seeing a Nothing is worth it to them any more. They’re physically,
great possibility before them or a wonderful vision mentally, or emotionally exhausted. They’ve achieved
of how life could be. They are totally committed to great things and undertaken vast labors, but none of
this ideal; any failure of it is just evidence of a lack of their fruits seem worth the effort any longer. They want
determination or the sabotage of enemies. No price to ignore the world, but the current situation won’t let
is too great and no obstacle to vast for their ideal to them stand aside if they want to avoid disaster.
overcome. Conversely, their exhaustion may not be a matter of
Conversely, they could be waking up to the unwillingness, but of newfound incapacity. They just
impossibility of their dream, yet find themselves utterly don’t have the strength they used to, and the deeds
entangled in plots to achieve it and terrible prices they could formerly achieve are now too difficult or
they’ve already paid. They may not believe in it any too exhausting for them to manage any more.
more, but they have no way to back out now.
A Escape some burdensome duty or task without
A Destroy a person or power they identify as an getting in deeper trouble, Complete some last
enemy of their vision, Put a supporter of their task they think will let them finally rest, Get rid of
vision into a position of power, Ruin a wicked some person who is forcing them keep working
saboteur whose actions caused the ideal to fail P They were extremely good at the task or role that
in some instance they’re burnt out on, They have numerous minions
P They have a vanguard of equally dedicated allies, or allies they’ve earned by past labor, They have
Their ideal is intensely attractive to otherwise considerable resources their talents acquired
uncommitted people, They have the backing of D Something threatens to hang an interminable
secret powers or otherworldly entities that find new duty on them, The event or person who
them useful caused their burnout comes back or recurs, None
D The vision demands something precious from of their intended recreations or rests are helping
them, A trusted lieutenant is failing badly, They’ve them feel any better
been accused of sabotage by an ambitious rival

Chance at Glory Chronic Illness

They have a shot at fame, fortune, happiness, or some They’re plagued with a chronic illness, mutilation,
other situation they’ve longed to obtain. Some plot or deformity that has hindered them for some time.
they’re pursuing or situation they’ve found themselves Something about it isn’t amenable to magical cures
in offers them a chance at this success, usually in or easy remedies, and it interferes with their ambitions
exchange for a terrible risk or a grim sacrifice. Refusing and saps the pleasure from their successes.
seems to risk the permanent loss of the desired end. Conversely, they might have overcome the illness
Conversely, they might still be seeking that chance. at some point but are now dealing with the lingering
Their plans and schemes might revolve around consequences of it and the way it’s troubling their life
making an opening for their own reckless ambitions, even when it’s absent.
or creating situations where they might gamble
everything on obtaining their heart’s desire. A Find the cure or prosthesis that will give them the
health they crave, Get revenge on the person
A Destroy the person or institution that stands they somehow blame for their current condition,
between them and glory, Sacrifice an ally or an Perform some great deed before it’s too late
innocent bystander in order to obtain their end, P They’ve acquired drugs or magics that temporarily
Load the dice by setting up alliances or betrayals empower them far beyond their usual weakness,
that will make the eventual effort sure to succeed They’ve made useful sorcerous contacts in their
P They have inside information on the situation that search for a cure, The illness somehow has a
gives them a golden opportunity, They’ve been useful upside as well as its blighting effects
training for this situation and have exactly the D They feel the approach of their inevitable
skill set and resources needed, Dumb luck has mortality, The illness is crippling them at the worst
set them up perfectly for their chance possible moment in their plans, The medicines or
D They’re being used as a patsy by another glory methods they’re using to control the illness are
seeker, Success actually spells something very no longer working
different for them, The glory they’re seeking isn’t
worth their sacrifice
 187

Concealed Sin Cultural Outsider

They’ve done something gravely reprehensible by They don’t belong here and everyone knows it. They
the standards of their society, and they’ve had to go don’t know how the society works, and they make
to great lengths in order to hide it from others. Their significant mistakes or erroneous assumptions that a
current activities may be related to their need to keep native never would. The locals don’t trust them, and
the past safely buried, or they may still be committing may view them as a menace, useful catspaw, or
the crime. burden to be endured.
Conversely, they may be the concealed sin of Conversely, they may be a native but despise
someone else. Something they are or have been their home culture for some reason. They have great
made to be could be shameful or wicked to others, difficulty cooperating with it in ways necessary for a
and their author may go to great lengths to keep the peaceful life, and act to undermine its customs and
truth hidden. institutions whenever possible.
A Justify the sin to themselves or others through A Find acceptance among the locals by some
some scheme or investigation, Plot to get more grand deed, Get revenge on the natives for their
opportunities to sin, Make amends for the sin isolation, Compel the natives to accommodate
through some particular deed their ways
P Their sin was very profitable or helpful in gaining P They have friends among the other outsiders in
resources, Others compromised by the sin will the community, They have resources drawn from
help them, The sin has led them to acquire useful their homeland, They are willing to imagine and
skills do things the locals never would consider
D Unexpected consequences of the sin threaten to D They’ve committed a terrible local sin by accident,
come to light, They’re driven to rash acts by a Their plans rely on the cooperation of a native
need to atone for the sin, Hiding or feeding the who doesn’t trust them, They’re being dragged
sin is costing them vital resources into problems created by others of their kind

Cursed Misfortune Delusional Self-Image

Everyone has a certain degree of bad luck in their They have a self-image that is only vaguely rooted in
life, but this person has experienced at least one reality, one which they absolutely refuse to abandon.
instance of crushing, deeply improbable misfortune. They might see themselves as magnificently courageous,
Their current situation has been profoundly influenced cunning, well-loved, or respected by others, and will
by this calamity, and they may be trying to reverse it often rely on these traits with unfortunate results. Even
or get out from under its consequences. when they fail, they will rationalize an explanation.
Conversely, the bad luck might be in their future Conversely, this might be a negative self-image that
instead of the past. Some extremely unlikely but they can’t let go of. They might have been persuaded
intensely unfortunate event might be waiting to crash of it by someone else, or convinced themselves of their
into their current plans. own inadequacy in some important aspect.
A Get revenge on the person or institution they A Unconsciously seek to eliminate all elements in
blame for their bad luck, Somehow reverse the their life that threaten their self-image, Destroy
consequences of the calamity that befell them, someone who actively scorns their self-image,
Earn the favor of a god or power that they are Do a great deed that will illustrate their nature
convinced can improve their luck P They have extensive resources dedicated to
P The desperate situation drove them to obtain cleaning up their failures, They’re supported by
resources or allies who are now useful, Some a manipulator who uses their delusion, They may
power or resource left in the former wreckage be delusional about one aspect of their nature
can still be used, The calamity was double- but they’re actually extremely good at something
edged in that it left them with some useful gift else they don’t really value
D The misfortune isn’t really over and is still playing D They’re in a situation where they have to choose
out, The “bad luck” was actually entirely due between maintaining their self-image and saving
to their own personal flaws or desires, Their something precious to them, Their buried failures
paranoia over another twist of fate is distracting are coming back to haunt them, Their delusion
them and forcing them into bad choices has finally gotten them in too deep to handle
188

Doomed Love Doomsday Weapon

They are passionately in love with a person who is They have access to an ally, tool, or information that
either utterly unobtainable, wholly disinterested in their could utterly destroy any reasonable opposition to
devotion, or profoundly unhealthy in their affections. their plans, yet using it would almost certainly destroy
Their motivations revolve around winning or keeping them as well. It might be a corrupt noble ally, a mad
this person’s heart, yet they have no plausible chance wizard, a savage barbarian chieftain, or some other
of getting their desire. power that cannot be controlled once unleashed.
Conversely, they may be the unwilling object of Conversely, they might have it but not realize the
another’s mad devotion, forced to manage the ardor consequences, holding it back for now out of mere
of someone they cannot imagine loving. ordinary caution. Only after they pull the trigger will
they realize that they’re in the blast zone as well.
A Destroy some enemy or rival of the loved one,
Perform a grand deed to win the loved one’s A Become insulated from the consequences of
admiration, Engineer a situation to blackmail or using their weapon, Trick someone else into
compel the loved one to recognize their devotion triggering it and taking the backblast, Trigger it
P Some power finds it profitable to encourage and just a little bit so as to avoid disaster
support this vain romance, Their burning devotion P The weapon has peripheral elements or tools
has inspired their greatest efforts, They’ve made than can be deployed safely, They have allies
terrible pacts or bargains to win help in their who serve out of dread of the weapon’s use, The
cause process of obtaining the weapon left them with
D Their beloved finds personal benefit in leading useful resources
them on interminably, Some rival in love moves D The weapon is about to go off whether they want
to quash their competitor, Some third party it or not, An enemy of theirs is trying to activate
threatens to harm or steal away the object of the weapon prematurely, Their enemies also
their love have a doomsday weapon of their own

Double Life Double Loyalties

They lead a double life in some way, presenting one They have somehow ended up being sincerely
face to one set of associates and another to a different devoted to two different and not-necessarily-
group. One side may be their “real” nature with the compatible causes. They may have religious, ethnic,
other adopted purely for profit, or it may be that the or marriage ties to groups that are not necessarily
whole of their personality or pastimes would never be friendly to their conventional loyalties, or they may
accepted by a single social circle. have been attracted by some new cause while being
Conversely, this double life may be expressed reluctant to give up old faiths.
as a hidden set of “real” motivations and desires, Conversely, they may not actually have any
one never shown in their visible actions but secretly such dual loyalties, but their enemies and rivals
pursued all the same. are convinced they do and use that conviction to
denounce them as disloyal.
A Arrange events so they can throw off their “false”
face for good, Accomplish their double life’s A Resolve a conflict so that neither loyalty loses,
goals without the truth ever being suspected, Persuade one cause that the other is actually
Deal with someone who threatens to expose their in line with their desires, Somehow come to a
contradictions decision as to which loyalty to hold highest
P They have allies from their other life that none P They have friends from both loyalties to call on for
would suspect, They’ve learned skills that no one their plans, They have a keen understanding of
realizes they have, They have a trusted ally in the situation possible only due to their perspective,
someone else who leads a similar double life They have certain resources from both loyalties
D An enemy from one life is about to crash into them they can command
in their other role, A sudden desperate need in D The situation is evolving so as to put both causes
one life is distracting them from this role’s duties, at violent odds, One cause has suddenly become
An enemy has learned the truth and is using it to absolutely intolerable to the other, Someone in
blackmail them one cause wants them to act against someone
in the other
 189

Down In the World Earnest Idiot

They have recently come down in the world. Their They are a fool, unfortunately, and have one or more
former wealth, fame, good reputation, or other character traits that lead them into making terrible
prosperity has been lost, and now they are left to try to decisions. This idiocy is not so constant or profound
pull together a life out of the remnants of their former as to make it impossible for them to attain their goals,
contentment. The repercussions of their loss may still but sooner or later they’re going to make the worst
be going on. possible decision at the worst possible time.
Conversely, this downfall may have happened so Conversely, this idiocy may be restricted to a
long ago that they have long since come to terms particular topic or motivation. Whenever the topic
with their new life, even though elements and pieces is involved or their motivation is sparked, they will
of their former high station still turn up occasionally immediately make a bad decision in service of their
around them. prejudices or desires.
A Regain their lost station through any means A Prove that they are not a fool to their sniggering
necessary, Avenge themselves on the agent of associates, Earnestly ram a terrible decision
their ruin, Preserve or protect their newfound through until it becomes a success, Rescue
comrades in misery from some impending woe a cause or person they care about from the
P They still have access to certain resources or consequences of their recent bad decision
associates from their old life, Their past still P Their folly leads them to dare actions that no one
commands awe or respect from the rabble else would imagine possible, They are so good at
around them, They honed skills in their former something that it rescues them from their own bad
life that are still useful now choices, They are so charismatic or appealing
D The agent of their ruin will not be satisfied until that nobody blames them for their choices
they are dead, They simply don’t know how to D They’ve caused a disaster but don’t even realize
survive in their new condition, Their fall is causing it yet, They have the exact wrong idea about a
misery to someone they care about but can no situation, They’re actually trying to be helpful but
longer help in a totally unproductive way

Family Alienation Family Chains

There is a gnawing gulf between them and an They are tightly tied to a duty, cause, or service
important family member, be it spouse, child, or associated with their family, one that they do not enjoy.
parent. Something they’ve done or are is impossible Their love for their kindred or the practical necessity of
to accept, and the loving relationship they want to keeping them happy forces them to go along with the
have is constantly held out of reach. situation, but not without considerable pain.
Conversely, the alienation may be forced by the Conversely, this might not be an abstract cause
situation rather than mutual feelings. They may be they must serve but a specific family member they
unable to associate or be with their family due to the feel responsible for, even though that family member
circumstance, and until it’s solved they can’t expect is constantly causing trouble or putting themselves in
things to get better. danger.
A Prove the justice of their position to their loved A Shift the family duty elsewhere so they can be
one, Destroy the cause or person that they blame free, Secretly render the duty pointless or finished
for the alienation, Find a way to atone for their so they can end it, Convince their family to leave
act or satisfy the loved one the task aside or stop causing problems
P Their obsessive drive has made them very P Their duty requires skills that they have honed
capable in their purpose, The act that alienated to a fine edge, They have useful ties with others
their loved one left them with considerable who pursue the same cause, They can call on
resources, The friends they’ve made since their extensive family resources to support their acts
alienation are very useful D The family ties are putting them in direct conflict
D Their alienated loved one is on an actively with a personally-cherished cause, Their
antagonistic course, The situation threatens to best-loved family member is somehow being
sever yet another precious tie, Something is destroyed by the duty or falling into peril, A
threatening the loved one yet they cannot readily sudden compulsion of duty threatens to ruin the
act to help them entire family with its exactions
190

Friend Turned Foe Grand Plan

They once had a very dear friend, but that tie has now They have a magnificent plan, a grand scheme for
become a poisonous enmity. Something they or their some goal that would otherwise be far beyond their
friend did was so unforgivable that prior affection has power. Though it might prove to be eventually beyond
turned to hate, or it may be that the situation has left their grasp, this plan is actually plausible, and might
them on opposite sides despite their reluctance. work successfully if they can bring it all together. Few
Conversely, they might be the friend who has would suspect them of such a vast ambition.
turned foe against old allies. Those allies may or may Conversely, they might be part of someone
not realize yet their change of heart, particularly if greater’s plan, a knowing cog in a larger scheme they
whatever catalyzed it was something subtle. may not fully comprehend. For whatever reason, they
are utterly committed to this plan and will do whatever
A Prove the justification for their acts to their former they must to help carry it out.
friend, Destroy their former friend before they
are destroyed, Subdue or neutralize their former A Destroy a rival person or cause with the
friend without killing them magnificent success of their plan, Redeem some
P Their friend gave them a powerful item or past failing by succeeding in this, Escape some
valuable resources, Their occasion of betrayal awful situation or threat by succeeding in the plan
rewarded them richly, Their old friend’s enemies P They have secret knowledge about the situation
are now helping them that they leverage with their plan, They have
D A sudden need requires help that only the old an incredible stroke of luck that makes the plan
friend can give, Their betrayal or act is proven to possible, They’ve inherited the knowledge and
be futile or useless, A close friend betrays them resources of someone else who set up the plan
as they once betrayed another D A vital resource or person threatens to be
unavailable at a critical moment, An underling
plots to usurp the fruits of success, Someone is
letting the plan progress in order to undermine a
rival before quashing it

Great Disappointment Great Expectations

They are an enormous disappointment to their family, They are generally expected to be a great credit to
cause, or organization. Something about them their family or cause, and everyone is eager to help
inspired a great deal of hope and expectation but them in order to share in their eventual anticipated
their personality, actions, or choice of allies has left glory. They have a gift or talent that seems certain to
that prospect in ruins. They may be tolerated by their rocket them to great fame and success, though they
peers still, but they are constantly reminded of how may not have employed it much yet.
they’ve failed to live up to their expectations. Conversely, they might have these great
Conversely, they may have been the one expectations about an underling, child, or client of
disappointed by another, that failure having inflicted theirs, and are eager to employ their yet-unrealized
some great loss or trial on them. special gifts in order to advance their own plans.
A Redeem their good name among their associates A Prove that their talents really do justify the esteem
by some great deed, Join a new group that in which they are held, Overcome an obstacle or
will appreciate them for who they are, Take person who is preventing them from exercising
advantage of their existing ties as far as possible their talents fully, Outdo a rival who threatens to
before abandoning them eclipse their own achievements
P They still have the gift that inspired hope even if P Their gift for a particular role really is amazing,
they haven’t used it as expected, They’ve made A powerful patron is backing them in order to
new friends their old allies would not approve of, benefit from their rise, They secretly have an item
They have resources or items that they were given or ally who is the source of their apparent power
before they became a disappointment D Everyone’s expectations for them are much too
D Their former associates have decided that they unrealistic, It’s not that they have a truly great
are a liability that needs ending, Their failure has talent- it’s that the situation is so awful that they’re
brought forth dire present consequences, Their the only hope left, They honestly don’t feel that
gift has turned out to have a brutal personal cost competent and lack the confidence to use their
for use abilities to the full
 191

Hidden Origins Impending Treachery

They have a past that has been intentionally concealed. They are about to be betrayed in an impressively
Something about the circumstances of their birth or spectacular fashion. Some person or cause that they
upbringing would be disastrous, perhaps winning trust and rely on is about to ruin their plans with well-
them new enemies or alienating present allies. They timed treachery, plundering them of some valuable
might belong to the wrong ethnic group, have the resource or killing some vital ally. Hints may already
wrong true parent, or be an impostor of some person be afoot, but they refuse to admit the possibility.
of import. They must be constantly vigilant against any Conversely, they might be the ones doing the
shred of their origins coming to light, and may act betraying. They may be a vital lieutenant to a greater
violently to ensure their past stays buried. power, or a well-loved companion to a trusting
Conversely, they might not even realize the truth of superior. They’ve performed services enough to justify
their origins, but something about the situation is going the great trust they hold, even if their true intentions
to bring it to light at the worst possible time for them may not be so faithful. Something inherent in their
and their plans. The proof of it is likely undeniable, but other character tag may well be driving them to do
they may refuse to believe it even when all evidence this, whether or not they want to turn traitor.
shows it to be the truth.
A Exploit a desperate opportunity opened up by
A Either aid or avenge themselves on their true the circumstances of the betrayal, Get revenge
parent, Permanently silence someone who knows on not only the traitor but also their friends and
the truth of matters, Force their original parent or loved ones, Recover a vital item the traitor took
origin group to secretly aid them now P The traitor is enormously effective while
P They’ve inherited resources or gifts from their true concealing their malice, The traitor has channeled
origin, They have a faithful and capable ally extensive resources to them to earn their trust,
equally determined to hide the truth, Some figure Enemies of the traitor are now eager to lend aid
from their origins is secretly working to aid them D The treachery reveals that a cherished relationship
D They’re forced into a situation where they must was all a lie, They still cannot bring themselves
choose between their present life or real nature, to believe that it was really an intended betrayal,
Someone they love or find necessary is about The traitor destroyed something else that was
to stumble over the truth, Evidence arises that loved as collateral damage to their actions
somehow privately casts doubts on what they
understand of their past
192

In Over Their Head Inherited Duty

They are profoundly unequal to the situation they They have a task or social role that they received
find themselves in, whether it is their job, their current from their ancestors, either as a personal grudge
scheme, or the problem they face. They have gotten or obligation or as part of some broader societal
themselves in so deep that they can see no clear way expectation. They have never had any say in this duty,
out of their circumstances, and may be ready to resort and carrying it out has cost them dearly in the past.
to desperate measures. Conversely, they may have this duty but have
Conversely, they may be blithely unaware of the absolutely no intention of carrying it out, or they may
impending disaster, having a profoundly mistaken be utilizing it purely as an excuse to satisfy their own
assessment of the situation or their own capabilities. goals with no concern for dutiful service.
A Get the assistance of someone who can save A Finally complete the job and be free to do as
them from their situation, Shift the disaster onto they wish, Foist the duty off on someone else, Get
the shoulders of someone else, Enjoy themselves revenge on the people or society that forced the
as much as possible before the inevitable crash duty on them
P They have one grand talent that has gotten them P They are aided by others in the same social role
in far beyond their abilities, They have a patron or who have the same duty, They were trained to
who mistakenly thinks them more capable, They be extremely good at their job, They’ve inherited
have the desperate audacity to do things that no some item or resource to help them do their task
one else would contemplate doing D Carrying out the duty properly means doing
D They realize they’re about to face an enemy or something they find wicked or emotionally
immediate situation they cannot handle, A critical intolerable, If they carry out the duty a great
underling is developing severe doubts, Some dream of theirs will be impossible, The duty is
small additional problem is causing a snowball pointless or actively harmful to everyone but they
of delayed catastrophes see no way to avoid it

Irrational Hatred Last Survivor

They have a burning hatred for a particular group, They are the last of their kind, be it the final scion of
ethnicity, religion, government, or other selection of a reputed family, the last of a particular breed of
people they have reason to encounter semi-regularly. demihuman, the final heir to a decayed noble title, or
It may be that someone from this group wronged them the last apprentice to some great master. The weight
terribly in the past, or something about them offends of their inherited past hangs heavy on them.
their most basic sense of right and wrong. In either Conversely, they may be completely unaware of
case, their hate is beyond all reasonable measure. their great ancestors while others seek to suborn them
Conversely, they may have suffered bitterly from in order to use their ties for another’s advantage.
someone else’s irrational hatred of them, and such
hardships may have inculcated an equal grudge in A Restore or revitalize their fading antecedents,
turn. Get revenge on whatever destroyed the
others, Escape the weight of the past and the
A Drive out or destroy the hated group, Show their expectations it brings
fellows the truth of the group’s evil, Destroy a P They’ve inherited some great wealth or magic,
community or precious institution maintained by They have ancestral allies they can still call on,
the hated group They know powerful secrets entrusted only to
P Their hatred has driven them to pursue dark and their kind
terrible sources of power, They have many allies D The thing that finished the rest of their kind is
who also despise the same group, They have coming to finish them, The failure of their line will
ties with another power that has a completely create some social or magical chaos, Others are
different reason to be antagonistic to the group expecting great things from them that they feel
D The just vengeance they are unleashing will catch unable to grant
someone they love in the eruption, They have
their own well-hidden ties to the group, They’re
being used as a catspaw by an “ally” with very
different end goals
 193

Lives For Today Load-Bearing Relationship

They care little for the future or the consequences of They have a spouse, child, friend, lord, trusted
their choices and are determined to seek their own retainer, or other person in their life who is absolutely
immediate ends with a reckless zeal. This tactic has necessary to them. They rely utterly on this person for
worked for them at least once in the past, bringing some sort of emotional support or practical assistance,
them some great success or satisfaction. and would be crippled or lost without them.
Conversely, they may live for the moment because Conversely, they may have lost or impaired this
they are convinced their time is short. Some sickness, relationship, and are now trying to restore it even as
doom, or threat draws so near that they must dare all they crumble into confusion, distraction, and reckless
if they are to have any chance to gain their desire. desperation.
A Obtain an experience or status hardly known to A Achieve a great dream of their supporter, Prove
others, Make up for a prior life of stern discipline their own worthiness to their supporter through
or cruel privation, Achieve a goal with absolutely some grand success, Avenge a slight inflicted on
no concern for cost or consequences the supporter by someone else
P They have a great talent for making the most of P The support they receive makes them far more
any situation, Their reckless munificence has won confident and capable, Their supporter has
many helpers, They’ve a great talent or wealth resources or allies of their own to give, Their
that they are convinced will see them through supporter is even more competent than they are
D A prior advantageous act now has its dire D Their supporter is loyal only to their own ends,
consequences coming due, They’ve made Their supporter is encouraging them to some
promises and assurances they are now called grave mistake or misstep, Their supporter is in
upon to keep, They’re growing desperately some great trouble that they can’t solve on their
bored or ennui-ridden with their indulgences own

Lost Cause Lovesick Fool

They are dedicated to a cause that has long since They are absolutely and utterly smitten with someone,
been defunct. A rebel uprising, a quashed faith, a and their lovesickness is leading them to make terrible
broken noble family, a failed political faction, a brief decisions in order to pursue their suit. The object of their
regional independence, or some other cause has their affections may or may not be a socially-acceptable
loyalty, even though most people think it vain and target, but for whatever reason this beloved is in no
useless in the present day. position to calm their pursuer.
Conversely, they may be affiliated with other Conversely, they may already be in a relationship
partisans of this lost cause even though they have with their beloved, yet are so besotted by them that
no personal confidence in it at all. The remnants are they are neglecting or ignoring critical situations that
merely useful tools to obtain their own end. threaten to explode into outright disaster.
A Get revenge on the power that crushed their A Perform a grand deed to further the interests of
cause, Ignite the cause once more, Subvert an their beloved, Destroy a rival suitor, Acquire
existing power structure to serve the cause anew their beloved with no particular concern for their
P Treasures once held by the cause have come into object’s wishes in the matter
their hands, A hard core of zealots still exists and P Their utter commitment leaves them willing to
is cooperating with them, They still bear tokens of spend every possible resource or labor, Some
authority from the cause that some in the present third party has an interest in supporting them in
still respect and obey their suit, They are extremely good at something
D The same thing that ruined the cause the last their beloved finds attractive or useful
time appears likely to ruin it again, Their cause is D Their beloved is playing them for a fool, An
merely being exploited by some outside power, underling is preparing to make a change in
An even more zealous underling threatens to leadership, A rival suitor is crashing into the
subvert control of the entire enterprise situation
194

Magical Gift Marked for Success

They have an intrinsic magical gift that is useful in They have been designated for glory by a powerful
pursuing their present plan. This gift may be the legacy patron, a tremendous natural gift, or an extremely
of their bloodline, the product of esoteric training, or influential bloodline. Whatever their personal
a whim of blind chance, but it lets them bypass some capacities, everyone knows that they can be expected
problem that would otherwise stymie their plans. to go far in their chosen career.
Conversely, they might be the custodian or master Conversely, they may still be struggling for the
of someone else who has a useful gift. They rely on special blessing of powerful patronage or influential
this connection to pursue their own ends, perhaps to associations. Their ambitions may be impossible to
the disadvantage of their servant. achieve without this support, and their present plans
revolve around winning the alliances they need.
A Perform some great and splendid deed that
would be impossible for someone without such A Prove that they genuinely deserve the success
a convenient gift, Enhance the gift through that they will inevitably obtain, Carry out a
some difficult ritual or opportunity, Escape the critical task for their patron, Quash a rival who
obligation that the gift’s possession has laid on threatens to outdo them through their own special
them due to the expectations of others advantages
P Their gift solves some class of challenges or P They are remarkably good at some skill relevant
difficulties very easily, Their gift is considered a to their role, Their patron is very generous in
sure sign of nobility and legitimate rule, No one aiding their purposes, Numerous others are quick
knows about their gift to aid them in order to have the advantage of
D Their gift requires a terrible price be paid, They’re their friendship in the future
faced with a threat or problem their gift can’t D Their patron is reconsidering their support, They
solve, Someone else is expecting them to use have no personal skill or aptitude to justify their
their gift to serve another’s ends rise, A rival is vying for their patron’s support and
may just get it in their place

Misplaced Trust Natural Leader

They trust some person or institution implicitly, relying They are a natural-born leader, possessed of a
on them as part of their plans or duties. This trust is charisma and insight that helps them perfectly judge
misplaced, however, and the other party will fail the abilities and loyalty of those around them. They
them at the worst possible moment, either through naturally draw powerful allies and can manage their
incompetence, self-interest, or secret malice. interests without disruptive conflict.
Conversely, they themselves might be the trusted Conversely, they might be born into or placed
person, relied on by a superior or ally for some into a position where everyone looks to them for
important aid. That aid will not be forthcoming, leadership, whether or not they have the talent for it.
however, as their interests are very different than what They may be unable to escape these duties, despite
their ally supposes. an unwillingness or inability to carry them out.
A Share some glory or reward with their trusted A Bring together two hostile parties to achieve
ally through their current plans, Promote the their own purposes, Overcome a materially
interests of their trusted ally, Put the trusted ally stronger opponent through coordinated alliances,
in a position to give them a great reward or help Accomplish a great leadership coup despite their
P The ally is very useful to them up until their own doubts about their abilities
inevitable betrayal, Their association with their P They have one particularly powerful follower,
ally impresses others and leads them to be They’re in a good relationship with a potent
cooperative, Their ally has given them valuable faction, They’re stealing followers of the force or
resources as a token of their good faith individual they’re contesting
D A crucial part of their plan relies on the ally but D A physical calamity happens that cannot be
will inevitably go awry, The ally is privately in mitigated by diplomacy or leadership, One of
league with their enemies or rivals, The ally their followers only feigns loyalty, Their followers
expects them to nobly sacrifice their interests for have unrealistic expectations for them
the ally’s benefit
 195

Persecuting Foe Ruined Plan

They have a powerful nemesis that has an intense Their life has been marred by the consequences of
desire to ruin, kill, or disgrace them. This enmity may a ruined plan, some grand ambition or scheme that
be the fruit of past actions or be a result of ethnic, collapsed disastrously. The aftermath still burdens
religious, or national animosity. This nemesis will not them, and the possibilities that were foreclosed yet
listen to ordinary reason. haunt them.
Conversely, they may be forced to work with this Conversely, the plan may merely be about to be
nemesis for some reason, one who is an unreasonable ruined, with its impending implosion obvious to them
and tormenting superior or associate. For whatever if they don’t solve an immediate problem or overcome
reason, they’re unable to cut off this association and the meddling foe who is causing them such trouble.
need their nemesis’ nominal cooperation.
A Prove that the ruined plan would have worked
A Destroy their nemesis before their nemesis or wasn’t their fault, Avenge themselves on the
destroys them, Pull their enemy’s fangs by one who ruined their scheme, Reclaim something
destroying their power base, Redirect the precious they lost during the collapse
enemy’s wrath towards a profitable target P They still have the item or resource that made the
P They have some important resource stolen from ruined scheme possible, They have allies they
the nemesis, They’ve developed skills or allies to made during the scheme, They’ve come up with
blunt the foe’s usual means of attack, They are some new resource as a direct consequence of
allied to powerful enemies of the nemesis their failure
D The nemesis is striking at the base of their power D A consequence of the disaster has yet to play
or influence, The persecutor has made an out fully for them, Someone they disappointed
opening for their other enemies to exploit, The or harmed with the plan hunts them, They try to
foe is someone they simply can’t destroy or move re-attempt the plan with even less chance of
directly against success now

Ruinous Vice Secret Cravings

They have some particular vice that drives them to They possess a yearning for some substance or activity
terrible choices: drugs, drink, debauchery, lies, or that is utterly reprehensible to their fellows. They’ve
some similar sin. While it has not yet eaten them whole, indulged secretly in it before, but constantly seek new
many of their decisions are predicated around getting opportunities to enjoy it without having their urges
more or their vice or experiencing it in new ways. exposed to their brethren. This craving may be morally
Conversely, they may be reliant on providing the innocent or utterly vile, but it’s something they could
vice to someone else in order to maintain their current not bear to have commonly known.
status or schemes. Failure to come up with a consistent Conversely, they may have substantial power or
supply of it could result in disaster for them. influence through providing this craving to others in
their society, with a wealth of blackmail material such
A Obtain an endless supply of their vice through provision provides.
some scheme, Destroy someone who threatens
to impede their enjoyment of the vice, Establish A Kill someone who threatens to uncover their
an organization or business revolving around the appetites, Use the blackmail they’ve gained
provision of the vice through their associations to control someone,
P They are owed many favors or have much Find a way to rid themselves of this hunger
blackmail material from their vice, They have P The craving has given them the opportunity to
exceptional funds of wealth or power to help obtain much wealth, The craving is for a substance
supply their sin, They have the patronage of a that grants them magical power, Fellow enjoyers
fellow enjoyer of their vice are allied with them to ensure their safety
D Their vice is killing them at a perceptible rate of D A victim or supplier of the craving has gotten
speed, A reckless indulgence is now coming loose from their influence and threatens to reveal
back to haunt them with its consequences, Their all, The old indulgences aren’t strong enough and
vice is causing a calamity for someone they love bigger doses are required, Their new post or role
or need is cutting them off from obtaining their cravings
196

Secret Sectarian Stolen Reputation

They are a devotee of some faith, cause, or faction They have a splendid reputation that they in no way
that must remain hidden from the world, either rightfully deserve. The great deeds or grand skills they
because their exposure would make them less useful are reputed to have actually belong to another, and
to it, or because the group itself is unacceptable to they stole the rightful glory due to this person. Their
society. Their ostensible schemes and duties actually own capabilities may be considerable, but they are
are meant to support their secret allies. not what they are claimed to be.
Conversely, they may be supported by this secret Conversely, they may be the one whose glory was
faction without ever realizing that it is the case. stolen, forced to remain silent by circumstances or
Powerful allies or useful underlings may act to aid threats. They may not even be allowed to demonstrate
them, as their purpose is somehow advantageous to their true competence lest it tarnish the luster of the
the sect. thief.
A Make the sect an open power in the region, A Destroy the real hero before their secret comes
Discharge some great debt or obligation they out, Assuage their self-doubt by proving they
have to the sect, Destroy an enemy of the sect deserve the glory, Take full advantage of the
without making their affiliation obvious opportunities their new renown offers them
P The sect gives them valuable resources or items, P They really are superb at their role even if they
Their devotion has allowed them to obtain aren’t the best, Co-conspirators in the theft still
magical gifts, Hidden devotees of the sect act to support them, An important patron finds them a
aid their open purposes more useful hero than the one they eclipsed
D The sect considers them a disposable weapon D Their glory has gotten them into a situation far
for the cause, A rival threatens to reveal their beyond their capabilities, They have actually
affiliation to the public, Their current duty would convinced themselves they’re as good as people
be disastrous for the sect if they carried it out say they are, Their renown has put them into a
correctly role or function they now find hateful

Ticking Bomb Troublesome Friend

They have some person, institution, or situation in their They have a dear friend or vital ally who is a constant
life that is going to explode. Self-destructive choices, source of problems for them. Poor decisions, reckless
internal strife, impending doom, or some other trigger indulgences, persistent threats by an enemy, or other
is going to send shrapnel through all their plans, and distractions force them to clean up their friend’s
it’s only a matter of time before it detonates. messes or protect them when they should be tending
Conversely, they may be the bomb. They may be to their own plans.
under unendurable pressure, prey to some madness, Conversely, they may be that friend to their patron
afflicted with a curse, or otherwise facing a situation or allies. Their associates refuse to cut them off out of
that can only end with catastrophically bad results at affection or mutual necessity, but they’re constantly
some unknown but rapidly-approaching time. the locus of problems that have to be solved.
A Defuse the bomb by resolving the situation that A Somehow get out of the relationship with their
is causing it, Eliminate or distance the person or self-image or prosperity intact, Solve the friend’s
institution before it can blow up on them, Arrange troubles once and for all, Finally leverage the
the situation so an enemy or rival suffers the friend into a profitable situation despite their
consequences of the blast troublemaking
P The rising chaos is very profitable to them in P Their friend is actually extremely useful at
wealth or granted influence, They have great something, Their friend brings valuable resources
influence over the bomb until it explodes, The with them, Their friend has associates or allies
bomb’s explosion would cause enormous that are very handy
damage to a rival or enemy D Their friend causes a catastrophic problem to
D The crisis suddenly comes to a peak much too arise, Their friend resents them and is refusing
soon, A twist leaves them even more vulnerable to cooperate in the necessary cleanup, Their
to the consequences of an explosion, One of friend’s troublemaking is actually intentional and
their enemies or rivals is actively provoking the meant to sabotage them out of spite or envy
situation
 197

Unexpected Talent Unreasonably Lucky

They have an unusual skill or capability, one They are lucky beyond all ordinary limits, to the point
uncommon to someone in their position. It may be a that they can predictably rely on good fortune to carry
magical gift, unexpected combat prowess, abnormal them through difficulties. This luck may not sweep
social skills, or some other knack. This talent is useful aside all obstacles, but their enemies and rivals never
in pursuing their plans and unlikely to be anticipated seem to get the benefits of blind chance.
by their enemies. Conversely, they may be unreasonably unlucky, yet
Conversely, this talent might actually belong to a their sheer determination and dogged persistence has
loyal minion in their service, and they can deploy made them far more competent and capable than
them to further their own purposes. would normally be expected.
A Engineer the situation so their success relies upon A Seize an opportunity that their great luck has
their unexpected superiority at this skill, Ruin their allowed them to obtain, Prove that they’re
enemies through the use of the skill, Prove the actually skilled rather than merely lucky, Expand
value of the skill to someone who scorned it the influence of the god or patron they credit for
P The skill has given them access to an unexpected their luck
source of wealth or influence, They have allies P Their luck has brought them a great store of
who are interested in the skill and its uses, They resources, Others seek to be close to them to
have loyal students seeking to learn the skill from share in their good fortune, A perfect line of
them coincidences has granted them an ideal opening
D They’ve relied too heavily on the skill and it’s for their current plan
gotten them into a situation the skill can’t solve, D Their luck runs out at the worst possible time,
The skill has failed them at a critical moment, They’ve grown indolent and careless due to
They’ve drawn the enmity of a rival adept in the trusting in their luck, Someone burns with envy
skill and resentment at their unearned success

Up From the Gutter Veiled Backers

They came from a wretched background to their They have one or more powerful patrons supporting
current success. Whether from grinding poverty, a them, but this aid must be kept secret at all costs.
shunned ethnic or professional group, a despised Their backers may be enemies of their current society,
religion, or a miserable birth, they have ascended to socially-unacceptable figures, or foes of their current
their present circumstances. Their past may yet be a employer. These patrons have their own goals that
secret they conceal carefully. they expect to be pursued.
Conversely, they may still be in the gutter, yet Conversely, they may be the veiled backer of
ferociously determined to climb out of it into the some otherwise-unacceptable group or embedded
heights of success they feel are rightfully theirs. mole, feeding their minions support and resources in
exchange for their hidden services.
A Get revenge on those who once scorned and
despised them, Erase all those who know A Carry out a secret command that would conflict
the truth of their past, Raise the local status or with their apparent duties, Take out an enemy
circumstances of their despised origins of their backers in a deniable way, Deal with
P Their past forced them to gain useful skills another client of their patrons who has gone
uncommon to their current position, They made rogue in some fashion
allies in the past that still serve well, Their past P Their backers grant considerable resources to
associations helped them get a large amount of their minions, They have secret allies embedded
blackmail material on local figures of import in many local institutions, Their backers give them
D Old ties and demands now seem likely to access to secrets and hidden intel useful to their
drag them back down, A rival works tireless to plans
discredit them for their ignoble origins, The next D Their backers have decided that it is time to burn
level of success is hopelessly barred to them by them, Enemies of their backers are sniffing too
their past circumstances close to their association, Their backers are
demanding a service that is mortally perilous or
emotionally intolerable
198

NAVAL ADVENTURING
Some of the finest adventuring to be had is on isolated
islands, forgotten archipelagos, or on the shores of dis- Sea Travel Procedures
tant lands far over the sea. It’s not unlikely that the PCs For each day of seagoing travel, the GM should take the
might find it necessary to take ship from time to time in following steps.
order to reach such golden destinations.
This section provides optional rules for structuring • Roll 1d10, or 1d12 on quiet seas. On a 1, an event
seagoing travel. Information is given on buying ships, hir- happens sometime that day. The seafaring event
ing crews, provisioning for long expeditions, and keeping table below offers some example possibilities. Skill
up with the inevitable decay and wear of a salt-lashed checks should be made by the best sailor or most
wooden vessel. appositely-skilled PC. Ship encounters likely call
Ship combat rules are provided as well, ones based for a Reaction Roll.
on the starship combat rules from Stars Without Num-
ber. These rules are intended to involve the entire party • Subtract one day worth of food and water from
in a seagoing fray and give each player a voice in resolv- the ship’s provisions for each crew member. If they
ing the encounter. Players who prefer a quicker, simpler run out, they’re subject to the privation rules in the
way of resolving their differences with pirates can use core rulebook.
the quick combat rules provided at the end of the section.
Even PCs who manage to avoid the attentions of • If they’ve suffered unusual calamities or lack pro-
seagoing reavers still need to have a care for the perils of visions, make a Morale check for the crew. Failure
wind and wave. It’s an easy thing for a ship to go astray means truculence; two or more failed checks might
in the great blue wastes of the Atlantean Main, and only mean mutiny if they’re not appeased.
vigilant wariness and a hold well-stocked with supplies
can see adventurers through such dangers. • Subtract the ship’s daily movement rate from the
And if the worst befalls them and their ship is given distance to go before it reaches its destination. If
to the sea, they can only hope that an uncharted island the PCs are just exploring an area, move them an
might be close enough to reach while life remains…. appropriate number of hexes on the map.

d10 Seafaring Event d10 Ship Encounter

1-3 Ship Ahoy: A vessel comes into Sighted 1-3 Local Trader: It’s a trading ship out of the
range. Roll on the Ship Encounter table. nearest port.
4 Stormy Weather: Make a Dex or Int/Sail 4 Local Pirate: It’s a small pirate craft looking
skill check at difficulty 10; on a failure, suffer for small, ill-defended prey.
the difference in your roll in ship HP lost.
5 Local Warship: It’s a small or medium
5 Off Course: You discover you’re actually warship out hunting pirates or looking for
1d4 x 50 miles away from where you thought smugglers; it may want a closer look at your
you were in a random direction. ship.
6 Sea Beast: Fearsome monsters or a terrible
6 Oceanic Pirate: This is a big raider, likely
sea creature threatens your ship.
sailing out of a pirate haven and more than
7 Fouled Provisions: Make an Int/Sail skill able to deal with most merchantmen.
check at difficulty 10; on a failure, lose 10%
7 Far Trader: A fat oceangoing merchant on
of your provisions for each point you failed by.
a long journey from some far-off land.
8 Damaged Cargo: Make an Int/Sail skill
check at difficulty 10; on a failure, lose 5% 8 Privateer: A medium or larger ship kitted
of your non-provisions cargo for each point out to plunder the enemies of its owners. Most
you failed by. are generous in their definition of enemies.
9 Sickness Aboard: Make an Int/Heal skill 9 Unnatural Craft: It’s a wizard’s galleon,
check at difficulty 10. On a failure, 1d4 x 10% priest’s barge, skyship, living vessel, Hosthulk,
of the crew are incapacitated for 3d6 days. or other uncanny ship.
10 Damaged Fitting: A random ship-mounted 10 Crippled Ship: Roll again; it’s that kind of
weapon or fitting has been damaged. Until ship, but it’s suffered severe damage from
it’s repaired, it’s useless. Ships without either storms or combat, and usually has no more
weapons or fittings are immune to this. than half its usual HP and crew.
 199

Buying Ships and Hiring Crew

To buy a ship, the PCs need to be in a port town large Crew Members
enough to support the kind of vessel they mean to buy.
Crew Cost/Month
Villages seldom have anything bigger than small ships
for sale, towns may have medium ships, and only major Ordinary Seaman 25 sp
cities can be expected to have large ships on the market. Cook, Carpenter, or Skilled Trade 50 sp
The bigger the ship, the harder it is to find one for Trained Marine, Archer, or Gunner 40 sp
sale. Small ships can be found in 1d10 days, medium in
1d10 weeks, and large in 1d10 months. An adventure Marine Sergeant 100 sp
focused on finding a ship might locate one far sooner, Navigator or Ship’s Officer 150 sp
and plausible use of Trade or Sail might find a good lead.
Captain 250 sp
If the GM decides that the PCs could not reason-
ably find the kind of ship they want for sale on the open weapon might require specialists to fire it effectively, but
market, they may need to hire a shipwright to build it. most hurlants require specially-trained gunners.
Assuming a competent wright is available, it will take Custom generally has a captain pay a crewman half
one week for every two hit points of the ship’s base hull, their first month’s wages up front to clear their inevitable
doubled for medium hulls, and quadrupled for large hulls. shoreside debts, with all other pay due whenever the ship
This time can be halved by doubling the price. makes port. Few capable sailors will sign on for less than
a month’s wages, even for shorter expeditions.
Hiring Crew
For a very small ship, the party alone might be enough to Hiring for Perilous Expeditions
man her. So long as at least one PC has Sail-0, they can Seafaring in the Latter Earth is a dangerous profession in
probably get the craft aimed in the right direction and the calmest waters, and common sailors are inured to a
arrive more-or-less safely, assuming nothing unfortunate certain level of sea monster attacks, magical storms, and
happens along the way. For larger ships, or navigating pirate assaults. Most won’t demand extra inducement to
in more challenging circumstances, a crew of proper- sail through this ordinary level of peril.
ly-trained sailors is necessary. Ships commissioned for privateering, piracy, warfare,
Such men and women can be found in most port or adventurous expeditions into the unknown are a dif-
communities, and there are always some who find them- ferent matter. Their crews will usually demand shares of
selves between berths and in need of a position. In an the expedition’s profits.
average fishing village, 2d6 can be found at any one time. When sailing on shares, custom usually leaves half
Towns support five times this many, and cities can usually the profit to the ship’s owners, including any magical
supply as many trained sailors as any single ship could items. The other half is divided up in shares among the
ask for. crew, with the captain receiving five shares, the officers
Ordinary seamen will do for sailing a ship, aiming two, and each crewman one. Pirates are more egalitarian,
a catapult, or pulling an oar, but a captain who wants to dividing the entire haul and not merely half of it.
fit out an archery unit or maintain a unit of arquebusiers Expeditions without likely hope of riches might be
will need to hire trained marines or other professionals to able to find crew at five to ten times the usual pay rate, but
fill the berth. It’s up to the GM as to whether a particular few sailors will risk their lives for anything less.
200

Ship Types
The ship types listed below are some of the more com- Grace reflects the nimbleness and maneuverability
mon ones navigating the coasts and open seas of the of a ship. It is added to all skill checks the crew makes
Latter Earth. Each ship is defined by certain statistics. that involve ship-handling, speed, or agility.
Hit Points are depleted by ship gunnery damage,
Crew indicates how many crew are needed for ordi- and the ship sinks or founders at zero hit points. Ordi-
nary operation and the maximum number the ship can nary weapons and attacks can’t harm a ship’s hit points,
readily hold over a long journey. Ships with at least half but major fires and large sources of damage can do some
the minimum crew, rounded down, can limp along at half injury at the GM’s discretion.
speed and a -2 Grace penalty, but less than that and the Armor Class is the target that enemy gunnery needs
ship is at the mercy of wind and wave. to hit in order to damage the ship or harm its crew. Some
Rowers are additional crewmen needed if the ship ships have a good AC due to agility, and others due to
is to make way by oar. Unsurprisingly, ships that have no heavy planking and thick hulls.
oars need no rowers. These rowers are in addition to the Cargo is the number of tons of cargo that the ship
necessary minimum crew for operation. can reasonably transport. Would-be merchant princes
Rowers allow the ship to sail regardless of the must remember that crew provisions must also have their
winds, but they can manage no more than eight hours allotted space in the hold if the ship is to get far.
of headway a day and so generally make less progress Weapons gives the maximum number of cargo tons
than sail-bearing craft. Some ships are rowed by slaves that can be dedicated to mounted weaponry and armed
or convicts, but free rowers can be dragooned into a ship’s crew units, as described in the next section. A ship may
boarding detachment if necessary. have a vast cargo hold but only so much space in it can
Miles per day is the average number of miles the be usefully employed for weapons.
ship can travel every 24 hours. For convenience, it’s as- Size is the general size category of the ship. Some
sumed the ship can sail directly toward its destination weapons and other fittings cannot be reasonably mount-
and doesn’t need to tack back and forth to manage the ed on ships too small to bear their bulk. Small ships can
wind. When sailing on a hex map, any excess mileage be used as ship’s boats, mounted on larger craft at a cargo
beyond a hex increment is added to the next day’s sailing. space cost equal to half the smaller boat’s cargo rating.

Ships of the Latter Earth

Ship Cost Crew Rowers Miles / Day Grace HP AC Cargo Wpns Size
Cutter 1,000 6/60 0 150 +1 10 17 40 5 Small
Dhow 200 3/20 0 120 +1 7 16 30 5 Small
Pinnace 500 1/40 8 120* +2 5 18 20 3 Small
Raider Launch 150 1/30 8 90* +0 5 15 10 2 Small
Windskiff n/a 2/10 0 150 by flight +1 5 18 10 2 Small
Bedar 5,000 4/80 0 150 +1 15 15 60 10 Medium
Brigantine 7,500 14/120 0 120 +0 20 14 70 15 Medium
Garay 10,000 10/80 30 120* +1 20 16 50 20 Medium
Fluyt 15,000 16/120 0 100 -1 25 14 100 15 Medium
Triaconter 10,000 10/160 30 60 by rowing +1 25 15 40 30 Medium
Xebec 5,000 4/120 20 120* +0 20 15 60 20 Medium
Skyship n/a 12/50 0 200 by flight +1 20 16 60 15 Medium
Dromon 30,000 20/300 60 90* -1 40 13 120 50 Large
Frigate 40,000 32/200 0 150 +0 50 15 80 40 Large
Lanong 35,000 20/200 60 100* +0 45 14 80 40 Large
Ship of the Line 75,000 50/300 0 100 +1 80 15 100 60 Large
War Galleon 50,000 60/300 0 120 +0 60 12 90 50 Large
Stormcruiser n/a 60/200 0 150 by flight +1 65 14 100 35 Large
* these ships may instead move up to 60 miles per day by oar if enough rowers are aboard
 201

Common Ship Types the smaller trading vessels that are its usual prey.
The instability of the Legacy and its capricious limits are Tavat’s pirates are notorious for impressing prison-
shown clearly in the myriad different ships that ply the ers as rowers.
seas of the Latter Earth. The historical ships of mod- Lanong: The bigger cousin of the garay, lanongs are
ern-day Earth had their strong and weak points, but time found most often under the command of Aristoi
and improved seamanship led to many early designs be- commodores or Shinbu Anak warchiefs. Their
ing abandoned in favor of later, better classes of ships. outrigger design makes them stable and seaworthy,
Improved rigging, new sail technology, advancing tech- with their oars allowing for careful maneuvering in
niques of hull construction, and other such innovations confined spaces. Most pirate lanongs carry several
led to steadily-improved ships. launches to bring the ship’s vast raiding complement
This is not the case in the Latter Earth. Many tech- ashore.
nologies that ought to work perfectly simply do not func- Pinnace: A small craft sometimes used as a ship’s boat on
tion correctly thanks to ancient Outsider forbiddances, a larger vessel, pinnaces are exceedingly nimble and
physics decay, or special-case curses embedded by some can be rowed if enough strong arms are available.
ancient nautical empire. A host of ship designs that have Some are used as small coastal traders, but they deal
been superseded for centuries in the modern world are poorly with the perils of the open sea.
actually among the most functional, efficient, and practi- Raider Launch: These small craft come in numerous
cal options available for a far-future sailor. Some manage shapes and sizes, but all are meant to be launched
to dodge the hindrances embedded in the Legacy, and from a larger ship kept safely offshore. Their crews
others actually benefit by ancient blessings bestowed on row in, plunder, and flee before organized resistance
the design by long-vanished seafarers. The ship designs can strike back.
listed below are merely the most common of these sur- Ship of the Line: Some would say these ships are the
viving designs. finest warships in the west, the fruit of centuries of
Sunward Isles seamanship. They form the backbone
Bedar: A double-ended, junk-sailed ship popular in the of the island navies, each one heavily laden with le-
western Amundi kingdoms for its seaworthiness, thal Sunwarder cannon. Their complexity has made
speed, and small crew requirements. them rare elsewhere, in addition to their complete
Brigantine: A favorite of Sarxian privateers, this square- unsuitability for many traditional forms of magical
rigged, two-masted ship can carry crew enough to augmentation and blessing.
overwhelm small craft while retaining enough cargo Skyship: The middle class of flying ships, few of these
space to haul the plunder back to port. have survived since the days when they formed the
Cutter: One of a variety of small, fast cargo ships with bulk of the Wind Cities’ aerial navies. The few that
intricate rigging. They require more crew than other remain are most often in the hands of skilled and
ships their size, but their sails catch the wind with rapacious sky pirates or the windfarers of Yain.
great efficiency. Stormcruiser: The biggest class of skyship known to sur-
Dhow: Lateen-rigged trading and fishing boats, usually vive, these vessels are vanishingly rare. Rumors per-
kept close to a coastline. They lack the speed and sist of buried hangars in the Choking Dunes where
cargo capacity of a cutter, but their rigging is far whole squadrons of these ships lie sleeping since the
simpler to handle. destruction of Javair.
Dromon: The biggest Tseban war galley along the west- Triaconter: One of a variety of oared war galleys favored
ern and eastern coastlines of southern Gyarus, a in tight waters, like the Sleeve of western Gyaros.
dromon is exclusively oar-powered, usually by par- Their lack of sails helps them mount large numbers
ticularly luckless slaves. While ungainly, a dromon of deck weapons, and their rowers are usually Tse-
can carry both a vast number of soldiers and a great ban soldiers ready to join any boarding action.
amount of cargo. War Galleon: The fearsome fist of Sarx, their war galle-
Fluyt: Sluggish and fat-bellied, a fluyt carries more car- ons are a sight dreaded from the top of the gulf of
go than any other common ship of its size. Some Amund to the southern shores of Xindai. Almost
daring pirates use them as motherships, hanging all are exclusively military in nature, built to crush
launches off the sides for quick shore raids. troublesome pirates and smash the navies of rival
Frigate: The pride of the Atlantean navies, the frigates states.
of the Prior Crown are extremely complex in their Windskiff: Smallest of the flying ships, these arcane ves-
construction and operation, and few are able to sels are rare marvels used most often for scouting
build them outside of the ports of Atlantis. Even and swift message transport.
fewer are permitted to buy them, but some of the Xebec: A three-masted ship with both lateen sails and
more daring Kytheronian privateers have been oars, a xebec is popular with both raiders and trad-
known to acquire them by rougher means. ers, not least for its relatively inexpensive construc-
Garay: A popular pirate vessel in Tavat, a garay is a sin- tion and comparatively easy handling. Many of the
gle-masted, oared ship nimble enough to run down Free Clans sail them on the Vermillion Sea.
202

Ship Weapons
Some of the most common ship-mounted weapons are Cargo is the cargo space required for the weapon
listed below, along with some of the more frequently-en- or the unit’s equipment. A ship cannot effectively mount
countered crew units deployed in combat. more tons of weaponry or marine gear than its Weapons
Cost gives the price of the weapon in places where it rating. This burden counts against a ship’s cargo limits.
is usually sold. Less familiar regions may pay double, if it Size is the smallest size of ship that can effectively
can be found at all. In some cases, such as with Ondasi mount the weapon. Craft smaller than this do not have
guns, the weapons may not even work outside their place the room or the bracing needed to handle the weapon.
of manufacture. This price does not include crew hiring A ship is assumed to have enough ammunition
costs, but only their equipment. aboard for any reasonable sea engagement, with the cost
Crew is the number of crew necessary to man the of resupply accounted for under a ship’s usual mainte-
weapon or fill out the unit. Without this many crew, the nance cost. For weapons that fire both solid shot and
weapon or unit cannot fight effectively. Crew can be shift- grapeshot, the choice of ammunition can be made when
ed among weapons if losses require it, but they must be the weapon is fired.
trained for the role.
Range is the maximum range of the weapon or unit. Restricted Weapons and Units
Attacks made at Near range all gain a +2 bonus to hit, The list below contains several entries for weapons that
regardless of the weapon’s maximum range. may not be appropriate for particular campaigns. A few
Damage is the amount of hit point damage inflicted items in particular are meant for specific settings.
on the target ship on a hit. Small arms and grapeshot Earth-historical campaigns can use arquebusier
instead inflict their damage on the target’s Crew Strength, units and can treat hurlants as smoothbore cannons,
with the GM subtracting any losses from the most like- with long hurlant units being used for riflemen.
ly-seeming victims. If the GM thinks it plausible to target Sunwarder cannon function normally in other
a specific creature with it, its damage dice are tripled, and regions of the Latter Earth, but are rare and expensive.
a creature brought to 0 HP by it dies instantly. Ondasi guns function only within sight of Ondas’ coast.

Ship Weapons and Gunnery Units

Weapon Cost Crew Range Damage Cargo Size
Ballista 250 3 Near 1d4 2 Small
Catapult 200 3 Far 1d6 4 Medium
- with loose stones - - Near 1d4 - -
Hurlant, full-sized “Great” class 10,000 15 Far 1d12 5 Medium
- with shot canister - - Near 1d10* - -
Hurlant, smaller “Lela” type 5,000 5 Far 1d8 2 Small
- with shot canister - - Near 1d6* - -
Hurlant, pivot-mounted “Swivel” 4,000 3 Near 1d8 2 Small
- with shot canister - - Near 1d6* - -
Ondasi Rifled Cannon 2,000 10 Sighted 1d12 4 Medium
- with shot canister - - Near 1d12* - -
Ondasi Shore Battery 50,000 - Sighted 3d12 - Shore Only
Ram, Large (Rowed ships only) 2,500 0 Abreast 2d10 5 Large
Ram, Medium (Rowed ships only) 1,000 0 Abreast 1d10 2 Medium
Sunwarder Cannon 20,000 15 Far 1d12 4 Medium
- with shot canister - - Near 1d12* - -
Archer Unit 200 10 Near 1d4* 1 Small
Arquebusier Unit 1,000 10 Near 1d6* 1 Small
Long Hurlant Unit 40,000 10 Far 1d10* 1 Small
* this ammunition or unit inflicts damage to the target’s Crew Strength rather than hull HP
 203

Supplies, Fittings, and Maintenance

A prudent ship captain must take into account the need
Supplies
for ship’s biscuit, water casks, sailcloth, hempen rope,
tar, oakum, and all the other necessities that keep a ship Item Cost Cargo
afloat. Those with more silver might also care to make Food, 250 person-days 500 1 ton
certain improvements or additions to the base hull of Water, 50 person-days 0 1 ton
their ship. Those listed below are only some possibilities.
Supplies to repair 5 HP 200 1 ton
Supplies Small ship consumables, 30 days 50 1 ton
A ship underway needs food and water for its crew and a Medium ship, “ 250 2 tons
steady supply of fresh sailcloth, rope, and other operating
necessities. The adjacent table gives ordinary prices for Large ship, “ 1,000 4 tons
these necessities and the cargo space required. Partial
tonnage is rounded up for each item to account for casks, Most fittings are self-explanatory in nature, but
crates, and other packing needs. some bear extra notice.
Thus, a fluyt with 40 crew members planning on a Expanded cargo holds add extra cargo space, but
two-week cruise needs at least 560 person-days of food this extra space can only be used for cargo; it can’t be
and fresh water. The captain lays in 750 days of food spent making room for other fittings, mounted weapons,
at 3 tons of cargo space and 1,500 silver, 600 days of or other uses.
water at 12 tons of cargo space, and 30 days of medium Reinforced weapon mounts allow the ship to
ship consumables for 2 tons of space and 250 silver. The mount one weapon of one size class larger than usually
whole takes up 18 tons of the fluyt’s cargo capacity. In a allowed. Thus, a cutter with this fitting could mount one
spirit of prudence, the captain then adds 2 tons of repair great hurlant at a cost of 5 cargo tons for the fitting and
supplies, enough to fix 10 ship hit points of damage in 5 cargo tons for the hurlant itself.
case they run into trouble along the way. Saltwood blessings are one of a variety of different
Ships in port don’t use up consumables or water as a arcane or religious rituals meant to bless the wood of a
rule, and may be able to buy fresh provisions from shore ship and defeat the Decree of Ligneous Dissolution High
markets for 1 silver piece per crew per day. Magic spell. Such ships and all attached weapons and
A ship that runs out of consumables suffers a -2 fittings are not treated as wood for the purposes of the
penalty on all ship-related skill checks until remedied. spell. Almost all warships will be treated with this rite.
Running short of food and water can kill a crew in days.
Maintenance
Fittings Ships require regular maintenance. Every three months,
A captain with a heavy purse can pay to have useful fit- a ship must spend a week in port or by a suitable beach
tings installed on a ship. Each fitting listed below can for hull scraping and repair. Without that, it suffers -1
be installed only once, with the exception of reinforced Grace the first month, an additional -2 Grace and half
weapon mounts, which can be installed as many times seagoing speed the second, and then automatically fails
as the ship’s tonnage allows. all Sail skill checks after three or more months of neglect.
Most costs and cargo space requirements are ex- Every six months a ship must dock for a week and
pressed as percentages of the ship’s base price and base pay 10% of its total value, including all fittings and weap-
cargo size. Thus, installing Improved Rigging on a fluyt ons, to account for necessary repairs. Missing this counts
would cost 1,500 silver and take up 10 tons. as a month’s arrears on maintenance until it’s paid up.

Ship Fittings
Item Cost Cargo Effect
Augmented Sails 10% 10% 20% faster sail movement per day
Boarding Rig 5% 3 +2 to ship combat boarding skill checks
Braced Hull 20% 20% 20% greater maximum ship hit points, rounded up
Expanded Cargo Hold 10% 0 20% more cargo, -1 Grace, -2 AC, -10% hit points
Improved Rigging 10% 10% +1 Grace, to a maximum of +2
Reinforced Planking 10% 10% +2 ship Armor Class, -1 to ship Grace
Reinforced Weapon Mount 5% 5 Can mount one weapon of one size class larger
Saltwood Blessing 5% 0 Immune to the Decree of Ligneous Dissolution spell
204

Ship Combat and Repair

Conflicts on the rolling waves tend to be brutal, high-
stakes affairs where the penalty for loss is a watery grave Crew Strength
for the entire party. A skillful and well-coordinated band Every ship has a Crew Strength representing the total
of heroes can avoid such a fate, but it will take coopera- mass of muscle and violence that it can bring to bear in an
tion and courage to escape the depths below. engagement. Boarding actions and enemy fire can deplete
this Crew Strength, inflicting casualties and weakening
The Officers of the Ship the enemy vessel. If the Crew Strength is depleted badly
Every ship’s functions are broken into several different enough, the ship may be too weakened to fight or sail.
departments. Each department is officered either by a Crew Strength is calculated by adding up the hit
PC skilled in the role or an NPC with appropriate skills. dice of all crew aboard the vessel, modified by their gen-
The Captain commands the ship, giving orders to eral martial competence and any special prowess they
the other departments and bolstering them with their might have. Any fractions are rounded up. The table
charisma and skillful leadership. Of course, while the below gives some basic guidelines, while other creatures
captain gives commands, it’s up to the other officers to can be assessed as the GM sees fit.
actually carry out those commands.
Crew Strength
The Helmsman steers the ship and calls out com-
mands to the deck crew, raising sail or shipping oars as Type of Crew Strength
their judgment recommends. Their skill is crucial in per- Captive or Galley Slave 0
forming difficult maneuvers or slipping a swift pursuer. Common Passenger 0
The Bosun commands the deck crew, carrying out
the orders from above, repairing battle damage, and Ordinary Seaman 0.5
meeting sudden crises of fire or ill-fortune. A skilled Trained Marine 1
Bosun can improve anything the ship does. Hardened Pirate 1
The Gunner is an office that only exists on ships
with archers, hurlants, catapults, or other long-range Veteran Marine 2
weaponry. It’s their business to choose targets, aid in Non-Warrior PC Level * 2
aiming, and cripple enemy vessels with their shot. Warrior or Partial Warrior PC Level * 3
The Master at Arms is found only on military craft,
pirate ships, or other vessels with a complement of ma- Thus, a common merchant ship with 20 ordinary
rines. While the Gunner handles all long-range engage- seamen aboard and five capable 3 HD officers would
ments, the Master at Arms manages all boarding efforts have a total Crew Strength of 25. A Sarxian war galleon
and fights to repel enemy boarders. with 200 skilled marines, 30 veteran 3 HD sergeants, and
Every player should be given charge of at least one 10 5 HD officers would have a Crew Strength of 340. A
of these offices, unless there are more players than posi- leaky pinnace holding two frightened civilian passengers,
tions. If their PC is totally unsuited to naval affairs, let a 10th level Warrior PC, and his 10th level Expert and
them run the NPC in charge of one of the departments Mage companions would have a Crew Strength of 70.
in addition to their own PC. On very small ships with Losses to Crew Strength are spread around as the
fewer crew than departments, let the PCs or NPCs han- GM thinks fit, with NPC casualties being applied to
dle multiple jobs. those most in the thick of the fray. NPCs always take
casualties before PCs do; if all the NPCs are dead or
Actions and Command Points downed, any further Crew Strength losses inflict a total
During battle, a ship’s officers each take one or more spe- of 4 HP of damage per point of loss, portioned among
cial actions during their turn from the lists provided later the party as the GM thinks reasonable; a mage hiding
in this section. An officer can take actions either from belowdecks may suffer nothing, while the warrior in the
their own department or from the General action list. boarding party may take a bigger chunk of the pain.
PCs that don’t head any department can still take them If the party’s ship has been boarded and they are the
from the General list, while NPCs who aren’t officers can sole survivors, the GM can end the ship combat turn and
only obey the commands they’re given. simply run the encounter as a conventional battle, with
These actions either generate Command Points or the remaining PCs squaring off against the enemy crew.
spend Command Points. When a ship has exhausted its
Command Points, its turn ends.
Players should coordinate their actions at the begin-
ning of the turn, mutually planning and deciding who is
to do what and how they can best fight their ship. After
the plan is made, then the actions are taken.
 205

Ship Combat Ranges Aerial Ships in Combat

For convenience at the table and to spare the need for a While exceedingly rare, there are a few remaining flying
battle map, ship engagement distances are measured as ships from a former age, along with another handful cre-
one of four range bands. ated by more modern sorcerers. These ships use the same
Sighted is the range at which almost all engage- combat rules as seagoing craft, with two specific changes.
ments begin. Only the biggest guns can reach targets at
this distance. A ship that flees beyond Sighted distance • Flying ships always win Sail skill checks against
has escaped the engagement. seagoing vessels. This means that their Set Course
Far is a range too distant for bows, spells, or mus- movement actions will always be successful, so they
cle-powered weapons, but close enough to be hit by large will always control the distance of engagement.
hurlants, catapults, and other long-distance weaponry.
Near is a ship not quite close enough to board, but • Seagoing craft cannot come Abreast of a flying ship
near enough to be hit by arrows, small hurlants, and unless the flying ship is the one who initiates the
spells capable of hitting a target within 500 feet. approach.
Abreast is a ship almost directly adjacent, close
enough to be grappled and boarded. As can be seen, a flying ship has complete control
These range bands assume that a sea battle is be- over whether or not an encounter even happens when
tween two ships. If more than two ships are involved, the engaging a seagoing ship. They can be damaged if they
GM should use coins or other markers to track rough get close to a hostile ship’s guns, but boarding them is
spatial relationships. Ships that are intentionally staying impossible unless the flyer chooses to get close enough
close together and moving in unison can be treated as a to run that risk.
single unit for range purposes.
Repairing Damaged Ships
Crew Combat After a fierce battle, it may be necessary to conduct re-
Certain actions result in crew combat between two pairs on the ship. These repairs require lumber, cordage,
ships, most often when a boarding party clashes with oakum, and assorted other necessary supplies, along with
the defenders of an enemy vessel. Crew combat is re- a ship’s carpenter skillful enough to do the work.
solved during the Resolve Crew Combat phase of the A ship must be moored in port or at a convenient
ship combat round. beach in order to conduct repairs. Seagoing patches can
keep a battered ship sailing, but serious fixes require a
• To roll Crew Combat, divide each ship’s Crew calm, stable environment for the work.
Strength by 10, rounding up, and roll that many A ship can repair a number of hit points per day
d6s for each side. The side the rolls highest wins, equal to the best Fix skill among the crew plus the best
with ties having no winner. Sail skill, assuming the bulk of the crew lends a hand to
the work. For NPC ships, this is equal to twice the ship’s
• The loser then suffers Crew Strength losses equal default skill bonus.
to the difference in the rolls. Instead of repairing hit points, damaged ship weap-
ons and fittings can be repaired instead. Such fixes count
• Both crews then suffer losses equal to the number as one hit point of damage per ton of the weapon or
of dice the other crew rolled, to represent the inev- fitting, so mending a broken catapult would count as 4
itable casualties that even a victorious ship suffers. hit points worth of fixes.
Repairs require the necessary materials. They can
• Losses are always applied first to NPCs. If only be acquired in any port town, costing 40 silver pieces per
PCs are left, they suffer a total of 4 HP of damage hit point and taking up one ton of cargo space for every
per point of loss, divided up among the PCs as the 5 points of supplies. Desperate crews may be able to ju-
GM thinks reasonable, given their positions. ry-rig supplies out of green timber and makeshift cordage
cut from some quiet cove’s trees, but the practicability of
For example, if the merchant fluyt mentioned earlier that will depend on the GM’s judgment.
with a Crew Strength of 25 was boarded by the Sarxian
war galleon with Crew Strength 340, the luckless traders
would roll 3d6 and the galleon would roll 34d6. If the
former rolled 12 and the latter rolled 127, the unfortu-
nate traders would suffer 115 points of Crew Strength
damage, quite sufficient to wipe them out. Then they
would suffer another 34 points of damage to add insult
to injury, but would have the consolation of inflicting 3
points of Crew Strength damage on the galleon as the
price for their tragic defeat.
206

Spellcasting in Naval Combat Pierce the Pallid Gate: This spell can allow the boarding
It’s to be expected that mages may want to employ their of a ship within Near range if the crew is ready for it.
sorcery during a naval battle. Such wizards must take the The created portals remains static even as the ship
Do a Deed action during their ship’s turn and can cast moves, so there is only a very momentary window
only one spell per ship combat turn; the chaos of naval to rush through.
combat makes it difficult to find a good moment to cast. Sigil of Aeolian Auctoritas: Used as a buff on a target
Spells can only be cast on targets that are Abreast, or sailing ship, it grants +4 on all movement skill
Near if the spell can hit something 500 feet away. Many checks for the rest of the fight. Used to hinder a
spell results need to be adjudicated by the GM, but some specific foe, it inflicts a -4 on all its movement skill
of the more likely choices are noted below. checks for the remainder of the encounter. The
winds can favor only one ship at a time.
Decree of Ligneous Dissolution: Most ships expecting The Dazzling Prismatic Hemicycle: The target ship suf-
combat have a Saltwood Blessing to nullify this spell. fers a Crew Strength loss equal to 1d6 per caster
If not, the ship takes 5 hit points of damage per level. level.
Deluge of Hell: The target ship suffers 1d6 hit points The Inexorable Imputation: The caster must be part of a
of damage per caster level and twice that in Crew boarding action to use this spell, but properly-word-
Strength damage. If used on a ship that is Abreast, ed imputations can force a Morale check or inflict a
there’s a 25% chance the caster’s ship is caught in Command Point penalty on the enemy ship equal
the blast as well. to half their caster level, rounded up.
Disjunctive Temporal Reversion: This spell can be used Wind of the Final Repose: Subtract 1d6 Crew Strength
to grant an officer a second attempt at a failed skill per caster level for the next round of Crew Combat
check. only. Only half the Crew Strength at most can be
Exhalation of Congelating Cold: The target ship is part- caught this way.
ly icebound, suffering -2 on all movement-related
skill checks for the next round and taking 1d4 Crew Resisting Enemy Spells
Strength damage per two caster levels, rounded up. While fishing boats and petty pirate vessels are unlikely
Howl of Light: Targeting the hull, it does the caster’s to have a magical contingent aboard, most fighting ships
level in ship hit point damage. Targeting the crew, prefer to have at least a novice High Mage in the crew
it does 1d6 Crew Strength damage per two caster with the Counter Magic art available. This “ship’s wizard”
levels, rounded up. Targeting the rigging, it counts or “ship’s witch” may not be overly trusted by their fel-
as a successful Target their Sails hit. lows, but their protective powers are vital when engaging
Phobic Storm: The caster must be part of a boarding enemy casters.
action to use this spell, but it inflicts an automatic When a ship or its crew are targeted by a spell, any
Morale check and 1d4 Crew Strength damage per wizards aboard with the Counter Magic art may employ it
two caster levels, rounded up. freely as an Instant countermeasure, provided they have
enough Effort to do so.
 207

The Ship Combat Turn

A naval encounter begins at Sighted range, unless the
visibility is so poor that the GM thinks a closer range is 5) Resolve Crew Combat
likely. Both ships make opposed Wis/Sail or Wis/Notice If the ship is engaged in Crew Combat, that is resolved
checks; the winner has initiative and acts first. after all the ship and PC actions have been completed.
If the PCs are fighting in the boarding action, the crew’s
1) Reset Command Points struggle is assumed to take place around them at the
If the ship’s current Command Points are greater than same time.
zero, they are reset to zero. If crises or poor seamanship
have left the ship with fewer than zero points, they begin 6) Check Morale
the round at a negative number. A ship’s crew must check Morale the first time they lose
a Crew Combat round, the first time they’re reduced to
2) Plan Ship Actions half their maximum Crew Strength, and on any other
If it’s the PC turn, the players discuss the situation and occasion the GM decides would provoke panic or despair.
mutually decide on their actions. Some PC officers may If the crew fails the check, they will surrender, leap over-
choose actions to generate Command Points while oth- board, or otherwise act to save themselves. The GM may
ers will use actions that spend them. The group as a decide that the crew automatically surrenders if victory
whole should decide how they mean to fight their ship. seems impossible and surrender promises some chance
While an NPC ship can use the full action list, it’s of survival, while crews faced with the prospect of certain
simpler to just give it a certain number of Command death are likely to fight to the bitter end.
Points based on the competence of its crew and then
let it take whatever actions it can afford with that sum. 7) Sink or Sail
Any ship at zero hit points at the end of its turn rolls
3) Resolve Ship Actions 1d6; on a 1 to 3, it has broken apart and its crew has been
Once the decision is made, officers and PCs take their dumped in the water, while on a 4 to 6 it is a helpless hulk
actions in whatever order the Captain decides. The that can perform no further actions for the remainder of
group can change their decisions based on the outcome the battle. If the PCs are aboard the ship, ship combat
of actions; if they plan to grapple a foe but the Helms- ends and the heroes will have to deal with the situation.
man can’t bring the ship alongside, the other officers can
choose to use their remaining Command Points in a dif- 8) The Next Ship Acts
ferent way. The ship can continue taking actions until Once the ship that won initiative has acted, the next ship
all its Command Points are spent or it chooses to end in line gets their turn. When all ships have acted, the
this phase. round is over and the initiative order repeats.
Skill checks for an action are made by the officer
who performs it. Hit rolls for gunnery weapons are made After the Battle
by the average member of its weapon crew or unit. A PC When an encounter ends, the following things happen.
manning a weapon may use their own hit bonus.
• Any unresolved crises are resolved, as the crew can
4) Resolve PC Actions now fully focus on dealing with them
PCs who have boarded the enemy and taken the Fight
action are dropped by the GM into a likely situation in • Some Crew Strength casualties die. 1d10 x 5% of
the boarding fray and one or two rounds of combat are the casualties are fatal, less 5% per level of Heal
run for them as the GM sees fit. Casualties they inflict skill the ship’s doctor has. Healers or other magi-
or crew they distract will be subtracted from the Crew cally-gifted chirurgeons subtract an additional 10%.
Strength of the enemy and may provoke Morale checks The other casualties return to duty after 24 hours.
or have other effects at the GM’s discretion.
PCs who have taken the Do A Deed action do what- • Defeated ships can be looted and captured. A prize
ever they planned to do at this point, to whatever benefit crew may need to be sent aboard the newly-ob-
the GM decides is reasonable. Their action can’t take tained vessel, and their existing crew may or may
longer than ten or fifteen minutes to complete. not be trustworthy as new comrades.
PCs who have taken the Resolve a Crisis action are
handled in this phase. They have ten to fifteen minutes to Damaged ships will need to make for a safe anchor-
try to fix whatever’s gone wrong, with whatever actions, age to lay up and perform repairs. A damaged ship can
skill checks or ability usage the GM finds plausible. On function normally if necessity requires it, but sailing for
a failure, the crisis is unabated. long periods in a half-smashed tub may have consequenc-
es, at the GM’s discretion.
208

Ship Actions
Each action is shown with its Command Point cost.
Many actions can be taken more than once, if enough Bosun
Command Points are available, but others can be per- Damage Control (3 CP): Roll Int/Fix or Int/Sail versus
formed only once per round. An officer can choose ac- difficulty 7. On a success, repair three times your
tions from their department or the General action list, skill’s level in ship hit points. Each time after the
while PCs who are not officers can pick from only the first you use this action, its difficulty increases by +1.
General list. Emergency Repair (3 CP): Roll Int/Fix or Int/Sail ver-
sus difficulty 8. On a success, one weapon that has
Captain been disabled by an enemy Target their Guns ac-
Bolster the Crew (0 CP): Choose an officer. They get 2 tion is repaired, or one -1 Grace penalty inflicted by
Command Points to spend on actions from their Target their Sails is eliminated. Each time after the
department. This action can be taken only once per first you use this action, its difficulty increases by +1.
round. Grapple Ship (2 CP): Make an opposed Str or Dex/
Hold the Course (0 CP): Negate a successful enemy Sail skill check against the target enemy with a +2
ranged attack and roll a crisis instead. You may take bonus on your side. On success, you are now grap-
this action as an Instant response to a hit. This ac- pled to the target ship. The target must be Abreast
tion can be taken only once per round. to be grappled. You always succeed in grappling a
Into the Fire (0 CP): Suffer a Crew Lost crisis and gain target that another ship has already grappled. Ships
your Lead skill plus one in Command Points. This involved in a grapple always fail all opposed Sail
action can be taken only once per round. skill checks.
Step Lively (0 CP*): Roll Cha/Sail or Cha/Lead versus
Helmsman difficulty 9. On a success, add your skill level plus
No actions from this list can be taken while the ship is one to the available Command Points. On a failure,
grappling or grappled. A ship locked in a grapple always add one Command Point. If you take this action,
loses all opposed Sail skill checks. you may take no other Bosun actions this round.
Confound the Guns (2 CP): Make an opposed Int or Tend the Wounded (2 CP): Roll Cha/Heal versus dif-
Dex/Sail check against the enemy ship. On a suc- ficulty 8. On a success, recover 1d6 plus your skill
cess, their gunners suffer a -4 to hit your ship due level in lost Crew Strength, or 1d6-1 if you have no
to your nimble sailing. This penalty does not stack. skill. Each time after the first this action is taken, its
Cross the T (2 CP): Make an opposed Int or Dex/Sail difficulty increases by +1.
check against the enemy ship. On a success, grant
your ship’s ranged attacks a +4 bonus to hit that Gunner
ship for the rest of the round. This benefit does not Fire All Guns (3 CP): All of your guns and archery units
stack. fire once at one or more targets within their range.
Ramming Speed (4 CP): Usable only at Near range and Fire Ready Guns (2 CP*): Only the guns and archers
only if the ship is oared and equipped with a ram. who are immediately ready will fire. Pick a number
Make an opposed Int or Dex/Sail check against the of guns or archer units equal to your Shoot or Lead
enemy ship. If you win, you move Abreast, inflict skill, whichever is higher, to a minimum of 1. These
your ram’s damage, and may optionally choose to guns fire. This action can be taken only once per
be grappled with them. round.
Set Course (4 CP): Make an opposed Int or Dex/Sail Ready the Guns (1 CP): Gain a +2 bonus to your next
check against the enemy ship. If you win, you move gunnery hit roll. This bonus does not stack.
one range band closer or farther away. If you tie or Target their Guns (1 CP): Make an opposed Int or Dex/
lose, there is no change. If you move past Sighted, Shoot skill check against the enemy’s Int or Dex/
you escape the engagement at the end of the round, Sail. If you win, your next gunnery hit this turn
assuming they don’t catch up before then. will do no damage but will disable one of their guns,
ballistas, or other mounted weapons. Archers and
other crew cannot be targeted this way.
Target their Sails (1 CP): Make an opposed Int or Dex/
Shoot skill check against the enemy’s Int or Dex/
Sail. If you win, your next gunnery hit this turn will
do no damage but will apply a cumulative -1 penalty
to their Grace. When the penalty reaches -3, their
rigging is destroyed and they cannot take Helms-
man actions. Rowed ships are immune to this action.
 209

Master at Arms General

Engage (1 CP): Order your crew over the side to assault General actions are exclusive; any officer or PC can
a grappled ship. For this round and each round until choose to take one, but no other actions can be per-
you successfully Cut Grapples, conduct a Resolve formed this turn.
Crew Combat phase. This action can be taken only Above and Beyond (0 CP): Choose an attribute and
once per round. skill pair and explain to the GM how you’re using
Cut Grapples (1 CP): You withdraw your marines from them to help the crew. If the GM finds it plausible,
the enemy ship and cut the grapples. You may only roll that check against difficulty 9. On a success,
take this action after a successful Resolve Crew gain your skill level plus one in Command Points.
Combat phase or after some suitably clever or he- On a failure, take -1 Command Point. This penalty
roic PC action in the Resolve PC Action phase. In can reduce your total below zero.
most cases, the enemy crew is assumed to have been Deal With A Crisis (0 CP): Try to resolve a particular
forced back onto their ship or overboard before you crisis going on. You have ten to fifteen minutes to
cut loose. This action can be taken only once per use whatever skills or abilities you have to handle
round. the situation, your efforts being resolved in the Re-
Fight Defensively (1 CP): Make an opposed Cha/Lead solve PC Actions phase.
skill check against the enemy ship. On a success, Do A Deed (0 CP): You want to do something presum-
subtract your level plus your Lead skill from any ably useful that isn’t covered by some other action,
Crew Strength damage you suffer from crew com- such as cast a spell, use a pertinent ability, or other-
bat this round. This benefit does not stack. This wise contribute to the situation. The GM decides
action can be taken only once per round. how useful your efforts may be, and resolves them
Press the Attack (1 CP): Make an opposed Cha/Lead during the Resolve PC Actions phase.
skill check against the enemy ship. On a success, roll Do Your Duty (0 CP): You help out the rest of the crew
your Crew Strength dice twice during the Resolve in various ways, making yourself useful in the battle.
Crew Combat round and take the better result. On The ship gains 1 Command Point. Most officers and
a failure, roll it twice and take the worse. On a tie, PCs who don’t have an immediate other action to
there is no modification. This action can be taken take will choose to take this one.
only once per round. Fight (0 CP): You join an ongoing boarding action and
Death or Glory (2 CP): Make a Cha/Lead skill check lend your strength to the crew. The GM runs a
against difficulty 10. On a success, your Crew round or two of combat for you and any other PCs
Strength dice are rolled on d10s instead of d6s who took this action during the Resolve PC Ac-
during the Resolve Crew Combat phase. If you tions phase. Every foe you kill, engage, or otherwise
don’t win the phase or if you fail your skill check, distract during this fight does not add to the enemy
your crew must immediately check Morale. You may ship’s Crew Strength for this round of Crew Com-
attempt this action only once per battle. This action bat. Thus, if you barrel into a swarm of a dozen 1
can be taken only once per round. HD pirates, the pirate ship loses 12 Crew Strength
that turn while they try to deal with you.
210

Ship Crises
d12 Ship Crisis Type
1 Cargo Damage Acute
2 Crew Lost Acute
As an action, a captain can choose to accept a Ship Crisis
in place of taking damage. At other times, the GM may 3 Crew Panicked Continuing
inflict a crisis on a ship when it faces a dire situation or 4 Evil Omen Continuing
some other misfortune. The table here provides a list of
5 Fire Aboard Continuing
possibilities, but others can be invoked as well.
6 Hull Sprung Acute
Resolving a Crisis 7 Rigging Snaps Continuing
To resolve a Ship Crisis, an NPC officer or a PC must
8 Trapped Crew Continuing
take the Deal With a Crisis General action. Doing so is
the only thing they can do during that round of combat, 9 VIP Imperiled Acute
and they have ten or fifteen minutes in which to take 10 Weapon Misfire Continuing
whatever actions they think might solve the problem.
The GM might call for relevant skill checks, or sim- 11-12 No Crisis -
ply let the attempted solution work if it seems reason-
able. The resolution attempt shouldn’t take more than been ruined. Until their spirits are raised again, all
two or three minutes at the table; just let the PC say what skill checks and gunnery hit rolls involving the
they’re trying to do and decide whether or not it’s enough crew’s efforts take a -2 penalty.
to deal with the situation. Fire Aboard: Whether through enemy action or the up-
Some crises are listed as continuing. They apply a setting of a shipboard fire source, flames are leaping
penalty or consequence each ship combat round until the up. The ship suffers 1d8 hit points of damage at the
PCs deal with the crisis. end of each round until this crisis is resolved.
Other crises are acute. If they are not resolved by the Hull Sprung: Damaged planks groan and are about to
end of the next ship combat round, they’ll apply some give way under the stress of war or weather. If not
grim consequence and then be removed. resolved by the end of the next round, the ship suf-
Crises are automatically removed at the end of ship fers 1d6 hull damage, doubled for medium-sized
combat, as the crew then has time and attention to deal ships, and quadrupled for large-sized ships.
with them. No Crisis: By the blessings of the gods, the skill of the
Most crises can be applied more than once to the crew, or sheer blind luck, the ship has somehow
same ship, stacking their penalties. Once all the cargo is avoided an otherwise catastrophic situation. No
destroyed or all the weapons misfired, however, addition- crisis is inflicted on the ship.
al crises of that kind may not mean much. If a crisis is Rigging Snaps: The sails have been taxed too hard, and
rolled that does not apply to a ship, it counts as no crisis. critical cables have parted. Until the wildly-flapping
canvas is secured, roll twice on all Sail skill checks
Ship Crises and take the worst. Oared ships ignore this Crisis.
Cargo Damage: Straps groan and crates slide unsecured, Trapped Crew: Timbers have fallen, cargo has shifted,
or an enemy’s weapon has just stoved in the side of canvas has plunged down, or some other obstacle
a cargo compartment. Unless the cargo is secured has trapped a number of crewmen. Until they are
by the end of the next round, 1d10 x 10% of it will rescued, the ship suffers a 10% penalty to its Crew
be ruined. Strength during the Resolve Crew Combat phase
Crew Lost: Rigging is about to snap, hull planks are about and a -1 skill check and hit roll penalty.
to buckle, loose cargo’s about to crash down, a rogue VIP Imperiled: Some shipboard peril threatens the life
wave’s about to sweep the deck, an unsecured weap- of a PC or important NPC. The victim must make
on is going to swing wildly, or some other peril is a Physical saving throw; on a success, they lose half
about to kill or wound crew. If the Crisis isn’t re- their hit points, and on a failure they are Mortally
solved by the end of the next round, lose 1d2 * 10% Wounded. If NPC crew are nearby, they can make
of the ship’s original Crew Strength as casualties. a free attempt to stabilize the wounded with their
Crew Panicked: Some sudden turn of events has pan- usual crew skill bonus. If they fail their check, a PC
icked many of the crew, convincing them that their must resolve the crisis before the end of the next
doom is at hand. Until this crisis is resolved, their ship combat round or the victim will die.
effective Crew Strength is halved for dice purposes Weapon Misfire: Some twist of wind and wave has
during the Resolve Crew Combat phase. caused a random ship-mounted weapon to misfire,
Evil Omen: Some nautical sign has promised doom to snapping cabling and throwing itself from its mount.
the crew, and they’re filled with despair at the sight Until it is somehow repaired or jury-rigged back
of it. A well-loved crewmate might have been felled into action, it cannot fire. Ships with no weapons or
by blind chance, or some ship’s charm might have only archers aboard are immune to this crisis.
 211

Combat With Sea Creatures

Given the perilous seas of the Latter Earth, it’s not im-
possible that a ship should find itself locked in combat
with a monster big enough to threaten it. Such brawls can
be run as normal combat encounters with a few special
considerations.

• Mounted ship weaponry may or may not be plau-

sibly capable of engaging a single target. A ballista
might work to spear an invading kraken, but a cat-
apult is unlikely to be able to be brought to bear.
If the weapon hits, it does triple its usual dice of
damage. Most ship weapons can only be effectively
fired once every several minutes, meaning that only
one shot is feasible in most fights.

• Monsters big enough to harm a ship do a third of

their usual damage to it, rounded up, if they suc-
ceed on a hit against it.
Most bestial sea creatures will try to tear the ship
• Crew brave enough to engage the beast can attack apart before feasting on the helpless crew, though they
it as individuals, if they can get close enough. If may be distracted enough by resistance to go for the mov-
large numbers of crew are involved, just estimate ing morsels on the deck. If the PCs are forced into the
the number of likely successful attack rolls and roll water, they may have no better hope than to cling to a
damage accordingly. Most crew will need to make piece of wreckage and hope the creature is glutted before
Morale checks to face true horrors of the deep. it gets to them.

Quick Sea Combat

The sea combat rules in this section are written for cam-
2d6 Quick Sea Combat Result
paigns where naval combat is a significant activity that
calls for the participation of the whole party. If everyone Complete and abject loss. Your ship is
is interested in being involved in the fight then this can <2 captured largely intact and your crew is
work well, but some tables prefer to get the fight over defeated.
with quickly. For these groups, a simpler method is given. Decisive defeat. 1-in-6 chance of fleeing,
When the PC’s ship is involved in sea combat, roll otherwise even odds of either capture or
2d6 and compare it to the adjacent table, applying any 2-3 sinking. If sunk, you and your companions
relevant modifiers on the table below. are cast adrift on the wreckage, if not
If the PCs are trying only to flee their attacker and captured outright.
not best them in combat, they can roll the 2d6 twice and
take the better result. They cannot defeat a foe this way, Defeat. 3-in-6 chance of fleeing, otherwise
4-5 even odds of capture or sinking.
however, but can only flee successfully from it.
If the PCs are sunk and their assailants don’t bother Roll 1d6; on 1-3, use the defeat entry
to capture them, they must trust to luck and landward 6-8 above, on 4-6, use the victory entry below.
tides to save them before they perish of thirst.
Victory. The foe has a 3-in-6 chance of
Circumstance Modifiers Mod 9-10 fleeing, otherwise even odds you sink or
capture her, if not fighting carefully.
The PCs are totally outmatched by the foe -2
Decisive victory. They have a 1-in-6 chance
The enemy is clearly superior -1
11-12 of getting away, otherwise even odds of
The PCs are clearly superior +1 capture or sinking.
The PCs are overwhelmingly stronger +2 Complete victory. You may decide whether
>12
The PCs fight to take the enemy intact -1 or not the enemy ship is sunk or captured.
212

Example Ships
The ships given here are just some of the more common Each ship is listed with a default Command Point
or exemplary ones that PCs are likely to meet. Each are total. This is the number of points the NPC ship can
listed with their average crew, and their hit rolls and spend each round as a simplification for the GM’s benefit.
other statistics are calculated based on their most likely The standard prices include only the ship, its weapons,
degree of skill. and its fittings; crew must be hired separately.

Fishing Boat (4 CP) 200 sp

Hull: Dhow AC: 16 Usually operated by a single family, these small fishing boats
and trading packets are common sights along any coast. While
HP: 7 Crew Min/Max: 3/20 sturdy enough to handle the open ocean, most stay close to their
Grace: +1 Usual Crew: 4 home ports They prefer to rely on local resupply as filling holds
Speed: 120 m/day Crew Strength: 4 with ship’s biscuit and water casks is less profitable than loading
fish and trade goods.
Cargo: 30 Skill Bonus: +1
Fishing boats and other small traders are usually
wholly unarmed and rely on evading any hostiles.

Coastal Pirate (6 CP) 350 sp

The natural enemies of small traders and fishermen, these pi-
Hull: Launch AC: 15
rates lurk in river mouths and small inlets, waiting for their prey
HP: 5 Crew Min/Max: 1/30 to pass by. Once a victim is spotted, the rowers heave to, racing
Grace: +0 Usual Crew: 30 out to sea to catch their victim and overwhelm them. Survivors
Speed: 150 m/day Crew Strength: 35 are put to the sword or enslaved, and the captured ship is sold
off at the nearest pirate haven. Most merchants try to flee out
Cargo: 10 (9 free) Skill Bonus: +2 to the open sea, or aim to smash the fragile launch with ranged
Weapons: Archer Unit (+4 to hit, 1d4 Crew Strength attacks before the pirates can successfully close.
dmg, 1 ton)

Merchant Coaster (4 CP) 5,200 sp

While these merchant ships prefer to stick close to the coasts
Hull: Bedar AC: 15 to save on provisioning costs, they’ve got the cargo tonnage to
HP: 15 Crew Min/Max: 4/80 haul large loads from port to port. The occasional enterprising
Grace: +1 Usual Crew: 16 captain adds on an additional catapult and one or two units of
archers, turning the merchant ship into a serviceable privateer.
Speed: 150 m/day Crew Strength: 20
Cargo: 60 (56 free) Skill Bonus: +1
Weapons: Catapult (+3 to hit, 1d6 dmg, 4 tons)

Sea Raider (6 CP) 6,500 sp

Hull: Xebec AC: 15 The scourge of the open seas, these pirates plague both the Ver-
million Sea in the south and the Atlantean Main in the north.
HP: 20 Crew Min/Max: 4/120 The most successful have even plundered hurlants, but most
Grace: +0 Usual Crew: 60 rely on catapults and crossbowmen. A popular modification to
Speed: 120 m/day Crew Strength: 70 this hull is to drop one of the catapults and install a medium
ram. The xebec’s rowers can put such implements to good use,
Cargo: 60 (43 free) Skill Bonus: +2
but there remains a risk of ramming the prey to flinders rather
Weapons: 3 Catapults (+5 to hit, 1d6 dmg, 4 tons than keeping it intact for plunder.
each), 2 Archer Units (+4 to hit, 1d4 Crew Strength
dmg, 1 ton each)
Fittings: Boarding Rig, Saltwood Blessing
 213

Far Trader (6 CP) 16,900 sp

Hull: Fluyt AC: 16 These fat-bottomed merchantmen are rigged for seagoing trade,
daring the deep oceans to bring vast wealth from afar. They’ve
HP: 20 Crew Min/Max: 16/120
crew and weaponry enough to discourage small coastal raiders,
Grace: -2 Usual Crew: 40 but a full-rigged pirate ship on the high seas is likely to take
Speed: 100 m/day Crew Strength: 35 them unless their helmsman is exceptionally skilled or remark-
ably lucky. For particularly important trade routes it’s common
Cargo: 120 (116 free) Skill Bonus: +2
for these ships to sail in a loose convoy with more serviceable
Weapons: 1 Catapult (+4 to hit, 1d6 dmg, 4 tons) warships.
Fittings: Expanded Cargo Hold

Inland Conter (6 CP) 12,000 sp

These oared ships are preferred in inland seas and around jagged
Hull: Triaconter AC: 15
coasts, where their deft handling helps keep them off the rocks.
HP: 25 Crew Min/Max: 10/160 While their oarsmen weary faster than the wind, their large
Grace: +1 Usual Crew: 80 crews help discourage casual piracy. More than a few have been
turned into privateers, however, with additional crew taken on
Speed: 60 m/day Crew Strength: 40
as archers and new fittings added to aid in ship-to-ship boarding
Cargo: 40 (30 free) Skill Bonus: +3 actions.
Weapons: Medium Ram (Special, 1d10 dmg, 2
tons), 4 Ballista (+4 to hit, 1d4 dmg, 2 tons each)

Fleet Frigate (8 CP) 63,600 sp

Hull: Frigate AC: 15 These frigates are often the best warships a small nation or city-
HP: 50 Crew Min/Max: 16/200 state can field. During peacetime, most operate independently,
Grace: +0 Usual Crew: 150 acting to check pirates and smugglers with the strength of their
crew and the range of their shipboard weapons. In times of
Speed: 150 m/day Crew Strength: 200
war, great fleets of these frigates can clash at sea, with a host of
Cargo: 80 (36 free) Skill Bonus: +2 smaller ships to support them.
Weapons: 1 Great Hurlant (+8 to hit, 1d12 damage,
5 tons each), 4 Archer Units (+5 to hit, 1d4 Crew
Strength dmg, 1 ton each), 4 Catapults (+5 to hit, 1d6
dmg, 4 tons each)
Fittings: Braced Hull, Boarding Rig, Saltwood
Blessing

Royal Galleon (10 CP) 105,800 sp

Hull: War Galleon AC: 12 Ships such as these are the pride of the Sarxian navy and the
mightiest warcraft east of the Sunward Isles. Their crews are
HP: 72 Crew Min/Max: 30/300
taken from veteran seafarers, and those entrusted with the op-
Grace: +0 Usual Crew: 240 eration of their fabulously expensive hurlants are among the best
Speed: 120 m/day Crew Strength: 320 shots in the navy. Such costly vessels are always equipped with
Cargo: 90 (43 free) Skill Bonus: +3 at least one ship’s wizard to counter malevolent sorceries, and
the Crew Strength given is often augmented by squads of elite
Weapons: 4 Great Hurlants (+10 to hit, 1d12 dmg, combatants when an important mission is to hand.
5 tons each), 6 Archer Units (+6 to hit, 1d4 Crew
Strength dmg, 1 ton each)
Fittings: Braced Hull, Boarding Rig, Saltwood
Blessing
214

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 215

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216

Jon Keith J. Farmer M. Knapil Michael Feldhusen Orpheus

Jon Britton Keith Krummel M1tch3l Michael G Palmer Oscar
Jon Finn Keith Malinowski Mad Michael G. Potter Oscar Diez Martinez
Jon Nooner Keith N. Madison Tinsley Michael Gallone Osrandil
Jon Waldman Keith Stickland Majdi Badri Michael Hengeli OurHeroAndy
Jonah S Dominguez Kelley Rogers Makai Michael Jungbluth Ove Peronard
Jonas Wenk Kelly M. Ramsey Manfred K Michael Lee Owen O
Jonathan “Buddha” Davis Kelly Roberge Manuel Schmidt Michael Little P. Scott Hill
Jonathan “Qwmzy” Murray Ken Stith Marc Bevan Michael Mahoney Paolo Robino
Jonathan Beeler Kenneth Aase Marc Frechet Michael Marcelo paradoja
Jonathan Brouwer Kenneth Barras Marc Seguin Michael Muchmore Pascal ‘Necral‘ Daniel
Jonathan Burlin Keola Dacalio Marcelo Sepúlveda Michael Otis Pat B
Jonathan Combs Kerry Clarkson Marco A. Torres Michael Parsons Patrick & Bonnie Barnard
Jonathan Fish Kev Dale Marcus Hosler Michael Q. Anderson Patrick Buczek
Jonathan Flynn Keven McDaniels Mark Argent Michael Ramoneda Patrick Gibson
Jonathan Harmon Kevin “Dungeon Muser” Mark Barnes Michael Stevens Patrick Haugh
Jonathan Hill Madison Mark Beussink Michael Tice Patrick Jenkins
Jonathan J. Miley Kevin A. Mills Mark Brooks Michael Tree Patrick Kirkner
Jonathan Moyer Kevin Brennan Mark Corcoran Michael Turbé Patrick Maher
Jonathan Nicol Kevin C. Carpenter Mark Craddock Michael Yungbluth Patrick P.
Jonathan Sherlock Kevin Carr Mark Diaz Truman Michael Zheng Patrick P.
Jonathan Tate Kevin Cook Mark Fletcher Micheal R Patrik Standar
Jonathas Kevin Dardik Mark Francis Mika life-buck Patryk Misiapa
Jordan “Sendo” Hardy Kevin Foresman Mark Green Mike Ambrosino Paul Acree
Jordy Williams Kevin Gisi Mark Lang Mike Carlson Paul Adams
Jorge Diaz Kevin Grubb Mark Malone Mike Elliott Paul B
Jorge Sanchez BM Kevin Kenson Mark Miller Mike Gunn Paul Bachleda
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Joseph Walkland KJ Potter Martin Legg Morgan “The Swamp Thing” Pete Hanner
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Justin Deneke Len C Matthew Nixon Nicholas Phariss Rafał Adamek
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Justin Lomelino Leoht Steren Matthew R. Dasti Nick Fetzner Ragoth
Justin Nelson Leon Goodbody Matthew Rhine Nick J Ramey
Justin Schultz Leon Pena Matthew Skillings Nick L. Randall Orndorff
Justin Scott Leonardo Prunk Matthew Sutherland Nick Walla Randall Ronsberg
Justin Vander Schaaf Leoren Mauricio Leal Montemayor Nik May Randeth
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justinian Lexi Taylor Maxwell Madden Niko Visnjic Randy Nichols
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Karl Fleischmann Louis Sylvester Michael “MickyJim” May Odin Anstiss-Liljefors Reece Adams
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Keith “One T” Mathews Luis M. Rebollar Michael Calabrese oliver Reldatid
Keith C. Datum Luke Gibson Michael Collins Oliver Kempf Rematoes
Keith Clendenen Lunar Michael D Cox Oliver Lauenstein Rev. Keith Johnson
Keith Davies Lycanis108 Michael De Rosa Olly Rathbone Rewstyr
Keith E. Hartman M Pierce Michael Doa Ols Jonas Petter Olsson Rhialto the Marvellous
 217

Riccardo “Musta” Caverni Ryan Donohue Sholari Theedle Verri

Rich Chamberlain Ryan Haggerty Silent Theodore Mason Vicente Cartas Espinel
Rich Forest Ryan Hamilton Simon Brunning Theodore Meyer Victoria & David
Rich Harkrader Ryan Kenmire Simon Cotterill Theophrastus Viktor Triumph
Rich Harrison Ryan Lowrie Simon English thestarsarehigh Vince Kindfuller
Rich jerry247 Fraser Ryan Percival Simon Ward Thief of Whispers Vincent Brayer
Rich McAllister Ryan Smith Sindre Hauge Skare Thom Hall killed by a newt. Vincent Brown
Rich Shaughnessy Ryan Thomas Skye Thomas Alexander vincent furstenberger
Rich Spainhour Ryklan Rolfsson Slade Auel Thomas BARRET Vincent Hudon
Richard ‘Vecna’ Hussey Rylan Edlin Snubit Thomas Biskup Vincent Patriti
RICHARD BARNHOUSE S Snuggly Wuggums Thomas Bunch Vintoks
III S Granius SobranDM Thomas Gernon Violaceous Jay
Richard Cutler S.Coutts Solarian Soulfire Thomas Günther Estabrook Virez Kaldoo
Richard Do S.F. Rattan spacht Thomas Kavanagh Vivian Burning
Richard Drummond SA Borst Spencer Beem Thomas M Vladimir Filipović
Turnbull Sage S. McDaniel Spencer Colony Thomas Milazzo Vxxx
Richard Ling Sam Collie Squalamoucho! Thomas Shackelford W. Gage Berry
Richard Morgan-Ash Sam Dingethal Stacie Winters Thomas Staples W. R. R. Enstave
Richard Mosen Sam Jones Starblind Thomas Weaver Walter Colvin
Richard P Marcello Sam Purdie Stefanno Da Silva Thomas Woodall Walter McWilliams
Richard T. Balsley Sam Schoeneberger Stefon Mears Thomas Youle WasabiBurger
Richard W. Sorden Sam Vanni Stephen Faure Thor Winters Wayne Minton
Rick Fournier Sam Zeitlin Stephen Mason Thorsten Schubert Wes Baker
Rick Roby Sammguy Stephen Mulrooney Tiffany Korta Wes Makin
Rick Sproal Samuel Puddleduck Stephen Nary Tim Wesley E. Marshall
Riku ”Rikstam” Kestilä Samuel Sterling Potter Stephen Shaw Tim Billerbeck WheatieDad
Roandil Samuel Wolfe Stephen Thompson Tim Czarnecki Whisper Vileblood
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Rob Meerscheidt Sasha De’ath Steve Holder Tim R Ardoin Will
Rob Muhlig Schubacca Steven Arrant Tim Rudolph Will Chesney
Robert “Trebor” Carey Scott A Aldrich Steven August Finley Tim Sullivan Will Hinz
Robert Ahrens Scott Barnes Steven C. Brown Timo Juhala Will Lentlie
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Robert Baxter Scott Chisholm Steven Dolges Timothy A Ferrell William “the laserfied” Sova
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Robert DiDomenico Scott F Couchman Steven L Cowan Timothy J. Sappington Jr. William Briggs
Robert Dupont Scott Jenks Steven Mitchell Timothy Masamitsu William D. Dement II
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Roberto “Sunglar” Micheri Sean Evoy Szymon Góra Tony Fucina Xavier Brinon
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Roel Claassen Sean Jack Tabitha Cole Tony L Y||B
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Roger Snyder Sean Sass Talmor Travis M Erickson yes
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Rose Davidson Serf McSerfington Terry Kolhoff TS Luikart Zachary Knippel
Ross Fraser Sergey “Soganox” Pearlstein Terry McKelvey Tseb Zachery Bir
Ross Spiller Seth Day Terry R. Barnette Tspuun Zack Webster
Ross Stites Seth M. Lindberg Thalji TU Zain Jarrar
[email protected] Seth Martin ThatWriterUKnow Ty Bergthold Zakharov “Zaksquatch”
Rowan Litsen sgreimann The Blushing Crow Tyler Gonzalez Sawyer
Roxicity Shamus Nicholson The Crew of the Caruso: Tyler J Duckworth Zeke Himself
Roy Pilger Shane Butler Will, Mei, & A.T.O.M. Tyler Martinez Ziiro
ru hartsell Shane Jackson The Eye of Night Ulf H. Zinzer
Rudy Randolph Shane Walden The Freelancing Roleplayer Ulf Schnittker Zoraxx Astrea
Russel Hiatt Shannon Nome The Haberle Family Ulysses Zsolt Simon
Russell Saladin Shawn The Hesitant GM V.M. Harper Zsolt, Timi & John Lockard
Russell Williams Shawn Baldwin The Lone Orchid Vaan Korlaag zuessdragon
RVH Shawn Cherry The Loopymonkey Vandemonde
Ryan “Rhino” Hixson Shawn P The Sage Experiment Vasily Giovanni Carniello
Ryan B. Shawn Stroud The Skulk Vega Sera
Ryan C Smith Shervyn The Three Seat Venə Näkez
218

INDEX
Symbols Copper Wizard 134 Gyarus 6
Couront 16, 42 Gyre, The 17, 55
!Man Origin Focus 181 Crew Strength 204
!Men 147 Cut, The 14, 20 H
A D Hammersea 14
Handgonne 163
Acalis, Imperator 10 Dear Companion 143 Hantu 17, 56–57
Accipiter 132 Deepfolk 144 Harbinger 133
Accipiter Origin Focus 181 Deepfolk Origin Focus 182 Harbinger Origin Focus 181
Accursed Class 168–169 Deep Lords 6 Harvester 137
Adeia 35 Dragon 135 Hellhound 133
Agathon 6 Drylands 160 Herondeep 14
Ai Mej 26 Dwarves 10, 64 Horses and Warmounts 148
Airships 41, 126 Dynast 45 Hosthulk 150
Ais 87 Hua Beastfolk 181
Aktoth 87 E Hundred Schools 17, 58–59
Alchemy. See Mundane Alchemy Hungry Corpse 155
Elementals 153
Amundi Godblood Foci 178–179
Elves 45, 64 I
Amundi Kingdoms 16, 20–25
Emedia 26
Anak Wastes 16, 26–27
Eternal Beloved 136 Indur Banners 8, 108
Anamon 35
Example Ships 212–213 Intoners 6, 114–115
Antinom 142
Iron Destrier 137
Arcane Secret Foci 180–181
Aristoi 28, 132
F Iron Men 72
Aristoi Origin Focus 181 Far Wastes 16, 43
Aristoi Principalities 16, 28–29
J
Fidach 20
Arquebus 163 Fifth Dynasty 16, 44–49, 94 Javair. See Spire Lords of Javair
Atba Sim 16, 30–31 First Age 6
Atlantean Main 14 First Dynasty 30, 44, 66, 108, 120 K
Atlantis 8, 16, 32–37 Flame of Heaven 84
Autopurgator 134 Flayer 145 Keeper of the Word 138
Flintlock Pistol 163 Kitsune Beastfolk 182
B Flying Jellyfish 148 Kraken Shrimp 150
Four Dynasties 6 Kytheron 17, 60
Baneling 132
Fourth Dynasty 44, 120
Bard Class 170–171 L
Free Clans 17, 50
Bight of Nakad 14
Black Pact 16, 38–39 Lakaian Range 15
Black Spine 14
G Languages 128–129
Bleeding God 42, 60 Gadavin Coast 17, 52–53 Liberated Republic 6, 103
Blessed Dead 152 Gaian dynasty 114 Lich 156
Bluecrowns 16, 40 Gashaq 87 Litten Strand 17, 64–65
Bone Partisans 153 Gebed Hau 14, 43 Logomachy of Nakad 8, 17, 54, 78, 84
Boras Mur 14 Gebed Mur 14 Lost March, The 20
Bright Names, The 68 Genius Loci 154 Low and No-Magic Campaigns 159
Ghoul 146
C Ghoul Origin Focus 181 M
Giant 145
Carce, Kingdom of 8, 32–33 Mageslayer Class 172–173
Glass Emperor 114
Carcereal Sea 14 Maiming Wounds 161
Glass Spider 140
Carven Peaks 14, 24 Manu Beastfolk 182
Godblight 17, 54–55
Cattle of Dis 148 Maqqatba 17, 66
Gods of Truth 20, 78, 84, 87
Changeling 142 Maqqatban Knight Foci 176–177
Golden Path 47, 50, 123
Character Tags 184–197 Marchen 21, 60, 73
Grand Harmony 6, 28, 98
Chawi 143 Marchenpeaks 60
Great Benevolence 10
Choeru Beastfolk 181 Master’s Teeth 15, 30
Great Plan of the Gate 64
Choking Dunes 16, 41 Maw Ogres 146
Guardian Spirit 154
Choral Republic 114 Medrat 87
Guer Beastfolk 181
Clippermen 150 Mishar 20
Gulf of Amund 21
Colligation of Epochs 4, 64 Moebian Ocean 15
 219

Morema 35 Saidonis Mountains 15 Tormentors of Vesh 30

More System Strain 162 Salt Vassalage 11 Tribes of Hyperborea 18, 106–107
Mounted Combat 148 Sarx 18, 84–89 Triloukon 11, 17, 44, 53
Mundane Alchemy 164–166 Sath Ingit 18, 90–91 Troll 147
Musket 163 Scarlet Princes 18, 94–97 Tseb Hwii 19, 108–111
Scorpion Leech 140
N Screamer Tree 140 U
Seadevil Coast 15
Nabardura 20 Sea Titan 151 Ultima Ondas 15, 17, 72
Nagadi 10 Sea Travel 198 Undead Might 152
Nahu Beastfolk 182 Second Age 8 Usagi Beastfolk 183
Nekrakademia 36 Second Dynasty 26, 40, 44, 50, 108,
Nidas 87 120 V
Nilm 87 Seven Rivers Confederacy 7, 9, 20, 42
Ninth Leng 17, 68–71 Verdancy 19
Shagat-Hur 87 Verdancy, The 112–113
Shangu Mountains 15, 50 Vermillion Sea 51
O Shenlai 58 Vitrum 19, 106, 114–119
Old Amund 9 Shinbu Anak 18, 28, 98–99 Vois 20
Shining Peaks 15, 58 Vothite Empire 9, 52
Old Carce. See Carce, Kingdom of
Ship Combat 204–205 Vothite Republic 11, 52
Ondas 17, 72–77
Ship Crises 210
Ondasi Hurlants 163
Ships W
One Below, The 64
Buying 199
Oni 182
Combat Actions 208 Walking Mountains 139
Oni Shogunate 122
Combat Turn 207 War Roaches 149
Origin Foci 181–183
Combat With Sea Creatures 211 Way of Eternal Truth 35
Ostmark 20
Crises 210 Weaver Eel 151
Outsiders 6, 16, 18, 19, 30, 98, 103,
Examples 212–213 Whiteskulls 15
104, 108, 127
Hiring Crew 199 Wiggler Dog 141
Quick Sea Combat 211 Wind Cities 7
P
Repair 205 Wise Class 174–175
Pacifist Magic 162 Supplies, Fittings, and Maintenance Wormridden 141
Pale Emperor 100, 112 203 Wraith Lord 157
Pale Empire 7 Types 200–201 Wyrdbearer 139
Pale of Leng 15 Weapons 202
Pelegrin 20 Shogun 120 X
Pichi Beastfolk 182 Skull Knight 156
Slave Husk 156 Xindai Commanderies 19, 120–125
Piren Beastfolk 182
Plan of the Graven World 10 Slow Healing 161
Polop 11, 52 Slow Magic 162 Y
Predecessants 32 Snow Fungus 140 Yain 19, 126
Primitive Firearms 162 Speakers of the Storm 8, 9, 114 Yamad Rebellion 4, 127
Prior Crown 32, 35 Spiderhounds 149 Yamad’s Bones 19, 127
Spire Lords of Javair 8, 41 Yuun 151
Q Spoil, The 21
Still Cities 18, 100–101 Z
Qasir 20 Still Cities Undead 182
Quick Sea Combat 211 Strange Aeons 36 Zakathi 32–35
Sui Beastfolk 183 Zakathi Origin Focus 183
R Suldant Theocracy 9, 18, 112 Zakathi, True 60
Sunbirds 149 Zakathi Uprising 7
Ramas 87
Sunken Llum 11
Reaping King 11, 17
Sunward Isles 18, 102, 112
Red Gods 84
Remnant Chord 106
Remnant Chords 10
T
Repeating Rifle 163 Tanuki Beastfolk 183
Rifled Musket 163 Tavat 18, 103
Riu 21, 42, 60 Tempest Horde 7, 106, 114
Runom 18, 78–83 Tengu Beastfolk 183
Rusted Prince 138 Ten Thousand Clans 7
Theria 35
S Third Age 10
Third Dynasty 41, 44, 52, 120
Saidon 35
Tombfell 18, 104–105