CORE BOOK

Experience a new kind of science-fantasy

with the world’s greatest roleplaying game
 CORE BOOK

CREATED AND DEVELOPED BY

SOLAR STUDIOS LLC
Credits
Lead Designers: Brandon Gurwitz, Kenneth Maneely Jr.
Art Direction: Matthew DeMino
Writing: Tyler Gamba, Alex Ioakimidis
Editing: Tyler Gamba, Alex Ioakimidis,
Kenneth Maneely Jr.
Stat Block Development: Kenneth Maneely Jr.
Layout: Matthew DeMino, Brandon Gurwitz
Graphic Design: Matthew DeMino
Marketing: Alex Ioakimidis

Beta Readers: Jordan Barnaby, Ashton Sauceda-DeMino,

Christina Mattina, Zachary Meiklejohn, Kai Dennis, Mason
Springer-Lipton, Ben Rivera Torres II, Emily Aversa, Tom
Moore, Ivy Moore, Henry Lin, Nicholas Trano, Rye Gentek,
Daphne Millard, Celine Dirkes, Lachlan Hatfield, Everest
Adlerman, Ben Rivera
Playtesting: Our wonderful backers!
Interior Illustration: Antti Hakosaari, Alexsandra Wojtas,
Andreia Ugrai, Brian Valeza, Davish Freshenski, George
Bennett, Fesbra, Janna Sophia, Justin Spice, Luis Gomez
Weyler, Matthew DeMino, Olga Khariton, Ramazan Kazaliev,
Toni Muntean, Vilenko Vujicevic
Cover Art: David Auden Nash
Environmental Artist: Ramazan Kazaliev
Spot and Character Artist: Matthew DeMino
Cover: A team of adventurers fights a coliseum battle in Mundi
Fulfilment: Backerkit, Fulfillrite
against bylaks and other monsters, under the watchful eye of
Special Thanks: Pedro Mendes, The Angry GM, and Board Empress Celina Solati.
Enterprises for going above and beyond. Also thanks to Sakina
Hussain, Harper Hayes, John Gamba, Jackie Gamba, Ashton
Sauceda-DeMino, Theodore Ioakimidis, Beth Tirado, Emily © 2022 Solar Studios LLC
Aversa, Jordan Barnaby, and our Discord moderators.
www.solar-studios.com

Overseer Edition Backers: Jordan Barnaby, Emily Aversa, Will ISBN: 979-8-9867436-2-2
"Beau" Barron, Harper Hayes, Christopher R. Coon, Kenny First Release: September 13 2022
Yun, Salvador y Patricio Montes, Zachary Meiklejohn , Joseph Published by Solar Studios LLC
Scanish, Rye Gentek, Wesley Ascolese, Brandon Adkins &
Kelly Decker, Sarah Lawrence, Scott William Leslie BSc, Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined
Tinghung Henry Lin, Mitchell Alexander Edwards, Francesco in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All
Paparelli , Erica Koplitz, Zabadew, Joshua "Salt" Bowman, trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, places, etc.), the Element
system, sentient species/races, original creatures, items, Eldertech, backgrounds,
Shiloh Sawka, Brandon Haag, Theodore E. Ioakimidis , Kai characters, artwork, sidebars, and trade dress. Open Game Content: The Open content in
Dennis, Will Kraemer, Evan Riley, Nancy Agnew , Nick Trano, this book includes material taken from the Systems Reference Document and Redsky SRD
5.1 Extensions content found in the Classes, Exploration, Social Interaction, Combat, and
Patrick Driggett, Ricardo Reese, Trevor Saultz, Jessy Equipment chapters (excluding Eldertech). No other portion of this work may be
Maldonado, Wayne Heron, Daphne Millard, Daniel W. Sollars, reproduced in any form without permission.
Mark Mcilroy, Patrick Pryds, CafeMarchesBuck, Tyler
Brenman, Rick Warren, Timothy Schober, Mike Timbrell, Jared
Mattfolk, Gordon Milner, Wesley L. Flowers, Aramil Tolovar ,
Juan-Miguel Baluyot, Ayden Lemon, Lachlan Dean, Adrien
Fichter , TTV/Triumph_and_Blunder, Jesse "Draumal"
Rathbun , Grayson The DNDBaron, John Anthony Bravo,
Mitchell Caldwell, HTTPaladin, Devon M Olson, Tyson La
Tourrette, Matthew Osmond, Rebecca "Wolf" Custer, Robert
Faucett, Colin Lindgren, Darren von Trapp, David Cook, is
TheGreatSlinksky, Brendan R. O'Hara, Askur Þór Björgvinsson, Matthew DeMino, Tyler Gamba, Brandon Gurwitz
Dan Hughes, Jonathen Bingham, Jacob C. Robertson, Marc K. - Alex Ioakimidis, Kenneth Maneely Jr
DM Mythall, Ethan Chandler, Tom Moore , Jonathan Richeson,
Jozie Rose, Donnie Archuleta, Zachary Hathaway, Jason M.
Samsa, Lori Garrett, Lachlan Hatfield

Redsky Core Book

iii
Table of Contents
Introduction 1 Panaceans 143
Leaders 146
PART I: CHARACTERS IN REDSKY Chapter 9: The Hive Halls 151
Chapter 1: Elements 6 Everborn 152
Choosing Your Element 6 Freespawn 154
Fire 7 Awakened 158
Water 9 Leaders 162
Air 11 Chapter 10: The Solar Hegemony 167
Earth 13 The Hegemony 168
Void 15 Hominid Dominion 179
Aether 17 Leaders 181
Chapter 2: Sentients 19 Chapter 11: The Nightrider Tribes 189
Archivist 21 Dawnraiders 190
Featherfolk 23 Hardhooves 193
Human 25 Cairnkeepers 195
Nightrider 27 Freesteeds 197
Sporespawn 29 Leaders 200
Wakewalker 31
Chapter 3: Classes 34 PART III: THE RULES OF THE GAME
Class Levels 35 Chapter 12: Abilities and Skills 205
Multiclassing 35 Attack Rolls, Saving Throws, Ability Checks 206
Emissary 37 Skills 207
Fighter 41 Using Each Ability 208
Hunter 45 Chapter 13: General Rules 212
Rogue 51 Time, Character Properties 212
Sage 55 Movement 214
Wordsmith 60 The Environment 215
Chapter 4: Backgrounds and Feats 65 Resting 216
Languages 65 Diseases, Conditions 217
Backgrounds 65 Chapter 14: Exploration and Weather 219
Feats 67 Travelling 220
Activities while Resting 222
PART II: THE WORLD OF DEMA Travel Pace and Duration 223
Chapter 5: The World 71 Viewable Distance 224
The Overseers 72 Food and Water, Weather Conditions 225
The Current Cycle 74 Chapter 15: Combat 228
Timelines 75 Movement and Position 229
The Daylands 79 Creature Size 230
The Nightlands 92 Actions in Combat 231
The Midlands 104 Damage and Healing 234
Chapter 6: The Wakewalker Clans 105 Chapter 16: Social Interaction 238
Clan Kahr 106 Social Encounters 239
Clan Hiremai 109 Designing and Running Social Encounters 242
Clan Jana'haki 111 Chapter 17: Equipment and Eldertech 246
Leaders 115 Armor 247
Chapter 7: The Archivist City-States 119 Weapons 250
Aegic 120 Adventuring Gear 254
Ethereans 123 Mounts and Vehicles 259
Luminosi 125 Expenses 260
Leaders 128 Eldertech 263
Chapter 8: The Gilded States 135 Chapter 18: List of Eldertech 265
Auran 136 Chapter 19: Creatures and Combatants 286
Hollowfell 138 Appendix A: Reference Tables 329
Bleakers 140 Appendix B: Index 334

Front Matter
iv
 Welcome to the World of Dema!
Treasured Heroes,
This book you are holding is the result of years of work
and passion by our team. We owe lifetimes of inspiration to
our experiences with exciting art. We rolled D20s, tweaked
our decks, swore our oaths, journeyed with the Fellowship,
sailed across Earthsea, used the Force, awoke in Tamriel
(again), tossed coins to our Witchers, ended the Blight,
endorsed our favorite stores on the Citadel, and so much
more.
Speculative fiction can certainly be entertaining. It can
also be a great source of meaning and shared experience
that bridges divides and enriches one’s time. After all, new
worlds carry new perspectives. They give us a way to see
through a different lens after going there and back again.
The world of Redsky is our love letter to the genre in all
its forms. Our way to celebrate the tales worth telling, and
history that can be even more compelling than the fiction it
inspires. In the pages that follow, we have provided plenty
of lore and immersive mechanics to familiarize you with the
world of Dema, its inhabitants, and the ideas that drive
them. We hope that our imaginations are on display here.
We also know the value of empowering all good
perspectives and welcome your additions to this joint
adventure of ours. Be it the fate of just one person or an
entire species, we know that you have a story to tell, and we
can’t wait to hear it.
For all its merit, compared to the settings we cherish, our
creation is currently a humble seed. We like to think this
means there is room for Redsky and its community to grow
beyond what we have imagined. Consider these pages the
grand start of our universe. We are determined to bring you
many more original Redsky experiences in the days to
come.
In the meantime, we hope you kick back and have the
same fun immersing yourself in Redsky as we enjoyed in
building it. One more page, one more turn, one more roll.
From fellow travelers on this journey with an unknown end
comes a new path full of potential. It begins for you here.
Avala, and may the Elements guide you!
Alex, Brandon, Ken, Matt, and Tyler
What to Expect
from Redsky
Redsky is an original science fantasy universe created by
Solar Studios, where a mysterious spaceship holds within
itself the vast landscape known as Dema. The inhabitants of
Dema are an unwitting experiment by the Overseers of the
ship – an experiment that lasts for thousands of years as
civilizations rise and fall within the hull, until the
microcosmic world is erased as the Overseers begin again.
Redsky takes the rules of the most popular tabletop role-
playing game and adapts them to gaming in a magicless,
dangerous world. There are some changes to the rules that
will be noted in the following section, but just as important
are the philosophical changes to design.
Redsky Core Book
1
Limited healing. Gone are the days when an ally can snap
their fingers and reverse the damage you have taken. There
are ways to temporarily boost your HP, but you should be
wary of putting yourself in front of a dangerous creature,
especially if you’re playing a class with less health and
armor. Bring a healer’s kit.
There’s more than combat. The rules for exploration and
social interaction have been expanded significantly, and
you should give those chapters a look. Of course, your
group is always free to ignore mechanics that you don’t find
appealing, though we encourage you to give it a try!
Classes are not equal. This is an important one: classes
such as the wordsmith and the sage are simply not as
strong in combat as the fighter or emissary, and may even
spend more time lending support (or trying to hide) than
they do damaging enemies. Of course, during social
interactions, the emissary and wordsmith may have a much
more active role than the hunter. This inequality is
intentional.
Combat is dangerous. Larger and more ferocious
creatures tend to hit pretty hard, and charging in headfirst
may not be the best move. Combined with the less generally
available healing, this can make for some risky situations
when trying to use direct combat to fix all problems.
Changes to the SRD
Our rules are based on the System Reference Document
(SRD 5.1), and you may see some familiar pieces if you’ve
played a lot of 5e. However, we’ve made a number of
tweaks to the underlying system to enhance gameplay in
worlds without magic. As a whole, our changes are
intended to add a measure of complexity and tactical
thinking without becoming cumbersome. For your
convenience, noteworthy changes are listed here.
OVERALL
� The terms “species” or “sentient” are used instead of
race
� Character Alignment has been replaced by the Element
system
� Magic and spells do not exist. Magic items are replaced
with Eldertech
� Languages are determined by background instead of
species
CONDITIONS
� The Petrified and Invisible conditions no longer exist,
and Flustered has been introduced
� Surprised is now a condition instead of a specific
combat situation, and affects some saving throws
� Exhaustion has been overhauled to be less immediately
punishing
CLASSES
� Class level progression continues up to 10
� Fighters get their second extra attack at level 10
 � Rogues get an archetype feature at level 6, and Reliable
Talent at level 10
COMBAT
� Grappling creatures have disadvantage on attacks with
melee weapons, unless the weapon is light
� Two-weapon fighting no longer requires a light
weapon in your main hand
� Touch Armor Class (Touch AC) has been introduced
� “Surprised” is now a condition
� “Parry” reactions have been introduced
� Creatures with four legs have additional rules about
turning and tight spaces
� The “Bypass” and “Sprint” actions have been added
� The Disarm special attack has been added
� Radiant damage has been removed
� Stable creatures regain 1 hit point after 1d4 minutes
instead of hours
EQUIPMENT
� Different types of shields have been introduced
� Exotic weapons have been introduced
� Worn armor only contributes half its weight to your
carry total
� The armor and weapons available have been
overhauled
� Weapons and armor now have additional properties
that can affect combat performance
� Armors can now be strong or weak against certain
weapons or damage types
� Some weapons can deal more than one type of damage
� Some armors can have treatment oils applied to
enhance their benefits
� Some armors can be layered for additional benefits
� Additional types of arrows are available
� A few small changes to various pieces of gear such as
chains and manacles
GENERAL RULES
� A small tweak has been made to how advantage and
disadvantage handle features that reroll or replace a
d20
� A “Character Properties” section has been introduced
as a quick reference for everything on a character sheet
� “Encumbrance” is a main rule instead of a variant
� Non-encumbered play is now a variant rule
� Adjustments have been made to carrying capacity to
make it more realistic
� Armor and clothing currently worn only contribute
half their weight to your amount carried
� Rules for Throwing Distance have been introduced
� “Sprinting” has been introduced
� The rules for jumping and falling have been
overhauled
2
� Low-Light Vision has been introduced, and Darkvision
automatically includes it
� “Resting in Poor Conditions” can interfere with your
Long Rest
� Food and water requirements have been reworked
(Exploration and Weather chapter)
SKILLS
� Medicine is now an Intelligence-based skill instead of
Wisdom
� The Intelligence-based Eldertech, Materials, and
Politics skills have been added (and Arcana removed)
� “Skills with Different Abilities” is a main rule instead
of a variant
New Content
ELEMENTS
One of the core features of Redsky, the Element system
replaces traditional Alignment, and is designed to have a
larger role in both character creation and roleplay.
SENTIENTS
The sentient species of Redsky. These 6 types of creatures are
the inhabitants of the worldship Dema.
CLASSES
Redsky has 6 classes for you to choose from. Two of them
you know already: the fighter and the rogue, though with
some new subclasses that should offer a new twist on your
play style. The other four (hunter, emissary, wordsmith,
and sage) are new to our system, and inspired by pieces and
themes from traditional classes. You may still see some
familiar mechanics among them.
EXPLORATION
Extensive adventuring rules have been introduced in the
Exploration and Weather chapter. Within you’ll find rules
for:
� Planning journeys and getting lost
� Camping and other activities while resting, such as
hunting
� Maintaining a dash or a sprint over long distances
� Line of sight to distant landmarks
INJURIES AND DISEASES
A new section on lingering injuries has been added to the
Combat chapter, while information about constructing
diseases can be found in the General Rules chapter.
SOCIAL INTERACTION
The Social Interaction chapter has a lot of information that
is useful for creating and enhancing NPC interaction. There
are multiple levels of rules, so you can pick a level of
complexity that your group feels comfortable with.
ELDERTECH
Instead of magic items, you can enhance your equipment
with highly advanced and mysterious technology known as
Eldertech.
Introduction
Part I: Characters in Redsky
Redsky Core Book
5
 Chapter 1: Elements
What is it to be?
It is the storm and the sea,
The sculptor and the stone,
The many and the one.
- Midis’ Al
T
he world of Dema is filled with a diverse range of
kingdoms, peoples, and monsters. Their varying
personalities and identities are symbolized by six
characteristic archetypes: the six Elements. The Elements
replace and vastly expand upon the alignment system,
and help provide roleplaying traits for your character.
The six Elements are Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Aether, and
Void. These are not kinds of magic. Instead they each
represent a unique set of values, with each Element
opposed to another.
Fire represents emotional passion, which is opposite to
Water, which represents emotional control.
Air represents intellectual creativity, which is opposite to
Earth, which represents intellectual diligence.
Finally, Void represents societal individuality, which is
opposite to Aether, which represents societal community.
Your choice of Elements should be the first – and one of
the most important – aspects of your character. It is the
rough guideline for your character’s emotions, problem-
solving, and values. One or more of your Elements can even
change as your character learns and grows while
adventuring.
Choosing Your
Elements
To select your character’s Elements, pick one of the sides of
each spectrum:
Fire or Water
Air or Earth
Void or Aether
You should end up with three, such as Fire, Air, and
Aether. You can pick based on your preferences – skip
ahead and read some of the details and characteristics of the
Elements to get an idea of how they would shape your
character. Alternatively, you can flip a coin for each
spectrum.
From among those three, you then pick
� 1 Ability Score Modifier
� 1 Feature
� 3 Virtues
� 1 Vice
6
For example, from among Fire-Air-Aether, you can pick
the Ability Score modifiers from Fire (Strength and
Part One: Characters
Charisma), and the Adaptable feature from Air. Following
that, pick 3 Virtues (they can be from one of your Elements,
or multiple) and a Vice. Then you’re ready to go!
Elements and Your
Character
Later on, alongside your choice of Species and Class, your
choice of Element will help you develop your character’s
backstory. Your choice of Elements also confers an Ability
Score modifier to your character, as well as a unique feature
and some personality characteristics.
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIER
Pick an Ability Score Modifier from one of the three
Elements chosen for your character. This choice is
permanent. If you chose the +1 to Strength and +1 to
Charisma from Fire, those increases remain even if your
character switches to Water due to a traumatic event
midway through an adventure.
FEATURE
Each Element has a unique feature that enhances your
character’s abilities. You can pick one feature from among
the three Elements chosen for your character. If you choose
the Frenzy ability from Fire, and your character switches to
Water due to deep meditation midway through an
adventure, your feature becomes Stability instead.
CHARACTERISTICS
Each Element comes with lists of personality traits that
match. You should pick 3 Virtues and 1 Vice for your
character. The Virtues can be chosen from a single Element,
1 from each Element, or any combination. The Vice can also
be picked from any of your Elements.
Similar to your Feature, if your Element changes during a
game, your Virtues and Vices that originate from it should
also be replaced with ones from the new Element.
Changing Your
Elements
Don’t forget that your character is capable of growth and
change. There may come a time when your character
undergoes a personality change, and one of their Elements
might flip from one side of a spectrum to the other. Such a
change should be discussed with your gamemaster. In the
event that it happens, you can change your Element feature
and characteristics to match your new Element with your
GM’s approval (if the feature/characteristics belonged to
the old Element). However, you will always have the
Ability Score modifiers that you chose at character creation.
Those are set in stone.
Elements
 Fire
“Problem? Meet my axe!”

Representing chaotic emotion, Fire is an explosive and

energetic Element. It’s the Element of powerful desires and
exhilarating feelings. Owing to its passion, Fire can be
single-minded and obsessive at times. At its most extreme,
Fire has the tendency to metaphorically and sometimes
literally self-destruct.

ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS

Your Strength score increases by 1, and your Charisma
score increases by 1.

FEATURE: FRENZY
Fire-aligned characters can enter a frenzied state where
their powerful emotions fuel their actions. As a bonus
action, you may gain one of the following bonuses for 1
minute:
� Advantage on Strength ability checks and resistance to
bludgeoning, slashing, fire, cold, and poison damage
� Immunity to the effects of exhaustion and the poisoned
condition
� Advantage on Charisma (Intimidation), Charisma
(Persuasion), and Charisma (Performance) checks.
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a short or long rest.

Chaotic Emotion
Fire represents a character’s most primal emotions,
impulses, and motivations. A musician captivating their
audience, an explorer braving uncharted shores, and a
berserker launching themselves onto the battlefield are all
Fire. It is the Element of passionate, new, and often extreme
experiences.
Fire is opposed by Water, which represents ordered
emotion. This opposition represents the tension between a
character’s motivations to act. While Water encourages
characters to be responsible and to consciously take control
of their destiny, Fire entices them with the promise of
pleasure and adventure. For example, imagine someone
eating dinner. They’re past full, then out comes dessert.
Water reminds them that because they’re more than full,
they really shouldn’t have any. Not even a little bit. Fire, on
the other hand, makes a pretty compelling case to eat the
whole damn thing.
Of the two emotional Elements, Fire is the chaotic one. It
sends characters careening on the stormy waves of their
emotions, bumping into all kinds of sharp and scaly things
in the process. As a chaotic Element, Fire is more
individualistic than communal. Fire’s specific desires, fears,
and euphoric highs are subjective and personal. Although
characters can share their favorite things with others, they
can’t make others love them like they do. Similarly, while
many fun activities involve socializing with other people,
nobody at the same social event has the exact same
experience. Each person has their own unique set of
emotions, interests, and preferences. Fire’s energy and
enthusiasm begins and ends in each individual.

Redsky Core Book

7
 Although everyone has a bit of Fire in them, Fire-aligned
characters embrace it with open arms. They chase their Virtues and Vices
dreams and ambitions without regret or shame. They live
loudly and proudly, often with an infectious energy. When FIRE VIRTUES
it’s time to celebrate victory, or a completed quest, or maybe D8 Virtues
just surviving another day, find your party a Fire-aligned

Part One: Characters

character, and you’ll laugh and sing until the morning
1 I live in the present and cherish life’s simple pleasures.
comes.

Burning Through Time 2

Fire-aligned characters have a complicated relationship
with time. They treat time a bit like fuel. People can burn
their time low and slow, or fast and bright. Fire-aligned
characters wholeheartedly endorse the ‘fast and bright’
approach. People only have so much time to live, and Fire
urges them to enjoy it while they can.
Even so, there are two very different ways that Fire-
aligned characters interact with time. Sometimes, they go
all-in on the present. They choose to live life to the fullest,
even if it means risking their lives and their future well-
being. Other times, Fire-aligned characters become obsessed
chasing some enormous, all-consuming desire. Whether
these characters desire riches, beauty, fame, or something
else, they choose to live for the future. They sacrifice the
present, working hard and risking it all in order to have a
chance to satisfy their life’s ambition. Either way, Fire-
aligned characters live for life’s truly epic moments.
I love to travel and explore new places and new ways of
living.
I am ambitious and have big plans for my life. My role
3
models are extremely successful.
I have a good sense of humor and know how to laugh at
4
myself.
I am inspired by new things and different perspectives.
5
When I’m excited or inspired, I’m unstoppable.
I have a deep sense of empathy, am warm and kind to
6
strangers, and have many friends.
7 I love fully and completely.
I’m not afraid to take risks and try new things. By trying
8 new things, I have grown as a person and developed a
more selective, experienced sense of what I like.

Cultivating Fire
As one of Redsky’s three chaotic Elements, Fire is not an
Element that characters can adopt at will or directly engage.
FIRE VICES
D8 Vices
Desires, impulses, and passions can change over time, but
they aren’t things characters can just decide. For instance, if I overindulge in pleasures and find it difficult to delay
someone is disgusted by fish, they cannot just decide one 1
gratification.
day that they love the taste of fish. A person’s tastes can
change, but not instantly, and not just because they wish I lack a deep connection to my family and local
2
them to. community.
Even so, with a little luck people can slowly become more
Fire by doing all sorts of things. Whenever a character In the pursuit of personal success, I sometimes
3
compromise my values and indirectly harm others.
opens up to trying something new, or bravely explores
outside of their comfort zone, they become just a little bit
more Fire. Living a carefree, low-stress life is another way I sometimes disrespect others when I find it amusing
4
for people to give their Fire a chance to bloom. Pursuing or funny to do so.
and getting closer to ambitious personal goals is a powerful
way for characters to fuel the Fire in their hearts. Last but I can’t focus on anything that I don’t enjoy doing for
5
not least, characters can cultivate more Fire by spending very long. I am not a consistent or hard worker.
more time doing activities that kindle their joy, infect them
with laughter, and bring them to tears. Most of my friendships are shallow. I treat most of my
6 friendships as mere sources of pleasure, or as
opportunities for personal gain.

I find it hard to commit to a single partner, and place

7
too much importance on good looks.
Of tooth and bone, I struggle with self-control and have an addictive
In heart and home, 8 personality. I will often continue doing things I know
Like a flame in the night, are bad for me.
Burn bold and bright.
- 'Midis Al

Elements
8
Water
“Self-control is self-mastery. Self-mastery is peace.”
Representing ordered emotion, Water is the Element of
conscious self-control and mindfulness. It’s also the Element
of self-improvement and restraint. Water-aligned characters
have great control over themselves, in both mind and body.
At its worst, Water can be very judgmental of others and
owing to its self-consciousness, overly cautious.
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Wisdom score
increases by 1.
FEATURE: STABILITY
Water-aligned characters realize that although they cannot
control what others do or say, they can control how they
react. You gain the following benefits:
• You have advantage on saving throws against being
charmed or frightened.
• You have advantage on ability checks to avoid or
escape being grappled, and against being moved
against your will.
Ordered Emotion
Water represents a character’s most high-minded ideals,
principles, and motivations. A knight living strictly by a
warrior code, a reformer working diligently to fix a broken
system, and a monk reciting ancient texts are all Water. It is
the Element of self-control, duty, and integrity.
Water is opposed by Fire, which represents chaotic
emotion. This opposition represents the tension between a
character’s motivations to act. While Fire tempts characters
with desires and pleasures, Water calls on them to act
according to their principles. For instance, consider
someone working on an assignment they consider
genuinely important. Every so often, Fire tries to sway them
from their work with entertaining distractions. In response,
Water encourages them to continue focusing on what they
believe matters most.
Of the two emotional Elements, Water is the ordered one.
It steels characters against the crashing waves of their
emotions, even though this isolates them from new
experiences. As an ordered Element, Water is more
communal than individualistic. Although characters can
live by their creed as hermits, most principles come from,
and help reproduce values enshrined by communities. For
instance, even monks living completely alone share their
faith with many others like them. Principles represent a
standardized way for characters and communities to act
regardless of personal interests and temptations. Water’s
force might begin in each person separately, but its end is a
community bound by common ideals.
While everybody is partly Water, Water-aligned
characters completely commit themselves to what they
believe in. They live and die according to their regimens
and moral codes without doubts or grief. Their willpower
could move mountains, yet they often choose to live quietly
and humbly. When the road ahead is full of dangers,
Redsky Core Book
9
temptations, and distractions, find your party a Water-
aligned character, and they will keep you on the straight
and narrow.
Wading Through Time
The Element of Water, like Fire, has a complicated
relationship with time. Water-aligned characters believe
that although people cannot really control how much time
they have, they can control what to do with the time they
are given. They find meaning and a sense of purpose in the
daily work they dedicate themselves to, regardless of the
destination. Ironically, the self-restraint and exercise
regimens that Water endorses tend to have the effect of
lengthening people’s lives.
There are also two distinct ways that Water-aligned
characters interact with time. Sometimes, Water-aligned
characters focus on what matters to them by delaying
gratification. These characters work through pain in the
present to become a better version of themselves in the
future, or to achieve something in the future that they
consider genuinely important. At the same time, Water-
aligned characters often stress that chasing goals on the
never-ending treadmill of ambition will never bring
happiness. Instead of exhausting themselves working for
some imagined future payout, they highlight the
importance of letting go and investing in the process. These
characters follow their principles not for some future
outcome, but because it brings them peace in the present.
Cultivating Water
As one of Redsky’s three ordered Elements, Water is an
Element that characters can willingly adopt and regularly
practice. Principles, ideals, and ways of life are deeply
personal, but they are also things that characters can learn
from others and change. For example, someone who has
lived a very shallow life can begin treating their body and
themself with more respect, even if they choose not to.
Although people typically only adopt new principles when
they reach an impasse in life, change is always possible.
People can cultivate Water by regularly reconsidering
what matters to them and then taking action. Whenever a
character tries to clarify their core values and beliefs, they
become slightly more Water. Part of this process is learning
to distinguish internal motivations and ideals from purely
external sources of validation. Another way for characters
to slowly develop their willpower is to practice regular self-
care. Is your character exercising and sleeping enough? Are
they eating healthy and staying hydrated? Finally, people
can become more Water by learning to let go of what they
cannot control. By tuning out distractions, people can
cultivate Water by making time for what they believe
genuinely matters.
Of mind and will,
In soul and quill,
Like a seed by a gentle stream,
.
Rise, breathe, and dare to dream
- 'Midis Al
Virtues and Vices
WATER VIRTUES

Part One: Characters

D8 Virtues

I know how to make sacrifices in the present for my

1
long-term well-being.

I have a deep and personal connection to my family

2
and local community.

Content with my life as it is, I do not compromise my

3 principles for material gains. My role models have
extreme moral courage.

4 I am conscious of the effects of my actions on others.

5 I am disciplined, consistent, and hard-working.

My friendships are deep and meaningful. I am invested

in the success and well-being of my friends either for
6
their own sake, or for the opportunity to be a good
friend.

I judge people by the content of their character rather

7
than how they look or their circumstances of birth.

I habitually cultivate self-control and healthy

8
boundaries so I have more agency over my life.

WATER VICES
D8 Vices

I am often too preoccupied to appreciate or even

1
notice the simple joys of life.

I am quick to judge the lifestyles and decisions of

2
others.

I often treat my own life as a mere means for the good

3
of everyone and expect the same from others.

I tend to think that comedy is always at someone’s

4 expense and find it difficult to enjoy anything that
challenges my values.

I assume that I have all the answers and too easily

5 overlook the value of different perspectives and
different ways of doing things.

I am automatically suspicious of strangers, and

6
especially so for those who disagree with my values.

I am overly judgmental of others. I judge others more

7
than or as much as I judge myself.

8 I am overly cautious and rarely leave my comfort zone.

Elements
10
 Air
“Every problem is unique and requires its own
solution.”

Representing chaotic intelligence, Air is spontaneous and

unpredictable. Air-aligned characters maintain that keeping
an open and flexible mind is essential. Air is the Element of
creativity, intuition, and thinking outside the box. It steps
outside of stagnant intellectual traditions and questions
them. At its worst, however, Air can seem arbitrary or just
downright distracting.

ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS

Your Wisdom score increases by 1, and your Intelligence
score increases by 1.

FEATURE: ADAPTABLE
Air-aligned characters like to keep their options open so
they can adapt to rapidly changing situations. Whenever
you have advantage or disadvantage on a roll, you may
reroll one of the dice once. You must use the new roll.
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a long rest.

Chaotic Intelligence
Air represents a character’s most spontaneous intuitions,
improvisation, and ideas. A painter inventing a new style, a
philosopher plucking examples and arguments from thin
air, and a general adapting to the chaos of battle are all Air.
It is the Element of quick, clever, and creative thinking.
Air is opposed by Earth, which represents ordered
intelligence. This opposition represents the tension between
time-honored, proven methods, and new but untested
possibilities. While Earth focuses on what is grounded in
experience, Air is drawn to promising and unexplored
ideas. These approaches often clash. For example, imagine
someone cooking a familiar dish for themselves. Earth
instructs the cook to carefully follow the usual recipe. Why
mess with a good thing? Resisting the ordinary, Air
encourages the cook to make changes by trusting their gut.
Surely the cook knows their own tastes best?
Of the two intellectual Elements, Air is the chaotic one. It
launches characters up on the unpredictable winds of their
hunches and intuitions, sometimes landing safely in a
fantastic new place, and other times crashing into the
ground. As a chaotic Element, Air is more individualistic
than communal. Air’s creative ideas, inklings, and sudden
revelations appear to each person separately. Although
characters can share these with others, they can’t expect
others to always believe them without evidence. Similarly,
although people can work together on difficult problems, it
is rare for two people to come up with identical solutions.
Air’s bursts of understanding begin and end in each
individual.
Although everybody is partially Air, Air-aligned
characters go wherever the shifting currents of their mind
take them. They have the talent and vision to create new
ideas, techniques, and inventions, and the courage to
challenge everyone to think and act differently. They trust

Redsky Core Book

11
their instincts and they never give up. When the old ways
fail, and all hope seems lost, find your party an Air-aligned
character, and they will show you the way.
Thundering Through
Time
The Element of Air moves through time in a strange way.
At first glance, it is the hasty intellectual Element. Its
intuitions and improvisations seem to come quickly,
trading certainty for speed. Without understanding exactly
how, Air-aligned characters quickly draw new ideas and
possibilities from the whirlwind of their unconscious mind.
The realizations and hunches that emerge appear suddenly
and unpredictably.
For all that, Air is always humming along patiently in the
background. The unconscious mind, which is the very
source of Air’s insights, is always at work. It quietly
processes enormous sums of information. Even while Air-
aligned characters sleep and do busywork, their
unconscious mind slowly chews away at difficult problems.
Then one day without warning, the solution emerges from
the storm. As it passes a threshold between worlds, the
solution strikes the conscious mind like lightning from a
silent thunderstorm. So even though Air’s ideas erupt
spontaneously, they are sometimes the result of an
extremely slow and hidden awakening.
Cultivating Air
As one of Redsky’s three chaotic Elements, Air is not an
Element that characters can easily enhance, engage, or
change. Although characters can slowly become more
imaginative and learn how to think on their feet, creativity
and insight are not simple skills that can be easily taught in
a classroom. For example, although it is possible to show
everyone how to read and write, it is not so easy to sculpt
great artists and philosophers out of just anyone.
Still, there are many activities that people can do to
slowly cultivate Air. Whenever a character first tries to do
something they’re not formally trained in, they set their Air
into motion. Spending time in nature and going for short
walks are also great ways for people to get their minds
jogging. By exploring a wide range of ideas and learning a
little bit about everything, Air-aligned characters can give
their creative minds more ideas to draw connections
between. Solitude and even boredom can give Air room to
breathe and reimagine the world. Finally, characters can
become more Air by making time to play, daydream, and
just act downright silly.
You know it now,
But know not how.
You feel it in your gut, bon
es, and skin,
And it howls like the wind.
- 'Midis Al
12
Virtues and Vices
AIR VIRTUES
D8 Virtues
Part One: Characters
I am aware of and make time for what really matters. I
1 don’t concern myself with things that, in the grand
scheme, don’t matter that much.
2
I frequently change up my lifestyle to gain perspective
and identify good and bad habits.
I can quickly and independently come up with good
3
solutions to time-sensitive problems.
I am creative and know how and when to think outside
4
the box.
I am very flexible and can adjust to unforeseen
5
circumstances and new challenges quickly.
I am not afraid to question flawed traditions and bad
6
ideas which people uncritically accept.
I am broadly self-educated and can independently
7
solve complex problems.
I have a strong sense of intuition. A great deal comes
naturally to me in ways that I don’t know how to
8
explain. I am grateful for this ability but never
boastful.
AIR VICES
D8 Vices
I struggle with being on time, and often fail to
1
recognize how my lateness negatively affects others.
2 I am inconsistent and hard to coordinate with.
I rush too quickly to solutions and make easily
3
avoidable and costly mistakes in the process.
I am very partial to my own ideas and only rarely judge
4
them as harshly as I judge other people’s ideas.
I struggle with long-term planning and finishing what I
5
start.
I am a contrarian. I am implicitly prejudiced against
6 popular and entrenched ideas and am not good at
judging them on their actual merits.
7
I do not handle criticism well and I find it difficult to
work with others.
I often get stuck trying to reinvent the wheel. I rely
too strongly on my intuition and am only rarely as
8
informed or educated as I think, so I don’t check if
others have had the same ideas before me.
Elements
Earth
“No problem is unique. What has worked before will
work again.”
Representing ordered intelligence, Earth is the Element of
systematic reasoning, intellectual caution, and community
thinking. Earth-aligned characters are careful thinkers that
emphasize the importance of hard evidence and expertise.
Earth aims to make steady and certain progress in its
knowledge, but at its worst can stifle creativity and reject
new solutions as too outlandish or untested.
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Strength
score increases by 1.
FEATURE: STUDIOUS
Earth-aligned characters are serious lifelong learners. At 1st,
3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, you may gain proficiency in an
Intelligence-based skill or a set of tools. After 10th level, you
may continue to learn more skills during downtime
between adventures, as long as you study them for an
appropriate length of time (as determined by your GM).
If you already have proficiency in a specific Intelligence-
based skill or a set of tools, and you have not already
doubled your proficiency bonus with that skill or set of
tools, you may instead choose to permanently double your
proficiency bonus on ability checks using that skill or set of
tools.
Ordered Intelligence
Earth represents a character’s most systematic reasoning,
planning, and ideas. An engineer carefully building bridges
and roads, a scientist taking precise measurements, and
soldiers fighting in tight formations are all Earth. It is the
Element of detailed, organized, and rigorous thinking.
Earth is opposed by Air, which represents chaotic
intelligence. This opposition represents the tension between
time-honored, proven methods, and new but untested
possibilities. Air is optimistic about finding new and better
ways to do things, while Earth is wary of deviating from
tried and true methods without clear reasons. These points
of view frequently clash. For instance, consider someone
following a decent sleep schedule. Air invites them to try
falling asleep at different times. It’s possible something new
will work better! Earth, on the other hand, advises caution.
If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
Of the two intellectual Elements, Earth is the ordered one.
It keeps characters grounded in facts and observable
evidence, but at the cost of sometimes missing the bigger
picture. As an ordered Element, Earth is more communal
than individualistic. Although characters can reason
carefully all on their own, most systematic work is done by
specialized groups. For example, guilds and academies
teach students about the latest developments and
discoveries. When a student goes on to discover something,
they build on the work of countless previous experts, and
provide a foundation for future students to build on. While
Earth’s systematic thinking might begin in each person
Redsky Core Book
13
separately, its end is a community woven together by
shared ideas and methods.
Although everybody is a bit Earth, Earth-aligned
characters spend decades refining their understanding and
their craft. Their attention to detail is legendary. They
follow the trail of evidence and reason wherever it leads.
When there are hard problems to be solved and ancient
tomes to be read, find your party an Earth-aligned
character, and together you will break new ground.
Sifting Through Time
The Element of Earth, like Air, works through time in a
remarkable way. At one level, Earth is the slow-moving
intellectual Element. Its cautious reasoning sacrifices speed
for certainty. Earth-aligned characters carefully apply the
chisels and brushes of their conscious minds to the time-
consuming work of excavating the truth. By running tests,
proposing explanations, and critically discussing results,
they slowly but steadily make real progress.
At another level, Earth helps solve familiar problems
extremely quickly. Every time Earth-aligned characters
make headway on a long-standing problem, the methods
and solutions used become templates for rapidly solving
similar problems. These advances are then put into practice.
Standardized designs and techniques massively streamline
the production of new buildings, roads, weapons, bridges,
and more. Eventually, the very tools and techniques used
for research become more sophisticated, speeding up the
rate of discovery itself. So although Earth’s conscious
problem-solving is relatively slow, its solid results can lead
to a dizzying cascade of advances.
Cultivating Earth
As one of Redsky’s three ordered Elements, Earth is an
Element that characters can consciously engage and hone.
Although it is common for characters to be naturally
talented at different tasks, true expertise in a craft is a
matter of habit. For example, consider an average person
who is determined to practice archery every day. They will
soon outperform most people who begin at a higher level of
ability but never work to get better.
People can cultivate the Element of Earth by
systematically developing their skills and understanding.
Whenever a character studies one subject deeply and
regularly, they begin to turn Earth’s gears. Reading the
work of previous experts and actively listening to mentors
are some of the most effective ways to improve. Practicing
time management and learning to prioritize are just as
critical to mastering any craft. So is learning how to work
with others and how to communicate ideas effectively.
Finally, characters can steadily become more Earth by
receiving and integrating feedback, and especially criticism.
The truth is rigid,
Indifferent, and frigid.
But do not lament
The slow and steady ascent.
- Midis' Al
Virtues and Vices
EARTH VIRTUES
D8 Virtues

Part One: Characters

1 I am both timely and respectful of others’ time.
I work hard to be consistent and am easy to
2
coordinate with.
I am cautious and take care to avoid making too many
3
mistakes.

When faced with problems, I almost always consult

4 with experts and those who can speak from
experience.

I am well-organized, regularly take time to plan and

5
prepare, and very often finish what I start.
I am a critical thinker. I am implicitly skeptical of ill-
6
conceived plans and untested ideas.

I invite critique from peers and see it as an

7 opportunity to improve. I can work and collaborate
well with others.

I have a commanding and rigorous understanding of

my area of expertise. Whenever I speak from relative
8
ignorance on any topic, I am careful to let others know
of my inexperience.

EARTH VICES
D8 Vices

1 I often nitpick and lose sight of what really matters.

I get too comfortable and complacent in my habits. I

2
find it hard to distinguish good habits from bad ones.

I respond to problems and challenges very slowly, and

3
too often rely on others for solutions.

I am not an independent thinker. I uncritically accept

4 the views espoused by most people and the
intellectual authorities.

I respond poorly to unforeseen circumstances and

5 new challenges. I rarely deviate from my plans even
when I should.

I too quickly reject any new ideas which might

6
challenge popular views or expert opinion.

I insist on doing almost all my work collaboratively,

7 even when it would be far quicker and better to work
individually.

I value the appearance of expertise far more than

actually cultivating expertise. I often exploit my
8
reputation for expertise in my specialized field to
speak on other topics of which I am actually ignorant.

Elements
14
 Void
“One person can make all the difference.”

Representing chaotic society, Void is the Element of liberty

and individual freedoms. Void-aligned characters aspire to
be self-sufficient and to stand steadfast against life’s
challenges. Ideally, Void rewards individuals for their
achievements regardless of their background. At its worst,
however, it can lead to inequality and excessive social
disorder.

ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS

Your Constitution score increases by 1, and your Dexterity
score increases by 1.

FEATURE: FORTITUDE
Void-aligned characters are resilient and resourceful. When
you expend hit dice to recover HP during a short rest, you
may treat your dice as though you had rolled their highest
possible values. You may also expend a Hit Die to gain
advantage on any Constitution saving throw.

Chaotic Society
Void represents a character’s most individualistic
achievements, abilities, and societal ideals. An entrepreneur
risking everything to start a new business, a lone mercenary
taking a dangerous but rewarding contract, and a
whistleblower revealing the corruption of a powerful group
are all Void. It is the Element of honesty, competence, and
freedom.
Void is opposed by Aether, which represents ordered
society. This opposition represents the tension between
individuals and the groups they are a part of. While Aether
prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of groups, Void
advocates for the liberties and rights of individuals. For
example, imagine an individual belonging to a tight-knit
family. They have plans for their life which clash with their
family’s strict expectations. Aether urges the individual to
make sacrifices for the good of the family. Void, by contrast,
places limits on what the family can demand, and dares the
individual to follow their dreams.
Of the two societal Elements, Void is the chaotic one. It
encourages characters to reach for the stars and carve their
own unique path through life, even at the cost of enormous
uncertainty and risk. As the most chaotic Element, Void is
much more individualistic than communal. Void’s
authenticity and strength of character means something
different to each person. Although characters can share
their honest perspectives and skills, they can’t expect these
to be the same as anyone else’s. Similarly, although people
can have similar goals, everyone’s path through life is
different. Void’s call to greatness takes its own unique
shape in each individual.
Although everyone is partially Void, Void-aligned
characters strive to be the best versions of themselves. They
try to live as authentically and honestly as possible, and
continuously challenge themselves. They make up their
own minds and aren’t afraid to disagree with authority. In
an age of tyranny, cowardice, and lies, find your party a
Void-aligned character, and they will set you free.

Redsky Core Book

15
Void Civilizations
Void civilizations champion the freedoms and
accomplishments of individuals. They aim to reward people
according to their talents and contributions, often with
animals, money, and even land. Void-aligned peoples
consider a just society to be one where a person’s
advancement is based on their achievements and excellence
rather than their group identity or inherited status. Void
societies encourage people to take risks and to chart their
own course through life. They tend to be productive and
prosperous, and to have an influential merchant class,
aristocracy, or both.
In times of war, as in most else, Void societies prefer
quality to quantity. They prioritize having better equipped
and better trained soldiers over having larger armies. Void
societies take casualties very seriously. They would much
rather spend enormous sums than lose thousands of lives.
Void armies are typically made up of skilled volunteers,
mercenaries, and other professional forces.
Void civilizations can have many different kinds of
government. Small-scale Void societies tend to be served by
their strongest and most knowledgeable citizens who act as
natural leaders. The most senior or experienced of them
often becomes tribal chief or clan leader. As these societies
grow, they can become corrupted by the accumulation of
power by fewer and fewer families. Over time, these
families can become a landed aristocracy who rule as
oligarchs.
Cultivating Void
As one of Redsky’s three chaotic Elements, Void is not an
Element that characters can easily adopt or directly engage.
Although people can become more competent,
independent, and courageous over time, these aren’t traits
that characters can simply choose to have. For example,
someone with no experience solving problems on their own
or standing up to authority will fold under pressure, no
matter how much they fantasize about greatness.
Even so, there are many actions people can take to slowly
cultivate Void. Whenever a character holds themselves
accountable or challenges themselves, they become just a
little bit more Void. Being honest and true to yourself,
especially when it’s hard to, is another way for characters to
harness their Void. By living independently and trying hard
to solve problems on their own, Void-aligned characters
expand their opportunities for personal development.
Finally, characters can cultivate more Void by reflecting
about their personal hopes and dreams, and by mustering
the courage to chase them every day.
Untethered and free,
Or alone in the dark?
Will I strike true,
Or miss my mark?
- Midis' Al
16
Virtues and Vices
VOID VIRTUES
D8 Virtues
Part One: Characters
I am independent and have control over my own
1 destiny. I don’t let anyone else determine who I am or
what I should become.
When I see ways to improve the traditions and
2 practices of others, I am not afraid to challenge and
rejuvenate them.
I hold myself personally responsible for my actions
3
and expect the same from others.
I believe that in a just society everyone would be able
4 to achieve their dreams if they work hard and make
intelligent choices.
I treat every individual as a complex being that is
5 capable of change and worthy of dignity and
autonomy.
I have a responsibility to better myself. I push myself
6
to be a stronger and more competent person.
I aspire to be an authentic, honest, and unique
7
individual.
8 I automatically admire competent people.
VOID VICES
D8 Vices
If I were to suffer a great misfortune, there are very
1
few people in my life that would support me.
I insist on tackling most problems by myself, and so
2
sometimes fail to make a meaningful difference.
I ignore the complexities of history. As a result, I
3 oversimplify many of today's problems as stemming
from a lack of personal responsibility.
In the pursuit of power, wealth, and fame, I sometimes
4 ignore the harm my actions can indirectly cause
others.
I often turn a blind eye to others suffering when
5
nobody’s rights are being violated.
I am often ungrateful for how much society and dumb
6
luck have contributed to my own or others' success.
I am implicitly prejudiced against my own culture and
7
am not good at judging it on its actual merits.
I overemphasize the contributions of leaders and
8 decision-makers and overlook the efforts of the
people under them.
Elements
Aether
“Together we are strong; alone we are weak.”
Representing ordered society, Aether is the Element of
unity, safety, and compassion. Aether-aligned characters
believe that the well-being of their collective is more
important than the well-being of any individual. At its most
extreme, Aether achieves unity through repression, safety
through tyranny, and compassion by making everyone
suffer equally.
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
Your Charisma score increases by 1, and your Constitution
score increases by 1.
FEATURE: UNITY
Aether-aligned characters are always looking after their
friends and companions. If you are conscious and have at
least one conscious ally within 5 feet of you, you and all
conscious allies within 5 feet have a bonus to saving throws
equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounding up).
Ordered Society
Aether represents a character’s most communal identities,
responsibilities, and societal ideals. A citizen volunteering
to do community service, a soldier sacrificing themselves to
save their companions, and a governor reserving tax funds
to support the poorest in society are all Aether. It is the
Element of loyalty, compassion, and security.
Aether is opposed by Void, which represents chaotic
society. This opposition represents the tension between
individuals and the groups they are a part of. While Void
highlights the leadership of great individuals, Aether
emphasizes the contributions of groups. For example,
imagine an army winning a battle. Void credits the victory
to the triumphant general. Their strategy and bold
leadership surely won the day. Aether, on the other hand,
attributes the victory to the army itself, and to the nation
that produced it. The blood and sweat of the rank and file is
really why the army prevailed.
Of the two societal Elements, Aether is the ordered one. It
shelters characters from danger and suffering by ensnaring
them in the webs of their communities. As the most ordered
Element, Aether is much more communal than
individualistic. Although characters can help others as
individuals, most support comes from organized group
efforts. For example, an organized city guard is much more
effective at preventing banditry than armed vigilantes.
Similarly, a codified grain dole is much better at addressing
poverty than individual donations. Aether’s norms and
bonds of fellowship might act in each person separately, but
their proper aim is a people united by a common destiny.
Although everybody is partly Aether, Aether-aligned
characters devote their lives to the wellbeing and security of
their community. To their foes, they are vengeful and
merciless. To their friends, they are loyal, generous, and
forgiving. When dark clouds gather and disaster strikes,
find your party an Aether-aligned character, and together
you will make it through the storm.
Redsky Core Book
17
Aether Civilizations
Aether civilizations safeguard the health and basic needs of
their groups. Aether-aligned peoples consider a just society
to be one where everyone in society, and especially the least
well off, are shown compassion and cared for. These
societies oblige people to assist their communities by
accepting the specific roles and responsibilities assigned to
them. Aether societies tend to be relatively safe and clean,
and to have an influential priest class, monarchy, or both.
In times of war, as in most else, Aether societies prefer
quantity to quality. They prioritize having larger and more
standardized armies over having a better equipped mixture
of troops. Aether societies often glorify casualties, especially
when defending. They will gladly sacrifice thousands of
individual lives when the survival and honor of the nation
requires it. Aether armies are typically made up of
conscripts, levies, and other compelled soldiers.
Aether civilizations can have many different kinds of
government. Small-scale Aether societies tend to be
relatively democratic other than a small priesthood that
helps to bind the society together. As these societies grow,
they can become corrupted by the accumulation of power
by the priesthood. When this happens, the high priest
begins acting as priest-king. Over time, as civilization
becomes more complex, the priest-king’s heirs become
monarchs and dictators. By claiming to speak for both the
people and the divine, autocrats and emperors rule with
absolute authority.
Cultivating Aether
As one of Redsky’s three ordered Elements, Aether is an
Element that characters can adopt and actively improve.
The communities that people belong to are deeply tied to
their identities, but they are also things that characters can
join, reform, and leave. For example, characters can
reconnect with estranged relatives, change their friend
groups, move to foreign lands, and convert to new
religions.
People can cultivate Aether by dedicating time and
energy to understanding and building up their
communities. By living in close proximity to family and
friends and looking after each other, characters can slowly
become more Aether. Another way is for characters to learn
about their history and to celebrate their culture. Defending
your community against an existential threat is one of the
fastest ways to become Aether. Last but not least, people
can cultivate Aether by really listening to others in their
group, and by learning to treat their perspectives with
respect.
United and safe,
Or enslaved by the light?
Will we show mercy,
Or envy and spite?
- Midis' Al
Virtues and Vices
AETHER VIRTUES
D8 Virtues

Part One: Characters

I am friendly, good-natured, and loyal. If I were to
1 suffer a great misfortune, there are many people in my
life that would support me.

I recognize that there is great strength in unity and

2 numbers and know how to organize myself and others
to effect meaningful change.

3 History helps me better understand the world today.

I believe that in a just society everyone would have

4
their basic needs met.

I often make personal sacrifices to safeguard the well-

5
being of others.

I am grateful for and appreciate how much society and

6 dumb luck have contributed to my own or others'
success.

7 I respect and cherish the unique virtues of my culture.

I recognize everyone's contributions to a project,

8 rather than just the efforts of its leaders and greatest
contributors.

AETHER VICES
D8 Vices

I allow my communities to define who I am and who I

1
should become.

I suppress attempts to challenge or change my

2
community, even if it leads to stagnation and decay.

I often treat individuals as the face of their group

3
identity and judge their actions accordingly.

4 I believe that nobody deserves more than they need.

I think that some people are evil and cannot be

redeemed or expected to make the right decisions.
5
They will have to be forced to make sacrifices for the
greater good.

I believe that unlucky and disadvantaged people

6
cannot be held responsible for their actions.

I uncritically accept my culture. I am implicitly

7 prejudiced against other cultures and not good at
judging them on their actual merits.

I automatically admire people with the right identity

or inherited status, and automatically disregard people
8
with the wrong identity. I am especially suspicious of
competent people with the wrong identity.

Elements
18
Redsky Core Book
19
 Chapter 2: Sentients
T FEATURES
he miracle of life in Dema is by design. The creators
of the world in the walls gave rise to five unique
new sentient species of people in the genesis of this
cycle. They also reintroduced Humanity, with all its virtues
and shortcomings, to grow and chase ambitions in a fresh
timeline.
A player character can row immortal into the jaws of
death with the Wakewalkers. Brave the Silverleaf Wilds
with cunning Featherfolk. Thunder across the Moon Realms
in a Nightrider horde. Ponder the frigid mysteries of a
cyclical eternity with the Archivists. Banish cave horrors
back to the abysmal darkness with the Sporespawn. Dema
has seen each of these sentient peoples build sprawling
factions with cultures worthy of record. From the founding
days of their Heroic Era kingdoms to the final redoubts
against the apocalypse in the Redsky Era, the journeys you
take with each of Dema’s peoples are as valuable as who is
ultimately left standing at the end of days.
Choosing a Sentient
In Redsky, we use the terms sentient or species instead of race.
Choosing a sentient for your player character helps you
determine ranges for height, weight, and age. It also
provides your character with unique features based on your
biology. However, it does not provide languages or tool/
skill proficiencies unless they are directly tied to biology.
Your background will supply those instead.
CHARACTERISTICS
All sentients come with a list of physical attributes such as
height, weight, and typical lifespan. These descriptions are
guidelines and may be varied within reason – just make
sure you run them by your GM! The speed and size
attributes are fixed and should not be changed, with the
exception of playing a small character.
PLAYING A SMALL CHARACTER
All sentients are size medium by default. Playing as a small
character comes with some disadvantages when it comes to
grappling and wielding weapons, but it may still be
attempted by any player who wishes to do so.
Male Featherfolk and worker form Sporespawn are
natural candidates for small characters. Their common
height ranges are much shorter than the other sentients. Of
course, a player may choose a small character from among
the other sentients, though the difference in height will be
more noticeable.
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
Your choice of sentient will apply some changes to the
ability scores of your character. These modifiers are in
addition to those provided by your choice of Element (see
Chapter 1).
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Part One: Characters
Your sentient will also determine what set of features are
applied to your character. Some features are passive effects,
while others will provide actions that can be used in or out
of combat. Additionally, all sentients have one special
Element feature that is determined by your choice of
Elements.
SENTIENT CULTURE AND THE ELEMENTS
Every sentient has an ethnic homeland in Dema, and the
cultural norms in each land emphasize a specific Element.
This does not mean your character will be forced to choose
that Element. It merely provides a backdrop for your
character’s personality and choices; do they align with the
conventions of their upbringing, or do they go against the
grain? Your character can also be from another region
entirely, and align (or clash) with that region’s culture
instead.
Element feature. Each of the Redsky sentients possesses
abilities tied to a specific axis in Redsky’s Element system
(more information in the Elements chapter). Every sentient
has a unique set of two features, though you can only access
one. Which of the two features you get depends on your
Element choices. For example, the Archivist interacts with
the emotional Elements: Fire and Water. If your Archivist
character is aligned with Fire, you get the feature Inspired
Strike. If you align with Water instead, you receive the
feature Immense Willpower.
DEVELOPER NOTES ON SENTIENTS
The different Redsky sentients have notably varied
strengths and weaknesses. You may notice that
some sentients, such as the Wakewalker and the
warrior form Sporespawn, appear to have an
obvious combat advantage over Humans! However,
most of these advantages only apply when unarmed
and unarmored. When characters are properly
equipped for adventures and battle, these
differences become less pronounced.
Synchronize and Synthesis. The words synchronize
and synthesis are used to describe the Element
features for each sentient. Each species’ homeland
is tied to a particular Element. Embracing that
Element grants certain physical abilities. This is
known as synchronization. The opposite, known as
synthesis, occurs when an individual adopts the
Element opposite to what is common in their
homeland. Combining opposites brings out a
different set of physical abilities. These concepts
are reflected in the sentients’ features and the
Elements’ ability score improvements.
Sentients
 Archivist
Speed: 30 feet
Size: Medium
Height: Archivists tend to be close in height to each other,
and range from 6 to 6 and a half feet tall
Weight: Between 140 and 180 pounds
Age: From 70 to 120 years
Graceful, withdrawn, disciplined to a fault. The Archivists
are the ancient guardians of the Athenaeum. They are
proud and deeply spiritual. It is very common to see
Archivists in foreign regions, with many seeking to claim
the powerful relics known as Eldertech. They worship these
artifacts and treat them as their cultural inheritance.
Archivist warriors are acclaimed for their mastery of
hand-to-hand combat. The Archivists’ extraordinary ability
to change their metabolisms at will allows them to increase
the force of strikes and to hibernate long stretches of time
without needing food or water.
There are three Archivist city-states in the Athenaeum.
The city-state of Etherea is the most pious and has the
highest population. Luminos studies Eldertech with
advanced methods and strives to understand how the
world works. The stalwart Archivists of Aegis wield one of
the most powerful and highly trained militaries in all the
world.

Disciplined and Stoic

The Archivists call themselves Eltayans. On average, they
stand between 6’2” – 6’5” tall, with a natural lifespan from

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70-120 years. They are famous for their ability to
consciously speed up and slow down their metabolism to
enter the flow state and the ebb state, respectively. In the
flow state, an Archivist’s movements become extremely
swift. Their ordinarily blue skin turns bright orange with
heat. In the most extreme cases, Archivists in the flow state
leave behind a trail of steam. In the ebb state, Archivists
dramatically slow down. They can use it to conserve energy
and hibernate for long periods of time, even in the freezing
cold.
Archivist children are notoriously hard to control. Their
natural curiosity about their flow states tests the patience of
even the most serene Archivist parents. In the Athenaeum,
strict religious schooling is usually introduced the moment
an Archivist child can recite mantras. Adolescents are
considered fully mature when they reach their full height
around age twenty. Given their long lifespans, however,
Archivists even in their thirties and forties are considered
“youthful” by their elders. In the stoic culture of the
Athenaeum, these young adults are often cautioned not to
let the extreme passions of youth distract them from their
path to self-mastery.
Example Names: Dekna Wigeny, Ilya Morov, Avan
Viradi, Vladac Zdrosa, Niri Provac, Avas Torpan, Evgeni
Zdarsa, Shiran Imyaliv, Volodymr Arak, Miknal Blishin,
Hescel Rosci
Ability Score Modifiers
Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Intelligence
score increases by 1.
Features
ADAPTED FOR ICE
You have resistance to cold damage.
MASTERY OF THE SELF
As an action, you may adjust your metabolic state. If your
metabolism is normal, you can enter the flow state or the
ebb state. Otherwise, you can return to normal from the
flow state or the ebb state.
FLOW STATE
You gain the following traits:
� You have a +2 bonus to your Armor Class if you are
not wearing medium or heavy armor and not using a
shield, and a +1 bonus otherwise.
� You may take two reactions every round in combat.
� Whenever you take damage, you must succeed on a
Constitution saving throw (DC 10 or half the damage
you take, whichever is greater) to maintain
concentration or gain a level of exhaustion and
automatically leave the flow state.
22
� Whenever you are knocked unconscious, you gain a
level of exhaustion and automatically leave the flow
Part One: Characters
state.
� You require an extra day’s worth of food if you spend
more than 1 minute total in the flow state per day.
� Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
EBB STATE
You gain the following traits:
� Levels of exhaustion do not affect your ability checks or
speed.
� You have resistance to poison damage.
� You have advantage on Constitution saving throws
against the effects of poison.
� Whenever you take damage, you must succeed on a
Constitution saving throw (DC 5 or half the damage
you take, whichever is greater) to maintain
concentration or automatically leave the ebb state.
� You require only half as much food and water per day,
and only require 4 hours of sleep.
� Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
DEEP HIBERNATION
From the ebb state, you can bring yourself in and out of a
sleep so deep that it resembles death. It takes 10 minutes to
enter this state fully, and it can be maintained for up to 1
week. You have enough awareness of your surroundings
that you are capable of waking at a time of your choosing,
when a creature touches you, or if you hear your name or
distressing sounds.
You require no food or water while in this hibernation,
and you are not affected by cold weather conditions. If you
are under the ongoing effects of a disease, poison, or drug,
its effects are slowed to a standstill until you wake.
When you wake from hibernation, you enter the ebb state
and can’t leave it until at least 10 minutes have passed.
During those 10 minutes, your Strength and Dexterity
scores drop to 5, if they aren’t 5 or lower already.
WATER SYNCHRONIZE –
IMMENSE WILLPOWER
Archivist characters aligned with the Water Element get this
additional feature.
You are immune to being charmed. Additionally, the
poisoned condition does not affect your ability checks.
FIRE SYNTHESIS –
INSPIRED STRIKE
Archivist characters aligned with the Fire Element get this
additional feature.
You may automatically succeed on an attack, as long as it is
possible to do so. You must decide before making the attack
roll. After using this feature, you cannot use it again until
you finish a long rest.
Sentients
Featherfolk
Speed: 30 feet
Size: Medium
Height: Male Featherfolk range from under 4 feet to 5 feet
tall, and female Featherfolk range from 5 to 6 feet tall
Weight: Male Featherfolk range from 40 to 90 pounds, and
female Featherfolk range from 60 to 110 pounds
Age: From 60 to 90 years
Vibrant, creative, eccentric in all ways. Featherfolk are the
birdlike founders of the Gilded States. Their dexterous,
human-sized females are notably larger than the squat,
brightly colored males. They are independent thinkers that
chafe under too much structure or rigidity.
Though they are known for their welcoming demeanor,
most Featherfolk are not afraid to question or express
disagreement with conventions and traditions they consider
flawed. As worldly lovers of travel, it is common to see
Featherfolk in foreign regions.
There are four major cities that make up the Gilded
States. The Auric is a cutthroat, trade-focused island with a
large slave population. Sunbleak is a desert city and the last
pitstop for adventures on their way to long-buried tombs
and temples. Hollowfalls is the seat of knowledge in the
Featherfolk world, and an oasis metropolis closest to the
sun. Finally, Panacea is a jungle city host to an order of
doctors, radical religious groups, and all manner of
outcasts.
Curious and Chatty
The Featherfolk call themselves Usundi. Females stand
between 5’2” – 6’3” tall. The shorter males range widely
from 3’9” – 5’0” tall. Featherfolk have a natural lifespan
from 60-90 years. Male Featherfolk usually have much more
vividly colored feathers than females. Featherfolk can glide
a short distance from heights to avoid injury from falling.
They cannot fly.
Featherfolk younglings are hatched in clutches of
multiple eggs. Each egg in a clutch has a unique coloration
and pattern even though they are laid by the same mother.
These natural decorations give hints to the extremely
diverse range of appearances hatchlings develop.
Featherfolk youth ask an absurd number of questions.
Thankfully for their parents, they mature quickly relative to
most other sentients. At a young age, Featherfolk develop
incredibly keen vision. They are highly intuitive learners,
and with a little tutoring quickly develop complex speech
skills. Most Featherfolk adults speak rapidly, especially in
their native Usundi language. Featherfolk reach maturity
when their feathers stop regularly molting.
In the constantly shifting, patchwork culture of the
Gilded States, critical thinking and creativity are prized.
Intellectual debate and rhetoric are some of the few values
shared throughout the four major cities. Another cultural
constant is the expectation for Featherfolk to be able to
recognize all their extended kin on sight, as well as their
opinions about politics, the meaning of life, and various
other topics. Featherfolk from Panacea add “toc Panacea” to
their name, and likewise for Featherfolk from the other
Gilded States.
Example Names: Agos’ Nat toc Sunbleak, Erba’ Di toc
Auric, Jola’ Cae toc Hollowfalls, Nori’ Jen toc Panacea,
Cristuf’ Cun, Trahno‘ Nik, Poras’ Vic, Ursa’ Lan, Odjro’ Piy,
Hinri’ Lin, Tumas’ Mor, Midis’ Al, Linwi’ Gra, Hilry’ Bok
Ability Score Modifiers
Your Wisdom and Charisma scores increase by 1, and your
Strength score decreases by 1. Choose either Dexterity or
Intelligence. That ability score also increases by 1.
Features
MAGPIES
Like many other avian creatures, Featherfolk have
exceptionally keen eyes. You have advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks related to sight.
LIGHT BONES
Featherfolk have an avian physiology with many long,
light, and fragile bones. This limits their physical strength
and their ability to grapple. You have disadvantage on
ability checks to initiate or maintain grapples with non-
Featherfolk sentients.
GLIDE
Most Featherfolk still have wings strong enough to glide.
You may glide while falling unless you are incapacitated or
restrained. While gliding, your falling speed is slowed to 60
feet per turn, you may travel horizontally at a rate equal to
the rate you are falling, and you cannot take fall damage.
TALONS
Featherfolk have sharp talons at the ends of their fingers
and toes. Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 slashing damage.
PIERCING SCREECH
As an action, a Featherfolk can screech so loudly that all
creatures in a 20-foot cone take 1d4 thunder damage and
must make a Constitution saving throw (DC: 8 + your
Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be
stunned and deafened until the end of their next turn.

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23
 Part One: Characters
The damage increases by 1d4 at 3rd
level (2d4), 6th level (3d4), and 9th level (4d4).
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a short or long rest.

AIR SYNCHRONIZE –
INTUITIVE THINKER
Featherfolk characters aligned with the Air Element get this
additional feature.
If you make a check using a skill or tool you are not
proficient with, you may still add your proficiency bonus if
you have no allies within 500 feet that are proficient with
that skill or tool.
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a short or long rest.

EARTH SYNTHESIS –
GROUNDED BELIEFS
Featherfolk characters aligned with the Earth Element get this
additional feature.
You gain advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) and
Intelligence checks made to explain your rationale or way of
thinking. This also applies on Appeal to Reason and Appeal
to Ideal checks in social encounters.

Sentients
24
 Human
Speed: 30 feet
Size: Medium
Height: Humans range from 5 to 6 feet tall
Weight: Between 100 and 300 pounds
Age: From 50 to 80 years
Dependable, coordinated, loyal to the cause. Humans are
the imperial rulers of the Light Plains. Physically, Humans
are outclassed by most of the other peoples of Dema. This
led most Humans to group together into large, tightly knit
communities. These soon combined into kingdoms, which
later came together to form the Solar Hegemony, the
expansionist empire of the Light Plains.
With some of the most populated cities in the world, most
Humans are either rural farmers or urban specialists.
Humans excel in working together to tackle challenges.
Although outlaw adventurers and communities of
independent Humans exist, most Humans are put to work
by the brutal and far-reaching bureaucracy of the Solar
Hegemony.
Even under the iron grip of the Hegemony’s emperors,
the three largest cities of the Hegemony retained part of
their distinct identities. Scintilla is the imperial capital and
beating heart of the empire. It is also the seat of Humanity’s
extremely influential religion, the Church of Sola. To the
south, Deonar is known for its bustling port, advanced
shipbuilding, and for the legacy of its warrior-caste. Abresia
is the breadbasket and forge of the empire. Its vast fields
and deep mines produce huge yields of crops and other
resources, all built on the labor of slaves too broken to
resist.

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Communal and
Organized
The Humans of the Hegemony call themselves Homa. They
stand between 5’2” – 6’0” tall. Their natural lifespans last
from 50-80 years. Humans vary moderately in their physical
appearances. Because of the fixed location of Dema’s sun,
Human skin tones tend to skew darker closer to the sun and
paler farther away.
Due to the reach and influence of the Solar Hegemony, it
is very common to see Humans in foreign regions. Within
the Hegemony itself, adolescents are generally assigned a
profession, and then trained for it throughout puberty.
They are considered adults after either completing a
coming-of-age rite, or simply growing strong enough to
perform manual labor.
The soil in the Light Plains, Humanity’s homeland, is
extremely fertile. Combined with the region’s temperate
climate and around-the-clock daylight, harvests in the Light
Plains are beyond bountiful. With control over these fields,
Humanity’s population quickly became the highest in the
world. This massive population fuels the Solar Hegemony’s
workforce, religion, and legions.
In the group-dominated culture of the Solar Hegemony,
people are shepherded into the army and the Church of
Sola, where they are taught to love Humanity and to
strongly distrust outsiders and nonhumans. Even outside of
the Hegemony, religion and community are sources of
immense strength and perseverance to many Humans.
Example Names: Merissa Ectanian, Verjal Ohmeric, Galen
Spetraeus, Obero Taw, Helena Vici, Tamara Mouza, Errol
Arronus, Eyric Lux, Pitar Sulla, Alexandyr Olandros
Ability Score Modifiers
Your Constitution score increases by 1, and one other ability
score of your choice increases by 1.
26
Part One: Characters
Features
SOLIDARITY
You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls whenever you are within
5 feet of an ally that is either Human or aligned with the
Aether Element. This bonus does not stack with additional
allies.
CONDITIONED
Human bodies are well-adjusted for long periods of
exertion. You have advantage on any saving throw against
gaining a level of exhaustion.
MALLEABLE
Humans are natural specialists. They take well to being
trained and prepared for a specific craft from a young age.
You gain proficiency in any one skill or set of tools of your
choice.
OVERHAND PITCH
Human arms are surprisingly well-suited for throwing
objects. Simple weapons you are proficient with that have
the “thrown” property have their ranges doubled. For
example, the javelin’s effective range would be increased
from 30/120 feet to 60/240 feet.
AETHER SYNCHRONIZE – FELLOWSHIP
Human characters aligned with the Aether Element get this
additional feature.
Whenever you are within 5 feet of an ally, you and that ally
gain +1 to your Armor Class. Your bonus does not stack
with additional allies, nor can it apply to more than one ally
at a time. If there are multiple allies within range, you can
change who the bonus applies to at the start of your turn.
VOID SYNTHESIS – PARAGON
Human characters aligned with the Void Element get this
additional feature.
When you roll for Initiative, you may choose to reroll your
result. You may use either roll. After using this feature, you
must finish a long rest before using it again.
Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight)
and Wisdom (Perception) checks while in combat.
Sentients
Nightrider
Speed: 30 feet
Size: Medium
Height: Nightriders range from 5 and a half to 6 and a half
feet tall
Weight: Between 150 and 320 pounds
Age: From 60 to 80 years
Tough, proud, fiercely independent. The Nightriders are the
virse lords of the Moon Realms. They are gray-toned,
athletic, suited to life in the saddle, and all-around skilled
survivalists. A Nightrider’s worth is measured by their
honor and skill. Their leaders are chosen by strength and
merit. Nightriders are raised in the perpetual twilight of the
Moon Realms and have excellent low-light vision.
Hardened by life on the steppe, Nightriders can stay alert
and engaged longer than most other peoples.
Four powerful Nightrider tribes dominate the Moon
Realms. The Dawnraiders are masters of heavy cavalry and
have plundered the Light Plains for generations. Their
urbanized cousins, the Hardhooves, built the great stone
city of Yaras, distinguished for the vigilance of its Ten
Hundred guard. The Cairnkeepers of Tallon call the
darkest, coldest corner of the world home. They are famous
for their metalworking and snowlion mounts. Finally, the
Freesteeds are the most nomadic and traditional. They still
follow the path of the moon as it arcs across their homeland.
It is uncommon to see Nightriders in foreign regions.
Bold and Free
The Nightriders call themselves Monturyns. They stand
between 5’7” – 6’5” tall. Their natural lifespans last from
60-80 years. Nightriders are well known for their bravery
and independence. They dare to take risks and chase their
dreams. Their lifestyles are deeply intertwined with nature
and a love of animals. Nightrider vision is adapted well to
darkness and seeing by the light of the moon.
Nightriders are the definitive animal riders in Dema. For
hundreds of years, their cultures have developed alongside
virses. These four-legged mounts come in more than a
dozen specialized breeds and serve as the Nightriders’
faithful and fearsome companions.
In the individualistic culture of the Moon Realms,
Nightriders prize personal accomplishments. As young
adults, they undergo multiple coming of age rites to
determine their strengths and merits. Although each of the
four main Nightrider tribes has different standards for
when a young Monturyn is mature, they can all agree on
one thing. A Nightrider reaches adulthood when they
finally become self-sufficient and have both the means and
courage to chase their own destiny.
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Example Names: Emeryn Vardyk, Azrox Fonara, Allayn
Magnyn, Cerryn Malcona, Jayne Erindera, Tera Seryn,
Stefyn Pellonoc, Dayn Hiberyk, Kayra Myn, Garyth Sennala
Ability Score Modifiers
Your Strength score increases by 1, and your Wisdom score
increases by 1.
Features
LOW-LIGHT VISION
Attuned to life on the dark steppes of the Moon Realms,
you have superior vision in dim conditions. You can see in
dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light..
LIGHT OF THE MOON
Nightrider eyes are particularly well-adapted for seeing
using moonlight.When travelling outdoors in darkness, as
long as the moon is visible, you can see as if you were in
dim light instead. You cannot see color in these conditions,
only in shades of gray.This vision does not count as dim
light for the Low-Light Vision feature.
FRIEND OF THE FAUNA
As an action, choose a beast within 30 feet of you that can
see and hear you. The beast must succeed on a Wisdom
saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Wisdom modifier) or be charmed by you for 24 hours. The
beast automatically succeeds on this saving throw if its
Intelligence is 4 or greater or if you or your allies have made
an attack roll against it. If you or one of your allies harms a
beast charmed in this way, the effect ends.
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a long rest. You may use this feature 2 times per long
rest starting at 5th level, and 3 times per long rest starting at
9th level.
SURVIVAL INSTINCT
You can expend a Hit Die to gain advantage on a saving
throw. After using this feature, you cannot use it again until
you finish a short or long rest.
Additionally, if you are reduced to 0 hit points but not
killed outright, you are considered to have already
succeeded on 1 death saving throw when you become
unconscious.
 Part One: Characters
VOID SYNCHRONIZE –
HEROIC CHARGE
Nightrider characters aligned with the Void Element get this
additional feature.
If you have no allies or enemies within 5 feet of you at the
start of your turn, you may use your action to take the Dash
action, move towards a target, and take the Attack action.
You must be able to move within reach of your attack
target, and any attacks you make must be melee attacks.
Your attack roll’s critical hit range is expanded by 1 for this
action (19 and 20 if it is 20; 18, 19, and 20 if it is 19 and 20).
You may also use this action while mounted if your mount
takes the Dash action.
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a short or long rest.

AETHER SYNTHESIS –
CHAMPION’S COMRADERY
Nightrider characters aligned with the Aether Element get this
additional feature.
When within 5 feet of an ally and either of you fails a
Dexterity saving throw, the save may be rerolled using the
other character’s proficiency bonus and ability score
modifier.

Sentients
28
 Sporespawn
Speed: 30 feet
Size: Medium
Height and Weight: Subspecies vary
Age: From 40 to 60 years
Calculating, enigmatic, and industrious.
The Sporespawn are the architects of
the underground and mysterious Hive
Halls. Sharing traits with fungi and
plants, they are grown to meet the
needs of their society. Sporespawn
vision is extremely well-adapted to
darkness. It is rare to see Sporespawn
on the surface of Dema.
Biologically genderless, Sporespawn
bodies are sculpted to serve highly specialized
roles called bioforms. Depending on their bioform,
Sporespawn can have tools for arms and several other
unique physical features. Most Sporespawn have an extra
pair of mycelial arms and can temporarily meld minds with
other Sporespawn through touch. This is known as
Consensus.
Once joined within a hive consciousness, the Sporespawn
long ago fractured into three warring factions. The
Everborn longs to reunite its shattered mind by assimilating
all individual Sporespawn. The Freespawn are a nation of
Sporespawn who embraced their individuality. They are
famous for their democracy and breathtaking technological
advances. The Awakened went down a darker path.
Although they are also a nation of ‘free’ Sporespawn, one
individual wields absolute power: the Allspawn.

Specialized and Precise

The Sporespawn call themselves Qet. Their natural
lifespans last from 40-60 years. Sporespawn can reach
maturity within a single year in spawning chambers.
Spawnlings are shaped into one of several standardized
bioforms to carry out precise tasks. Soldier and worker
forms hunch over to quickly manuever through rugged
tunnels. Diplomat forms stand upright to appear more
familiar on the surface. Regardless of form, Sporespawn can
slowly reshape their bodies in a process known as
biosculpting.
Example Names: Detects Anomaly, Asks Right Questions,
Keeps What Kills, Carries The Ring, Large Hands, Grows
Sky Spuds, Runs The Maze, Volunteers As Tribute,
Sentence is Death, Peerless and Scarred, Seals The Breach

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29
Ability Score Modifiers
Your Intelligence score increases by 1. You get additional
modifiers depending on your subspecies.
Features
DARKVISION
Engineered for life in the underground tunnels of the Hive
Halls gives you supreme vision in dark and dim conditions.
You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were
bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You
cannot see color in darkness, only shades of gray.
UNUSUAL BIOLOGY
You have resistance to cold damage and are vulnerable to
fire damage.
COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS
Maintaining physical contact with an allied and willing
Sporespawn grants you advantage on Intelligence and
Wisdom (Insight) checks.
CARAPACE
Your unarmed strikes deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
Additionally, if your Armor Class would be less than 14
(such as when wearing no armor), it becomes 14 instead.
ABSOLUTE STILLNESS
You may take the Hide action if you are lightly obscured.
EARTH SYNCHRONIZE –
UNIVERSAL RECOLLECTION
Sporespawn characters aligned with the Earth Element get this
additional feature.
If your party is looking for important information, you have
a 90 percent chance of knowing where and from whom you
can acquire that information. At the GM’s discretion, this
feature often does not apply to closely guarded secrets only
known to a few individuals, or to similarly obscure
knowledge.
AIR SYNTHESIS – ADAPTIVE MEMORY
Sporespawn characters aligned with the Air Element get this
additional feature.
Learning from as many sources as possible has led you to
be flexible in your thinking and expand your short-term
memory. At the end of a long rest, you may temporarily
gain proficiency in a skill, language, or set of tools that an
ally has proficiency with, provided that ally was close
enough to converse with you during the long rest. You lose
this proficiency at the beginning of your next long rest.
Subspecies
WARRIOR FORM
Height: Range from 5 to 5 and a half feet tall
Weight: Between 175 and 225 pounds
30
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
Your Charisma score decreases by 1, and your Strength and
Constitution scores both increase by 1.
BONUS PROFICIENCY
Part One: Characters
You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill.
TUNED BIOLOGY
You are immune to cold damage.
WARRIOR’S CARAPACE
Your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing or piercing damage
(instead of 1d4 bludgeoning damage). You may choose
which damage type when you hit with an attack. At 5th
level this damage increases to 1d8, and at 9th level to 1d10.
Additionally, if your Armor Class would be less than 15
(such as when wearing no armor), it becomes 15 instead.
DIPLOMAT FORM
Height: Range from 5 and a half to 6 feet tall
Weight: Between 125 and 175 pounds
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
Your Charisma score increases by 1.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
You gain proficiency with the Insight skill.
Additionally, you learn 2 languages of your choice.
ARTIFICIAL CONNECTION
As an action, you can forcibly send mental images or ideas
to a creature via physical touch. If the target creature is an
enemy combatant, you must be grappling or in similar
contact with them to use this feature.
You may utilize this feature to simply send messages, or
you may force the target to make a Charisma saving throw
(DC 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus).
On a failed save, the target takes 1d4 psychic damage and is
subjected to the blinded or deafened condition (your choice)
until the start of your next turn.
WORKER FORM
Height: Range from 4 to 4 and a half feet tall
Weight: Between 100 and 150 pounds
ABILITY SCORE MODIFIERS
Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
You gain proficiency with the Materials skill, mason’s tools,
smith’s tools, and one other set of tools of your choice.
DREDGE
You have a burrow speed of 5 feet.
ECHOLOCATION
You have blindsight with a radius of 30 feet.
ARCHITECTURAL INSTINCT
You can make an Intelligence check to identify weak points
in a building or fortification.
You also have advantage on any Intelligence checks
related to stonework.
Sentients
Wakewalker
Speed: 30 feet
Size: Medium
Height: Range from 6 and a half to 7 and a half feet
tall
Weight: Between 250 and 450 pounds
Age: From 45 to 65 years
Massive, boisterous, and spoiling for a fight. The
Wakewalkers are the glory-seeking captains of the
Midnight Sea. They are blue-skinned, strong swimmers,
and like to eat almost as much as they like to drink.
Wakewalkers are known for their strength and hardy
constitutions, but are famous for their amibition.
Accustomed to the constant sunset light of the Midnight
Isles, Wakewalkers have great low-light vision.
Wakewalkers do not develop prominent secondary
sexual characteristics until late-puberty or early adulthood.
Female Wakewalkers develop vividly colored stripes along
their arms and backs, which distinguishes them from males,
who do not.
Three Wakewalkers clans compete for glory in the
Midnight Isles. Clan Kahr uses Eldertech diving suits to
hunt titanic sea monsters called Deep Ones. Clan Hiremai
worships an ancient tentacled being known as the
Terminarch. The Terminarch has carefully guided Clan
Hiremai’s development for centuries. Finally, Clan
Jana’haki is comprised of the outcasts and deviants of the
other Wakewalker clans. These exiles thrive as bloodthirsty
pirates and mercenaries. Because of the relatively small
population of the Midnight Isles, it is uncommon to see
Wakewalkers in dry foreign regions.
Coming-of-age for Wakewalkers occurs once they
complete a daring rite of passage. Young Kahr
Wakewalkers are nameless until they go on their first hunt
for a Deep One. Hiremai youth present gifts to the
Terminarch before their first communion. Attentive
Jana’haki parents take their children out on their first raid.
The Midnight Isles are home to some of the most
energetic and explorative cultures in Dema. Wakewalkers
of all ages are expected to embrace and express their
passions. Clan Kahr tests the limits of their physical bodies
while Clan Hiremai journeys to the unexplored corners of
their minds. From a certain point of view, even the
Jana’haki are explorers. To the constant ire of the other
clans, they are always on the lookout for new forms of
depravity.
Example Names: Chieftain Anakros, Veksanios, Genavar,
Kreshandar, Grevak, Skefor, Prevag The Cunning, Hachek,
Banakseus, Bhar of the Thunder, Evisana Windcrier,
Tyreena
Ability Score Modifiers
Your Strength score increases by 2, your Constitution score
increases by 1, and your Dexterity score decreases by 1.

Strong and Passionate Features

The Wakewalkers call themselves Varakwai. They stand
between 6’5” – 7’5” tall. Their natural lifespans last from
45-65 years. Wakewalkers naturally develop incredibly
LOW-LIGHT VISION
Attuned to life on the dark seas of the Midnight Isles, you
muscular physiques. In combination with regular exercise
have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can
and rich diets, their strength is incredible. Well adapted to
see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright
life on their dark islands, Wakewalkers can hold their
light.
breath for long periods of time and can see well in dim
light.
Even Wakewalkers children are surprisingly strong. Until
AMPHIBIOUS ISLANDER
You have a swim speed of 20 feet.
they learn their true strength, they are a nightmare for
urban Wakewalkers. It is common for Wakewalker children
to accidentally break furniture and give each other all kinds TOXIN RESISTANCE
of bruises while playing. You have advantage on Constitution saving throws against
the negative effects of drugs, poisons, or other toxins.

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 Part One: Characters
BULKY BUILD
You count as one size larger when determining your
carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.
Due to your size and the arrangement of your muscles, it
is harder for you to avoid attacks. If you have a positive
Dexterity modifier, only half (rounding up) of it can be
added to your Armor Class.
The Hit Dice granted by your class increase in size
according to the following:
� A d6 becomes a d8
� A d8 becomes a d10
� A d10 becomes a d12

FIRE SYNCHRONIZE – BLOOD THRILL

Wakewalker characters aligned with the Fire Element get this
additional feature.
When you hit with an attack, you may decide to
automatically make the attack a critical hit. You must decide
before rolling damage dice. After using this feature, you
cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

WATER SYNTHESIS – FOCUSED FURY

Wakewalker characters aligned with the Water E lement get this
additional feature.
You are immune to being frightened. Additionally, the
poisoned condition does not affect your attack rolls.

Sentients
32
33
 Chapter 3: Classes
T
ravelers and adventurers survive in the world by
specializing in specific talents. The collection of a

Part One: Characters

character’s talents and skills manifest itself as a
class, and choosing a class is the most important factor in
determining your character’s capabilities. A class can be
thought of as a profession, but it’s also a way of life, and it
guides how a character interacts with their surroundings.
Redsky features six classes: emissary, fighter, hunter, rogue,
sage, and wordsmith.
Features and Levels
Each class has features that are suited to roleplaying specific
character archetypes, though there is overlap between them.
For example, a fighter’s main concern is winning battles,
whether for themselves or on behalf of others. Their
features are mainly oriented toward the physical: being
better with weapons, quickly recovering from being hit, and
generally conquering the field of combat. A sage, by
contrast, is in the business of using their knowledge to help
others. The sage’s features involve concocting medicines
and poisons, knowing obscure information, and treating
wounds efficiently.
Your character’s class is also the means through which
they gain experience and power during the game. As you
defeat enemies and conquer challenges, you gain
experience. When you cross a specific threshold or your GM
decides it is appropriate, you gain a level in your class.
Advancing a level makes you more powerful and often
unlocks new features.
Each class also has several “subclasses” for more
customization. Each subclass option tweaks the themes and
feeling of the class significantly. Your subclass becomes
available at level 1, 2, or 3, depending on your class.
CLASS DESIGN IN REDSKY
There are several points about Redsky’s class design
philosophy that players should know. We’ll cover
the important points here so you won’t be
surprised or caught off-guard in your games!
Some classes are bad at combat. This is an
important one that is often overlooked or thought
to be a mistake: the classes do not perform equally
well in combat. The wordsmith and sage in particular
should make an effort to stay out of harm’s way,
and lend support to their allies instead of directly
attacking. Your wordsmith might be the party’s only
hope to sway a village’s chief’s opinion, but the rest
of the party will need to protect that wordsmith
from the bandits on the way to the village!
Exploration and Social features. In keeping with
the same theme described in the last point, some
classes and subclasses (such as the con artist rogue)
have skills that have measurable benefits on non-
combat skills. They’ll work well in conjunction with
the expanded rules for exploration and social
interaction described in later chapters.
Levels go to 10. The Redsky Core Rules supports
classes up to level 10. This is intentional; adventures
in Dema are no-magic and low-powered. Your party
will not be able to slay enormous monsters easily -
you’ll need to find some Eldertech to help!
Less instant healing. You’ll notice a general
scarcity of features that heal hit points
immediately. In Redsky, temporary HP is a far more
common way to support teammates. You’ll have to
wait for your next rest to heal significant HP.

CLASSES
Class Description Hit Die Primary Abilities Saving Throws Armor & Weapon Proficiencies
Emissary A determined, intelligent d10 Intelligence & Intelligence & All armor; buckler, round, and
adventurer who travels land and sea Constitution Constitution heater shields; simple weapons,
in service to a higher cause martial melee weapons
Fighter A battle-hardened brawler with a d10 Strength or Strength & All armor, shields, simple
lifetime’s experience of taking blows Dexterity Dexterity weapons, martial weapons
and returning them in kind
Hunter A hardy survivalist who can strike d8 Wisdom & Wisdom & Light armor, medium armor,
hard and strike true whenever the Dexterity Dexterity simple weapons, blowgun, net
moment demands it
Rogue A clever, thrifty scoundrel who d8 Dexterity Dexterity & Light armor, simple weapons,
excels at getting what they want out Intelligence longswords, rapiers, shortswords
of others with force or guile
Sage A scholarly specialist whose d6 Intelligence Intelligence & Light armor, simple weapons
enormous reserves of knowledge Wisdom
will help their companions survive
Wordsmith A captivating speaker with amazing d6 Charisma Dexterity & Simple weapons, rapiers,
talents in performance or debate Charisma shortswords
that will dazzle friends and foes

Classes
34
Class Levels
As your character goes on adventures and overcomes
challenges, they gain experience, represented by experience
points. A character who reaches a specified experience point
total advances in capability. This advancement is called
gaining a level.
When your character gains a level, his or her class often
grants additional features, as detailed in the class
description. Some of these features allow you to increase
your ability scores, either increasing two scores by 1 each or
increasing one score by 2. You can’t increase an ability
score above 20. In addition, every character’s proficiency
bonus increases at certain levels.
Hit Dice. Each time you gain a level, you gain 1
additional Hit Die. Roll that Hit Die, add your Constitution
modifier to the roll, and add the total to your hit point
maximum. Alternatively, you can use the fixed value
shown in your class entry, which is the average result of the
die roll (rounding up). When your Constitution modifier
increases by 1, your hit point maximum increases by 1 for
each level you have attained. For example, if your 7th-level
fighter has a Constitution score of 17, when he reaches 8th
level, he increases his Constitution score from 17 to 18, thus
increasing his Constitution modifier from +3 to +4. His hit
point maximum then increases by 8.
The Character Advancement table summarizes the XP
you need to advance in levels from level 1 through level 10,
and the proficiency bonus for a character of that level.
Consult the information in your character’s class
description to see what other improvements you gain at
each level.
Milestone Leveling. Some gaming groups find keeping
track of XP to be cumbersome or are proceeding through a
somewhat linear story that requires them to be at a certain
level of power at specific points. These groups may prefer
to gain levels when the GM decides it is appropriate (such
as when they hit a milestone in the story), rather than when
they cross an XP threshold.
Multiclassing
Multiclassing is an optional rule that allows you to gain
levels in multiple classes. Doing so lets you mix the abilities
of those classes to realize a character concept that might not
be possible with one of the standard class options.
With this rule, you have the option of gaining a level in a
new class whenever you advance in level, instead of
gaining a level in your current class. Your levels in all your
classes are added together to determine your character
level. For example, if you have three levels in sage and two
in fighter, you’re a 5th-level character.
As you advance in levels, you might primarily remain a
member of your original class with just a few levels in
another class, or you might change course entirely, never
looking back at the class you left behind. You might even
start progressing in a third or fourth class. Compared to a
single-class character of the same level, you’ll sacrifice some
focus in exchange for versatility.
PREREQUISITES
To qualify for a new class, you must meet the ability score
prerequisites for both your current class and your new one,
as shown in the Multiclassing Prerequisites table. For
example, a rogue who decides to multiclass into the
emissary class must have both Dexterity and Intelligence
scores of 13 or higher. Without the full training that a
beginning character receives, you must be a quick study in
your new class, having a natural aptitude that is reflected
by above-average ability scores.
TABLE - MULTICLASSING PREREQUISITES
Class Ability Score Min
Emissary Intelligence 13
Fighter Strength 13 or Dexterity 13
Hunter Wisdom 13
Rogue Dexterity 13
Sage Intelligence 13

Wordsmith Charisma 13
TABLE - CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
Experience Points Level Proficiency Bonus

0 1 +2
EXPERIENCE POINTS
The number of experience points required to gain a level is
300 2 +2 based on your total character level, as shown in the
Character Advancement table, not your level in a particular
900 3 +2
class. So, if you are an emissary 6/fighter 1, you must gain
2,700 4 +2 enough XP to reach 8th level before you can take your
second level as a fighter or your seventh level as an
6,500 5 +3
emissary.
14,000 6 +3

23,000 7 +3
HIT POINTS AND HIT DICE
You gain the hit points from your new class as described for
34,000 8 +3 levels after 1st. You gain the 1st-level hit points for a class
only when you are a 1st-level character.
48,000 9 +4
You add together the Hit Dice granted by all your classes
64,000 10 +4 to form your pool of Hit Dice. If the Hit Dice are the same
die type, you can simply pool them together. For example,
both the fighter and the emissary have a d10, so if you are
an emissary 5/fighter 5, you have ten d10 Hit Dice. If your

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 Part One: Characters
classes give you Hit Dice of different types, keep track of proficiencies, as shown in the Multiclassing Proficiencies
them separately. If you are an emissary 5/hunter 5, for table.
example, you have five d10 Hit Dice and five d8 Hit Dice.
TABLE - MULTICLASSING PROFICIENCIES
PROFICIENCY BONUS Multiclass Chosen Proficiencies Gained
Your proficiency bonus is always based on your total Light armor, medium armor, round
character level as shown in the Character Advancement Emissary shields, simple weapons, martial melee
table, not your level in a particular class. For example, if weapons
you are a fighter 3/rogue 2, you have the proficiency bonus Light armor, medium armor, shields,
of a 5th- level character, which is +3. Fighter
simple weapons, martial weapons

PROFICIENCIES Hunter Light armor, net, Survival

When you gain your first level in a class other than your Light armor, one skill from the class’s
Rogue
initial class, you gain only some of the new class’s starting skill list, thieves’ tools

One skill from the class’s skill list,

Sage
herbalism kit, poisoner’s kit

MULTICLASSING IN REDSKY Wordsmith Persuasion, Deception

A note from the developers: Redsky underwent
multiple phases of testing before release. While the
classes have been checked for balance,
multiclassing was not thoroughly covered. Make
sure you discuss with your GM before you attempt
any multiclass options with your character, and
remember that your mileage may vary!
EXTRA ATTACK
If you gain the Extra Attack class feature from more than
one class, the features don’t add together. You can’t make
more than two attacks with this feature unless it says you
do (as the fighter’s version of Extra Attack does).

Classes
36
 Emissary
An encounter with an emissary will not soon be forgotten
by those involved. The sweeping tenets of a government,
doctrine, or idea guide these competent fighters and
intrepid wayfarers. Their faith in their causes is unshakable,
unflinching. To hear Solasii missionaries chant, or watch an
Archivist stride towards almost certain death in the name of
Zenyecrot, is to see a person in tune with their true calling.
In battle, emissaries aid comrades with sound support
and quick tactical thinking. The tide can shift in an instant
with one rallying cry, or the exploiting of a flaw only they
were quick-witted enough to perceive. These sharp minds
stem from endless hours in study and meditation. Both the
loftiest leaders of the Moon Realms and the most modest of
the Panacean communes alike know their emissaries can be
trusted to head out into Dema on a critical mission. Action.
Drive. Commitment. Rigor. To have an emissary in the
party is to journey with one fact certain. Most emissaries
will not let anything, even their fellow adventurers, impede
them for long.

Class Setup
HIT POINTS
Hit Die: 1d10
Hit Points: 10 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, add
1d10 + your Constitution modifier at higher levels
EMISSARY ADVANCEMENT
PROFICIENCIES
Prof.
Level Bonus Tactics Features Armor: All armor, buckler, round, and heater shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial melee weapons
1st +2 2 Calling, True Believer, Pensive,
Tools: A gaming set, navigator’s tools
Tactical Mind
Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
2nd +2 2 Persistence, Tactical Mind Skills: Persuasion, choose two from Athletics, Deception,
feature
Eldertech, History, Nature, Intimidation, Investigation,
3rd +2 2 Enhanced Intimidation, Calling Perception, or Survival
feature
4th +2 3 Ability Score Improvement
EQUIPMENT
You start with 5d4 gp and the following equipment:
5th +3 3 Extra Attack
� (a) a martial melee weapon and a heater shield or (b)
6th +3 3 Calling feature two martial melee weapons
7th +3 4 Tactical Mind feature � (a) five javelins or (b) any simple melee weapon
8th +3 4 Ability Score Improvement � (a) a priest’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

9th +4 4 Valor, Calling feature � Common clothes, a mail shirt, and a holy symbol

10th +4 5 Tactical Mind feature

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Class Features
CALLING
At 1st level, you have chosen a cause to which you devote
your life and deeds. Your Calling grants you additional
features at 1st level and again at 3rd, 6th, and 9th level.
Your Calling, along with your character’s origin story,
also determines what organization (church, government, or
other group) your character is a member of. Discuss with
your GM what your level of involvement in this
organization is, along with their goals and purpose.
TRUE BELIEVER
Your social score is half the sum of your proficiency bonus
plus your Intelligence modifier.
SOCIAL SCORE = (your proficiency bonus + your
Intelligence modifier) / 2
During a social encounter, you may use a Bonus Action
on your turn to Bolster Self or Push for Information (see
Social Encounters section).
PENSIVE
You may use your Intelligence modifier instead of the
normal ability when performing Persuasion or Insight
checks.
TACTICAL MIND
You have a natural gift for strategy and fast analysis that
you use to assist your party in combat situations. You start
with two Tactic features, Form Up and Fall Back. When you
use a Tactic, you choose which feature to enable.
Once you have used the number of Tactics shown for
your Emissary level in the Tactics column of the Emissary
table, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use
any Tactics again.
FORM UP
As an action, you shout quick orders to your comrades. All
allies within 60 feet gain 1d4 temporary hit points and may
immediately move a number of feet equal to 5 x your
Intelligence modifier. Opportunity attacks triggered by this
movement are made at disadvantage.
At 5th level, the temporary hit points gained increases to
1d6, at 7th level to 1d8, and at 9th level to 1d10.
FALL BACK
As an action, you make a call to retreat. All allies that can
hear you may take the Disengage action as a bonus action
on their next turn. Until the start of your next turn, enemies
within 15 feet of you may not make an opportunity attack
as a reaction to a target moving out of their melee range.
SIGNALING SMITE
Starting at 2nd level, when you hit a creature with a melee
weapon attack, you can expend one of your Tactic uses to
signal to your allies that your target is particularly
important. Until the start of your next turn, the next attack
roll by another creature against that target has advantage.
38
CREATE AN OPENING
Starting at 2nd level, when one of your allies makes an
attack roll against an enemy within 15 feet of you, you can
expend one of your Tactic uses as a reaction to move up to
10 feet towards the target and take the Help action, giving
Part One: Characters
your ally advantage on the attack roll. If you cannot cover
the distance to stand next to the target for some reason
(because of an obstacle or difficult terrain), this Tactic
cannot be used.
Opportunity attacks against you when you take this
movement have disadvantage.
PRIDEFUL TAUNT
Starting at 7th level, you can call attention to yourself with a
battle cry as a bonus action on your turn. All enemies
within 60 feet of you must succeed on a Charisma saving
throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence
modifier) or be compelled to move toward and attack you
for the next minute (taking the Disengage or Dash actions if
necessary and capable of doing so). These enemies have
disadvantage on attack rolls against targets other than you.
Additionally, you gain 1d8 temporary hit points for every
enemy in range, to a maximum of 5d8. This increases to
1d10 temporary hit points per enemy at 9th level.
BREAKER
Starting at 10th level, you can utter a rallying cry to your
allies as an action, telling them to press the advantage and
finish the fight. For 30 seconds, all weapon attacks against
enemies within 30 feet of you score a critical hit on a roll of
17-20. You must finish a long rest before using this Tactic
again.
PERSISTENCE
Starting at 2nd level, if you have 0 Hit Dice remaining, you
regain 1 Hit Die when you begin a short rest.
ENHANCED INTIMIDATION
Starting at 3rd level, you may use a signet ring or badge
bearing the mark of the organization you are from to gain
advantage on Intimidation checks against creatures not
affiliated with said organization (as long as they are aware
of its existence).
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th level, you can
increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can
increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal,
you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this
feature.
EXTRA ATTACK
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once,
whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
VALOR
Starting at 9th level, if you have no Tactic uses remaining at
the beginning of combat, you regain one Tactic use.
Classes

EMISSARY CHARACTERS
Playing an emissary character can require more
attention to detail and roleplay than other classes.
Here are some things to think about when imagining
your character:
Choosing an Origin. All emissaries, by nature, have
their origins in a group devoted to a higher cause.
These groups can vary widely in design and type. Some
groups may be highly regimented, with roots in a well-
structured government or religion such as the Church
of Sola. Other groups may be loose coalitions — such
as the guild of city merchants — or even individuals
connected by no more than a shared idea learned
from a banned scroll. You should talk to your GM
about what organizations may be present in your
Redsky game. If none exist that fit your vision for your
character, they may be able to work with you to create
a new group that is more fitting.
Once the group of origin has been chosen, you
must also establish what your character’s bond is with
that organization. Perhaps your character was born
into the group, raised by parents who were themselves
part of the collective? Or maybe they were a convert,
somebody who became a true believer later in life.
There are less mundane explanations as well: perhaps
your character is being forced to serve to pay off a
debt or rescue a family member. Any number of
options is possible for a creative player. One small
note: being the leader of a group is usually a poor fit
for a player character, especially at lower levels.
The Emotional Element. At first glance, a player
might think that all Emissaries are Water-aligned,
because of their devotion to a cause. This is not
necessarily true! Your character’s homeland and faith
might encourage them to embrace their passions. A
Fire-aligned Emissary might believe that the highest
good is happiness and pleasure. Or maybe they have
taken a solemn vow to always be the life of the party.
Fire-aligned Emissaries often idealize some or all of
Fire’s virtues.
Reason for Adventure. Finally, don’t forget that your
character is out questing or adventuring for a reason,
broad or narrow. There could be a highly specific
secret that you have been directed to learn, or you
could just be responsible for getting in the good
graces of a region’s politicians.
Your character would have been chosen for such a
quest for two primary reasons: first, the organization
believes you have the intelligence needed to succeed
at the given quest. Second, your character has the
fortitude to survive the rigors of adventure.
Make sure you discuss with your GM what should
happen should you ever achieve victory in your reason
for adventuring. Perhaps at such a time you would be
ready for a new, even greater quest? Or maybe
adventuring with your friends has caused you to
question your devotion to your original cause!
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39
Callings
THE HOMELAND
Your kingdom has called, and you have answered. Those
dedicated to The Homeland will do anything to protect and
advance the interests of their nation through a military
organization. Rising through the ranks of a trusted system
ensures that skills and leadership reign supreme wherever
one’s path takes them.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose the Calling of the Homeland, you gain
proficiency in the skills Politics and Insight, and with an
exotic weapon of your choosing.
DISCERNING EYE
As a bonus action on your turn, you may force a sentient
enemy to make a Charisma saving throw against your
passive Intelligence (Insight) score. If the enemy fails, you
learn what it is currently planning to do on its next turn.
TACTIC: HOLD THE FORMATION
Starting at 3rd level, you can encourage members of your
group to hold their current position together as an action.
All allies that can hear your orders gain 1d4 temporary hit
points, and they gain a +2 bonus to AC for 1 minute. An
ally loses the bonus to AC before the minute is over if they
move more than 10 feet in a single round of combat.
At 5th level, the temporary hit points gained increases to
1d6, at 7th level to 1d8, and at 9th level to 1d10.
ALWAYS READY
Starting at 6th level, you gain advantage on all Initiative
rolls.
TACTIC: DUO
Starting at 9th level, you can use a bonus action on your
turn to lend cover and support to an ally within 5 feet of
you for 1 minute. During that time, you and that ally gain
the following benefits:
� You and the ally gain +2 to your Armor Class and
advantage on ability checks and saving throws against
effects that would move you against your will.
� When your ally makes an attack, you may use your
reaction to give them advantage on the attack roll. The
reaction must be used before the attack roll is made.
� When your ally is attacked, you may use your reaction
to redirect the attack to yourself.
� When your ally would move away from you, you may
move in the same direction simultaneously,
maintaining the same distance between you.
Opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage
when you move in this fashion.
If you or your ally become separated by more than 5 feet
while this Tactic is being used, the ability ends.
THE DIVINE
With faith steeling their resolve, those motivated by the
Divine look to scripture as guidance. The many doctrines of
Dema are safeguarded by their agents in the mundane
order of the world. Very little will slow a protector of the
true worldview, whatever one believes that may be.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose the Calling of the Divine, you gain
proficiency in the skills Religion and Medicine, and with a
set of artisan’s tools.
BLESSING OF CONVICTION
Your reliance on your beliefs can be used as a shield when
you would otherwise be uncertain. When you would fail an
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, you can
choose to succeed instead. After using this feature, you
cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.
TACTIC: STEADY
Starting at 3rd level, you may reassure and assist allies who
just took damage. When an ally you can see is hit by an
attack, and they can hear you, you may use your reaction to
gift them one Hit Die of their class’s type, even if they are
already at their maximum Hit Dice. They may use this Hit
Die immediately to regain hit points. If they don’t use it, the
Hit Die is lost.
At 6th level, the gift increases to two Hit Dice instead of
one.
PRAYER OF ENDURANCE
Starting at 6th level, when an ally within 30 feet of you fails
a Constitution saving throw, you may choose to have them
succeed instead. After using this feature, you cannot use it
again until you finish a long rest.
40
COURAGEOUS PRESENCE
Starting at 9th level, you and allies within 10 feet of you
cannot be frightened while you are conscious and not
incapacitated.
THE TRUTH
Part One: Characters
Great powers require agents committed to bringing the
right information to light. Those dedicated to The Truth can
infiltrate even the most closely guarded groups. They have
their ear to the door during the most confidential of
conversations. Let no threat to the righteous path be
tolerated.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose the Calling of the Truth, you gain
proficiency in the skills Insight and Investigation, and with
a forgery kit.
CAREFUL LISTENER
A life of absorbing the knowledge and experience of others
has enabled you to quickly evaluate those you meet. If a
sentient creature speaks for at least 1 minute in a language
you understand, you learn all Charisma-based skills that
individual is proficient with. Additionally, if the individual
made any statements related to an Intelligence-based skill
that you are proficient in, you learn whether or not they are
proficient in that skill.
TACTIC: DISTRACTION
Starting at 3rd level, you can call attention to yourself in
combat to assist your allies. As an action, you brandish your
weapon as a threat and/or shout some threatening words,
leaving your enemies uncertain where you will move next.
All enemies within 30 of you feet have disadvantage on
their next attack roll.
HARD TO DECEIVE
Starting at 6th level, your ability to detect falsehoods and
untruths has developed to an uncanny precision. You have
advantage on all Insight checks in contests against another
creature’s Deception checks.
TACTIC: MEMORIZATION
Starting at 9th level, when an enemy you can see within 30
feet makes an attack against one of your allies, you can use
your reaction to call out a detail about the enemy’s attack.
For the remainder of the battle, all identical attacks after the
first made by that enemy against that ally have
disadvantage on the attack roll.
Sigil-bearing necklace of
an emissary from the Freesteeds
Classes
 Fighter
From a legionnaire’s oath of strength and duty, to the
thousand-step discipline of an Aegis martial arts master, to
the berserker rage of a Jana’haki reaver, fighters come from
all walks of life. In their unlit warrens, Sporespawn combat
forms are bred to be some of the most stalwart defenders.
On a creaking trade ship at sea, in dense Midland jungles,
or through the haze of the Sunbleak Wastes, master
Featherfolk marksmen can nock and loose an arrow faster
than an eyeblink. The mounted Oathsworn of the
Nightriders shake the world with their heavy cavalry.
Fighters adapt to the trials of the arena. They hold the
front lines of decisive battles. They rise through the ranks of
mercenary companies. The very best lead by example. Be it
for kingdom, self-mastery, or self-enrichment, every species
and culture can field fighters with strengths and
weaknesses inherent to their origins. Parties of adventurers
would be wise to have a fighter or two along for the
journey. The ages of Dema are defined by sweat and iron,
and the molders of its history are not yet finished.

Class Setup
HIT POINTS
Hit Die: 1d10
Hit Points: 10 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, add
1d10 + your Constitution modifier at higher levels

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: All armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
FIGHTER ADVANCEMENT Tools: None
Prof. Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
Level Bonus Features Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Animal Handling,
1st +2 Fighting Style, Second Wind, Powerful Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and
Presence Survival
2nd +2 Action Surge EQUIPMENT
3rd +2 Martial Archetype You start with 5d4 gp and the following equipment:
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement � Common clothes and (a) mail or (b) hardened leather
armor
5th +3 Extra Attack
� (a) a martial melee weapon and a heater shield or (b)
6th +3 Ability Score Improvement two martial melee weapons or (c) a simple weapon and
7th +3 Archetype feature an exotic weapon

8th +3 Ability Score Improvement � (a) a longbow and 20 arrows or (b) two handaxes
� (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
9th +4 Indomitable
10th +4 Archetype feature, Extra Attack (2)

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41
Class Features
FIGHTING STYLE
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty.
Choose one of the following options.
ARCHERY
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged
weapons.
DEFENSE
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
DUELING
Whenever you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand
and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls
with that weapon. Additionally, you gain the ability to
parry enemy attacks (see the Combat chapter).
GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING
Whenever you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack
you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with
two hands, you may reroll the die. If you do, you must keep
the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or
versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
PROTECTION
Whenever a creature you can see attacks a target other than
you within 5 feet of you, and you are wielding a shield, you
may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on that
creature’s attack roll.
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
Whenever you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add
your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
UNIQUE WEAPON FIGHTING
You gain proficiency in one exotic melee weapon of your
choice, and have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with
that type of weapon.
SECOND WIND
You have a limited well of stamina that you can draw on to
protect yourself from harm. On your turn, you may use a
bonus action to regain hit points equal to 1d10 + your
fighter level. After using this feature, you cannot use it
again until you finish a short or long rest.
POWERFUL PRESENCE
Your social score is half your Charisma modifier.
SOCIAL SCORE = (your Charisma modifier) / 2
When you make a Charisma (Intimidation) check, you
may use your Strength or Dexterity modifier instead of
Charisma if you are not incapacitated, paralyzed, or
restrained.
ACTION SURGE
Starting at 2nd level, you can temporarily push yourself
beyond your normal limits. On your turn, you may take an
extra action in addition to your regular and bonus actions.
42
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a short or long rest.
MARTIAL ARCHETYPE
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to
Part One: Characters
emulate in your combat styles and techniques, detailed at
the end of the class description. Your archetype grants you
additional features at 3rd level and again at 7th level and
10th level.
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 6th and 8th level,
you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or
you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. You
cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
EXTRA ATTACK
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once,
whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
At 10th level, the number of times you can attack
increases to three.
INDOMITABLE
Starting at 9th level, you may reroll a saving throw that you
fail. If you do, you must keep the new roll.
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a long rest.
Martial Archetypes
CHAMPION
The wrath of a champion in battle is a force of to be
reckoned with. Ascending these ranks of martial might will
guarantee some of the most hard-hitting and versatile
abilities in combat. You will find champions in service to
every faction that needs to demonstrate their strength.
IMPROVED CRITICAL
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, your weapon
attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. When you
score a critical hit, double your ability modifier for the
damage roll.
CHAMPION’S AGILITY
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, your speed
increases by 10 feet. While you are wearing heavy armor, it
increases by 5 feet instead.
REMARKABLE ATHLETE
Starting at 7th level, you can add half your proficiency
bonus (rounding up) to any Strength, Dexterity, or
Constitution check you make that doesn’t already use your
proficiency bonus.
In addition, when you make a running long jump, the
distance you can cover increases by a number of feet equal
to your Strength modifier.
ADDITIONAL FIGHTING STYLE
At 10th level, you can choose a second option from among
those listed in the Fighting Style class feature. You cannot
choose the same option more than once.
Classes
BOUNTY HUNTER
The hidden side of enforcing the law is not tied to good and
evil. Bounty hunters are just as likely to capture wanted
criminals as to chase escaped slaves. With a guided instinct
that can find the lay of any land, these warriors prove time
and again that one of the most powerful motivators in battle
can be coin.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you gain
proficiency in the Intimidation and Investigation skills, and
with nets.
CHOKEHOLD
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you are
always considered proficient in Athletics when initiating or
maintaining a grapple and may double your proficiency
bonus on Strength (Athletics) checks when attempting to
grapple a target.
While grappling a medium or smaller sentient that isn’t
wearing medium or heavy armor, you may as an action
attempt to suffocate them into unconsciousness. Make a
Strength (Athletics) check against the target’s Strength
saving throw. If the target sentient fails, they become
unconscious for 30 seconds, just long enough for you to
bind them with rope if you have some handy.
THE CHASE
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, your reflexes
give you an edge when an enemy tries to flee from you,
whether they are up close or at a distance. When you make
an opportunity attack, you may move up to half your
movement speed immediately after your target ends their
turn.
Additionally, if you hit a target with a weapon attack,
you may mark a creature as chased. A chased creature can
trigger an attack of opportunity from you when they
attempt to move out of your current ranged or thrown
weapon’s normal range, or when they attempt to move
behind total cover. You may only mark one creature as
chased at a time.
IMPOSING
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you gain the
ability to use your physical prowess, weapon skills, and
reputation to intimidate enemies in combat. As a bonus
action on your turn, you may make an Intimidation check
against a sentient target within 120 feet that can see or hear
you, and is not already afraid of you. If you have already
reduced another enemy creature to 0 hit points or made an
attack that was a critical hit on this turn, you have
advantage on the Intimidation check.
The target must make a Charisma saving throw against a
DC equal to your Intimidation check. On a failure, the
target becomes frightened of you. While the target is
frightened, all opportunity attacks against them deal an
extra 1d4 psychic damage. The target may reattempt the
saving throw to end the frightened condition every 30
seconds, and the DC is the same as your first Intimidation
check. On a success, it becomes immune to this feature for
24 hours. The target has advantage on the reattempted
saving throws if it is more than 120 feet from you, and the
frightened condition wears off naturally after 10 minutes.
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43
The psychic damage becomes 1d6 at 7th level, and 1d8 at
10th level.
HAMSTRING
Beginning at 7th level, you become effective at attacking in
a way that limits your target’s ability to flee. Once per turn,
when you hit with a weapon attack, you may reduce the
target creature’s speed to 5 feet until the start of your next
turn.
PREDATOR
At 10th level, you have advantage on all weapon attacks
against targets that are frightened by you. Additionally,
attacks against these targets score a critical hit on a roll of 19
or 20.
WEAPON MASTER
Heralds of excellence in bow and blade are given the
moniker Weapon Master. Their reputations precede them,
implying intimidation and skill earned in battles that would
devastate lesser warriors. Every threat to Dema at large can
be overcome by the unique competence of a Weapon
Master.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you gain
proficiency with smith’s tools and an exotic weapon of your
choice.
ADVANCED FIGHTING STYLE
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you gain
additional benefits that build on the fighting style you chose
at 1st level.
ARCHERY
If you move no more than 5 feet on your turn in combat,
your ranged attacks with a bow do not have disadvantage
at long range. If you choose to make an attack at long range
without disadvantage, your speed decreases to 5 feet until
the start of your next turn.
Additionally, your attacks with a bow at short range have
a +1 bonus to damage rolls.
DEFENSE
If you take the Dodge action on your turn, you may use
your reaction to make an attack of opportunity against any
creature that makes a melee attack against you until the
start of your next turn, even if that creature does not move.
Additionally, you have advantage on ability checks
against being grappled.
DUELING
Whenever you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand
and no other weapons, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls
with that weapon.
GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING
Whenever you make an attack with a melee weapon that
you are wielding with two hands, you may choose a second
target within your reach. If you do, both targets must
succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be forced to move 5
feet away from you. The DC for this saving throw is the
result of the attack roll (including modifiers).
PROTECTION
When you use the Protection Fighting Style feature granted
at level 1 to impose disadvantage on an enemy’s attack roll,
and that enemy is within your reach, you may make an
attack of opportunity against that enemy as part of your
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
When you make an attack as a bonus action using a weapon
in your off-hand, you can make an additional attack using
the same weapon. If you use the simultaneous strike ability
gained at level 3, you may still make one attack with your

Part One: Characters

reaction. off-hand weapon as a bonus action, but not two.
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING UNIQUE WEAPON FIGHTING
Once per turn, you can strike with both weapons Your bonus on attack and damage rolls with your chosen
simultaneously for increased power. When you successfully exotic weapon type increases to +3.
hit an enemy using the Attack action on your turn, you can
add your second weapon’s damage die and relevant ability
modifier to the total damage dealt. If you can make multiple
attacks using the Attack action, this only applies to one of
them. Using this ability means you cannot make another
attack using your off-hand weapon as a bonus action on
that turn.
Additionally, you gain the ability to parry enemy attacks
using either of your weapons (see the Combat section).
UNIQUE WEAPON FIGHTING
Your bonus on attack and damage rolls with your chosen
exotic weapon type increases to +2.

WIELD WITH EXPERTISE

Starting at 7th level, you may sacrifice power for precision
when you attack. Once per turn, you may choose to gain
advantage on an attack roll. You do not add your ability
modifier to the damage roll for this attack, unless your
ability modifier is negative.

MASTERFUL FIGHTING STYLE

At 10th level, you gain additional benefits that build on the
fighting style you chose at 1st level.
ARCHERY
Even missing a target helps improve your accuracy. If you
miss on a ranged attack against a target, your next attack
roll against that target has advantage and a +1 bonus to
damage.
DEFENSE
If an enemy within your reach hits you with a melee attack,
you may use your reaction to immediately attempt to shove
the creature back 5 feet (see the Combat chapter). If you
succeed on the shove, that creature has disadvantage on
attack rolls against you until the start of its next turn.
DUELING
Any attack of opportunity you make against the last
creature you struck with a melee weapon has advantage.
When you successfully shove a creature, you may
immediately use your reaction to make an opportunity
attack against them before they leave your reach.
GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING
Whenever you hit a target with a melee attack using a
heavy melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands,
you may choose a second target. That target takes damage
equal to 1d4 + your ability modifier. Sword and shield
of the Cobalt Marines
PROTECTION
While you are wielding a shield, you and allied creatures
within 10 feet of you get a bonus to their Dexterity saving
throws equal to your shield’s bonus to your AC.

Classes
44
 Hunter
The snap of a twig. A breath in the shadows. This may be
all the warning someone receives before a great and terrible
monster ends their story. Every cove, forest, and lake that is
not regularly cleared teems with beasts. Villages and
settlements across Dema rely on hunters for protection
against these formidable foes.
With the wisdom that comes with confronting the wild, a
good hunter can identify precisely what skulks nearby,
what equipment is needed, and what tactics can end the
threat. Camouflaged trappers bring back pelts from the
frozen edges of Dema long enough to wrap a virse in. Big
game hunters descend into the tunnels of the Hive Halls
with torches lit, or spear sea creatures larger than houses to
use as bait to lure in the real Deep Ones. A brave few take
up the life of wanderers, striking off into unexplored
regions for novelty and Eldertech with only what they can
carry. A party can rely on a hunter for their caution and
skill, even when other people are involved. After all, some
predators, or prey, walk on two legs.

Class Setup
HIT POINTS
Hit Die: 1d8
Hit Points: 8 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, add
1d8 + your Constitution modifier at higher levels
HUNTER ADVANCEMENT
Prof. Hunter’s
PROFICIENCIES
Level Bonus Die Features Armor: Light armor, medium armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, blowgun, net
1st +2 d4 Adapted to the Wilds, Marked
Quarry, Hunter’s Aim, Primal Tools: Cook’s utensils
Insight Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
2nd +2 d4 Specialization
Skills: Survival, choose two from Animal Handling,
Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, and
3rd +2 d6 Hunter’s Gaze Stealth

4th +2 d6 Ability Score Improvement EQUIPMENT

You start with 5d6 gp and the following equipment:
5th +3 d8 Extra Attack
� Common clothes and (a) padded armor or (b) leather
6th +3 d8 Camoflage, Specialization armor
feature
� (a) a blowgun and net or (b) two simple melee weapons
7th +3 d10 Big Fish Story
� (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
8th +3 d10 Ability Score Improvement
� A shortbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
9th +4 d12 Specialization feature
10th +4 d12 Catch of the Day

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45
Class Features
ADAPTED TO THE WILDS
You gain several benefits from your knowledge and
training in the wilds:
� You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to
hunt for food.
� You are always considered proficient in the Perception
skill when looking for tracks or a trail to follow.
� You may use the Survival skill instead of Investigation
or Nature when attempting to learn more about
creatures you are tracking.
� You may use Wisdom instead of Dexterity for your
Stealth checks.
� You automatically succeed on ability checks to harvest
pelts, meat, or other valuable body parts from slain
creatures if you have at least 5 minutes to work.
HUNTER’S AIM
You have keen eye for aiming at the weak points of a target.
When you make an attack against a target you can see and
have no enemies within 5 feet of you, you can add your
Hunter’s Die (a d4) to either the attack roll or damage roll of
the attack. You must declare the choice before the attack
roll. If there are any enemies within 5 feet of you, you may
still use your Hunter’s Die if they are restrained or
incapacitated, or if they cannot see you.
Additionally, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the
damage rolls of your attacks instead of your Strength or
Dexterity modifier.
Your Hunter’s Die changes as you gain levels, as shown
in the Hunter’s Die column of the Hunter table.
MARKED QUARRY
As a bonus action you may designate a target creature as
your quarry. You must be able to see or hear the creature, or
recognize signs of its passing such as tracks or droppings.
They remain your Quarry until you finish a long rest, the
creature dies, or you designate another creature as your
quarry. You gain the following benefits against your
Quarry:
� Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence
(Investigation) checks to find the creature while it is
hidden.
� Advantage to saving throws against being frightened
or charmed by this creature.
� Gain a bonus equal to half your Hunter level (rounding
up) on Stealth, Deception, and Intimidation checks
made against this creature.
� When you make a melee attack against your Marked
Quarry, the Quarry cannot make an opportunity attack
against you if you leave its reach on the same turn.
You may use Marked Quarry a number of times equal to
your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain
those uses when you finish a short or long rest.
46
PRIMAL INSIGHT
Your social score is half your Charisma modifier.
SOCIAL SCORE = (your Charisma modifier) / 2
During a social encounter, you may use a Bonus Action to
Part One: Characters
Bolster Self (see the Social Interaction chapter).
You have an innate ability to read a creature’s fear. If a
creature (sentient or otherwise) is afraid of or intimidated
by something, you may make a Wisdom (Insight) check
with advantage to determine the source.
SPECIALIZATION
At 2nd level, you can choose a branch of hunting to
specialize in, detailed at the end of the class description.
Your Specialization grants you additional features at 6th
and 10th level.
HUNTER’S GAZE
Starting at 3rd level, you may spend 30 seconds observing a
creature. After this examination, you gain the following
information about the creature:
� Maximum hit points and whether it is currently
healthy (>75% of total HP), shaken (50-75%), injured
(25-50%) or ready to drop (<25%)
� Any damage resistances or vulnerabilities
� Any conditions that it is experiencing (poisoned,
blinded, etc.)
You may use your Hunter’s Gaze as an action against
your Marked Quarry (taking 6 seconds instead of 30).
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th level, you can
increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can
increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal,
you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this
feature.
EXTRA ATTACK
Starting at 5th level, you may attack twice instead of once
whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
CAMOUFLAGE
Starting at 6th level, you may add double your proficiency
bonus to Stealth checks (even if you are not proficient in
Stealth) if you take 1 minute to apply camouflage to
yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants,
soot, garbage, or other materials with which to create your
camouflage, and it lasts up to 12 hours or until you pass
into a new area (such as going from a forest to a village). If a
creature allied with you attempts to hide in the wilderness,
you may spend 1 minute applying camouflage to them,
granting a bonus to their Dexterity (Stealth) check equal to
your Wisdom modifier. This bonus applies as long as the
creature doesn’t move or take actions. Camouflage may not
work in some scenarios at the GM’s discretion, such as
inside a clean and tidy building.
Additionally, you may use the Hide action as a bonus
action on your turn.
Classes
BIG FISH STORY
Starting at 7th level, you may spend up to 10 minutes telling
a story of a previous hunt. All sentients within 30 feet who
can hear and understand you must succeed on a Charisma
saving throw or be enthralled by your story. The DC for this
saving throw equals 10 + your Wisdom modifier + your
Charisma modifier. Enthralled creatures have disadvantage
on all Wisdom (Perception) checks. Creatures who succeed
on this saving throw are immune to this feature for 24
hours.
After you use Big Fish Story, you must finish a short or
long rest before you can use it again.
CATCH OF THE DAY
Starting at 10th level, you can use a bonus action on your
turn to enhance your focus on bringing a target down. For
the next minute, if you hit a creature with two attacks on
the same turn, the second hit is a critical hit.
After you use Catch of the Day, you must finish a long
rest before you can use it again.
Specializations
BIG GAME HUNTER
If it can feel fear, a Big Game Hunter can slay it! These
fellers of titans and horrors have spent a lifetime training
body and mind to triumph over nature. For these stalkers of
monsters, every last reserve of resourcefulness and
willpower can be called upon in moments of life and death.
THE BIGGER THEY ARE
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, you gain
bonuses when hunting creatures that are larger than you. If
your current Marked Quarry is at least one size larger than
you, you gain the following benefits:
� When your Quarry hits or misses you with an attack,
you may use your reaction to make an opportunity
attack against it.
� You may still use your Hunter’s Die if your Quarry
(and no other enemies) is within 5 feet of you.
SAW THAT COMING
Starting at 6th level, you can use your reaction to reduce the
damage from an attack made by your Marked Quarry by
half (rounding down).
TRAPPERS IN THE WILDERNESS
All hunters are a huge benefit to a party exploring
wild lands. Trappers in particular can have an easier
time securing food for their allies, because the
traps detailed here may be used in conjuction with
the Hunting rules found in the Exploration and
Weather chapter. Additionally, feel free to discuss
the mechanics of additional traps not listed here
with your gamemaster.
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47
MONSTER HUNTER
Starting at 9th level, when you designate a creature at least
one size larger than you as your Marked Quarry, you may
treat all creatures of the same species within 1 mile as your
Marked Quarry as well.
In addition, using your Hunter’s Gaze on these creatures
reveals to you what saving throws they are proficient in.
TRAPPER
Conservation of energy into one sprung trap can sway a
battle just as effectively as a unit of soldiers. The right trap
can snare any manner of beast an adventurer encounters, or
make sure any sentient enemies regret rushing into an area
prepared for ambush. Snare, lure, or hook, an enemy’s first
mistake could be their last.
NET EXPERT
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, you
become an expert in the use of nets. You don’t have
disadvantage when attacking with a net at long range.
TRAP LAYER
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, you gain
the ability to create and set traps. You must have all the
indicated components to make a given trap, and they are
activated when a creature other than you moves into the
trigger area. The trigger area must be specified by you when
you set up the trap, and it must be of the dimensions
indicated by the type of trap.
Your traps require the target to make a saving throw. The
saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
TRAP DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Dexterity modifier
The creature may see and avoid a trap if they are facing it
when entering the trigger area and succeed on a passive
Wisdom (Perception) check against the Trap DC.
Setting up traps usually requires vertical surfaces near the
trap area, such as trees or buildings. It is generally not
possible to set up effective traps in flat spaces, such as
deserts or the middle of wide city streets. At your GM’s
discretion, you may still be able to set up traps in such areas
when the ground is heavily obscured (e.g. tall grass or
swamplands).
If you are hunting for food using the rules given in the
Exploration and Weather chapter, combat encounters with
prey you find may begin with the prey triggering a trap you
have set, as determined by your GM.
In addition to the ability to plant traps, you gain the
following benefits:
� You may use your reaction to make an opportunity
attack against a creature if it triggers one of your traps.
� You do not have disadvantage when making ranged
attacks against prone targets if their prone condition
was caused by one of your traps.
� You are considered proficient in the required skills or
tools when making checks to disarm traps.
� When you deploy a hunting trap (see the Equipment
and Eldertech chapter), you use your Trap DC for the
saving throws if it is higher than 13 and add your
 proficiency bonus to the damage taken by a creature
that triggers the trap. You may as an action deploy the
trap up to 20 feet away from yourself. When deployed
at range, the trap is not attached to an anchor and
creatures that trigger it have their speed reduced to 5
feet instead of 0. If it is dark or there is ground cover
(such as foliage, clouds of dust, or fog), creatures must
succeed on a Wisdom (Perception) check against your
Trap DC to notice the trap.
TRIPLINE
Setup time: 30 seconds
Trigger: Line, 5-20 feet
Components: Rope (same length as trigger)
A simple rope stretched across a span at a low height,
designed to trip a creature crossing it. The triggering
creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be
knocked prone.
Triplines can also be used to trigger other traps, as
indicated.
SUBSTANCE
Setup time: 1 minute
Trigger: Square or tripline, 5-10 feet
Components: Rope; nail; bucket or jug; acid, mud or other
liquid (consumed)
A trap designed to throw a liquid or dust onto a target. The
creature must make a Dexterity saving throw or be
subjected to the effects of the material.
� ACID. Target takes 2d6 acid damage.
� MUD. Creature is blinded until the end of its next turn.
� OTHER LIQUID. GM determines the effects.
NET
Setup time: 1 minute
Trigger: Square or tripline, 5-10 feet
Components: Rope; net
A trap that catches the target in a net. The triggering
creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be
restrained by the net.
Hook Weapon
used for trapping
targets
48
If the target breaks free of the net by dealing damage to it,
the net is destroyed.
WEAPON
Setup time: 1 minute
Trigger: Square or tripline, 5 feet
Part One: Characters
Components: Rope; dagger, club, arrow, or other weapon
Triggering this trap causes a weapon attack against the
creature. The triggering creature must succeed on a
Dexterity saving throw or take damage based on the
weapon. For example, a dagger deals 1d4 slashing or
piercing damage, and the damage type is chosen by you
when you set the trap. Additionally, you may add your
proficiency bonus to the damage dealt.
POISON
Setup time: 30 seconds
Trigger: Square, 5 feet
Components: Nail, needle, arrow, or similar piercing item;
poison (consumed)
A simple trap that pierces the target with a poisoned
implement. The triggering creature must succeed on a
Dexterity saving throw or take 1 piercing damage and 1d4
poison damage. If they fail the saving throw, they must also
make a Constitution saving throw with disadvantage or be
poisoned.
If the creature fails the Constitution saving throw, they
may be subject to additional effects depending on the
nature of the poison used to create the trap, as determined
by your GM.
HOLE
Setup time: 10 minutes
Trigger: Square, 5 feet
Components: Shovel; net, 50 ft. rope, or 2 sq. yds. cloth to
help cover the hole
A simple hole in the ground that can only be constructed
when it is possible to dig and the hole can be concealed by
leaves, brush, earth, or similar material. All creatures within
120 feet that aren’t unconscious will become aware of your
presence while you are setting this trap. A net, rope, or
Classes
cloth must be used to support whatever is used to hide the
hole. A medium or smaller creature that steps on the trap
automatically falls into the hole and must succeed on a
Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
The hole trap may be combined with a substance, net,
weapon, or poison trap. The creature that falls into the hole
automatically fails the Dexterity saving throw against the
combined trap, even if they succeed on the saving throw to
remain upright.
A larger hole trap (10 feet square) may be constructed to
trap large or smaller creatures. Constructing this version of
the trap takes 1 hour (companions with shovels can reduce
this time by 3d4 minutes per helper, to a minimum of 20
minutes) and requires 4 nets or 200 feet of rope or 8 square
yards of cloth.
NEVER SEEN COMING
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, you
become an expert at vanishing after an attack. If you are
hiding, you may make a Stealth check against a Wisdom
(Perception) check from your target after you make an
attack. If your check succeeds, the target only learns the
general direction you attacked from, not your precise
location. If the target triggered one of your traps on their
last turn, they have disadvantage on the check. However, if
they are looking for you in the direction you are hiding
when you make the attack, they succeed automatically.
HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT
Starting at 6th level, you can hide in plain view when you
use the Camouflage feature. After applying your
camouflage, you can try to hide by pressing yourself up
against a solid surface, such as a tree or wall, that is at least
as tall and wide as you are. You gain a +10 bonus to Stealth
checks as long as you remain there without moving or
taking actions. Once you move or are spotted by an enemy,
you must camouflage yourself again to gain this benefit.
You may use the Never Seen Coming feature to maintain
your hiding spot and camouflage after making an attack.
However, creatures will usually be looking in your
direction to search for you after the first attack, so
additional attacks may reveal your presence.
ENHANCED WARINESS
Starting at 6th level, you have become an expert at spotting
traps and ambushes. You have a permanent +5 on passive
Wisdom (Perception) checks to spot ambushes and traps.
On normal Wisdom (Perception) checks to spot ambushes
and traps, you may treat any result lower than this passive
score as equal to the passive score.
FINISH THE JOB
Starting at 9th level, when a creature triggers one of your
traps, the first attack you make against that creature before
the end of your next turn is automatically a critical hit.
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49
WANDERER
The edges of Dema are perilous. Few can adapt to and
survive in such places, let alone thrive in them. Wanderers
roam from their homes of origin and head to far-off locales
of danger and mystery. With rarely more than a trusty
weapon and a rumor about where to find some legendary
beast, these characters carve their own path through the
unknown.
BONUS PROFICIENCY AND LANGUAGE
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, you gain
proficiency with the Medicine skill and Herbalism kits. You
may use your Wisdom modifier instead of Intelligence on
Medicine checks.
Additionally, you learn another language of your choice.
RUSTIC WISDOM
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, your
social score becomes half your Wisdom modifier instead of
your Charisma modifier.
SOCIAL SCORE = (your Wisdom modifier) / 2
During a social interaction, you may use your Wisdom
modifier instead of Intelligence for most skill checks that
would normally use Intelligence. The GM may make
exceptions for checks that require highly specific
knowledge, such as a History check to remember the exact
year a kingdom was invaded. This benefit also applies to
Appeal to Reason checks (see the Social Interaction chapter).
EXPERIENCED EXPLORER
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, your
experience with traveling grants you benefits. You are
particularly familiar with two types of natural environment
and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions.
When you choose this specialization at 2nd level, choose
two types of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest,
grassland, mountain, open sea, swamp, or underground.
When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to
your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if
you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.
While traveling in one of your favored terrains, you gain
the following benefits:
� Even when you are engaged in another activity while
traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking),
you remain alert to danger.
� If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a
fast pace.
� When you forage, you find twice as much food as you
normally would.
� You have advantage on checks to identify a creature
native to your favored terrain based on its tracks, scat,
or other signs of its passage.
� You have advantage on checks to identify plants native
to your favored terrain.
� By observing creatures native to your favored terrain,
you may learn information about your surroundings
such as the direction to the nearest settlement, where to
find nearby water sources, or the direction of predators.
You choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 9th
level. If you choose open sea as a favored terrain, you gain
proficiency with Navigator’s tools as well.

ANIMAL BOND
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, you have

Part One: Characters

tamed and trained an animal companion with a maximum
CR of 1/4, and it trusts you and obeys your commands to
the best of its understanding and ability.
In combat, the animal acts on your turn. You can use a
bonus action to command it to move to a spot you indicate
and/or take the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Hide, or Help
action. It can only Help in ways that account for its
limitations as an animal. If you do not issue a command,
your companion will reasonably act in the interests of self-
preservation and defending its master (such as taking the
Dodge action, moving away from danger, or attacking if
cornered).
You may also instruct your animal companion to Attack
creatures smaller than it. When it comes to larger (or
particularly threatening) creatures, your animal will be
highly unlikely to attack unless you or it are in mortal
danger.
If your animal companion dies or is otherwise lost, you
may train another if you can find and/or capture a suitable
animal. The training and bonding requires 2d4 weeks with
access to adequate food and shelter.
Common
WELL-TRAVELLED Hunter's
When you choose this Specialization at 2nd level, you learn Weapons
some phrases in all major languages. You cannot pass as a
native speaker unless you are proficient in a language, but
you know enough to understand the gist of an overheard
conversation, bargain over an item’s price, or offer basic
greetings. However, nuances of speech (such as sarcasm)
will usually be lost on you.

LAND’S STRIDE
Starting at 6th level, moving through difficult terrain costs
you no extra movement, and your speed increases by 10
feet while you are not wearing medium or heavy armor and
not wielding a shield.
Additionally, you no longer leave signs of your passage
when travelling in the wilds. You may also cover the tracks
of a number of companions equal to your Wisdom modifier
(minimum of 1).

INTUITION OF THE WILDS

Starting at 9th level, you double your proficiency bonus on
all Wisdom (Survival) checks.
Additionally, you have advantage on all Wisdom
(Survival) checks while in your favored terrain.

Classes
50
 Rogue
A cutthroat Abresian bandit collects tolls on a road more
often than the local government. In the greatest heist of a
generation, a lone Featherfolk master empties the sprawling
vaults of The Auric of everything but a single sunflower. A
team of amateur thieves steal crates of Eldertech from the
metropolises of the Athenaeum, kicking up tribute to their
bosses in the cartel. Pirates board and plunder a Mundi
trade ship hours from its port of call, vanishing on the wind
with enough loot to last several months, or one particularly
decadent evening.
If nothing else, the paths open to rogues twist in all
directions, just beneath the light of civil society. For where
else but the murky spaces between order and lawlessness
would outlaws thrive? These denizens of Dema risk
punishment to benefit at the expense of their targets.
Resourcefulness, artifice, and dexterity are their hallmarks.
Lockpicking kits and hidden daggers are their tools. While
ROGUE ADVANCEMENT
occasional acts of charity to the poor have become fodder
Prof. Sneak for folktales, most outlaws live or die by their cunning and
Level Bonus Attack Features greed. No trust is given freely. There is no predicting how
having an outlaw along for the adventure might open doors
1st +2 1d6 Expertise, Sneak Attack, Thieves’
for the party – though some doors are best left shut.
Cant, Clever Words
2nd +2 1d6 Cunning Action
Class Setup
3rd +2 2d6 Rogue Archetype
4th +2 2d6 Ability Score Improvement
HIT POINTS
Hit Die: 1d8
5th +3 3d6 Uncanny Dodge Hit Points: 8 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, add
6th +3 3d6 Expertise, Rogue Archetype 1d8 + your Constitution modifier at higher levels
feature
PROFICIENCIES
7th +3 4d6 Evasion Armor: Light armor
8th +3 4d6 Ability Score Improvement Weapons: Simple weapons, longswords, rapiers,
shortswords
9th +4 5d6 Rogue Archetype feature
Tools: Thieves’ tools
10th +4 5d6 Ability Score Improvement, Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Reliable Talent
Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception,
Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception,
Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

EQUIPMENT
You start with 5d6 gp and the following equipment:
� Common clothes and (a) a rapier or (b) a shortsword
� (a) a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) 20 darts
and 5 vials of basic poison

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51
 � (a) a burglar’s pack, (b) a dungeoneer’s pack, or (c) an
explorer’s pack
� Leather armor, two daggers, and thieves’ tools
Class Features
EXPERTISE
At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of
your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves’
tools. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability
check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
At 6th level, you can choose two more of your
proficiencies (in skills or with thieves’ tools) to gain this
benefit.
SNEAK ATTACK
You know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s
distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6
damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have
advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse
or a ranged weapon.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another
enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t
incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the
attack roll.
The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain
levels in this class, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of
the Rogue table.
52
THIEVES’ CANT
During your rogue training you learned thieves’ cant, a
secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to
hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only
another creature that knows thieves’ cant understands such
Part One: Characters
messages. It takes four times longer to convey such a
message than it does to speak the same idea plainly.
In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and
symbols used to convey short, simple messages. Thieves
can communicate to each other whether an area is
dangerous or the territory of a thieves’ guild, and whether
loot is nearby. They can tell each other whether the people
in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for
thieves on the run.
CLEVER WORDS
Your social score is half your Charisma modifier or your
Intelligence modifier, whichever is higher.
SOCIAL SCORE = (your Charisma or Intelligence
modifier) / 2
During a social encounter, you may use a Bonus Action
on your turn to Impair Target (see the Social Interaction
chapter).
You have advantage on Persuasion and Deception checks
when attempting to convince a target that a particular
action or circumstance will be to their benefit (as long as
such an argument can be reasonably made), and you may
use Intelligence instead of Charisma for these checks.
Common
Thieves’ Tools
Classes
CUNNING ACTION
Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow
you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action
on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used
only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
ROGUE ARCHETYPE
At 3rd level, you choose an Archetype that you emulate in
the exercise of your rogue abilities. Your Archetype choice
grants you features as you level.
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th and 10th level,
you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or
you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As
normal, you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using
this feature.
UNCANNY DODGE
Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits
you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the
attack’s damage against you.
EVASION
Starting at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way
of certain area effects, such as a catapult’s flaming payload
or a collapsing ceiling. When you are subjected to an effect
that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take
only half damage, you instead take no damage if you
succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you
fail.
RELIABLE TALENT
By 10th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they
approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check
that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a
d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
Redsky Core Book
53
Rogue Archetypes
THIEF
Snatching a set of keys can be even more valuable than a
shining diamond jewel depending on the conditions.
Thieves are prepared to acquire either, and steal everything
in between. Let no door stay unpicked, chest un-looted, or
vault unopened while a thief still breathes in the shadows.
FAST HANDS
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you can use
the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to make a
Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves’ tools to
disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object
action.
PICKPOCKET
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you can use
your exceptional dexterity to lift items off of a target easily.
When you make physical contact with a creature, such as
with a grapple, a melee attack, or simply bumping into
them on the street, you have advantage on Dexterity
(Sleight of Hand) checks to steal from or plant an item on
that creature.
SECOND-STORY WORK
Starting at 6th level, you gain the ability to climb faster than
normal; climbing no longer costs you extra movement.
In addition, when you make a running jump, the distance
you cover increases by a number of feet equal to your
Dexterity modifier.
SUPREME SNEAK
Starting at 9th level, you have advantage on a Dexterity
(Stealth) check if you move no more than half your speed
on the same turn.
Con Artist's
gambling set
CON ARTIST
A well-placed lie can divert a fleet from conquering a
kingdom. Con artists will rise to the occasion when the
misdirection is urgent enough, crafting ruses to work
around any obstacle. Given enough time to adapt in the
moment, these rogues can flow around a dilemma like
water. With advanced notice to plan, an organization can be
brought to its knees.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you gain
proficiency with the disguise kit, forgery kit, and the
Deception skill.
IMPERSONATION
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you become
quite skilled at mimicry, and can flawlessly change your
accent to disguise the land of your origin (as long as you
have heard a creature from that land speak a language you
know).
You also have the ability to pretend to be someone else in
an attempt to fool creatures that can hear but not see you, or
when you are disguised. When you use this ability against
someone who has heard your real voice, you make a
Charisma (Deception) check. The target(s) make a Wisdom
saving throw against the result of your check. On a failure,
your true identity remains undetected. However, a target
may automatically succeed on their saving throw if you
attempt to mimic a close friend, family member, or other
person with whom the target is intimately familiar.
If used at the same time as a disguise crafted with a
disguise kit, this feature may work while a target can see
you as well.
Additionally, your mimicry can be used in combat to
confuse an enemy. When fighting enemies that can hear and
understand you, and an enemy makes an attack roll against
a creature that isn’t you, you may use your reaction to
distract the attacker. Make a Charisma (Deception) check,
and the attacker must make a Wisdom saving throw against
the result of your check. On a failure, the attacker has
disadvantage on their attack roll. This feature will not work
against the same creature more than once per combat.
MANIPULATOR
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, your social
score becomes half the sum of your proficiency bonus plus
your Charisma modifier or your Intelligence modifier,
whichever is higher.
SOCIAL SCORE = (your proficiency bonus + your
Charisma or Intelligence modifier) / 2
In addition to the ability to Impair Target granted by
Clever Words, you may Push for Information as a bonus
action during a social encounter (see the Social Interaction
chapter).
When you spend at least 10 minutes talking to a sentient
creature that can understand you, you may attempt to cause
them to become charmed by you. The target must succeed
on a Wisdom saving throw against a DC of 8 + your
proficiency bonus + your Charisma or Intelligence modifier
(whichever is higher). The target has advantage on this
saving throw if it is hostile toward you.
54
The charmed condition lasts for 10 hours, though it may
end early in circumstances that cause the target to doubt
your intentions, such as when you or your companions
harm the target or they catch you in a lie. Another sentient
may attempt a Charisma (Persuasion) check (using the same
DC as the saving throw) to end the charmed condition on
Part One: Characters
your target, but they have disadvantage on this check if you
are present.
PRACTICED PERSONAS
Starting at 6th level, you have advantage on Charisma
(Deception) checks when lying about your identity.
Additionally, you have advantage on ability checks made
to convince a target of the legitimacy of items produced by
your forgery kit.
SOCIAL CHAMELEON
Starting at 9th level, you can use various cosmetics in your
disguise kit to rapidly change the appearance of your face.
You can create a passable disguise in 1 minute that will fool
most people who do not know you well. The disguise can
be seen through by any creature who succeeds on a DC 16
Wisdom (Perception) check against your disguise. The
disguise will automatically fail against a creature who has
seen you in the last day if you were wearing any distinctive
clothes or accessories (unless you change or hide them).
CUTTHROAT
Some problems of diplomacy, rivalry, and security are best
solved with the slice of a knife. A Cutthroat can strike at
targets the precise moment they are most vulnerable. From
darkness Cuttroats deliver vicious ends, leaving nowhere in
Dema truly safe from a dagger’s edge.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, you gain
proficiency with the disguise kit and the poisoner’s kit.
DEADLY STRIKE
When you choose this Archetype at 3rd level, if you hit a
target with an attack while they are affected by the
surprised condition or unaware of your location or presence
(including while you are successfully hiding from them),
the attack is a critical hit. This effect also applies if you are
disguised as somebody your target would normally be
friendly or neutral toward.
FROM THE SHADOWS
Starting at 6th level, if you are discovered while hiding, and
the discovery results in a combat encounter, you
automatically roll a 20 on your initiative roll.
Additionally, when you make an attack while hiding, you
only give away your position if creatures in the area are
actively searching for you.
TWIST THE KNIFE
Starting at 9th level, when you make a critical hit against
creatures up to 1 size larger than you, damage dice are
tripled instead of doubled when calculating damage.
Classes
 Sage
A sage is critical to patch up the surviving members of a
rough encounter with Dema’s jaws and blades. At least well
enough that they can then find their way back to the nearest
clinic. A sage can come from any walk of life, from
Luminosi monks to the Mindmasters of Hollowfalls. What
matters is the path going forward when they begin their
travels with the party.
Sages are dedicated to their areas of study, crafting nature
or science into an art form. This makes them deadly
effective when the situation calls for someone learned in
medicine or Eldertech usage. Most sages can craft a variety
of mixtures and tinctures to aid in almost any situation. A
few sages follow a different path: with legendary weapons
and miracle tools always falling out of abandoned ruins,
some scholars practice to become adept wielders of all
Eldertech, from hardlight arrows to boots that walk on
water.

Class Setup
HIT POINTS
Hit Die: 1d6
Hit Points: 6 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, add
SAGE ADVANCEMENT 1d6 + your Constitution modifier at higher levels
Prof.
Level Bonus Features
PROFICIENCIES
Armor: Light armor
1st +2 Intellectual, Dabbling Linguist, Weapons: Simple weapons
Apothecary, Education
Tools: Herbalism kit, glassblower’s tools, poisoner’s kit
2nd +2 Expert Inspiration, Practiced Healer Saving Throws: Intelligence and Wisdom
3rd +2 Poisons Skills: Insight, Choose four Intelligence-based skills
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement EQUIPMENT
5th +3 Font of Inspiration, Education feature You start with 5d8 gp and the following equipment:
� (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
6th +3 Salve Dust, Dust Throw
� (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) a priest’s pack
7th +3 Advanced Intellect
� Ten empty glass vials and five empty flasks in a pouch
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement
� An herbalism kit, a poisoner’s kit, and a healer's kit
9th +4 Education feature
� Common clothes
10th +4 Aura of Safety
� Additional equipment from Education choice

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55
Class Features
INTELLECTUAL
Your social score is half your Intelligence modifier.
SOCIAL SCORE = (your Intelligence modifier) / 2
During a social encounter, you may use a Bonus Action to
Push for Information (see the Social Interaction chapter).
Additionally, when trying to make an argument using
logic and reason, you may use Intelligence instead of
Charisma for your Persuasion skill checks. This also applies
to Appeals to Reason in social encounters.
DABBLING LINGUIST
You know the basic alphabets and some phrases in all major
languages. You cannot pass as a native speaker unless you
are proficient in a language, but you know enough to know
the meaning of a document, understand the gist of an
overheard conversation, or offer basic greetings. However,
nuances of speech (such as sarcasm) will usually be lost on
you.
APOTHECARY
You have the ability to make salves, poultices, and other
mixtures. During a short rest, you can create 2 mixtures.
During a long rest, you can create 2 mixtures every hour
that you don’t spend sleeping. Creating a mixture requires
access to the local flora and/or fauna (or the pickings from
previous excursions); a kit determined by the category of
mixture; and a vial, flask, small jar, or other container to
store the substance in.
Each mixture you can create falls into one of several
categories, as detailed in the Types of Sage Mixtures Table.
The category of the mixture determines how it is applied. If
a mixture has multiple categories listed, it can be created in
either form. At 1st level, you can create the following
mixtures:
� PROTECTANT. Salve. Grants a creature 1d4 + (your
Intelligence modifier) temporary HP. The dice rolled
increases to 2d4 at 5th level, and 3d4 at 9th level.
� FORTIFIER. Salve. Grant a creature advantage on their
next Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution saving throw.
The type of saving throw is specified when you create
the salve.
� DEMULCENT. Salve. Prevent the next 1d6 + (your
Intelligence modifier) damage of a specific damage
type that isn’t bludgeoning, piercing or slashing. The
type of damage is specified when you create the salve.
The dice rolled increases to 2d6 at 5th level, and 3d6 at
9th level.
� NUMBING OINTMENT. Poultice. The creature may
immediately roll one of their Hit Dice. They add their
Constitution modifier to the roll and regain that many
hit points.
Applying a salve or poultice to yourself or another
creature takes a free hand, direct access to the skin, and at
least 1 minute. Other types of mixtures can be applied in
different ways, as detailed in the Types of Sage Mixtures
table.
56
Dice rolls related to a mixture’s effects should be made at
the time of application. Any lasting effects granted from a
mixture wear off at the end of the creature’s next long rest.
The effects of dusts, potions, poultices, and salves cannot
be stacked, and applying a new one will cause the previous
Part One: Characters
one’s effects to fade.
If a mixture requires the target to make a saving throw,
the following formula is used:
MIXTURE SAVE DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Intelligence modifier
EDUCATION
All sages are called such because of their educated
background, either from an institution, being apprenticed to
a master, or years of intense study. At 1st level, choose an
Education that reflects your particular sage’s field of study.
Your choice grants you features as you level.
EXPERT INSPIRATION
Starting at 2nd level, you can inspire others with your deep
knowledge and lore. You can use a bonus action on your
turn to choose one creature other than yourself within 60
feet who can hear you. That creature gains one Expert
Inspiration die, a d6.
Once during the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the
die and add the number rolled to one ability check it makes.
The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before
deciding to use the Expert Inspiration die, but must decide
before the GM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once
the Expert Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can
only have one Expert Inspiration die at a time.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your
Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any
expended uses when you finish a long rest. Your Expert
Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in
this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level and a d10 at
10th level.
PRACTICED HEALER
Starting at 2nd level, you may expend 1 use of a healer’s kit
during a short rest to help revitalize your wounded allies. A
creature you choose sharing in your short rest regains 1d6
hit points, in addition to any hit points they regained from
rolling their Hit Dice. You may expend more uses of the
healer’s kit to treat additional creatures in the same fashion.
The hit points regained increases to 1d8 at 5th level, and
1d10 at 9th level.
Additionally, when you use a healer’s kit to stabilize a
creature, the creature also regains 1 hit point.
POISONS
Familiarity with how to heal and enhance a body comes
with knowledge of how to poison and harm it as well.
Starting at 3rd level, you can create poison mixtures. Some
poisons require saving throws. When you apply such a
poison from this class, the DC equals your Mixture save
DC.
Classes
 You can still utilize your poisoner’s kit to make different
and more advanced poisons, but the following recipes have
proven quick, cheap, and easy to make:
� PARALYTIC. Poison. The target takes poison damage
equal to 1d4 + (your Intelligence modifier) and makes a
Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target
gains the poisoned condition, is paralyzed for 1d4
rounds, and has disadvantage on Dexterity saving
throws until they complete a long rest. If ingested, the
paralysis begins in 1d4 minutes and lasts for 1d4 hours
instead. The creature can also attempt a Constitution
saving throw during a short rest; on a success, the
poisoned condition and additional effects end.
� NECROTOXIN. Poison. The target takes necrotic damage
equal to 2d6 + (your Intelligence modifier) as the toxin
eats their flesh. This may result in additional injuries to
the affected area, as determined by your GM.
� BLOOD POISON. Poison. The target takes poison damage
equal to 1d4 + (your Intelligence modifier) and makes a
Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target
gains the poisoned condition and their Constitution
score drops by 2 until their next long rest. The creature
can also attempt a Constitution saving throw during a
short rest; on a success, the poisoned condition and
additional effects end.
These poisons can be applied to a weapon that deals
piercing or slashing damage, and will crystallize instead of
drying (the application process takes 1 minute). They will
remain active until the weapon is wiped down or it hits a
target with a successful attack roll, at which point the
poison’s effects are applied to the target. Poisons may also
be mixed with a benign liquid, such as water, and drunk.
Any poisons you create that are consumed in this fashion
do not have a noticeable taste.
the dust. Creatures can choose to willingly fail this saving
throw.
ADVANCED INTELLECT
Starting at 7th level, you can add half your proficiency
bonus, rounded down, to any Intelligence or Wisdom check
you make that doesn’t already include your proficiency
bonus.
AURA OF SAFETY
Starting at 10th level, as long as you are not unconscious,
you and all creatures within 10 feet of you have a bonus to
Constitution saving throws equal to your Intelligence
modifier.
Educations
KEEPER OF MEDICINE
Knowledge of healing in Dema is as precious as silks and
ingots of silver. Sages trained in the medicinal arts can stave
off grievous infections, mend wounds, and nurse those on
the brink of death back to full strength. The most useful care
can be quick to learn, but only perfected by those active in
the practice of their craft.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
Choosing to be a Keeper of Medicine grants you proficiency
in the Medicine skill and the brewer’s kit. You include a
brewer’s kit with your starting equipment.
Additionally, you have advantage on all Intelligence
(Medicine) checks to stabilize a creature or diagnose an
illness or condition.

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th level, you can
increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can
increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal,
you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this Salves and Potions
feature.

FONT OF INSPIRATION
Starting at 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of
Expert Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.

SALVE DUST
Starting at 6th level, you can choose to create dust from an
existing salve instead of creating a new one during a long
rest. Using the same amount of time you would normally
spend creating a mixture, you set up a salve to dry out. This
creates a concentrated powder form of the medicine that
can then be inhaled or consumed as an action for the same
effect as the salve’s original form.

DUST THROW
Starting at 6th level, as an action, you can wrap a dust you
have created in a strip of cloth and toss the bundle up to 20
feet, landing in an area covering a 5-foot square. A creature
occupying that space must succeed on a Dexterity saving
throw against your Poison save DC or suffer the effect of

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57
 TYPES OF SAGE MIXTURES
Type Created with Application and Notes
Dust Herbalism Kit Can be inhaled or consumed as an action, or thrown up to 5 feet as an action to be inhaled by a
target. If thrown, the target makes a Dexterity saving throw against your Mixture save DC, and
avoids the effect on a success
Poison Poisoner’s Kit Applied to a weapon (takes 1 minute) that is used to strike the target, or mixed with a liquid and
drunk as an action
Potion Brewer’s Kit Drunk as an action
Poultice Herbalism Kit Applied to body of target over 1 minute
Salve Herbalism Kit Applied to body of target over 1 minute, can be dried into a Dust
ADVANCED ELIXIRS
As a Keeper of Medicine, you can create more specialized
healing mixtures during your curative-making time.
Potions are made using your Brewer’s kit instead of an
Herbalism kit and can be drunk as an action rather than
taking 1 minute to apply. The other requirements are the
same as making traditional curatives.
� ANTIDOTE. Potion. A creature can drink this solution to
cure themselves of the poisoned condition. However, it
will not cure additional effects that may have been
applied by the poisoning.
� SLEEP AID. Potion. A mild sedative and restorative that
allows a creature to recover from an additional level of
exhaustion during their next long rest.
� HEALING OINTMENT. Poultice. When a creature rolls Hit
Dice to regain hit points during a short rest, an
application of this ointment allows them to add a
bonus equal to your sage level + your Intelligence
modifier to the total amount of hit points regained. This
benefit only applies once, regardless of the number of
Hit Dice rolled.
� MEDICAL SALTS. Dust. These salts can be inhaled or
ingested to remove the paralyzed or unconscious
condition from a creature.
TOUCH OF A HEALER
Starting at 5th level, you can use your knowledge of
medicine to quickly relieve pain and restore confidence in
those you treat. As an action, you can touch a creature and
gift them one Hit Die of their class’s type, even if they are
already at their maximum Hit Dice. They may use this Hit
Die immediately to regain hit points. If they don’t use it, the
Hit Die is lost.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to half
your sage level. When you take a long rest, you regain all
uses of this feature.
ANATOMICAL WISDOM
Starting at 5th level, your expert advice can help your allies
avoid serious damage in combat. When an allied creature
with an Expert Inspiration die from you is hit by an attack,
they may expend the Expert Inspiration die to reduce the
attack’s damage. They roll the Expert Inspiration die and
subtract the number rolled from the damage roll of the
attack (to a minimum of zero). The ally can choose to use
this feature after the creature succeeds on its attack and
58
Part One: Characters
after the damage dice have been rolled, but before damage
is applied.
GENIUS DOCTOR
Starting at 9th level, you can craft mixtures to cure all
known diseases or poisons, and automatically succeed on
ability checks to diagnose a disease or poison affecting a
creature. You know the regions where the necessary
ingredients to make these cures can be found.
Additionally, whenever a friendly creature within 30 feet
of you rolls a Hit Die to recover hit points, the creature can
add your Intelligence modifier to the roll.
KEEPER OF MIGHT
Concoctions carefully crafted from the natural world can
work wonders. The Keepers of Might know just the right
proportions to go into each specialized brew. Having the
right potions can be the difference between victory and
defeat.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
Choosing to be a Keeper of Might grants you proficiency in
the Athletics skill and the brewer’s kit. You include a
brewer’s kit with your starting equipment.
PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS
As a Keeper of Might, you can make mixtures that
temporarily boost the abilities of creatures during your
curative-making time. Potions are made using your
brewer’s kit instead of an herbalism kit and can be drunk as
an action rather than taking 1 minute to apply. The other
requirements are the same as making traditional curatives.
� STIMULANT. Potion. Relieves a creature of the effects of
one level of exhaustion for 6 hours. For example: if they
have two levels of exhaustion, they will only be subject
to the effects of the first level.
� STEROID. Potion. Increases a creature’s Strength score by
2 for 4 hours. However, they will gain a level of
exhaustion when it wears off.
� ANALEPTIC. Potion. Grants a creature advantage on
Perception checks for 4 hours. However, they also have
disadvantage on Perception checks for 4 hours after the
effects wear off.
� EXCITANT. Dust. Increases a creature’s Dexterity score
by 2 and decreases their Wisdom score by 1 for 4 hours.
Classes
 � VITALIZER. Potion. Allows a creature to stay awake and
without food for 50 hours. The creature automatically
succeeds on Constitution saving throws to avoid
exhaustion due to forced marches, lack of sleep, and
being without food. The creature will be unable to
sleep (and get the benefits of a long rest) during this
time, and when the effect wears off the creature
immediately gains two levels of exhaustion.
SUPPRESSANTS
Starting at 5th level, you gain the ability to make substances
that can decrease performance in your enemies. When a
target makes a saving throw against your suppressants, the
DC equals your Mixture save DC.
� SEDATIVE. Dust/Poison. The creature takes 2d4 psychic
damage and must make a Constitution saving throw.
On a failure, the creature is subjected to the poisoned
condition for the next 4 hours. The creature cannot be
reduced below 1 hit point by the damage.
� INTOXICANT. Dust/Poison. The target’s Wisdom,
Dexterity, and Charisma scores are decreased by 2 for 1
hour.
� TRANQUILIZER. Poison. The target creature immediately
suffers a level of exhaustion. After 30 seconds, the
target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or
become unconscious for the next 4 hours.
LASTING ADVICE
Starting at 5th level, the first time a creature that has an
Expert Inspiration die from you uses that die on an ability
check, the die is not lost if the check fails.
MASTER PHARMACOLOGIST
Starting at 9th level, you can apply up to two of your
mixtures to a creature at the same time, allowing multiple
effects to be active at once. If a third mixture is applied, the
effects of the oldest application fade.
KEEPER OF ANCIENTS
Those with knowledge of the past hold the keys to the
future. A Keeper of Ancients might bring decades of study
in the histories and arts to bear when solving a problem.
Fools should fear irking an adept in Eldertech wielding, as
fireballs fly from the hands of the experts in their class.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
Choosing to be a Keeper of Ancients grants you proficiency
in the Eldertech skill and with medium armor. You include
two common Eldertech artifacts, a dagger of warning, and a
reconstruction sphere in your starting equipment.
WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS
The knowledge passed down to you is centered around
Eldertech. You gain the following benefits:
� You have advantage on all attempts to identify an
Eldertech artifact.
� You may attempt a repair on a broken Eldertech
artifact with a repair station even if you haven’t
identified it yet, though it takes 4 times as long as it
normally does.
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� When using an Eldertech item to make a weapon
attack, you may use your Intelligence modifier for the
attack and damage rolls.
� You are automatically proficient with Eldertech
weapons of any type, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC
while wielding an Eldertech weapon, and a +1 bonus to
all attack rolls made with it. This bonus increases to +2
at level 5, and +3 at level 9.
EXTRA ATTACK
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once,
whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
POTENT ELDERTECH
Starting at 5th level, your intelligence can help you utilize
Eldertech to apply dangerous effects to your foes. When a
creature that you can see within 60 feet of you makes a
saving throw against an effect from an Eldertech artifact
you are using, you can use your reaction to expend one of
your uses of Expert Inspiration. Roll an Expert Inspiration
die and subtract the number rolled from the creature’s
saving throw. You can choose to use this feature after the
creature makes its roll, but before the GM determines
whether the saving throw succeeds or fails.
Additionally, your proficiency bonus with the Eldertech
skill is doubled.
ELDERTECH MASTER
Starting at 9th level, you automatically succeed on attempts
to identify Eldertech artifacts, and have advantage on
saving throws against effects caused by Eldertech.
Additionally, any damage you cause with an Eldertech
weapon or an effect generated by an Eldertech artifact
ignores not only physical damage resistances, but all
damage resistances. Similarly, the damage from your
Eldertech treats damage immunities as if they were damage
resistances.
KEEPER OF ANCIENTS AND ELDERTECH
The Keeper of Ancients sage may not work very
well in adventures that have little or no Eldertech.
Players should have a discussion with the
gamemaster about the amount of Eldertech
expected in an adventure before choosing this
subclass.
 Part One: Characters
Wordsmith
Some are born with the gift for persuasion. Others hone the
talent of tongues over a lifetime. Wordsmiths stand out as
charismatic and charming, with a magnetism that can draw
in crowds, or let them negotiate past guards with a perfectly
crafted cover story. The most tactful can extract exactly
what they want from every encounter. Some up-and-
coming wordsmiths might start out at the lowest tiers of
politics or trade in a culture. Their ambition doesn’t allow
for them to stay there for long, however. Others might be
part of a traveling band of actors, minstrels, and bards, with
the on-demand ability to put on a persona so convincingly
that the lowest performer can be a noble at the city’s court
for an evening, with none the wiser.
Some use these powers for just causes. Others build
criminal empires from nothing. When starting an
adventure, count on the wordsmith to handily negotiate
their way out of encounters long before combat becomes an
issue – though their other hand will be on their crossbow or
rapier, just in case. Disguise, haggling, misdirection,
rhetoric: the only limit to a wordsmith’s influence is the
distance to the closest ear.

Class Setup
HIT POINTS
Hit Die: 1d6
WORDSMITH ADVANCEMENT Hit Points: 6 + your Constitution modifier at 1st level, add
Prof. Powerful 1d6 + your Constitution modifier at higher levels
Level Bonus Words Features
PROFICIENCIES
1st +2 2 Vicious Mockery, Powerful Armor: None
Words, Socialite
Weapons: Simple weapons, rapiers, shortswords
2nd +2 2 Profession, Poetic Inspiration Tools: A musical instrument, a gaming set
3rd +2 3 Profession feature, Powerful Saving Throws: Charisma, Intelligence
Words feature Skills: Persuasion, Deception, Insight, choose one from
4th +2 3 Ability Score Improvement History, Insight, or Religion

5th +3 4 Font of Inspiration, Powerful EQUIPMENT

Words feature You start with 5d8 gp and the following equipment:
6th +3 4 Profession feature � (a) a rapier, (b) a shortsword, or (c) any simple weapon
7th +3 5 Instinctive Charm � (a) a diplomat’s pack or (b) an entertainer’s pack
8th +3 5 Ability Score Improvement � (a) a musical instrument or (b) a gaming set
9th +4 6 Profession feature � Fine clothes and a dagger

10th +4 6 Powerful Words feature

Classes
60
Class Features
VICIOUS MOCKERY
As an action, you unleash a string of insults at a creature
you can see within 60 feet of you. If the target can hear you
(though it need not understand you), it must succeed on a
Wisdom saving throw against your Social save DC or take
1d4 psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next
attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. A target
cannot be reduced below 1 hit point by this damage.
The damage increases to 2d4 at 5th level and 3d4 at 9th
level.
SOCIALITE
Your social score is half the sum of your proficiency bonus
plus your Charisma modifier.
SOCIAL SCORE = (your proficiency bonus + your
Charisma modifier) / 2
During a social encounter, you may use a Bonus Action
on your turn to Impair Target, Bolster Self, or Push for
Information (see the Social Interaction chapter).
POWERFUL WORDS
You know how utilize speech patterns and rhetoric to
influence others. You start with the options Charm Person
and Heroism. When you use Powerful Words, you choose
which option to use.
When your Powerful Words require a target to make a
saving throw, the DC for that saving throw is calculated as
follows:
SOCIAL SAVE DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
your Charisma modifier
Once you have used Powerful Words the number of
times shown for your Wordsmith level in the Powerful
Words column of the Wordsmith table, you must finish a
short or long rest before you can use Powerful Words again.
You gain more Powerful Words options as you level up,
and each option indicates at what level it becomes available.
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61
HEROISM
As an action, you may speak to a willing creature within 10
feet that can hear and understand you, and you imbue them
with bravery. For the next minute, the creature has
advantage on saving throws against becoming frightened
and gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma
modifier at the start of each of its turns. At the end of this
minute, the target loses any remaining temporary hit points.
If the creature is currently frightened, it may immediately
attempt a Wisdom or Charisma saving throw with
advantage to end the frightened condition. The DC for this
saving throw comes from the feature that caused the
frightened condition. If no DC is available, the GM decides
the DC.
CHARM PERSON
You attempt to charm a sentient that you can see and that
can hear and understand you if you speak at a normal
conversational volume. The act takes approximately 30
seconds to become effective. After this time, the target must
make a Wisdom saving throw, and does so with advantage
if it is hostile to you or your companions. It succeeds
automatically if it is actively trying to attack you or your
companions.
If the sentient fails the saving throw, it is charmed by you
for 1 hour, or until you leave its presence, or until you or
your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed
creature regards you as friendly and trustworthy. After the
charm wears off, it makes another Wisdom saving throw. If
it succeeds, it realizes it was charmed by you.
SUGGESTION
3rd level
As an action, you suggest a course of activity (limited to a
sentence or two) and influence a non-hostile sentient you
can see within 60 feet that can hear and understand you.
Sentients that cannot be charmed are immune to this effect.
The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to
make the course of action sound reasonable. Suggestions
that fall into one of the following categories fail
automatically:
wordsmith's
quill and ink
 � Asking the sentient to stab itself, throw itself onto a
spear, immolate itself, or do some other obviously
harmful act.
� Asking the sentient to take an action that would be
obviously impossible to accomplish within an 8-hour
period.
� Asking the sentient to take an action that runs directly
counter to their current intentions, such as asking a
guard to leave their post.
The target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed
save, it pursues the course of action you described to the
best of its ability.
CAUSE FEAR
5th level
As an action, you hint at the dangerousness of one of your
companions. Choose an ally within 30 feet of you. Each
hostile creature that can hear and understand you within 30
feet of that ally must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or
become frightened of your ally for the next minute.
CONFUSE
5th level
As an action, you speak in a deliberately obscure,
threatening, and winding manner to a target within 15 feet
of you that can hear and understand you. The target must
succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or become
flustered for the next 1 minute. Whether it succeeds or fails,
the target also has disadvantage on any attack rolls or
ability checks it makes until the end of its next turn.
MASS SUGGESTION
10th level
As an action, you suggest a course of activity (limited to a
sentence or two) and influence up to twelve non-hostile
sentients of your choice that you can see within 60 feet and
that can hear and understand you, or every non-hostile
sentient within 120 feet that does not have a stat block.
Sentients that cannot be charmed are immune to this effect.
The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to
make the course of action sound reasonable. The suggestion
may fail automatically on some or all sentients if it falls into
one of the categories defined in the 3rd-level Suggestion
option.
Each target must make a Charisma saving throw. On a
failed save, it pursues the course of action you described to
the best of its ability.
PROFESSION
At 2nd level, you choose a Profession that makes use of
your talent for elocution. Your Profession choice grants you
features as you level.
POETIC INSPIRATION
Starting at 2nd level, you can inspire others through stirring
words or music. Use a bonus action on your turn to choose
one creature other than yourself within 60 feet who can hear
you. That creature gains one Poetic Inspiration die, a d6.
Once during the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the
die and add the number rolled to one attack roll or saving
62
throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the
d20 before deciding to use the Poetic Inspiration die, but
must decide before the GM says whether the roll succeeds
or fails. Once the Poetic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A
creature can only have one Poetic Inspiration die at a time.
Part One: Characters
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your
Charisma modifier (a minimum of once). You regain any
expended uses when you finish a long rest. Your Poetic
Inspiration die changes when you reach certain levels in
this class. The die becomes a d8 at 5th level and a d10 at
10th level
ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th level, you can
increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can
increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal,
you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this
feature.
FONT OF INSPIRATION
Starting at 5th level, you regain all of your expended uses of
Poetic Inspiration when you finish a short or long rest.
INSTINCTIVE CHARM
Starting at 7th level, when a creature you can see within 30
feet of you makes an attack roll against you, you can use
your reaction to divert the attack, provided that another
valid target is within the attack’s range. The attacker must
make a Wisdom saving throw against your social save DC.
If you are the only creature within the attack’s range that
the attacker is hostile toward, then the attacker succeeds on
the save automatically. On a failed save, the attacker must
target a different creature besides you that it is hostile
toward. If multiple targets are within range, the attacker
chooses which one to target.
On a successful save, you cannot use this feature on the
attacker again until you finish a long rest. You must choose
to use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits or
misses. Creatures that cannot be charmed are immune to
this effect.
Professions
ENTERTAINER
The performing arts have always been valued highly in
Dema. Whether a dramatist on stage, a traveling minstrel,
the court poet, or any number of the musicians and artists
of the waking world, entertainers often convert their skills
as creative visionaries into one-of-a-kind results out in the
wider world.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this Profession at 2nd level, you gain
proficiency in the skills Performance and Sleight of Hand,
as well as two musical instruments of your choice.
JACK OF ALL TRADES
When you choose this Profession at 2nd level, you can add
half your proficiency bonus (rounding down) to any
Dexterity or Charisma ability check you make that doesn’t
already include your proficiency bonus.
Classes
EARN YOUR KEEP
When you choose this Profession at 2nd level, you may earn
yourself a room and a meal at most inns by making a
Charisma (Performance) check to provide entertainment to
the inn’s patrons for 1 hour. The required DC changes
depending on how expensive the inn is: DC 9 for a cheap
inn, DC 13 for an average inn, and DC 17 for an expensive
inn.
If your check succeeds, you are provided with a single
bed and enough food for yourself for free, and the
innkeeper and most patrons will adopt a friendly attitude
toward you. You may also rent a larger room with more
beds for your companions for half its normal price.
Additionally, you may take two hours in a settlement to
blend in and learn about what issues are currently
concerning the common folk and laborers.
POWERFUL WORDS: BANE
When you choose this Profession at 2nd level, you gain the
Powerful Words option Bane.
As an action, you choose up to three creatures of your
choice that you can see within 120 feet that can both hear
and understand you, and they must make Charisma saving
throws.
EFFECTIVE AND FUN WORDSMITHS
The wordsmith is, by design, a powerful class in
social settings, and less than competent in other
areas. Here are some notes that should help you
get the most out of characters with this class.
Stay out of harm’s way. The wordsmith has low
HP and no armor proficiencies. In combat, you
should stay out of reach of enemies, and try to take
cover behind an obstacle if your opponents have
ranged attacks. In a pinch, don’t forget that ranged
attacks have disadvantage against you if you’re
prone – just make sure you’re out of melee range as
well before dropping to the ground!
Your allies have a voice. You will often take charge
in social situations, but don’t forget to yield the
floor to your companions once in a while. Redsky’s
social mechanics (see the Social Interaction
chapter) ensure that everybody benefits if you have
a high social score. If you’re playing with social
encounters, you can use bonus actions to support
your allies when they speak.
Use Powerful Words often. You regain all uses of
Powerful Words when you take a short rest, so
don’t hold back – use them! If you run out, remind
your allies that it’s time to take a break, and insist
that it will benefit everyone.
Embrace the downtime. Wordsmiths are highly
useful in towns and cities but less so when fighting
monsters in the wild. Roleplaying with your group
members can be a fun way to fill these gaps.
Entertain your companions with a poem or song
while camping, or plan with them how you will sway
the town’s mayor to support your cause.
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Whenever a target that fails this saving throw makes an
attack roll or a saving throw for the next minute, the target
must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from the
attack roll or saving throw.
CUTTING WORDS
Starting at 3rd level, you know how to use your wit to
distract, confuse, and otherwise sap the confidence and
competence of others. When a creature that you can see
within 60 feet of you makes an attack roll or an ability
check, you can use your reaction to expend one of your uses
of Poetic Inspiration, rolling a Poetic Inspiration die and
subtracting the number rolled from the creature’s roll. You
can choose to use this feature after the creature makes its
roll, but before the GM determines whether the attack roll
or ability check succeeds or fails. The creature is immune if
it can’t hear you or is immune to being charmed.
POWERFUL WORDS: ENTHRALL
Starting at 6th level, you gain the Powerful Words option
Enthrall.
As an action, you weave a distracting string of words,
causing creatures of your choice that you can see within 60
feet and that can hear you to make a Wisdom saving throw.
Any creature that cannot be charmed succeeds on this
saving throw automatically, and if you or your companions
are fighting a creature, it has advantage on the save. On a
failed save, the target has disadvantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks made to perceive any creature other
than you until the target can no longer hear you.
RELIABLE TALENT
Starting at 9th level, you have refined your chosen skills
until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an
ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you
can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
POLITICIAN
Verbal sleight of hand and razor-sharp intuition can uplift
the most impoverished character into positions of influence
and prestige. A politician can use high office in society to
sway events in their favor. With the dozens of societies in
Dema in constant change, your character can often leave
their mark on the world without drawing their blade.
BONUS PROFICIENCIES
When you choose this Profession at 2nd level, you gain
proficiency in the skills Intimidation and Politics.
EXPERTISE
When you choose this Profession at 2nd level, choose two of
your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled
for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen
proficiencies.
At 9th level, you can choose two more of your
proficiencies to gain this benefit.
DIPLOMACY AND NETWORKING
When you choose this Profession at 2nd level, you gain
benefits from your status as a rising politician. You may
gain an audience with important figures (such as a mayor
or councilperson) in settlements you visit by succeeding on
� You can make a target indifferent about creatures of
your choice that it is hostile toward. This indifference
ends if the target is attacked or harmed, or if it
witnesses any of its friends being harmed. When this
effect ends, the creature becomes hostile again, unless
the GM rules otherwise.

Part One: Characters

a Charisma (Persuasion) check. The DC varies by the size of
the settlement: DC 9 for a small village, DC 13 for an REVEALER OF TRUTH
average town, and DC 17 for a big city. Starting at 9th level, whenever you use Powerful Words:
In circumstances where the important person would Calm Emotions to suppress a charm or fear effect on a
freely meet with you anyway, success on the check grants creature, the effect ends permanently.
you and your companions advantage on the next Charisma
check against the individual. This feature may only be used
once per month in a particular settlement.
Additionally, you may take two hours in a settlement to
carouse and learn about what issues are currently
concerning the wealthy and elite.

POWERFUL WORDS: ENDORSE

When you choose this Profession at 2nd level, you gain the
Powerful Words option Endorse.
As an action, you endorse up to three creatures of your
choice within 120 feet that can both hear and understand
you, boosting their confidence for up to 1 minute.
Whenever a target makes an attack roll or a saving throw
before the effect ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the
number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw.
Entertainer's Lute
VOICE OF BATTLE
Starting at 3rd level, you learn how to use your voice to
embolden and grant confidence to your allies in combat.
When an allied creature that you can see within 60 feet of
you succeeds on an attack roll, you may use your reaction
to expend one of your uses of Poetic Inspiration, rolling a
Poetic Inspiration die and adding the number rolled to the
damage roll. You can choose to use this feature after the
creature succeeds on its attack, but before it rolls for
damage.
Alternatively, you may shout a warning to an ally when
they are targeted by an attack, using your reaction to
expend one of your uses of Poetic Inspiration. Roll a Poetic
Inspiration die and add the number rolled to the AC of the
ally targeted by the attack. The bonus to AC expires after
the current attack. You must choose to use this feature
after an attack is declared but before it is determined
whether the attack hits or misses.
The ally is immune to these effects if they cannot hear
you.

POWERFUL WORDS: CALM EMOTIONS

Starting at 6th level, you gain the Powerful Words option
Calm Emotions.
As an action, you can attempt to use a calming voice
and words to suppress strong emotions in a group of
people. Each sentient within 30 feet of you must make a
Charisma saving throw; a creature can choose to fail this
saving throw if it wishes. If a creature fails its saving
throw, choose one of the following two effects.
� You can suppress any effect causing a target to be
charmed or frightened. When this effect ends, any
suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration
has not expired in the meantime.

Classes
64
 Chapter 4:
Backgrounds and Feats
Languages Artisan Culture
Language Typical Speakers Languages: Usundi, Mundane
Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Politics
Eltayan Archivists
Tool Proficiencies: Two sets of artisan’s tools
Khottan Wakewalkers
Your character grew up in the hot and sunny Gilded States
Monturyn Nightriders among the Featherfolk. Verbal agility and quick thinking
Mundane Everyone are highly prized among your culture. It is considered
Qet Sporespawn proper form to always be welcoming and friendly to
strangers unless a direct offense is taken. You are used to
Scintillan Humans
some of the most intense heat and light in all of Dema.
Usundi Featherfolk
RHETORIC AND MEMORY
Backgrounds The Gilded States place great emphasis on remembering
extended family and small details. You can accurately

C
haracters in Dema come from all walks of life. The
most remote Nightrider nomads can rise to
positions of power in the great city of Mundi
through the Scholasta. Wakewalkers born in the farthest
corner of the Midnight Isles might have a job patrolling the
streets of Scintilla by adulthood. Featherfolk hatched in the
Panacean Jungle may find themselves hunting Eldertech to
sell in the Athenaeum. A former Hegemony Krypteia agent
could become famous by slaying a cave horror guarding an
Orb of Abragon.
The backgrounds listed here specify the region of origin
for a character. Your selection of background will determine
what languages your character knows, grant them some
additional skill and tool proficiencies, and give them a
special gameplay feature.
Arctic Culture
Languages: Eltayan, Mundane
Skill Proficiencies: Eldertech, History
Tool Proficiencies: Weaver’s tools, vehicles (sleds and
sledges)
Your character grew up in the frozen Athenaeum among
the Archivists. The residents of the northern tundras and
wastelands have a healthy obsession with all things
Eldertech. It is usually considered a major social faux pas to
show your emotions in public.
FROM THE FROZEN CITY
In the frozen cities of the Atheneum, it is customary to not
let even the most passionate of emotions be displayed on
your face. Creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom
(Insight) checks to determine your true motivations.
Additionally, snow and ice do not count as difficult
terrain for you, and you only need half the usual time to
identify an Eldertech artifact.
remember the face and voice of any sentient you interact
with for more than 1 minute, as well as any information
they gave you about their ideas and interests.
Additionally, you are well trained in debate and rhetoric.
You cannot have disadvantage on your Charisma
(Persuasion) or Intelligence checks when debating using
reason and logic (such as when making an Appeal to
Reason in a social encounter).
City Culture
Languages: Mundane, one of your choice
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Sleight of Hand
Tool Proficiencies: One artisan’s tools, one gaming set,
vehicles (city carriages)
Your character grew up in a cosmopolitan city, like Mundi
or Yaras, among people from all across Dema. You are used
to socializing with sentients of every shape and size and
from all walks of life. You have common sense when it
comes to navigating urban streets, and you also intuitively
know when a shopkeeper is trying to scam you.
FLOW OF THE SETTLEMENT
You have an instinctive sense of how to navigate in
settlements large and small. When you enter a village,
town, or city, you can accurately guess the direction of
common features such as markets, inns, town halls, and
stables, as well as the most efficient way to travel to those
locations.
Additionally, you have advantage on Wisdom (Insight)
checks when gauging the trustworthiness of shopkeepers
and innkeepers.
Imperial Culture
Languages: Scintillan, Mundane, one of your choice
Skill Proficiencies: Politics, Religion
Tool Proficiencies: One weapon, one gaming set, vehicles
(animal-drawn carriages and carts)

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65
Your character grew up in the vast and prosperous Solar
Hegemony among the Humans. The Hegemony fosters fear
of outsiders and the unknown. Additionally, imperial
citizens often prioritize the interest of groups over the
individual. Individuals have major responsibilities to their
family, the local village community, and the nation. Most
imperial subjects are also highly religious in their worship
of Sola.
PROPER IDENTIFICATION
The Solar Hegemony imposes a system of documentation
on its citizens, especially those who travel. You have
identification papers and can recite your station and place
of origin. This identification usually allows you to avoid
extra scrutiny from guards inside the Hegemony and allows
you to pass through city gates or across bridges without
being harassed by officials.
Additionally, you have an easier time seeking hospitality
from houses on the road. Homeowners throughout the
Light Plains often feel safer admitting you and your allies
when they can see (or hear, if they are unable to read) your
Hegemony documentation, knowing that they can report
you to the guards if you get up to any wrongdoing.
ALTERNATIVE: CHILDREN OF SOLA
You may take this feature as an alternative to Proper
Identification. Instead of carrying documentation, you
blend in well with the adherents of a major religion such as
the Church of Sola. You may be a true believer, or just very
good at faking it. In either case, any followers of the same
religion are usually friendly to you when you travel, and
are very willing to offer accommodations and shelter within
reason.
Island Culture
Languages: Khottan, Mundane
Skill Proficiencies: Performance, Athletics
Tool Proficiencies: Navigator’s tools, an instrument, and
vehicles (water)
Your character grew up in the remote Midnight Isles among
the Wakewalkers. You likely have seen (or hunted) at least
one gargantuan sea monster, known as the Deep Ones.
Strength and combat prowess are highly valued in the
islands, as are skilled cooks and bone sculptors.
TROPHY
After slaying a hostile creature of size large or greater, or a
sentient with a Challenge Rating greater than your
character level, you may take a body part or piece of
equipment from the creature’s body that is easy to carry
and display and turn it into a trophy.
When you display your trophy, those familiar with your
culture are more inclined to show you respect and
recognize your hunting and fighting prowess. It can also be
useful as a tool to help intimidate those who are unfamiliar
with the practice. As you slay more powerful foes, you can
replace your trophy to increase this effect accordingly.
When you arrive in a new settlement, characters who see
your trophy may reach out to you to offer jobs hunting
bandits or beasts.
66
Nomadic Culture
Languages: Monturyn, Mundane
Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Animal Handling
Tool Proficiencies: Leatherworker’s tools, cook’s utensils
Part One: Characters
Your character grew up on the steppes of the Moon Realms
among the Nightriders. You are accustomed to being
judged based on your martial and intellectual abilities
rather than what you look like. You likely learned to ride in
the saddle at a very young age and are very familiar with
riding and maintaining virses. Home means the sight of the
open steppe stretching to the horizon and the moon
retracing its path across a permanently dark sky.
BOAST
Those raised in Nightrider culture often build credibility
with others by boasting about their individual
accomplishments. Characters you meet are likely to give
you the benefit of the doubt when you attempt to persuade
them of your capabilities based on your past experiences.
The effect is most pronounced if the abilities you boast
about are important to or needed in the current situation.
Additionally, during social encounters you may use a
Bonus Action on your turn to Bolster Self (see the Social
Encounters chapter).
Subterranean Culture
Languages: Qet, Mundane
Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Materials
Tool Proficiencies: Mason’s tools, cartographer’s tools
Your character grew up in the underground Hive Halls
among the Sporespawn. You are used to experts and
specialists from different fields coming together to share
their thoughts. A lot of time navigating dark stone tunnels
has made you familiar with the basics of mapmaking and
stonework.
MIND OF THE GROUP
Due to the communal nature of life in the Hive Halls, you
can effectively gauge the mood and thoughts of groups
quickly. Whether it’s the current patrons of a tavern or the
crowd in a town square, you can become attuned to the
group within a few seconds. This allows you to identify
whether the group is tense or suspicious, whether their
attention is directed at you and your companions, or the
presence of other outsiders.
Alternate Backgrounds
The default Redsky backgrounds are simple cultural
backdrops to help establish your characters roots in the
world. If you’re looking for more specific background
options, our system is compatible with the SRD 5.1, which
has many source books offering dozens of potential
backgrounds for characters. If you pick a background from
an alternate source, make sure to select two common
languages from the Redsky universe as well.
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the lore of Dema’s
civilizations and cultures, feel free to imagine original
backgrounds that might motivate great deeds and
captivating drama with other characters. You may work
Backgrounds and Feats
with your GM to develop alternative backgrounds that give
you the skills you believe fit your character concept. Use the
backgrounds we provided as a guideline to assist you in
this process.
Feats
A feat represents a talent or an area of expertise that gives a
character special capabilities. It embodies training,
experience, and abilities beyond what a class provides.
At certain levels, your class gives you the Ability Score
Improvement feature. Using the optional feats rule, you can
forgo taking that feature to take a feat of your choice
instead. You can take each feat only once, unless the feat’s
description says otherwise.
You must meet any prerequisite specified in a feat to take
that feat. If you ever lose a feat’s prerequisite, you can’t use
that feat until you regain the prerequisite. For example, the
Deflect Missiles feat requires you to have a Dexterity of 14
or higher. If your Dexterity is reduced below 14 somehow-
perhaps by a debilitating poison-you can’t benefit from the
Deflect Missiles feat until your Dexterity is restored.
AETHER ASPECT
Prerequisite: Aether Element and the Unity feature, 6th level
You exemplify the traits of Aether to a high degree.
Companionship and mutual support are some of your core
values, and your allies know it and benefit just from your
presence.
If you are conscious and have at least one conscious ally
within 10 feet of you, you and all allies within 10 feet have a
bonus to saving throws equal to your proficiency bonus.
This benefit replaces the benefits of the Unity feature and
does not stack with them.
AIR ASPECT
Prerequisite: Air Element and the Adaptable feature, 4th level
You exemplify the traits of Air to a high degree. Quick
thinking and outside-the-box solutions come naturally to
you.
If you fail an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw,
you may expend a Hit Die to add your proficiency bonus to
that result (if your proficiency bonus was already a part of
the result, you add it again).
After using this feature, you cannot use it again until you
finish a long rest.
BLIND FIGHTER
You have trained extensively to be able to fight without the
use of your eyes. You have blindsight with a range of 15
feet. Within this range, you can see anything that isn’t
behind total cover even if you are blinded, though creatures
may still successfully hide from you. If you are deafened,
the range of your blindsight decreases to 5 feet.
BOWMASTER
Your relentless training with a bow has granted you with
excellent accuracy against targets both close and far. You
gain the following benefits:
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67
� You gain proficiency with the longbow and rider’s bow
if you did not have them already.
� Your short range with the shortbow increases to 160
feet, and your short range with the longbow is
increased to 300 feet.
� When attacking with a shortbow, you do not have
disadvantage if a hostile creature is within 5 feet of
you.
� When attacking with a shortbow or longbow, you do
not have disadvantage against targets that are prone.
COUNTERATTACK
You have learned how to cunningly take advantage of even
the smallest openings given by your enemies in combat.
When an enemy misses you with a melee attack, you may
use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity against
that enemy.
DEFLECT MISSILES
Prerequisite: Dexterity 14 or higher
Your reflexes are advanced enough that you can time your
movements to intercept ammunition that is aimed at you.
You can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile
when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do
so, the damage you take from the attack is reduced by 1d10
+ your Dexterity modifier + your character level.
If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if
it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have
at least one hand free.
EARTH ASPECT
Prerequisite: Earth Element and the Studious feature, 4th level
You exemplify the traits of Earth to a high degree. You are
constantly on the lookout for sources of information and
take to new subjects like a fish does to water. You gain the
following benefits:
� Your Intelligence score increases by 1 (to a maximum of
20).
� You immediately gain proficiency with two items from
the following categories: weapons, armor and shields,
languages, tools, and skills.
� When your Studious feature is activated in the future,
you may choose to gain proficiency with a language,
weapon, armor type, or shield type instead of a skill or
tool.
ELEMENTAL VERSATILITY
Prerequisite: 6th level
You identify strongly with more than just one Element. You
gain the feature of one of the other Elements you are
aligned with, in addition to the Element feature you chose
at 1st level.
FIRE ASPECT
Prerequisite: Fire Element and the Frenzy feature, 6th level
You exemplify the traits of Fire to a high degree. You can
ride your emotions to poignant highs and leverage them
well in your adventures. When you use your Frenzy
feature, you gain the following additional benefits:
� A bonus equal to your proficiency modifier on damage
rolls from your melee attacks.
� A bonus equal to your proficiency modifier on all
Charisma ability checks and saving throws (if your
proficiency bonus was already a part of the check or
saving throw, you add it again).
LUNGING ATTACK
You have learned how to utilize forward momentum as
part of an attack. When you take the Attack action, you can
make a special melee attack against a target that is 5 feet
outside the reach of your current melee weapon. As part of
this attack, you move 5 feet towards the target, and this
movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Additionally, you may add your proficiency bonus to the
damage roll. If you’re able to make multiple attacks as with
the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
RECKLESS ATTACK
You have learned that sometimes the best move is to throw
aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce
desperation. You gain the following benefits:
� Increase your Strength score by 1 (to a maximum of 20).
� When you make your first attack on your turn, you can
decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you
advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength
during this turn, but attack rolls against you have
advantage until your next turn.
SHOVING ATTACK
You have learned how to throw your weight behind your
attacks to move your enemies. When you hit a target with a
melee weapon attack, you may shove that target (using the
standard rules for Shoving a Creature in the Combat
chapter) as part of the attack. You may not use this shove to
knock the target prone.
SOCIAL NATURE
Some people have a natural talent for social skills, but you
have learned yours through dilligent practice. You may
choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your social
ability. Your social score is half the sum of your proficiency
bonus plus your social ability’s modifier.
Social score = 0.5 × (your proficiency bonus + your
social ability’s modifier)
During a social encounter, you may use a Bonus Action
on your turn to Impair Target, Bolster Self, or Push for
Information (see the Social Interaction chapter).
STUNNING STRIKE
Through physical training and study of the physical form,
you have learned how to strike weak points to stun. As an
action, you may make an attack roll with a bludgeoning
weapon or an unarmed strike and attempt to stun a target
that is up to one size larger than you. This attack does not
deal any damage.
68
If the attack roll exceeds the target’s AC, the target must
make a Constitution saving throw against the result of your
attack roll. On a failure, they become stunned until the end
of your next turn. If the attack roll does not exceed the AC,
or the target succeeds on their saving throw, the strike has
no effect.
Part One: Characters
This feature is different from the Attack action. You may
not use Stunning Strike to replace any normal attacks that
you make when you take the Attack action.
VOID ASPECT
Prerequisite: Void Element and the Fortitude feature, 6th level
You exemplify the traits of Void to a high degree. You are
extraordinarily self-reliant, and can draw on deep reserves
of willpower to sustain yourself beyond normal limits. You
gain the following benefits:
� When you begin a short rest with no Hit Dice
remaining, you regain one Hit Die.
� You may expend a Hit Die to gain advantage on any
one saving throw.
WATER ASPECT
Prerequisite: Water Element and the Stability feature, 6th level
You exemplify the traits of Water to a high degree.
Attempts to manipulate your emotions fail outright, and
your finely-tuned mental control benefits your physical
form as well. You gain the following benefits:
� You are immune to the frightened and charmed
conditions.
� The exhaustion condition does not affect your ability
checks or attack rolls.
� You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
DEVELOPER NOTES
Feats are lots of fun and add customizability to your
character. Here are some notes to keep in mind if
you want to use them in your game:
Feats from other sources. Redsky is compatible
with the SRD 5.1, which means that any feats
designed for this system should work with our
game. However, you should keep in mind the
themes of Redsky when selecting external feats.
Feats that bestow magical powers, for example,
would be a poor fit. Combat, social, or exploration-
oriented feats should work just fine as long as they
do not imply supernatural abilities.
Balance. The high customizability that feats offer
make them difficult to balance for a small team like
ours. The feats in this section have not been
playtested with the same rigor as the core rules.
Your GM may see fit to ban some or all of them
from the game.
Backgrounds and Feats
Part II: The World of Dema
 Intr odu ction to Dem a
Sola have mercy on you. Yes, you. Not for any lapse in judgmen t you might have had, like your fourth peach cider
with your Scholast a study group. You are going on a journey, student of the mind. Nothing can prepare you for
weird, wild, wonderf ul world we call Dema. this
My colleagu es the Abeceda ries have asked me to write this primer. What can you expect from the six major
geograph ic regions? It’ s short, of course. Too short. Like trying to give you the history of the Moon River through
glass of its water. Still, I could give you lots of tales to build suspens e. I have ridden bareback behind Nightrid one
nomads chasing wild oytuks with fur of burned oak and musk. I have heard purple waterfa lls thunder ing upwarder
the ground to the sky in the chirping , rustling vines of the Fellcoas t. I have strode with Wakewa lker kings across from
tables of temper ed shell, tasting flavors of fresh-ca ught avanc and cetus from market day that reimagin ed salty,
sweet. You could ask me what defines the Athenae um. Well, I might say I have touched the leathery sides sour,
great azhitsa sky whales of Pilgrim ’ s Pass. Listened to the Archivis t' s morning prayer on the hundred th day ofof the
hunt. A 70th birthday to rememb er. Would it give you a real sense of the mass of the memory , though? our
Do
know how tiny and insignifi cant you feel once you’ v e heard the pulsing rhythm of Tohol’ s snaking walls of biometa you
you did, you certainl y wouldn’ t have picked up this tome to begin with. For Sola’ s sake, the podes in editoria l? If
probably mark this as “For Beginne rs.” As if you hadn’ t been consciou s until the Musaeu m gave you your first l will
assignm ent! foreign
I trust in your potentia l. Odds are you are young, opiniona ted, and still have your knees. A combina tion like that
has changed the world more times than its sitting rulers care for you to rememb er. If I could teach
that might in a real sense increase the quality of your own treks to come, it would be this. You are you alive
one thing
now,
reading these words with the paper or vellum delicate in your hands. You will be alive weeks or months hence
sweatin g on the back of a hissing sand scarab ferrying you through the Warm Shores. Meditat ing on
Dragon’ s Spine Mounta ins. Collecti ng firewoo d in the Tenaybr e with that rare sense of urgency thattheonlypeaks
comes
of the
your guide makes off with your extra blankets and leaves you for the ice spiders. Stop. Look. Listen. Count to after
then snap your fingers twice. Save a mental portrait of the landscap e. Going to a place – truly being there – three,
transcen ds this mean, military sense of scope the Hegemo ny frames our travels as. For cultures and kin, I leave
things to the hefty archives of comelier authors shelved to the right and left of my work. My words will simply
your pamphl et. Your dossier. A lover’ s letter to the land. Foresha dowing feelings of the spaces that remind be
so often of the dirty secret hinted at slyly by all poets. you every
Well, let’ s cut the teasing. The secret is that the world will outlive you. If you are reading this, odds are Dema
has already outlived me — at least if these letters have any longevit y to them. Age cannot wither Dema, nor
stale her infinite variety. But for us mortals , we take for granted that possibil ities widen after our youth instead custom
narrow. That’ s the rub of living life looking backwar d at mistake s and doubt. Turn, say the poets. The moment of
here. The realms are in front of you. Heed my words before you strike out on your journey. I am not some wises are
about to preach of right and wrong. Frankly , I aspire to live like an old Feather folk friend of mine named Curis’ sage
As a lovable fool. The tips you will encount er in my logs could enrich your underst anding of the world, but theirEp.
true purpose is closer to home. They will help you to say the two words spoken by the luckiest of us at the
our hourglas ses. “Remem ber when.” Not, “If only.” end of
So let us look to the future with these words, traveler to be. You will rememb er when…

-Mara Tancred. Biased, Romanticized, and Grossly Impractical:

A Beginner’s Guide to the Regions of Dema.

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71
 Part Two: The World
Chapter 5: The World
The Overseers
B
ehold, the world of Dema! It is a living, breathing
world nestled inside the inner hull of the great,
unknown World Ship. Dema is home to six sentient
species, each trying to survive and thrive in ordinary
societies under an unmoving sun. Thousands of miles of
The World Ship
In the cold nothingness between stars, when is the price of
land give life to millions of beings. Each species has shaped
life too steep? This question propels the Overseers of the
the land as much as the land has shaped its cultures. With
World Ship. The World Ship emerged from a mythic past so
history, adventure, unwritten rules, and bits of written or
lost to memory that all but a handful of the current
visual art waiting to be crafted, the tales of Dema and
Overseers consider its lonely voyage timeless. It is known to
Redsky are a space for everyone who loves the power of
the highest ranked Overseers that ancient Humans
storytelling. This chapter contains a broad overview of the
constructed its continent-sized hull. The descendents of
Overseers, a timeline of important events from the current
those first forgotten generations continue their travel away
cycle of the World Ship, and the areas you will encounter.
from a homeworld now too distant to even remember.
The cultures of Redsky’s sentients are detailed in depth in There are rumors among the crew that this solitude is for
other chapters, which you can explore in any order of the best. That some original sin was committed that drove
interest. Along the way, you’ll find documents that offer a the primordial Overseers to the stars. Perhaps to wander, or
slice of life from inside Dema, as well as some notes from to flee.
the Overseers. The words that follow are the starting point
For all the Overseers’ knowledge and technological
for your understanding of this fictional universe.
power, the World Ship cannot travel faster than the speed
of light. The Ship’s trip between solar systems takes longer
than a natural lifetime, and death still has the final say. To

The World
72
pass the time, the vast majority of the crew sleeps away the
tide of centuries frozen in cryogenic pods, awakening in
rotations just long enough to complete repairs and keep
crucial systems functioning. The Overseers’ methods are far
from perfect. They have left gaps in the outer hull where
compartments and decks larger than cities have been
abandoned for millennia.
The World in the
Walls
What the Overseers guarantee is the World Ship’s life
support. Not for the smattering of crew, but for their
unwitting passengers within the ship’s open interior. The
Overseers decided long ago that it would be wasteful to
simply carry the frozen crew between the stars like cargo.
The main chamber of the World Ship contains many
hundreds of miles of rolling grasslands, glowing forests,
churning seas, and hill valleys molded as easily as clay. The
seeds of carefully selected populations are planted at the
beginning of every cycle, left to grow into whatever shape
takes its course. A few monitors watch from above as pre-
industrial civilizations evolve beneath a false sky and
artificial celestial bodies. Within the current cycle of reality
the passengers call “Dema,” the sun is fixed in the southeast
corner of a starless sky, with the moon wandering across
the northwestern half of the world. Running north to south,
the world is almost completely divided by impassable
mountains. This separates the hull into two pronounced
regions of mostly darkness or light. In past cycles, every
single condition of the world in the hull has been different.
The Overseers may be mortal, but they are mortals who can
casually carve mountains and drain seas on their way to
moving the sun.
Countless people live in an approximation of freedom
within the hull. The freedom to age, to love, to interact with
the societies around them as hermits and kings, tribes and
empires, spanning generation after generation. Life has
taken strange and wonderful shapes when left to its own
peaceful devices. The effects of conflict are just as intriguing
to the crew. With the subtlety and cruelty of amoral
researchers, civilizations are allowed to reach their peak
before conditions in the hull are intentionally made more
hostile. As the World Ship approaches its destination,
monster migrations, natural disasters, and other strains on
resources force societies to adapt or perish. A closing circle
of clashes shrinks inward from all four corners of the hull.
The sky turns blood red, and the world’s remaining
civilizations make a crucible-like final stand near the center
of the world. All this occurs while an unfathomable amount
of data is collected, and calculating eyes above screen for
the worthiest sentient species to leave on the planet the
World Ship has finally arrived to. For unknown reasons, the
Overseers have never found sentients on the life-bearing
planets it has visited. If space is without thinking beings
until their arrival, the World Ship’s hull is a cradle of
consciousness for the cosmos.
Numerous Overseer outposts and agents operate within
this world in the walls, carrying out orders as their
superiors watch from above. Their interactions with hull
societies are supposed to never leave a hint for any local to
guess at the true nature of their reality. Yet, unsustainable
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conditions force Overseer agents to intervene often enough.
While the most consequential canon interactions between
hull passengers and Overseers are stories we are saving for
other Redsky experiences and the novel series The Redsky
Cycle, feel free to weave your own storylines. Many GMs
will insist ignorance is bliss, and will have no need to
incorporate Overseers into their grand sagas. Epic,
yearslong tales can be told across Dema without
mentioning the World Ship once. Other GMs might have
Overseer crew members take a more active role, with agents
in the hull wielding technology so advanced, they may as
well have magic. We happily encourage both storytelling
styles, and everything in between.
Eldertech
Scattered throughout the world of Dema by the Overseers
are mysterious and powerful devices known as Eldertech.
The reason for doing so is known only to the highest
ranking members of the crew. Every culture in Dema prizes
these artifacts in some respect. They are miraculous
contraptions that few fully understand. They range in
usefulness and purpose from a rock that sticks to walls
when squeezed, to the legendary Archicon that sustains the
life of millions. In an age of iron swords and wooden carts,
Eldertech is easy enough to spot. Some are patterned like
the surface of a circuit while others glow an iridescent
purple. Many have the unmistakable Eldertech symbol
etched into their side. The Eldertech alloy many are made of
is incredibly strong, yet light. Eldertech artifacts are
extremely resistant to damage, allowing them to weather
the decay of centuries and endure the abuses of everything
except blows from other Eldertech weapons.
To the people of Dema, to own an Eldertech artifact is to
wield ancient power. The best smiths, sages, and inventors
of the land pale in comparison to the Overseer technicians
who left these devices behind. Prolific users of Eldertech
often become synonymous with their devices, like the
shakahr depth rig divers of Clan Kahr, and the shiseli sand
ship captains of the Red Desert. The gear of famous
adventures can turn the tides of battle. It can open a new
world of possibilities and set your characters apart from the
common rabble.
The world of Dema lacks any magic. The rules of the
universe are firmly grounded in the unbreakable laws of
physics. Where there would be spells and enchantments
that propel characters to legendary heroism, the characters
you play in Redsky will be enhanced by Eldertech to do the
same. This is where we invite your creativity. What
fantastical gizmos and contraptions do you want in your
stories? How will your characters react to a lance that emits
toxic gas, or an orb that allows seeing far-off places using
science still unknown to us? Will you make a fortune selling
these artifacts to the great powers of the world? Or will you
hoard them and harness the power of the Overseers?
The Simulacrum
After expending an ungodly amount of energy and
resources, the Overseers are able to recreate digital
simulations of the events of entire hull cycles. From the
smallest ripple of water to the ultimate fate of a species, the
histories, cultures, and even individual thoughts of
inhabitants can be simulated and replayed countless
millions of times. Alterations can even be made to see how
a cascading effect on one changed action can exponentially
radiate out down the entire timeline and remold what is
functionally a new reality. Jayne Erindera
While it remains philosophically uncertain if these
simulated versions of the hull’s inhabitants are alive, they
certainly think and feel as though their lives are concrete
and have meaning. New characters can be inserted into
cultures, creating vastly different outcomes in politics,
adventures, and warfare. New locations and even insertions
of peoples and places from other cycles are experimented
with by specially assigned Overseers who are tasked with
nurturing these worlds.
For the community, we’d like to think this means almost
any fun, creative story you and your friends tell that
deviates from the ‘hard canon’ of the lore you will read here
still happens in some capacity. At minimum, your stories

Part Two: The World

are an entire branch within the Simulacrum with contents
so meaningful that the Overseers themselves thought it
merited spawning a reality. We hope you enjoy using this
sandbox we’ve created. The true number of cycles and
simulations that have occured is a secret to all but the
highest ranking Overseers. Perhaps you will worldbuild an
entirely new cycle in Dema’s far past or future. The greatest
power in this universe is your creativity.

The Current
Cycle
The mysterious Overseers experiment with their creations
on their long voyages between worlds. The world of Dema
was sculpted by them over the countless ruins of previous
cycles, leaving behind untold mysteries the folk of Dema
will never fully understand. In this cycle’s brief history,
civilizations rise and fall, and wage petty wars with one
another to determine who will rule the known world.
There are six sentient species in Dema’s cycle. The
Archivists live in the Athenaeum, unraveling the secrets of
Eldertech in their frozen homeland. To the south, the
Humans of the temperate Light Plains take advantage of the
most fertile farmlands to raise enormous armies. In the
extreme southeast, on the hot and humid coasts of the
Gilded Sea, the Featherfolk follow their intuition to the far
horizon, fueling global trade. To their west, Wakewalkers
brave the archipelagos of the Midnight Sea to face the many
horrors above and below the waves. North of their
escapades, the Nightriders thunder across the steppes of the
Moon Realms on their iconic steeds, the virses. Deep
beneath them, the Sporespawn fight their Endless War in
the dark and winding tunnels of the Valqet. The individual
stories and societal arcs of these species are set in history.
But, with the Simulacrum, every last detail is subject to
change in your campaigns. Where does your mark on the
world of Dema begin?

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 The Heroic Era
The Heroic Era is a mythic prehistory that stretches back centuries. It is a time described by myths
and the founding tales of cities and cultures. The real history of the Heroic Era and the legends about
it are often hard to distinguish, as reliable recordkeeping did not exist for much of the Era.
?? EM
?? EM. Vella Montura spends a lifetime
building up her undertribe on the steppes of
the Peleryne. She unites the Freesteeds after
proving her merit, becoming a founding
?? EM mythological figure for all Nightriders. Over
generations, the Dawnraiders, Hardhooves,
and Cairnkeepers split off from the
Freesteeds. Each began their own histories.
?? EM
?? EM. The Desolation begins in the Midnight
Isles with the arrival of the swimming
behemoths known as Deep Ones. Dozens of
Wakewalker clans are wiped out in the chaos,
succumbing to maw and tentacle. High King
Odiseas begins the Wild Hunt, hunting the
Deep Ones with powerful Eldertech he
brings back from the World Tree.
90 EM
41 EM. The wealthy and corrupt Munificent
fail to contain the Silent Plague in Hive Hall
Unrul. The Dispossessed lead a popular
revolt against them. The revolution falls into
the hands of a single Sporespawn named One
Who Cleans. Cleans succeeds in
exterminating the Munificent, and begins
41 EM purging critics from their own faction. Soon,
Cleans reorganizes the Dispossessed into the
ultra loyal Awakened, and declares themself
the Allspawn, the absolute master of Unrul.
6 EM
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?? EM. The small settlement of Etherea is
expanded by Shiran Imyaliv and a figure
known only as The Archivist. They spread
the word of Zenyecrot and begin their
people’s grand quest for Eldertech. Over the
centuries, The Archivist reappears
periodically at moments of great strife to the
Archivist people.
90 EM. The ancient Sporespawn entity
known as The Overmind mysteriously
shatters in an event known as the Sundering.
Its underground hive mind society collapses
into disarray. Millions of Sporespawn
individuals are thrust into consciousness and
hundreds of thousands perish. In Hive Hall
Tohol, a fragment of The Overmind survives
which begins calling itself the Everborn. With
the hope of reuniting all Sporespawn, the
Everborn begins the centuries-long Endless
War by attacking Hive Halls Ikhish and
Unrul.
TIMEKEEPING
Within the world of Dema, the Solar Hegemony’s
popular calendar divides time into the Epoko de
Mallumo (EM, time of darkness) and the Levigo de
Sola (LS, rise of the sun). 0 LS marks the year
Emperor Remus formed the Solar Hegemony. The
world of Dema ends in 102 LS. Four Eras and a Solar
Calendar are both used to track history.

The Uprising Era
The Uprising Era is a time of radical change, warfare, and bold new beginnings. Towns become
cities, and cities emerge as regional powers. Accurate histories begin to be written. Trade with
distant lands brings foreign cultures closer together, and kingdoms combine into empires. The
Uprising Era began with the Dayraid, which reshaped the world of Dema forever.
5 EM. After uniting the Nightriders of the
Moon Realms, the King of Darkness leads his
Dark Horde to war against the Humans of
the Light Plains. This marks the beginning of
the Dayraid. Humanity’s hopelessly corrupt
feudal kingdoms and vast wealth are ripe for
conquest. In just the first years of the war,
Humanity suffers the greatest collective
trauma in living memory.
12-17 LS. A daring Wakewalker pirate named
Varkus Rakanon steals the imperial Karakoa,
the largest ship ever constructed. He uses it
to unite the Jana’haki pirates for the first time
in history. Varkus becomes the Corsair King
and his massive pirate armada is christened
the Dreadfleet. The Corsair King and his
united Dreadfleet dominate the open waters
of the Midnight Sea until Varkus’s death.
SOLAR YEAR
A Solar Year is functionally identical to real Earth
years in length. Solar Years are just organized
around 25 hour days, 30 day months, and 10 month
years. The Solar Calendar tracks agriculture in the
Light Plains.
Its ten months are:
1. Unuaplanta (OO-nu-ah-plan-ta) Planting
2. Duamona (DU-ah-mo-na) Weeding & Growing
3. Trimona (TRY-mo-na) Weeding & Growing
4. Wenkomona (VEN-ko-mo-na) Pre-Harvest
5. Remumona (REE-muh-mo-na) Low Harvest
6. Duaplanta (DOO-ah-plan-ta) Planting
7. Sepamona (Seh-PA-mo-na) Weeding & Growing
8. Okamona (OH-ka-mo-na) Weeding & Growing
9. Homamona (HO-ma-mo-na) Pre-Harvest
10. Solamona (So-LA-mo-na) High Harvest
5 EM
0-12 LS. After saving the Light Plains from
the King of Darkness and leading a revolt
against the Human nobility, a commoner 0 LS
named Remus is coronated as the first Solar
Emperor. Over the next seven years, he
consolidates the Light Plains into a region-
spanning empire known as the Solar
Hegemony. This theocratic society demands
Part Two: The World
military service from its subjects. Worship of
the sun goddess Sola is mandatory, and
heretics are ‘found’ everywhere. In 7 LS,
Remus launches a counter invasion of the
Nightriders’ homeland, beginning the 12 LS
decade-long Moon Realms Conflicts.
29-32 LS. The Aegis Campaigns rage between
the Archivists of Aegis and the Solar
Hegemony. Aegis’s leader Madic Arraz
petitions the other Archivist city-states for
aid. Help never comes. The war reaches its
climactic end with Madic’s death and the
complete annihilation of Aegis.
29 LS
37-41 LS. The Sporespawn suffer the Granite
Years. During these five years of the
centuries-long Endless War, the Hive Halls
erupt in unprecedented violence. In 38 LS
alone, ninety thousand Sporespawn from all 37 LS
three factions die vying for control over a
minor hive. Then in 40 LS, the Everborn
launches a massive surprise attack against
the Freespawn of Hive Hall Ikhish. Almost
sixty thousand Sporespawn die in a matter of
weeks.
47 LS
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 48 LS
The Exodus Era
The Exodus Era is a time of upheaval, rising tides, and mass migrations. Civilizations come under
intense strain from natural disasters, resource shortages, and terrifying new monsters. As Exodus Era
threats force the peoples at the edge of the world to move inland, many begin to wonder if they are
the victims of some divine judgment.
48 LS. The Exodus Era begins with the first
great cataclysm of the age. Hiremai Isle is
completely destroyed after it is attacked by
land-striding Deep Ones. The Terminarch
gives his life to save the Wakewalkers of Clan
Hiremai from annihilation. Combined with
the rising sea level and the steady migration
of more aggressive Deep Ones into the
59 LS Midnight Sea, most of the Wakewalker
population makes their way to dry land.
Many find refuge in the Hominid Dominion.
61 LS
61 LS. The Endless War between the Hive
Halls expands to the surface. The Awakened
establish a large surface colony called New
Nexus. They begin attacking the Ark
Colonies of the Freespawn in the forests of
the Midlands. Wakewalker mercenaries
participate on both sides.
70 LS
73 LS
73 LS. Hollowfalls and The Auric, the two
great Featherfolk powers, feud in a conflict
known as the Astrictions. Hostilities begin
when The Auric attempts a hostile takeover
of the neutral settlement of Sunbleak. In
response, Hollowfalls incites a massive slave
revolt in The Auric. The navies of both
powers briefly clash before agreeing to a
truce. In exchange for internal security, The
Auric abandons its claim to Sunbleak.
85 LS Hollowfalls is victorious in restoring the
balance of power.
89 LS
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59-64 LS. The Marauder Wars break out in
the Gilded Sea. A powerful coalition of
Wakewalker pirate-kings known as the Red
Mast pillage the Sea’s trade routes from their
coastal fortresses in the forests and jungles of
the Midlands. The combined navies of the
Featherfolk ally with the Emperor Tacitus’s
imperial fleet to destroy the pirate kingdoms.
70 LS. A zealous young Solasii priestess
named Celina Solati seizes control of the
Solar Hegemony from Emperor Tacitus.
Tacitus the Kind is executed on the day of
Celina’s wedding to Admiral Ahn Vanen.
Together, Celina and Ahn reign as Diarchs.
Fundamentalist worship of Sola is enforced
through a new sect of the faith called the
Rudiment. Celina and Ahn begin their reign
of terror against heresy and any remaining
pro-Tacitus loyalists.
85 LS. The Tenaybre becomes too cold and
overwhelmed by horrific monstrosities for
the Nightriders living there to survive. In
what is known as the Shivering March, the
entire Cairnkeeper tribe is forced to flee their
homeland. Most make their way to the
Hominid Dominion, where they attempt to
hold true to their ancient faith and culture
while adapting to their new surroundings.

The Redsky Era
The Redsky Era is the end of the world. It is an apocalyptic decade marked by the gradual redenning
of the sky. Plagues and swarms of monsters sweep across the land. Powerful Eldertech devices
reveal their ancient secrets. Civilizations collapse, cities are wiped off the map, and millions die.
After selecting one civilization to be spared, the Overseers wipe the slate of the World Ship clean.
Then, they begin again.
90 LS. Not long after Empress Celina
executes her own husband, she is overthrown
by her only son Sicarius, ending the reign of
the Diarchs. Emperor Sicarius’s sweeping
reforms known as the Argent Dawn begin to
breathe new life into the creaking empire. As
the Solar Hegemony slowly recovers, Sicarius
begins to plan his extraordinary wars of
conquest.
93-102 LS. In 93 LS, Emperor Sicarius orders
his northern legions to attack Etherea, the last
free city of the Archivists. Led by Zasha
Vigon, the Ethereans fiercely resist in three
consecutive wars known as the Storm Wars.
Hegemony legionnaires armed with
Eldertech clash with Archivist saboteurs in
some of Dema’s bloodiest battles. At the cusp
of victory in 102 LS, Zasha, Sicarius’s
invasion force, and the entire population of
Etherea disappear, never to be seen again.
98-102 LS. After a cutthroat Wakewalker
named Mikuran Fellstrider restores the
mantle of the Corsair King, he finishes
consolidating control over the southwestern
Midlands, known as the Fellcoast. In 100 LS,
Mikuran’s Mapinkari Armada smashes
through a Hegemony blockade at the
entrance of the Gilded Sea. For the next two
years, the new Corsair King battles the
Hegemony’s navy across the Gilded Sea. The
Hegemony is ultimately victorious in 102 LS
at the Battle of Asphodel, where Mikuran is
reportedly killed.
90 LS
92-101 LS. One after the other, the great
Sporespawn factions abandon the Valqet to
the metallic swarms of the brass automata. In 92 LS
92 LS, the Awakened of Unrul seal
themselves within the Great Seed, never to be
heard from again. Then in 97 LS, the
Freespawn evacuate the entire population of
Ikhish to the safety of the Midlands. Finally,
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the Everborn stubbornly makes its way to the
surface in 101 LS, its biogrown swarms 93 LS
outmatched by the rising tide of metallic
death.
95-100 LS. – The prosperous Gilded States of
the Featherfolk are destroyed piecemeal. In
95 LS
95 LS, Emperor Sicarius launches his surprise
attack against Panacea and The Auric. In a
lightning war known as the Sunward
Conquest, Sicarius captures both cities within
the year. The desert city of Sunbleak is
overran by a bloodthirsty brood of strigoi
monsters in 97 LS. Hollowfalls, the seat of
wisdom in the Gilded States, collapses into
the sea in 99 LS. Ultimately, the Scourge
plague overtakes Panacea and then The Auric
in 100 LS, filling their ancient tenements with
shambling hordes of infected.
98 LS
100-102 LS. Emperor Sicarius moves to
abolish the senate of the Solar Hegemony’s
longtime vassal, the Hominid Dominion. The
senate refuses to disband, declaring
independence instead. Over the next two
years, the Solar Hegemony fights its final war
against the Hominid Dominion. The
Everborn’s swarm of warrior drones joins the
Hegemony’s legionnaires. Mikuran and his
100 LS
Wakewalker pirates ally with the Dominion
in 101 LS. With their help, the multispecies
Marshals of the Dominion clash with the
Hegemony and its allies for the fate of Dema.
102 LS
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The Daylands
The Daylands are the illuminated eastern half of Dema,
separated from the Nightlands by the Mountains of the
Moon and the heavily forested continent known as the
Midlands. The Daylands are bathed constantly in bright to
dim light in 25-hour cycles.
The biomes of the Daylands range from arid desert and
temperate grassland to alpine tundra. The largest regions in
the Daylands are the Gilded Sea, the Light Plains, and the
Athenaeum. Major geographical features include the
deserts of the Warm Shores and the Stone Curtain
Mountains that separate the Athenaeum from the rest of the
world.
Thanks to their proximity to the sun, the Daylands have
much more arable land than the Nightlands. Daylanders
use this farmland to feed their large populations and fuel
their sophisticated economies. There are great seats of
knowledge in the Daylands at Luminos and Hollowfalls.
The Daylands are generally safer for travelers than the
Midlands and the Nightlands.
The Daylands are home to three sentient species and their
civilizations: the Archivists, Humans, and Featherfolk.
These peoples have traded and gone to war with each other
for hundreds of years. Significant events in the Daylands
include a Nightrider invasion of the Light Plains known as
the Dayraid, wars by the Solar Hegemony to subjugate the
Archivist and Featherfolk civilizations, and the destruction
of entire cultures during the apocalyptic catastrophes of the
Redsky Era.
The Athenaeum
The Athenaeum lies in the far north of the Daylands, in
Dema’s northeast. The land ranges from bright to dimly lit,
but everywhere it is cold. The Athenaeum is a frozen
landscape of forests, mountains, and glaciers. It is the
ancestral home of the Archivists. The Archivist societies
here are steeped in the religious traditions of Zenyecrot.
Eldertech is revered by using it for prayer, research, and
martial training. Travelers in the Athenaeum can expect
massive cities surrounded by desolate winter wastelands.
The region’s three city-states are Aegis, Etherea, and
Luminos. Each controls several outlying territories and
minor settlements. Aegis is a martial city-state that guards
the Athenaeum from southern aggressors. Etherea is the
Zenyecrot’s holiest city. Ethereans sends thousands of
missionaries across the world seeking Eldertech. Luminos is
the region’s seat of knowledge and research. Each city has a
unique architectural tradition closely tied to the frosty
landscape.
AEGIS
The fortress city of Aegis was built with one thing in mind:
repelling overwhelming threats. Until its destruction in 32
LS, its terraced walls, bastions, and spires loomed large
above the flattened highlands of the central Athenaeum.
Aegis’s layers and layers of fortifications took lifetimes to
construct. Spaced between these citadels of stone and
pykrete are dozens of crowded districts carved from wood
and bronze.
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Aegis is first and foremost a city of warriors. Every point
in the city is within walking distance of a training ground or
marshaling point for the city’s military, known as the
Oslon. Many of Aegis’s outer districts are reserved for
grazing and hunting the region’s herds of snow creatures,
which help feed the city’s large population. Aegis is almost
self-sufficient, with enough food reserves to hold up under
siege for years. The city’s farms are constructed as strong
points. Its silos have tower redoubts. Extending far beyond
the city itself, the Oslon garrisons dozens of mountain
strongholds designed to slow down and ambush
overextended enemy armies. Even reaching Aegis itself first
requires a long and costly war of displacement.
Aegis’s many districts each belong to one of five main
zones. The militant religious orders that make up the Oslon
are headquartered in the Ice Spires. The orders, known as
the Eremites, Theonites, and Abbots, train here to master
the four forms of Pwanoszt. The city’s most elite warriors
guard the Arch Chambers, where senior government and
military officials hold war councils and meet regularly to
decide policy. The Artisan, Residential, and Agricultural
zones are by far the largest, filling most of the space
between Aegis’s concentric rings of walls. At the very edge
of the city is an enormous barrier of ice and stone. This
outer wall repelled every attempt to capture Aegis until the
Solar Hegemony’s devastating attacks at the climax of the
Aegis Campaigns.
After the Hegemony destroyed Aegis with Scintillan fire
in 32 LS, their solar legions occupied the charred remains of
the city. The Hegemony used these ruins as their base of
operations in the Athenaeum for the next seven decades.
Before Aegis’s downfall, every one of its citizens, down to
the smallest child, had access to military weapons and
training. Pwanoszt training sessions echoed across the city
in the early hours of the day. Monastic chants reciting
cazram scrolls were just as common. A thriving trade sector
existed as a go-between for goods heading deeper into the
Athenaeum. For Heroic and Uprising Era wanderers who
find themselves at the base of the winter bastion, tread
softly before the once and future guardians of the
Archivists.
CRAI HINTERLANDS
Stretching from the edge of the Eikva Plateau to the western
mountains of the Athenaeum are the Crai Hinterlands.
Filled with snow-covered forests and rolling white hills, the
Hinterlands contain a large population of rural Archivists.
The many forested towns and villages swear fealty to the
city of Etherea, to their north. Separating the two is the icy,
desolate Pilgrim’s Pass. For most of history, the Crai
Hinterlands were a cold but peaceful land, disturbed only
by the occasional rampaging beast. Yet when the Solar
Hegemony attacked Etherea without warning in 93 LS, the
Crai Hinterlands quickly became one of Dema’s bloodiest
battlefields in the decade-long Storm Wars.
EIKVA PLATEAU
Northwest of the mountain pass at Snow’s Edge is an
immense highland called the Eikva Plateau. Stretching
across the central Athenaeum, the Plateau is home to
countless villages and distinct cultural groups. In the far
 ETHEREA
PILGRIM’S PASS EIKVA PLATEAU
CRAI HINTERLANDS AEGIS
north, remote settlements subsist
on a diet of fish and the meat of ursans that graze on
shrubs in the icy wastes. In the south, the fortress city of
Aegis stands proud. The southern Plateau is much more
temperate, thanks to warm air currents that descend over
the Stone Curtain Mountains. The gravelly soil here is some
of the only arable land in the Athenaeum. The Aegic use it
to grow hardy vegetables. Many villages in the northern
Plateau attempted to rebel against Aegic control from 4-5
LS. These rebellions were crushed by a young military
officer named Madic Arraz on his rise through the ranks of
Aegis’s military.
THE EONIA SPIRE
A mysterious tower looms over a forsaken ridge at the heart
of the Mountains of the Moon. It reaches hundreds of feet
into the sky. Its chambers are filled with delicate scrolls
written in an unknown language. Advanced tools and
armor left by an ancient civilization are guarded by some
invisible force. Nestled at the top of the tower is a softly
humming Eldertech sarcophagus.
ETHEREA
The ice city of Etherea, revered as the crystal of the north, is
hidden deep within the Mountains of the Moon. To reach
the city, visitors must first find their way to the Crai
Hinterlands in the western Athenaeum. This is the easy
part. Then, they must make the trek through the Pilgrim’s
Pass, a winding basalt route through the otherwise
impassable mountains. The Pilgrim’s Pass opens up to a
panorama of the great crystal of the north: a city carved
from primordial ice for what legends say has been a
thousand generations. Etherea and the villages of the
surrounding valley supposedly harbor more than a million
souls.
Etherea is a domain balanced on the ebb and flow of its
overwhelmingly Archivist population. At any given time,
anywhere from one half to two-thirds of the population
hibernates beneath the city deep in the Archivists’ ebb state.
Thousands of Archivists constantly tend to the windswept
infrastructure of the city. They shore up the city’s hundreds
of ice statues, pagodas, sapphire shrines, and hexagonal
temples. Priests leave a single snow lily on each of the city’s
hundreds of shrines. Elaborate cazram scrolls adorn
everything from grand plazas to back alleyways.
80
LUMINOS
SNOW’S EDGE
Part Two: The World
One of the most time honored traditions in Etherea is the
worship and conservation of Eldertech. Home to the largest
repository of Eldertech anywhere in the world, Etherea’s
vaults contain mysteries largely unknown to outsiders. The
Ethereans’ vast Eldertech stockpile is kept in secret so that
the artifacts, which they believe were crafted by their
ancestors, do not fall into the hands of non-Eltayans. After a
piece is ritualistically exalted, it is then carefully archived
and stored in vast sanctums deep under in the city. The
greatest piece of Eldertech in Etherea is the illustrious
Archicon, a monument-sized structure which produces a
limitless supply of bland but nutritious paste, apparently
from nothing. Revered by hundreds of thousands at each
and every meal, the Archicon sustains nearly the entire
population of Etherea.
Suspended above the city are the enormous floating rocks
called the Gray Pyer. Though no one knows why they float,
ornate temples and monasteries have been carved into the
sides of the Gray Pyer. These are only accessible by riding
the region’s beloved azhitsa sky whales. Given the irregular
migration habits of the ponderous creatures, access to the
Gray Pyer can be gained or lost for months at a time,
requiring all who dwell in them to plan well ahead for their
worldly needs.
Etherean missionaries venture hundreds of miles from
their homeland on quests to return Eldertech relics to their
homeland. As they reach the end of the Pilgrim’s Pass, these
stoic monks often allow themselves to shed a single tear
upon spotting the great Basilica of Zenyecrot. This wonder
of architecture looms above the city’s gray and gold bethels.
It is from here that the Council of the Zdarlyti ruminate
over their Efermeni sand mandalas, dispensing edicts to
meet the needs of the polity.
Take time to embrace the wonder of life at the peak of the
world. Etherea is the spiritual heart of an entire species.
Your heroes should mark their arrival here with a sense that
the mystery of time in Dema might be unraveled in the
ancient hermit realm of the Archivists.
The World
Pilgrim's Pass
and Etherea
LUMINOS
Luminos, the winter workshop, is a beacon of
enlightenment on the otherwise dark northern face of
Mount Svetovit. The mountain is the largest in the area and
looks down over the northeastern Athenaeum. Known as
the “City of Lights,” Luminos shines from the shadows in a
drench of neon colors. The captivating tundra surrounding
Mount Svetovit, known as the Zarci Wildlands, has long
inspired the Luminosi drive to study and innovate.
From blinding blizzards to toxic thunderstorms known as
Dark Tempests, the Zarci Wildlands are nearly as cold and
lifeless as the Tenaybre on the opposite side of Dema. It is
clear why the first Luminosi chose to inhabit the mountain’s
strange Eldertech ruins. These monolithic structures offer
the most robust protection from the relentless storms.
Generations of Luminosi architects have imitated the
brutalist style of the original Eldertech buildings in
neighborhoods carved from the abundant ice and rock.
Over decades, city planners illuminated the dark face of the
mountain with illumite crystals extracted from mines
running deep beneath Mount Svetovit. With illumite and
glass, they crafted thousands of trinkets to hang from every
wall and roof in the sprawl of Luminos’s multi-story
districts called Domavi.
In the Domavi, every imaginable space is adorned by
prayer symbols, signs for shops and markets, and art. Criss-
crossing the city are dozens of storage spaces, civil facilities,
and unique temple complexes dedicated to illuminated
cazram scrolls. Almost every resident is within walking
distance of prestigious research buildings called Boradyr.
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Inside these laboratories, Luminosi scholars are constantly
conducting experiments and studies of all kinds.
Altogether, the cityscape is a clash of cyan, magenta, lime,
and glowing reds and oranges. The dazzling colors often
overwhelm travelers not accustomed to such vivid lighting.
Each of Luminos’s seven central Domavi districts is
overseen by a Director responsible for its maintenance and
harmony with the other districts. Each Domavi specializes
in its own field of research. The Liniment is dedicated to
agriculture and medicine, while the Interchange trades in
commerce and fabrication. The Perpend conducts
experiments to unveil the secrets of the physical sciences,
while the philosophers of the Milieu debate the Elemental
arts. The Tracery is responsible for architectural and civic
innovation, and neighbors the Cogency, where the city’s
military science and tactics march on. Last is the mysterious
Teczarc, specializing in so-called “Subtle” Technology. Each
zone’s architecture is as different as the domains of work
they administer.
Towering above all on the peak of Mount Svetovit is the
White Index. Its Eldertech walls offer the highest point of
observation in the city. Winding staircases within the White
Index lead through the mountain to terraced greenhouses
known as the Steps of Agra. Managed by The Liniment,
these farms produce enough fresh food to feed the
metropolitan area. Your party could spend months on a
quest in Luminos without leaving a single Domavi. What
truths will you discover in the ebb and flow of the winter
workshop?
PILGRIM’S PASS hardy Archivists and Humans, the local population has
little allegiance to either the authoritarian Solar Hegemony
The isolated Archivists and minor settlements that line the or the Archivist city-state of Aegis to the northwest.
high mountains of the western Athenaeum are united by a
The anxiety of the locals soared when Aegis constructed a
shared culture and religious deference to the holy city of
series of massive fortresses at the northern edges of the
Etherea. Surrounded by the impassable Mountains of the
land. Throughout the 20s LS, the Hegemony deployed
Moon, these valleys full of monasteries and ancient
thousands of legionnaires to Snow’s Edge, always primed
fortresses are only accessible by the famous Pilgrim’s Pass.
to attack their northern neighbor. Their presence strained
Waystations and isolated mountain villages are scattered
the resources of the local villages, already short on supplies.
along the miles of winding cliffside trails that make up the
Snow’s Edge became a proverbial tinderbox: ready to ignite
Pass. Pilgrims from across the greater Athenaeum
with a single act of aggression by either side.
periodically stop in these hamlets to sip mint tea and shelter
from the region’s frequent storms. The temperature in Snow’s Edge can range from chilly to
freezing. Blizzards have been known to sweep in from the
When conditions are safe, local Archivist guides known
north with little notice. Visitors can seek shelter in one of
as the White Masovi escort travelers for exhausting treks
the inns which service the trade caravans that pass through
across the land’s sweeping vistas. The White Masovi know
the land. Travel is best on the bumpy dirt roads that divide
which routes freeze over in certain conditions and how to
the region’s old growth forests, rivers, and lakes. Most
safely bypass the Pass’s deadliest predators. Steadfastly
doing business in Snow’s Edge accept both Hegemony and

Part Two: The World

loyal to Etherea, the White Masovi even know how to seal
Archivist currencies.
off caves and valley chokepoints to slow down or even
entrap invading armies. The dual mandate of the White The town of Perif is the largest settlement in Snow’s
Masovi to guide pilgrims and defend the Pass is both sacred Edge. Once a small fishing village, Perif gained hundreds of
and profitable for all involved. residents after hostilities between Aegis and the Hegemony
briefly simmered in 16 LS. As Perif bloomed and became a
In the event of war, special units of Archivist combat
prosperous town, multiple shops and facilities were built to
engineers called Volinia can be called up from their
service everyone from lumberjacks and fishers to Archivist
barracks in Etherea to place traps and take up defensive
merchants hauling luxury goods destined for the wider
positions along the Pass within days of notice. Perhaps their
world of Dema. The town’s Eldertech trade became
most devastating tactic is what is called Voshnaht, a
especially vibrant. Until war broke out again in 29 LS, the
controlled avalanche of ice and snow that can bury entire
air was filled with the sound of haggling vendors and
units passing in the valleys below. Voshnaht attacks were
creaking carts, the smell of cured game meats and fresh
used to great effect against marching Solar Hegemony
stews, and the chatter of thickly accented locals arguing
legions during the Storm Wars of the Redsky Era, thwarting
with rowdy visitors unused to the shivering cold.
more than one of Emperor Sicarius’ attempted invasions.
To the northwest of Perif lies the Shieldwoods, which
The beautiful, final stretch of the Pilgrim’s Pass is also
covers a sprawling territory just south of the Stone Curtain
Etherea’s final line of defense. The Hoards of Svarog are
Mountains. The Shieldwoods is a vast, primordial forest of
multi-colored crystal caverns that light the way for those
evergreen fir and pine trees. It is dotted with icy glades and
wise enough to navigate through the ice. The Hoards’
waterfalls. Often engulfed in a thick layer of seasonal snow,
dozens of chambers offer the only land route into Etherea’s
the inhabitants of the Shieldwoods are stoic workers who
hidden valley.
prize their privacy and independence. Local folklore is
Although uncommon, it is also possible to reach Etherea filled with stories of monsters lurking in the unexplored
by air thanks to the local megafauna. In the clouds, flocks of corners of the Shieldwoods. Snow’s Edge has many points
vanka birds fly above in great V formations. They trail the of interest. Will you uncover its oldest secrets, or spark a
Athenaeum’s famous sky whales, called azhitsa. The azhitsa new war between great powers?
are peaceful, ponderous beasts that Archivist beastmasters
can herd from their mating grounds to feed on the clouds of
tiny plant matter that float on the wind in valley basins. The
VICHNICA’S CRYPT
A few of the oldest cazram scrolls record that a radical
herding process takes a discipline and patience few people
Archivist monk named Vichnica was banished from Etherea
possess. Weeks of tracking and subtle guidance leads to
in the early Heroic Era for her heresies against Zenyecrot.
tense minutes of Archivists diving off cliffs to land safely on
Somewhere among the glaciers and forests of the northern
the backs of azhitsa as they descend low enough into the
Athenaeum lies Vichnica’s Crypt. This temple and burial
valleys to feed. With all these wild wonders to behold,
site is said to contain a cazram of solid silver with
travel through the Pilgrim’s Pass is an experience few will
information about the future and end of Dema. Archivist
ever forget.
folklore says that Vichnica’s twisted spirit still haunts the
SNOW’S EDGE shrine, cursing all those who reject her heresies.

Many places in Dema serve as crossroads between cultures.

Snow’s Edge is the meeting ground of two entire species.
Snow’s Edge is a hilly, forested gap in the Stone Curtain
mountain range. This gap is the only safe way to travel
between the wintry realms of the Athenaeum and the fertile
expanse of the Light Plains. The inhabitants of Snow’s Edge
have a time-honored tradition of neutrality. A mixture of

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82
 The Gilded Sea
The Gilded Sea lies in the south of the Daylands, in Dema’s
southeast. Its distant coasts are exposed to constant daylight
and are very hot. Varying levels of humidity create
everything from jungles to shrublands and deserts. The
coasts of the Gilded Sea are the ancestral home of the
Featherfolk. The Featherfolk societies here, called the
Gilded States, are known for their diversity of ideas, wealth,
and trade. Travelers in the Gilded Sea can expect a diversity
of biomes and an even greater diversity of settlement sizes
and types of government.
The four Gilded States are The Auric, Hollowfalls,
Sunbleak, and Panacea. Each has adapted to its unique
environment. The Auric is a cutthroat island metropolis
deeply divided by class and ruled by plutocrats.
Hollowfalls and Sunbleak lie in the Warm Shores, the desert
land in Dema’s extreme southeast. On the edge of a cliff
overlooking the Gilded Sea, Hollowfalls is the seat of
wisdom in the region. Sunbleak is a haven for exiles and
adventurers on the hunt for desert tombs and ancient
treasures. Panacea is a jungle city, and a trade hub for
dozens of isolated jungle communes. Hundreds of villages
and small settlements dot the coasts of the Gilded Sea, with
varying levels of allegiance to the four Gilded States.
PANACEA
THE AURIC
SILVERLEAF WILDS
TUTOR ISLANDS
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THE ATRAMENTOS
A massive jet black obelisk stands in the scorched desert
directly beneath the sun. This structure, known as the
Atramentos, always seems just out of reach for explorers
setting off from Hollowfalls. The obelisk’s presence has
befuddled Archaeologians, as it endures heat where even
sand scorches to glass. One legend tells of a Featherfolk
adventurer Fia’ Ma who managed to enter the Atramentos
and found its interior hollow.
THE AURIC
No other settlement in Dema sprawls with quite the same
confidence as the island city of The Auric. Hundreds of
thousands of Auran Featherfolk occupy the four rungs of
their society’s gilded ladder. At the very bottom is the
indentured Asset class. Just above them are the poor
Indigent. The Vulgus make up the middle class of Auran
society, while the Optimacy reigns supreme. The Auric’s
most ambitious architecture was built by members of the
Optimacy to outdo each other. The monuments to their egos
range from pink-clayed pleasure towers and luxurious
shopping complexes to gilded coliseums and bubbling
public baths.
Architects across Dema have breathed life into designs
commissioned by wealthy Optimacy patrons. The most
famous of these is Castle Row. These citadels built along
The Auric’s southern coast double as outlandish art
projects. They were carved over a century by indentured
Assets. Yet for all its splendor, Castle Row is the main
attraction of just one of city’s ten districts.
THE RED DESERT
SUNBLEAK
HOLLOWFALLS
 The richest and most conniving member of the
Optimacy is known as the Hatin. They hold court in the
Marble Roost, an enormous palace complex at the center of
the city. The walls that surround the Marble Roost are so
large that their shadow blankets the entire Indigent slum to
the northwest. A significant portion of The Auric’s domestic
economy is dedicated to supplying the Marble Roost’s
dozens of guesthouses, government offices, feasting halls,
treasury vaults, and Eldertech repositories. This city within
a city is where decisions that shake empires are discussed. It
sharply contrasts with the overcrowded and crumbling
tenements of Indigent menial workers that surround it on
all sides.
It is considered treasonous to even suggest that the
Optimacy’s vast wealth should be used to feed or aid the
poor. Instead, countless Assets work to exhaustion to line
the pockets of the richest Houses. The offices of the trade
guilds that facilitate business between distrusting Houses
are always full with claimants. The island city’s dozens of
wharfs and docks ensure that the Gilded Sea is always
teeming with Auran craft. The Auric’s navy has dueled
with Human navies and Wakewalker pirate fleets for most
of history to secure the Hatin a measure of dominance over
the Gilded Sea. This period of dominance fattened the
Hundred Houses of the Optimacy into plump complacency.
Merchants, adventurers, day laborers, Asset mercenaries,
and trade heiresses cross paths on any given street packed
with carriages and feathery kobatcho mounts. The rot of
The Auric’s exploitation, cutthroat trade, and limitless
indulgence runs deep, from the sea walls to the heart of the
Storm District. Will your characters tread carefully in the
city of a million goods? Or will they fall by the wayside and
chase their ambition into the depths of vice?
THE GUO
The Guo is a racing track on the southern edge of the Red
Desert. Captains race their sand ships, called shiseli, at
breakneck speed around the track in competitions for gold
and reputation. These races are often interrupted by
marauders and roaming flocks of leathery strigoi monsters.
HOLLOWFALLS
While ancient ruins have dazzled architects with their
mysteries, the city of Hollowfalls is a marvel of engineering
for all to see. The city balances, impossibly, on the edge of a
cliff overlooking the Gilded Sea. Centuries ago, the mad
mystic Rori’ Nos and his disciples settled these cliffs. Their
descendants became the world’s greatest city planners.
Hundreds of thousands of Featherfolk now bask in
Hollowfalls’ well-irrigated parks and discuss philosophy in
its tiered forums. In an arid land scorched by the light of the
sun, the city is cooled by water. It is pumped from deep
underground into a byzantine system of surface canals,
aqueducts, and waterfalls.
Thousands of underground reinforcements support the city,
ensuring that it does not topple into the sea. The massive
caverns and tunnels which provide access to these supports
are rivalled in size only by Tallon on the other side of the
world. Bustling craft markets and supply warehouses fill
these chambers, hawking wares renowned for their novelty
and quality. A complex system of pulleys and ascending
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paths carved into the cliffs of the city assist transportation of
freight and passengers from the city’s sea-level harbor.
The main districts of the city are divided between three
ascending levels in a roughly pyramidal structure, referred
to by locals as decks. The vast majority of Hollowfell live in
the Deck of the Living Body. Thousands of limestone
structures comprise neighborhoods subcategorized by
constantly shifting class and interest groups.
The Deck of the Growing Mind sprawls above the Living
Body, a space of winding causeways lined with stained
glass. The Growing Mind is reserved for the city’s various
industrial, administrative, and academic buildings. From
the Spires of Zacarna to the lovingly manicured Summer
Forum, the Growing Mind is a beacon of wisdom beneath
the sun.
Crowning the top of the city is the Deck of the Immortal
Soul, residence of the Hall of Elders. The Elders, made up of
Part Two: The World
Hollowfalls’ great Mindmasters, regularly hold council in
the Hall to address crises and plan for the long-term needs
of the state. Towering over all is the Eye of Jola. The Elders
use the Eye to watch over and smite any who threaten the
balance with the concentrated power of the sun.
INTLANGO
Intlango is the homeland of the mysterious desert people
known as the Jebalken. It is said to lie somewhere in the
Dragon’s Spine Mountains on the eastern edge of the Warm
Shores. While the masked Jebalken marauders are often
dismissed by Bleakers as cultists and brutes, tales of
Intlango’s hidden mountain towns and the magnificent
secret they protect are often overheard in Sunbleak’s
taverns. The Jebalken are infamous for ambushing
Featherfolk sand ships in the Red Desert and for
worshipping strigoi monsters as the apex of life.
PANACEA
While every city is ‘alive’ with the comings and goings of its
inhabitants, Panacea is the only major surface settlement in
Dema that has been literally crafted from the sturdy, still
growing roots and bark of a natural terrain. With assistance
from the mysterious Phei of the far-off Forest of Ilda, the
earliest Featherfolk settlers founded Panacea in 76 EM.
Together they shaped living walls and buildings from fast-
growing kyberia trees around both banks of the Azta River.
Mighty hedges of clinging vines connect dozens of iron-
strong trunks to form a wall that encloses both banks of the
city. These carefully nurtured fortifications are known as
the Graean Palisade. The city of Panacea itself is split in two
by the swift current of the Azta. Seasonal monsoons flood
the river, which makes travel by boat impossible for all but
the most powerful sails and oars. To traverse between
Panacea’s banks, the city’s residents long ago sculpted the
Allroots: wide, living root bridges grown above the Azta
River open to foot and wagon traffic. Panaceans flit through
the Allroots from elevated market squares to apartments
hollowed out from the trunks of massive kyberia trees.
Beyond the city limits lies the sprawling and wild
Panacean Jungle. For hundreds of the jungle’s remote
villages and communes, Panacea’s bustling and exotic
markets are the only way to access goods from the wider
world. Everything from mint honey, coffee beans, and a
The World
hundred types of spices are stored at Pancaea’s docks in
huge acorn husks called dur. These vessels are grown from
of dur trees, and then whittled, fire-hardened, and engraved
with complex patterns. This process is an art form unique to
the Panacean culture, and the result is lighter, sturdier, and
more beautiful than just about any other vessel. Dur are
prized by Featherfolk merchants for shipping throughout
the Gilded Sea.
Panacea’s most influential residents organize large social
gatherings where hundreds of residents celebrate
accomplishments and debate pressing concerns. With so
many competing interests co-existing in Panacea, it is up to
the Panthera to maintain a semblance of unity. Although
these ornately dressed local officials mostly just collect taxes
for The Auric, they also help mediate disagreements
between Panacea’s citizens. All residents are otherwise free
to conduct their own affairs. Everyone from visiting
mercenaries to the order of doctors known as Apothicants
live largely ungoverned. At the Apothicants’ headquarters,
known as the Hippocraton, the order’s sages and
apprentices study medicine, surgery, self-defense, and
more.
Panacea heaves and twists with the ever-growing bustle
of its inhabitants. In the late Heroic Era, you could help
bend the first Allroot into shape to cross the Azta River. Or,
in the Redsky Era, you might see the Graean Palisade beset
on all sides by shambling hordes of infected as the Scourge
ravages Panacea. What happens in Panacea will depend on
equal parts luck, skill, and creativity as you trek deeper into
the overgrown wilderness of the eastern Midlands.
THE RED DESERT
North of Sunbleak, a desolate wasteland stretches from the
coast of the Gilded Sea to the Dragon’s Spine Mountains. It
is a forsaken hellscape that makes the rest of the Warm
Shores look inviting by comparison. A fine crimson powder
coats the dunes as far as the horizon stretches. It sticks to
the lungs when inhaled, and is difficult to remove from
clothing. Where this red dust came from, and how it came
to cover a territory hundreds of miles across, remains a
mystery.
Many of those who experience the Red Desert firsthand
believe that the horrifying creatures skulking above the
scorched land are responsible for the powder. These beasts,
known as strigoi, are among the most dangerous of Dema’s
monsters. Strigoi appear to get sustenance from the light of
the sun. They reproduce by parasitizing the bodies of those
foolish enough to wander into their domain. Strigoi swoop
down and assault passersby with fangs the size of daggers,
enveloping victims in their leathery wings before injecting
them with ovipositors.
In a rapid process that withers the host, a new strigoi
gestates inside the victim’s body, consuming the host’s
blood. Some say that growing larva render the bone and
muscle of their victims into the region’s fine red dust.
Sooner or later, one or more juvenile strigoi will burst from
the victim’s chest, killing them. New strigoi take on
characteristics from the host that they incubate in, with the
six types derived from the sentient peoples of Dema being
the most dangerous. One of the strigoi’s only weaknesses is
to be kept in darkness for an extended period of time.
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Fortune help the traveler who cannot find shade or wield
weapons strong enough to keep them at bay. Advanced
equipment like Eldertech, anti-strigoi net launchers, and
Awakened flamethrowers also work.
The Red Desert has crept steadily south for generations.
Only a few scattered, heavily fortified settlements exist on
the fringes of the wasteland. Those living at the waystations
in the interior are considered brave to the point of
foolishness. These waystations are often built in the
shadows of the largest mountains for protection. Many
indentured Assets from The Auric escape their contracts by
sheltering amid the area’s towering ruins.
Some brave smugglers attempt to carry goods in and out
of the Light Plains by sailing through the Red Desert. This
infamous route is known as the Ka’bar Run, named for the
port of Ka’bar just north of the hellscape. The Red Desert is
so dangerous that not even the most dedicated adventurers
or hermits on the fringes of sanity spend more than a few
weeks in the wind-swept hellscape.
Featherfolk traverse the Red Desert in featherlight sand
ships informally called shiseli in Usundi. Shiseli are built to
harness the high winds unique to the region. They range in
size from compact frames built for one or two riders up to
massive land frigates capable of hauling tons of cargo.
Shiseli are all powered through a combination of sail and
deafeningly loud Eldertech levitation generators called
impellers. These impellers must be discovered and looted
from ruins in the desert in order to construct and maintain
shiseli.
Riding the region’s powerful windstorms can get
passengers to their destination faster, as long as their shiseli
doesn’t tear itself apart from the strain. Captains are known
to plan journeys when the conditions are at their most
treacherous just to reduce the time spent in the Desert. After
reaching a certain speed, the only surefire way to slow
down is to throw weighted anchors behind the shiseli’s
hull. Larger shiseli mount ballista to ward away masked
Jebalken marauders and other pirates, while smaller shiseli
moving at high speeds always have the option to ram their
foes.
Reports of especially rare Eldertech and mountains of
gold hidden in cities buried beneath the red dust draw in a
steady stream of adventurers. Many become hosts for the
strigoi. Only a lucky, heroic few find anything. Everyone
who has ever tried to clean out the strigoi roosts from the
Red Desert’s jagged mountains and buried shrines have
suffered terrible fates. Even so, calls for new expeditions
circulate the adventurous corners of Dema.
The strigoi largely kept to the Red Desert for most of
history. For reasons unknown, a massive flock descended
upon the city of Sunbleak in 97 LS. The Bleakers mounted a
noble defense, but the wartorn city was consumed by the
beasts. Thousands escaped, but tens of thousands more
became hosts to the monstrosities. The resulting brood
devastated the Human city of Deonar five years later,
triggering a massive refugee crisis.
Those final struggles are stories for another time, perhaps
stories of your own. Will your character help defend one of
the Red Desert’s walled waystations? Or will you make a
break for the open desert at the first sign of strigoi? Maybe
you’ll visit a forgotten city carved into the mountains,

where rumors of a way to combat the strigoi echo in the
throne rooms of ancient, forgotten empires. How many
pirates will die in their bloody struggles for Eldertech
impellers? Your party will never forget their harrowing
journey through one of the most treacherous places in
Dema.
THE SILVERLEAF WILDS
The Silverleaf Wilds might forever hold more questions
than answers. Of those foolish enough to enter, only a lucky
few ever emerge. And almost without exception, survivors
refuse to speak in detail about the nightmares they
encountered.
Those who have stumbled upon the Silverleaf Wilds
suggest that they lie miles within the largely uninhabited,
dense jungles of the south-eastern Midlands. Yet their exact
location remains unknown, and most who set out to find
them return empty-handed. In fact, the very existence of the
Silverleaf Wilds is denied by many throughout the Gilded
States.
The Silverleaf Wilds are suffocated by deadly silver flora
which hide an extensive series of abandoned structures.
These ruins have colossal geometries with no analogue to
any of Dema’s cultures. These stones of some long-dead
civilization are sheared into pieces by mighty silver trees
that tower next to spires and temple walls. Citadels and
palaces crumble beneath choking growths of silver leaves
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Part Two: The World
Silverleaf Wilds
and vines. Lakes of molten violet metal pool beneath
collapsed structures and trickle out from countless crevices.
Hundreds of species of parasitic and predatory insects
infest the Silverleaf Wilds. Skittering silver arthrec can
cover the jungle floor in minutes, stripping flesh from bone.
Carnivorous slugworms several feet in length ooze out of
the mud to consume their unsuspecting prey alive.
Skullflies plague the jungle like airborne ticks. They quietly
latch themselves onto their prey before drilling deep down
to suckle bone marrow. Lumbering reptilian sauragash eat
the silver leaves in abandoned clearings thousands of feet
long. The dense armored plates on their hides are hardened
by alloys that the silver plants leeched from an unexplored
Eldertech structure that lies beneath the surface.
The deadly flora of the Silverleaf Wilds regrow over any
path cut through them within hours, making navigation all
but impossible. Several species of large fungus release
spores with explosive force at the slightest touch,
disemboweling anything unfortunate enough to graze them
at the wrong angle. The Obelisks of Mandyas serve as
untrustworthy landmarks. The Obelisks are a series of
monuments that tower above the canopy and depict strange
faces that soar above the canopy. No explanation has ever
been found for why the same Obelisk can seem to change
locations entirely if it falls out of an adventurer’s sight.
The anthropological logs of the famous Scholasta
Archaeologian Noreb Creyan indicate that the entire
population of the Silverleaf Wilds vanished at the same
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 SCINTILLA
BRONKO
ASPHODEL
DEONAR
time millennia ago, leaving valuable materials and tools
where they lay. By Noreb’s rough estimates, the bounty of
the Silverleaf Wilds is of legendary value, with vaults
containing rare Eldertech and ores like tethrium and
faromite that cannot be found anywhere else. Noreb
suspected that these metals come from an unexplored
Eldertech structure that lies beneath the surface. When
Noreb Creyan returned to the Silverleaf Wilds in 67 LS to
document more of their secrets, he never returned.
Will you find fortune or catastrophe on your expedition
to the faraway Silverleaf Wilds? The monsters native to the
Wilds are some of the rarest and most dangerous in all the
world, and fetch an enormous price in the Mundi fighting
pits. Rumors abound that the Wilds contain a fountain that
flows with an orange heal-all liquid. World-class explorers
have searched for the Silverleaf Wilds and never returned.
Will you trace their long-forgotten trails and discover their
fates? Will you pry into skeletal ruins and unearth the
secrets that lie there?
THE SUN
Dema’s sun is a constant source of light and heat located in
the southeast corner of the world. It brightens and dims in
25-hour cycles, affecting the entire world’s lighting. In the
deserts of the Sunbleak Wastes, traveling too close to the
sun is extremely dangerous. The city closest to the sun is
Hollowfalls. While settlements exist even closer to the sun,
within a certain distance the heat and radiation becomes
fatal to all known life. Despite the obvious danger, Solasii
pilgrims still travel as close to the sun as they dare to pay
their respects to their supposedly wounded sun goddess.
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ABRESIA
KINURR
THE SUNBLEAK WASTES
There are few more ambitious or more desperate than those
who set out for the Sunbleak Wastes and its riches.
Stretching across most of the Warm Shores, Sunbleak is the
collective name for the shifting deserts nearest to the baking
rays of Dema’s sun. It is an expanse of broiling heat and
rolling dunes of sand interrupted by jagged mountain
passes and the uncharted tombs of forgotten kings. Were it
not for its hidden riches, the Sunbleak Wastes would only
be visited by a handful of explorers, hermits, and those with
a death wish.
The ruins of an untold number of civilizations lie buried
beneath the sands of the Wastes, unearthed every so often
by massive sandstorms. Abandoned temples, shrines to
forgotten gods, and long extinct cultures hold treasures and
Eldertech for daring hunters and explorers to uncover.
Some Featherfolk claim that their people built these ruins
long ago, although the ancient statues of strange sentients
unknown to Dema beg to differ.
Impeding the search for riches and lost secrets in the
Wastes are its giant sand worms, land sharks, unrelenting
heatwaves, and Jebalken marauders that prey on those
hoping to reverse their fortunes. Nevertheless, travelers
arrive in the region in wave after wave of thousands from
many walks of life. Most come looking for a better life fast.
Some local Bleakers maintain small villages in the desert,
though they run the risk of being raided by marauders or
adventurers desperate for supplies. A few serve as Whudi,
desert sherpas willing to go far to the East and South,
retracing the locations of watering holes and nomadic
shrines from their oral histories, and navigating the grid of
obelisks that stand sentinel in the dunes, left behind by
unknown precursors.
Every other desert settlement pales in comparison to the
sun-stained halls of Sunbleak proper, the namesake of the
Wastes. This massive oasis of civilization is a rowdy den of
adventurers, merchants, and feuding Resource Barons
vying for control over the vast fortunes that cycle through
the region in endless caravans. The economy of Sunbleak is
propped up by criminal enterprise just as much as lawful
commerce. This is reflected in the unplanned sprawl of
tenements in the Nadir Roads, private sarai palaces,
explorer headquarters, and dens of street gangs sheltered
within the walls of its vast canyon. Both Sunbleak and the
wider Wastes are host to adventures that can make for
songs sung in Dema’s taverns for generations, if the desert
does not first collect its due.
THE TUTOR ISLANDS
In song and in legacy, the Tutor Islands are an enigma.
There are few places in all the world so pristine, and yet
home to so many of the wisest and most learned people to
ever live. Without giving rise to an enormous bureaucracy,
the Hollowfell have created one of the world greatest
centers of learning in the Tutor Islands.
These dozens of small stretches of land are situated a few
miles off the coast of Hollowfalls. Over the centuries, they
came to support a population almost as large as the city
itself. They are often treated like the city’s outer harbor, host
to an arid climate that is just barely habitable. Irrigation is
made possible through underground cenotes providing a
seemingly endless stream of freshwater. Nearly half of
Hollowfalls’s food is grown with these miracles of
agriculture, or fished from the Tutor Islands’ thriving
aquatic ecosystems. Besides food, there is a growing
industry of Featherfolk divers who recover artifacts from
the underwater ruins of long-lost civilizations.
Each of these sun-drenched islands is dedicated to one of
Hollowfalls’ famous Schools of Balance. Students from
throughout the Gilded Sea make their way to the island and
school of their choice. There, amid swaying palms and stout
pulk trees, the Mindmaster of each school passes their
knowledge on to the next generation. Although these wise
Featherfolk return regularly to Hollowfalls to decide the
future of their state, most prefer to teach in the Tutor
Islands. Within each Mindmaster’s memory is a veritable
library of scholarly and practical information. On some
islands, thousands of students fill sandstone block
campuses. On others, a few dozen apprentices build huts
beneath the shade of the palms. The most exceptional
apprentices cultivate a work ethic to tackle the daily tasks
their Mindmaster assigns. These can be as simple as carving
a perfect sphere from stones found by the shore, to
recovering lost treasures from cave temples only accessible
by diving beneath the waves.
Although the Tutor Islands are mostly inhabited by
Featherfolk, they are open to everyone. Archivist warriors
known as Theonites spar with Featherfolk apprentices
hoping to join the Undominated. Both relish the
unparalleled opportunity to learn fighting styles from half a
world away. Sporespawn scribes sent by the Freespawn
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fantically chisel their clay tablets, trying to keep up with the
lectures of the world’s greatest rhetoriticians.
The population of the Tutor Islands steadily grew over
the centuries of the Heroic Era. The fortunes of the
archipelago fluctuated in the years of the Uprising and
Exodus Eras. They weathered occupations by Red Mast
pirate fleets from the Midlands in the 40s and 50s LS, and
half a dozen blockades by The Auric. In 99 LS, the Tutor
Islands were seized by a Solar Hegemony fleet dispatched
by Emperor Sicarius. They were supposed to serve as a
launch point for a naval invasion of Hollowfalls that never
came. The archipelago itself would be wiped out later that
year by a massive tsunami created when the city of
Hollowfalls, together with the cliff beneath it, collapsed into
the sea.
Will your character’s education in the perch of the wise
prepare them for the perils of Dema? An education in the
Tutor Islands is impressive in every learned circle, and
Part Two: The World
island alumni share a close bond. The islands and their
Mindmasters have helped thousands explore the twisting
passageways that lie behind the closed doors of the mind.
WAYSTATION WROC
Waystation Wroc is a settlement in the Red Desert large
enough to service multiple sand ships known as shiseli.
Wroc is located near the halfway point between Port Ka’bar
and Sunbleak, beneath the shadow of the red wasteland’s
largest mountain. It is a haven for exiles who cannot live
anywhere else safely. Its buildings are built into the fingers
of a colossal metallic hand that reaches out of the crimson
sands.
The Light Plains
The Light Plains lie in the center of the Daylands, in Dema’s
east. The land is exposed to constant daylight and mild
temperatures. The Light Plains is a landscape of rolling
hills, rich forests, and sweeping plains. It is the ancestral
home of Humanity. The soil in the Light Plains is the most
fertile in the world. The Human societies here have enjoyed
centuries of economic prosperity and food abundance. The
massive population and wealth of the region has fueled
some of the most devasting wars in Dema’s history.
Travelers in the Light Plains can expect massive cities
administered by strict but sophisticated bureacuracies.
After a brutal war known as the Dayraid, the great cities
of the Light Plains unified under the imperial banners of the
Solar Hegemony. Millions converted to the region’s
dominant religion, the Church of Sola. The three largest
cities in the Light Plains are Scintilla, Abresia, and Deonar.
Scintilla is the imperial capital, and the Church of Sola’s
holiest city. Abresia is the Hegemony’s breadbasket. It is
infamous for its feudal traditions and brutal slave economy.
Deonar is the region’s largest maritime city. It is known for
its military traditions, trade, and shipbuilding.
ABRESIA
The sun-kissed lands surrounding Abresia are a green and
fertile series of rolling hills and irrigated plains. They are
home to old growth forests brimming with monster haunts
and abandoned ruins. Once famed as the Land of Fifty
Kings, the most noteworthy landmarks in the region are its
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more than fifty unique castles. Dating back to the early
Heroic Era, these castles are known as the Saradian
Bastions. Some crown mountains with a commanding view
of the realm. Others are built at the bottoms of valleys
within ringed granite walls.
In the Heroic Era, each Saradian Bastion was overseen by
a petty king that held claims on any goods gathered from
the bountiful soil and ore-rich earth. The Fifty Kings warred
with one another and with the once powerful Human land
of Kinurr to the south. While Abresia is known for its
natural wealth and constant conflict, the region is also
infamous for its enormous inequality, which persisted
between its nobility, commoners, and slaves for much of
history.
In the century prior to the Dayraid of the Light Plains,
many dynasties rose and fell in wars between individual
Bastion Kings, feuds recorded by the land’s bards in The
Scarlet Vendettas. Almost always, the kings fought for slaves
to fuel the region’s sprawling fields and dreaded salt mines.
These unfortunates were known as the Forlorn. During the
Heroic Era, the vast majority of the Forlorn were Humans
from neighboring petty kingdoms. Later, Abresia’s slave
population grew to include tens of thousands of
Nightriders captured in the Moon Realms Conflicts and just
as many Featherfolk indentured Assets purchased from The
Auric. In contrast with Abresia’s diverse slave population,
the region’s homogeneous population of Human
commoners look at outsiders with suspicion for daring to
trespass on the austere beauty of the Abresian homeland.
Most of the Bastion Kings swore fealty to the ruling
dynasty in the great city of Abresia itself. As the largest and
most populated settlement in the entire region, the city of
Abresia is a gleaming expanse of white stone pillars and
cloud capped towers. In the age of the Bastion Kings,
fluttering dynasty banners dyed in shades of mint, yellow,
and pink decorated the alleyways next to pungent markets
and public bathhouses.
Abresia was the only Human Kingdom that attempted to
resist the wave of religious fervor that swept the Light
Plains in the wake of the Dayraid. The upending of
tradition in Abresia was almost total. Remus Cassar and his
veteran legions condemned every last member of Abresia’s
noble families to the flames. Two decades of reconstruction
later, at the height of the Uprising Era, Abresia became
known throughout Dema for its visionary engineering and
metalworking. The city’s parapets and obelisks dedicated to
Sola are among the most ornate in all the Solar Hegemony.
Unique Abresian styles of heavy plated armor quickly
became a mark of high social status throughout the empire.
As a part of the Solar Hegemony, Abresia became the
breadbasket and slave capital of the empire. Its systematic
cruelty reached new heights. Much of Abresia’s
infrastructure is dedicated to administering its slave
economy. Enclosed neighborhoods were designed to isolate
pockets of rebellion in the event of another uprising, which
reliably erupt in Abresia in times of upheaval.
Landmarks in the city of Abresia include the monolithic
Temple of Sola, one of the largest of its kind. Also of note is
the Mausoleum of Tancred, an entire city district filled with
graveyards and crypts dedicated to Abresia’s most
esteemed dead. Monster infestations, criminal rings, and
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grave robbers often take root in the Mausoleum. They are
periodically wiped out by the Orders of the Dawn, ten
brotherhoods of warriors recruited from high placed
Abresian families. The Orders of the Dawn adhere to a strict
code of conduct in defense of Abresia and its people.
Whether your adventures in the Land of Fifty Kings take
place at the height of the nobility’s decadent rule, or after
the Solar Hegemony’s violent transformation of the city,
Abresia’s castles and gilded temples can be seen from every
workshop and inn. The city’s colorful songs and festivals
help distract from its rotten core of chains and tears.
ASPHODEL
Nightmares are often hidden in plain sight. For proof, just
visit the prison camps of Asphodel. East of Mundi and
west of Deonar, the Asphodel islands are an archipelago
located in the center of a small gulf in the northwest of the
Gilded Sea. To millions of people throughout the world,
‘Asphodel’ is a word synonymous with imprisonment and
death.
Before Remus’s seizure of Mundi in 1 EM, the Asphodel
islands were home to a small but vibrant community of
Featherfolk and Humans. They lived together, fishing and
logging, and mostly escaped the violence of the Dayraid.
Everything changed when the Hegemony was forged.
Emperor Remus sent his Krypteia secret police to occupy
the largest of the islands. The goal was to expel all the
Featherfolk living there and to establish a new headquarters
for the Krypteia. In response, Hollowfalls and The Auric
both sent covert mercenary companies to protect the local
Featherfolk. They failed. In only a few years, the Krypteia’s
expulsion and elimination of the native Featherfolk was
total.
The first wave of prisoners sent to Asphodel were
Nightriders taken as prisoners during Remus’s reconquest
of Mundi. These warriors of the Dark Horde were deemed
too dangerous to keep as slaves on the mainland. They were
accompanied by Human political captives, notably the
various lords and ladies who refused to submit to Remus
when he issued his ultimatum to them on the Day of
Shattered Crowns. This group was soon joined by religious
heretics, generals and other officials that fell out of favor
with Emperor Remus, and contrarian free thinkers who had
attempted to resist the holy revolution.
Initially a series of open-air, barebones prison camps, the
living conditions and purpose of Asphodel evolved
alongside the cultural upheaval that occurred throughout
the Hegemony in the years following Remus’s coronation.
Prisoners became slaves, and then finally undesirables. The
camps, known to inmates as Izek Holds, were initially only
on the main island, but soon spread throughout the
archipelago. Extensive networks of barracks, mines, and
clearcut forests soon covered the once green region.
The purpose of Asphodel shifted from prison to labor, to
death beneath the rapidly expanding Krypteia. Eventually,
it was determined that the local Humans had seen too
much. Those that had not already made their way to the
mainland were forced to choose between joining the
Krypteia or joining the inmates in the Izek Holds. Unlike
Abresia’s vast numbers of field slaves, Asphodel’s
undesirables are intentionally worked, starved, and

sometimes tortured to death. Some of the Krypteia’s most
ruthless agents are even recruited from among the tortured
and warped prisoners of Asphodel, who long since
sacrificed their ideals to survive under the Hegemony’s
lash.
The existence of these camps and the bleakness of their
conditions are systematically denied throughout the
Hegemony. Any who publicly speak out against what goes
on in Asphodel tend to be the first loaded onto the white
wagons sent there next. According to the official imperial
record, Asphodel is a prosperous region enjoying a golden
age beneath the light of Sola. Its forestry delivers tons of
lumber to the shipyards of Deonar and its mines send rich
ores to the metalworks of Scintilla.
Is your character imprisoned in Asphodel and dreaming
of freedom? Or are they a Krypteia guard fresh from the
mainland, experiencing a change of heart? Maybe you have
never been to Asphodel, but can still remember the day you
last saw a friend or loved one loaded onto a white wagon.
The inmates of the Izek Holds tell stories about the handful
of prisoners who have made a daring escape into the open
sea. There are few who know if these stories are true, or just
the last hope of the damned.
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Part Two: The World
Deonar
BRONKO
Bronko is a small region halfway between Deonar and
Abresia that is known for breeding and herding yamar.
Before the Hegemony, it was home to a handful of ranches
and frontier towns that revolve around cattle culture. In the
early years of Emperor Remus’s cultural upheaval, Bronko
served as a haven for outlaws. Refusing to allow a fifth
column in the Light Plains, Remus put everyone in the
region to the sword in 6 LS.
DEONAR
Deonar is a bastion, a port-of-call, and a sanctum of honor
in eras of intrigue and war. Deonar has a proud and very
old military tradition. Long before the Hegemony came to
power, Deonar’s Heroic Era lords made their warriors
dedicate their lives and their children’s lives to the way of
the sword. Although wiped away by time and Emperor
Remus, the last vestiges of Deonar’s military caste still
linger in the Cobalt Marines.
Many of these highly disciplined warriors are recruited
from the city’s unemployed youth. Practice fields and
barracks, some of them open to the public, are stationed at
regular intervals across the city. The most prestigious and
exclusive of these is the Cobalt Military Academy. It lies in
the eastern half of Deonar. Prospective admirals and
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generals spend years at the Academy honing their skills.
When they are not learning strategy, they are serving their
city and the wider Hegemony. The Cobalt Marines protect
dozens of smaller towns and villages near the city.
In the time of kings, the residents of Deonar numbered
around a hundred thousand. The population only increased
with the logistics of the Solar Hegemony. The city’s
wealthier inner neighborhoods are arranged in a neat grid
of vertical and horizontal streets. Beyond the city’s inner
walls there is an unorganized sprawl. For this reason,
people have always complained that there are really two
Deonars, one for the wealthy, and one for everybody else.
The wealthy inner city is pristine with its emerald tiled
roofs, while the outer city is a ramshackle of wooden
buildings and thatched huts.
Looming above most of the city is the ancient Sahdo
Fortress, the seat of the old nobility. Sahdo Fortress was
commandeered by the fledgling Solar Hegemony in 1 LS to
serve as its center of operations in Deonar. The ground
made infamous by a hundred wordsmiths glorifying the
Heroic Era nobility’s decadence and cruelty was
repurposed to serve the cold efficiency of the sacred
commoner’s imperium.
Deonar’s architecture is renowned across the world for its
beauty. The city’s style is rooted in a culture that
emphasized form over function, and the struggle to carve
order from nature’s chaos. Pointed roofs and water gardens
punctuate the greenery unique to the inner city. To many
foreigners and fledgling architects, traveling to Deonar is a
once in a lifetime experience. Its architectural influence is
far reaching. It can, for instance, be seen in some quarters of
the city of Mundi. The enterprising Deonans are also known
for their sweet and sour cuisine, shipbuilding, and a level of
mercantilism rarely seen outside of Mundi and the Gilded
States.
The Deonans have always been a maritime people.
Generations of sailors and fishermen have grown up in
Deonar’s wharfs and docks. Ships keeled in the unique
Deonan style, slow-moving but hard-hitting, compete with
the other major nautical powers of the Gilded Sea. At any
time, there are nearly a hundred ships plying the coast.
Historically, Deonar relied on nearby villages for lumber,
grain, and raw materials, which bolstered Deonar’s military
preparedness. Since the rise of the Hegemony, most of the
lumber for Deonar’s ships has come in massive and
ominously cheap shipments from the Asphodel islands to
the west. A strong sense of loyalty to the Hegemony
dominates Deonar’s hinterlands, where the old ruling
nobility was replaced by commoner families empowered by
the Church of Sola. Some of these families came to rule over
the very farms and hamlets they had once been forced to
toil on in contracts of debt bondage. These villages grow
barley, potatoes, and vikna, and mine copper, tin, and iron.
Will your characters rise to the heights of Deonar’s great
daughters and sons, like the mighty General Gawain Cang?
Or will your characters work in vain to prop up a noble
house at the end of the Heroic Era? Nonhumans of all walks
of life find refuge in the back alleys and shipyards of
Deonar. Many ships outbound from Deonar soon find
themselves on the winds of adventure, far from this pearl of
the Gilded Sea.
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FRANDEMULO
Frandemulo is one of the most popular restaurants in
Dema. Located just northeast of Deonar, Frandemulo’s
chefs are brought in from across the world to apprentice
and serve unique cuisines to highly esteemed parties.
Reservations are often made months in advance.
Frandemulo’s kitchens used to be a front for a guild of
assassins called the Zandoku. Before the Krypteia infiltrated
them, the Zandoku specialized in eliminating high-level
officials and military targets.
Frandemulo’s chefs are intent on finding any remaining
seeds of the extinct Kinurri secchium plant. Secchium was
once grown in the land known as Kinurr. It was prized for
its sweet flavor and creamy, rich texture. The pits of its
fruits also made for a potent poison when concentrated.
KINURR
In the growing desert of the southeastern Light Plains is the
region known as Kinurr. In the early Heroic Era this land
was the seat of a great Human Kingdom. Kinurr’s power
waned with the slow desertification of its territory until it
was destroyed in 72 EM by the combined armies of Abresia
and Deonar. Kinurr’s castles now lay in ruins. At its height,
the kings and queens of Kinurr enjoyed a lucrative
monopoly on the now extinct secchium plant. The
desertification of the region slowly drove secchium to
extinction.
PARIME
A legendary and perilous land up the Moon River north of
Mundi. Parime is only reachable by overcoming a strong
downward current. Its biome is unique to the rest of Dema.
There are active lava flows and orange, craggy mountains
shaped as if they were shattered by great impacts. Parime is
home to an indigenous tribe of Humans called the Drakonoi
who ride the land’s mythic dragons and drakes. Their
culture is almost entirely undocumented by Dema’s
scholars. One ancient Scholasta cartographer who made it
back down the Moon River claimed the draconic life
appeared to have metallic organs and bones beneath their
scales.
SCINTILLA
Scintilla is the prosperous imperial capital of the Solar
Hegemony. Located on a lush plateau at the foot of a
mountain surrounded by lakes and waterfalls, the city is
home to nearly a million Humans. From the peak of
Scintilla’s glittering imperial palace, the Solar Emperor
reigns over Humanity with the divine authority of the sun.
Remus Cassar, the first Solar Emperor, was born in Scintilla
when it was still an independent city kingdom. As Remus
rose to power, so did Scintilla. During the upheaval which
followed Remus’s coronation, many of the city’s once
unique cultural practices spread rapidly throughout the
Solar Hegemony.
Scintilla’s small lakes have dozens of grand, floating
gardens. Carefully maintained streams flow down the
mountain, irrigating hundreds of mountain-terraced farms.
These feed Scintilla’s enormous population housed in
thousands of whitewashed apartments. Historically,
Scintilla’s apartments were built in clusters around a central
landlord’s mansion. Revolutionaries violently seized these
luxurious mansions during the rise of the Solar Hegemony.
They then underwent a renovation to serve as
administrative offices and local temples of Sola.
Scintilla’s lakes and streams power hundreds of water
mills, and these mills fuel the city’s industrial sector. The
primary industries are grain, metalworks, and cutting logs
into lumber. Scintilla’s lakes also serve as famous areas for
recreation, including sports like swimming and rowing.
With its freshwater lakes and control of the Abragon River,
Scintilla commands a virtual monopoly on the freshwater
needed to irrigate the sprawling grain farms of the Light
Plains. The dozens of smaller settlements nearby that are
culturally Scintillan historically enjoyed special privileges
for being so close to the imperial capital.
Built atop the city’s highest point and towering over the
rest of Scintilla is the sacred imperial palace. Commanding
the attention of everyone in the city, the imperial palace is a
marvel of Hegemony engineering. It is a tiered pyramid of
massive proportions surrounded by splendid gardens.
Thousands of pious Solasii regularly pilgrimage here to
worship and show allegiance to their Emperor. At the very
apex of the Palace is the Emperor’s shimmering throne
room. Known as the Diakonta, the faithful consider this
room to be the point of divine contact between Sola and the
Emperor. The Diakonta is the holiest site recognized by the
Church of Sola. Crowning the Diakonta is the Light Plains’
Solar Network node. Its otherworldly beam of light
connects it directly to the Solar Nexus in Mundi.
When Remus seized power, many of Scintilla’s wealthy
estates, which once belonged to the city’s powerful nobility,
were torn down. Their expensive building materials were
repurposed for the construction of the Sankta Lumo, the
largest temple to Sola ever constructed. Its religious
significance to the Solasii is second only to the Diakonta.
The Sankta Lumo’s ceilings are layered with grand murals
depicting the pivotal events of the legendary Abeyance
Wars and other religious tales cherished by the Church.
Solasii pilgrims from across the world make their way to
Scintilla. They hope to visit the Sankta Lumo and pray in
the vast gardens of the imperial palace, facing the Diakonta.
Unlike the Sankta Lumo, the Diakonta is closed to all but
those with a private audience with the Emperor.
As the ancestral home of the Church of Sola, Scintilla has
long been the center of religious festivals such as the Solar
Communion and the annual ritual of The Separation. The
Solar Communion is a holiday harvest festival held each
Solamona. Each day, the most successful Solasii donate a
considerable amount of their resources and crops to the
festivities. On the final day of the Solar Communion, any
remaining supplies get redistributed to the city’s poorest
citizens.
The most important religious ritual of the year is The
Separation. Held at the beginning of each Okamona, The
Separation commemorates Humanity’s lost spiritual
connection with Sola. The rite begins when a Solasii high
priest pilgrimages to the sun in the far south-eastern corner
of the world until the Torch of Light spontaneously ignites
from the sheer heat. Some high priests have died from
walking that close to the sun. The high priest then brings
the holy flame back to the imperial capital in Scintilla,
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where it is brought before the Emperor in the Diakonta.
From there the holy flame is spread candle to candle to all
the Solasii across the city. For five days, festivities celebrate
the light of Sola. On the start of the sixth day, the Solasii
unanimously extinguish the light and mourn its loss.
Ethnographies like Scintilla Invicta and Where the Light
Always Shines offer the people of Dema greater insight into
Scintilla’s world-spanning imperial culture. Marvel at the
region’s bountiful wealth when your party travels through
the sacred center of Humanity’s great struggle in the mortal
world.
The Nightlands
The Nightlands are the dark western half of Dema,
separated from the Daylands by the Mountains of the Moon
and the heavily forested continent known as the Midlands.
Part Two: The World
The Nightlands are shrouded in darkness, with only the
territories closest to the Midlands lit for a few hours each
25-hour cycle.
The biomes of the Nightlands range from vast steppes
and fungal cave systems to dark tropical islands. The largest
regions in the Nightlands are the Moon Realms, the
underground Valqet, and the Midnight Sea. Major
geographical features include the icy wasteland of the
Tenaybre, the grassy moonlit steppe of the Peleryne, and a
subterranean labyrinth called the Thalkast.
Owing to their distance from the sun, the Nightlands
have much less arable land and are less populated than the
Daylands. Nightlanders have adapted to these conditions
by spreading out and making the most of unconventional
sources of food. With far fewer established settlements than
the Daylands, much of the Nightlands are sparsely
populated and filled with monsters.
The Nightlands are home to three sentient species and
their civilizations: the Nightriders, Sporespawn, and
Wakewalkers. These peoples have developed apart from
each other, separated by distance and danger. Even so,
great wars have raged across the Nightlands. Significant
conflicts in the Nightlands include the Human Solar
Hegemony’s war to subjugate the Nightriders, known as
the Moon Realms Conflicts, and the centuries-long civil war
raging between the Sporespawn, known as the Endless
War.
The Midnight Sea
The Midnight Sea lies in the south of the Nightlands, in
Dema’s southeast. Its coasts and hundreds of islands range
from dimly lit to dark, and from cool to warm. Varying
conditions create everything from tropical archipelagos to
lush fjords and misty forests. The Midnight Isles spread
across the sea are the ancestral homeland of the
Wakewalkers. The Wakewalker societies here are known for
their hunting traditions, fierce warriors, and trade. Each has
a close connection to the sea and its teeming bioluminescent
life. Travelers in the Midnight Sea can expect everything
from large settlements to sparsely populated islands and
pirate-infested waters.
The region’s three largest Wakewalker factions are Clans
Kahr, Hiremai, and Jana’haki. Clan Khar populates the
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islands in the center of the region. They are famous for
using their Eldertech diving suits to hunt massive
leviathans known as Deep Ones. Clan Hiremai lives in
dense coastal settlements on the largest island in the sea.
They dedicate art to an ancient and mysterious being that
lives beneath their island called the Terminarch. The
outcasts of these two clans are known as Clan Jana’haki.
These raiders and pirates sail freely between the sea’s
eastern isles, and the west coast of the Midlands, known as
the Fellcoast.
BONEWATER
Bonewater is a half-sunken atoll that rings the southeastern
Midnight Sea west of the Jana’haki Isles. Bonewater is
littered with the remains of half a dozen Deep Ones and
dozens of ships destroyed by the region’s many perils. The
ancestral depth rig of a legendary hunter named Kartagar is
rumored to rest at the center of Bonewater. It is said that
Kartagar was killed in his last great hunt of a Deep One
named Not-Worth-The-Hassle. Hassle was so large, its
ancient polyped remains have a breathable environment
within. Delving into the remains to return Kartagar’s rig to
Clan Kahr would trigger the greatest celebration in a
generation.
THE DREADFLEET
The fear that The Dreadfleet evokes in men’s hearts is
almost without peer. No greater mass of vice and plunder
has ever swept the seas of Dema. At the apex of its power,
two hundred sails flew the crimson colors of the Corsair
King, perhaps the largest fleet ever assembled in history.
These vessels ranged from lightweight schooners to battle
galleys trimmed with the skulls of those foolish enough to
pass through Clan Jana’haki waters.
Pity those who live in a settlement within raiding
distance of The Dreadfleet’s highly mobile reavers. As proof
of the Jana’haki’s cruelty and depravity, the survivors of
their raids hope to die before they can be sold to rival
Jana’haki captains, or to the flesh markets of the Gilded
States. When moored in the Jana’haki Isles or off the
Fellcoast, the military fleet doubled as a floating city of
trade schooners, treasure ships, supply transports, and
slave-crewed pleasure craft. Artifacts plundered from
across Dema’s seas filled the hulls of The Dreadfleet’s
treasure ships. The raucous laughter of more than ten
thousand Jana’haki carried far over the waves.
The most priceless treasures of all were stored within the
legendary Karakoa. Hundreds of feet long, six decks deep,
and manned by a crew of nearly two thousand, the Karakoa
was the flagship of The Dreadfleet at its terrifying height.
Constructed in Deonar by the Solar Hegemony’s finest
shipwrights, the Karakoa was soon humiliatingly captured
by a raiding party led by the Corsair King himself.
Originally meant to transport an invasion force all on its
own, the Karakoa became the terror of the Corsair King. Its
main armament was a mighty Eldertech launcher affixed to
the bow. It could fire a lance of neon death clean through
metal and wood hundreds of feet away, liquifying
everything in its path. If there were defenses that could
withstand its withering beam, none were found.
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The vicious personalities drawn to serve in The
Dreadfleet were echoed in the maintenance of their ships.
Vast networks of runes were carved into the hulls by
captains keeping track of defeated foes. Many visitors and
traders selling luxury goods were welcome in The
Dreadfleet. Equally compelling to the Jana’haki were the
uncounted souls taken prisoner as galley slaves, menial
deckhands, servants, and worse. Conditions became so
intolerable that slave revolts became just as much a threat to
The Dreadfleet as Hegemony and Clan Kahr fleets
attempting to bring the outcasts to justice.
For all the untamed egos of the Jana’haki, it is a testament
to the strength and charisma of the Corsair King that The
Dreadfleet sailed as long as it did. Ultimately, the fleet
splintered in the wake of his death in 17 LS. His captains
turned on one another, scrambling for the spoils.
THE FELLCOAST
Uncharted lands can be fatal for wanderers. The Fellcoast
has long resisted the attempts of explorers to delve deeper
into its dark, misty forests. Located in the west of the
Midlands, the Fellcoast is an environmentally diverse but
always hostile region. Stretching across an enormous
territory, it is bounded by a chain of rocky islets in the west
and the Viridian Mountains in the east. Long-distance
overland travel is almost impossible. The sea lanes into the
Fellcoast are not much better. Its coast is plagued by jagged
rocks, hidden coves, and the region’s notorious mist. These
features make the Fellcoast incredibly dangerous to sail,
and a safe haven for countless pirates.
The cold, dark forests of the Fellcoast are home to all
kinds of monsters and mysteries. A long-lost lake called
Kaldera is rumored to turn living animals that drink from
its steaming waters into solid stone. Old sailors tell tales of
the Fargone Fjords, where nests of frightening creatures like
mantek and ostrex guard abandoned hoards of treasure.
For decades, Dema’s outcasts have found refuge in the
Fellcoast. From the start of the Heroic Era, outlaws and
exiles have maintained small colonies and outposts. Settlers
soon became familiar with the forest’s dangers like the
scarin, mobile carnivorous trees that skulk the terrain in
search of prey to drag back to their moots.
In the century since the Levigo de Sola, powerful Jana’haki
pirates founded various petty kingdoms throughout the
Fellcoast to use as bases for raiding Dema’s seas. Their
dozens of jungle encampments were staffed by slave-
prisoners they captured on the high seas. Fortified
settlements cropped up throughout the Fellcoast. These
ranged from bustling ports like Fell Harbor, the largest
Jana’haki town, to the bastion at Bloodsand Beach, where
the infamous Corsair King often moored his Dreadfleet
from 12-17 LS.
The Fellcoast is also home to embattled foreign
populations from throughout Dema. During the 50s LS, the
Freespawn set up various “Ark Colonies” as a safeguard
against defeat in their homeland of the Valqet. They were
soon followed by their authoritarian rivals, the Awakened,
who founded New Nexus on the southwestern tip of the
continent in 61 LS. In the south, Featherfolk communes
representing The Auric and Hollowfalls competed bitterly
with each other for influence. They often clashed with the

KAHR ISLAND
HIREMAI ISLE
MAELSTROM
THE WORLD TREE
Jana’haki, as well as with Human settlements populated by
everyone from Hegemony colonists to religious and
political exiles.
Nightrider slaves from throughout the Light Plains
escaped to the Fellcoast during the Sunset Revolt of 22 LS.
Finding no asylum anywhere in the Light Plains, this
population of mostly Dawnraiders and Hardhooves made
their way to the Fellcoast, where they forged new lives for
themselves by trading with Laestrygion and Yaras. Joining
everyone else, Archivist missionaries distributed
themselves across the entire Fellcoast. Always on the
lookout for Eldertech, these monks learned to aggressively
barter for it. They also busied themselves studying the
unique series of ruins along the coasts left over by the lost
Heroic Era civilization of Fel, which the entire region is
named after.
Dangers and opportunities of your own design beckon
from the mysterious frontiers of Dema. Strike deep and
craft a legend all your own. Just be ready for when your last
torch fades in the misty gloom of the Fellcoast.
HIREMAI ISLE
Lying just northwest of the Maelstrom, Hiremai Isle is the
largest island in the Midnight Sea. Its large population of
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LAESTRYGION
THE FELLCOAST
Part Two: The World
JANA'HAKI ISLES
BONEWATER
Clan Hiremai Wakewalkers is distributed remarkably
evenly. The island’s twenty medium-sized towns span the
entire coastline at roughly equal distances from each other.
Scholasta historians believe these strange features were
intentionally planned in order to appease some higher
command from the Terminarch, the mysterious creature
that Clan Hiremai worships as a god. Some speculate that
the island’s layout reflects a strategic, military purpose. For
an invader to seize and hold on to a single settlement would
expose them to counterattacks from the other nineteen.
Each of Clan Hiremai’s twenty underclans claims a town
as their own. Some specialize in toolmaking, while others
revel in the production of art and ceremonial idols for
worshipping the Terminarch. Celebratory duels and
competitions are an integral part of each underclan’s
identity.
An impressive number of aquaculture farms crowd the
island’s coves and reefs. These, combined with sustainable
harvesting of fruits and cereal crops seeded slightly inland,
ensure that Clan Hiremai has the most nutritious diet of all
Wakewalkers. At various points in their history, the
Hiremai experimented with large-scale farming farther
inland, but always abandoned the practice as not worth the
cost in life required to defend these farms from the roaming
monsters that plague the island’s interior.
The Hiremai appreciate novel luxuries. When not under
threat from rival clans, Clan Hiremai’s vast Argosi trade
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The World Tree
network help many foreign traders and craftsmen to
cultivate their skills. Argosi captains grant free housing to
apprentices in creative workshops in exchange for their
service.
Beyond the fertile coastline, the interior of Hiremai Isle is
extremely perilous. While not as dense as the sprawling
forests of the Midlands, the overgrowths of glowing trees
clustered around Hiremai Isle’s deltas and lagoons are host
to monsters even experienced hunters give a wide berth.
Only a series of great roads called the Blood Pikes penetrate
more than a few miles inland. Named for the regular price
paid by Hiremai warriors in their defense, these four
superhighways and their offshoots allow for travel from the
four cardinal directions to the Eternity Harborage.
Protected by warriors known as Khutara, the Harborage
is a gargantuan temple made from imported Deep One
bones. The Hiremai regard the Harborage as the holiest site
in all the world. Here, the members of Clan Hiremai
regularly pilgrimage to pay homage at the sacred steps.
Further within, a monumental series of caves and natural
passages leads down to a secret chamber. Only Clan
Hiremai’s chief, known as the Terminarchon, and the
Hiremai’s other high priests can enter. Within this sacred
chamber, they commune with the Terminarch, the eldritch
Outer God of Clan Hiremai.
The Terminarch imbues his will into a fluid he secretes
called waparaka. The different colors of waparaka impart
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distinct sensations, states of mind, and physical effects.
They are stored in the Eternity Harborage’s warehouses
alongside the site’s famous Eldertech hoards. From there,
they are shipped in heavily guarded convoys to the twenty
outlying settlements. Beyond the shores of Hiremai Island,
waparaka is exported to the various small island colonies
claimed by the Hiremai, as well as to Clan Hiremai’s
diaspora population throughout the Midnight Sea.
Hiremai islanders are famous for enjoying long,
ponderous conversations. They openly discuss their
personal lives, relationships, and how their work is faring.
News travels quickly around the island thanks to an
arduously trained order of messengers. These oral couriers
are stationed in a relay network along the Blood Pikes to
disseminate the will of the Hiremai’s high priests, and thus
the will of the Terminarch himself. While such a system
may seem doomed to inaccuracy, the messengers insist that
no report had ever gone undelivered or misunderstood
between couriers in centuries.
Hiremai Isle is a bountiful land, a titan of art and
industry, and a beacon of civilization deep in the maw of
the Maelstrom. What burst of business brings your band of
misfits to the far-flung frontier of the raging Midnight Sea?
JANA’HAKI ISLES
For much of the Heroic Era, the Jana’haki Isles in the
southeast of the Midnight Sea were unexplored and
unsettled. At one point, they were only known to a handful
of Featherfolk cartographers, who named them. Over the
years, the Isles became a common destination for
Wakewalker exiles from Clans Kahr and Hiremai. As the
population of the Isles grew, they steadily became more
developed. The most egregious monsters were slain, and
rudimentary ports began cropping up. Eventually, the
exiled Wakewalkers of the isles decided to strike out into
the Midnight Sea, giving birth to the first roving pirate
bands of Clan Jana’haki.
KAHR ISLAND
At the center of the Midnight Sea, Kahr Island crowns the
island chain known as the Karchipelago. The island is a
monument to the glory of a clan of Wakewalkers hewn
from salt and bone. Its rocky shores encircle an inland lake.
At the center of the lake lies a sandbar long soaked through
with the blood of challengers and upstarts. This space
cradles the Coral Throne, where the chieftains and kings of
Clan Kahr have ruled the Karchipelago with strength and
honor for centuries.
Each of Clan Kahr’s underclans has a presence on Kahr
Island. Their camps radiate outward through the sparse tree
line towards the beaches. The mark of each underclan’s
excellence is the composition of their buildings. Every
structure is made of the skeletons, leather, and scales of
massive sea monsters known as Deep Ones. These
leviathans are slain in a seasonal, ritualized event known as
the Wild Hunt.
Foundations build from huge femurs and spines support
multi-family homes. In the markets below are the day-to-
day sounds of fishermen hawking their catches, craftsmen
beating away at stubborn lengths of bone and iron, and the
happy cries of the nameless children called Isle Imps.
Sculptors using techniques passed down for generations
carve elaborately designed buildings from fresh bones,
eager to build upon the legacy of their forefathers. In this
tangible history of huts carved from single skulls beats the
heart of a settlement with an innate connection to the
interplay between life and death, hunter and prey.
The population of Kahr Island swells at the
commencement of the Wild Hunt. Thousands of clan
hunters gather together their sturdy boats called katamars.
They look to the distant Maelstrom on the horizon with a
hunger for greatness. If they return, they will bring a
mountain of meat with them. To see Kahr Island with the
carcass of a Deep One beached on the shore is a sight to
behold. For weeks afterwards, hundreds of cooking fires
will blaze and the smell of roasting meat will fill the air.
Skylighters light up the night sky while tycho drummers
shake the shore and skalds recite the rhyming ballads of
battles past. To experience all of this is to witness what is
sometimes considered one of the great wonders of the
world. Visits from outsiders are rare. Yet, most adventurers
are welcome on Kahr Island so long as they can keep pace
with the joyous blue giants. Can you?
LAESTRYGION
Laestrygion is a large island west of Mundi. Laestrygion has
a unique fjord biome. Its most notable predators are
monstrous mantis shrimp and carnivorous plants. The
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island was originally home to a group of seafaring
Nightriders with a strong raiding tradition. These
Laestrygonians were known to decorate their longships
with monster horns. The island was captured by the Solar
Hegemony’s imperial fleet in 10 LS. The local Nightrider
population was deported to Asphodel and Abresia. The
island remained largely abandoned until the Hegemony
struck a deal allowing the Wakewalkers of Clan Kahr to
settle the island in 19 LS. The region became embroiled in
war again in 48 LS, when another clan of Wakewalkers
attempted to seize Laestrygion from Clan Kahr in what is
known as the War of the Drinking Horn.
THE MAELSTROM
In the southwestern corner of the Midnight Sea is a wall of
eternal storm. Stretching for hundreds of miles, the
Maelstrom protects the legendary and majestic World Tree.
Few have successfully crossed through the Maelstrom, with
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the most notable being King Odiseas and his Kargonauts.
The giant sea monsters known as Deep Ones emerge every
so often from the Maelstrom. These leviathans threaten
ships and islands alike in the Midnight Sea.
QETAMAR
Qetamar is a small but independent Sporespawn colony
that floats in the Midnight Sea, drifting along like an
iceberg. The colony was founded by a band of Sporespawn
that escaped from Unrul in 24 LS. The Sporespawn in
Qetamar have modified their bodies for life on and under
the water. Some can no longer survive above the waves due
to their alterations. Qetamar often serves as a friendly port
for traders when it can be located. Sightings of the colony
became fewer over the decades. By the late Exodus Era,
many believe that it was destroyed along with much of the
Midnight Isles.
THE WORLD TREE
The World Tree stands pristine in the southwest corner of
Dema. It can only be reached by traversing the Midnight
Sea through the Maelstrom, the eternal storm from which
titanic sea monsters known as Deep Ones emerge. Only a
few people have ever reached the World Tree, including
King Odiseas. The World Tree itself stretches more than a
thousand feet into the air. Its massive trunk and branches
are a hybrid of organic matter and a slithering, alien metal.
The island surrounding the World Tree is home to
hundreds of strange animals that don’t live anywhere else
in Dema. A small number of mysterious and powerful
Humans are said to inhabit the World Tree. Some even say
that the World Tree’s roots are a gateway to whatever lies
beyond the edges of Dema.
The Moon Realms
The Moon Realms stretch across the central and northern
territories of the Nightlands, in Dema’s west and northwest.
This huge land ranges from dimly lit to total darkness.
Although the Moon Realms contain a diversity of lands,
they are dominated by a massive steppe hundreds of miles
wide. The moon itself travels in sweeping arcs across the
steppe’s night sky. These lands are the ancestral home of
the Nightriders. The Nightrider societies here are known for
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their self-reliance, formidable steeds called virses, and for
their nomadic traditions. Travelers in the Moon Realms can
expect a few heavily fortified settlements surrounded by the
vast and open steppe.
The region’s four largest Nightrider tribes are the
Dawnraiders, Hardhooves, Cairnkeepers, and Freesteeds.
Each of these great tribes contains dozens of extended
family groups called undertribes. The Dawnraiders are
fiercely independent nomads that have spent most of their
history either taking tribute from settled groups or at war
with them. Their rivals the Hardhooves are a mercantile,
urban tribe that live behind the great stone walls of Yaras.
In the far northwest, the Cairnkeepers are famous for their
metalwork and beastmasters. They live in the crater city of
Tallon amid the frigid wastes of the Tenaybre. Their arch
rivals are the Freesteeds. These nomads still ride about the
grassy steppe of the Peleryne, and follow their orthodox
religion, the Path of the Moon.
THE DUSKPLAIN
In the southeast of the Moon Realms lies the great
Duskplain. The Duskplain is a fertile expanse of rolling hills
and vast open plains. Its glinting lakes brim with purple
and black fish. The region’s darkly hued vegetation is
uniquely adapted to thrive in minimal light. Although
originally home to dozens of independent agricultural and
fishing communities, for hundreds of years the Duskplain
has been dominated by the nomadic and fearsome
Dawnraiders, the most powerful tribe of Nightriders in the
Moon Realms. Dependent upon extracting regular tribute
from the region’s many productive settlements, nomadic
life in the Duskplain centers around strength, honor, and
constant competition. Clusters of Dawnraider yurts speckle
the steppes in their hundreds, each home to a family unit
that is always adapting to the struggles of nomadic life.
Around the many forests and lakes of the Duskplain are
the region’s hundreds of productive villages. Varying in
size and function, these villages are inhabited by a large
population of sedentary Humans and Nightriders which
the Dawnraiders have long derided as “plant souls.” For all
the mockery, the Duskplain’s settled villages are the true
source of Dawnraider power. Altogether, they are more
populous and productive than the rest of the Moon Realms
combined. The plant soul villages bordering the vast
Oysmac Forest to the north are particularly resourceful.
These territories are home to several large, self-sufficient
towns that dominate much of the overland trade into the
Moon Realms.
Beginning around 7 LS, the Solar Hegemony occupied
most of the Duskplain. They ruled with an iron grip as they
consolidated control over the eastern Moon Realms. Many
plant soul villages welcomed the Hegemony’s legions as
liberators. Most were treated mercifully and spared the fate
that befell the Dawnraiders. Entire nomadic undertribes
were broken up, forcibly resettled, enslaved, and wiped out
by the Krypteia.
In the months and years after the conquest of the
Duskplain, the Hegemony concentrated its power in the
region at Camp Cynosure, a military fortress built by
thousands of Dawnraider slaves. For nearly a decade, Camp
Cynosure served as a supply depot and headquarters for
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the Hegemony’s wars against the Hardhooves, Freesteeds,
and what remained of the Dawnraiders. At its height, Camp
Cynosure hosted a population of legionnaires, local
farmers, and Dawnraider slaves that rivalled some small
cities.
There are many Eldertech ruins in the Duskplain. Huge
and mysterious pyramids known as the Ebony Markers rise
from the countryside. Inside are labyrinth networks of black
stone burial chambers and treasure hoards guarded by
fearsome beasts. Most of the Dawnraiders who pass by the
Ebony Markers both fear and covet the secrets within. A
few undertribes have a rite of passage where youths delve
into an Ebony Marker. The Dawnraiders generally
discourage the practice because of the high death rate.
The Duskplain is the most fertile realm in the Nightlands.
Over its long history, it has supported a diverse range of
cultures and peoples. Whether you are a nomadic steppe
archer who can imagine no other way of life, or a solar
legionnaire aching for home on your deployment to this
exotic nightscape, the Duskplain leaves a lasting
impression. Few forget their travels passing through this
gateway to the Moon Realms.
THE EBONY MARKERS
Scattered across the Moon Realms are black pyramids
thousands of feet wide. These structures, known as Ebony
Markers, are each unique. Each has its own monsters,
labyrinths, and secrets. The Nightriders of the Moon Realms
have clashing views about the Ebony Markers. Some
undertribes forbid any to enter them, while others consider
it a dangerous rite of passage. Foreign adventurers are
much more likely to treat them as opportunities for
treasure. During the Moon Realms Conflicts, the Hegemony
tried to destroy the Ebony Markers, with little success. One
by one, the Ebony Markers opened in the Exodus and
Redsky Eras. The monstrosities that emerged flooded the
Moon Realms, eventually rendering them uninhabitable.
ILDA
Nowhere else in Dema are danger and natural beauty so
intertwined. To those who live nearby in the far west of the
Moon Realms, the forest is an otherworldly and ominous
presence. It teems with a jumble of flora rivaled in
biodiversity only by the jungles of Panacea. Ilda nourishes
its alien ecosystem with its strange green ponds and hidden
lakes.
Almost all of Ilda’s plant life is bioluminescent. They
glow in vivid blues, oranges, and pinks, forming a pulsing
cornucopia that extends dozens of feet into the sky. This is
made eery by the fact that the forest somehow thrives in
one of the darkest and most lifeless regions of Dema. Ilda is
considered haunted by the neighboring Freesteeds. Almost
everyone who enters hears voices from their past
whispering from the trees. Some of these voices come from
the maldormacs that spin glowing webs in the canopy, but
not all. The handful of botanists from the Scholasta who
have made the trip maintain that Ilda’s trees must be giving
off some unknown hallucinogen. What else could explain
the disturbing sounds and creeping paranoia that almost
everyone experiences?
 While the specters that supposedly haunt the Forest of
Ilda remain illusive, the dangers of the forest are very real.
The monsters in this region have vision adapted to both
bioluminescent light and darkness. Some blend among the
woodland with shifting camouflage, while others coat low
hanging branches in potent acid. Despite years of effort,
only a few have been properly studied by the Scholasta’s
zoologists.
Many believe that the Forest of Ilda was the site of some
grand civilization in ages past. The ruins that dot the
interior of the northwestern part of the forest are notable for
their strange hardlight structures. There are bridges of light
that explorers can walk on. Deeper in these ruins there are
glowing barriers that seal away tantalizing treasure hoards
and ornate shrines containing perpetual motion dynamos.
The glowing wooden foundations of the shrines still stand
centuries after normal wood should decay. A dozen species
of trees unique to the Forest of Ilda are prized for the
unique properties of their wood. Shipwrights, craftsmen,
and architects the world over are willing to pay fortunes for
a slice of the wilds.
Despite the promise of riches, few dare to harvest the
Forest of Ilda’s natural resources. A protective and
merciless group of Nightriders lives in the forest. This little-
studied tribe are known in Monturyn as the Phei. These
mysterious Nightriders owe no allegiance to any of the four
great tribes of the Moon Realms. Trespassers typically only
get as far into Ilda’s interior as the Phei’s war-painted
archers allow. Apart from a brief agreement to shelter
Nightrider refugees at the edge of the forest during the
Moon Realms Conflicts, the Phei forbid outlanders from
lingering in their inner villages and sacred gardens. It is
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THE TENAYBRE
THE PELERYNE
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there that rituals dedicated to the Phei’s unknown gods are
carried out by the light of their temples.
What secrets lay hidden in the tangled Forest of Ilda for
your characters to reveal? Why have the Phei sealed off
such an enormous land from all attempts at exploration?
The fate of a forgotten woodland kingdom remains to be
discovered. What you find at the glowing edge of the Moon
Realms could change the fate of Dema forever.
MONTUR’S CRADLE
According to the Freesteeds who still follow the orthodox
Path of the Moon, Montur’s Cradle is the holiest place in all
the world. Located in the northwest of the Peleryne, this
small valley is a meeting point. At the end of each of the
moon’s cycles, pious nomads from across the Moon Realms
flock to its temples of wood and bone by the thousands. At
the center of the valley is the Sphere of Rest. This growing
boulder is a totem of memory that the pilgrims constantly
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paint over to leave a symbolic record of their history. While
no large buildings exist in the area, traders often flock to
Montur’s Cradle to trade goods with the Freesteeds at
important religious celebrations.
MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON
The Mountains of the Moon are Dema’s longest mountain
chain. They form an impassable barrier in Dema’s north,
and divide the Nightlands from the Daylands on both sides
of the Moon River. Their cliffs and ridges have steered
world history. In the far north lies Mount Hars, the tallest
peak by far, and the source of the Moon River. Mount Hars
is considered sacred by the Archivist faithful of Zenyecrot.
Deadly monsters and freak weather events have prevented
every attempt to scale the mountains of the far north. Even
so, many adventurers still try their luck, hoping to find
caves and underground passages which hide ancient
Eldertech caches.
THE PELERYNE
The Peleryne is an ancient grassland steppe in the west of
the Moon Realms. It is the ancestral home of the Freesteeds,
the first great tribe of Nightriders. These orthodox followers
of the Path of the Moon still roam nomadically across this
THE DUSKPLAIN
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Yaras
dark landscape. High above the Peleryne, the moon arcs
across the sky in sweeping cycles. All life in the Peleryne,
from the plants and animals to the Freesteeds themselves,
follow the moon in massive migratory cycles. Visitors to the
Peleryne can observe Freesteed traditions as they have
existed for hundreds of years.
THE TENAYBRE AND TALLON
The founding of Tallon was, in some ways, accidental. The
first Cairnkeepers had been exiled by the Freesteeds into the
freezing Tenaybre for their heresy. On the brink of frostbite
and starvation, they stumbled across the thermally-heated
crater that became Tallon. They discovered an oasis of heat
and freshwater hot springs, extensive stone temple
complexes and apartment-style compounds. These and
more had already been carved into the basin and walls of
the vast crater. There was no trace of the city’s original
inhabitants.
The city quickly took on its distinctly Cairnkeeper
character. Bounties of ornel barley and sweet spuds are
grown in jealously guarded imported soil. Flowers bloom
from gardens irrigated and heated by the springs. The
Cairnkeepers’ skilled stoneworkers added a vast network of
defensive towers and walls to the existing architecture. The
majority of Tallon’s food comes from hunting in the
perilous wasteland of the Tenaybre. Over the years, the rim
of the city became filled with the animal pens of Tallon’s
world-class beastmasters. Together, Tallon’s food sources
sustain a population tens of thousands strong. Careful
planning and stockpiling help the Cairnkeepers weather
bad harvests and animal migrations away from the region.
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An extensive underground network of tunnels connects
most of the buildings in Tallon. These passageways
resemble a palace’s floors, allowing much of the population
to go about the city without outside exposure. On the
northern and western sides of the crater are Tallon’s famed
jewel caverns. These glinting caves are filled with emeralds,
illumite, quartz, and dozens of other gemstones, creating a
kaleidoscope of color. The raw materials are processed in
the city’s multiple crafting districts. Despite visible
similarities to crystals from Etherea, Tallon’s jewels include
more than a dozen unique gemstones that help sustain
Tallon’s economy.
Across the taverns and halls of Tallon, hunters and
beastmasters share tips about large monsters to be on the
lookout for. Elders from each of Tallon’s family Houses
debate how to meet quotas of wood and ore. These
meetings usually end with beer and songs of valor. Life in
the Tenaybre is one of the most extreme in Dema, but its
folk find every excuse to be merry by a roaring hearth.
THE VALLEY OF TEARS
The Valley of Tears is one of the most trafficked and well-
defended crossroads in the world. This mountain pass
northwest of Mundi is the only land route between the
Nightlands and Daylands. It was here that the Solar
Hegemony’s combined legions killed the King of Darkness
and shattered the Dark Horde in 7 LS. From 12-16 LS, the
Hegemony built the Gates of Mundi across the pass’s
narrowest point. As one of Dema’s most complex series of
defensive walls and fortifications, the Gates of Mundi
prevented Nightlander factions from ever threatening the
Daylands again.
YARAS
Yaras is the largest city in the Moon Realms. It is the
ancestral home of the Hardhoove tribe of Nightriders. With
its huge stone walls, guard towers, and bustling sea port, it
is almost impossible to siege Yaras. Travelers arriving by
sea will first sail into the Bay of Yaras, a refuge of calm in
the otherwise choppy waters of the northern Midnight Sea.
As they approach the city, they might notice the harbor’s
jutting stone docks if they aren’t distracted by the enormity
of the city towering before them. Docking among the
creaking fishing trawlers and trade schooners with cargoes
smelling of far-off cultures, the next step is through the
gates of Yaras’s beachside wall.
The gates to the city’s lowest level are guarded by
bronze-clad members of the Ten Hundred, or by occupying
Hegemony legionnaires, depending on the Era. Of note are
the large stone barracks, which act as training grounds and
residential meeting halls. There is an especially high
concentration of barracks around the Dais, where thralls
have been bought and sold at auction in Yaras for centuries.
The city’s highest level is reserved for the city’s
businesses and markets. Its labyrinthine multi-story stone
buildings brim with tea shops, taverns, inns, and
restaurants serving up delicious cured meats and wines.
Stalls in the Great Plaza are lined with a huge variety of
spices. Rugs and homespun clothes hang from racks as
customers haggle over the catches of the day with silver
coins and bartered goods. All benefits of living in a trade
city. As a common traveler’s saying goes: “One must get
lost in Yaras to find themselves.”
When the city came under Hegemony control in 11 LS,
Yaras became packed with newly repurposed Churches of
Sola, crimson-bannered military checkpoints, and slums
bursting with the downtrodden. The largely native
Hardhoove population slowly became displaced by wave
after wave of Human colonists, all yearning for
opportunities denied to them in the Light Plains. The Dais
had to be expanded to accommodate the tens of thousands
of Dawnraiders recently enslaved by the Hegemony.
For most commoners, the twin peak mountains of Big
Brother and Little Brother always remain in sight but ever
out of reach. These imposing heights that enclose the west
and east of the city are reserved for the finer neighborhoods
and administrative buildings. The peak of Big Brother is
headed by the Alcazar. Its gold-topped parapets were the
guardians of the kings and queens of old. With the
transition to Hegemony control, The Alcazar outlasted the
royalty it once housed. It instead became the headquarters
of the Hegemony’s administration of the Moon Realms. The
Alcazar’s construction is as grand and ornate as the city’s
stone walls are tall and thick.
The fortunes of Yaras reflect the fortunes of all the Moon
Realms. So long as the Hardhooves live in their fortified
home, the strength of the Nightriders has not failed.
100
The Valqet
The Valqet is a massive underground network that lies
beneath the northeastern region of the Moon Realms, in
Dema’s northwest. This labyrinth of caverns and
underground lakes is almost completely dark. In the safer,
upper layers of the Valqet are the Hive Halls, enormous
cavern cities that are the ancestral home of the Sporespawn.
These were built by The Overmind, a hive mind which once
contained all Sporespawn. The incredibly dangerous depths
of the Valqet are known as the Thalkast. Ever since The
Overmind shattered, the three strongest Sporespawn
factions in the Valqet have been locked in a centuries-long
civil war. Travelers in the Valqet can expect massive,
sophisticated cities surrounded by miles of wartorn and
monster-infested tunnels.
The three strongest Sporespawn factions are the
Everborn, the Freespawn, and the Awakened. Each controls
Part Two: The World
one of the three great Hive Halls. The Everborn of Hive Hall
Tohol is a successor hive mind to The Overmind. The
Everborn will not stop until all Sporespawn are
reassimilated into its consciousness. The Freespawn of
Ikhish are a faction of free Sporespawn that champion
individualism and reason. The Awakened of Unrul is also a
faction of ‘free’ Sporespawn, but they are ruled by an
authoritarian dictator named the Allspawn.
IKHISH
Hive Hall Ikhish is built in a massive flat chamber
surrounded by blue Eldertech walls. Craggy pillars of stone
hang from the ceiling pockmarked by blue Eldertech shafts.
The city is structured like a huge honeycomb, divided by
biomaterial roads that criss-cross Ikhish in a hexagonal grid
pattern. This cradle of science is home to dozens of huge
residential complexes housing hundreds of thousands of
Freespawn. The Freespawn are the most independent and
advanced Sporespawn faction in the Valqet. The elected
leaders of the Freespawn regularly host diplomatic events
welcoming both surface dwellers, or “skyborn,” and
delegates from the various minor hives that border Ikhish.
The elaborately carved Symposia Lodges loom large and
prestigious in the city. In their painted halls, Freespawn
citizens commune with one another in Consensus to decide
state policy. The most important consensus is conducted in
the Kortex. The Kortex is one of the most beautiful
examples of Freespawn architecture, considered by its few
outside visitors to be one of the most awe-inspiring
buildings in Dema.
At key junctions of Ikhish’s road network, there are
buildings dedicated to politics, trade, and administration.
Interspersed throughout the city are dozens of Kolloquium
laboratories and workshops that hum with physics and
biotech experiments. Technological advancements energize
the creation of new tools and materials in Ikhish’s specially
mandated production zones. These advanced facilities
produce everything from new crop seeds and giant insect
beasts of burden, to medicines and weapons of war for the
city’s Terraqet defense forces. With Ikhish wracked by the
centuries-long Endless War since it began, the high
command of the Terraqet have two entire zones of the city
reserved for training grounds, armories, and barracks.
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 The tremendous output of Freespawn Kolloquiums is
stored in the Daedelons, warehouse repositories of
thousands of carefully organized clay tablets. More than
two dozen Daedelon sites are maintained throughout the
city, joined by an expanding network of newly constructed
Daedelons established in each reclaimed minor hive
bordering Ikhish. The most promising and secretive forms
of knowledge and Eldertech are stored in Ikhish’s top secret
Archives of Irkalla.
Many of the remaining zones in Ikhish are dedicated to
art, culture, and relaxation. The Freespawn value these
pursuits not in spite of the constant state of war in the
Valqet, but because of it. Off-duty Liberators and Terraqet
soldiers can rely on some of the world’s greatest concert
halls and game rooms at no financial expense.
A fifth of Ikhish is underwater, a consequence of the
Blighted Years when part of the cavern’s Eldertech walls
cracked, flooding the city with the contents of what was
once an ancient underground sea. The flooded buildings
were abandoned, but the Freespawn soon noticed that their
foundations remained sturdy. The flooded portions of
Ikhish have since been used as hexagonal plots for fungal
farming to bolster the city’s food supply. Gondolas help
farmer Freespawn navigate the waters between plots.
Monster infestations of outlying farms are a constant threat
to the city’s security. The need to periodically clean them
out provides ample work for hunters and mercenaries,
though all are cautioned not to venture too far into the
wall’s fissure for fear of disturbing what might lurk on the
other side.
Unlike the other major Hive Halls, there is little miasma
or toxic air lingering in Ikhish, which makes the city
perfectly habitable for non-Sporespawn. Small diasporas of
the other five peoples of Dema work and trade in Ikhish,
their presence diversifying the Hive Hall’s economy and
pool of talent. Their help was readily enlisted in the
ongoing Endless War that rages in the Valqet.
Ikhish is a beacon of innovation and a bedrock of stability
in the wartorn tunnels of the Valqet. Though the strains of
the Endless War increasingly took their toll on this
underground marvel, the Freespawn persist. What will you
find in the bustling hive of the freest and most enlightened
Sporespawn?
THE INCARNADINE
The Incarnadine lies just a few miles outside of Hive Hall
Ikhish. It is the headquarters of the Rudden, a multispecies
UNRUL
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group of monster hunters. Hundreds of heroes recruited
into the Rudden organize missions at the Incarnadine. Their
vow is to secure, contain, and protect the Valqet from the
horrific entities emerging from the Thalkast. The
Incarnadine is stocked with skyborn supplies and
equipment that are hard to find anywhere else in the Valqet.
Treasure and Eldertech is shipped from the Incarnadine to
brokers on the surface in order to fund the Rudden’s
missions.
MORTAN
Mortan is a forsaken city in the Thalkast that is made
entirely of skulls and bones. Its catacombs contain treasure-
laden mausoleums and crypts the size of castles. Its
chambers are musty with air that is toxic even to
Sporespawn. Freespawn folk legends say that the entity that
killed Mortan’s population is imprisoned beneath the city’s
large underground lake.
OYSMAC FOREST
The Oysmac Forest is a dense forest of giant mushrooms
located north of the Duskplain. It exists directly above the
underground Valqet. The Oysmac Forest’s teeming fungal
overgrowth is home to a handful of Sporespawn tribes who
have been cut off from the Valqet. The Oysmac Forest has
been steadily harvested for biomass over generations.
THE THALKAST
Beneath the wartorn upper layers of the underground
Valqet lies a horrible underworld known as the Thalkast.
The Overmind that carved the three great Hive Halls built
bridges and tunnels connecting them to the deep and
dangerous corridors of the Thalkast. The Thalkast is so
treacherous that even The Overmind explored it with
extreme caution. Its ancient halls are filled with nightmarish
monsters and other hazards.
The exploration of the Thalkast took centuries of
expeditions with all the resources The Overmind could
muster. All knowledge of its passageways was lost when
The Overmind broke apart in 90 EM in an event known as
the Sundering. The three Sporespawn factions that emerged
from the Sundering were the Everborn, the Freespawn, and
the Awakened. Each had to slowly and painfully rediscover
the entrances to the Thalkast and what little safe territory
exists within it.
IKHISH
OYSMAC FOREST
TOHOL

Pitched battles between these Sporespawn factions have
rendered the most direct roads and bridges between the
Hive Halls impassable. In order to navigate the Valqet,
Sporespawn are often forced to pass through the Thalkast.
Its passages lead into hundreds of smaller caves that
descend deep into the bedrock of Dema, where thousand-
legged cave horrors and slimy snottites wander around in
the dark. Despite these dangers, the Sporespawn began
reexploring the Thalkast for Eldertech and strategic
passageways to use in the Endless War.
The terrain of the Thalkast is grand and treacherous. The
ceilings of some caverns extend hundreds of feet high, with
entire ecosystems thriving in overgrown tangles of glowing
fungi next to underground lakes and rivers. Explorers
report entire catacombs filled with the skulls of unknown
sentients. Evidence remains of some massive organisms like
the Rifteater, a being that once bore tunnels through the
rock over a hundred feet high. There are nightmarish and
unnaturally large entities slumbering or imprisoned in
chambers of the Thalkast. Sporespawn factions usually try
to seal off their avenues of escape or slay them outright,
with varying levels of success.
Sporespawn legends tell of a set of stairs carved by
primordial demons that descends into the underworld,
where a city of the dead called Pandaemonium has sat
abandoned for thousands of years. Some believe the
mechanical brass automata were created in the God
Workshop at the heart of Pandaemonium. May fortune help
the travelers who happen upon Pandaemonium. The
creatures skulking its crypts and vaults will not. Some of
these monstrosities are said to have escaped shattered glass
pods full of green liquid. Even these monsters shy away
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The Thalkast
from the Forbidden Cells, chambers beneath the Mountains
of the Moon which are said by religious Humans to contain
prisons for mythical entities even divine Sola and faithful
Abragon could not kill.
The opportunities for adventure are just as vibrant below
the ground as above. Empress Celina Solati once sent two
entire legions into the Thalkast which never returned. They
were supposedly sent to aid her Everborn ally against an
unknown threat. Only one insane survivor returned to
friendly territory begging for the passage to be blasted shut
behind him. Some tunnels extend far beyond the borders of
the Oysmac Forest in the northeast Moon Realms. Some
weave unmapped far across the five regions of Dema, with
Eldertech caches and treasure hoards waiting to be raided
for lost fortunes. Buried in the ruins of shattered
civilizations lay secrets only the most intrepid heroes can
bring to the light. What awaits your characters in the
bedrock abyss?
TOHOL
The most populated Sporespawn settlement is Hive Hall
Tohol, a frightening wonder of engineering connecting the
walls and ceilings of a massive cavern in the southeastern
Valqet. Tohol is first and oldest Hive Hall. It is home to the
Everborn, the name of a being forged in a post-apocalyptic
tragedy of the Sporespawn species, when The Overmind
shattered in an event known as the Sundering.
Tohol is a city that serves as the living mind of a
superorganism. It shelters hundreds of thousands of
interconnected Sporespawn drones whose minds form one
conscious entity. Its home is a mass of crude rock and
twisting biometal. A miasma hangs in the air of Tohol that
The World
brings all Sporespawn who inhale it into the Everborn’s
fold. This miasma is toxic to non-Sporespawn, causing a
spectrum of harmful effects. Skyborn visitors and specialists
who have agreed to work in Tohol are given special
biomasks that filter the air, and are housed in separately
ventilated guest structures with air piped from the surface.
In the heart of Tohol, the colossal Throne of Thorns basks
in a choking miasma. It slowly shambles across Tohol’s
biometal web. The Throne’s towering mycelia pulsate as the
Everborn’s countless thoughts travel between it. A single
Sporespawn known as the Exemplar sits atop the Throne of
Thorns in the innermost chamber, surrounded by stories of
sentient biomass. Fused to the Throne, Exemplars spend the
rest of their short lives guiding the actions of the Everborn
and serve as its avatar when negotiating with outsiders.
The military defenses of Tohol are much lighter than
Ikhish and Unrul, as the Everborn relies on its relentless
offensives to protect its interests. Visitors are often
overwhelmed by its twisting and unusual geometry.
Warrior forms guard teams of worker forms carrying
control nodes to expand the reach of the Everborn’s
miasmic will. Neighborhoods and facilities are identified by
their sector number and intended purpose. Examples
include Sector 37 Spawning Chamber and Sector 101 Entity
Dungeon.
Although individual Everborn drones do not have
personal interests, they still have to eat food. Mindless
laborers cultivate vast gardens in Tohol’s agricultural
sectors that once served as the breadbasket of The
Overmind’s sprawling domain. These agricultural sectors
produce thousands of tons of edible fungi and insect meat
that the Everborn consumes and exports to surface cities.
These gardens also act like workshops, growing tools,
weaponry, and other biomaterial that the Everborn further
refines in Growth Chambers.
All waste is repurposed in Tohol. Recycling Chambers re-
incorporate discarded and decaying biomatter for reuse
throughout the Hive Hall. Personal and industrial waste is
used to fertilize the gardens. The dead are not buried or
revered in Tohol, as the Everborn regards the deceased as
nothing more than defunct tools. The corpses of drones are
instead repurposed, turned into hormone sludges in Tohol’s
Recycling Chambers. These sludges are eventually
concentrated into the Everborn’s miasma and packed into
new control nodes.
The cold, distorted city of Tohol is among the most
otherworldly settlements in Dema. Great opportunities lie
in its biometal spires and in the Throne of Thorns, but only
for those who come prepared to explore the enigmatic mind
of the Everborn.
UNRUL
The great Hive Hall Unrul is the home of the Awakened.
This faction of Sporespawn labors under a despot known as
the Allspawn. The Hive Hall is divided into four distinct
quadrants: the Polity, Habitation, Supremacy, and Silent
Quarters.
Most government buildings, including the Allspawn’s
residence at the Commorancy and the charred remains of
the outlawed Consensus Hall, are located in the Polity
Quarter. The most loyal of the Allspawn’s Awakened
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underlings also reside there. These party elites live off the
work of those outside the ruling order.
The Polity Quarter’s borders are protected by high walls
made of biomaterial, stone, and metal. These defenses are as
thick as the Awakened’s most fortified positions on the
frontlines of the Endless War. The Polity Quarter’s security
measures only grew with time. Infrastructure dating back to
the days of The Overmind was rebuilt and reinforced. As
the walls of the state were built higher and wider, they
served as a symbol of the Awakened’s mission to establish
security and order throughout the Hive Halls.
When the Allspawn seized power, they plowed down a
significant portion of the Polity Quarter’s interior to make
room for the vast Eternity Fields. There, the Allspawn holds
regular military parades, speeches, and rallies to drum up
ideological fervor.
Most working and middle-class Sporespawn in Unrul live
in the Habitation Quarter. This is also where the city’s
population of surface dwellers, or “skyborn,” reside. Many
bizarre paths bring them to seek opportunities in Unrul,
despite the city’s air being toxic to all non-Sporespawn.
Skyborn artisans, military advisors, and other specialists
wear special filtration biomasks grown for them in order to
breathe.
Whether Sporespawn or skyborn, most citizens regularly
commute between the Habitation and Supremacy Quarters.
The Supremacy Quarter contains nearly all of Unrul’s
markets, worskshops, and growing organized industry.
Dozens of forges and spawning pools mass produce armor,
weapons, meal rations, and the next generation of the
Allspawn’s peons. The most heavily guarded forge
manufactures the Awakened’s iconic flamethrowers.
Mentioned only in whispers and terrifying propaganda,
the Silent Quarter is hidden from the rest of the city by a
labyrinth of checkpoints, fences, and walls. The only
entrances to this forsaken ruin of disease lie within a thin
military zone between the main walls. The Allspawn’s
Thought Guardians patrol every entrance and passage.
Inside, the Silent Quarter is full of Sporespawn infected by
the newest strains of the Silent Plague. The Plague is an
incurable, progressive disease that first silences, then
paralyzes, and finally kills its Sporespawn victims. Infected
Sporespawn still capable of toil are forced to process and
mine raw materials. When death comes, a drone’s
paralyzed body is ground into a nutrient pulp. It is
sterilized and then ultimately recycled into the food
supplies distributed to Unrul’s lower classes. This gruel is
served at nutriment warrens located throughout the
Habitation Quarter.
High above the city, from three massive hollowed-out
stalactites, the Allspawn’s puritanical Thought Guardians
see all. They are often accompanied by high-ranking
skyborn officers loyal only to the Allspawn. This corp of
warriors and agents is known as the Pariahs. The Thought
Guardians and Pariahs watch tirelessly, scanning the city
for any disturbances from their outlooks and barracks. A
fortress, a prison, and a sleeping giant, the terrible might of
Unrul cannot be ignored.
The Midlands
The Midlands are the heavily forested continent at the
center of Dema, bordered in the east by the Gilded Sea, and
in the west by the Midnight Sea. The eastern Midlands vary
from bright to dim light in 25-hour cycles, while the western
Midlands vary from dim light to darkness.
The western and eastern Midlands are separated by the
Viridian Mountains, which stretch down the center of the
continent. As rain clouds rise over these mountains, they
rapidly cool. Some pour over the rainforests of the eastern
Midlands. Others descend into the dark forests of the
western Midlands, forming the region’s notorious mist. The
forests and jungles of the Midlands conceal hundreds of
ancient and abandoned ruins from past cycles, tempting
generations of explorers and adventurers.
The jungles of the eastern Midlands are mainly inhabited
ago, slavery has been outlawed in Mundi. It is a haven for
escaped slaves and famous for entrepreneurs of all species,
contrasting with the dismal conditions of the lower classes
in much the rest of the world.
Mundi has been the azure jewel in the crown of many
kingdoms and empires throughout the history of Dema. Its
dozens of rulers have delivered their edicts from the Palace
of Eyes. Hundreds of thousands of residents live in a vast
sprawl across the city, which extends across three shores,
connecting the Midlands, Moon Realms, and Light Plains.
The western bank has traditionally been inhabited by a
large Nightrider community where different tribes coexist
in urban districts rivaling Tallon and Yaras. Humans
predominate on the eastern bank. The other four sentients
have presences on the southern bank. The city’s greatest
landmark is the Coliseum of Mar, an edifice of Eldertech
metal decorated with marble and stonework. The Coliseum
is the site of ceremonial gladiatorial games and religious

Part Two: The World

by Featherfolk, while the misty forests of the western celebrations.
Midlands have mostly been settled by Wakewalkers.
No lover of the arts can claim expertise without first
Sporespawn colonies have cropped up throughout the
having visited Mundi’s frescoed alleys, statue-lined
continent, alongside settlements of Nightriders that escaped
causeways, and corner taverns humming with string folk
from slavery in the Light Plains. The metropolis of Mundi
music. Mundi’s iconic buildings are made from marble and
lies at the northern tip of the Midlands. Although originally
limestone. Ultramarine tile roofs contrast with whitewashed
a Human city, control of Mundi has been captured by
walls.
Nightrider armies several times.
Few other cities can compete with Mundi’s cosmopolitan
The vast majority of the Midlands’ interior is uninhabited
prestige. The drama, fashion, metalworking, and cuisines of
and incredibly dangerous. Pirate kingdoms have dominated
six sentient species unite in this melting pot. Spies,
the coasts of the western Midlands for most of its history,
diplomats, and sellswords are headquartered across the
while terrifying predators prowl the jungle floor of the
city, representing Dema’s most influential organizations.
eastern Midlands. Large parts of the eastern jungles have
The most famous adventuring guild is the Jade Feather, a
yet to be explored. Some adventurers tell tales of a place
members’ tavern which caters to the needs of novices and
they call the Silverleaf Wilds, where silver trees and insects
legends alike.
guard riches beyond imagining.
Mundi has been host to all kinds of rulers and systems of
MAVIDSEN government across its centuries of history. It has been
overseen by ancient Heroic Era kings, despotic slave-
Mavidsen is a middle class house decorated in the style
trading Scions, a short-lived republic, and a trading guild.
unique to Mundi. Only, Mavidsen isn’t in Mundi. A dozen
More recently, it became a tributary to larger empires. After
different scouts have sighted it all across the jungles and
being sacked by the King of Darkness’s Dark Horde, Mundi
forests of the Midlands. Explorers cut their way through the
was reclaimed by Humanity, becoming a subject of the
thick jungle only to find the Mavidsen house, inexplicably,
Solar Hegemony. Although its governor answered directly
in a pristine state. Further inspection reveals it to be
to the Emperor for decades, a classical republic slowly came
completely empty. The only noise in the house is the distant
to power in Mundi. In 100 LS of the Redsky Era, the Solar
sound of an unknown instrument coming from the
Hegemony moved to dissolve this republic. In response, the
basement. The basement has seemingly endless floors. No
city and the surrounding province declared their
one knows what lies at the bottom of the Mavidsen house.
independence, sparking off a civil war within the Solar
Various monstrosities prowl the lower levels. As people
Hegemony. In the final years of the Redsky Era, many of the
descend, the floors become more confusing and twisted,
great powers of the world collapsed. Mundi tried to hold
and the music gets louder.
strong as the growing cracks in the veneer of Dema
MUNDI threatened to bring an end to civilization.

Throw an axe in the streets of Mundi and it will bounce off

two works of art before reaching its target. The treasures of
THE SOUTHERN BARRENS
A vast land of forests and pitch wastes located at the far
the world converge in its canals. Ruby-encrusted pottery
southern tip of the Midlands. The Southern Barrens are a
from the deepest mines of Tallon glinting in the midday
peaty swampland that occasionally catches fire from
sun. Streetside shrines to house spirits are layered with
explosive gas. The channel that runs between the Southern
violet woodworks from the Forest of Ilda. Heroes and kings
Barrens and the southern tip of the Warm Shores is a critical
immortalized in stone line the city’s main road known as
juncture between the Midnight and Gilded Seas. Territory
the Marshal Causeway. Bare walls are considered bad taste.
in and around the Southern Barrens is fiercely contested. In
Dreamers, entrepreneurs, and skilled workers of all types 100 LS, a massive Wakewalker armada smashed a
have spread word of the hospitality and opportunity Hegemony blockade at the Battle of Barren Straits.
available in the city. Since the Marble Rebellion centuries

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104
 The Midnight Sea
nigh t Isle s. Th ey are imp ossi ble to forg et, har d as you may try . Lon g afte r
You wil l rem emb er you r gian t blu e frie nds in the Mid God . Or
ggin g the icho rou s ooz e of the ir ten tacl edmet yet .
asho re gorg ing on a sea mo nst er. Or chu
you r ret urn hom e, the y wil l stil l be You wil l the n real ize the only nor mal Wa kew alke rs are the one s you hav en’ t
sali vat ing ove r the fles h of the ir riva l. che s alw ays seem to get wet . Bri ng illu mitidea e inst ead .
s tak es a big adju stm ent . Tor you r
See ing in the dar kne ss of the Mid nigh flor a or faun a beca use just abo ut eve ryt hin g livi ng glow s. Alw ays hav e an nevofer seen
t Isle
Oth erw ise, imp rov ise som eth ing fromyouther ferr ym an. Be spe cifi c. Th e wro ng isla nd cou ld har bor a hos tile clan tha t has ns enjo y
des tina tion befo re you tos s a coin to nob ody kno ws for sur e how man y isla nds the re are in the Mid nigh t Sea . Dre adfi
any one who look s like you befo re. And
the tast e of Sch olas ta cart ogra phe rs. d you
Kah r
. All ocea n life is the pre y of Cla n Kah r. on life
the tast e of the sea’ s bou nty , min
Car togr aph ers are not hin g com par ed toano the r wit h mal lets . And dan ce for hou rs, the n slee p nak ed und er the mo on highs, whe n
clan sme n live to hun t. And clob ber one And tha t is just a typ ical day . I sug gest stic king arou nd for one of the ir holi day
and dro wn ing in fres h-f erm ent ed vra ch. eagu e Ael iana onc e said any gath erin g of mo re tha n a hun dre d Kah r Wa kew alke rs is
you can wit nes s tru e row din ess. My coll
basi call y a riot wit h bet ter mu sic. h Cla n Kah r wil l be enr iche d by eati ng any of the ir
ing the food . You r tim e wit
Do not leav e the Kar chip elag o wit hou tendtryTon ni’ Bor d’ s tell -all trav elog on Wa kew alke r cook ing. Jus t stee r clea r of theDee p
hun dre ds of incr edib le dish es. I reco mm mo n cau se of dea th for Wa kew alke rs afte r “De ath by Wa kew alke r” is “Ea ten just by
com e as good
Ma elst rom itse lf. Th e seco nd mo st ets say. Th e swe et- chil i glaz ed spa re ribs larg er tha n cast le wal ls wil l tast Kah r’ s bigg est
One .” Nev erm ind wha t the war rior -poin a shak ahr offs hor e. It says som eth ing abo ut som eth ing tha t bar becu e is Cla n
wit hou t you hav ing kill ed it you rsel f of Dem a.
exp ort to Cla n Hir ema i and the rest ked wit h a Hir ema i mes sen ger nam ed Del fee and two
ver sati on wit h one . I onc e wal ent ire
My dea r Hir ema i. Pre par e wel l for anythecon ir Isle to the oth er on the Blo od Pik es. She did not . Sto p. Tal king . For ourwas goin g.
of her Khu tara gua rds from one end oflike Ble aker s crav e hon eyw ine in the des ert . Pol itic s. Th e wea the r. How her daywin g up. She
jou rne y. Th e Hir ema i crav e spe akin g unt Das ka. Wh eth er the wea the r mig ht affe ct our chan ces of bog garn ahs sho to men tion
Th e wea the r. Th e hea lth of her grea t-aher han ds and eat the m for din ner . And had any oth er Hir ema i I’ d met hap pen ld whi ttle
wan ted to rip a few apa rt wit h just . All of the m. Wa s I sur e? Wa s I pos itiv e I wou ld not like a tot em? She coundi .
the good wor d of the Ter min arch ? Yestot ems I had bee n gift ed by oth ers wer e alre ady too larg e to ship hom e to Mu
it her self . Yes , Del fee, the firs t fou r ver her sing le line mes sage in Hir ema i-K hot tan .
th vill age a wee k late r to deli al, and he
We fina lly reac hed a sma ll hut in Tos karo ten tion Kha mm ar Tar osk : Ten ek Kar kan reje cts you r fift h mar riag e pro pos
Tra nsla ted , it wen t som eth ing like ing mu ch mo re imp ress ive for his dow ry if you put you r back into it.” Poi g and
, “At ntin
way we
rem ind s you tha t you can kill som eth par t of the mes sage ’ s inst ruc tion s. Del fee the n tur ned arou nd and wen t back the end ed
laug hin g at Kha mm ar was app aren tly r suit or. Oh, Del fee. If any bod y spe aks ill of you , I wil l end the m fast er tha n you
cam e wit hou t ano the r wor d to the poo
tho se garn ahs. wel l-w orn sayi ng goes . I con fess , I spe nt a encsum mer
h aki as far as you can lift one , as the viol e. I had
And Cla n Jan a’ h aki? Tru st a Jan a’ ed the Fen ecia ns. Wh eth er or not the y real ly mea nt it, the y pre ache d non g sho rt
sail ing wit h a Gol den Jan a’ h aki crew calla' h aki com pan ions , tho ugh tha t is not sayi ng mu ch. At firs t, the crew seem ed notavehinling of
nev er enc oun ter ed a safe ’ cho ice of Jan of my bill etin g. I fou nd out I was on the men u. Th ere was no fun , grad ual unrr nee ded . A
of love ly. At leas t, unt il the last day left a lite ral men u nex t to his jew eled win e chal ice. Fas test geta way I’ v e eve m eno ugh
the dra ma’ s plot , eith er. A Ket ahr had ing mac abr ely beau tifu l abo ut blu e flam es on chu rnin g wat er. I hop e I left the are
sham e abo ut the ir ship . Th ere’ s som ethwer e stil l ava ilab le. Pir ates . Th e Jan agar are as cun nin g as mal dor mac s. Th e rest
life boa ts. And tha t the y not iced the y
dum ber tha n bric ks and half as use ful.
ssly Impractical:
Biased, Romanticized, and Gro

-Mara Tancred.
ions of Dema.
A Beginner’s Guide to the Reg

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Chapter 6: The Wakewalker Clans
Clan Kahr
T
he Wakewalkers of Clan Kahr row immortal into
the jaws of death. For generations leading back into
the mists of the Heroic Era, Clan Kahr has been
defined by the thrill of battle, the rush as stone clubs and
clam shields meet muscle and bone. More than a hundred
underclans pay fealty to the main Chieftain or High King on
the Coral Throne of Kahr Island. The number of katamars,
or Wakewalker ships, the combined clans can bring to bear
in the Midnight Sea rivals any of the great maritime fleets of
the Daylands. Bound to their passions, only one thing
stands between the members of Clan Kahr and whatever
their impulses desire: Deep Ones.
In the long distant Heroic Era, the Midnight Isles were
beset from the south by titanic sea monsters known as Deep
Ones. Hundreds of feet long, seemingly designed for killing
all who dared set foot in the waves, the disruption to life
that these Deep Ones caused almost drove the Kahr
Wakewalker ancestors to extinction. The societal collapse,
famine, and shipwrecks that ripped through The Midnight
Isles lived on in memory forever after as the Desolation.
The Kargonauts. At their darkest hour, High King
Odiseas set sail with his band of Kargonauts through the
Maelstrom, a storm-born barrier that had formed over the
106
Part Two: The World
Kahr Island
southern border of the region. Odiseas sought to find the
origins of the Deep Ones at the mythical World Tree. The
sagas tell of the great feats of strength and mental trials that
King Odiseas had to overcome. He battled the strange
creatures of that land and combed the ancient ruins for lost
secrets he would refuse to reveal until his final days.
Odiseas’s eventual return did not halt the Deep Ones, but
it did give the Wakewalkers a means by which to resist.
Depth Rigs, or shakahr, are Eldertech diving suits perfectly
constructed to combat the Deep Ones. Burnished in the
blue-purple Eldertech metal that even the strongest jaws
cannot crack, Depth Rigs maneuver underwater with the
grace of dolphins. In combination with the discovery of a
substance called mu, a highly volatile explosive, the Wild
Hunt began to take shape. Odiseas’s shakahr armored
Kargonauts unified dozens of underclans into Clan Kahr
and quickly taught everyone that the best way to kill a Deep
One was from the inside out.
THE WILD HUNT
Generations later in the Uprising Era, the waters of the
inner Karchipelago largely stabilized. The Wakewalkers
were once again the sole masters of the vast island chain. In
what came to be called the Wild Hunt, great expeditions of
katamars headed south into the Maelstrom in order to hunt
the largest Deep Ones they could catch. A way to
The Wakewalker Clans

Harbingers Delrei and Campel:
This administration spends worlds of energy to
create viable lands at the expense of seas.
Cycle _____ presents a unique opportunity
with such a large quantity of water in the
southwestern Zones X270-983, referred to in
the three main Khottan language groups as the
Midnight Isles. The scale of this endeavor has
been reevaluated by the terrasculpting teams
at the World Tree led by Maguses Geldur,
Rahbinzen, Tebber, and Bancs. Oceanic life has
remained a promising prospect for seeding into
__________, as well as viable planetoids and
moons with liquid water, ethane, and methane.
The lack of even rudimentary single cellular
life on all of the aquatic celestial bodies
encountered remains a profound mystery of our
journey. Why has no planet with Ur Eden
conditions produced a biological bounty? The
need for intelligence compartmentalization is
understandable, though this committee still
requests further context if available so as to
adjust parameters accordingly.
Magus Zanderzen's enthusiastic
incorporation of crustacean animal species in
a future cycle has thus been approved, though
the sheer volume of variants proposed
considering Buchur-Lalli F-12 Principle means
biome saturation will be subject to review. It is
this potential to seed aquatic ecosystems that
also partly justified the macrolife.
standardize the production of explosive mu concocted from
the blood of Deep Ones gave Clan Kahr a potent weapon to
secure their future. Even at full production, they were only
ever able to make enough for the next couple hunts. Their
hunting boats held great cultural importance, with each
painted in the battle colors of their clans.
Kahr Wakewalkers come of age by participating in The
Wild Hunt. An adolescent Kahr Wakewalker will not
progress past being a nameless Isle Imp until they have
faced the Wild Hunt. This can be as oarsmen, drummers,
trident throwers, mu loaders, or adorned in the reverently
maintained shakahr of their ancestors. The great hunts can
last for days, with the mightiest of serpents, krakens, and
leviathans collectively given names for how they can be
cooked or their taste.
Carcass Architecture. The structures the Kahr inhabit are
all made from the bones, scales, and hides of these sea
beasts. This ensures the greatest deeds live on in the very
homes of the community-based underclans, who regularly
meet on Kahr Island to hold counsel or prepare for the next
Wild Hunt. Such a neutral meeting ground is needed, as the
underclans will often feud with one another if left to their
own devices. Society for Clan Kahr Wakewalkers became
structured around the Wild Hunt, which stabilized
relations between Kahr underclans through the
competitive chances for thrills and glory. Death is
Redsky Core Book
107
always swimming at their door. Just enough food is
brought in after the season is complete to last until the next
one begins.
Glory in adulthood can also be found in one-on-one
combat, often with rivals. The duels usually take place with
little protection worn by either opponent, as armoring
oneself implies that a Kahr Wakewalker fears being
defeated by an enemy’s strength. Forgoing armor allows
Kahr Wakewalkers to maintain formidable freedom of
movement for their size.
THE MOVE TO LAESTRYGION
Clan Kahr briefly allied with Clans Hiremai and Jana’haki
late in the Moon Realms Conflicts from 17-19 LS. Fearing
omens of the ocean water rising to swallow the Midnight
Isles, dozens of underclans fought in numerous skirmishes
against the Solar Hegemony in a bid to establish a new
homeland closer to the mainland. Although Clan Kahr was
defeated, Emperor Remus allowed them to settle the large
island of Laestrygion, located just west of Mundi. Initially,
the Deep Ones were not capable of swimming so far north
near the mainland. Clan Kahr’s staring contest with death
came to a withdrawn truce.
In exchange for settling Laestrygion, Emperor Remus
demanded the annual tribute of Clan Kahr’s most
promising young warriors. Taken to the imperial capital at
Scintilla, these warriors were converted to the Church of
Sola and then trained to fight in and against tight battle
formations. From the most elite of these warriors, Emperor
Remus formed the first Khadakoi Guard, the fearsome
Wakewalker bodyguard sworn to the Emperor. At more
than 7 feet in height and armed with the finest steel
weapons and armor the Hegemony could produce, the
Khadakoi Guard served as the Emperor’s elite shock troops
and imperial bodyguard for the rest of the Solar
Hegemony’s history.
Back in Laestrygion, veterans of the war tried
to recreate most of their island dwelling practices
with little success. The Maelstrom was too far
away from Laestrygion to continue Wild
Hunts. Still, fighting in the Uprising proved to
have been the right decision. The rising seas
swallowed more of the island chains over
the next few generations. By the
late Exodus Era, all but a
few were lost
Deep One
Meat
 Th e Wil d Hun t
Call me Ekho f! I than k you for askin g. The best meal
chef of Lord Kave nd’s kitch en. I was told to serve I ever made ? That ’s easy . Happ ened deca des ago.
the I was the
First lad after six daug hter s. At the time , I thou ght, grea test food in the worl d to celeb rate the birth of his son.
edge s of Abre sia. That leave s a lot of worl d left how am I supp osed to find that? Neve r been farth
for the tasti est dinn er to be in, as my lord insis ted er than the
Well , Vidim the local Arch ivist says, yer over think I wran gle.
ing
food . What make s it so good , I say. Rari ty, and what it. Ever yone know s Clan Kahr Wake walke rs have the best
the food Clan Kahr folk eat is also know n to eat morea good cook can do with the ingre dien ts, he says. The thing is,
mean ing. They ’ve got no gods , no after life. All ther Wake walke rs than the othe r way arou nd, if you lads get my
send some very brave or very fooli sh fishe rme n to e is that’ s wort h a song to them is the Wild Hunt . The clans
yout h come of age. The chef s who can cook what the Mael strom . Com ing back from a good Hunt is how the
they bring back are the elite . Well , I say, here I am.
Vidim spen t time in the Midn ight Isle s befo re he Send me.
He and I made it to Kahr Islan d after going ’roun move d here to Abre sia. Knew Wake walke rs. Knew their tong ue.
get appr oval to go on the Hunt . Had to chea t, sadly d the south ern tip of the Midl ands . Won a drink ing cont est to
. Spit out half the cup of vrach when Agra nder and

Part Two: The World

were n’t looki ng. So it goes . Big as a tovus and twice his Isle Imp
need to get thro ugh him and his hamm er ’fore me. as orne ry, Agra nder was. If anyt hing was a dang er, it woul d
We struc k out at dusk . Rowi ng into these black storm
madm en to a ship. A hund red katam ars arou nd us. cloud s in Agra nder ’s wood en katam ar. Ten of the
You may blue
wind s and rains narr y stop in the Mael strom , even say, but Ekho f, why woul d we row inste ad of sail? Well
,
I swea r by my daug hter I’ve neve r seen stran ger thou gh the wate r’s so clear you can see strai ght to the botto m.
drum mer s beat their tune . Shar ks that looke d meltbeas ts. The wate r glow ed as they float ed ’neat h us and the
legs. Shap es and color s I neve r seen befo re. Neve ed. An eyele ss face as long as this table push ed along by webb ed
r seen since , neith er.
And they ’re all hung ry. Hung ry for each othe r, and
Ever ythin g is all work ed up. Snap ping, rippi ng, teari us. The makt a horn blow s. Bait barre ls go over boar d.
Then thoo om! Wate rs come burs ting up. Twe nty feet ng. I hear a grea t shou t come from the neigh borin
g boats .
high. Highe r, mayb e.
Thos e bait barre ls were loade d with Mu. Most viole
chum med wate rs get heav ier with slain crea ture s, nt fuel in Dem a. Stin ks some thing fierc e. Anyh ow,
long as a build ing. Mayh aps we could have seen the baitin g in bigge r beas ts. One the size of a katam ar. The the
large st one if we were out long enou gh. Afte r the next as
was pulle d unde r by tenta cles or jaws, Agra nder made tenth boat
wran gle. the call to settl e on the “sma llest ” Dee p One we
could
That turn ed out to be an unag i they calle d Garn
madm en name the mon sters after how they taste ,ish-W ith-S eawe ed in their tong ue. What , the name ? Ah, those
Then -Sm oke, Chew y-Ey es. You get the idea. A bigor how to cook them . Boil -Th e-T ail, Just -Lik e-St eak, Salt-
old laugh on mon sters the size of Sara dian Bast ions.
Anyw ay, Garn ish-W ith-S eawe ed stare s down at us.
here as large . Our katam ars alone ain’t have been Endl ess as gree d, treac hero us as a lie. Don ’t have
enou hills ’roun d
down after the seco nd hour . The shaka hr. Gave them gh. It was the Wake walke r’s Elde rtech suits that brou ght it
danc ers in the Maro on Mask . And their harp oons the stren gth of titan s. As nimb le unde rwat er as one
were coate d in Mu! of them
We celeb rated with mugs of vrach and song s like
broil ed, and put on ice was enou gh to get a choic e siren s on the beac h for two days strai ght after the kill. Salte d,
over long as it laste d. Mem ory’s going . What rem ains cut back to Abre sia. My servi ce as a chef for m’lo
rd has been
When they took their first bites . Coul d have swor e is my gues ts’ face s at the dinn er table that night I retu rned .
enou gh for seco nds, you see. I saw one of the daug hter s weep ing once it was finis
hed. Not
My lord is long dead . Kryp teia’ s purg e was thor ough
asks you what the Kahr Wake walke rs are like, tell them, the whol e line. Sola let their souls rest. If a stran ger ever
noth ing less, does it for their appe tites . Neve r got that the doom seek ers dine on deat h. Noth ing more
to try , and
Thin king of going back ther e for anot her chan ce befo more Dee p One, myse lf. Had to save it for the high
folk.
Agra nder ’s Isle Imp took his name . She lives in the re my eyes go, too. Bett er than a retir eme nt. I hear
Mayb e win the drink ing cont est for real this time skull of the Garn ish-W ith-S eawe ed we caug ht. I shou
Anyh ow, enjo y your dinn er. Stew put up less of a arou nd. Agra nder alway s spok e of catch ing a grea t white ld visit.
fight , and no mist ake! cetu s.
-Ekh of Melv el, Inde pend ent Inn Propr ietor , Abre
sia. 29 LS

The Wakewalker Clans

108
beneath the waves. At the same time, a large community of
ethnic Laestrygonian Nightriders returning to their home
island after being emancipated by the Solar Hegemony.
Coexistence between Wakewalkers and Nightriders on
Laestrygion proved tense at the best of times. Many Kahr
Wakewalkers lost their deft familiarity with life on the sea
as dozens of small fiefs were carved out of the territory.
Low Tide of the Kahr. With the passing of every year
came the loss of a few more oral histories, and Isle Imps
born beneath more hours of sunlight a day, having never
completed a Hunt. Kahr-Khottan as a language declined in
use as it became more practical to speak Mundane in the
diverse new region. As ever more of the Uprising Era
shamans died out, the clan’s traditional islander roots began
to be buried in time. The cultural decay led to the brief rise
of a movement called the High Tide. A minority of clan
leaders took their warriors adventuring far across Dema to
seek a way to reverse the sinkings. Although they returned
with much treasure, glory, and Eldertech, the Karchipelago
seemed fated to vanish.
War of the Drinking Horn. Threats to the Midnight Isles
challenged Clan Kahr in unexpected ways. Jana’haki raids
were a constant blight on the region’s security. True
calamity struck by the end of the Uprising Era. Despite
most of Clan Kahr reactivating their shakahr in defense
Hiremai Isle, the island was utterly destroyed by ferocious
land-striding Deep Ones in 48 LS. The surviving population
of Clan Hiremai was left adrift.
Negotiations with Clan Hiremai to integrate with the
Kahr on Laestrygion broke down. The Hiremai desired all
Kahr to begin worshiping the Terminarch, having just seen
Waparaka Ceremony
their sea god die to save their kind. Clan Kahr, true to form,
boldly stated that they would only be converted by force.
This led to an abortive attempt by the Hiremai to seize the
island called the War of the Drinking Horn that left
thousands more dead. Distrust between Kahr and Hiremai
continued even after the Hiremai settled in Mundi as fellow
subjects of the Hominid Dominion. Clan Hiremai
By the Redsky Era, no known safe harbor still existed For the most physically imposing warriors of Dema, look no
between Mundi and The World Tree. After a deceptive age further than the colossal hammer-wielding Wakewalkers of
of calm, the Deep Ones migrated to the very edge of local Clan Hiremai. While their sea-monster-hunting cousins in
waters, larger and hungrier than ever. It was left to High Clan Kahr and marauding rivals in Clan Jana’haki are
Chieftain Telemakus, grandson of King Odiseas, to restore fearsome by any standards, it is the Hiremai who have set
his grandfather’s shakahr and rally the only proven defense records for the largest and strongest of their species. Dozens
against the Deep Ones. To fail would allow the horrors to of Wakewalker heroes claim Hiremai lineage, and for good
breach the mainland. reason. The Hiremai set the example of a people zealous in
Will your Kahr Wakewalkers be part of the founding their service to forces beyond the comprehension of
pantheon of heroes in the Heroic Era? The shamans mainland mortals. Hiremai explorers, ever loyal to their
proclaim there can never be too many Deep Ones to eat. A clan, have rowed to the far corners of Dema in search of
katamar can carry one to the farthest edge of the world if their destinies, and the world has been fiercer for it.
adventure beyond the Midnight Isles beckons. Perhaps Hiremai Isle. The extra vigor and might of the average
you’ll be one of the last warriors standing in the Moon Hiremai Wakewalker is due to the great natural resources
Realms Conflicts, or maybe you’ll join the elite Khadakoi found on Hiremai Isle. Tens of thousands of the clan live on
Guard and faithfully serve the Emperor. Clan Kahr stands the island in a semi-urban sprawl, in stark contrast to the
for all that honor and worthy struggle can bring. Stride rest of the inhabited islands of the Midnight Sea. Hiremai
through the surf in a life of song, for the high tide comes for Isle is the largest in the Midnight Sea and located in the
all in time. relatively isolated western reach of the Karchipelago. The
island has never been fully explored. The adoption of
organized agriculture, marine animal husbandry, and
aquaculture sets Clan Hiremai apart from their kin. Dozens

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109
 Part Two: The World
of rare crops and medicinal herbs are only known to thrive disagreements, many of the underclans within Clan Kahr
in the island’s unique orange soil. still have not entirely forgiven the Hiremai for turning away
The wealth of the island has attracted challengers of all their ancient refugees during the Desolation. Relations with
kinds. Threats from within and without constantly strain Clan Kahr are good only compared to the Hiremai’s
Clan Hiremai’s coastal settlements as sea raiders sent by loathing of Clan Jana’haki’s pirate fleets. Clan Hiremai has
rival underclans regularly come seeking plunder. Nocturnal feuded with Jana’haki corsairs since they first came into
beasts encroach ever farther into Hiremai territory, lurking being in the Heroic Era from among the various exiles,
for prey beneath the chin chin trees of the island’s glowing oathbreakers, and religious heretics of the other clans.
mangrove swamp-forests. Despite their success in repelling
these invaders, Clan Hiremai’s various attempts to settle the
THE TERMINARCH
On Hiremai Isle itself, practically every aspect of ordinary
island’s interior have been met with monster migrations
life is dominated by the religious caste. Although the faith
and natural disasters. Entire underclans have mysteriously
they follow preaches kindness and brotherhood, all worship
disappeared after uncovering ancient ruins left behind by
is directed to the Terminarch. Also known as the Outer
past civilizations that built vast temples and roads now long
God, the Terminarch dwarfs the height of even Hiremai
eclipsed by nature.
Wakewalkers, a veritable titan as large as some Deep Ones,
The Hiremai home fleet is known as the Argosi. Its
with four arms and seven eyes.
armada of war katamars and rowing biremes provide
The Terminarch lies dreaming in the forbidden caverns
collective defense to bountiful Hiremai trade vessels that
beneath Hiremai Isle, in direct communication only with his
make their way across Dema’s seas. Their crews rank
avatar, the high priest of the Hiremai known as the
among the most common Hiremai Wakewalkers that
Terminarchon. These communications are not through
mainlanders meet.
speech. The Terminarch secretes a many-colored fluid
Clan Relations. It is no small wonder that Clan Hiremai
called waparaka that grants visions and altered mental
is fiercely isolationist. No outside force ever conquered the
awareness to those strong enough to withstand the varying
underclans that united to form Clan Hiremai in the Heroic
experiences.
Era. Even the Deep One migrations of the Desolation which
In truth, the Terminarch is a profoundly lonely survivor
caused so many other regions of the Midnight Isles to
of the purge of his species by the Overseers in a previous
collapse were endured. Among their many other stark

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110

Terminarch
Religious
Pendant
cycle. In the distant past of the Heroic Era, he grew fond of
the Hiremai, developing a fierce attachment to them and
their wellbeing. Though he never revealed the true nature
of the world to any but his Terminarchons, the Terminarch
commanded his followers to prepare Hiremai Isle for a
coming apocalypse. Throughout his many decades of
council, the Terminarch sent out thousands of Hiremai
priests and explorers to claim as much Eldertech as
possible. He believed that Eldertech was the only possible
means to save himself and the Hiremai from the coming
cataclysm.
Idols and Waparaka. One of the mercantilist Hiremai’s
chief exports are fabulously intricate idols of the
Terminarch, which have a strange but compelling aura
about them. The creative talents of the artists who spend
countless hours on each piece are enhanced through the use
of waparaka. Waparaka is also used by the mighty Khutara,
Clan Hiremai’s revered berserkers who ingest the highest
doses to enter a battle trance known as the Blood Fire. This
state grants Khutara unnatural strength and swiftness. Few
Hiremai have survived the Blood Fire on an extreme dose
more than twice. The Khutara’s warmaking skills are prized
by ship captains in the Argosi, or as temple guardians to the
Terminarchon’s inner sanctums. If faced with a fully
deployed force of Khutara, enemies of the Hiremai should
pray that their walls hold longer than their courage.
The sagas of Warnok’s Folly, the Avanknaga, and To Serve
Varakwai have made their way into the storytelling
consciousness of wordsmiths across the world. Each tells of
Khutara that ranged far beyond their homeland to shape
the fates of cities and kings in the Heroic Era.
The Hiremai had a notable role late in the Moon Realms
Conflicts from 17-19 LS. They allied with Clan Kahr to
garrison towns and resupply the forces of the Queen of the
Night as she feuded with the Solar Hegemony’s legions for
control of the Moon Realms. However, Clan Hiremai’s
sudden withdrawal from the alliance to defend against
Jana’haki raiding was a calamity for the war effort. The
Hiremai retreated to their shores and spent the following
decades preparing for the apocalypse.
Redsky Core Book
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THE SINKING OF HIREMAI ISLE
The centuries of preparation ultimately proved to be in
vain. In the year 48 LS of the Exodus Era, titanic Deep Ones
migrated out of the Maelstrom and laid waste to Hiremai
Isle, taking thunderous footsteps on land for the first time in
Wakewalker history. Despite last ditch efforts by Clan Kahr
to reinforce their allies with their shakahr depth rigs, the
obliteration of the Clan Hiremai’s settlements was total.
Hiremai survivors insisted the Terminarch himself emerged
from his slumber to do battle with the Deep Ones in a fatal
clash that ultimately submerged the whole island beneath
the waves. Few outsiders were present to confirm the epic
accounts of the sinking.
After drifting for many months without safe harbor, the
desperate survivors of Clan Hiremai waged a brief and
vicious war for control of Laestrygion against Clan Kahr in
the War of the Drinking Horn. This unceremoniously
resulted in a Hiremai defeat, a bitter poetic rebuff to their
own rejection of refugees during the Desolation. Scattered
even further, the largest diaspora of Clan Hiremai
Wakewalkers fled to Mundi, where the ruling governor
granted them safe refuge. Over the next half century, their
community would become an integral part of the Hominid
Dominion’s labor force. Hiremai craftsmen, laborers, and
volunteers for Mundi’s Marshals infused the Dominion
with the unparalleled strength of the blue giants. Their
fearsome size was so prized that Emperor Ahn Vanen paid
a fortune for three hundred of them to serve as the new core
of his generation’s Khadakoi Guard. At almost eight feet in
height and wielding massive two-handed axes, the
Khadakoi Guard’s deployment against the Hegemony’s
enemies was devastating.
Unlike the widespread cultural losses of Clan Kahr on
Laestrygion, many Hiremai in Mundi kept to the old faith.
They revised their teachings and rituals to pay deference to
their fallen god. Terminarch worship not only endured but
flourished in the Exodus Era. Yet, the loss of their source of
waparaka upended Hiremai traditions, with the precious
little that remained kept in reserve for only a select few. The
Hiremai would go on to play a pivotal role in the defense of
Dema from the Overseers in 102 LS, defiant till the very end
the Terminarch had long foretold.
No matter the Era, there are many choices to be made
when creating a Hiremai Wakewalker character. Perhaps
you are a Heroic Era warriors sent to the mainland to fulfill
a secret mission in the name of the Terminarch. Or maybe a
wealthy Uprising Era merchant carrying totems of the
Outer God to distant lands. Work on an Argosi ship can
take crews to the far harbors of opportunity. By the Redsky
Era, there will be thousands of Hiremai in Mundi seeking to
avenge the Terminarch’s sacrifice. Where does your
character’s tale begin?
Clan Jana’haki
Avast, ye doomed sailors who see Jana’haki sails on the
horizon! Flee, fight, or pray to whichever deities you hope
watch the waves from above. These haphazard fleets of
corsairs, raiders, and pirate captains will neither give nor
expect any mercy on Dema’s roiling seas.
 The Exiles. Clan Jana’haki is the collective name for all
fearsome individuals who have been cast out by other
Wakewalker clans for disobeying the laws and norms of
their kin. In a land of longstanding feuds, duels to the
death, and survival of the mightiest, it takes considerable
malice to be labeled an aberrant. Reasons for exile from the
main clans include oathbreaking, theft of ancestral totems
or katamars, failed grabs for power in the Kahr alliances,
religious heresy among the Hiremai, and other unsavory
practices. Anyone from nameless Isle Imps to wizened
elders can find themselves cut loose from their clan.
Outcasts are often given nothing more than a single small
boat before being marooned far from Wakewalker
civilization. Given the sea monsters writhing beneath the
local waters, this act is usually a death sentence. The
Midnight Isles are not kind to lone Wakewalkers.
Cooperation is all but necessary for survival.
Yet life finds a way in the harshest of wills. When faced
with death or keeping the most unsavory of company, the
earliest of these exiles banded together to form Clan
Jana’haki. As they grew in numbers, these bands seized
ships to create warfleets beholden to none but the strongest
in their ragtag crews. As wealth and plunder accumulated,
the population of the Jana’haki Isles steadily grew. This
southeast region of the Midnight Sea was originally named
by Featherfolk cartographers. By the late Heroic and early
Uprising Eras, terrified harbormasters estimated that there
were tens of thousands of swashbuckling Jana'haki corsairs
with hundreds of warcraft. From the ranks of the desperate
and the disenfranchised emerged a new and infamous
culture.
Any Boat that Floats. Unlike the traditional katamars of
their kin, the Jana’haki are known to seize and staff just
about anything seaworthy. If a vessel can give chase to prey
and endure the rigor of naval battles, it has a place in the
dozens of seaborne bands that rove the Jana’haki Isles and
the Fellcoast. Craft originally constructed in harbors as far
as Deonar and Hollowfalls are heavily modified to become
fast attack platforms powered by oar or sail. Life aboard
Jana’haki vessels is fraught at the best of times, with almost
nothing standing in the way of crewmates fighting,
breaking, and drinking their way into oblivion.
THE HIERARCHY
The only thing binding most bands of Jana'haki together is
greed and plunder. The strongest and most cunning are the
de facto leaders, expected to ensure that the looting,
reveling, and fighting never stops. In the dialect of
Jana’haki-Khottan, which incorporates words and phrases
from several other seafaring peoples, these leaders are
known as Janagar, or Overcaptains. To this end, one
tradition that many Jana'haki crews keep is a ban on
assassination or poisoning. Those who try to seize power
underhandedly are tied to the bow of the ship and made to
brace against the waves. The condemned can only hope to
drown before passing beasts take note of the free meal.
Next in the Jana’haki hierarchy are Ketahr, or First
Raiders, who enforce the orders of the Overcaptain and lead
marauders ashore during lightning-fast coastal raids. Little
more than a coin flip decides whether a Ketahr can be
trusted with enough power by the Overcaptain. A Janagar’s
command can be challenged at any time in blood duels.
112
Counterpoint: if the Maguses exert a level of
influence on each region's conditions akin to
the lesser deities several societies pray to,
then Maguses Sooburai, Ebraams, and Mahrtene
have instituted the policies of vengeful gods.
This committee does not feel it justified to
sustain producing continuously evolving
megafauna simply because Sentient Species
“Varakwai” persist in killing them at industrial
scale.
_________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
_____ ________________________. The
presence of the Depth Rigs among Sentient
Species “Varakwai's” Clan Kahr is an
Part Two: The World
unfortunate development unanticipated when
the initial parameters of the megafauna's
production were set.
We are still investigating how an endemic
group of infiltrators ______________
compromised the World Tree. Aid from one of
the crew, however unlikely, cannot be ruled out.
This exaggerated prioritization of macrolife
will be noted in the archives for administrative
review at the conclusion of the Cycle Log.
Challenges require support from the specialists in the crew
like cooks, navigators, sail menders, and craftsmen. All the
crew feel superior to the remainder of the ship’s passengers
composed of prisoners and slaves of all species. They are
forced into menial labor and forced to endure almost
constant starvation and casual violence.
Golden Jana’haki. There are a few notable exceptions to
the nihilism and anarchy of the Jana’haki. The “Golden”
Jana’haki are those who abstain from piracy and raiding in
favor of trade and commerce. Especially savvy
Overcaptains find their riches by making trade runs across
Dema that exploit shortages and effective monopolies in the
world’s markets. Notable Golden Jana’haki ships, fleets,
and settlements throughout the Jana’haki Isles and the
Fellcoast have thrived throughout the four Eras. However,
they have always been heavily outnumbered by Jana’haki
raiders and pirates who see no other way to better their lot
in life.
Stories abound of these traders. Take Plutebi of the
Golden Barge. He arrived in Mundi with a hull full of the
legendary butterfish, long considered extinct by 32 LS. He
left port with a hull full of gold and the first of many tithes
of young slaves. Emperor Decimus transferred these slaves
from Abresia to work the treacherous fishnets wherever
Plutebi harvested his cruel luxuries.
Kondar Gravedrowner once led her Golden Jana’haki
traders to each of the six regions of the world in search of
the Kaisilius Scrolls, thought to contain direct transcriptions
of Sola’s first song of creation. Whether the crumbling texts
Kondar finally sold for their weight in rubies to Emperor
Tacitus were real or forged became a matter of controversy
The Wakewalker Clans
 The Ter mina rchy
sympa thetic even in the best of
...why you need to hold certain expect ations as a preach er. Not every ear is esoter ic practic es and rites. The
circum stance s, which my travels certain ly were not. Isolat ed folk have their having perhap s drawn the short
farthe r out from the Light Plains one goes, the more curiou s the beliefs . I, clan.
straw, was assigne d to farflun g Hirem ai Isle, home of the titular Wakew alker
the weeks it took a trading barque
I will spare you the choppy waves that jostled me in my cramp ed cabin for the local Khutar a. At first they
to arrive at the southw est corner of the world. Ditto ingrati ating myself with nd.
though t me a spy given the only recent resolu tion of conflic t on the mainla
culture in the Midnig ht Isles. I
The Hirem ai are an odd lot even by the standa rds of the wider Wakew alker their boomin g tongue , rode the
in
flipped throug h transla tion tomes mid conver sation to find the right words colore d thatch huts allocat ed for
mighty sea avancs they use for transp ort, and shelter ed within the vibrant ly
is owed to their adoptio n of
outland ers. It is plain their popula tion is the largest island of the clans. This of Dema . I remem ber
organi zed agricul ture. Insula r, yet open to trade with the more civilize d lands rd Abrago n as the toweri ng blue
preach ing my first sermo n in the rain on the virtues of Sola and her vangua these people so famed for
Surely
clansm en toiled by the reefs in their growin g of aquatic crops and cattle. show for my effort s except the
loving conver sation would see reason ! Yet I left hours later with nothin g to ttan. This repeat ed for month s.
sting of insults for speakin g ’’nonse nse’’ in my thickly accent ed Hirem ai-Kho
Reject ion from lowly fisher men to merch ant prince lings.
For you see, these folk have
What did I conclu de? Clan Hirem ai is largely unmov able from their native Faith. red their suprem e spiritu al
no use for our foreig n scriptu res of light and prover bs of salvatio n. I discove is law.
author ity indeed lives in this world of flesh and blood, and that his direct will
zeal and wrath. His image is no
The Termi narch. An ancien t covena nt betwee n sentie nt and god forged in aeum all depict s the same
Athen
myste ry. The famou sly intrica te Hirem ai artwor k traded as far away as thethe most statues que Wakew alker.
being. Four arms, seven eyes, suppos edly many dozens of feet taller than
They say the Termi narch lies dream ing in the caves beneat h Hirem ai Isle.
ns to the temple priests who
An ichor he secret es called wapara ka impart s his very emotio ns and intuitio the territo ry throug h this
ritualis tically consum e it. Matter s of clan and faith are then carried out across
must sit within the Termi narch’ s
caste’s divine edicts. One shudde rs to consid er the caches of Eldert ech that tly a female of their kind named
hoard. Most promin ent in the clan’s leader ship is the Termi narcho n, curren his will made flesh.
Ukuzi Karyad ne. She is a high Wakew alker chosen as the Termi narch’ s avatar,
to my grave. Suffic e it to say
The shame of how I secret ly obtaine d a sample of wapara ka will go with me vial would be to glimps e the
that curiosi ty overca me me, despite the danger s involve d. To acquire but one from the island, never to return so
greate st secret s of Dema . My escape craft only just manag ed to sail away into that labyrin th temple
long as Ukuzi the Termi narcho n might recogn ize my face after I descen ded
comple x.
the packag e of golden thread
Hubris did get the better of me while transp orting the wapara ka. I unwrap peder the visions and nausea that
and drank from the vial. Be fooled not. Human s lack the constit ution to deciph fear, and a kind of lonelin ess of
follow a single taste. Madne ss. Rather than guidan ce, I knew profou nd rage, and fire beneat h a red sky.
having had and lost some great intangi ble inherit ance. I saw comet s of malicelove. Love everlas ting. Perhap s
Benea th the comm otion, howeve r, I felt somet hing subtle but unmist akable: ly cannot . I return ed to Mundi
the Termi narcho n makes better interp retatio ns of these sensat ions. I certain Your Revere nce. Some great beast
having barely survive d the menta l trauma , where I dictate this text to you, ans to banish it with Abrago n’s holy
lurks in that labyrin th. A braver hero than I would need to brave its guardi
blade.
alkers. Their ways are far
I mainta in my stance that we must abando n effort s to conver t this lot of Wakew assignm ent to prosel ytize to
ing my latest
from Sola’s light, beneat h waters too murky to redeem . Now, regard
the Spore spawn of Unrul…
-Excer pt From the Person al Letter s of Broth er Malfra gatus,
Missio nary of the Light. 24 LS

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that almost created a schism in the Church of Sola.
Enterprising crews like Plutebi’s and Kondar’s are only
tolerated by mainland authorities for the prized exotic
goods they bring to market. Hiremai
priestess
A PIRATE’S LIFE
Jana’haki reavers prey on the most vulnerable targets at sea
and along Dema’s shores. Although in the Heroic Er’ the
first Jana'haki pirates took what they needed to survive,
their initial success steadily expanded to roving waves of
plunder. Jana’haki raiders soon captured hundreds of trade
vessels all across Dema’s seas. From Mundi’s fishing boats
and Yaras’s trade schooners, to Gilded State treasure ships
and Hegemony war galleys, the Jana’haki lined their
pockets with the great wealth of Dema’s maritime powers.
The battles fought between Clan Hiremai and the Jana’haki
for control of the Midnight Isles’ sea lanes were particularly
vicious. Hiremai Argosi fleets mercilessly sank Jana’haki

Part Two: The World

craft on sight to protect their religious totems.
The Hoka. Although the sight of Jana’haki sails is enough
to terrify even the bravest of sailors, none of the Jana’haki
are so feared as the Hoka. These fanatical cultists are known
variously as Blood Drinkers, Skull Carvers, and Champions
of Kedak. Hoka notoriously consume defeated rivals in the
perverse belief that they will absorb their power. Although
Hoka warriors are a key part of any Jana’haki marauder
unit, there is rarely more than one aboard any given ship, as
Hoka are known to prioritize killing and eating other Hoka
at the slightest provocation.
Varkus Rakanon and the Dreadfleet. The most powerful
and feared Jana’haki pirate captain ever was Varkus
Rakanon. His vast fleets spread malice and dread that
reverberated across Dema. Accounts testify that he was
nearly eight feet tall, towering over even fellow
Wakewalkers. Skyrocketing onto the stage of history
seemingly from nowhere, Varkus spent almost a decade
challenging and defeating the strongest Overcaptains he
could find. Completely without precedent for the Jana’haki,
Varkus spared the lives of those he defeated, and even
allowed them to retain their small fleets as Janagar, so long
as they swore fealty to him. In this way, Varkus invented
for himself a new title: the Wrex Hakagar, or Corsair King.
By uniting the Jana’haki beneath him, Varkus the Corsair
King soon amassed a mighty armada which came to be
known as the Dreadfleet. Its crown jewel was the Karakoa,
the largest ship ever constructed, which the Corsair King
had captured in 11 LS while it was anchored in Mundi.
Varkus’s seizure of the Karakoa soon became the object of
folk legends, causing many independent Jana’haki bands to
flock to his side.
As the Jana’haki united for the first time in history, a
legend was born. A floating city unto itself, the Dreadfleet
was responsible for crippling maritime trade between
Yaras, Hiremai Isle, and Mundi between 12-17 LS. Only
heavily escorted convoys were able to overcome the
unrelenting ambushes. Yet just as suddenly as Varkus
Rakanon rose to power, his pirate kingdom collapsed. The
Corsair King’s death in 17 LS brought an end to the
Dreadfleet. Leaderless, the remaining Janagar tore the
Dreadfleet apart while fighting over who should be the next
Wrex Hakagar.

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114
 Later Eras. In the 30s and 40s LS, Jana’haki warbands
settled the sparsely inhabited western and eastern coasts of
the Midlands, founding hundreds of pirate colonies and
hideouts. These landed Jana’haki exploited the labor of
countless slaves to build impressive coastal fortresses. Even
the organized navies of the Solar Hegemony and The Auric
could not locate and destroy them. The chaotic struggles for
power and treasure in the Fellcoast exploded as the
Jana’haki carved out fiefs.
Jana’haki harrying of Dema’s seas continued well into the
Exodus Era, and even reached new heights when most of
the Jana’haki fought viciously in the Marauder Wars. A
powerful Jana’haki coalition known as the Red Mast
managed to provoke the navies of the Hegemony, The
Auric, and Hollowfalls into open conflict in the Gilded Sea.
Fortunes were made and lost as warlords jockeyed for
power. Finally, Emperor Tacitus rallied his nation’s home
fleet, sweeping from the Panacean Jungle to the Fellcoast
from 59-64 LS, obliterating the largest pirate kingdoms.
From this crucible rose successor Janagar like Mikuran of
the Mapinkari Armada, and Mhaol Grannek and her
Mirmedons. These lamellar-clad mercenary clans fought in
numerous wars on as many sides up until the final days of
the Redsky Era.
Hunter. Hunted. Reaver. Madman. Magnate. The trials
and travails of your Jana’haki characters are guaranteed to
be recorded in The Silver Sagas, boisterous Jana’haki shanties
that tell of roving roguish deeds. Strike hard and fast at
your legacy in Dema and binge the raucous night like the
day will never dawn.
Leaders
King Odiseas
What lengths are farsighted leaders willing to go to when
faced with stopping calamity and collapse? This question
might never have occurred to the young Wakewalker who
would ascend into legend as High King Odiseas. He was
born the only son of two fishers to an ancient clan known as
the Kaathi. Odiseas grew up in a tiny
hamlet on an outlying southern islet,
far from the main Heroic Era
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clans whose names have largely been lost to time. As those
hundreds of ancient chieftains’ lusts for power and glory
played out across the Midnight Isles, Odiseas was content
to learn the craft of his parents and live a relatively quiet
life, showing a rare preference for nuanced thinking and
caution. It was only when a marauding rival underclan
tried to pillage the Kaathi Islet that Odiseas found his call to
lead.
Odiseas organized a defense of his hamlet with the other
Wakewalker youths, personally slaying the leader of the
raiders with his family’s ancestral war trident. Though
hesitant to leave his provincial life behind, news spread to
neighboring islands about young Odiseas’s fierce
willingness to keep the peace. By his second decade, he had
become the youngest chieftain in his clan’s memory.
Through trade and pacts of mutual aid, Odiseas joined the
Kaathi with the neighboring clans to form one united
banner.
The Fell Saga. Odiseas won great fame in the near-
mythical conflict memorialized in the famous Fell Saga.
Stories about the beginning of the conflict vary. Some say
the war started over a Wakewalker’s mate named Nehel
being swallowed by a many-armed monster named Rago.
Others claim that the conflict began after the results of a
game of chance between Chieftain Salumeen and the
conniving Angor’ Boad were not honored. Regardless of the
cause, most of the Wakewalker clans of the Midnight Isles
sailed as one for the first time in history to the western
banks of the Fellcoast. There, they waged war on the
legendary city of Fel.
Built on the colossal ruins of an ancient civilization, Fel
was an unbreachable fortress for the tens of thousands of
Featherfolk and Human slavers who had resettled the
abandoned cliff forts and coral walls. The Fellons tamed
strange monsters from the dense forests of the Fellcoast and
unleashed them upon the united Wakewalker army.
Almost a decade of siege elapsed, drawing in thousands
of fighters from across Dema onto both sides of the conflict.
It was Odiseas who finally outwitted the Fellons. The
legends say he convinced a lone guard to feed a wagon of
dragonfruit and blackberries to the Fellons’ one-eyed giant
Gamantori. Beneath the wagon hid Alikos, the
Wakewalkers' greatest warrior. Alikos supposedly burst
from the giant creature’s skull from the inside out,
clutching the monster’s eye as a souvenir to give to
Odiseas for his “foresight.”
Kahr
Hunter
 The exact site of Fel can no longer be found, as the allied
Wakewalker army razed the city once Alikos slew the
remaining guards and opened the gates. The clans
challenged and defeated each captured slaver in single
combat, then spent a year dismantling Fel down to the last
stone and salting the soil. The united Wakewalker force
collapsed soon after, with all chieftains in agreement that High King Odiseas
none were strong enough to rule over all the Midnight Isles.
The shamans who retell the Fell Saga unanimously agree
that Odiseas was the first and fastest to sail home. He
settled into what he hoped would be a quiet, comfortable
life with his childhood love Neppelo.

THE DESOLATION
Any hope for normalcy came to a sudden stop with the
arrival of the Deep Ones.
None of Odiseas’s years of careful alliance building could
have prepared his clan for the years of destruction and

Part Two: The World

collapse that overtook the Midnight Isles in what came to be
known as the Desolation. The fog and mist that had always
stood still over the southwestern sea suddenly turned into a
roiling mass of endless storms, forming the Maelstrom.
Dozens of small clans inhabiting the islands in the
southwest were never heard from again. From the
Maelstrom emerged terrible leviathans that bore down on
the Wakewalkers. Within two years, the islands of the
Karchipelago were almost completely isolated, facing
starvation and civil war. Brother turned against brother to
fight over meager catches brought in by the few fishermen
that survived their trips into seas churning with fang,
tentacle, and maw.
Call for Unity. Clan Kaathi’s islands were almost
completely wiped out, with few from Odiseas’s clan able
to flee in time. They found safe harbor on a large island in
the center of the archipelago, where survivors from dozens
of clans were sheltering in terror. Odiseas delivered a
speech calling for unity that met fierce opposition as each
clan bitterly argued for their own interests. At the height of
the arguments, Alikos the warrior chided Odiseas that it
would be easier to swim the length of the Midnight Isles
than to bring these Wakewalkers together. Odiseas agreed,
then hurled himself into the surf.
He returned weeks later holding a blue sourmelon that
only grew on the far distant Kolkes Islands. This shamed
every clan leader present to at least humor Odiseas’s
request. He would lead a band of warriors into the heart of
the Maelstrom and find the source of the Deep Ones.
Mission of the Kargonauts. Beginning with Alikos and
Neppelo, Odiseas set to work assembling his champions.
These later became known as Odiseas’s Kargonauts, with
each member representing the best the surviving clans
could muster. The means by which Odiseas and his
companions sailed through the Maelstrom to arrive at the
World Tree are a mystery.
When the Kargonauts returned several months later, it
was with dozens of Eldertech dive suits recovered from the
World Tree. Nothing like them had ever been seen before in
Dema. Odiseas named these armored depth rigs the
shakahr. They would prove incredibly effective at
hunting and slaying Deep Ones. As it turned out, their
titanic carasses could feed tens of thousands. Not only
were the Midnight Isles saved from destruction, but the

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116
Wakewalkers learned that the Deep Ones tasted pretty shamans and folklore as chosen by pure fortune for grand
good. From this first hunt, the tradition of the Wild Hunt deeds. Mikuran’s bloodline was already highly esteemed, as
was born. he was a distantly related on his mother’s side to the
Odiseas never revealed where the shakahr had come legendary Corsair King himself. Unfortunately for ’any in
from, or what he had found at the world’s edge. The the Jana'haki Isles, this marker of greatness proved true in
adventure had cost the lives of both Neppelo and Alikos. the life and deeds of Mikuran Fellstrider.
The remaining Kargonauts talked of their deeds in vague Cunning Youth. Mikuran and his siblings Lagus and
terms. The few parts of their quest they mentioned were Jokas were raised in the petty settlements of a Jana’haki
almost beyond belief. Monsters and objects were described faction known as the Kolkes. They dwelled on a cluster of
that had no analog in the rest of Dema. Also mentioned was fifteen islands that had largely been spared from the Exodus
a mysterious tribe of Humans wielding devices so strong
that they were talked of reverently, like magic.
For his role in saving tens of thousands of Wakewalkers,
Mikuran Fellstrider
Odiseas was ceremonially crowned High King of a unified
and newly christened Clan Kahr, named after the shakahr.
The large island where he had united dozens of bickering
clans was renamed Kahr Island. It would serve as the court
of a dozen kings after him, who would rule from the
island’s Coral Throne. Odiseas himself vanished into
history a year later when he departed Kahr Island seeking
answers at the World Tree once more.

Mikuran
Mikuran Fellstrider was the kind of Wakewalker that
always had greatness on his mind. A male Wakewalker
despite puberty bringing female stripes, he was born in 65
LS as one of the regatok, a tiny number of Wakewalkers
whose skin is an extremely rare vivid red hue instead of the
blue-gray tone of almost all Wakewalkers. While the birth
of a single regatok was occasion enough, both of his triplet
siblings were also regatok. For as long as anyone can
remember, the regatok have been celebrated by Jana’haki

Presence of single remnant member of surviving

Sentient Species _______ beneath Hiremai
Isle is no longer in dispute. While sweeps of
the inner hull recorded in the last Cycle Log
appeared conclusive, presence of Sentient
Species _______________ __
___________________________________
__________________ to the shape of the
Hiremai's culture.
Conditions at the World Tree remain in a
state of flux. The decision to let multiple
Nonsentient Species from past cycles compete
in anarchic selections in the territory
continues to produce unprecedented data.
Reseeding of Cycle _______ life after the
upcoming hull purge will be at scale and
methodical. The proposed visions for these
future worlds remain contested by Harbingers
Bernsgak and Klaton, whose amicable feud
remains as strong as ever. Entrances 4, 8, 15, 16,
23, and __ at the World Tree leading to exterior
ship compartments must be audited and
refurbished for security integrity at the
conclusion of this cycle to prevent further
breaching of outer hull by endemic fauna.

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Era Deep One invasions which had completely devastated
the rest of the Midnight Isles. Throughout his life, Mikuran
was described by his foes and underlings as boisterous and
brutally cunning, fully embracing the casual cruelty of his
pirate culture. In his youth, Mikuran fell in love with the
tales of the great Jana’haki pirate kings that had sailed the
Midnight Sea for generations. They lived by no law but
their own, and plundered the greatest treasures of Dema.
Mikuran came to believe that his father Gasok was one such
hero, despite never having met him in person.
For years, Mikuran’s mother Medeya ruled the Kolkes
Islands while her warlord husband Gasok raided the
shipping lanes of the Panacean coast in the decades after the
Marauder Wars. The understanding was that Gasok would
one day return and rule by her side over a reforged
Jana’haki Dreadfleet. Gasok would then ascend to become
the Wrex Hakagar, the ancient title of the celebrated
Corsair King who united the Jana’haki generations ago.
This did not come to pass, however, as Gasok found
only minor success as a corsair. Gambling debts
accrued in every port of the Gilded Sea. His crew grew
restless waiting for a war that never came as the
Midnight Isles dwindled, the population of entire islands
fleeing before the rising tide of ever more aggressive Deep
Ones. As conditions worsened, the Kolkes Islands were
eventually the only inhabited islands west of the Fellcoast.
THE BLOODY PROKI
In 82 LS, Gasok finally returned to the harbors of the Kolkes
Islands in the company of a Hiremai priestess named Krusa.
Late in his travels, Gasok had been converted to the
Hiremai faith by Krusa. Gasok sought to convert his
followers to worship the fallen Terminarch and abandon the
pirate traditions of the Jana’haki. In an ordained new
marriage to Krusa, Gasok disowned Medeya and convinced
Mikuran’s two siblings Lagus and Jokas to turn against
their mother.
The family struggle that ensued in the Kolkes clan hall
would go down in Jana’haki history as the Bloody Proki. In
a conflict that supposedly lasted ten days, the supporters of
both factions battled so fiercely that nearly every standing
structure in the Kolkes Islands was destroyed. In the chaos
of the final battle, Medeya slew her own two children Lagus
and Jokas, while Mikuran gouged out his father Gasok’s
eyes. Before succumbing to her own wounds, Medeya
proclaimed a vision: Mikuran would one day unite all the
Jana’haki pirate bands. With her final breath, Medeya
prophesied that Mikuran’s fortunes would be found in the
Fellcoast.
In the wake of the Bloody Proki, Mikuran formed his core
group of companions from the most daring survivors of the
Kolkes Islands. He declared these Wakewalkers the
Mapinkari, raiders who would resurrect the line of the
Corsair King. But the legitimacy of such a claim required
finding the Corsair King’s Sapphire Fleece, last seen
generations ago deep in the forests of the Fellcoast.
Mikuran spent the months between 83-84 LS chasing
leads on where the Sapphire Fleece might be. His luck
finally came in a musty tavern in Fell Harbor, where he met
an Archivist rogue named Cazemir. Cazemir led Mikuran
to a hidden valley guarded by an ungodly entity. Whatever
followed cost the lives of half of Mikuran’s companions. For
118
weeks, none in the Fellcoast heard from Mikuran or his
followers. Then, just as suddenly as he had set out, Mikuran
emerged from the forest adorned with the famed Sapphire
Fleece. With the Corsair King’s treasure recovered,
Mikuran’s new wealth was staggering. It eclipsed that of
even the richest Golden Jana’haki merchant princes and
Red Mast pirate captains. Word soon spread of his mighty
feats. In celebration, the Mapinkari began calling Mikuran
“The Fellstrider.”
Conquering the Fellcoast. The Fellcoast, a land where all
six peoples of Dema staked their fortunes, offered
opportunities Mikuran took full advantage of. Between
85-98 LS, Mikuran’s forces consolidated control of the entire
Fellcoast. The tales of how Mikuran grew his band of
Mapinkari from ragtag pirates to the most powerful
Wakewalker faction were recorded in the oral ballads of the
Jana’haki Sonda.
Not long after Mikuran recovered the Sapphire Fleece, he
Part Two: The World
declared the Mapinkari open to all recruits. He even
accepted escaped slaves once held by other Jana’haki
groups, regardless of their species. Enemies defeated in
battle were also recruited into Mikuran’s forces, although
their leaders were ritually cannibalized to assert Mikuran’s
dominance. The rich Golden Jana’haki of the Fellcoast
continued to have shipping routes to service their petty
domains. Mikuran raided these and more, slowly building
up a force of ships that commanded control of the entire
coast. Through a mix of enticement, threat, and outright
invasion, Mikuran slowly brought the patchwork realm of
the Fellcoast to its knees. Many of the defeated joined the
Mapinkari rather than face death.
Infamously, at Senecus’s Feast of 97 LS, Mikuran gained
the allegiance of hundreds of Nightrider slaves originally
from the Dawnraider tribe. He seized them from Senecus, a
Hegemony director of a Panacean colony. In exchange for
the Dawnraiders’ liberation, Mikuran demanded each eat a
small piece of a gigantic meat pie his Hoka underlings had
baked out of the flesh of Senecus’s sons. Partaking was
required, or else Mikuran would maroon the Nightriders in
the Panacean Jungle. Cannibalism was considered sacrilege
by the Nightriders. Mikuran’s ultimatum caused a riot
among the freed slaves where hundreds were slain. Yet,
enough Nightriders survived and begrudgingly joined
Mikuran that he could finally proclaim himself Wrex
Hakagar, master of a warhost stretching across the
Fellcoast.
In 100 LS of the Redsky Era, with thousands of warriors
crewing a hundred warships, Mikuran invaded the Gilded
Sea with the Mapinkari Armada. The invasion began when
the new Wrex Hakagar’s fleet smashed through the
Hegemony’s blockade at the Battle of Barren Straits.
Mikuran’s Armada dueled the Solar Hegemony’s imperial
fleets for the next two years. He briefly allied with the
Hominid Dominion at the end of 101 LS out of convenience
when the territories of Mundi rebelled against the
Hegemony. Accounts differ as to Mikuran’s death. Some
sources claim Mikuran Fellstrider perished at the
devastating Battle of Asphodel in 102 LS. Others weave tall
tales of a secret mission in the Midnight Sea.
The Wakewalker Clans
 TheAthenaeum
You will remember the spirit of the Archivists. Visitors never forget the unspoiled beauty of the Archivists’ winter home in the
Athenaeum. And you don’ t have to visit to hear about it. If you know where to look, there are Archivists everywhere. Their great
journey on the Million Step Path of Zenyecrot calls them to distant lands. Even so, most Archivists abroad count the days until
they can return home. To frosted taigas and walls of pykrete ice. To see the azhitsa sky whales soar through the Pilgrim’ s Pass.
To have tea with an Arkwright or Theonite just before leaving Snow’ s Edge. The soul of the Archivists is shaped by that land like
a sculptor to ice. Absence breeds fondness. Most of the folk songs Archivists sing are about longing to return to the Athenaeum. If
you get the chance, sit and listen. They’ r e sad but beautiful.
Now look, if you hire an Archivist bodyguard who is as stubborn and immovable as a boulder, they are probably Aegic. Aegis is a
stoic land with a firm set of rules. If you ever visit, you won’ t need to worry much about bands of criminals. Aegic justice is
swift. A bit too swift for my tastes. What about an Archivist that is always tinkering and prodding? That fellow is likely
Luminosi. Luminos is one of the great spectacles of the world. The City of Lights. It is so colorful that it can be disorienting for
newcomers. At the local Scholasta branch, they have these dark glass eye protectors. Buy a pair if you get a chance! And if by
chance you meet a polite Archivist that meditates for weeks at a time, their focus crumbling slower than the mountains, they are
unmistakably Etherean. In general, Archivists do not mince their words. Ask them what they think of the Athenaeum and they
will say it is ‘ c old.’ I have two frostbitten fingers to prove it.
But I have written four separate books on the inner life of the Archivists. You can check them out for the details. I could spend
a lifetime going back to the hermit kingdoms. Instead, if you will indulge me, I have some words to get off my conscience now.
What a joy it was to learn my editor for this primer is no less than High Abecedary Rodyon Colnacov! Friends, I do not like
Rodyon. Rodyon has been using his ancient tenure to crush the hopes of hundreds of young Archivist students with that awkward
double-cough he does and a flick of his quill. Literally hundreds! Proposals denied for being “Fanciful.” “Frivolous.” “Not worth our
institution’ s time.”
Their brilliant would-be authors were booted from the Scholasta shortly after. If there could only be one immortally celebrated
Archivist wordsmith, Rodyon is the vain sort to think it should be him! He has drowned the Museaum in his pedantic essays for
longer than the Hegemony has existed. Bah! Hear me, all you victims of the world’ s Rodyons. Do not be discouraged. No work is
too small. No one is lesser for not having their name etched into Mount Hars. I say you should keep going. The most beautiful
cazram are not composed in an afternoon. And you can always revise! Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly on the first
attempts.
Look at my own writing. In my twenties I was trying to shake the scholarly world with the ultimate travelog to the Archicon of
Etherea. Instead, I wound up in a ‘ b ackwater’ with the Zhavit ethnic group in the Eikva Plateau. A waste? Well, my journeys
across Dema began with my first sip of sog mint tea while staying with those ‘ n obodies’ Velim, Domovoi, and lovely little Azha
Ruscolna. I adored trying on their bright tundra robes. Spinning their vom morning prayer wheels. Making a fool of myself
practicing Pwanoszt kicking moves. Crawling across frozen lakes on the back of a furry ursan. My time with the Zhavit put the
entire Athenaeum in focus. There are dozens more like them waiting for someone to record their stories.
Thankfully, Rodyon cannot change what I write here. Rules of the contract, you see. My new tenure is also a shield. Even so,
Rodyon will surely find some way to call me biased. To say that I’ v e romanticized everything. That any advice I give is
impractical.
Well, I reply, if some men were born for greatness, Rodyon was born to gargle sewer water in Luminos. The Archivist
understudies reading this will go on and leave you forgotten, Rodyon. You are a mosquito. Mosquitoes are swatted or ignored.
Anyhow, where was I? Oh, yes. Hiking the Pilgrim’ s Pass is like fine wine for the soul. Sometimes literally. You see, Archivist
drinking culture is a bit unusual…

-Mara Tancred. Biased, Romanticized, and Grossly Impractical:

A Beginner’s Guide to the Regions of Dema.

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 Aegic Stronghold

Chapter 7: The Archivist City-States

Aegic AEGIC MILITARY CULTURE
Aegis has a proud tradition of passing household weapons

T
o the many peoples of Dema, the name ‘Aegis’ calls
down between generations. Each family’s ancestral spears,
to mind the very image of strength and tradition.
maces, and axes made of liot metal are revered and
This Archivist culture measures its worth by the
carefully maintained. These weapons represent an Aegic
honor and discipline of its faithful citizens. Battle-hardened
family’s connection to the past and future. Each new
veterans since time immemorial, Aegic daughters and sons
generation honors the contributions of those that came
are the vanguard and shield of the Million Step Path. For
before and hope to be worthy of this same honor by future
their steadfast vigilance, the Aegic are honored throughout
generations.
the Athenaeum as the White Wardens. Their military
mastery continues to shape the destiny of all Archivists. Across the wide expanse of the Eikva Plateau, Aegic rites
and customs vary from village to village. All of these
A Martial Religion. From childhood to death, devout
different cultural and religious groups were governed by a
Aegic Archivists strive to have the willpower and strength
military council in the city of Aegis itself. The council
to always do what is right. Many hope to overcome the
contained the heads of each of Aegis’s three warrior-monk
cyclical fall of Archivist civilization described in their
orders. These battle-hardened leaders were known as
religion’s oldest tales. The Aegic believe that this collapse
Aegis’s Proxima Generals. They were led and overseen by a
was and continues to be caused by a lack of discipline and
fourth member, elected from within the council. This
moral courage. For hundreds of years, Aegic Archivists
individual was known as the Archgeneral. The council is
have expressed their piety by practicing Pwanoszt, the
tasked with everything from administering Aegis’s civilian
ancient Aegic martial art. The lethality of Pwanoszt is
bureaucracy to organizing and leading its Oslon conscript
sharply magnified with the addition of Eldertech weapons,
military.
which the Aegic consider sacred. Only the most self-
restrained masters of Pwanoszt are allowed to use Eldertech Three Orders. Aegis’s three monastic military orders are
weapons in battle. Aegis’s faithful believe that only by the Theonites, Eremites, and Abbots. Theonites train as
perfecting Pwanoszt and recovering every last Eldertech lifelong peacekeepers and monster hunters throughout the
battle relic can they restore the greatness of the Effulgent Athenaeum. Many served as officers in the Oslon military.
Times. Eremites take up arms alone or in small groups to guard
Archivist missionaries searching for Eldertech abroad. They

The Athenaeum
120
 also worked as scouts during the Oslon military’s rare
foreign deployments. Abbots are the most versatile of the
bunch. Some become logistics officers, others blacksmiths,
and still others train as field doctors. As the most educated
of the three orders, the Abbots were entrusted with
archiving any Eldertech relics returned to Aegis. When the
Theonites, Eremites, and Abbots combined with the Oslon
military at its peak readiness in 30 LS, Aegis’s forces
swelled to an incredible tenth of its entire population.
Of the three Archivist city-states, Aegis alone maintained
a large standing army. Rather than cling to a policy of
isolationism, Aegis used its strong military to project force
and influence foreign powers. This is partly because the city
of Aegis was situated in the relatively flat and temperate
central Athenaeum. While Etherea and Luminos have
always been able to take advantage of their remote locations
and bitter temperatures to fend off invaders, Aegis had to
rely on its large, battle-ready armies. In order to buy for its
military to respond, Aegis also maintained a network of
well-garrisoned fortresses and temples. These were
concentrated most heavily near Snow’s Edge, Aegis’s
border with Humanity. The city of Aegis itself was also
fortified by thick pykrete walls and bronze domed citadels.

PWANOSZT
Even Aegis’s lowest ranking village conscripts were
instructed in the four forms of Pwanoszt. Pwanoszt, or
“two-strikes,” teaches that subduing an enemy in as few
moves as possible is key. It is a precise and devastating
form of self-defense that takes full advantage of the
Archivists’ unique metabolism. Although all Archivists can
enter the heightened metabolic state known as ‘flow,’ most
can only maintain the state for a few minutes, with extreme
effort. Masters of Pwanoszt can enter the state at will, and
can maintain it for as long as they wish. In the flow state, a
Pwanoszt master’s movements become extremely swift and
accurate. Strikes become so quick that they’re hard to see.
As their body is sent into overdrive, their ordinarily pale
blue skin radiates so much heat that it glows orange and
leaves a trail of steam.
Every morning and evening in the central Athenaeum,
tens of thousands of Aegic Archivists let off steam
practicing Pwanoszt across hundreds of trailing grounds
and drill fields. Devoting the years it takes to master the
four forms is a major personal and cultural
accomplishment. Although Luminosi and Etherean
Archivists also practice Pwanoszt, Aegic training grounds
and masters are widely regarded as the best. Aegic
standards are extremely demanding, but the warriors they
produce are some of the finest in all of Dema.

THE FALL OF AEGIS

There is more to winning wars than fielding the best
soldiers. Sometimes, no amount of military strength can
make up for diplomatic mistakes. Historically, Aegis
Aegic clashed repeatedly with the Human Kingdoms to the south
Warrior of the Athenaeum, in the Light Plains. More often than not,
the Aegic struck first, making temporary allies of Scintilla
and Abresia. To make matters worse, Aegis often waged
these wars without the support of Etherea and Luminos,
who preferred to keep the peace.

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 Rise of the Hegemony. When the scattered Human
Kingdoms united to form the Solar Hegemony in 0 LS,
Aegis suddenly faced a massive, xenophobic, expansionist
empire on its southern border. When the Hegemony
invaded the Moon Realms to their west with a massive
force in 7 LS, tensions soared. Many Aegic Archivists began
calling on the wider Athenaeum to join together to attack
the Hegemony before it was too late. These pleas fell on
deaf ears in Etherea and Luminos, where they were treated
as just the latest episode of Aegis’s warmongering.
Madic Arraz. No Archivist was more vocal about the
need to attack the Hegemony than Proxima General Madic
Arraz. Hoping to force Etherea and Luminos’s hand, Madic
led a few short but devastating raids into the Light Plains
from 15-16 LS. Although these unprovoked attacks
entangled the Hegemony in a year-long border crisis and
helped Madic become Archgeneral, they only further
alienated Aegis from the rest of the Athenaeum. This set the
stage for Emperor Decimus Cassar to declare war on Aegis
in 29 LS. Assuming Madic’s aggression was again
responsible, Etherea and Luminos refused to come to
Aegis’s aid. Their decision proved to have far-reaching
consequences.
For the first year and a half of what became known as the
Aegis Campaigns, Archgeneral Madic Arraz led Aegis’s
Oslon military to a number of stunning victories. The
momentum only shifted in Humanity’s favor after Emperor
Decimus called the legendary General Gawain Cang out of
retirement.
Despite the Oslon military’s early victories, the Aegis
Campaigns ended in absolute catastrophe. Late in 32 LS,
three of Gawain’s legions had slipped past Madic’s border
defenses and soon besieged Aegis itself. After months of
bitter fighting, the legions received a direct order from
Emperor Decimus to unleash the Hegemony’s secret
weapon: Scintillan fire. The dark purple flames consumed
the city, killing hundreds of thousands. When the flames
finally died, the once proud winter bastion was reduced to
ash. Madic Arraz, the majority of Aegic Archivists, and
countless cultural relics were lost forever in the inferno.
WARRIORS IN EXILE
The traumatized and homeless thousands who managed to
escape Aegis’s fate scattered deep into the Athenaeum.
Although there had been a rift between Aegis and the other
Archivist city-states, the burning of Aegis changed
everything. As the solar legions asserted control over the
surrounding territory, Aegis’s survivors were joined by
hundreds, and then thousands of rural Aegic Archivists
who preferred to live as refugees in Etherea and Luminos
than to live under the Hegemony. Soon, the solar legions
established a base of operations in the charred ruins of
Aegis itself.
Across Dema, Aegic warriors gained a reputation for
taking any job that might bring them closer to retribution,
whatever the risks. As bounty hunters, smugglers, and
mercenaries, the Aegic continued their fight against the
Solar Hegemony. Eremites volunteered their time to help
Aegic Archivists across the Midlands on dozens of quests to
undermine the Hegemony’s iron grip. “Remember Madic,”
and “Tomorrow Again” became the last sound many
ambushed legionnaires ever heard. The hundreds of
122
Harbinger ___________:
Regrettably, the male individual known as
“The Archivist” continues to elude Tier Valnine
through Tier Provadens of hull meta
surveillance. It is to this end that this
committee requests access to Tier Optico
resources to continue pursuit. The identity of
The Archivist perplexes demographic databases
despite optimal lineage tracing and forensic
extrapolation. Theories vary. The 6 most
plausible theories surmise that “The Archivist”
is either an alias, multiple generations of
individuals related genetically, or
___________________. Magus Aymund
maintains that the last of these circumstances
is the most likely, as it explains away The
Part Two: The World
Archivist's immortality and reappearance at
will.
A minor point of general frustration exists
for the hull teams attempting to find direct
references to The Archivist when he shares an
agnomen with every individual of Sentient
Species “Eltayan.” Maguses Levin, Oldur, Laval,
and Nalon reiterated that this naming was likely
intentional on his part.
Theonites that had found asylum in Luminos helped train
an entire generation of Luminosi saboteurs.
The Embers of the Aegic. In the final decade of the Redsky
Era, the descendants of thousands of Aegic refugees to
Etherea gave their lives to defend the last free city of the
Archivists in the Storm Wars from 93-102 LS. Although
Etherea had long been fiercely isolationist, the destruction
of Aegis had steadily shifted sentiment across the
Athenaeum. When Emperor Sicarius launched a surprise
attack against Etherea in 93 LS, Zasha Vigon became
Etherea’s High Cleric, herself a daughter of Aegic refugees.
Across more than a dozen bloody battlefields, Aegis’s war
hymns echoed into eternity.
Wherever they roam, the people of Aegis command
respect and inspire resilience. Do your Aegic characters live
during Aegis’s glory days in the Heroic Era? Will you fight
by Madic’s side in Aegis’s final hours? Or perhaps your
Aegic characters live in the Redsky Era, doing what they
can to resist a resurgent Hegemony. No matter the era, the
Aegic are widely considered the first and last guardians of
the Archivists. They are the White Wardens of the
Athenaeum. Will your Eremites guard pilgrims on journeys
to the far corners of the world? Can you master Pwanoszt
and keep the flame of your faith alive in the darkest of
hours? Lock arms with your compatriots in the face of
time’s whips and scorns, for the fate of all Archivists hinges
on blood, ice, and steel.
The Athenaeum
Ethereans
From the eternal shining past through to the fated mists of
the future, Etherea abides. Also known as the crystal of the
north, this hermit kingdom eclipses many great cultures of
the world with traditions steeped in centuries of spirituality
and wisdom. The Archivists who live there are some of the
most austere and reflective, holding to their sacred creed of
Zenyecrot.
The founding of their lands is rooted in the ancient past
of the world. Although in many ways reclusive isolationists,
the influence of these Archivists spirals across the four
corners of Dema. While relatively few outsiders will ever
glimpse the dazzlingly complex shrines and ice-based
architecture of Etherea, very few can say that they have
never met an Etherean abroad.
Legacy of the Ancients. The city of Etherea is said to have
been founded by four of the twelve legendary Naitraya
siblings with help from a figure known only as The
Archivist. As citizens of Zenyecrot’s holiest city, the
Ethereans fervently believe that Eldertech items are
religious relics left behind from a previous, majestic
Archivist civilization that once influenced every corner of
Dema. They believe that Archivist civilization has risen and
collapsed in countless cycles. The faithful of Zenyecrot
maintain that these cycles have always bound them and
always will. By adopting such a long view of history, the
Archivists both transcend the present and accept their place
in it.
The Ethereans act as the moral guides of Zenyecrot,
hoping to lead their cousins in Aegis and Luminos down
the spiritual path to greatness. Etherean Archivists believe
that the sophistication of Eldertech reflects the moral purity
of its supposedly ancient Archivist creators. It is this purity,
and not the technological marvel or military applications of
Eldertech, which captivates the Ethereans.
Faithful Archivists believe that Eldertech is their religious
inheritance, and that every last artifact must be returned to
the safekeeping of the Athenaeum. They do not trust other
peoples with their relics. The possession of Eldertech by
other civilizations only stands in the way of the Archivists’
great journey. For this reason, Etherea is the least likely of
the three Archivist city-states to trade away or allow any
kind of damage to come to their Eldertech.
A MISSIONARY CULTURE
Under the instruction of the Grand Missionary, tens of
thousands set off from Etherea in order to carry out the
Archivists’ sacred quest for the ‘reclamation’ of Eldertech.
Vast networks of Aegic-style Theonites, Eremites, and other
wanderers volunteer their lives. Their journeys take them to
the farthest corners of Dema, sometimes for decades at a
time, in the pursuit of especially prized or dangerous
Eldertech troves. These missionaries report back to the
Grand Missionary who sits within Etherea’s ruling council.
This group, known as the Council of the Zdarlyti, rules by
religious edict over the hundreds of thousands of Etherea’s
citizens.
Etherea’s huge population is only sustainable thanks to
an incredible Eldertech apparatus known as the Archicon.
This monument-sized edifice lies at the center of the city. It
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123
is worshipped and attended to by tens of thousands daily.
The great power of the Archicon is simple but profound: it
produces an endless supply of bland but nutritious paste,
seemingly from nothing.
ETHEREAN ART AND SOCIETY
A meticulous written record of each piece of Eldertech’s
form, function, and record of use in domestic life or warfare
is kept on paper scrolls dozens of feet long. These pieces are
called cazram. They are the reason Ethereans, and thus
most Eltayans, are known as “Archivists” in the wider
world. Kaleidoscopic artwork, layers of scholarly
commentaries, and logistical records are added by dozens
of art guilds called the Zhiscusdah to create geometric
masterpieces on every wall-sized cazram canvas. Hundreds
are displayed in public. The most elaborate and beautiful
scrolls are kept in Etherean temple library archives after
being glossed with clear laquer to preserve the text. These
cazram archives are second in importance only to the
Eldertech item repositories themselves.
Eternal Records. Curiously, most Archivists will only
view the holiest cazram records once. After viewings, the
temple librarians lock the cazram away in archive chambers
only visited for occasional cleaning. According to the
cyclical history of Zenyecrot, once an archive is complete,
its existence demonstrates that it existed long ago, and will
reemerge again, endlessly into the future. More important
than the cazram themselves is the faithful’s strength of
mind. So, one viewing must be enough. While Luminosi
and Aegic Archivists keep critical and treasured archives of
cazram scrolls, the Etherean records are without equal in
their grandeur and immensity.
Senior Archivists on the Council of the Zdarlyti seek
guidance by painstakingly crafting rainbow mandalas out
of sand. These are the Efermeni. Once completed, a vigil is
held by the Council for one whole day, studying every
detail. The Efermeni is then swept away. It is up to the
Council to have retained enough of what was recorded to
spread accurate wisdom and edicts to their Archivist
subjects. With the future of Archivist civilization clear to all
faithful, the Council is held responsible for any deviation
from the great journey.
ETHEREAN HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY
In their wider realm which extends south and east to touch
the Eikva Plateau, a vast population of Archivists inhabits
the frigid forests and hills of the Crai Hinterlands in the
western Athenaeum. Some higher estimates place the
Etherean realm’s population in the millions, with most
concentrated in Etherea proper and the handful of
neighboring settlements. Only a minority of this massive
population is awake at any one time, with the vast majority
lying dormant in the Archivists’ ebb state.
The rich inner lives of Etherean Archivists have been
documented by a scattering of outlanders that were invited,
or snuck into, the Athenaeum. Scholasta travelers have
penned memorable travelogs, such as My Walk Through
Dema by Mara Tancred. The Wakewalker war memoir
Orange Skin Fights Hard by Saktos Far Roamer recounts the
mayhem that ensued when a delegation of Kahr
Wakewalkers arrived before the Zdarlyti to demonstrate
 The Endless Beginning
To truly understand the Archivists, one must know the religious story they tell themselves. It is a peculiar story. One that
says where the Archivists came from, and where they will return: the Endless Beginning.
According to Archivist legends, twelve siblings known as the Naitraya lived together long ago, when time first began.
These first Archivists were masters of their crafts. Together, they journeyed to the peak of Mount Hars, where they
combined their knowledge, strength, and wisdom to create three supremely powerful artifacts: the Eltaya. The Orange
Eltay was said to grant boundless knowledge. The White Eltay granted unlimited power. Strangest of all, the Blue Eltay
was said to transport one's mind across all space and time.
Some of the siblings favored using the Eltaya to achieve immortality and to reign over the land as gods. Others
believed that they should be destroyed, pointing out that they undermined the Naitraya's very way of life. With the
Orange Eltay, how could new discoveries ever be made again? What was the point of training exercises when one could
just use the White Eltay? Why meditate when all it achieved was a minuscule fraction of what the Blue Etay made
possible?

Part Two: The World

After twelve days of carefully contemplating what to do, the Naitraya decided to lock the Eltaya away. Just to be
safe, however, they also had to be split up. The risk of someone acquiring all three was too great. The wisest Naitraya,
Cyee, Roz, Morana, and Yetta took the Blue Eltay to the land that would become Etherea. The most curious, Zosia,
Vera, and the twins Chec and Zhec took the Orange Eltay to the east, to a place that would become Luminos. Finally,
the strongest, Vojek, Coriv, Irenca, and Jadvica, took the White Eltay to the south, to what would become Aegis.
The legends say that the descendants of the Naitraya created a great civilization. The Ethereans sagely guided their
siblings, creating the first cazram scrolls. The Aegic developed the four forms of Pwanoszt, a martial art that enhances
self-control over body and mind. Finally, the Luminosi supposedly invented the powerful artifacts known today as
Eldertech. Unlike the Eltaya, Eldertech did not render the Archivists' work obsolete. Together, they ushered in what the
faithful call the Effulgent Times:' a paradise of peace, wisdom, and learning that Archivists believe covered the whole
world for thousands of years.
As with all great things, real or mythical, the Effulgent Times did not last. The prosperity of the Effulgent Times slowly
corrupted the Archivists. Exactly what caused the decline is an intensely divisive matter that still rages within Zenyecrot.
Eldertech and Pwanoszt were increasingly treated as weapons, rather than as instruments for edification. And with their
principles abandoned, it was not long before the Archivists succumbed to their desire for the Eltaya themselves.
The stories say that a mysterious figure known as the Profligate weaponized the first of the Eltay. Fear and jealousy
quickly unleashed the other two. In what is called the One Hour War, the Archivists turned their Eltaya and Eldertech-
equipped armies against each other. All of the Archivists' wisdom, strength, and knowledge was lost in the One Hour War.
The Eltaya themselves disappeared. For thousands of years afterwards, Archivist civilization is said to have restarted from
almost nothing. The faithful of Zenyecrot refer to this stage of Archivist civilization as the Primeval Times.'
As the legends go, the Archivists slowly regain their bearings. They reclaim Eldertech left over from the war, and stitch
together their own history - and future. Eventually they rediscover the Naitraya's principles of self-mastery. Etherea,
Luminos, and Aegis reemerge as the three distinct pillars of Archivist civilization. Finally, the secrets of Eldertech are
unlocked and the Archivists usher in the Effulgent Times once again. Morals eventually decay, war consumes, and
Archivist civilization collapses yet again into the Primeval Times.
Archivist civilization is supposed to have risen and collapsed in countless such cycles. The present day followers of
Zenyecrot consider themselves to be living through the late Primeval Times. They seem to be of two minds about this.
The Primeval Times are regarded as a backwards time, but also a time where the principles of the Naitraya are alive and
well. For their part, the Effulgent Times are regarded as a civilized time, but also a decadent one, where traditions are
discarded and disaster follows. Whatever age an Archivist is born into, the faithful are encouraged to accept it as beyond
their control. What counts is what each Archivist chooses to do with the life that is given to them.
Is there some grain of truth to the superstitious events described in this Endless Beginning?' I do not know. Scholasta
Archaeologians confirm that the oldest cazram scrolls of the tale are at least three hundred years old. The term
"Zenyecrot" itself comes down to us from the proto-Eltayan language, which linguists date to around the same time. Zenye
means "Tomorrow" and Crot "Again."
Excerpt from Archivist Myths and Legends,
Brother Pocosius, Imperial Tutor to Prince Sicarius. 87 LS.

The Athenaeum
124
their Eldertech shakahr, only for the Ethereans to demand
they hand over the armor.
Intolerance in the Light Plains. In the Heroic Era, Etherea
maintained better relations with the Human Kingdoms to
the south than the other Archivist city-states. Etherean
missionaries were looked on as overly obsessed with
Eldertech, but also gracious, friendly neighbors and loyal
taxpayers. By serving local communities, missionaries
hoped to create enough good faith that they would be the
first to hear of any rumors of Eldertech sightings in the
hinterlands.
As the population of Etherean missionaries grew in the
Light Plains, superstitious Humans began suspecting them
of various crimes and schemes to undermine society. The
violence that spread against Etherean Archivists in the
decades after the Dayraid by the Hegemony cost the lives of
thousands of Archivist families. Wary of further conflict, the
Ethereans did their best to isolate themselves from Human
political affairs. The missionaries considered their sacred
quest for Eldertech to be well worth a few measly political
concessions.
LAST BASTION OF THE ARCHIVISTS
With the rise of the Solar Hegemony, the isolationism of
Etherea was adopted by their cousins in Luminos. These
policies were not followed by militaristic Aegis, whose
leader Madic Arraz hoped to provoke a war with the
Hegemony. A series of border skirmishes and reluctant
truces created a well of animosity between Humanity and
the Aegic. Decades later, the mutual hostility came to a
head during the devastating Aegis Campaigns. The war
ended in catastrophe for the Archivists, with the total
destruction of Aegis in 32 LS by Human forces. Rather
than face the same fate, Luminos willingly became a
tributary vassal to the Hegemony.
All too suddenly, Etherea became the last free city
of the Archivists. The Ethereans held onto their
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125
independence from 32 LS until the end of the Redsky Era.
Exiled soldiers and refugees from the other two city-states
found sanctuary in Etherea, bolstering its numbers.
Secluded from the rest of the Athenaeum by the famous
Pilgrim’s Pass, thousands of Hegemony legionnaires would
break upon the crystal of the north’s natural defenses in the
Storm Wars.
Despite the Ethereans’ best efforts, the fate of the
Archivists was sealed in 102 LS, when the Archicon
revealed its true purpose. It ceased producing food and
began pulsing. Panic ensued. Then, twelve days later, the
remaining population of the city suddenly vanished. A
strange, apocalyptic echo from the Archicon reached as far
off as Mundi.
Your Etherean characters could change the fates of
millions. A discovery as paradigm changing as the Archicon
might lay in a frozen tomb your missionary is delving. Will
you track down and return a stolen cazram before the
forgotten knowledge it contains starts a war? The Etherean
population is well known in every corner of Dema. So trust
in your principles and faith as you embrace the challenges
and trials of the Million Step Path.
Luminosi
Of the three Archivist city-states, the population of Luminos
is rightly credited as the most eager to learn about the
natural world. Like all Archivists who observe Zenyecrot,
the Luminosi believe Eldertech to be relics left behind by
their incredibly advanced ancestors. Unlike the Archivists
of Etherea and Aegis, however, the Luminosi consider the
knowledge of their mythological ancestors to be their most
supreme virtue. They seek to replicate that lost
understanding in the present. This is why the Luminosi
study Eldertech and the natural world. For them, to
understand Eldertech is to glimpse the divine, to unite the
past and the future. It is not surprising, then, that most
Luminosi feel nothing short of peace and belonging when
running experiments in their Boradyr laboratories. It is their
local sect of Zenyecrot that equips armies abroad with
advantages only dedicated Luminosi sages could produce.
The fates of empires have rested in tools and relics surveyed
by their well-worn hands.
LIGHT AND SCHOLARSHIP
Luminos is located in the far northeastern region of the
Athenaeum, surrounded by a range of biomes dappled with
snowy lakes and frosted pines. Looming over the whole
land is Mount Svetovit, by far the tallest mountain of the
Athenaeum. In fact, Mount Svetovit looms so large that its
shadow blots out the sun on its northern face. Springing
outward from this abnormally dark area is the city of
Luminos. Settled over an extensive series of elaborate
Eldertech structures, the Archivists of Luminos have
constructed a crucible for their faith steeped in systematic
study.
The city is divided into neighborhoods called Domavi
which are drenched in vividly colored light. Renowned for
its glasswork, Luminos blooms with thousands of stained
windows and glowing crystals called illumite adorning
everything from Zenyecrot basilicas to tea shop street signs.
The city is such a sight to behold that even the most
Etherean Sculptor
intolerant of Humans refers to Luminos as the City of
Lights.
Residents busy themselves at all hours with projects big
and small. Popular handicrafts include thick woven
tapestries and broad-handled meal knives engraved with
lyrics and musical notation for various canticles of
Zenyecrot. Thousands of Luminosi Abbots trained in the
Aegic style maintain the infrastructure of the city from the
harsh snows. This resistance represents the constant battle
between the bright peaks and dark chasms of Archivist
civilization at the heart of Zenyecrot itself. Similarly, cazram
in the Etherean style are on display throughout the city,
ever-present though to a much humbler extent than their
documentation obsessed Etherean cousins.
The city’s Archivist youth are shepherded along by
sanctified schools of faith-based study and research.
Graduates are offered to take the ruling Directorate’s civil
service exams called the Valuations. While testing is open to
all for a range of roles and vocations, only the most
intelligent and capable in this prestigious assessment of the
mind earn the coveted title of Arkwright.
The impact of The Archivist on Sentient
Species “Eltayan” is exceptional. Doctrine
Zenyecrot is a novel thought structure
considering __________. Formation of Item 5E
“Cazram” and accompanying sociological
traditions alone has produced vast troves of
culturally significant music, oral mythology, and
other such objects. The music is being adapted
for cultural syncretism with musical motifs
from past cycles by Maguses Zimer and Filk. The
most notable pieces will need to be extracted
for preservation or ____________
_____________ recorded the Attenuated
Galleries of the Class Igo through Ed Continuum
Depository.
Presence of The Archivist at focal political,
religious, and social events in the history of
Sentient Species “Eltayan” is an unfortunate
development. The guiding hand of an individual
not accountable to _____
____________________ is prohibited. His
presence at turning points in the Etherean-
Aegic wars of Sentient Species “Eltayan”
protohistory were particularly disruptive to
the efforts of Maguses Hinlin and Verhovun,
who already had competing schema on how
militarization of society might affect
cohesion. While the full scale of The
Archivist's resources and capabilities is still
pending determination, his transposition of
individuals from the inconsequential to the
historical is cause for caution flagging
_____________________________ to the
endorsement of Maguses Lae and Mor
_______________ higher powers than this
committee.
126
Arkwrights. Arkwrights are privileged with access to
sectors of the city closed to common residents. They may
establish new Boradyr research facilities, withdraw
archived Eldertech from the city’s sacred storehouses at
will, and travel abroad to the farthest corners of Dema on
Directorate mandates to find, study, and return Eldertech to
Luminos. All officers in the small Luminosi military must
be Arkwrights, and the position is not hereditary. Each new
generation must prove themselves, entrusting the Zenyecrot
faith to fresh eyes and hands so that popular, entrenched
views are challenged and never become suffocating norms.
Stagnation of the mind impedes their faith’s great journey.
To extend the boundaries of knowledge, even slightly, is the
highest aspiration of many Luminosi.
The Directorate and the White Index. The city-state’s
government, the Luminosi Directorate, meets in a grand
spire known as the White Index, a sheer Eldertech edifice at
Mount Svetovit’s peak. It gives a commanding view over
Part Two: The World
the entire northeastern region. Inside, the city’s ruling
technocrats discuss the future of their people. The White
Index also contains chambers used to commune with
strange hardlight specters. These guardians appear to offer
guidance or test the combat skills of acolytes. Outside,
hewn from the sunlit southern face of the mountain, are a
series of terraced greenhouse farms called the Steps of Agra.
These provide much of the city’s fresh food.
For most of its history, Luminos has pursued a foreign
policy notable for its unwavering neutrality, often to the
frustration of the neighboring city-states of Etherea and
Aegis. The Eldertech sages of Luminos have repeatedly
serviced tools of war in opposing armies, and traded rare
artifacts with forces at war with Aegis and Etherea. One
example from the Dayraid is particularly infamous. After
being paid in relics by Bartra the Bold, Luminosi
Arkwrights assisted the King of Darkness with preparing
siege equipment in the 2 EM sieges of the Saradian Bastions
of Abresia, only to move camp and develop
countermeasures for the Human nobility.
Alliance with the Freespawn. A longstanding destination
for the Arkwrights of Luminos is Hive Hall Ikhish. The
Freespawn are perhaps the only peer to the research studies
of the Directorate. Where the Luminosi are driven by their
faith to understand the natural world as revealed through
the wonders of Eldertech, the Freespawn innovate to
survive. Their different perspectives allow the Luminosi
and Freespawn researchers to collaborate and problem
solve with each other in endlessly novel ways. One of their
more noteworthy shared inventions was an insulating
biomaterial called varma. Varma has been used extensively
to boost the productivity of greenhouses in the Steps of
Agra and spawn chambers in Ikhish.
Expeditions deep into the hinterlands of the Athenaeum
have almost always benefited from having both Freespawn
and Luminosi scholars in the group. These antiquarians
document lost civilizations such as the blood worshippers
of Lost Denari, or the dome-building Zevenians of old. A
three-way collaboration between Luminos, the Freespawn,
and the Apothicants of Panacea helped to develop a cure for
a rat-borne affliction called the Canker’s Kiss that swept the
Daylands in 27-29 LS.
The Athenaeum
VASSALS TO THE HEGEMONY
After the fall of Aegis to Emperor Decimus’s solar legions in
32 LS, Luminos became a tributary vassal state to the Solar
Hegemony. This change came bloodlessly rather than by
fighting what the Directorate believed was a lost cause. The
Armistice of Huzar ensured no Humans would militarily
occupy Luminos, but forced its people to send massive
annual tributes in Eldertech valuables. This era of
suppression required Luminosi researchers to tailor their
experiments and Eldertech study to the benefit of the Solar
Hegemony’s war efforts. Many Arkwrights and warrior-
poet disciples chose to leave, becoming itinerant sages
called Doyens. The Doyens sought patrons in distant lands
like Hollowfalls, Laestrygion, Unrul, and Panacea to
salvage their interrupted life’s work.
Persecuted by the Empress. Decades later, under the rule
of Empress Celina Solati, the Hegemony experienced a
resurgence of fundamentalism. Luminos was targeted for
religious persecution. The Directorate refused to cave into
demands that entire disciplines be banned from study. In
response, Empress Celina declared war in 80 LS. This
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127
conflict came to be known as the Lumescent Corrosus.
Ultimately, Luminos was annexed outright in 85 LS, and
Celina’s harsh terms were enforced in full. Insurgent
fighting by various Archivist independence groups led to
years of guerilla attacks on the solar legions garrisoned
there. The rebels were supported heavily by the Etherean
military. The sounds of shattered glass and Eldertech light
beams impacting armor would cut through the air until
Hegemony reinforcements arrived. They sent all suspects,
most innocent, to white wagons bound for the camps of
Asphodel.
The Fractious. Rather than leading to a revival of the
Luminosi's traditional stoic culture, the city’s occupation by
foreign theocrats gave rise to a new generation that
abandoned the reserved ways of their forebears. The
Fractious, as they called themselves, reveled and roamed
wildly, causing unrest. Some became magnates of
organized criminal smuggling across Dema. Their chaotic
influence did not end even after Empress Celina’s successor
Emperor Sicarius abolished all restrictions on Luminos. By
this point, the Fractious held sway even within the

Archivist Apothicant
In the Panacean Jungle
Directorate, and were instrumental in collaborating with
Sicarius to unravel all religious and ethical bans on
research. With the Directorate unmoored from their
restraint, the tools and weapons of war generated in the
Boradyr reached new levels of shocking might.
ARRIVAL OF THE DARK TEMPESTS
Late in the Redsky Era, Luminos’s fate was sealed by greed
and nature’s wrath. Dark Tempests, toxic blizzards which
long shrouded the Athenaeum’s far north, struck Luminos
in three waves from 101-102 LS. Survivors were forced to
shelter inside the city’s Eldertech structures, subsisting off a
dwindling food supply from the heavily damaged Steps of
Agra. Members of the Fractious scavenged from what little
remained of Luminos's splendor. Power grabs led to the
collapse of shelter after shelter as the once great City of
Lights dimmed. At the end of history, the last beacons from
the White Index went out, and the city was extinguished.
The Luminosi distinguished themselves from their
Archivist kin by their unconventional methods, critical
problem solving, and their willingness to question
128
established wisdom. As an Arkwright sage, your character
might find themselves in distant lands, servicing Eldertech
in the courts of foreign kings. The final fate of the City of
Lights does not detract from its culture’s journey. Luminos
will strive until all knowledge is given form and function
for eternity on the Million Step Path of Zenyecrot. Where
restrained Luminosi of earlier Eras stepped before, an
orange-skinned Fractious adventurer might stun observers
as they laugh and smash their way across Dema. Will you
join them and burn bright, flow state raging against the
dying of the light?
Leaders
Zasha Vigon
Zasha Vigon was the ultimate High Cleric to defend
Part Two: The World
Etherea, the last free city of the Archivists. Her intelligence
and decisive wartime leadership were key to maintaining
Etherea’s independence in the final decades of the Redsky
Era. For all the ink dedicated to the greatness of the Solar
Hegemony’s Emperor Sicarius, it was Zasha, daughter of an
Aegic refugee, whose outnumbered forces resisted the full
might of Sicarius’s solar legions until the bitter end of days.
Born in 42 LS to Tanis and Declin Vigon, Zasha’s mother
Tanis was an Etherean scribe who had spent the first half of
her career in Aegis. Her father, Declin, was an ’remite in
Aegis's military. The pair had met when Declin helped
Tanis smuggle several ancient cazram out of Aegis just
before its destruction in 32 LS. The new couple fled to
Etherea where they settled down and started a life together.
Zasha was taught Archivist history by Tanis and repeatedly
warned by Declin never to forget the suffering inflicted on
the Eltayans by Humanity.
FROM POLITICS TO WAR
Zasha took an early and fierce interest in Etherean politics.
After apprenticing with three great tutors of the Byela
Cognitas, Zasha became a junior assistant to the prosperity
chancellor Volad Idonik of the ruling Zdarlyti High Council
in 64 LS. Zasha spent the next six years exhausting every
possibility she could to improve the city’s supply lines,
trade routes, housing, and food services. But having
inherited her mother’s love of reading and her father’s
obsession with military tactics, Zasha discovered her true
calling when she transferred to Etherea’s war chancellery in
70 LS.
Withstanding the Hegemony. A dozen minor conflicts to
resist the occupying solar legions operating out of the ruins
of Aegis had roiled the frozen soil of the Archivist’s
homeland for decades. For every legionary patrol
ambushed, the Hegemony exacted merciless reprisals. As
the solar legions pushed deeper into the central
Athenaeum, Etherean resistance forces suffered heavy
losses. Junior officers were promoted to replace
commanders killed or captured by the Krypteia during the
Solar Hegemony’s subjugation of the dozens of ethnic
groups and petty kingdoms that filled the Athenaeum’s
interior. Zasha gained influence in the war chancellery over
the next decade by training guerilla fighters. From the forest
enclaves beneath Mount Svarog to the hundreds of
The Athenaeum
independent villages in the Crai Hinterlands and the Eikva
Plateau, Zasha’s irregulars did everything they could to
resist the Hegemony’s occupation of the central
Athenaeum. Zasha’s reputation at home soared when a unit
under her command prevented the Krypteia-funded Black
Orsenia mercenary company from poisoning one of the
Athenaeum’s largest rivers.
The New War Chancellor. When Empress Celina Solati
invaded Luminos in 80 LS, Zasha followed her mentor, the
war chancellor Zila Pratyon, to the frontlines. In the war
known as the Lumescent Corrosus, Zila and Zasha helped
defend Luminos by organizing covert Etherean
expeditionary forces. When Zila was killed by the solar
legions in 82 LS, Zasha was elected Etherea’s new war
chancellor by the army despite not seeking the role. Zasha
continued funneling fighters from Etherea to defend the
City of Lights until it fell into imperial hands in 85 LS.
WARNINGS IGNORED
As Etherea's war chancellor from 82-93 LS, Zasha feuded
constantly with the sitting High Cleric about the policy to
pursue toward Humanity. Emperor Sicarius had deposed
his mother Celina in 90 LS and was remolding the empire
into an unknown new variable on the world stage. The
High Cleric at that time, Baris Vikayr, favored increased
trade relations with Sicarius’s new government. He argued
that trade with the Hegemony could prevent war, as it
seemed to have protected the Gilded States from Human
aggression for nearly half a century. Zasha countered that
High Cleric
Zasha Vigon
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129
the Gilded States had only avoided war by maintaining its
vast fleet. She favored a defensive alliance with the Gilded
States and increased military readiness.
Despite Zasha’s repeated protests and sharp reminders of
the burning of Aegis, the Zdarlyti Council repeatedly voted
with the High Cleric to appease Sicarius. They reduced
Zasha’s power as war chancellor and only permitted her to
build defenses in the Pilgrim’s Pass, which secluded
Etherea from the rest of the Athenaeum. Whispers of her
unchecked emotions cut deep into Zasha’s confidence.
Needing to reflect, Zasha rode an azhitsa sky whale to the
top of the largest Gray Pyer. There she meditated for ten
days, seeking strength and guidance from her Aegic
ancestors. On the tenth day, a mysterious Archivist
appeared to Zasha. He offered her reassurance and the
location of Eldertech troves that could help her defend the
last free bastion of the Eltayan.
Zasha spent the next two years recovering Eldertech and
fortifying the Pilgrim’s Pass. She constructed a dozen Stelya
mountain fortresses armed with catapults and dozens of
Eldertech weapons. She created a chain of hidden stockpiles
throughout the Pass, which she loaded with food and
weapons for her guerillas to use. War threatened to break
out in 92 LS when Sicarius issued the order to arrest
hundreds of Etherean missionaries across the Light Plains.
High Cleric Baris reassured the Etherean public that with a
few concessions, Sicarius would release these missionaries.
Zasha’s pleas to prepare for war fell on deaf ears, enduring
criticism the entire time. Her reputation was only redeemed
in 93 LS when Emperor Sicarius launched his surprise
attack. Four Hegemony legions thundered across the border
into Etherean territory, beginning the decade-long Storm
Wars. After years of promising that war could be averted if
Etherea turned the other cheek, High Cleric Baris resigned
in disgrace. With her warnings vindicated, Zasha was
elected to become the new High Cleric, the top seat of the
Zdarlyti.
Contesting the Hinterlands. Before Zasha could respond,
Sicarius’s legions had captured several strategic positions
throughout the Crai Hinterlands. Although the solar legions
were in pretty rough shape, Zasha’s odds looked bleak. The
Crai Hinterlands were a vast territory nominally in
Etherea’s sphere of influence but isolated from it by the
long and winding Pilgrim’s Pass. Zasha was torn. She
understood that defending the Crai Hinterlands was
strategically risky. Any army she sent could be cut off if
Hegemony forces captured the entrance to the Pilgrim’s
Pass. But Zasha also knew that abandoning the Hinterlands
to their fate would be to surrender hundreds of thousands
of Archivists to the Hegemony without a fight. Unsure how
to proceed, Zasha finally decided to spearhead the defense
of the Crai Hinterlands herself.
With an army thirty thousand strong behind her, Zasha
fought valiantly on snow-topped hills and in dense taiga
forests for months. Although Zasha won as many battles as
she lost, the situation developed as she had feared. The
Hegemony was laying siege to the fortress at the mouth of
the Pass. If they succeeded, the Etherean army would be
trapped and have to surrender. Out of options, Zasha led a
daring charge to break the siege. During the fighting, the
majority of her army withdrew into the Pass.
 Narrowly escaping with her life, Zasha led her retreating
forces through the Pilgrim’s Pass, assailed by Sicarius’s
legions all the way. Her years of fortifying the Pilgrim’s
Pass paid off. Carefully laid traps and controlled Voshnaht
avalanches buried thousands of legionnaires behind the
Etherean army. During a pivotal battle at the heart of the
Pass, Zasha surrounded and destroyed two of four
pursuing legions. The other two escaped to the mouth of
the Pass, bringing an end to the First Storm War in 95 LS.
With the Crai Hinterlands under Hegemony control,
Emperor Sicarius ordered a troop build up in Aegis, and
then turned his attention to the Gilded States.
A Call to Arms. In 95 LS, Zasha sent out a call across
Dema for every Archivist still at liberty abroad to begin
sabotaging Hegemony supply lines. Her rhetoric was
surprisingly religious, hoping to inspire the faithful to arms.
More than just another feud between powers, Zasha
announced that the very return of the Effulgent Times was
at stake. As proof, Zasha revealed an ancient Efermeni sand
mandala to the public. It described every event of the First
Storm War and prophesied many events which had not yet
come to pass. Most importantly, it identified the master of
the solar legions massing in Aegis as none other than the
Profligate himself.
Sabotage by rogue Archivists throughout the Light Plains
strained Hegemony supply lines. As Sicarius’s campaigns
in the Gilded States intensified, his planned second invasion
of Etherea was delayed.
At Zasha’s insistence, the civilian population of Etherea
began fortifying every home and public space to withstand
a siege. To conserve food for the city’s tens of thousands of
defenders, vast portions of the civilian population
voluntarily entered the ebb hibernation state. Although
most in Etherea applauded Zasha’s leadership from the
frontlines, she was not without her critics. Some in Etherea
accused her of misusing the sacred Efermeni for political
expediency. Others accused her of fabricating the sand
mandala entirely.
PRESSING THE ATTACK
Instead of waiting around for the Solar Hegemony to gather
its strength, Zasha seized the initiative. Late in 96 LS, she
launched sabotage operations against the legions gathering
in Aegis’s ruins. Although casualties were minor, the
attacks succeeded in diverting away most of the Hegemony
soldiers that had been garrisoned at the entrance of the
Pilgrim’s Pass. The remaining defenders were powerless to
stop Zasha’s renewed army when it came charging through
just days later, beginning the Second Storm War.
The Second Storm War was even more destructive than
the first. Trained by the veterans of the first, and armed
with the lessons learned, Zasha’s forces now numbered
around fifty thousand. They faced the two legions which
had survived the First Storm War in addition to four
reinforcing legions. All six were notably better supplied and
better equipped for a prolonged winter war.
A Storm of Blood. Over the next year, forty thousand
combatants died across the Crai Hinterlands in some of the
bloodiest battles of Dema’s history. Thousands of well-
trained Archivist soldiers were wiped out in just a few
hours locked in combat with the Khadakoi Guard and the
Krypteia’s Eldertech sages. Several of Zasha’s prominent
130
generals were cut down by hired Featherfolk assassins or
caught in ambushes by Hegemony-aligned Archivists who
had only known life under imperial rule. On the
Hegemony’s side, Archivist saboteurs systematically
targeted imperial scouts. A Dark Tempest storm appeared
unusually far south and caught one legionary encampment
by surprise. It suffocated hundreds and poisoned several
thousand more who died in horrible agony the following
day.
Ultimately, the Second Storm War ended in a gory
stalemate. Zasha ordered a strategic retreat to Etherea.
Having learned from their mistakes, the Hegemony’s
commanding officers refrained from chasing them into the
Pass. Instead, they built such vast fortifications around the
Pass’s entrance that the Hegemony would never again be
displaced.
The Final War. The third and final Storm War began in
100 LS, after Emperor Sicarius had mustered an unheard of
Part Two: The World
Capture or elimination of The Archivist has
been complicated by the rigid standing policy
of only using field equipment that falls within
acceptable margins bounding the technology
endemic to Cycle _____. To quote the
parameters: “If subject cultures cannot
conceive of equipment, [equipment] must not be
seen.” Use of mobile platform microswarms or
genetic identification autoinjections was
disqualified for the unacceptable risk they
pose to the integrity of _____________
___________________________________
________ ship, but adjacent technologies
could have revealed The Archivist's identity
and safehouse[s] centuries ago.
Per affidavits related to the longstanding
controversy around this administration's
equipment policy, to breach the standing
prohibition would require either reseeding of
Ultima-grade technology within untapped ruin
networks not limited to 67 ps/x,
________________________, or in the
worst-case, __________________________.
This committee as well as Maguses Gemisan,
Zimov, Lyber, Cotavia, Maleri, Baytes, Carpezyn,
Sheli, Svanwik, and Klarck et al unanimously
feel Prospero would not find any of these
options acceptable at any point before
__________________________________.
Several of the aforementioned personnel
have penned passionate rebuttals to the
metaethical foundations which currently serve
to justify the boundary parameters of Cycle
_____. These hull conditions were established
by __________, whom, as always, tolerate[s]
little room for counterargument. The dissenting
Maguses texts are attached here regardless.
Search Team ___ is set to report their results
in 95 Time Logs.
The Athenaeum
 Tra nsc end ing Suf fer ing
...Sol zen with I last to be left. I not see Vizel again. I hope
on. Solze n with I escap e Aspho del prison camp. Hide in two not she to be alive. My mind to be jumbl e mess. Later
Deon ar I to be home to Lumin os. Home ! full food barre l. Ship to be to Deon ar. From
But Jana’h aki attack ship sadly. To see many red mast was to
Panic. Death . Many crew captur ed. Solze n sold to Feath erfolk be worst mome nt of my life. This say much .
slaver to be force d oar ship rower . I hope he to be
alive. All Eltaya n on ship like I to be prison er-sl ave again in Fellco
Eltaya n like I much . Ebb state. Boon with curse , ada? ast. Reaso n to be short . No need to be feedi ng
Jana’h aki make many place in Fellco ast. I say to you one with
Some big as prison camp. Jana’h aki to be maste r of one with many two zero, or two with two zero place. Maybe more !
folk. Place I to be go to Fell Harbo r. Most big. But, how to say, zero prison er, slave from doing raid. All six
No balanc e with Jana’h aki. None. Drink ing. Many mindc hange r zdrot ec? Ah, wild. Wild pirate life in dark jungle .
Such noise ! Kill many prison er for no reaso n. for fun. Many fight, kill other Jana’h aki, oath break .

No balanc e to be fear for Eltaya n like I. I am forev er to be proud

throu gh no light of prison work. Break many rock for salt. Build follow er of Zeny ecrot . Zeny ecrot help me
spud. Grave dig. Serve Jana’h aki many drink. No praye r allowe many Jana’h aki house or ship. Harve st jungle
of two Eltaya n to be of use. To live. d. Bath? Ha! Two time I break arm. Panic. Do work
One day, Jana’h aki say I will lose head at count of five. No reaso
befor e both eye cover ed. One. Two. Thre e. Four. n. Stand in court yard. Both hand tied. See axe
Jana’h aki stop at four. Many laugh. I do not laugh.
But I live. Two chanc e to live. I vow I will not waste . Later
food. Whisp er praye r. You know cantic le of Zeny ecrot ? No? Oy,on, I help many other prison er when I can. Share
true Eltaya n believ e. But I not say you are not Eltaya n, Dosto Dosto i. Many cazra m writte n of Zeny ecrot . All
tradit ion. Zeny ecrot sight of all, thoug ht of all. One purpo se. i! Lost Kin indee d. Zeny ecrot , ah, most big
Befo re other folk, Eltaya n once rule all of Dema . Parad ise. EltayaAll that be and all to be one with forev er zero.
sky. Efful gent Time . But fall from power come later on. Eltaya n build many old place, rule sea with land with
Spore spawn , Huma n. All in Prime val Time . Many war. Many suffen, Feath erfolk , Nightr ider, Wakew alker,
Elder tech. r. But all true Eltaya n suffe r with purpo se:
We build all Elder tech yeste rday. But we forge t how. What for.
Elder tech. Use Elder tech. Great journ ey to retur n to Efful gent. All work to reme mber . All must take
tomo rrow back to yeste rday. Back to Efful gent Time forev er. All-t ime under stand ing. Strug gle here will bring
no end. Parad ise. Brigh t etern al retur n to beginn ing with
I wait many day with Jana’h aki. I live that time forev er. But
Mome nt come on death march into Fellco ast fores t. Jana’h aki I save my stren gth to be given right mome nt.
with many trap. I with no other defea t many trap. I find big room need many prison er to run into old ruin hallwa y
and crack . I am to be quick. Smel l of burnin g in air. I find Elder with many stran ge carvin g. All glow and hum
Elder tech make great green light. Woos h! Kill many Jana’h aki. tech totem you see here. Small , ada? But
I take Jana’h aki ship and come here to Mund i. All bad time neede
emiss ary. The Direc torate to be know all. I tell my peopl e of d. Fated . All for now. I to be seen by Lumin osi
Eltaya n slavin g away to be free. Get all Fellco ast Elder tech. I where all Jana’h aki to be in Fellco ast. Help all
many zero of Eltaya n help fight Jana’h aki in name of Zeny ecrot am to be retur n with many warrio r. One with many ,
still Aegic , Lumin osi. All believ e. All thing come to he who wait.. All sister and broth er to be free! Ether ean, live
Many Feath erfolk ship and many Spore spawn fores t soldie r fight Many Mund ane ship take Eltaya n to Fellco ast.
Jana’h aki now. We help. We win.
“Cova zh dih zovit iz dih smer c covaz ha.” Mame say this to I as
Aspho del prison camp, and with Jana’h aki, and fores t. In Mund child in Eltaya n tongu e speak . What I say in
Fear? Mind kill. Regre t. Pain. What I say yeste rday, say, and toane this: you conqu er death if you conqu er vice.
on Millio n Step Path. You must have faith, Dosto i. Faith. be say forev er: Zeny ecrot . Rejoi n fellow Eltaya n

The Journ al of Arkw right Tulzd oi Ilich,

Eve of the Marau der Wars, 59 LS.

Redsky Core Book

131
10 legions at the fortified entrance to the Pilgrim’s Pass.
Arming his forces with some of the most advanced
Eldertech weapons ever recovered, Sicarius ordered them to
assault the Pass directly. The goal was to advance as rapidly
as possible through the Pass, enter Etherea by any means,
and decapitate the Etherean government. Zasha oversaw
the defense of the Pilgrim’s Pass, laying ambushes and
springing traps at every stage. Zasha’s years of militarizing
the already hazardous Pass turned it into an icy tomb for
entire armies. Although Sicarius’s generals still
remembered the dangers of the Pass from the First Storm
War, they were not prepared for the scale of the perils that
awaited them. They learned the hard way that invading
Etherea’s winter realm comes with a terrible cost.
Etherea’s defenders harassed the marching legions
constantly. Untold thousands met their doom at the hands
of Volinia combat engineers. Led along by local White
Masovi mountain guides, Zasha’s Volinia unleashed dozens
of Voshnaht avalanches on the invaders. The Archivist
defenders also sealed the entrances to the Pilgrim’s Pass
behind the legions. With no way to retreat, the Hegemony’s
commanders agreed to reach Etherea or die trying.
Avalanches, rockfalls, ambushes, and catapult fire rained
down on the marching legionnaires. Bogged down in the
snow, the solar legions’ pack animals began to freeze in the
cold. With no other choice, Sicarius’s generals ordered each
legionnaire to take as many supplies as they could carry
and press onward. Hundreds of the Hegemony’s auxiliaries
were killed by Archivists riding on the back of azhitsa sky
whales, dropping incendiary jars and ice bombards into the
valley. Many of the pots had “Remember Madic” inscribed
into their rims.
Arrival of the Legions. Only half of the legionnaires sent
into the Pilgrim’s Pass reached the Hoards of Svarog. These
crystal caverns are within reach of Etherea, and offered the
invading armies safe haven from the almost constant
attacks from above. After tense fighting, the solar legions
established a forward operating base in the Hoards which
they used to lay siege to Etherea on multiple occasions. The
army subsisted on supplies captured from fortresses and
depots in the Pass. Unable to capture the city outright, the
remaining legions became more entrenched in the Hoards
of Svarog. Zasha alternated between negotiating and
ordering attacks to flush them out. She captured hundreds
132
of legionnaires and even more surrendered after Zasha
promised amnesty. Even so, hardline Etherean officers
began calling for the execution of all prisoners. Some of the
other members of Zasha’s Zdarlyti Council joined the rising
chorus of demands for vengeance. Facing down hundreds
of Ethereans who had been some of her strongest and
closest supporters, Zasha ordered the imprisoned soldiers
to be treated humanely and promised grave punishments
for insubordination. She vowed that the Ethereans would
not sink as low as the Solar Hegemony, even now, as they
threatened the destruction of the last free city of the
Archivists.
By 102 LS, despite Zasha’s best efforts, several legions
still remained barricaded in the Hoards of Svarog.
Although Etherea remained cut off from the rest of Dema,
victory for Zasha seemed near. A victory that never came.
The Archicon stopped producing food in 102 LS. Chaotic
riots consumed the city. Twelve days later, the Archicon
Part Two: The World
unleashed its deadly secret. Everyone in Etherea and the
Pilgrim’s Pass suddenly disappeared, like a candle blown
out. Across its centuries of history, the ancient city of
Etherea never fell to an invading army. It resisted this fate
right up to the end, thanks to the daring leadership of Zasha
Vigon.
Madic Arraz
Born in 27 EM, Madic Arraz was an Archivist with an
almost singular obsession: the defense of the Archivist
people, and the preservation of their way of life. In his
youth, Madic was a junior member of several Theonite
martial arts groups in his home city of Aegis. He was noted
for his fierce ethnic pride and love of Aegis’s Oslon military.
Madic’s patriotism alienated many peers who did not share
his distrust of the other sentients, notably the Humans of
the Light Plains to Aegis’s south.
Madic's Early Years. Most observers characterized Madic
as shrewd and obsessive. His only soft spot appeared to be
for his family. Although he kept it a secret, Madic was
agnostic to the great journey of ascension prophesied by
Zenyecrot. Madic recognized that whether or not time’s
unity was possible, it was not within his power to bring
about the Effulgent Times. Although he didn’t find meaning
in Zenyecrot, Madic dove headstrong into Pwanoszt, the
ancient Aegic martial art forms. Like many Aegic Archivists
Archivist Tea Set
The Athenaeum
before him, he found beauty in the precision and force of
Pwanoszt. He was soon able to subdue any opponent with
just a few strikes.
Madic spent years becoming a master of Pwanoszt. He
coupled his physical training with countless late nights
reading the cazram of Aegis’s greatest strategists and
generals. Madic saw the gathering of Eldertech weapons as
a means to perfect that art, and to gain an advantage over
Aegis’s rivals. From around 1 LS, Madic worked feverishly
to win favor with the most experienced generals and
Pwanoszt masters in the Oslon, who were sworn to protect
the city and its many subject towns.
Beginning around 5 LS, Madic helped mobilize the Oslon.
After proving himself against rebels in the Eikva Plateau,
Madic was elected leader of the Theonites. This elevated
Madic to the rank of Proxima General and entitled him a
seat in the Arch Chambers, Aegis's highest government
council. There, he answered only to Archgeneral Tavar
Roroza. Thousands of Archivist warriors were placed under
Madic’s command.
With his newfound authority, Madic unsuccessfully
attempted to rally the Athenaeum to war against the
Humans to the south. Now unified under the authoritarian
banners of the Solar Hegemony, Humanity was preparing
for war. For years, Madic was infamous for his impassioned
speeches warning about the looming threat. He only grew
louder after the Solar Hegemony invaded the Moon Realms
in 7 LS. From the highest chambers of military command to
the streets of Aegis, Madic beseeched anyone who would
listen that Scintilla must be destroyed.
DRAMATIC MEASURES
Unable to create a unified Archivist front by diplomacy,
Madic decided to take matters into his own hands. In 15 LS,
Madic led a small force of his most loyal Theonites over the
border at Snow’s Edge. Madic’s raids led to a series of
escalating border skirmishes that threatened to spark an all-
out war. He hoped that if this war came, the entire
Athenaeum would have no choice but to join. The aging
Archgeneral Roroza agreed with Madic, but had no desire
to be the public face of Aegis’s warmongering. Madic and
Roroza kept funneling irregular soldiers into Snow’s Edge,
bogging down thousands of Hegemony legionnaires.
A Sudden Rise. Madic’s closest bodyguard Pyotr Tevet
later told chroniclers of one tense night of debate between
Archgeneral Roroza and Madic. Looking out from a border
fortress’s parapets, they began arguing. While only Roroza
and Madic know what was said that fateful night, the
consequences were historic. Archgeneral Roroza stepped
down the following day, insisting that her decision was
uninfluenced. Her last order had been to select her
replacement. Passing over the other two Proxima Generals,
Roroza chose Madic Arraz. He ascended to the rank of
Archgeneral, while Roroza herself replaced Madic as the
Theonite Proxima General.
As Archgeneral, Madic Arraz called once again for
Etherea and Luminos to contribute forces to the ongoing
conflict. He hoped that together they could invade the Light
Plains in 16 LS. The Hegemony was overextended in its
occupation of the Moon Realms. The Ethereans, led by the
isolationist High Cleric Vladac Zdrosa, continued to refuse.
Fiery arguments ensued between the Archgeneral and High
Redsky Core Book
133
Cleric. Emissaries came to dread attending the public
debates where Vladac warned of Madic’s “wanton
aggression.” Vladac maintained that peace with Humanity
was only possible by diplomacy and trade, and not by war
and conquest. Firm in his resolve, Madic Arraz continued
supporting the border skirmishes until the Luminosi
threatened to stop supplying Aegis with weapons and
supplies. Madic was forced to swallow his pride and accept
an Etherean ceasefire delegation between Aegis and the
Solar Hegemony in 17 LS.
The rift created between Aegis and Etherea only grew in
the years following the Hegemony’s military withdrawal
from the Moon Realms. Any hope of ensnaring the
Hegemony in a two-front war was lost. To Madic’s scorn,
Etherea increased its trade with the Hegemony. Aegis
became increasingly isolated within the Athenaeum. His
repeated warnings that the Hegemony would deceive and
destroy the Athenaeum increasingly fell on deaf ears.
Invasion and Isolation. It is cold comfort for doomsayers
that they are listened to only when it is too late. When
Emperor Decimus Cassar ascended to the throne of the
Solar Hegemony in 29 LS, the infamously cruel ruler
ordered his northern legions to invade the Athenaeum.
Emperor Decimus’s pretext of Archivist infiltrators
attacking Human settlements in the Light Plains were
widely believed among those in Etherea and Luminos. They
remembered the lengths Madic had gone to draw the
Athenaeum into war by starting the border skirmishes just
over a decade earlier. More suspicious of Madic than they
were of Decimus, the Ethereans and Luminosi both refused
to come to Aegis’s aid.
Facing the Hegemony alone, Madic was not one to waste
a decade of military buildup. Refusing to give one inch of
ground, he marshaled his three Proxima Generals. Aegis’s
three military orders called their banners and took up
defensive positions in Snow’s Edge with hopes of glory. In
the first year and a half of what became known as the Aegis
Campaigns, Madic and his troops isolated and destroyed
four solar legions. At the Battle of Danozam alone, Madic
and his elite guard wiped out two legions with assistance
from the Theonites. The battle’s devastating result brought
an end to the Hegemony’s Lakes of Winter offensive.
Seizing the opportunity to counterattack, Madic then
attempted to cross the Stone Curtain mountain range
separating the Light Plains and the Athenaeum. His plans
to launch a surprise attack on Scintilla had to be delayed
when treacherous weather forced him to turn back. On the
other side, tales of frostbitten legionnaires starving outside
impenetrable Aegic fortresses echoed throughout the Light
Plains. This led to Emperor Decimus calling the legendary
General Gawain Cang out from his retirement as governor
of the Hominid Dominion.
TURN FOR THE WORSE
General Gawain’s coordinated assault from 30 to 32 LS
almost completely destroyed Madic’s ability to make war.
Despite decades of Madic honing his craft, Gawain
outmaneuvered Madic’s Oslon armies with the help of
Cairnkeeper winter warfare specialists called the Barnabus.
Imperial Wakewalker shock troops known as the Khadakoi
Guard broke through Madic’s attempts to pin down
Gawain's forces. By advancing on Aegis in three separate
columns, Gawain stretched Madic’s command and control
to the breaking point. When two of these offensives turned
out to be diversions, it was too late. Facing three solar
legions on the outskirts of Aegis itself, Madic sent orders for Archgeneral
his armies to fall back. Desperate, he even called off his Madic Arraz
relief force to the ongoing siege of the Icicle Redoubt,
despite the fact that two of his own children were trapped
inside. When the attack came, every Archivist within fought
to the bitter end.
Madic's Last Stand. Much has been written about the fall
of Aegis. Eyewitness accounts are uniformly grim. To
conserve supplies under siege, the city’s huge civilian
population took shelter in Aegis’s bronze citadels before
hibernating in the ebb state. At the climax of the fighting, in
the midst of a blizzard, the last Aegic ring forts fell to
Hegemony legionnaires. With the metropolis on the brink
of falling, Madic descended deep into the Eldertech vaults
of Aegis. He unsealed a hidden repository so ancient that

Part Two: The World

few living sages were aware of its existence.
Madic emerged wearing the Empavid: a suit of blue and
orange Eldertech armor more than 12 feet tall. In Archivist
folk legends, the Empavid was said to have been worn by
Jadvica, one of Aegis’s mythical patrons. To the cheers of
his devout soldiers, Madic announced that he would use
Diplomacy on the solar legions. ‘Diplomacy’ was the name
of a battleaxe larger than a marble pillar that crews of wall
defenders had been using to counter Gawain’s war
mammoths. Armed and armored, Madic led a
counterassault on the largest Hegemony positions in the
face of fierce resistance by Khadakoi shock troops and
legionnaires wielding their own Eldertech. Madic’s body
count remains heavily disputed by scholars. Yet, all are in
agreement Madic shed so much blood that Gawain was
forced to withdraw his legions from the city.
Victorious, Madic began hatching plans to sally forth and
break Gawain’s siege of the city. Maybe then, he might have
gone on to wage a campaign of unyielding wrath to drive
the Hegemony from the Athenaeum. Madic’s ambitions
were cut short when Emperor Decimus ordered Gawain
and his officers to unleash Scintillan fire. Dark purple
flames engulfed the city. The tons of snow dropped by
civilian firefighters were powerless to put them out. Within
hours, the glow of the inferno was visible on the other side
of the Stone Curtain. Days later, the charred remains of the
Empavid were found in the heart of the Arch Chambers, its
ruined interior fused shut by the scorching heat of the
flames.
In a cruel twist of fate, it was Madic’s defeat and the utter
destruction of Aegis which redeemed his reputation
throughout the Athenaeum. The uncounted ghosts of
Aegis’s dead weighed heavy on the Ethereans and
Luminosi. Madic was remembered as the ultimate martyr,
the first and greatest defender against Human aggression.
His nationalistic commitment to the cause became
something to aspire to among the Aegic military remnants
who survived the war. Thousands of Oslon warriors and
their families fled to Luminos and Etherea, where they
served as guardians in exile. Madic’s sacrifice was still on
the minds of many of these Aegic and their descendants as
they faced the end of days in the final years of the Redsky
Era.

The Athenaeum
134
 The Gilded Sea
You will rememb er when you discover your destiny on the far-flun g shores of the Gilded Sea.citadel The chirping and buzzing coffee
alls, of philosop her kings. There are
groves of Panacea are just as naturall y beautifu l as the coarse sandston e cliffs of Hollowf n and dye markets of
timeles s legends of dreams coming true on the glinting beaches of The Auric and the swelter ing cinnamo
Sunblea k.
Just be warned. Some of those dreams are more like dangerou s visions. Few other areas in Dema foster the wild extreme s and
possibil ities of the Feather folk homelan d. When your passenge r ship arrives in one of this region’ s many roiling ports of call, just
a quick exit under a hail of
be sure to tip your shipmas ters heavily. You never know when you’ l l need the extra goodwil l to make
blow darts.
Pack lightly and stick to light colors. The environ ments are as varied as the inhabita nts of the land. But everywh ere is hot. Hot
waterfa ll caves that they’ r e
hot. Take Hollowf alls. Its climate is a balmy paradise in the middle of glinting waves. Explori to the ng
the street children and they’ l l
named for are worth splurgin g ten extra silvers on a good guide. Throw some pieces-o f-eight for its intellect ual culture. So
recite lovely, ancient poetry they overhear d in the Deck of The Growing Mind. Hollowf alls is famed pers to lowly urchins, you
when you visit, be sure to ask question s. Strike up conversa tions with total stranger s. From shopkee d.
will discover a shocking ly learned people with none of the self-im portanc e that usually haunts the educate
The only other large settlem ent in the Warm Shores is Sunblea k. Read my words: water, water, water. Water is power in the
Wastes. Import ed barrels are worth three times their weight in grain when the supply chains break down. This will happen more
often than you thought possible , and at the worst times. The desert heat makes sure of that. When Sunblea k' s crowds of
adventu rers flock the Nadir Roads taverns , there are some days when ale is cheaper. Don’ thope worry. Wicked hangove rs are
Tomorr ow You’ s problem . In the meantim e, busy yourself with Sunblea k’ s famous food. I in tears. you like hot and spicy. I once saw
To her credit, she asked for
a brick-re d peppere d almond rice dish hot enough to bring a Kahr Wakewa lker to her knees s beauty. Just avoid riding the
seconds. If the occasion strikes you, take a walk to the city outskirt s and bask in the desert’ Ah, no. They bite with the strength
beautifu l yellow kobatcho s. “Fast rides! Low low price. Come outland er, they are safe, yes?”
to snip copper in two. Poor Deyve.
Althoug h it pains me to say, the greatest island in the Gilded Sea is The Auric. The Auran know it, too. It gets to their
heads. Optima cy money barons prod and manipu late the city’ s poor with hope for a bettertwo future like it’ s the last jug of water in
the sun-ble ached Wastes. Think twice before crossing the Optima cy. Then think another ten differen times. Then spend the rest of your
t ambitio us Vulgus
stay thinking of, but not actually , doing it. Yes, you will get eleven temptin g offers from of Eyes. Whatev er you can afford in
entrepr eneurs to shaft the Hundred Houses. Well, nobody has the final say like the House percent higher returns . These are the
protect ion, the Optima cy will quadrup le it in hired mercs and assassin s if it means one public square, no less. Vanity is
same people who have their slaves keep scoreboa rds of the top ten richest Auran. In every
putting it mildly.
Let the memory of crisp, dry heat comfort you in the Panacea n Jungle, where the insuffer ably muggy humidit y wilts frailer
But
flowers. Tropica l Panacea is a world removed from the comfort s of civilizat ion, friend. they do, you’ l l cherish the liberty and the
try and find an Apothic ant
locals’ diversit y of life. You won’ t cherish the mosquit os, although they’ l l cherish you! Whenskin to ward away the buzzers .
treetop clinic in a nearby commun e right quick. They sell a cream you can smear on your
Assumi ng gold is no object, you can easily get the best supplies money can buy from any of the folk four major cultures thriving and
merchan ts you’ l l haggle with
imbibin g around the Gilded Sea. Just don’ t underes timate the weapons -grade greed of the Feather first.
in the bazaars. This would be like getting into a staring contest with the sun and hoping she blinks
back.
If on some quest in the heart of the jungle you chance upon the Silverle af Wilds, Sola help you, turn
Do not go to the Red Desert.

-Mara Tancred.
Biased, Romanticized, and Grossly Impractical:
A Beginner’s Guide to the Regions of Dema.

Redsky Core Book

135
 Part Two: The World
The Sunbleak Wastes

Chapter 8: The Gilded States

Auran over by the pink-stoned pleasure towers of the elite. To the
most desperate Indigent, selling oneself into a contract of
Asset bondage is a matter of survival.

I
s it even possible to live without wealth and influence?
Just barely enough Auran rise out of the Asset contracts
This question captivates the countless Featherfolk
for the lowest in society to dream of a better tomorrow for
striving, thriving, and failing at every level within the
themselves and their children. Although with such bleak
The Auric. Hundreds of thousands bustle through The
prospects, many Asset class Featherfolk risk everything to
Auric’s sunkissed roosts at the heart of the Gilded Sea. The
escape the island. Yet even those who successfully escape
Auric is the jingling of coins, the haggling of merchants in
must always be on watch for Auran slave-catching guilds
the final hour of seed market day. It is the gilded armor of
like Ankha’s Chains that will hunt them to the ends of
corrupt city guards, and a hundred thousand desperate
Dema.
pacts struck between tenants and insatiable landlords to
stave off their destitution one month longer. The Vulgus. The moderately well-off Auran called Vulgus
insist that the only way to better one’s lot in life is to make
The booming island ports of The Auric give it vast sway
clever investments and put one’s beak to the grindstone.
in markets like shipping, fishing, and shipbuilding. It’s a
For the Vulgus, it is at least possible for them to become
close race between The Auric’s fleetmasters and Deonar’s
wealthy by their own merit. After all, if the commoners
Cobalt Marines for who can field the most warships. The
turned magnates of Houses Filo, Trahno, and Gohla have
Auric extracts a huge percentage of its wealth from its
had their days in the sun, a shrewd Vulgus might live to see
colonies up and down the eastern coast of the Midlands,
their own family’s dominance.
with the jungles of Panacea being a steady source of profit
and timber for ships. The Optimacy. The vast Indigent population of The Auric
periodically challenges the inequality of their nation. They
CASTES AND COLONIES have tried to stop the Hatin’s machinery of war and greed
Visitors are urged to pay no mind to the wretched dozens of times. They have always failed. The Hundred
thousands of free Auran living in abject poverty called the Houses of the upper-class Optimacy wield finely honed
Indigent, whose only comfort is that they are not part of the tools of oppression such as bribery, torture, vast networks
even lowlier class of “Asset” contract slaves pressed into the of double-agents, and other levers of social control.
most backbreaking work. Entire Indigent families scrape by Suppressed too many times to count, the majority of
on loose seeds in side alleys and at alms houses loomed Indigent still teeter on the edge of revolt. For the Optimacy,

The Gilded States

136
crushing the spirit of the Indigent is just another business
expense required to maintain the status quo. In the Asset-
paved guild halls of The Auric, everything is fair game in
the pursuit of power and prestige.
While the feuding between the Hundred Houses of the
Optimacy is legendary, they are shockingly quick to unite
in common interest against the ascendance of foreign
powers in the region. Each house can be identified by the
unique and intricate design of its ceremonial dagger. The
ability to tell them apart is a necessity for anyone hoping to
rise in Vulgus and Optimacy social circles. The
machinations of the ruling dynasties have filled the popular
storybooks Telonishad and A Thousand And One Sleights, a
running record of feuds, deceptions, assassinations, and
grievances.
The Hatin. For hundreds of years, the richest houses of
the Optimacy have spent their days joyously lording over
Auran
Merchant
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137
The Auric’s lower classes. At the very pinnacle of power in
The Auric is the Hatin themself. The Optimacy does its best
to prevent upstarts from rising to the station they hold in
the Hatin’s court at the luxurious palace known as the
Marble Roost. As the most despotic and wealthy merchant
of the land, every Hatin that has come to power exploits the
immense wealth of The Auric. The island itself is home to
some of the most fertile land, profitable crops, and exotic
avian herds in Dema. For most of its history, The Auric’s
mediterranean shores have been covered in decadent,
heavily guarded Asset plantations overflowing with fruit
and fine fabrics.
There are two types of homes in The Auric. There are
mass-produced tenements overflowing with the island’s
Asset and Indigent populations, and there are lavish
mansions of lacquer, stone, clay, and precious metal
twisting over affluent port districts. Many smaller Vulgus-
dominated towns and villages dot the island’s interior.
These towns feed specialist goods into trade harbors bound
for destinations all around Dema. Their residents are
always looking for ways to expand and dominate the
market, eager to join the ranks of the Optimacy.
FUEL FOR WAR
It is overwhelmingly in the interests of the ruling Optimacy
to maintain a large and impoverished Indigent underclass.
This allows them to draw on an inexhaustible supply of
recruits for The Auric’s Asset-warrior guilds called
Combines. The Optimacy throws the Combines into the
meat grinder of their many wars of coin and conquest
throughout the Gilded Sea. Although supposedly
answerable only to the Hatin, these guilds are often divided
among the richest of the Hundred Houses. Each has a stake
in propping up the collective interests of the Optimacy. The
veteran generals who lead their indentured warriors are the
best commanders gold can buy.
Besides the Combines, the Optimacy also charters more
expensive mercenary companies like the Gullrori Ironclaws,
the Crow Watch, Slinczgi’s Charioteers, and dozens of
others. The variety of available mercenary groups fuels The
Auric’s vibrant ecosystem of contracts, double-crossings,
and bidding wars. Auran mercenaries have no shortage of
work, as hostile takeovers abroad can vastly improve the
standing of a house’s business interests at home.
ROTATION OF INFLUENCE
Many scholars consider it strange but inevitable that power
in The Auric rotates through the wealthiest Optimacy
families. With their overflowing riches, political upstarts
buy out and command respect in the city’s forums, tea
parlors, henhouses, and smoking lounges. Only a few
notable leaders have risen from destitution to glory. The
Filo family, which ruled for an impressive three
generations, was one such dynasty. The most infamous
Hatin among them was His Vastness, Filo’ Ya. Ya allowed
members of rival Houses wield almost as much power as
his own in order to pit them against one another. Although
theoretically any of the Hundred Houses of the Optimacy
could give rise to a compassionate merchant-politician
capable of affecting meaningful change, the cutthroat nature
of social advancement in The Auric all but guarantees that
these altruistic types never become Hatin.
 The Headache. Whether out of habit or intent, almost
everyone’s plans depend on an inefficient and
unpredictable bureaucracy informally called “the
Headache.” Largely run by corrupt local officials, the
Headache only occasionaly promotes the common good of
their bloated society.
House of Eyes. Auran notables who threaten the interests
of the powerful and well-placed in society must fear
running afoul of the House of Eyes, an assassin’s
brotherhood for sale. Their nonsensical creed proclaims that
‘everything is true, and that nothing is permitted.’
Individual assassins bend over backwards to justify
working for anyone or anything. It helps that the House of
Eyes’s assassins receive generous commissions. Although
the Hundred Houses of the Optimacy have all learned the
hard way that the House of Eyes is not truly on anyone’s
side, they all outwardly support its existence in the hopes of
outbidding rivals.
CHAOS AND COLLAPSE
Throughout its cutthroat history, The Auric has feuded with
its rivals in Hollowfalls and the Solar Hegemony in a series
of wars and trade alliances that rose and fell on the whims
of the Optimacy. The powerful Auran navy traded blows
with the Hegemony’s imperial fleet in 47 LS during the War
of the Unloved Son. The most famous conflict between
Featherfolk is the Astrictions. In 73 LS, a particularly greedy
Hatin tried to buy the city of Sunbleak for almost nothing.
When the city’s rich magnates refused, the Hatin sent in his
army of mercenaries, bringing The Auric to war with
Hollowfalls in the process. The war was only brought to an
end after spies from Hollowfalls incited a huge uprising of
Asset class laborers throughout The Auric.
A complete history of the nation’s affairs exists in
Compound Chaos, a ten-part omnibus maintained by Auran
scribes. In the Redsky Era, The Auric ceased to be an
independent power. It was captured by the Solar
Hegemony during Emperor Sicarius’s Sunward Conquest.
In 95 LS, the Optimacy fled for safe harbors after their
disastrous defeat to the Sicarius’s imperial fleet at the Battle
of The Auric. Under imperial rule, the city’s population
plummeted. Town-flattening typhoons and outbreaks of the
Scourge plague from Panacea devastated the island’s urban
centers.
Auran Featherfolk can make for some of the most heroic
and dynamic characters. Others might simply bask on the
green-sanded shores of Optimacy villas indulging in the
depths of depravity. Will your character start as an Indigent
merchant one perfect deal away from ascending to the
upper crust? Or will you strike out with your Combine or
mercenary company to distant shores, eager to send your
meager stipend back to your hungry family? The Optimacy
will not stop until the last coin has been hoarded. Every
abolition movement for the oppressed Asset class needs a
leader. Will you bring down this monolith of coins and
chains, and cry freedom from the ramparts of the Marble
Roost?
138
Harbringer Rodinburi:
Attached are the requested records of the
previous iterations of biomes and associated
cultures located at the area now directly
beneath B-612 Stellar-Stableton. Sentient
Species “Usundi” has begun Category III
societal growth in the region around the
southeast interior sea, endemically referred to
as The Gilded States. Cultural adaptation to the
extremely high average temperature of the Type
16M Desert terrain closest to B-612 is
promising. Several subcultures engaged in
commerce, tribal territorial disputes, or semi-
nomadic raiding have developed between Cycle
Time Log: 3 to Log: 7895. Cultural syncretism is
expected to reach its greatest extent upon
Usundi discovery of Eldertech Repository Zeta
at coordinates ______________________.
Part Two: The World
Hollowfell
Hollowfalls has long been the seat of wisdom on the
southern cliffs of the Warm Shores. In light of the scorching
heat, few ever imagined that Hollowfalls would one day
harbor so many residents. Founded in the Heroic Era by the
mad mystic Rori’ Nos, Hollowfalls is a city built on the
ideals of balance and self-mastery. Where Rori’ Nos chose
to settle is a testament to these principles, for Hollowfalls
endures on the very edge of a cliff overlooking the
southeastern Gilded Sea. If it was not for the careful
construction of the city’s foundation, life for the Hollowfell
would scarcely be possible. Engineers long ago planned for
the city’s cave systems, canals, and aqueducts to alleviate
the effects of the perilous heat.
By the time of the early Uprising Era, hundreds of
thousands of Featherfolk called Hollowfalls home. As the
city steadily grew, its unique culture came to rival The
Auric in reputation and influence. Many began to contest
which metropolitan city-state was the first to exist. The
Council of Elders, the most wizened and knowledgeable of
the Hollowfell, rules from the highest point of the city. The
Council proclaims that it is only under their tutelage that
the Hollowfell can keep the balance.
SCHOOLS OF BALANCE
At the heart of Hollowfalls’s society is Rori’ Nos’s ancient
principle of balance. This principle is the belief that the
tension between two opposing forces brings out the best of
both. Hollowfalls was founded in such extreme conditions
in order to put the Hollowfell in constant tension with
nature. To overcome these challenges, the first Hollowfell
ushered in a golden age of engineering and philosophy.
One of Rori’ Nos’s disciples named Midis’ Al transformed
the principle of balance into the philosophy of Elemental
Dualism. This system eventually found a foothold in centers
of learning throughout Dema.
In order to channel the innovation and creativity of the
Hollowfell, Rori’ Nos and his disciples established
Hollowfalls’s great Schools of Balance. Every School
The Gilded States
 interprets Nos’s principle of balance and applies it to their
work as best they can. Each has domain over a different and
often critical part of Hollowfalls’s society. The School of
Argent Passage is responsible for the state’s naval fleet.
Joyous Eddies maintains the city’s vast aqueducts and
systems of waterfalls. Each School is led by a foremost
expert known as the Mindmaster, and each Mindmaster is
responsible for attending Council meetings. They are also
required to educate the next generation of their discipline’s
leaders.
Although one might expect the many Schools of
Hollowfalls to be static institutions, they are in fact
regularly created, destroyed, and combined. Hollowfalls’s
unique culture of discipline is balanced by its population’s
constant questioning of how the Hollowfell should live
their lives. As Rori’ Nos predicted, this tension brings out
the best of the Hollowfell. In the centuries since its
founding, Hollowfalls became world famous for its wise
scholars, strategists, artists, and engineers. Its public system
of education is almost without peer, and is responsible for
training generations of Featherfolk thinkers throughout the
Gilded Sea.
Hollowfalls has long feuded with The Auric for power and
influence of the Gilded States. While slavery is outlawed in
Hollowfalls and the city has always opened its gates to
Auran asylum seekers, the Council of Elders has repeatedly
rejected calls to topple The Auric’s slave society. While The
Auric’s rulers and magnates have long desired to conquer
Hollowfalls and subjugate its population, Hollowfalls’s
Council of Elders takes a different view. They argue that a
balance of power in the Gilded States is essential to the
good of all Featherfolk, even if The Auric’s morals are
repugnant. The Council’s prohibition against unprovoked
attacks has not stopped Hollowfalls from defending itself.
Nor has it prevented thousands of Hollowfell abolitionists
from resisting slavery however they see fit on their
Yondering, a journey every young adult from Hollowfalls
takes to visit the four Gilded States.
The Tutor Islands. An archipelago off the coast of
Hollowfalls known as the Tutor Islands is home to almost
as many residents as the city itself. They are an essential
part of Hollowfalls’s unique system of education. It is a rite
of passage for young Hollowfell to carve a canoe from a
pulk tree, and then paddle the canoe to the Tutor Islands.
Each School of Balance has its own island. Young adults
make their way to the island and School of their choice
where they dedicate the next seven years of their life to
Gilded States
Jewelry
mastering a craft. Some choose to study philosophical
argument in the School of Fervent Deduction. Just as
important is the School of Expressive Domain, where
masters paint thousands of landscapes that the Hollowfell
use as property deeds. When Mindmasters are not
attending Council meetings in Hollowfalls itself, they are
most often in the Tutor Islands with their disciples.
Together they offer lessons to tens of thousands of students.
THE MILITARY SCHOOLS
Hollowfalls has three independently operating military
forces. The first, the School of Weathered Endurance, acts as
the city’s home army and city guard. The second, the School
of Valiant Calling, is staffed by Hollowfell volunteers,
expatriates returning home, and non-Featherfolk seeking to
gain citizenship through service. It is often reformed in
times of upheaval and disbanded when conflicts end. The
third, the School of the Undominated Typhoon, is perhaps
the most well-known organization of Hollowfell abroad.
These warrior scholars are Hollowfalls’s foreign excursion
army, trained to be at their absolute mental and physical
peak. Each warrior is drilled in small unit tactics and can
operate in a dozen combat environments. They can set
ambushes, build emplacements, and adapt to rapidly
changing situations. While nowhere near as large as the
Solar Hegemony’s massive legions, few have risked open
conflict with the Undominated for fear of their unforgiving
blades.
Each army is commanded by an elite general that acts
with great autonomy. All three report to the Elder
Guardian. Together, these four leaders are charged with the
collective security and defense of Hollowfalls. At their
disposal in times of crisis is the renowned and carefully
maintained Eye of Jola. This massive device was
constructed by the great engineer Jola’ Ran. It is capable of
magnifying and focusing the power of the sun into a super-
heated ray of light. The Eye of Jola can almost instantly set
fire to any wooden ship that dares lay siege to the city.
Other branches of the Undominated have carved out
legacies in their own right. The School of the Scorching
Arrow fields archers without compare, drawn from
Featherfolk with only the greatest precision and strength.
The Cutting Whisper has been known to prevent entire
wars with a single well-placed dagger to the heart, and
have a famous rivalry with The Auric’s assassins in the
House of Eyes.
Advancing their city’s influence across the world, the
elite scholars and warriors of Hollowfalls distinguish
themselves with honor. Throughout the Uprising Era, the
Undominated Typhoon participated in numerous conflicts
throughout Dema.
The Road to Sunbleak. Hollowfalls is a popular port of
call for caravans bound for the Sunbleak Wastes. Many of
the more ambitious and passionate Hollowfell journey to
the Wastes in search of excitement, treasure, and
opportunities to master their survival skills. Researchers
and merchants based in Hollowfalls supply most of the
resources and capital needed to keep the ambitious
caravans and expeditions in Sunbleak functioning.
There is an uneasy alliance between the Council of Elders
and the wealthy rulers of Sunbleak, known as the Resource
Barrons. While the two factions have often been at odds

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Concentration of ruins from previous cycles is
strongest in the parthax unit grid of terrain
located in the regional vicinity of the
Sunbleak Wastes. The concerns of Maguses
Ocorafer, Emerik, and Pierss about endemic
archeological extrapolation from the ruins are
noted, and the risk is indeed quite high.
Extensive city and temple remnants from
Sentient Species “Huwawa,” Sentient Species
“Jocastor,” Sentient Species
______________, and Sentient Species
“Mehvu” especially hint at previous biome
iterations.
There are ten generations of ocean floor
tomb complexes on top of mountain range 22X
alone. One can imagine how problematic it
would be to have Sentient Species “Usundi”
scholars speculating about an unknown water-
breathing Sentient Species building in such a
strange place. Several tomb-raiding expeditions
led by Sentient Species “Usundi” have nearly
uncovered outposts 8 and 11.
with one another, the Barons have often relied on the
Council to protect them from The Auric, the Hegemony,
and even marauding Wakewalker corsairs. Enterprising
merchants from Hollowfalls constantly establish new
businesses in Sunbleak’s bazaars. Dozens of Sunbleak’s
Resource Barons got their start in just this way. A great deal
of the Eldertech recovered from the deserts of the Warm
Shores finds its way to the Council of Elders. After careful
scrutiny, the most expensive of these relics is typically sold
to the highest bidder, often a foreign power.
CONFLICTS WITH THE AURIC
Hollowfalls and The Auric have squabbled with each other
dozens of times across their long history. The most
significant of these is known as the Astrictions. This short-
lived war began in 73 LS when The Auric’s Hatin attempted
a hostile takeover of Sunbleak. This act threatened the
balance of power in the Gilded States. The Council of Elders
convened an emergency meeting where they decided upon
a bold strategy to rein in the Hatin.
The Council sent the Cutting Whisper to infiltrate The
Auric’s slave society, where they successfully kindled a
massive revolt by the city’s toiling Asset servants.
Outraged, the Hatin sent his personal fleet to capture the
Tutor Islands. After briefly clashing, both sides agreed to a
truce. The Mindmaster of Fervent Deduction met with the
Hatin to negotiate terms. In exchange for The Auric
abandoning its claim to Sunbleak, Hollowfalls would
withdraw its support from the ongoing Asset uprising. The
Hatin grudgingly agreed, restoring the balance of power in
the Gilded States.
Despite their long rivalry, Hollowfalls and The Auric
form the backbone of the Gilded States’ military alliance.
They have unified dozens of times to combat common
enemies, like the Hegemony’s imperial fleet. Hollowfalls’s
ultimate destruction, however, came from within. In the
140
final years of the Redsky Era, with the Gilded States in a
state of total collapse, a mad general calling himself the
Sunfather began a cult of personality that quickly took sway
over the city. In 99 LS, amid the throes of irrational
madness, the seat of wisdom closest to the sun collapsed
into the sea.
Your characters from Hollowfalls could serve as military
advisors anywhere in Dema. Or maybe your Hollowfell
character is traveling the world on a particularly
adventurous Yondering. Will you be in town during the
final days of the Redsky Era, when the tyranny of the
Sunfather brings the entire city to its ruin? The warriors and
philosophers of Hollowfalls are famous the world over. Will
your masters of the mind keep the balance even as the
world ends?
Bleakers
Part Two: The World
One settlement overshadows all the others in the Sunbleak
Wastes. The city of Sunbleak proper is a rowdy monument
to lawless ambition. Built at the bottom of a canyon gorge
with only one entrance, Sunbleak is the last waystation for
travelers striking off in caravans towards rumors of
uncharted riches. The immense deserts of the Warm Shores
conceal hundreds of abandoned ruins. Grand palace
complexes and lost tomb cities descend miles into the earth,
buried beneath the sands. Towering sandstone statues of
otherworldly species lord over the desert, carved into the
highest peaks of the Dragon’s Spine Mountains. Like a siren
calling to the hopes and aspirations of the world, Sunbleak’s
hidden riches have lured in adventurers for all of recorded
history.
Few streets in Dema are more lively than the Nadir Roads
of Sunbleak’s canyon floor. The city is a sprawl of brightly
colored canvas tents, minaret towers, and clay brick huts. It
is a den of wandering Eldertech hunters, squawking
traders, criminals in hiding from foreign laws, and political
exiles. Mercenaries, smugglers, rascals, and scoundrels mix
in with the comings and goings of “average” fortune
seekers. The city’s residents are collectively known as
Bleakers, regardless of their origin.
The total population of Bleakers fluctuates wildly. When
a handful of lucky adventurers discover new ruins
containing enough treasure to overflow all ten of Sunbleak’s
bazaars, the canyon city buzzes with activity. From 35-51
LS, an unprecedented number of Archivist missionaries
gathered in Sunbleak. They jostled with the settlement’s
collectors, thieves, and magnates to control the growing
numbers of Eldertech weapons extracted from a newly
discovered crypt called the Amethyst Arsenal. The
Archivist population grew to the point that an entire
neighborhood of the Nadir Roads came to be known as the
Little Athenaeum.
BARONS WITHOUT GOVERNMENT
No centralized government exists in Sunbleak. There is no
rule of law in its sandstone tenements except gold and
retribution. Security is only maintained by dozens of
cutthroat mercenary companies, often hired by competing
interests. The strongest of these companies have maintained
brief but effective reigns over entire boroughs until they are
inevitably displaced by competitors.
The Gilded States
 All kinds of hedonistic activities banned throughout most
of Dema are provided in Sunbleak’s houses of gambling,
pleasure, and excess. These are called the Sybarites. Other
than these sanctuaries of vice, there are few amenities in
Sunbleak. Those that exist are imported at great cost by
Sunbleak’s plutocratic Resource Barons.
The Resource Barons live along the Zenith Roads,
counting their pieces-of-eight in extravagant sarai villas
built into the sides of the canyon. They lounge high above
the noisy scramble of Bleaker foot traffic below. Through
their uneasy alliances with Hollowfalls, the Resource
Barons maintain a stranglehold on the water, food,
equipment, and treasure sold in Sunbleak’s bazaars. Always
gouging prices, the Barons stockpile most of their goods in a
handful of heavily guard warehouses carved deep into the
canyon floor.
Some of the Barons’ sarai are modeled after the great
palaces and landmarks of foreign cities. Others emulate the
strange styles of nearby ruins unearthed by the Scholasta’s
Archaeologians. The great Scholasta of Mundi maintains a
thriving branch in Sunbleak to study the mysterious relics
and fossils brought in daily. These academics are often at
odds with several factions of Archivists eager to negotiate,
barter, and steal all the Eldertech extracted from the
surrounding Wastes.
The Masquerade. Assets and slaves who escape from The
Auric and the Solar Hegemony often make their way to
Sunbleak. Although still at risk of being recaptured by
bounty hunters, Sunbleak’s lack of central authority helps
abolitionists and ex-slaves band together to resist the efforts
of slavers throughout the Warm Shores. Safety can also be
bought from the Resource Barons, for an insidious price.
These unscrupulous magnates often negotiate brutal deals
with ex-slaves. Protection is offered in exchange for years of
toil in the Baron’s brick kilns, spice vats, and seed caravans,
forcing liberated slaves into what is indentured servitude in
all but name. The endless hawk-and-mouse ploys between
Given sufficient time to properly discover,
excavate, and reverse-engineer Eldertech from
the Wastes at a minimum estimated rate of 3.2
UPT, Sentient Species “Usundi” could reach
Category V civilization within an above-average
timeframe. However, 1.005 quintillion
Simulacrum models determine that society in
the Sunbleak Wastes is near statistically
certain to collapse. Sentient Species “Usundi”
is not estimated to have the societal cohesion
to adapt to Variables 161.80, 186, 282 et al.
Meetings to discuss ramifications of this
remain tense. Magus Lukos expressed a general
hatred of sand despite the efforts of Harbinger
Hirburrt to create such a large desert biome. Of
particular concern is the continued survival
and propagation of Non-sentient Species
LV426-27182 “Strigoi,” an unfortunate
consequence of the period when
___________________________________
___________________________ racing
landships debt owed to Magus Miler.
Redsky Core Book
141
bounty hunters, the newly freed, and the powerful Barons
is known among Bleakers as the Masquerade.
The Forgotten. Travelers are wise to keep track of which
Resource Baron’s territory they are passing through at any
given moment. The Nadir Roads are a labyrinth of
thoroughfares, side streets, and narrow passages. One false
step could lead down an alleyway dominated by Sunbleak’s
desperate criminal gangs known collectively as the
Forgotten. Always threatening the plans of the Resource
Barons, the Forgotten brawl in the streets with whichever
mercenary company is currently employed by the last
Baron the Forgotten stole from. Though their name might
suggest otherwise, several members of the Forgotten have
risen to become Resource Barons themselves. All too
familiar with Sunbleak’s seedy underbelly, gang leaders
have become filthy rich after a lucky break, or by leaving a
key rival for dead in the dunes of the city’s outskirts.
CHAOTIC FREEDOM
At any time, the value of water in Sunbleak can soar to its
weight in gold. This often happens when raiders seize key
cargo shipments in the harbor towns that supply Sunbleak
from miles away. Some are unfortunate enough to be
caught by Bleaker militias. These unfortunates are exiled
into the Wastes with nothing but their feathers to shield
them from the sun and sand.
The chaotic nature of Sunbleak is exactly the way most
Bleakers prefer it. A few times a generation, some warlord
or delusional pretender tries to seize control of Sunbleak’s
largest sarai, bazaars, and stocked warehouses. Sooner or
later, Sunbleak’s chaotic pulse catches up to them,
regardless of wealth or power. During the Astrictions in 73
LS, The Auric’s Hatin attempted to buy Sunbleak from the
Resource Barons at an insultingly low price. When they
refused, the Hatin’s forces attacked and occupied the city.
Over the next few months, Bleakers from all walks of life
worked together to make life for the occupying army hell.
In the end, even the Hatin had to withdraw his forces with
his tail between his legs. With such a reputation, Sunbleak
often serves as a neutral ground for foreign powers to carry
out underhanded deals that have consequences far beyond
the Warm Shores.
Filo’ Nar and the Pass of Champions. Sunbleak’s
turbulent social hierarchy also allows for adventurers,
rogues, and explorers to amass fame and fortune. The most
famous of these inscribe their names in the gorgeously
decorated Pass of Champions. It lies at the narrowest point
between Sunbleak’s two canyon walls, near the city’s
entrance. Of note is the signature of the legendary Sunbleak
native, Filo’ Nar. In 57 EM, she swindled the richest
merchant princes in The Auric, the Ursa family. Nar had
“rescued” a key hostage of the Ursa family who she had
herself kidnapped thirty days prior. When Nar had first set
out, she had tricked the Ursa family into promising her 1
gold coin doubled for each day it took to “find” the hostage.
By the time Nar returned, the Ursa family owed her an
unpayable debt of over a billion coins. By bankrupting the
Ursa family, Filo’ Nar became Hatin of The Auric herself.
Dozens of caravansaries criss-cross the Sunbleak Wastes.
At the outskirts of the city, Whudi desert nomads offer their
services to weary travelers, adventurers, and treasure
hunters. The ultimate prize among these fortune seekers is
 Ele me nta l Du alis m
‘Ele men tal Dua lism ’, you say? Wha t, like the Elem
knew thes e two fello w Usun di who taug ht me Ted gei’ ents ? I know the Elem ents , yes! Mos t Usun di do.
I
grou ps all fit toge ther so you know why we do the Sel and Cam bul’ Jo. It is how trait s for peop le and
all, what ’s a king dom if not a bunc h of peop le, no? thing s we do. Cou ntrie s and their cust oms , too. Afte r
it. Polit ician s use it to put big idea s into sma ll wordHand y, I adm it. Philo soph ers neve r stop dabb ling with
this craf t, no? Watc hing char acte rs mak es the audi s. But we’r e bett er off usin g exist ing stor ies to teac h
dang er, so they lear n with out hard knoc ks, yes? Youence think . It lets them live and mak e mist akes with out
Whic h play s do you know of? I shall tell you the Elem want to know how to writ e good char acte rs, yes?
ents of their hero es.
Lesc o the Adv entu rer! Now ther e’s an epic tale. Ord
can be just as good . So, Lesc o’s Elem ents , yes? Whic inar ily, I enjo y fant asy play s the mos t. But histo ry
h thre e of the six he lean ed mor e towa rds.
Well , Fire or Wate r are first . Whe n you depi ct a char
hero es end up bein g over ly pass iona te and amb itiou acte r, you need to know The Emo tion al. A lot of
Nigh tride r sets off from the Moo n Real ms to mak s, draw n towa rds Fire . Fire is why Lesc o the
picks a fight with the bigge st lad in ever y tave rn he e a fort une in Part I, Act I. This Fire is why Lesc o
vent ures goin g to the Gild ed Stat es. Gain s the oath stay s at. Inve sts in ever y Mun di trad e guild ’s
afte r they drive off Lave en’ Ya’s pirat es. But over s of all thos e Wake walk ers in Unde rclan Mon tine z
Wate r disci pline , self -ma ster y, and patie nce that letsthe first few acts , it’s Lesc o’s grow ing sens e of
him dire ct his inne r drive for powe r and plea sure .
The n, you have Air or Eart h. The Inte llect ual.
work s. Take Lesc o’s retu rn to the Moo n Real ms inA good char acte r lets you unde rsta nd how their mind
serie s, no? He talks up how muc h endl ess trea sure Part II. Lesc o is a man of visio n by this poin t in the
in their cast les and palac es. He has a gran d Air visiois layin g arou nd bein g wast ed by corr upt Hum an nobl es
shar es. How far- seei ng this was! And how arro gant n of a unite d Moo n Real ms that nobo dy else yet
mus t care fully and syst ema tical ly find ways to gain ! So his rival s moc k him in rhym ing vers e. Well , Lesc o
the tribe s’ loya lties . He mus t pay resp ect to their
cent urie s old Eart h trad ition s. Inno vatio n vers us orth
Lesc o jugg les both ways , alwa ys ques tion ing whic h serv odox y. The trail blazi ng vers us the met hodi cal.
at the thro at sing ing fest ival. Tha t is the diff eren es him bett er. From the bylak hunt to the betr ayal
ce betw een a dyna mic hero and a bori ng one, yes?
Lesc o’s Hund red Labo rs are my favo rite part . Who
the scen e when Lesc o deba tes relig ion with King Bar else coul d outr ide the Mar shal of the Dar k? I ador e
And when Lesc o drop s that diam ond the size of a tra the Bold as they trac k bitaa rcs on the Fros trite .
the sma llest he coul d find in the poor est Hum an’s dinn er plate on the table of King Tor yn and says it was
of Part III wher e Lesc o lays out his gran d invas ionfief ? Clas sic. You have to light en the moo d for Act IV
plan and calls his bann ers.
The Dar k Hord e, to me, repr esen ts the tens ion betw
ham mer s hom e repe ated ly that Nigh tride rs are bold een Void or Aet her. The Soci al. The plot
their mer it, pers onal ly resp onsi ble for their actio ns. and free Void folk , yes? Each indiv idua l mus t prov e
to unite bene ath him. Unit ing is Aet her, no? The y But Lesc o mus t som ehow conv ince thes e Void folk
sacr ifice tota l free dom for the grea ter good . Thr mus t act as one for all Nigh tride rs to thriv e. To
with the Aet her of an allian ce acro ss tribe , faith , ough his lead ersh ip, Lesc o tem pers the Void of his folk
“If you refu se now, Nigh tride rs, the grea tnes s youand age. I rem emb er when I first hear d Lesc o boom ,
Imm orta lity is east !” migh t have had dies with the dimm ing sun.
In so man y word s, Lesc o star ts as a Fire -Air -Vo
flaw s of thos e Elem ents . We still sym path ize with id char acte r who find s a way to balan ce the natu ral
anoi nted the King of Dar knes s. Man y in Dem a quakLesc o as the curt ain falls , even thou gh we know he is
nam e. Yet, we as view ers of the stor y know exac tly e when they rem emb er the deva stati on done in that
truly were mea nt to be. Lesc o, for bett er or wors how the indiv idua l we’v e follo wed beca me who they
char acte r wort h rem emb erin g. Use this Elem enta l e, has foun d hims elf. Tha t’s how you port ray a
draf t, yes? Take me on a jour ney as epic as the origDua lism . Retu rn to me in a mon th with your first
ins of the Day raid.
-Scy lus’ Aes , Mon olog ues of the Quil lmas ters , Scho
lasta Chr onic les, 53 LS.

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142
any information that would lead to the lost city of Croto.
The legends about Croto describe a strange, fishlike people
that supposedly lived in the city’s lakes of liquid gold
channeled directly from the sun.
THE ENCROACHING RED DESERT
The lost city of Croto has been rumored to be almost
everywhere along the hundreds of miles of the Warm
Shores. Pessimistic locals say it’s hidden in the center of the
hellish Red Desert to the far north. In the Red Desert, flying
monsters called strigoi chase shiseli sandships attempting
the infamous Ka’bar Run. This most direct route spans from
a minor settlement south of the red sands, through the Red
Desert, all the way north to the Human-dominated port of
Ka’bar. The waystation settlements in the Red Desert are
treacherous even by the grim standard of the Wastes.
A thriving economy nevertheless sprouted up across the
Warm Shores during the Uprising and Exodus Eras.
Thousands found employment servicing the exploration
and tomb raiding of the Red Desert and the wider Wastes.
Many more found jobs in the dozens of minor desert towns
across the Warm Shores. Some of these were settled by
Indigent colonists from The Auric hoping to raise
themselves out of crushing poverty. Others were founded
by sages from Hollowfalls who derived a sense of meaning
from living in extreme conditions.
Downfall of Sunbleak. The creeping perils of the Red
Desert contributed heavily to the downfall of Sunbleak.
Decades of worsening security came to a climax with the
deaths of most of the Resource Barons in 97 LS. A savage
war called the Forever Noon saw four-way house-to-house
fighting between Bleaker mercenaries, Hollowfalls’s army
of Undominated, rebelling indentured workers, and the
Solar Hegemony’s Krypteia special forces. An apocalyptic
flock of strigoi monsters arrived just after rebels
stormed the last fortified sarai of the Zenith
Roads. A bloodbath ensued.
Overwhelming the region’s
defenses, the strigoi
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slaughtered tens of thousands. These victims nourished the
great brood that laid waste to the great port of Deonar five
years later in 102 LS.
As Sunbleak fell, refugees carried out as many artifacts
and survivors as possible, fending off strigoi as they went.
Like thousands of other refugees, the few Bleakers who
survived found refuge in the cosmopolitan city of Mundi.
For many Bleakers, the challenge of surviving the end of
days presented the greatest adventure of all.
The Featherfolk who add toc Sunbleak to their full names
do so knowing that their homeland is known almost only
for its wealth and danger. Whether your character is one the
first Heroic Era entrepreneurs settling down in the oasis of
Sunbleak’s canyon, or part of a multispecies party of
Exodus Era explorers unearthing secrets from millennia
past, Sunbleak is the gateway to bold undertakings. Chase
the arrow of destiny beyond the far horizon!
Panaceans
The vast rainforest of the eastern Midlands has been many
things to many people. A refuge. A challenge. A final place
for colonists to express freedom and dignity in a world
sorely lacking both. But none could have expected what
awaited the descendants of those first downtrodden
Featherfolk colonists who landed on Panacea’s bright
shores late in 76 EM. They hacked away at the teeming
jungle to build lives free from the cutthroat oppression of
The Auric. They chose to live dangerously and
meaningfully instead of safely and obediently. Panaceans
believe those who have a why to live can bear almost any
how. The inhabitants of Panacea are loyal to the nightmare
of their choice.
AN OUTPOST AND REFUGE
Panacea was named for the cure-all of sickness and poverty
that some of its founders strove for. What began as a small
outpost on the banks of the Azta River swelled with fleeing
Asset servants, religious exiles, and intellectual radicals
during the last decades of the Epoko de Mallumo. Arriving
Warrior of the
Undominated

from across the Daylands, these refugees united in the
pursuit of a better life. Initially, few had the proper skills to
survive alone in the jungle. Everything tries to eat
everything else in Panacea. Even after forming like-minded
communes, the deaths among the first colonists infamously
outnumbered the births. Only the most adaptive and open-
minded survived.
The opportunities in Panacea grew exponentially as
colonists from across the Daylands arrived to stake their
legacies. Hundreds of small followings professing countless
beliefs and doctrines have used Panacea as a staging point
to establish their communes deeper into the jungle,
returning only to trade for necessities.
This is not to say that Panacea’s population is small. At its
height in the late Uprising Era, Panacea had become more
vibrant and chaotic than most cities’ seedy underbellies.
This was hardly surprising, given that the highest authority
in Panacea is a group of local officials called the Panthera
that mainly collects taxes for The Auric. So long as The
Auric receives regular shipments of the jungle’s abundant
natural resources, the Hatin largely steers clear of Panacea,
preferring not to become entangled in an ungovernable
quagmire. When tribute is met, Panacea’s mercenary
companies, trade guilds, and criminal cartels largely have
free rein to stir up as much trouble as they like, and to stash
their fortunes wherever they choose, be it deeper in the
jungle or in the bank houses of Mundi.
The constellation of settlements that extends beyond
Panacea proper and deep into the surrounding jungle are
known as the Panacean communes. Most communes are
nestled in wooden huts suspended hundreds of feet up in
the canopy, far above the fanged and poisonous predators
lurking on the jungle floor. Entire villages are known to
spring up on a single mighty baobab tree. Winding spiral
staircases ascend to great branches where families carve
homes into the canopy.
Sisters of Kinziha. One Featherfolk commune
adventurers might encounter are the Sisters of Kinziha.
These peace-loving animists spend their days categorizing
insects in the belief that it brings them closer to the jungle’s
spirits. Their neighbors are the Sishuun’zar, death cultists
who coat themselves in the sacred ashes of their cremated
kin. Both have briefly allied to make war on the painted
144
Fried Lizards
Part Two: The World
Cegroti skulltakers paddling the tributary rivers that lead
deeper into the Panacean Jungle’s unmapped interior.
Riches and Resources. Explorers who return from the
Jungle’s far fringes tell tales of vine-covered palaces and
ancient temples. They are rumored to hide Eldertech relics
and treasure left behind by forgotten jungle kingdoms.
Many of these abandoned halls are guarded by beasts like
feathered serpents dozens of feet long called venachar, and
the torna’ cai, many-eyed carnivorous plants. Even farther
into the jungle lie the treacherous Silverleaf Wilds, a
nightmarish place which has consumed the lives of almost
everyone who dares enter. For the lucky few adventurers
who survive, just one expedition can secure a long and
prosperous retirement.
Yet for many of Panacea’s merchants and tradespeople,
the riches that the jungle’s ruins promise in Eldertech and
loot pale in comparison to the natural resources growing all
around them. The exotic food markets of Panacea are
legendary. All manner of rare, painstakingly hunted meats,
herbs, candied fruits, and ultra-nutritious vegetables are
extracted from the jungle. These are savored in the dining
halls of tastemakers and aristocrats throughout the world.
Wealthy outsiders enjoying a razortail fillet flavored with
honey mango likely have little clue how many Panacean
hunters and gatherers had to suffer and die for that meal to
reach the table. Yet the blood price for these luxuries is
accepted, if not celebrated, throughout Dema.
The Apothicants. Panacea’s thousands of species of plant
and animal life have also been studied and used to produce
countless cures, tonics, potions, poultices, and salves. The
order of doctors, surgeons, and researchers responsible are
known as the Apothicants. To accomplish their missions,
Apothicants are known to brave sentient-eating plants and
pit tigers, and endure hundreds of poisonous insects and
nettles. The number of lives saved throughout Dema’s
plague-infested cities by the medicines Apothicants have
produced is immeasurable.
Life as an Apothicant is as respected as it is exhausting.
Even world-class Featherfolk medics and researchers spend
most of their time swatting mosquitoes and cutting through
the jungle to isolated settlements. They endure this and
much more in order to treat the disfigured, diseased, and
damned. The warrior-branch of the Apothicants is
organized around a ranked system of sergeants-at-arms.
The Gilded States
 Jun gle Com mun es
a child, some thing has been unwe ll about
I am not afraid to speak frank ly as an adult. Ever since I was cholia . Some Night rider tribes talk of
my mind . The Hollo wfalls Mind maste rs write scrol ls of Melan it goes by, there are times when I
Abjec tion savag ing famil y mem bers until old age. What ever nameI wish to hide from the world . No
withd raw and feel sadne ss and despa ir for no good reaso n, yes? kindly of me were clear ly mista ken. I
matte r my accom plishm ents, I felt that the peopl e who thoug ht name d Kamu ss’ Nich.
knew all too well who was at the helm of this partic ular shipw reck
fit in with the norm al peopl e aroun d me,
When I was young , I would have trade d my racin g thoug hts to ar mood of the crowd s are drawn to
yes? I have a pet theor y that those who feel aliena ted by the regul do not satisf y that naggi ng feelin g
art and song and schoo ls of the mind . When the usual answe rs
some thing is off, it is natur al to look elsew here.
LS. I finall y exhau sted all the easy
I reme mber when my fatef ul day arrive d on 12 Remu mona 34 harde r just to stay in the same place .
ng
ways of living in this world of guildm aster s and taxes and runni orang e juice no longe r numb ed my
Coun ting coins , impre ssing other s, and drink ing too much hard
er. Ther e is a place where peopl e can
feelin gs, yes? But, look. You do not have to stay anywh ere forev
forge their own path. Panac ea.
. The locals know this. Many live in
The jungle is dange rous, but in that dange r there is oppor tunity r, I had bet that I would not feel
hinke
remo te treet op comm unitie s they call ‘comm unes. ’ As an overt ean comm unes. Well, I never saw
conte nt and at peace until I had tried living amon g all of the Panaced every year. I catalo ged butte rflies for
them all. But I came close , even thoug h new villag es are foundI mapp ed new river route s deep into the
a hundr ed days with the natur e-wo rship ing Siste rs of Kinzi ha. ing canop ies so thick that the roari ng
Midla nds with the Gren ’wahld and Chuf . We paddl ed under chirp prote cting Light Plains pilgri ms from
white curre nts were darke r than the Midn ight Sea. I spent a year even I deser ved to love and be loved
painte d headh unter s as one of the Knigh ts of Li. I learn ed that al ballad s with the trave ling poets of
uncon dition ally with the Hund red Heart beats . I inven ted new musiced with the Mihlu rs. Medi tated on life
the Kings of Twix t and Tway ne. I swam with the Maky uwen . Cook
and death with the monk s of Saunt ers.
their childr en numb ers. They say
Some comm unes I simpl y obser ved. The Anum eric do not teach mind s! And then there were the
count ing leads to desir e, and desir e is suffe ring. What diffe rent
peopl e who try to ruin thing s for every one
Filist ynes. They are, well, let us just say all comm unitie s have t alway s expec t every one to like you.
else, yes? The comm unes deal with their ilk as neede d. You canno
You can expec t to find enoug h who will, and enoug h is all you need.
them selve s here at the far south of the
Latel y, I have been helpin g one of the new comm unes estab lish t, most of us here have also lived with
conti nent. The Winn owing Rods . We do not have a gimm ick. Excep on top of Moun t Ekur- Sume ra. We will
deep sadne ss in our thoug hts. The plan is to build a small castle fish in the large lake that bubbl es here
exist simpl y by catch ing the score s of orang e and pink and green
on our vine- wrapp ed peak.
slope s. Some times they roll back
Castl es are made of stone . We push the bould ers we need up the close r to a home . I have never felt
much
down . Othe r times we can get them to stick. It bring s us that botto m of the Midla nds with a fishin g rod
a stron ger sense of mean ing. To join us is simpl e. Walk to the
ask you what it is for. Here you can live
on your shoul der until you come to a place where peopl e do notI may still go stret ch my legs elsew here.
peace fully the rest of your days. Or at the very least, freel y.
That is the joy of Panac ea, no?
not worry . One must imagi ne Kamu ss
I know I starte d off a little stron g with the mind suffe ring. Do me here. You are not alone . You
welco
happy . Come to Panac ea if you have ever felt like me. You are
never were .
ar, 61 LS.
-Kam uss’ Nich, A Torn Flier Pinne d to a Notic e Boar d in Deon

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These sergeants from across Dema ensure the sage-branch’s
urgent work is protected. Few have ever seen an Apothicant
sergeant without their trusty flanged mace. They are as Dari' Tath
ready to take life as to save it.

ARRIVAL OF THE SCOURGE

A nightmare ripped from the slumbering continent itself
would ultimately spell Panacea’s doom. After a century of
freedom, exploration, and trade, an apocalyptic plague
called the Scourge swept through Panacea beginning in 94
LS. It spread by the bites, gouges, and vomited bile of those
already corrupted by its feral madness. The black-veined
infected possessed enhanced speed and resistance to
wounds that would ordinarily kill a Featherfolk. Nothing
short of decapitation was able to put a stop to their
murderous rage.
Although initially immune, the Scourge soon jumped
species. It infected the thousands of Human and Nightrider

Part Two: The World

slaves and thralls that arrived in Panacea after the Solar
Hegemony conquered the city during the Sunward
Conquest in 95 LS. Although the city’s initial garrison was
overrun, reinforcing legions fought successfully in
formation against the tide. After five days of bloody and
sleepless battle, a chilling quiet descended on the city, now
littered with the rotting dead. The defense was ultimately a
pyrrhic victory, costing two legions and a significant
portion of the city’s population.
While the horde had been met in the city, the Scourge had
not been contained. Hundreds of the infected had already
slipped out into the surrounding jungle. Hundreds became
thousands as the nearby communes met bloody and sudden
ends. Cults dwelling in the canopy fared better, but found Will you live in the late Heroic Era among Panacea’s
themselves cut off and facing starvation as supplies trailblazers, and explore the jungle’s wild interior? Or do
dwindled. Warlords rose to power over the precious few you hail from one of Panacea’s unique communes,
resources that remained, and pitched battles were fought accustomed to life hundreds of feet in the air? Perhaps
for control of the bridges which connected the largest you’re an Apothicant healer hellbent on finding a cure to
holdouts. Desperate for salvation, many cults turned to the Scourge in Panacea’s final hours. What secrets and cure-
rituals and blood sacrifices. Their chants and pleas fell on alls will you discover behind the jungle’s tangled branches?
deaf ears as the Redsky Era intensified. Dema’s destiny hinges on the mysteries of cycles past.
Featherfolk swordmasters called bladeweavers led heroic
charges against the Scourge infected. Despite their efforts,
the Scourge’s exponentially growing number soon
Leaders
overwhelmed even the most skilled blademasters. Isolated,
starving, and exhausted, the last factions attempting to
liberate the Panacean communes crumbled by the end of
Dari’ Tath
the decade. Whether his madness was mistaken for genius, or if facing
the starkest calamities broke his steeled resolve, none who
Overtaken by the Scourge. Stretched thin and faced with
knew Dari’ Tath in his youth suspected the fate that
ruin, Panacea’s survivors declared a state of quarantine.
awaited him. From low origins, Dari’ Tath was born in 51
They reinforced the city’s walls of vines, known as the
LS, only a few years after the Hegemony’s war with the
Graean Palisade, and did what they could to keep out the
Gilded States from 46-48 LS. Spanning the Exodus and
hordes and the endless stream of refugees seeking
Redsky Eras, Tath’s life would be defined by conflict and
sanctuary. For two years, the walls of the Graean Palisade
the end of his world.
held. Yet when it became clear that the city would soon fall,
Emperor Sicarius gave the order for the garrisoned legions In his youth, Tath was passionate, ferociously eloquent,
to withdraw and abandon the city to its fate. The last ships but lacked direction in life. At 15 he carried out the ritual
to flee for the open seas in 100 LS reported that a few bands shared by all Hollowfell youth. He sailed a homemade pulk
of adventurers, city guards, and Apothicant sergeants canoe northwest to the Tutor Islands. There, with the option
waged a desperate last stand. Researchers worked to study under every great Mindmaster of his time, Tath
feverishly towards a cure for the Scourge right up until the chose Seki’ Nin, the military master at the head of the
infected hordes climbed over one another to breach School of the Undominated Typhoon.
Panacea’s defenses. Tath studied diligently with Seki’ Nin for the next seven
years of his life. A veteran of the War of the Unloved Son,

The Gilded States

146
 Filo' Ya and Talla Kalazar
Seki’ Nin taught Dari’ Tath everything he could. Tath
learned fighting styles and leadership skills passed down
from visiting Aegic Eremites. Tath’s talons became
resilience, his mind a shifting game of Enthroned. Dari’
Tath eventually became one of Seki’ Nin’s greatest students,
with a fine eye for strategy and a growing mistrust of the
Solar Hegemony far across the Gilded Sea. Just before he
graduated in 73 LS, Tath even proved himself in combat
during the brief war between Hollowfalls and The Auric
known as the Astrictions.
Tath spent most of the time between 76-81 LS traversing
the many lands of the Gilded States on his Yondering, the
great roaming trek of the Featherfolk to as many diverse
lands and peoples as possible. He made enough coin on
treasure hunts in the Sunbleak Wastes to secure his travels
farther afield. Cutthroat mercenary work for House Trahno
in The Auric gave him a pragmatic view on the application
of violence to solve social ills. He dined with Featherfolk
emissaries on several sailing expeditions to Mundi before
making his way to the Panacean Jungle.
A Plague in the Jungle. Tath had the most traumatic
experience of his life deep in the Panacean Jungle. An
adventure in 80 LS ended in disaster, resulting in the deaths
of almost every member of his community of travelers,
including his clutchmate Ica’ Wirn. Shaken to his core,
Tath’s ideal of inner balance was forever tainted by
whatever happened deep in that jungle. Some say he was
forced to kill his clutchmate after an otherworldly force
took hold of her mind. The symptoms he described were of
Redsky Core Book
147
feral madness, incredible strength, and an impossible
resistance to wounds that would slay lesser Featherfolk.
Scholars later considered this to be one of the first recorded
instances of the Scourge that would overcome Panacea in
the Redsky Era. With Ica’ Wirn’s death, Tath’s passion for
the defense of Hollowfalls was replaced by obsession. He
quickly came to believe that this affliction would be the
downfall of his homeland.
For much of the next decade, Dari’ Tath rose through the
ranks of Hollowfalls’s army of the Undominated Typhoon.
This left him in exactly the right position to command a
third of the army in 95 LS at the onset of the lightning war
between the Solar Hegemony and the Gilded States known
as the Sunward Conquest. The war began when Emperor
Sicarius surprised everyone by sending a massive invasion
force into the Panacean Jungle. The Undominated were sent
to assist. Tath’s early victories quickly promoted him to the
top of the Undominated, earning him the title once held by
Seki’ Nin himself. Tath won more engagements than he lost
against the Solar Hegemony, excelling in attacking supply
lines and waging guerilla warfare.
The string of successes was not meant to last. Dari’ Tath
was confounded by an ambush of Scourge infected. The
Undominated was decimated while investigating the
disappearance of the entire population of a devastated
jungle village. The infected hordes overtook Tath’s soldiers
in the ruins, surrounding the Undominated between a
mountain range and a lake. As one of only a few hundred
survivors, Tath returned to Hollowfalls to learn the news
that the leaders of Hollowfalls’s two other armies had been
killed at the Battle of The Auric by Sicarius’s victorious
imperial fleet. Charged with the sole responsibility of
maintaining the defense of Hollowfalls, Dari’ Tath ascended
to the rank of Elder Guardian in 96 LS.
GUARDIAN OF THE FALL
The apocalyptic cataclysms destroying the Gilded States
eventually drove Tath to paranoia and despair. In his rage,
Tath’s speaking abilities had only grown more potent. Few
could describe the horrors of the Scourge, or the reddening
of the sky to the Hollowfell as passionately as Tath. The end
of days was clearly upon all Featherfolk, and Tath would
prepare his people to face annihilation.
From the public forums in the Deck of the Growing Mind,
Tath preached of the Reckoning, the obliteration of the
world by vengeful nature. In stark defiance of the principle
of balance that Hollowfalls was founded on, Tath warned
that the end was coming. There was no surviving the
coming storm. There was no balance to be struck with the
apocalypse. Balance was a lie, and if all that remained was
destruction, converts known as Reckoners were prepared to
meet it. By force if necessary. Against all of Seki’ Nin’s
moral teachings, Tath developed a doomsday cult in
Hollowfalls with him at the head, and he assumed the title
the Sunfather.
Signs of The Reckoning were obvious to Tath as the final
years approached. With the Scourge plague devastating
Panacea since 94 LS, The Auric under Hegemony
occupation since 95 LS, and Sunbleak wiped off the map by
strigoi in 97 LS, it seemed clear that all Freatherfolk were
doomed to destruction. Despite spending years
counteracting the Reckoners in the forums and in fields
afar, the Mindmasters steadily lost influence in what they
labeled the Betrayal of Reason. Passionate debate in the
streets of Hollowfalls became politically polarized. Finally,
violence broke out on the streets as the city’s ancient civil
order gradually broke down.
The Sunfather Takes Power. In 98 LS, Dari’ Tath seized
power from the Council of Elders while they were away in
the Tutor Islands. When they returned to confront him,
Tath’s cultists scorched the Elders’ ships in the harbor using
the Eye of Jola. To complement the reddening of the skies
above them, Dari’ Tath had all of his political opponents
and their families slain on the cliffs of Hollowfalls. Their
blood ran down the rock until its white stone turned
crimson. Some residents fled on trading ships outbound to
the safety of the Hominid Dominion, where they spread
word of the Reckoning. Little manpower could be spared to
overthrow fanatics at the end of the world, however. The
hundreds of thousands of remaining Hollowfell were left to
the Reckoners.
More and more citizens were executed in Dari’ Tath’s
final days of madness. With some of Hollowfalls’s greatest
minds murdered, nobody was left to repair the cracks that
began to form in the city’s foundations from the growing
intensity of the sun. Dari’ Tath’s reign of terror was only
ended when Hollowfalls collapsed into the Gilded Sea in 99
LS, killing him, his cultists, and all remaining Hollowfell
instantly. Of all the figures of Dema’s history, the trajectory
of Tath’s life serves as a warning. It takes the strongest of
148
Suggestions about conditions in the
settlements of The Auric, Panacea, and
Hollowfalls by Maguses Krombi, Roanhurs,
Meyvil, Kard, Opcinsen, and Jolen are attached.
Maguses Rumairo, Bruks, and Irkmin's
dissemination of Reanimation Virus 4 in
Midlands jungles will scale up to the final
epoch, leaving time for rainforest wildlife to
be archived by Maguses Kamerun and Boroes.
Magus Kamerun is especially intrigued by
bioluminescence. Maguses Paolin and Mkafri's
proposal for additional draconian life outside
of Parime was appreciated, but not
implementable on this cycle's accelerated time
frame.
Factoring in these doomed territorial models,
this committee's recommended course of action
to continue monitoring and limited
Part Two: The World
intervention remains the same. As Begetter
Myurs reiterates in the Simulacrum, Sentient
Species “Usundi” civilization's struggles
before _______________ ___________ of
the hull are just as meaningful as whatever
Prospero believes their kind's ultimate
destination may be.
wills to tear the world apart, but doing so almost never
brings salvation.
Filo’ Ya
When the children of Dema are told stories of the wondrous
Auric’s wealth and exotic folk, each telling usually ends
with fanciful stories of The Great Hatin, Filo’ Ya. His
Vastness, Ruler of The Auric Hatinate in Perpetuity,
Deliverer of the Seeds. Filo’ Ya inherited these honorifics
and control of the Gilded States’ most prosperous polity
from his grandparents. He ran his nation with such brilliant
deviousness that his court’s sinister antics are the subject of
lavish plays and great painted tapestries. A reviled icon
scorned by countless Indigent commoners and Assets who
labored beneath him, many observers still found it hard not
to feel a tiny parcel of affection for Filo’ Ya compared to
more boring despots. His unique brand of orderly chaos
overflowed from his deep laughs and irreversibly left their
mark on the richest realm of the Featherfolk.
Immensely girthy and hedonistic, Filo’ Ya went to great
expense to prove he was as cunning and mercantile as the
generations of the Filo family before him. He was known
even as a child to echo the largest words he heard
elsewhere, almost always mispronounced and badly
misused. It is likely he continued the practice as an adult to
lull more educated visitors to the sprawling court of the
Hatin into underestimating him. As a young royal, most in
Ya’s court could easily see through his garish gifts of silk
and closely rehearsed wine toasts at dinner. They still paid
deference to his whims, as he kept a close circle of advisors
around him to make up for his lack of business sense.
Nevertheless a brilliant social schemer and manipulator,
Filo’ Ya established himself as a dependable, if erratic, trade
partner in a city otherwise consumed in backhanded
The Gilded States
conspiracy and intrigue. His deals always left partners in
objectively better circumstances than they expected, but
also often greatly inconvenienced. Ya always said his goal
was to “beget joy,” though for exactly whom he never
clarified. Ya once settled a massive debt with his Optimacy
rival the Sunflower Duchess by hauling a ton of copper
coins to the Duchess’s villa. His workers piled them so high
that the Duchess could not leave through the front gates. A
counting of the money later revealed Ya had repaid the debt
with an extra 2% interest.
RISE TO THE HATINATE
By the time Ya’s short-reigned ruling mother Filo’ Saq fell in
battle repelling Jana’haki raiders, Ya was ready to assume
comfortable control of the Hatinate from his hundred
bedroom estate within the Marble Roost. The multispecies
band of companions he kept at hand were known as the
Harlequins, a motley troupe of specialists and sages. Most
infamous was Talla Kalazar, a Human assassin that Filo’ Ya
kept so busy culling rivals in other Houses that an entire
book was eventually written about her exploits called Talla’s
Dagger.
From Filo’ Ya’s early adulthood in the final decades of the
Epoko de Mallumo until his death, Talla would be the most
stalwart ally to Ya, always within range to protect him.
Talla’s loyalty, she herself insisted, was because Ya could
afford to pay her triple the offers from Ya’s rivals. Rumors
say at Ya’s request, Talla once assassinated the cinnamon
magnate Tiric’ Zair by dropping an entire ship on his wipic
chariot. The ship was reportedly three times larger than the
ship Zair had offered Talla to poison Ya’s candied peach
bowl.
The Hatin Gains an Ally. The 10s and 20s LS were the
greatest test of Filo’ Ya’s rule of the Hatinate. With the
Queen of the Night’s Uprising in full swing by 19 LS, Filo’
Ya was left with a sobering choice for his nation’s future.
Emperor Remus Cassar of the Solar Hegemony personally
invited Filo’ Ya to a diplomatic visit in occupied Mundi. Ya
arrived in a gilded pleasure barge so wide that it could not
fit in Mundi’s canals, and distributed over ten tons of seeds
and jewelry to the local Featherfolk. Emperor Remus
proposed an economic alliance with the Gilded States
against the forces of the rebelling Moon Realms. Ya readily
accepted, not least because an old rival to House Filo was
closely advising the Queen of the Night.
While this untrusting alliance with Emperor Remus
would be shaky at the best of times, Filo’ Ya saw the
Uprising as a means to draw public attention away from
criticism of his rule at home, and as a means to ease tension
between The Auric and the Humans of the Light Plains. Ya
provided a vast flow of funding and Asset laborers into the
Hegemony’s war machine. This financed several of the
war’s pivotal turning points. Combine and freelance
mercenary companies from the Gilded States found
irresistible contracts as auxiliaries in Hegemony’s solar
legions. A hefty share of their loot was sent back to Filo’
Ya’s coffers as tribute. Curiously, Ya used a portion of these
funds to buy every free Auran a small feathered hat –
which, on top of being a superfluous gift to people born
with feathers, crashed the local clothing economy for
several years after. Ya always insisted this was a crucial step
Redsky Core Book
149
in a greater plan that historians and the ninety-nine other
great Houses never deciphered.
At the conclusion of the Moon Realms Conflicts, Filo’ Ya
had made himself and the Hundred Houses of The Auric
far more prosperous than when he started. While the fate of
Humanity had been forever changed by the war, Ya’s favor
with the Solar Hegemony was stronger than ever. Ya thus
began one of the largest transfers of enslaved sentients in
history. His bureaucrats brokered and resold tens of
thousands of Dawnraider Nightriders into markets as far as
Hollowfalls and Abresia. Of special focus was his
completion of a “People Zoo,” a twenty-acre exhibition in
the middle of The Auric with paid actors or prisoners
carrying out a facsimile of daily life from every culture of
Dema. Vulgus critics pointed to these offensive antics as
proof of Ya’s endless cruelty. After demanding he be
brought more seeds, Ya’s standing response was always
that the prisoners’ fates were “spicier than the surrogative.”
As a man of hopelessly bankrupt morals, Filo’ Ya’s
actions were still immensely profitable to the ruling
merchant lords of the Optimacy. His efforts guaranteed that
the rich would indeed continue to get richer while the poor
descended deeper into destitution. Filo’ Ya passed away
peacefully in his sleep in 34 LS, by all accounts with a smile
on his face and seeds in his belly. It is perhaps his lasting
legacy that The Auric was able to fend off a surprise
betrayal and invasion by the Solar Hegemony from 46-48
LS. The military infrastructure Ya purchased secured The
Auric’s regional supremacy for generations after his death.
Sheri' Din
Sheri’ Din was the only daughter of two profoundly
unsuccessful Eldertech hunters in the Sunbleak Wastes. If
there was treasure anywhere in the remote vicinity, it was
assured her parents Osh and Garc were confidently striking
off in the opposite direction at great personal and financial
expense. Their lack of intuition led to both vanishing into
the desert when Sheri’ Din was a child, likely murdered by
tomb raiding thieves and left in unmarked graves.
Sheri’ Din grew to resent the all-or-nothing lifestyle of
treasure hunting. She tried all manner of odd jobs,
including the occasional treasure hunt, once old enough to
start fending for herself. Din’s teen years in the 60s LS were
punctuated by boredom, at least from a certain point of
view. Her initial hopes were to join the Whudi as a desert
guide. Many days were occupied by roaming the dunes to
learn the system of waypoints left by the unknown fallen
empires that once ruled the Warm Shores. Din frequently
banded together with caravan travelers to fight off desert
marauders driven insane on their search for water. While
living a more robust way of life than the average city
dweller, it was still backbreaking, dead-end labor that felt
endless in the moment. Her life would have been nothing
but scavenging, bartering, and more failed treasure hunts in
the trying backwater if she had not pursued a great
opportunity.
First Big Score. Indulging a lead left by a strange Human
with golden eyes she met in the bazaars of Sunbleak, Din
reluctantly took up treasure hunting once more. The gamble
paid off. Alongside adventurers working with the Jade
Feather, Din unearthed an Orb of Abragon in a long-buried
chamber at the base of the Dragon’s Spine Mountains. What
started as a quest for financial independence ended with her
becoming locally famous for tracking down one of
Humanity’s most prized relics, one of seven keys to
activating the mysterious Solar Network. Word of the
Featherfolk woman’s artifact spread far beyond the Wastes.
Unable to trust brokers in Sunbleak, and pursued by
ruthless outcast Aegic Theonites seeking leverage to avenge
their destroyed homeland, Din made the perilous journey to
Scintilla in 73 LS to personally deliver her Orb of Abragon
to the Human Empress Celina Solati.
Din’s rewards were immense once she was safely within
Scintilla’s imperial palace. Din handed over the Orb to
Empress Celina at a time when Celina needed to reassure
the wavering faith of the Rudimentarii within the
floundering empire. The esteem Din was given by the
Empress was great enough to live a life of comfort in the
Gilded States. This was a chance at the stability Din coveted
escaped from the Forbidden Cells. The only way to reach it
would be by crossing the Chasm of Oblivion, a landmark in
the outer Thalkast even cave horrors avoided.
Celina Solati had been overthrown by her son Emperor
Sicarius a few years prior, but the desire to complete the
Solar Network burned just as strong in her son’s blood.
Emperor Sicarius beseeched Sheri’ Din to embark on a quest
most deemed suicidal, for the good of the many Featherfolk
converts to the Church of Sola after the Hegemony’s victory
over The Auric.
A Final Chance. The expedition was the culmination of all
of Din’s struggles. To even her odds against death, Sheri’
Din called in a blood oath from a small clan of
Wakewalkers, Clan Laklan. Still roaming beyond
Laestrygion after the end of the High Tide movement, Clan
Laklan had hundreds of warriors primed for battle. The
origins of Din gaining such an oath of aid are a story in their
own right, one involving mistaken identities, a game of

Part Two: The World

since her aimless childhood beneath her parents. Curiosity Wakewalker Bavaka wrestling, and more silver coins than
won out instead, as the Human empress also offered to in the markets of Yaras. Sheri’ Din, her most recent lover
finance additional expeditions to track down the remaining Vala’ Cas, every available member of Din’s Wanderers in
Orbs. Din believed such an opportunity would never come her retainer, and the entirety of Clan Laklan descended into
again. Her choice had twinges of ambition and greed. When an unexplored passage.
faced with an easy retirement or more peril abroad, Din Sheri’ Din’s death was never confirmed. None who
chose adventure. ventured near the Chasm of Oblivion to search for her ever
TRAVELER EXTRAORDINAIRE returned. A lone Wakewalker who emerged from the
Thalkast in the final years of the Redsky Era claimed to be a
Sheri’ Din may be one of the most well-traveled people to
survivor of the expedition who was separated on the far
live in the history of Dema. Few could claim to have visited
side of the Chasm. His ramblings were near incoherent.
all six realms of the world, let alone every major settlement
When asked about where Din’s Wanderers might have
still standing by 90 LS. Given enough time, her exploits
ended up, the Wakewalker would only say, “Deeper, for
would grow to the stuff of folk legend. Trekking deep into
Dema is hollow, and Din wished to touch the sky.”
the forgotten jungles of the Midlands to find the timeworn
relics of the lost people of Farnus. Sleeping in the virse
saddle on a ride through the Moon Realms to earn a bounty
on escaped war criminals and rebels from the Exaltation
Wars. Accompanying Cairnkeeper big game hunters in
search of the legendary Cinereal within the Forest of Ilda.
Outsailing Jana’haki to reach a lead on an Orb of Abragon
before that particular Midnight Isle sank. All these deeds Sheri' Din
and more added proof to the fact Sheri’ Din led by strength
and tenacity on travels she never imagined were possible as
a child. She soaked in every moment of years of wonder
and reward she once thought were long lost to tales from
the Heroic and Uprising Eras.
Sheri’ Din’s gathering of adventurers and followers
became Din’s Wanderers, one of the most notorious groups
of Featherfolk in Dema. Din’s Wanderers also butted heads
with the adventuring order of the Jade Feather on multiple
occasions as its main competitor. By the end of the Exodus
Era, their stories of expedition, setback, triumph, and
renewal occupied a whole shelf of documentation scrolls in
the halls of the Musaeum.
For all her struggles, Sheri’ Din never found another Orb.
The closest she came was also the last time she was seen. In
95 LS, rumors passed on by Freespawn researchers
indicated that an item matching the description of an Orb of
Abragon was seen in a ruin deep in the northern Thalkast,
near the vicinity of the Awakened’s dictatorship.
Communication with the Awakened had been lost years
previously. The Hive Halls of the region by this time were
nearly overrun with brass automata and oozing terrors

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150
 The Valqet
You will remember the first time a close companion of yours dies in the Valqet. As you can tell from my sunny outlook
elsewhere, I do not like to speak ill of most of Dema’ s lands. These are just the facts. The moment you step into the
underground home of the Sporespawn, your hourglass is draining down to a dear friend screaming at the top of their lungs in
terror. This is often followed by bones pulverizing. Then crunching sounds from mouths connected to some forsaken beast.
Even farther below lies the Thalkast. Scrollrunners suspect that the Thalkast is the origin of many ancient Homa myths about
a cursed underworld inhabited by demons. Sola’ s light has not touched these nightmare caverns and tunnels in ages, if ever. It is
dark. It is damp. Overall, it is slightly more unpleasant than Abresia.
Expect chilling cold in overgrown fungal chambers so gaping and dimly lit that you cannot see the ceiling. Expect foul airs in
tunnels so cramped and winding you cannot stand upright. Then throw out those expectations as naively optimistic. At some
point between your torches being wetted to uselessness and the third cave-in, you will suspect a divine being is tormenting you.
While some cuisine made from Thalkast fauna is passable, most of it is as enjoyable as the mystery rashes they can give you.
Granted, mushroom steaks in a vinegar glaze are delectable. Just don’ t cook one of the absurdly poisonous species. Good luck
telling those apart.
Documenting the unsettlingly strange life forms of the Valqet confounds our experts. Just when you think the ambush
predators and cave horrors can’ t get any louder and uglier, they do. Then they will be eaten by what was chasing them. The
Scholasta’ s experts still haven’ t classified a fraction of them. So make your way to one of the great Hive Halls of the Sporespawn.
But be warned. They can be deadlier than cave horrors and twice as cruel.
Against the odds, I made the trek to Tohol, the ancient home of all Sporespawn. I saw tens of thousands of Everborn drones
criss-cross miles of metallic web in every direction. I felt the Throne of Thorns pulsing across the entire city, like a massive
suspended heart. Reader, let me just say. Yuck.
Walking around Tohol, you get the sense that you are being watched by the entire city. And you are. The Everborn is a
successor of the ancient hive mind that once contained all Sporespawn. To step foot in Tohol is to intrude in its cavernous
home.
Against my own good sense, I made my way to Unrul. I worked for a single day as an ambassador to the Awakened. One day
too many, if you ask me. I attended one of the Allspawn’ s military rallies in the Polity Quarter and left before it ended. If I
hadn’ t been a diplomatic envoy, that would have been enough to get me arrested, or worse.
There are no words for what the Allspawn and their Awakened lackeys have done to the good people of Unrul. Sola forgive
me, but I cannot shake the thought that it would almost be a mercy for the entire city to be assimilated by the Everborn. My
brief trip to Unrul showed me that there are indignities worse than death. Much worse.
Thankfully, it need not come to that. There is another way. There is hope for free Sporespawn yet. If you’ r e looking for a
safe harbor in the Valqet, traveler, make your way to Ikhish. The Freespawn are some of the brightest and kindest people in all
of Dema. It is not their fault they live in such a bad neighborhood.
If you get the chance, make your way to the Freespawn’ s beautifully carved Symposia Lodges. This is where the free citizens
of Ikhish decide their own fate by temporarily joining minds in something the Freespawn call Consensus. You can imagine my
surprise. In a land surrounded on all sides by death and despair, the Freespawn have democracy.
The Everborn, the Awakened, and the Freespawn are always fighting to secure minor border hives from one another. With
conflict comes opportunists. Mineral quarries often have small outposts with a few surface traders bold (or desperate) enough to
hawk their wares. The danger for adventurers is tempered by the promise of fortune and Eldertech. Just be prepared to pay a
premium on surface goods down there. Like just about everything else in the Valqet, the prices are predatory.

-Mara Tancred.
Biased, Romanticized, and Grossly Impractical:
A Beginner’s Guide to the Regions of Dema.

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 Part Two: The World
Tohol

Chapter 9: The Hive Halls

Everborn Still, the overwhelming majority of the Sporespawn
remained underground in the Hive Halls. As The
Overmind’s power expanded, it began exploring and

A
s the histories record, the first Sporespawn drones
establishing outposts deeper into the Valqet. Soon, The
to communicate with the surface of Dema reported
Overmind passed into the Thalkast, the darkest and most
that all Sporespawn were part of a greater whole
dangerous depths of the Valqet.
known as The Overmind. In the cavernous Valqet beneath
The Sundering. After centuries of molding the rock in
the northeastern Moon Realms, the Sporespawn worked in
diligent obedience, the Sporespawn suddenly went silent in
unity as a single superorganism. Each individual drone was
90 EM. Emissaries were no longer sent to the surface. The
a cell working in the interest of the greater body. Worker
Laying Gates that had served as waypoints for trade routes
drones tunneled vast networks of underground roads.
were sealed from the inside. The great roads The Overmind
Teeming settlements of living biomaterial were carved into
had built fell into disrepair.
the Valqet. All in service to The Overmind’s pondering,
expansive mind. In an instant, millions of Sporespawn awoke in a
deafening silence. What caused the Sundering is unknown
The underground cave cities The Overmind carved are
to even the Sporespawn themselves. The Overmind
known as Hive Halls. The three largest Hive Halls are
fragmented into countless pieces, almost ceasing to exist. In
Ikhish, Unrul, and Tohol. The first to be carved was Tohol.
a process now known as Nascency, millions of isolated
If Ikhish was The Overmind’s inquisitive mind, and Unrul
Sporespawn drones slowly sprouted consciousness and
its sculpting hands, then Hive Hall Tohol was its beating
individuality.
heart.
The Overmind’s supreme coordination of the supply lines
In time, The Overmind outgrew its home in the safe
that connected Hive Halls Tohol, Ikhish, and Unrul was
upper layers of the Valqet. It excavated passages connecting
severed. Nothing but new thoughts and fears flickering in
the Valqet to the surface world known as the Laying Gates.
the growing dark of the Valqet. Untold Sporespawn
On the surface, The Overmind established a handful of
perished from the psychological trauma. Even more starved
settlements in the sprawling fungal forest known as the
or fell prey to monsters from the Thalkast, now unchecked.
Oysmac. It built great surface roads, made contact with the
The carefully monitored organization of the Hive Halls
ancient Nightriders, and began trading with them.
completely collapsed.

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152
 With the shattering of The Overmind, the Sporespawn’s
ancient collective memory failed. None could remember
where The Overmind had come from or what it had labored
towards for centuries. In order to identify themselves as a
species, the children of the Sundering gathered around the
word “Qet,” their half-remembered word for “I.”
BIRTH OF THE EVERBORN
Almost instantly, the lawless Hive Halls were plunged into
war. A fragment of The Overmind had survived, nestled in
some dark corner of Hive Hall Tohol. It assailed the
Nascent thousands of the city with its cold fury. Although
many of the city’s free Sporespawn mounted a defense to
safeguard their new individuality, they failed.
Within a matter of months, just one mind remained in
Tohol. It descended from The Overmind but was intangibly
different from it. Like the Sporespawn individuals it
assimilated into its greater whole, it could not remember
what The Overmind once worked to achieve. In the hopes
of restoring its shattered mind, this new being threw itself
upon the free Sporespawn of Tohol. And as it reconquered
Everborn
Warrior Form
Redsky Core Book
153
the city, it felt itself reinvented, or “ever born” with each
independent mind it absorbed. With its victory over Tohol
complete, the Everborn became the name of this alien
faction. With its one mind still a fractured mess, the
Everborn had just one purpose.
The Endless War. The Everborn’s reconquest of Tohol
made war in the Valqet inevitable. Confederations of free
Sporespawn emerged in Hive Halls Ikhish and Unrul. With
their very souls at stake, the free Sporespawn resisted
bitterly. At incalculable cost, they just barely repelled the
Everborn’s first attacks. Resolved never to be assimilated
into the Everborn, the free Sporespawn of Ikhish and Unrul
began to transform their Hive Halls into unconquerable
fortresses. Not discouraged in the slightest, the Everborn
began growing new armies. The Hive Halls quickly
descended into a devastating and prolonged conflict known
as the Endless War. It would last almost two-hundred
years.
EXEMPLARS OF THE THRONE
After reunifying Hive Hall Tohol, the Everborn
reconstructing the cavernous city. Thousands of drones
riding gurno beetles worked in perfect unison clearing
rubble. The Everborn then built a massive biomechanical
entity at the center of Tohol known as the Throne of Thorns.
The Throne would serve as the nerve center for the
Everborn’s strategic and calculating mind. At nearly a
quarter mile in radius, the Throne is many orders of
magnitude greater at complex processing and critical
thinking than an average Sporespawn mind.
In the innermost sanctum of the Throne of Thorns, the
Everborn installed the body of a single Sporespawn. Known
as the Exemplar, this Sporespawn is fused to, and
eventually consumed by the Throne. Each Exemplar spends
every waking minute of their diminished lifespan serving
as the Everborn’s centralized avatar. Until they are
absorbed by the Throne and replaced by another,
Exemplars redirect the gestalt will of the Everborn
according to their personality. The regular change of
Exemplars makes the Everborn and its strategies less
predictable.
Miasma. The Everborn’s instructions are carried out
through a light green miasma released by large nerve
clusters called nodes. These nodes are all networked to each
other and to the Throne of Thorns. The miasma carries the
will of the Everborn to every Sporespawn body it puppets.
Free Sporespawn subjected to the miasma for long enough
are absorbed into the hive mind. As the miasma takes hold,
the independent consciousness or soul of Sporespawn
victims is slowly erased. Ultimately their bodies become
soulless husks, mere tools to be used by the Everborn as it
sees fit.
The Everborn maintains strict control over its nodes, since
any harm to them directly threatens its consciousness.
Nodes isolated from the network for too long can become
rogue nodes that spread disorienting instructions. The
Sundering scattered hundreds of rogue nodes throughout
the caverns and tunnels of the Valqet. By reintegrating
them, the Everborn can recover lost knowledge and ancient
memories.

Harbinger Zerling:
As per previous correspondence, this committee
urgently requests additional resources and
personnel be allocated to Zones U1-U260
Substrata, colloquially referred to by in-hull
Sentient Species in past cycles as ________,
“What Lies Below” in Runtok, _________,
currently “Thalkast” in Qet, and “The Hive Halls”
in Mundane.
Observation and Maintenance Team
assignment turnover rates for the Thalkast
have broken records for the third consecutive
cycle. Reasons cited include lack of amenities
and extraordinarily heightened risk of maiming
and death from underground terrorfauna.
Ongoing efforts to document both original
iterations and evolved terrorfauna are being
handled by Maguses Lem, Enrikes, Zapcosci,
Gigur, and Heldin.
Possible discovery of Outposts 4 and 10 by
major Sentient Species “Qet” cultural groups is
being exacerbated by subfactions' continuous
unearthing of dormant entities, several of
which appear to predate existing Cycle Time
Log by measure of frightening numbers of
millennia. Previous requests for any
information on file for _____, _____, entity or
entities sleeping in Zone U-124 “The
Panopticon,” and whatever can be learned of
“The Darkweaver” remain Tier Aeon priorities.
TOTAL WAR IN THE HIVE HALLS
As the Hive Halls descended into the bitterly divided
Endless War, the Everborn exploited every advantage. Deep
in Tohol’s warrens, the Everborn grafted weapons to the
limbs of warrior drones grown in massive batches. Over the
centuries, the Everborn produced millions of these soldiers
in the name of reclaiming the Hive Halls. Each new pool of
warrior forms became more and more specialized to fit the
Everborn’s changing needs. For instance, during the
Uprising and Exodus Eras, the Everborn retooled its armies
to more efficiently resettle and fortify smaller halls lost for
decades.
The Everborn’s two main adversaries are the Freespawn
of Hive Hall Ikhish and the Awakened of Hive Hall Unrul.
In the decades since the Everborn’s first failed attempt to
assimilate them, Ikhish and Unrul adopted radically
different forms of government. In Ikhish, the Freespawn
embraced a form of direct democracy. In Unrul, a brutal
dictator known as the Allspawn seized power after a violent
revolution. The indoctrinated masses who answer to the
beck and call of the Allspawn are known as the Awakened.
Tohol’s new master cared little for the hopes and dreams
of the Freespawn, or for the hardship of the hundreds of
thousands in Unrul suffering in the name of the Allspawn.
To the Everborn, the Freespawn and the Awakened were
simply wayward parts of a fractured whole. Each limb
needed to return to the collective body in order to mend
what the Sundering fractured.
154
For almost two centuries, the countless battles of the
Endless War echoed across the deep tunnels and
passageways of the Valqet. Armored Everborn swarms
would clash with Eldertech-wielding Freespawn only for
both to be torched by kill squads of Awakened
flamethrower units. At the Battle for the Cavern of the Deep
in 25 LS, the armies of the Everborn and Awakened armies
collided, setting off an explosion of natural gas felt even on
the surface.
In order to fuel the war raging underground, the
Everborn steadily chopped down the Oysmac Forest on the
surface. For decades, the Everborn displaced and terrorized
the handful of independent Sporespawn tribes that cropped
up in the Oysmac after the Sundering.
Over the decades, the Everborn slowly regained territory
by flooding the outlying tunnels it secured with its soul-
consuming miasma. Each node the Everborn’s swarms
planted spread the green haze of the Everborn’s will further
Part Two: The World
into the abyss.
Holding territory in the Valqet comes at the cost of
facing the terrifying entities that slowly trickle up and out
of the Thalkast below. Monstrosities that cannot be bested
by the Everborn’s swarms are sealed off by intentional cave-
ins. The Everborn documented its dark and monstrous
discoveries in a bestiary shared to the surface in 3 LS titled
The Fears Beneath. The tome was almost immediately
banned by Dema’s leaders to prevent causing a panic.
The Granite Years. From 37-41 LS, the Endless War
reached a crescendo of violence known as the Granite Years.
Even by the horrifying standard of the Endless War, the
Granite Years were cataclysmic. In 38 LS alone, the three
Hive Halls clashed at the Battle of Qotoq. Qotoq was a
minor industrial hive that had been built by The Overmind
on the nutrient-rich shores of an infested underground sea.
Sporespawn war historians estimate that over ninety
thousand combatants died as the settlement was captured
and recaptured half a dozen times.
The final engagement of the battle is the only recorded
instance of the Awakened and Freespawn briefly allying.
Together they manned subterranean coastal fortifications to
fend off the Everborn’s last assault. The cavern lit up with
Eldertech fire and other explosive projectiles detonating
against the swarm advancing rapidly through the waves.
Despite all the blood spilled for Qotoq, what little remained
of the hive was abandoned soon after the battle. It was
rendered uninhabitable by a new threat in the Valqet which
only seemed to grow more powerful with every passing
year.
The Brass Automata. From the deepest tunnels of the
Thalkast rose a tide of mechanical beasts. They swarmed
over all who stood in their way. Whether mindless artificial
metal or minions of some unknown entity, these arachnid-
like brass automata devastated hundreds of tunnel outposts
and minor hives beginning in 19 LS. In what seemed like
the intentional eradication of all life in the Valqet, the brass
automata spared nothing. Only a unified Sporespawn
faction could possibly hope to stem the tide. Yet the
struggle between the three Hive Halls would last to the
bitter end.
By the Redsky Era, the brass automata had surged and
evolved to the point that even the Everborn was forced to
The Hive Halls
either abandon the Valqet forever or succumb to the brass
automata’s tearing hacksaw claws. Fleeing to the surface in
101 LS, the Everborn struck an agreement with Emperor
Sicarius of the Solar Hegemony. What remained of the
Everborn would be allowed to live as refugees in exchange
for finding some way to keep the brass automata from
overrunning the world.
An Everborn Sporespawn has many roles to play in the
destiny of Dema. The vaults of Eldertech hidden deep in the
Thalkast are coveted by all of Dema’s peoples. Will your
characters be emissaries from The Overmind in a Heroic Era
campaign? Or will your drone rally the swarm against the
brainwashed columns of the Awakened in some
bloodstained tunnel? The Exemplars have agents all across
Dema hoping to find allies to fight in the Endless War. Will
you obey the will of the Everborn, or undergo Nascency
and defect to another Sporespawn faction? Forged in Tohol,
will you work towards or against the day when the many
return to the one?
Freespawn
The spirit of progress and innovation rarely guides an
entire culture with such passion as the ingenious citizens of
Hive Hall Ikhish. The Freespawn are a nation of free Qet
who cherish their consciousness and individuality. Every
advantage these tinkering, technologically minded
Sporespawn can gain is needed to survive in an
underground land overflowing with relentless perils. If the
Freespawn waver in their mission to bring wisdom and
hope to the Hive Halls, only mindless terrors and false
prophets will remain when the Redsky Era shakes Dema to
its core.
When The Overmind shattered into millions of
independently sentient Sporespawn drones in the
Sundering of 90 EM, the population of Ikhish awoke to a
harsh reality. With society in total disarray, most of the
supply lines linking the northern Hive Hall Ikhish to its
neighbors collapsed. To make matters worse, many of
Ikhish’s outlying settlements overlapped with the nesting
grounds of the scalerotten, blind and cunning reptilian pack
hunters that made short work of thousands of awakening
drones trying to find their footing in the dark.
The Blighted Years. The ensuing food crisis was even
more dire. Starvation and predation wiped out a majority of
Hive Hall Ikhish’s population. Only a hundred days’
reserve of fungal crops remained in the hive’s storehouses,
and much of it spoiled when a quake ruptured an Eldertech
wall that held back an underground lake, flooding a fifth of
the settlement. To make matters worse, a successor to The
Overmind called the Everborn sent thousands of combat
drones to subjugate the Freespawn.
Decades later, Freespawn chroniclers would refer to this
dark time as the Blighted Years. It was only through a live-
or-perish burst of innovation and unity over the remainder
of the Heroic Era that the first Freespawn survived to secure
their internal borders. This was accomplished by what may
be the truest form of democracy that has ever existed in
Dema: Consensus.
Redsky Core Book
155
A DEMOCRATIC CONSENSUS
Twice a month, or when an emergency session is called to
order, one hundred and forty-four Freespawn are randomly
selected to meet in Ikhish’s elaborately carved Symposia
Lodges. There they reach Consensus. By touching their
mycelia arms together, these Sporespawn can temporarily
meld minds with one another in order to quickly reach a
democratic agreement about how their society should
proceed. This sharing of ideas, memories, and sensations
with each other through touch is an ability unique to all
Sporespawn.
Although all Sporespawn can reach Consensus, only the
Freespawn use this ability for democratic ends. The
Everborn abuses this psychological vulnerability at range to
mentally dominate and absorb legions of drones into itself.
The Allspawn, the dictatorial master of Hive Hall Unrul,
outlawed Consensus under penalty of death in order to
perpetuate their absolute power. Only the liberated
Sporespawn of Ikhish champion the freedom of every
individual in their domain. It is for this reason that they
refer to themselves as “Freespawn.”
Strategy and Planning. The Freespawn have used
Consensus to save their realm on multiple occasions.
During the Blighted Years, it enabled them to carefully
determine which tunnel networks could be salvaged, and
which had to be closed off entirely to prevent being overrun
by cave horrors or advancing armies. Guided by the high
command of the Freespawn military, Consensus
empowered the Terraqet defense forces of Ikhish to
coordinate strategies and tactics to capture and hold border
hives that had been lost for decades.
The Freespawn also use Consensus to amplify their
creative and technological achievements. Thousands of
researcher forms experimenting in Ikhish’s Kolloquium
laboratories hold regular mind-melding conferences in
order to debate and disseminate the latest theories and
discoveries. This process is known as Reality Consensus.
The most significant of the discussions and findings are
transcribed by Freespawn wordsmiths onto clay tablets, and
then enshrined in Ikhish’s grand repository of knowledge
warehouses called the Daedelons. An orderly system of
recordkeeping is also needed to keep track of the
breathtaking production of new art and culture that
Consensus makes possible.
Top Scientists. By steadily accumulating wisdom and
fine-tuning their methodology, the Freespawn emerged as
the world’s best researchers and architects by the late 30s
and 40s LS. Their top secret repository of Eldertech known
as the Archives of Irkalla became the subject of outlandish
rumors the world over. Advances in biosculpting and
advanced biomaterial harvested from rare mosses, algae,
and fungi empowered the Freespawn to invent new tools
and specialized Sporespawn body forms. Although many
surface dwellers, known to the Sporespawn as ‘skyborn,’
covet the Freespawn’s access to the Thalkast’s tremendous
bounty of Eldertech, they do not envy the Freespawn’s
proximity to the ancient horrors that linger there.
The Freespawn’s reputation for technological mastery
drew the attention of the Arkwrights of Luminos and the
Scholasta of Mundi, who competed to collaborate with
them. Kolloquium researchers headed the production of no

less than ten new staple crops like lichen-millet and night
sorghum that helped ease the many food crises that often
plagued the lands above. The Freespawn sent hundreds of
research expeditions to the surface of Dema, always
inquisitive about the nature of reality and the wider world.
By maintaining strong diplomatic ties and abundant trade,
the Freespawn sustained their awe-inspiring progress.
This progress was not just achieved for its own sake.
Most of the Freespawn’s impressive technological
advancements were fueled and funded by their desperate
struggle to survive the centuries-long Endless War. For the
entirety of their history, the Freespawn have been in a state
of constant siege by the Everborn and the Awakened. To
make matters worse, Hive Hall Ikhish’s population is
smaller than Tohol’s and Unrul’s by a significant margin.
The Freespawn’s Terraqet military forces face ever larger
swarms sent by the Everborn. These warrior drones are
hard-wired to assimilate and destroy the individuality of
their Sporespawn victims. In 40 LS, during a catastrophic
period of the Endless War known as the Granite Years, the
Everborn launched a massive invasion against the
Freespawn with the goal of assimilating all of Ikhish. The
invaders were only defeated thanks to the brilliant
defensive strategy of the Terraqet and the sacrifice of tens of
thousand of Freespawn.
If the Everborn’s swarms were not bad enough, the
Freespawn also have to deal with the onslaught of the
Awakened. Their indoctrinated armies send flamethrower
divisions intent to cleanse the Valqet of the Allspawn’s
enemies. Against such terrifying foes, the Freespawn rely
on their technological edge and carefully considered
strategies. Just as invaluable are the Liberators, the
156
Part Two: The World
A Sporespawn
Defensive line
Freespawn’s elite special forces. Liberators often carry
Eldertech and infiltrate behind enemy lines to sabotage
supply lines.
Nascency. Although almost always outnumbered,
Freespawn forces make the most of devastating defensive
strategies, superior arms and armor, and their weaponized
stockpile of powerful Eldertech. Although not as effective
as the Everborn at assimilating defeated enemies into their
own forces, Freespawn military doctrine also relies on
turning enemies into allies. Liberators free captured
enemies from their mental shackles, and then arm them to
strike out at their previous masters.
Well-timed Liberator strikes at Everborn control nodes
can send units of the Everborn swarm into chaos as they
disconnect from the hive mind. If prevented from returning
to the swarm, these feral drones will slowly develop
individual consciousness in a process called Nascency. The
rehabilitation process for captured Awakened Sporespawn
can also take a very long time. Many Awakened
Sporespawn have to work through the immense
psychological trauma and indoctrination of their
upbringing. The task of capturing and rehabilitating
captured Everborn and Awakened Sporespawn is as
dangerous as it is painstakingly long, but it is a price that
Freespawn Liberators pay gladly. No Sporespawn is
beyond redemption.
Many Sporespawn freed in this way join up with the
Freespawn’s elite Liberators. Although not single-minded
in purpose like Awakened and Everborn soldiers,
Liberators are often willing to sacrifice everything to protect
the free society which they call home.
The Hive Halls
 Reality Consensus
of skyborn Direct
ensus utility clear . Many name s applic able. Truth Testing. Research and Realization. Aspects
Reality Cons
Benefits obvious.
Democracy. Freespawn guard process faithfully.
very of artifact "Liquid
orn date 29 LS. Frees pawn scouts raid Thalkast tomb. Heavy losses. Disco
Famo us exam ple. Skyb of action less so. Scouts retrieve
water instantly. Benefits self-evident. Manner
Spawner." Eldertech in origin. Production of liquid
it.
No observed external causes.
e. Density. Generation rate over time elapsed.
Isolate in Kolloquium Lab #B71. Observe volum st exper iments for uncertainty.
g. Consensus with Qet research forms. Adju
Testing. Preliminary results. Replication of testin s to wide r Ikhish .
born uncertainty. Present result
Speculate about possibilities. Further testing. Stub
Substances cannot
mline d by Cons ensus . Implic ations profo und. Assume previous law applies. Root's Law #3.
Peer revie w strea pulled from nothing unlikely.
"Liquid Spawner" theories discussed. Something
be created. Substances only converted. Multiple air not a simple. Mixture of
ative considered. Water in air to extract. Thesis:
Perhaps air transmuted to water? Fringe altern
multiple components.
civilizations. Query by head
n research seminar. Deference paid to Precursor
Untestable? Semantics? Rigorous debate withi g. Reve rse engin eering Eldertech done
Ikhish production capable of scalin
research form. This One Knows: results replicable? Everb orn siege of minor hive Teqet. Moldcrawlers
Awakened expanding.
before. Research required for survival. Front with ts spreading resources thin.
sustainability. Brass automata. Simultaneous effor
migrating from true east. Fungal crop yields below
Common need? Liquid water.
s proposes funding. Funding
research via consolidated cells. This One Know
"Liquid Spawner" given top priority. Collaborative cil reque sts result s. Results not feasible
elaps es. Little progress. Frust ration. Consensus called. Coun
tripled. Quad ruple d. Year Funding reallocation proposed
ted. Strategic retreats on frontlines disheartening.
within timeline. Timeline of project vigorously deba
to medical.
Absorption previously
per Of Absorption." Name applicable in retrospect.
Individual member of team present. Name "Kee omen on of "rain" from sky.
i. Keeper Of Absorption observed Humanity. Phen
stationed on surface. Diplomatic mission to Mund bioma terial with maxim um absorption. Water
garm ents retain ed liquid wate r. Fabri c absor bs. Why not biomaterial? Grow
Skyborn
terial. Harvest water like any crop.
in air Theory true? Water in air pulled inside bioma
tion faction objects. Keeper Of
es. Absorption presumes water in air. Transmuta
Keeper Of Absorption calls Consensus. Hall divid t mitigated by attempt's merit.
ss. Melancholy. Feelings of being imposter. Doub
Absorption mocked personally. Self-consciousne
Absorption enlists help of colleagues.
pts. Prove successful.
ss familiar. Testing. Retesting. Ten months of attem
Fungiculture research cell given parameters. Proce Yield s 2.1-6 metri c barrels. Aquavitaq
id biogrowth absorbs abundant water.
Creates modest biogrowth S117-Aquevitaq. Hybr ns. Pure wate r. Air simpl y becom es drier.
ces yield daily . Can absor b from pollut ed lakes. Can absorb from dry caver
produ
Absorption's words supposedly: "Eureka."
d accordingly. Assigned to
d. Doubters regretful. Keeper Of Absorption praise
Consensus called to show results. Council elate r for cleansing combat wounds.
begins. Aquavitaq given to frontline units. Wate
oversee production scaling. Yearlong trial period 43% . Warrior form morale intangibly
replacements. Hydration fatigue drops
Maintain chitin armor. Direct growth of spearhead ast fronti ers. Wate r-air compound theory enshrined.
. Colonies approved in Thalk
increases. Agriculture zone yields increase 61%
Absorption's law #1.
ter margin for disagreement
eds. Debate rules of Consensus modified. Grea
Possibility of incomplete truth noted. Work proce
reement is duty. No Consensus infallible.
testing. Lone objector remains in Consensus? Disag
ruins. Separated during battle
red 34 LS. Research expedition to Overmind
Years pass. Tragedy. Keeper Of Absorption captu of the self. Death of the soul.
Absorption. Body unrecoverable by teams. Loss
against Everborn. Everborn hive agents subsume
orn. Knowledge of Aquavitaq
sly. Absorption's memories cannibalized by Everb
Absorption declared "Grand Innovator" posthumou years pass. Awakened researchers
adoption by Everborn swarm. Two more
stolen. Exemplar produces copy of biogrowth. Mass gleho ld on dome stic Unrul strengthened.
at divisions enhanced. Stran
reverse-engineer Aquavitaq. The Allspawn's comb
lution in understanding.
ensus ? Innov ation wher e once was impossibility. Causal ripple-effect in fate. Revo
Legacy of Reali ty Cons in despite entreaties. Conversely
ty. Progress. Flaws? Doubtless. Factions rema
Potential options expand. Competence. Adaptabili rption consensus paragon.
ithstanding. No Qet goes thirsty. Keeper Of Abso
Dema is better. Consider Aquavitaq. Factions notw Truth is impor tant. Even if it empowers
ty Consensus pinnacle of collaboration.
Reshaped universe comprehension for water. Reali
enemies.
to the dark.
nevertheless worthy. Strive. Seek. Find. Not yield
All consequences unforeseen. Freespawn ideals
-dialect Qet,
-Remembers The Forgotten, Translated from Ikhish
elon Clay Tabl et #D-1 7214 A, 78 LS.
Freespawn Daed

Redsky Core Book

157
RETREAT TO THE SURFACE
Far removed from the Endless War fought in the tunnels
and caves of the Valqet, the Freespawn maintain a number
of small enclaves on Dema’s surface. They come together in
cities like Mundi, Luminos, Hollowfalls, and Etherea. These
outposts are vital for the sake of the Freespawn’s Eldertech
trade and diplomacy. It is not uncommon for small groups
of Freespawn to be cut off from the central government in
Ikhish for long periods of time, often on far-off excursions
to gather more information for the defense of their culture.
During the 50s LS, thousands of Freespawn were directed
to journey aboveground to settle in the jungles of the
Midlands. They established half a dozen large Ark Colonies
as an insurance in case Hive Hall Ikhish was ever
conquered or had to be abandoned. During the late Exodus
and Redsky Eras, these Ark Colonies became key players in
the politics of central Dema, intermingling with and
commanding respect from Dema’s five other peoples.
Even as aboveground Freespawn culture flourished, the
Endless War that came to define the underground Valqet
continued to rage. The myriad threats were so all-
consuming that the Freespawn dedicated a staggering tenth
of their treasury to relaxation and entertainment just to
maintain morale and stave off the creeping sense of despair.
Although initially intended only for domestic use, some of
the goods the Freespawn invented made their way to the
surface. Completely new musical instruments and
brilliantly colored biofabric sold in the far markets of Dema
for enormous sums.
Despite all the horrors and invading armies which
threatened to destroy Ikhish during the centuries-long
Endless War, the Freespawn were not prepared for the
brass automata. On one fateful day in 19 LS, deep in the
dark trenches of the Thalkast, the brass automata emerged
and attacked. A constant escalating threat for the rest of the
Freespawn’s history, the brass automata always attacked in
sudden and unpredictable waves, each worse than the last.
They swarmed into the Hive Halls by the thousands to
eviscerate any living thing in their path. With each new
wave, new variations of brass automata emerged, adapting
to the tactics which Sporespawn had used to halt their
advance in past encounters. Eventually, every Freespawn
hive became a fortress designed to repel an enemy that
knew no fear or need for rest.
As the brass automata overran smaller settlements, some
of the Valqet’s major tunnels were sealed off in desperate
bids to halt the advancing metallic death. Thousands of
Freespawn gave their lives in horrifyingly costly last stands
just to buy their engineers enough time to collapse the
chambers behind them. Against an enemy where only
Eldertech and immense sacrifice proved effective,
Freespawn innovation was pushed to the breaking point.
Evacuation. By 97 LS of the Redsky Era, five years after
Unrul’s population vanished into the Great Seed, the
Freespawn, facing extinction, finally decided to evacuate
Ikhish. Although most chose to leave, a few thousand
veterans called the Last Curators clung to the hard-fought
ancestral home of the Freespawn. The Last Curators sealed
themselves in the city, preferring to die on their feet than to
abandon the ground where their distant ancestors had once
declared themselves free. Their ultimate fate is unknown.
158
Freespawn
Hexagonal
Clay Tablets
The rest of the surviving Freespawn resettled to the Ark
Colonies or were welcomed into the Hominid Dominion.
Part Two: The World
The boundless knowledge and skill of these Sporespawn
refugees played a key role in defending the great city of
Mundi. Their weaponry and experience against a century of
nightmares helped even the odds against the cataclysms of
Dema’s final years.
In its prime the great Hive Hall Ikhish, though shrouded
in the darkness of the Valqet, blazed with the light of
progress. There was no finer home for a machinist, sage, or
architect in all of Dema. Will you guide Heroic Era
Freespawn on their path to freedom through the Blighted
Years? Or will you join the Liberators on special operations
missions against Awakened armies and Everborn swarms?
Perhaps your characters will play a role in Ikhish’s darkest
hour, as the brass automata flood the Valqet? For
Freespawn, knowledge and bravery alone stand against all
terrors that crawl and stalk the caverns of catastrophes past.
Awakened
It may be better that most in Dema are not aware of the
industrial titan gathering strength beneath their feet. Few
would feel at ease knowing the Awakened, masters of Hive
Hall Unrul, dictatorship of the deep, compels the drones
toiling in its seething industrial realm towards one goal: the
power and glory of the Allspawn.
Unrul is the most remote and isolated of the three great
Hive Halls. Unrul’s cavern is so tall that only truly
monumental stalactites can be seen poking down through
the mists above like jagged teeth, as if the city were in the
mouth of some perilous titan. In the basin and among the
stalagmites as wide as plateaus dwell hundreds of
thousands of Sporespawn whose ancestors first gained
independent consciousness during the Sundering. Hive
Hall Unrul is an ever-expanding mass of misery laboring
beneath a tyrant so overbearing that the word oppression
cannot fully express their control.
Sundered Nightmare. Such an unusually extreme state
was born in the far past of the Heroic Era, after the
Sundering spilled millions of Sporespawn individuals into
existence in 90 EM. Many Unrul Sporespawn quickly fell to
cave horrors and feral drones driven to insanity. Fierce
fighting raged over the shrinking supply of the city’s
resources. The most direct tunnels connecting Unrul to the
The Hive Halls

This committee reiterates the need for
Prospero to further distance evolutionary
parameters away from the sentient mega
entities developed by distant predecessors.
Containment measures across _____ or more
isolation chambers are in critical disrepair or
suffer outright failure of containment
integrity. Teams sent in to cull wider
contamination of entities have been
deactivated due to high casualties or outright
disappearance. Asset recovery efforts fall to
Maguses Lazwiz and Vulfe.
Ruins of past civilizations are extensive.
Eldertech saturation rates remain acceptable.
Thorough tectonic remodeling has cycled in not
only subterranean ruins, but those that once
existed on the surface in Cycles _____,
unfortunately _______, and possibly ____.
neighboring Hive Halls collapsed. The only remaining
passages between the Hive Halls passed through the vast
Thalkast below and the teeming fungal Oysmac Forest
above. Unrul, like Ikhish, had depended on food shipments
from Tohol, which permanently ceased in the wake of the
Sundering. The collapse of Unrul in these first years of
isolation was known to later generations of residents as the
Nightmare of Echoes.
RISE OF THE ALLSPAWN
The situation in Unrul eventually stabilized under the
leadership of a group of Sporespawn mind forms known as
the Munificent. They helped defend the city from the
Everborn, a successor to The Overmind, at the beginning of
the Endless War. Afterwards, the Munificent organized the
independent Sporespawn of the city to secure and rebuild
areas of Unrul that could be salvaged, including most of the
old manufacturing sectors.
As the years passed, however, these elite Sporespawn
increasingly structured Unrul society to lord over and
exploit their fellow drones, seduced by pride and greed.
While the survival of the city remained a priority, the
hardship the Munificent had imposed on others while
themselves living in aloof luxury soon became hated by
many. The Munificent began to be openly mocked by those
who convened at Unrul’s Consensus Hall to discuss the
city’s fate.
The Silent Plague. Tensions soared with the outbreak of
the Silent Plague. Almost always fatal to Sporespawn, the
Silent Plague spread through touch, the very means of
reaching Consensus that the citizens of Unrul used to
communicate with one another. With Unrul’s leaders
underestimating the scope of the threat and mismanaging
their response at nearly every step, thousands of
Sporespawn in Unrul soon fell ill, their limbs paralyzing
before coma and death set in. The collapse of Unrul’s
civilization once again seemed imminent.
The Allspawn and the Awakened. As fate had it, one
lowly commoner drone who would become known as the
Allspawn coordinated a coup that overthrew the Munificent
Redsky Core Book
159
in 41 EM. The Allspawn established decisive, unshakable
control over the hive’s administration and military. There
would be food, shelter, safety, and order for their
innumerable children after the great struggle was complete.
The movement was coined “The Awakened” to symbolize
rebirth in the Allspawn’s grand vision of a thousand years
of peace to be won by war.
Nobody could have guessed that the Allspawn would
somehow prolong their own lifespan for more than a
century. The Allspawn insisted that only they could rally
the masses, and that the destiny of the Qet species would be
built on the corpses of the weak. The Silent Plague had to be
burned away. The Everborn hive mind needed to be
murdered. The ”anarchic” and “counter-revolutionary”
Freespawn had to be cleansed from the Valqet, with
flamethrowers if necessary. The Allspawn decreed that all
the Hive Halls would be united by war, righteous in their
will, and stronger than any society above or below the
surface of Dema. One day, the Allspawn thundered, their
state would spread to cover the land and reign over a peace
won by the labor of the worthy.
The work began, then intensified tenfold. Soon, all
interaction with the other Sporespawn realms plunged into
armed conflict. As a result of a near total ban on Consensus
in Unrul to slow the Silent Plague, it was almost impossible
for most Awakened to be sure who among their neighbors
were totally indoctrinated to the Allspawn’s vision, and
who conformed out of fear. All the while, the Allspawn’s
military rallies reverberated from the Eternity Fields in the
Polity Quarter.
The Defiant. By the 10s and 20s LS, the Allspawn was
growing armies of indoctrinated soldiers and purposely
starving them to encourage brutality. With the goal of
creating biological war machines, the Allspawn’s regime
stamped out any sign of disobedience in its citizens. They
slowly molded the bodies of all in the city to the whims of
the state, with increasingly specialized bioforms enforced
on each new generation. Just as the Thalkast was
unforgiving, the Allspawn reasoned, so must its destined
people be.
In response, half a dozen resistance movements
collectively known as the Defiant sprung up within Unrul.
They had varying degrees of success at challenging the
Allspawn’s iron rule. Most of the Defiant were captured
and consigned to the Silent Quarter, where they were
expected to labor until the plague took them. Some escaped
to Ikhish or to the surface, but periodically returned on
resistance missions to sabotage the Awakened’s efforts. The
Defiant gave some small measure of hope to the dwindling
number who privately opposed the Allspawn but were
petrified by the society they found themselves trapped in.
The Allspawn slowly conditioned the Awakened to
associate the state’s ‘truth’ with salvation, and the honest
truth with disease and anarchy. Equally important to the
Allspawn’s propaganda machine was the average citizen’s
almost total ignorance of the world above. Tornados,
churning seas, and dense rainforests all existed on the
surface, lit beneath an eternal sun. Knowledge of such
things occasionally made its way from the surface to the
people of Unrul through foreign-born officials called
Pariahs. Yet these facts increasingly seemed bizarre and
alien to the underground culture.
COLONIZING THE SURFACE
As the Allspawn consolidated more and more power
throughout the Exodus Era, Awakened agents increasingly
appeared on the surface. Surface dwellers are referred to by
the Sporespawn as “skyborn,” though this translation is
rough, since traditional Qet dialects lack a word to describe
the aboveground sky. Skyborn that did not know the full
nature of the Allspawn’s despotism soon found small
communities of especially loyal Awakened soldiers,
merchants, and diplomats establishing themselves in many
of the largest surface cities of Dema.
The work of the Allspawn’s agents was wide-ranging.
Some secured crucial trade contracts and sent materials
back to Unrul to support the Awakened in the Endless War.
Others recruited skyborn laborers and specialists on
profoundly misleading contract terms. Awakened
emissaries and wordsmiths worked to dissuade skyborn
leaders from cooperating with the Allspawn’s enemies.
Awakened assassins trained from childhood, known as
Murkhaunters, killed prominent Sporespawn figures living
on the surface. All of the Allspawn’s servants lied outright
about the dystopian state of Unrul below. The
Sporespawn’s three-way jockeying for influence on the
surface was documented in a collection of various
manuscripts called The Skyborn Chronicles, until its Scholasta
author disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
Back down below, armored Everborn swarms clashed
with Awakened flamethrower units over key border hives
for months that became years in the Endless War. From
37-41 LS, during a particularly devastating period of the
Endless War known as the Granite Years, Freespawn
Liberators constantly threatened the Allspawn’s mental
control. The Liberators ambushed and rehabilitated
Awakened
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entire Awakened units, turning them against the Allspawn.
Then, nearly a third of the Allspawn’s armies perished in
the Battle of Qotoq in 38 LS. Although victorious, the
Allspawn sent tens of thousands to their death only for the
minor hive to be abandoned.
Even as the Granite Years ended, terrible dangers began
closing in on Unrul. From 40-52 LS, to Unrul’s west and
north, cave horrors and other monsters from the Thalkast
were steadily displaced into Unrul’s outer mushroom farm
territories by the savage worm men. These wriggling
masses were more than beasts but less than people. The
threat of the worm men was only halted in 52 LS with aid
from several skyborn groups that dared to uncover the
worm men’s lair at the Great Burl.
Automata Swarms. All the while, the mechanical brass
automata swarmed out from the Thalkast, halting the
Awakened’s expansion by inflicting grinding casualties on
their frightened soldiers. The news of these defeats returned
Part Two: The World
from the front with the thousands of maimed Awakened
warriors. These survivors were merely luckier than the
divisions of dead lost in caverns permanently sealed behind
the retreating Awakened. Survivors would whisper of the
Thalkast’s many terrors to their friends and loved ones just
before they were gathered up and taken to an unknown
location by the Allspawn’s Thought Guardians. Those who
could be rehabilitated were redeployed to the front of the
Endless War. Those who could not were methodically
erased from the public consciousness by the Thought
Guardians. Less than gone, they never were.
In the mind of each Defiant resistance member, each
individual’s life freed from the Allspawn’s yoke made their
struggle worthwhile. Sporespawn liberated from the
Awakened numbered in the tens of thousands by the late
50s LS, scattered to Ikhish and beyond. Most tried to find
The Hive Halls
 some new purpose with their precious chance at freedom.
At this point, many skyborn leaders had heard testimonies
from defectors about the unrelenting misery in Unrul. A
notable number of leaders nevertheless continued
The Allspawn diplomacy and trade to obtain Unrul’s unique natural
resources and industrial goods for their own nations.
New Nexus. In 61 LS of the Exodus Era, the Awakened
established a large surface colony called New Nexus at the
southwestern tip of the Midlands. This incredible logistical
feat was seemingly finished overnight. The cost to broker
the colonists’ passage was unknown but rumored to be
extreme. It was rumored to have been carried out by a
powerful ally on the surface known only as the Maven. The
goal of New Nexus was to find and eliminate the Ark
Colonies of the Freespawn, whom the Allspawn insisted
were on the verge of defeat in the Endless War. Only
vicious punishments and strict enforcement of discipline by
Thought Guardians kept the Awakened colonists at New
Nexus from deserting.
Battles with Ark Colony forces, the neighboring Jana’haki
corsair kingdoms, many Featherfolk factions, and the perils
of the forest dwindled the colonists’ numbers until only
several thousand remained. The surviving New Nexus
colonists eventually revolted against the Thought
Guardians in 69 LS, declaring independence from the
Allspawn. The Allspawn’s revenge was short and swift.
Hundreds of the colonists’ loved ones back in Unrul were
sent to the Silent Quarter, or banished unarmed into the
Chasm of Oblivion, where even cave horrors do not dare
linger long.

THE GREAT SEED

The Awakened Sporespawn operating on the surface in 92
LS were just as shocked as everyone else when all contact
with Unrul suddenly, and without warning, ceased.
Expeditions seeking to find out what happened to Unrul’s
last fortifications in and around the hive never returned.
Down in the echoing basin, work on a permanent barrier
against the unrelenting brass automata had secretly been
accelerated by the last of the now exhausted Awakened
military. No amount of mass growings and twisted
biosculpting could produce the numbers needed to push
back the brass automata flooding into the Valqet. The Great
Seed was the Allspawn’s twisted solution. It became a
harder-than-steel biomaterial seal to encase the entire hive.
Within the supposedly unbreachable walls of the Great
Seed, the Allspawn hoped Unrul would survive the
apocalypse pouring forth from the Thalkast. Once the
danger had passed in the far future, the Awakened would
emerge a perfect conquering force of wrath. In the
meantime, the Allspawn’s control over Unrul would be
total. In truth, any number of factors might have doomed
the population within. If any Awakened in Unrul were still
alive by 102 LS, it is better not to wonder what fear and
fanaticism they felt as their fates were literally sealed by the
Great Seed.
There are few places darker or more frightening for
characters than Hive Hall Unrul. You might be a lowly
Heroic Era Sporespawn dreaming of vengeance against the
Munificent. Or do you count among the untold thousands
sent by the Allspawn to die in the Endless War? Maybe you
are a warrior form trying to unlearn their indoctrination

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161
after defecting to the Freespawn. Characters from Unrul
have faced more tests to their morals and conscience than
almost anyone else. In the tyrant Hive, if the price for your
security is your freedom, will you forge the story of a
Defiant hero, or add to the sins of these forsaken, fearful
eyes in the dark?
Leaders
The Allspawn
Despots can only dream of the absolute control over society
wielded by the Allspawn. The lives of millions of
Sporespawn have perished in the name of the Allspawn’s
unshakeable vision for the future: a thousand years of peace
and equanimity to be achieved by the extermination of all
contaminated Sporespawn in the Hive Halls.
Grown as a nameless logistics drone within The
Overmind, the person who would one day become the
Allspawn was once one of the countless thousands of
Sporespawn who traumatically gained sentience as a result
of the Sundering in the Heroic Era. During these early years
of individuality, the nameless drone suffered immensely,
barely surviving the chronic food shortages and plagues
which ravaged Unrul’s lower classes. The nameless drone
soon began calling themself One Who Cleans, after their
chosen profession of clearing debris and sanitizing public
spaces.
THE MUNIFICENT AND THE DISPOSSESSED
One Who Cleans and tens of thousands of Sporespawn like
them barely scraped by in Unrul as an oligarchic group of
mind forms known as the Munificent steadily amassed
power and almost all the city’s resources. The Munificent
announced a great reconstruction of Unrul, promising to
rebuild the city with their wealth and the support of the
people. Overjoyed, thousands contributed their work and
what little they had. Their efforts produced Unrul’s
immaculate Polity Quarter, which the Munificent quickly
claimed for themselves. When it emerged that the laborers
were not to be paid, the Munificent chided the city’s poor to
pick themselves up from poverty as the Munificent had. As
One Who Cleans watched this injustice unfold, a seething
anger slowly grew inside them.
The hardship of the most wretched in Unrul doubled
with the outbreak of the Silent Plague in 43 EM. Over the
next two years, nearly a quarter of the city’s residents
perished as the touch-spread, mind-decaying disease
gripped the hive. Cleans was tasked with the disposal of the
dead, an experience they never forgot.
Sheltered away from the masses, the Munificent did
nothing to act as entire poor neighborhoods became
infected. So long as the rich Polity Quarter remained safe,
the Munificent were insulated from the hardship in their
bubble of comfort. Without firm leadership, Unrul was on
course to total collapse.
Rising Up. Like many in Unrul at that time, the anger
within One Who Cleans spilled over into abject hatred for
the Munificent. Poor, angry mobs of Sporespawn calling
themselves the Dispossessed began attacking the homes of
the entrenched elite. With their bright mind and great
162
While total number of surviving populations is
unknown, at least several feral Sentient
Species “Qet” tribes endure in the lower
sectors of the Thalkast, as well as devolved
remnant bands of Sentient Species “Ikto” in
Zone U57, Sentient Species “Altana” on the
banks of the Substrata Sea Q5,
______________________, and several
troglodytic offshoots of Sentient Species
“Homa” that appear to be rediscovering
rudimentary technology and cultural thinking
at the bottom of _________. These offshoots
have been flagged by Maguses Vern, Travvis,
Wels and Kordweynur as potential successor
species to Sentient Species “Homa” given
enough time to re-evolve.
Infrastructure from past Outposts
Part Two: The World
_________________________ chance to be
salvaged, though priority must remain at
bringing Zones back under acceptable
parameters of control. Assessment of worth at
attempts to reactivate ship decks ____
through ____ far beneath the Thalkast remain
inconclusive. These spaces are archaic, long
abandoned to prioritize resources to other
more critical decks. Possible dangers in these
mythical lost decks that have lacked any
supervision for many crew generations are
unsettling.
charisma, One Who Cleans soon became involved with the
loudest of the Dispossessed rallies in Unrul’s Habitation
Quarter. It was here that Cleans became fast friends with a
broad-shouldered, young, and idealistic warrior form
known as Suffers No Weakness. Known for their
unshakeable compassion to the less fortunate of the hive,
Suffers was a hopeful, principled, and popular ally among
the protesters. They would be a resolute companion and
save Cleans’s life from Munificent assassins on countless
occasions.
It was not long before tension escalated into armed
conflict in Unrul. Skyborn mercenaries were soon brought
in by both factions. For many Sporespawn, these alien-
looking outlanders were their first interaction with the
surface world. After overcoming language barriers, a core
group of skyborn supporters called Pariahs formed around
the Dispossessed. After the sudden deaths of several
resistance leaders, One Who Cleans and Suffers No
Weakness became top leaders of the Dispossessed,
including control of the Pariahs. Suffers accepted the job
hesitantly, while Cleans leapt at the chance to assert their
vision for the cause.
Means to an End. Soon after, co-leaders of the
Dispossessed who spoke out against the stunningly violent
methods Cleans’s used in their obsessive pursuit of justice
began disappearing or having ‘accidents.’ Especially public
acts of vandalism, bombs made from Wakewalker material
called mu, and other displays of terror struck Munificent
The Hive Halls
markets and estates in the Polity Quarter, with sigils of
Cleans’s Pariahs left grafittied onto the walls.
At the height of the conflict, a great fire in the Habitation
Quarter threatened to destroy the whole hive. Only One
Who Cleans knew the true source of the inferno. In the
wake of the blaze, the power of the Munificent finally
collapsed. Using the chaos as an opportunity to overpower
the Polity Quarter’s weakened defenses, Cleans and Suffers
organized a bloodthirsty mob which stormed the estates of
the Munificent and indulged in a flurry of violence.
In the months that followed, One Who Cleans conceded
to the demands of the other remaining resistance leaders to
halt the revolutionary violence, and set to work instead on
the post-Munificent recovery in the Polity Quarter. Cleans
placed the most devastated part of Unrul under quarantine
and declared it ‘the Silent Quarter.’ The infected were
forcibly relocated there to combat the emergency, as did a
number of those who openly criticized the post-revolution
order. Over the next few years, Cleans and their underlings
claimed what remained of the Munificent’s wealth and
power for themselves. Very few resistance leaders not
personally loyal to One Who Cleans survived the chaotic
social upheaval which followed, known as the Great
Awakening.
One Who Cleans’s consolidation of power in Unrul was
only hastened by mounting external threats from the
Everborn and the Freespawn. Holding enormous
paramilitary rallies in the Polity Quarter’s new Eternity
Fields, Cleans’s masterful oration stoked the public’s fear of
being consumed by the Everborn, and spun the conspiracy
that the Freespawn were planning to restore the Munificent
to power in Unrul. At the same time, Cleans lured in
thousands with the promise of salvation: a thousand years
of equanimity and peace to be ushered in after the
destruction of Unrul’s enemies. By manipulating the
public’s desperation, fear, and resentment, One Who Cleans
resumed, and then immortalized the violence of the
revolution.
UNVEILING A NEW FORM
Approaching the final years of their life, One Who Cleans
was harrowed by the idea that nobody would be competent
enough to continue their righteous existential struggle. As
Cleans’s body withered away, a terrible plan began to hatch
in their mind.
At another triumphant speech to cheering crowds on the
Eternity Fields, One Who Cleans emerged in a stunning
new form to the public. Now a towering seven feet in height
and clad in rust-colored, armored, chitinous flesh, Cleans
declared their loyal followers “Awakened.” Their society
was reborn for the sole purpose of bringing about their
thousand years of revolutionary glory by spear and
struggle. The Awakened of Unrul would never again
succumb to the nightmares of the past, Cleans thundered.
As the crowd stood in rapt attention, Cleans urged them to
be merciless with the savage pests that now encircled
Unrul. True peace was possible, but only through violence
and the unwavering leadership of one Sporespawn. One
Who Cleans, to the adoring cheers of the hive, declared
themselves that leader, reforged as the Allspawn, master of
the Awakened.
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It was not truly One Who Cleans who delivered the
grand speech. The once-nameless drone who helped topple
an oligarchy had forged a terrible pact with fate. With the
aid of Pariah sages, Cleans had kidnapped Suffers No
Weakness, the strongest and youngest surviving leader of
the Dispossessed. This betrayal of a lifelong and loyal friend
was, in Cleans’s twisted view, a necessary evil. Suffers’
loyalty was little comfort to them when the surgeries and
grafting commenced.
Using an altered rogue node seized from the Everborn,
Cleans wiped away Suffers’ memories like misplaced chalk,
and then filled the empty and tortured vessel with Cleans’s
memories and will. As the body stirred like a marionette, an
exact mental copy of One Who Cleans awoke and beheld
their own incredible strength. The strongest mind for the
strongest body. One who could take up the awful mantle of
the Allspawn.
The crumbling body of the original lingered, gazing
madly upon their monstrous twin. Then, in three quick
strikes, the Allspawn Secundus killed the original One Who
Cleans, bringing the awful ritual to its necessary end.
Absolute Control. With the Awakened at their command,
the Allspawn wielded absolute power over Unrul over the
next several decades. The unshackled echo of their
memories ordered forced conscription, biological
experimentation, suicide charges, and even the
extermination of minor hives by specialized flamethrower
units. The Allspawn justified these ever more oppressive
measures as the unavoidable cost of the prophesized
thousand years of peace. They “solved” Unrul’s food
shortages by introducing a nutrient paste secretly made
from the recycled bodies of Sporespawn condemned in the
Silent Quarter. Only the Allspawn and their new secret
police called the Thought Guardians knew the truth about
the nutriment paste which brought an end to Unrul’s great
hunger. The Silent Plague broke out again repeatedly over
the years, always at the opportune moment for the
Allspawn to reconsolidate power to crush the Defiant, the
city’s anti-Allspawn counterrevolutionaries.
As years became decades, external threats multiplied.
Unrelenting worm men, escaped darakal abominations
from the lost colonies of Stigia, and advancing armies of
Everborn and Freespawn fueled the Allspawn’s draconian
policies of expansionism.
Tertius and Quartus. Despite countless ‘voluntary’ organ
transplants from zealous followers, the Allspawn’s body
once again grew weak with time. In 12 LS, the Allspawn
carried out another tortured ritual to transfer their
consciousness into a vat-grown body. Near ten feet tall with
a black and gold carapace to suit the nation’s new
iconography, the Allspawn Tertius murdered their past self
to take up the mantle of the thousand year peace once
again. Designed to accommodate transplants more easily,
this third incarnation survived long enough to face the full
horror of the brass automata, which eventually brought an
end to the life in the Valqet during the Redsky Era.
Sometime in the 70s LS, in a shroud of secrecy, the
Allspawn Tertius gave way to the Allspawn Quartus, a new
form akin to a demigod among Sporespawn. After the
Allspawn’s grand plans for New Nexus on the surface
failed, they secretly began constructing the Great Seed.
They hoped that this unbreachable shell would serve as a
final defense against the brass automata. As mechanical
limbs closed in around Unrul in 92 LS, the Allspawn quietly
sealed the Hive Hall off from the world, disappearing from
recorded chronicles. Sees The Light
As with many in history who stand atop piles of skulls, it
is likely the Allspawn spent their final days still laboring for
their hopeless and twisted dream of a thousand years of
rule. Warped beyond recognition, the centuries-old mind of
the Allspawn had watched, unmoved, as twelve
generations of Awakened Sporespawn lived and died at
their whim. In the mind and world of the Allspawn, war
became its own peace, and every horrible means became its
own end. Progress demands sacrifice, for the good of all
spawn.

Sees The Light

Part Two: The World

The drone that would one day become Sees The Light was
grown alongside tens of thousands of other Everborn
warrior forms in 36 LS. Their entire spawn group was
intended to serve as the vanguard in the Everborn’s mass
assault on the Freespawn at the height of the Granite Years
in 40 LS. This generation of soldiers was grown with several
combat evolutions. Their mycelia were perfect for gripping
tapered blades, with armored carapaces twice as thick as a
worker form. With only a primitive level of independent
consciousness, the leading Exemplar of the Everborn filled
them with just one purpose: to wage a total war until
victory or death.
When the foretold year of the invasion came, the
Everborn had amassed its swarm: ten thousand shock troop
drones to pierce and overrun the enemy’s defensive
formations, twenty thousand agile skirmishers to hound the
enemy’s supply lines mercilessly, and thirty thousand
worker forms to feed and support the assault. All
coordinated and controlled by one hundred command
nodes, pulsing continuously with the miasmic will of the
Everborn. The swarm attacked suddenly and without
warning, subjugating entire border hives in a matter of
days. What little resistance the swarm faced, it tore through.
The Everborn’s machine of war seemed unstoppable. The
central column of the assault faced little opposition as it
surged ever closer to the Freespawn capital at Ikhish.

CAUGHT IN AN AMBUSH
The first large-scale conflict between Everborn warriors and
the Freespawn Terraqet defense forces began in far outlying
tunnels, where skirmishers failed to overwhelm Terraqet
defenses. Just as the Everborn’s vanguard closed in on
Ikhish, the Freespawn sprung their trap. A series of
coordinated explosions and tunnel cave-ins pinned down
the Everborn’s main force for days. Seizing the initiative,
the Freespawn began counter-attacking on the distant
flanks. Liberators targeted the Everborn’s command nodes
deep in enemy territory. With each node destroyed,
thousands of worker drones supplying the swarm went
dark. The momentum behind the Everborn’s attack came to
a halt as chaos consumed the border hives that the swarm
had ‘secured’ just weeks prior.
By the time the vanguard of the swarm had dug itself out,
the advancing armies of the Freespawn had surrounded it.

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164
Absolute carnage ensued. The Everborn’s armored drones
threw themselves against the Freespawn, intent only to kill
as many of the enemy as possible. By the time the fighting
stopped, the entire vanguard lay dead or captured,
alongside the corpses of more than fifteen thousand
Freespawn warriors.
Captured and Liberated. The drone that would soon
become Sees The Light had been captured, along with many
other warrior forms, by the extreme efforts of a bold
Liberator named Holds The Dark. With the last of the
Everborn’s nearby nodes destroyed, Sees The Light began
the long journey into independent consciousness known as
Nascency.
For days, a drone lingers, almost catatonic. Then, in the
dark recesses of their mind, there is a whisper of a song. At
first, the voice sings to them with great hesitation, unsure of
its right to exist. Then it grows louder. In the end, the singer
proclaims that it is one — an “I,” a “me” — a free Qet.
Like all Freespawn, the responsibility of determining
what to do with life was one’s own, and only one’s own.
Sees The Light was nameless for a time, drifting about
Ikhish, unsure what to do. After a great many listless days,
Sees The Light eventually found their calling, choosing like
many other liberated warriors to defend their newfound
democratic state.
Sees The Light spent the next eight years as a Terraqet
warrior patrolling the Thalkast. Although Sees The Light
rose rapidly through the officer ranks, the eternal dangers
of the Thalkast constantly upended their best efforts. Every
foothold gained soon came under siege by horrors
unleashed below. These ranged from brass automata to the
khimerians, shrieking creatures formed of a gaseous black
haze with inky tentacles that Freespawn legends say pull
warriors down into the underworld.
THE ASCENSION CRISIS
The ordeal that most tormented Sees The Light’s
professional life was the Ascension Crisis. In 42 LS, a
perfectly circular shaft a quarter mile wide with winding
stairs of quartz was discovered in the western territories by
the Freespawn while resettling nearby ruined minor hives
such as Tivit and Loxol. The shaft, dubbed the Maw, did not
seem to have a detectable bottom, continuing far into the
abyss below, where even the most provisioned expeditions
could not reach. The nearby Freespawn hives eventually
began using the Maw as a pit to dispose of industrial
waste.
The Ascension Crisis came in 48 LS when a ghastly,
eldritch entity rose from the Maw and spent weeks
obliterating hives like Tivit with attacks so powerful that
tremors were felt back in Ikhish. Despite the ongoing
evacuation of the hive Loxol, Sees The Light was ordered by
the Terraqet’s high command to seal off all adjoining
tunnels with bioconcrete and demolition charges.
Disobeying Consensus, Sees The Light prepared to lead a
relief team to evacuate Loxol’s survivors personally.
Before Sees The Light’s soldiers could depart, a single
crazed researcher drone from destroyed Tivit reached them,
claiming to bear a message from the entity. Consensus with
the drone revealed that the entity called itself the
Nevermore and was itself fleeing from another entity it
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165
called She Is Hunger, which was completing her ascent up
the Maw. The researcher drone relayed a countdown in
units of time the Freespawn did not understand, then took
their own life.
Rather than continue looking for Loxol’s survivors, which
had been on the verge of several critical medical and
scientific breakthroughs, Sees The Light requisitioned three
times more bioconcrete to seal the tunnel entrances,
inscribing a Qet symbol that roughly translated to “No” on
the most significant barrier. Decades later, when Freespawn
sappers checked that area of the Thalkast at the end of the
Exodus Era, they found that Light’s walls were still intact. A
faint rhythmic pulsing could still be heard from the far side,
which the sappers described as “singing.”
The Rudden. Forever haunted by their choice, the
Ascension Crisis prompted Sees The Light to establish the
Rudden, an elite multispecies group of combat specialists
tasked with finding and slaying massive entities throughout
the Thalkast. The goal was doomed from the start, but not
for lack of immense funding, ultra-rare Eldertech, and years
of questing. Known for their heraldry of a red flame
banishing dark tendrils, Sees The Light personally recruited
dozens of skyborn heroes passing through the Hive Halls.
Many more heroes joined the Rudden after seeing their
peers return to the surface world with vast rewards for
helping the Sporespawn secure, contain, and protect against
dangers that imperiled all of Dema. Over the following
years, the Rudden defeated or sealed away beings such as A
Thousand Mouths, Nyhilenph, Mohlaeg, and Not Mother,
feats retold as far away as the taverns of surface cities like
Mundi and Scintilla. While Light eventually hung up their
spear and shield in the face of injuries and old age, the
Rudden continued to operate until the closing decades of
the Levigo de Sola. Some even joined the Last Curators in the
final defense of Ikhish.
After a brief time of rest, the elderly Sees The Light came
out of military retirement in 71 LS to lead an elite
detachment of Liberators to the surface. The Freespawn Ark
Colonies in the jungles of the Midlands had begged for
reinforcements in their struggles against various foes.
Before departing from the skyborn city of Mundi, Sees The
Light walked off into the bustling city with a small group of
skyborn adventurers and former Rudden, leaving their
remaining officers to assume control and finish the relief
mission. They only said they had been made aware of
“greater danger.”
Considered derelict of duty by the Terraqet high
command, Sees The Light faded into memory until 99 LS of
the Redsky Era. Wandering Freesteed shamans visiting the
northeast Athenaeum came across a pendant of rare
jaradium ore on the peak of Mount Svetovit buried in snow
at the bottom of an impact crater. The pendant glowed with
a heat that seemed to never cool. Freespawn scholars living
as refugees in Luminos later identified the trinket as
belonging to Sees The Light. They reasoned that Light had
to have perished decades before, given the shortness of
Sporespawn lifespans. All the same, a freshly engraved
message was encoded on the pendant’s back — translated
to, We are ghosts, Dema dreaming, the mote in laughing
Creator’s eye.
 K: I go to Yaras. "The sea! The sea!" A good day.
Biosculpting
I did not clicked mouth to see in dark. Running did very little
kill or eat anything. But still good. running.
Swimming! Body breathed in flooded tunnels. Made
N: You must have been very proud, Katabas. Of all web
the between second set of arms to swim. We cross river
Varakwai I first met on my travels, you certainly made of sticks
the by going under, not across. Beetle with body box die
biggest impression. And yet, I still do not know how at fight
your with Gahla. Gahla was weak tentacle thing! Shou
ld not
journey began. have killed so many of us. Tasted awful.
K: Clan Kahr-Irunga look to kill biggest things in Dema N: Keep going.
. They
look for swimming Deep Ones. I say, Katabas, groun
d deep, K: Not much more to say. I am getting hungry. Well
too. Nobody on Irunga Island looks in rock. Rock old , felt like
as sea. weeks and months. Lower, lower, lower! One time
Deep Ones swim in rock? Smooths
Talking had to use spores from body to control wild
N: That is, erm, certainly an unexpected place to look. mushroom
bugs. Lived so deep they forgot themselves long ago.
Smooths could stun shadow hounds with spores too.
K: Yes. But biggest kill lives in biggest home. I must Made
find them have allergy like me with shellfish. Good friend
biggest hole. I ask shaman Vergal, how do I go under ! Miss
world? them all. Dead now.
Deeper than deep? Vergal says I must find mushroom
bug
people. N: All of them?

Part Two: The World

N: Katabas, I do not believe the Sporespawn like K: I think. When finally I get to Carion on His golde
being n throne,
called that. Their physical appearance- only Mines The Nether still with me. They were
very sad.
Only had dry dust to eat. Mines had one big shield
K: Ha! Some warriors I love like kin mushroom bugs! for arm.
Gave us cover as Carion talked and threw rocks. Lord
of All
N: I suppose. So, you found the Hive Halls? Rock.
K: Yes. I went to forest of mushrooms and said, with N: Was Carion the biggest enemy? The one you want
this ed to
many mushrooms, their roots must lead to mushroom find?
bugs. I
was right. I find first mushroom bug Protects The
Bough. K: Look up. Then down the beach.
They speak Mundane too. I say I want to kill bigge
st thing
under rock. Bough says they can show where mush N: What? At this cliff?
room bug
hero group meets. But I must be judged by mushroom
bug K: This is His head. Carion Timeless Tongues. Watc
golden stick. I hold. They say stick says I am "hesit her of
ant." Futility.
N: Katabas? Hesitant?
N: Sola. How did you kill Him?
K: That's what I say! I crush stupid stick and laugh.
Bough K: Very carefully.
says I should go on hero journey into certain death.
N: Well. Which, erm, mushroom bug people clan was N: And how did you get the skull back?
this?
And did your companions say where this all took place K: Very carefully. Ah, you are good friend, Nekia.
? Good like
K: Free. Ikhish. I think said like that. Hard to tell Mines.
ways
underground. You ask me left or right. I only know N: What happened to Mines The Nether?
we go
deep. Deeper than they thought any did before. Anyw
ay, I K: I know not. After we kill Carion for second time,
found biggest thing to kill and killed it. And now I
am back. Nightrider appears in throne room. Says her name
N: That is it? Your journey underground! What was Osyris.
it like? Says she is one of Beckoned. She ask us to join her.
Who were the heroes that you went with? Mines
say, yes. I say I want to bring skull back to Irunga.
They
K: Ah. Well. We were twelve. No, thirteen. Eleve leave together. I think they are dead. But if not, I
n? Each go join
different. Mushroom bugs not like Varakwai. Bodie them later. I cannot resist.
s like
seashells. All different. Change them when they N: Where were they going?
want. It
take long time. But they had mushroom bug box on
back of K: To fight.
big beetle. Box glow. Can make change faster. They
say this
box secret. I could tell no other mushroom bug forev N: Fight what?
er. But
you are not mushroom or bug. So I am okay.
K: Someone bigger.
N: What were the changes? When did you need
them?
K: Many. Sometimes they put axe and blade into arms.
Faster legs. Armor skin. Banishes Shadow was sneak Conversation transcribed by assistant between
form. Katabas Skulltaker and Nekia Gesahr of the Schol
They were flatter, with dark mushroom skin that asta,
suck in
light. Could climb really good. Helped group sneak Irunga Island, the Midnight Isles, 26 LS.
past fields
of fire and Gatekeeper.
N: The Gatekeeper?
K: Then were Yields To None and Born Running.
Yields

The Hive Halls

166
 The Light Plains
You will remem ber when I maste rfully dodge the biggest questi ons of rors how Huma ns live in Dema . Or maybe you won’ t . Becaus e I
believe they have the solutio n to every questi on, and
will not even try. Our curren t govern ment is a sick farce. Our Empe truly
as they slouch smugl y, books burn.
Stomp ing solar legions . Occup ied nation s. Hundr eds of thousa nds of nonhu man childre n stolen from their cradles for lives enchai ned.
Where once was the shinin g beacon of Scinti lla’ s tapest ry halls, there are now gilded idols to a goddes s who insists on leaving our
prayer s unansw ered. Abresi a’ s fifty Saradi an Bastio ns inspir ed ballads heard as far as the Hive Halls. Now they lord over endles s
of the honor and humil ity of Deona r’ s Cobalt Marin es.
fields of grain plowe d by slaves treate d no better than yamar . I could tell etyouof murde r and vice, the Marin es turned on them
After the nobles of Sahdo Fortre ss slurpe d and burped throug h the alphabthe Hegem ony at the Battle of Deona r. Don’ t get me wrong ,
willin gly enough . Yet even the Cobalt Marin es were power less to resist comm itted in the name of the greate r good.
the past was far from perfec t. But now we are party to a landsli de of evil
Huma ns of Dema ? Should I preach for paragr aphs
Offeri ng sassy travel tips would be tone deaf, so what should I say about the and oppres sion where ver we go?
about how we are prone to unspea kable evil? That we too often sow misery
Maybe . But I also argue that most Huma ns, most of the time, are trying their best. Even the ideolog y of the Solasii is rooted in
orn questi ons of why we age and die. And what may
treatin g others as one would like to be treate d. To try to answe r thetotimew come from those with the strong est opinio ns. How much
happen after death, if anythi ng? The collate ral damag e always seems numbe red days before the end of all things ?
violen ce has been justifi ed with the promi se of salvat ion, sourin g our
work here.”
Becaus e I do not know. To borrow a phrase from my colleag ue Aelian a, “I just
the mess. The details , again, I do not know. But I
In some ways, we’ r e all respon sible for the Krypt eia, Remu s, and thearerestat ofheart, we could never have worke d togeth er long enough
do know that if the comm ands of tyrant s were a reflect ion of who wes lay waste to every genera tion with their hamm ers, ideals, and
to sculpt the shinin g cities that these morall y bankru pt know- bester
egos.
My late husban d was of a humbl e statur e. But he always said Empe rorsThe Remu s, Decim us, and their ilk were the ones lacking . My
‘ g rand vision s’ of conque rors may turn heads. But the
husban d had me, and he said that was enough . Too much, he would joke. will never be pure enough for them. Do not let people
might y Empe rors of the Solar Hegem ony will never have enough . The world who push and slam against a door that only opens when
so profou ndly misgu ided tell you what will satisfy you. Do not humor those
you pull it inward .
ss to stand by in shock and indecis ion. Well, damn
Becaus e, young Schola sta reader , all it takes for evil to trium ph is fore togoodne
speak for our specie s more than anyone else. And look.
you, decide . Decide if those self-p roclaim ed genius es in Scinti lla deserv is on each of us to open our hearts and maste r our worst
Every Huma n is capabl e of great evil if they do not grappl e with it. Itthere’ so much wrong being done in our names . Instea d of
impul ses. The Empe rors believe they can do no wrong , which is why justs being thems elves. If there is any hope for us, that must
idolizi ng Decim us, I think the averag e Dema ran might be better served
be enough .
I know of a place where there is hope yet. Where all the world ’ s people bring out the best in each other. Mund i. Our azure jewel
of canals, spice, and rich laught er from multis pecies tavern s that could only exist at the crossr oads of passio ns and dream s. Of
for a day is to know, no matte r who you are, that you are
hunche s and plans. Of freedo ms and respon sibilit ies. To know Mund i Light
part of the cast in an unforg ettabl e story. As my close friend s in the Plains put it, “In the end, we are alone. But we are
alone togeth er.”
The Krypt eia will come for me after they’ v e read these words . I say let them come. I’ v e had more good years than they can dream
up. And this old reader still has an Eldert ech bolt-
of. The ripple s I have left in my wake are too wide for them to bottle back
throw er.
I hope you bring enough ammu nition , Legatu s. Mine is bigger than yours.
Biased, Romanticized, and Grossly Impractical:

-Mara Tancred.
A Beginner’s Guide to the Regions of Dema.
(Passage Missing from Final Edition)

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Chapter 10: The Solar Hegemony
The Hegemony
H
umanity’s saga in Dema stretches across every
region and Era. Essential to that story is the rise
and rule of the authoritarian Solar Hegemony. As
the mightiest nation in Dema’s history, it holds millions in
its iron grip. Mocked as “Hegs” by their many enemies, the
dystopian Solar Hegemony is a Human empire run by a
zealous government obsessed with power and purity in the
name of light, order, and the greater good. For more than a
century, each of six “divine” emperors reshaped the Solar
Hegemony in their image. The aftershocks each left behind
speak to the fact that although individual Humans are no
more wicked than any of Dema’s other peoples, structuring
any society around a seductively simple and polarizing
ideology is the first step down the path of war and
oppression.
The central region of the Daylands known as the Light
Plains is a temperate, stunningly fertile land, and home to
the people known interchangeably as Humans, Humanity,
and Homa. The growth of each of Humanity’s regional
cultures and cities was a gradual process that first began in
the ancient Heroic Era. Five unique city-states emerged
which became the five Human Kingdoms: Scintilla, Deonar,
Mundi, Kinurr, and Abresia. Of these, Scholasta linguists
suspect that Scintilla was the cradle of Humanity, as the
ancestral languages spoken in the other Human Kingdoms
168
Part Two: The World
Scintilla
are all more similar to Scintillan than they are to each other.
By the end of the Heroic Era, corresponding roughly to the
Epoko de Mallumo in the Solar calendar, the Light Plains’
bountiful harvests and incomparable wealth had attracted
the envy of the world. Small wars between the Human
Kingdoms became common. At the pinnacle of one of these
conflicts, the kingdoms of Deonar and Abresia combined
forces to attack Kinurr, which had already been weakened
by the desertification of the Light Plains’ southeast. The
destruction of Kinurr in 72 EM sent ripples of upheaval
throughout the Heroic Era Light Plains. Yet not even this
could have prepared Humanity for the cataclysm to come.
THE PROPHET FROM SCINTILLA
No single person impacted the course of Dema’s history
more than Remus Cassar. Born in 43 EM, Remus grew up
on his peasant father’s farm beneath the Scintillan nobility’s
abusive rule. Remus’s father was a member of a small and
ancient religious cult secretly dedicated to the worship of
the sun goddess Sola. Members of the cult heeded their
guiding text, known as the Book of Sola. Its dozens of
hymns and stories tell, among other things, that nobody
should have or want more than anyone else. Remus learned
to read from a young age by memorizing his father’s copy.
At the age of fifteen, Remus was conscripted into the
Scintillan army to repel bands of Nightriders that
threatened the nobility’s wealth. Corruption in the army
was rampant, the result of the nobility constantly jockeying
The Solar Hegemony
 for power. Many of Remus’s companions died needlessly in
stunning, avoidable defeats caused by the nobles’ greed and
incompetence. For the rest of his life, Remus would harbor
an icy hatred for the Nightriders who killed his friends, and
Hegemony for the nobles that had selfishly allowed them to be killed.
Legionnaire After leaving the military in 22 EM, Remus quietly spent
the next decade rising to the top of a militant religious order
known as the Defenders of Sola. After years of service and
quiet judgement of the cult’s leaders, Remus seized control
of the Defenders of Sola in a violent coup in 9 EM. He then
fathered his firstborn son, Decimus.
Declaring himself Sola’s prophet to his inner circle,
Remus began plotting the overthrow of the nobility.
Remus’s first act was to seize control over the Churches of
Sola which had converted many Scintillans. Secretly, Remus
began establishing new Churches of Sola and chapters of
the Defenders in the other great cities of the Light Plains.
Intimidated by the zealotry of the Church’s followers,
known as Solasii, many Humans were totally unwilling to
convert. That changed with the onset of war.

THE DAYRAID OF THE LIGHT PLAINS

In 5 EM, a massive horde of Nightriders gathered on the
western frontier of the Light Plains, led by a Dawnraider
warlord known as the King of Darkness. Promising this
Dark Horde the boundless wealth of the Human Kingdoms
as their plunder, they advanced on Mundi, the great
metropolis at the center of the world. In mere months, the
Dark Horde overcame the city’s walls and sacked it for
untold wealth. The fall of Mundi was, however, only the
beginning of the nightmare which soon descended on
Humanity’s homeland. The Dayraid had begun.
For five excruciating years, the King of Darkness and his
Dark Horde ravaged the Light Plains. The shockwaves of
destruction and suffering unleashed over the land in these
years irreversibly traumatized Humanity, searing itself
permanently into their collective memory. Untold
thousands of Humans were slain, starved, or subjected to
disease as the King of Darkness’s horde consumed or
burned hundreds of farms, villages, and towns across the
land. The high bastions and city walls of Scintilla, Abresia,
and Deonar held out against repeated sieges, but only by
enduring the unendurable. The armies fielded by the kings
and nobles of the Light Plains stood little chance against the
Dark Horde. The commanders were unable or unwilling to
work together. With the Dark Horde advancing deeper into
the Light Plains, and fire and ash choking the land, all hope
seemed lost.

THE RISE OF REMUS

Remus Cassar’s rise to power in this decade was as unlikely
as it was meteoric. The Light Plains were burning. The Dark
Horde swept across the land, sending the armies of kings
and nobles running. Humanity yearned for salvation.
Remus gave it to them.
The Church of Sola’s creation myth, known as the
Abeyance, tells of a brutal war waged upon the goddess of
light, Sola, by the god of darkness, Mallumoch. Sola’s
faithful, Humanity, are said to have fought against the
forces of darkness to protect their goddess. At the end of the
tale, just as Mallumoch is about to strike her down, Sola
sacrifices her voice for Humanity to be victorious.

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169
Mallumoch and his armies are banished beyond the Moon
River and into the dark, western half of Dema.
Amid the chaos and brutality of the Dayraid, stories like
the Abeyance resonated with thousands of commoners.
Many who had been suspicious of the Church now found
hope in its teachings. Attendance at Solasii sermons
exploded, filling the Church’s coffers with coin. With these
new resources, Remus equipped and trained his own small
army of Solasii warriors, each prepared to die for the cause.
Late in 4 EM, Remus and his men fought a much larger
force of Nightriders on the grain fields of Elizeo, just a few
miles south of Scintilla. Guided by their faith and Remus’s
steadfast leadership, thousands of Solasii warriors broke the
Nightriders’ charge, surrounded them, and then
slaughtered them to a man. For the first time since the
Dayraid began, Humanity had won a decisive victory
against the forces of the Dark Horde.
Peasant Councillor. As word of Remus’s miraculous
victory at Elizeo spread, Solasii converts from across the
Light Plains flocked to Remus’s side. Thousands deserted
from rival Human armies, swelling Remus’s forces. With
the nobility’s treasuries nearing empty and their armies
depleted, they swallowed their pride and invited Remus, an
upstart peasant in their eyes, to the first of many war
councils in Deonar.
Originally, the nobles only intended to learn how Remus
had won at Elizeo. Instead, Remus warned the nobility that
without his uncompromising leadership, the Dark Horde
would soon capture their cities and take what little wealth
they had left. Disgusted, the nobles stormed out. Yet after
days of trying and failing to negotiate an alliance between
one another, they begrudgingly agreed it was simply too
dangerous to grant any single noble or king authority over
the combined forces of Humanity. So they turned, again, to
Remus. On the condition that he disband his forces at the
end of the war, Remus would be granted control over the
combined armies of mankind in order to bring an end to the
Dayraid.
THE BEGINNING OF THE END
While appointing his general staff, Remus quickly made
friends with a promising Deonan soldier named Gawain
Cang. Like Remus, Gawain was peasant-born. His military
record showed that he had a strategic mind and was flexible
on the battlefield. Remus recruited Gawain to serve as one
of his most trusted officers.
Over the following two and a half years, Remus led the
combined armies of all the Human Kingdoms to victory
after victory in dozens of pitched battles. At first, the
invading Nightriders were too scattered and busy
plundering the Light Plains’ wealth to effectively challenge
Humanity’s gathering forces. Remus and Gawain took
advantage of the situation by attacking isolated splinters of
the Dark Horde with overwhelming force, hoping to defeat
the enemy in detail. By the time the King of Darkness
regrouped his forces, the momentum of the war had shifted
in Humanity’s favor.
Turning the Tide. At the Battle of the Bellcrest Forest in 3
EM, Remus’s forces broke a massed virse charge by the
King of Darkness’s elite bodyguard, and nearly succeeded
in killing the King. Then, at the Battle of Tennegot in 2 EM,
Gawain entrapped a much larger force and valiantly
170
Harbingers Luwus and Tholkin:
The concerns brought to this committee's
attention by Maguses Aldmen, Kerryh, Bajur,
Wilis, Daleni, and Ujold regarding their peer can
no longer be ignored. Magus Calibana has taken
an admirable interest in the civilizational
progression of Sentient Species “Homa,” but
her vocal criticism is now affecting crew
cohesion.
It should be noted that Magus Calibana's
complaints are not entirely without merit. The
introduction of several thousand mother flora
and fauna species from the Continuum
Depository into the Light Plains region has
admittedly invigorated what has been deemed
species nostalgia among the field teams for an
Part Two: The World
era time has almost forgotten. Thanks to The
Deacon and Magus Beturzen, the direct
influence of several reconstructed Ur-
languages on many Sentient Species “Homa”
dialects has slightly assuaged what was
overwhelmingly considered an ill-advised
species inclusion.
In response to Magus Calibana, this committee
notes the awful record of Sentient Species
“Homa” in past cycles, principally the _______
______, the runaway cascade of disasters seen
in Time Log ___________ ____________, or
the calamity still being enumerated from Cycle
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Hammeltin-Renelhds Transcataclysm Principle
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
_____________________ of the entire
inner hull.
defended his position until Remus arrived. As the war drew
on, the Dark Horde’s superior mobility continued to
prevent Remus from landing a decisive blow. But as the
casualties on both sides soared, it became clear that the
Dark Horde could not replenish its forces as quickly as
Remus’s armies.
Remus realized that by putting Mundi under siege, he
could trap the Dark Horde in the Light Plains. Splitting his
forces in half, Remus sent Gawain forward to distract the
King of Darkness, while Remus’s troops advanced
undetected on Mundi. The core of the Dark Horde engaged
Gawain’s forces. Gawain fell back to keep the enemy at bay,
buying time for Remus’s advance. When the King of
Darkness finally realized he was being tricked, it was too
late. While the Dark Horde was able to make a hasty retreat
back to the city, Remus’s forces ambushed tens of
thousands of troops. The King of Darkness and the
remainder of the Dark Horde had once again slipped away
from Remus’s grasp, but the siege of Mundi had begun.
The Solar Hegemony
THE DAY OF SHATTERED CROWNS
With the invading army off-balance, the kings and nobles of
the Light Plains saw that their time to intervene had
arrived. They gathered their elite units and confronted
Remus at his encampment. Determined to regain control of
their armies and seize Mundi, and the glory, for themselves,
the nobles demanded that Remus stand down. Revealing
his plan to assault Mundi’s walls the following evening,
Remus complied, turning over his closest officers to the
nobles and inviting them to stay in a luxurious inn in a
village nearby.
When all the nobles gathered the following evening,
prepared for battle in their spotless gilded armors, they
were interrupted by a sweat-drenched and blood-soaked
Remus Cassar. Beginning to panic, the nobles demanded an
explanation.
The attack on Mundi had proceeded that morning. As
Remus’s armies stormed the walls, resistance was
unusually light. The King of Darkness and his Horde,
inexperienced in defensive siege warfare, had fled over the
Moon River and into the Nightlands. In the golden light of
the morning Sun, Remus paraded through the streets of
Mundi as its liberator, seizing all the glory for himself. The
Dayraid was over.
Outraged, the kings and nobles went for the door, which
they found barred by Remus’s personal bodyguard. As
soldiers filled the room, Remus delivered his ultimatum.
Remus revealed to them that he was Sola’s prophet, the
secret head of the Church of Sola. At that very moment, he
told them, his faithful were rising up in each of their cities
and scaling the walls of their estates. He declared the age of
kings and nobles was over. They could renounce their titles
and crowns, or return to their cities and perish. Although
most bent the knee, many did not. Those who returned to
Scintilla and Deonar were put to the pyre. The two cities
burned until Remus’s troops arrived to restore order.
THE BIRTH OF AN EMPIRE
All too experienced in putting down slave revolts, the
Abresian nobility’s forces had managed to repel Remus’s
revolutionaries and secure the city. After hanging everyone
suspected of involvement, the Abresian nobility began
preparing immediately to make war on Remus. They raised
the levies of the famous Saradian Bastions, and pressed
every able-bodied slave in Abresia into the army. The city’s
famous forges burned uninterrupted as the nobility
scrambled to assemble an army to defeat the upstart.
When the Abresian army sallied out to face Remus’s, they
found themselves outnumbered three-to-one and facing the
battle-hardened heroes of the Dayraid. Hundreds of Solasii
and slaves on the Abresian side broke ranks and ran. Some
even turned on their oppressors. As panic spread
throughout the slavers’ ranks, the battle became a
bloodbath. The Abresian lords’ revolt was over before it
began.
Slaughter of the Nobility. With their army annihilated,
Remus erased the nobility of Abresia from history. His
forces scoured the city to kill every man, woman, and child
of noble birth. Remus’s message to those that had bent the
knee on the Day of Shattered Crowns was clear: resist the
dawn of the new order at your own peril.
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171
In less than a decade, Remus Cassar rose from the ranks
of the peasantry to become Sola’s prophet, Humanity’s
savior from the brutality of the Dayraid, and now the
uncontested master of all the Light Plains. After making an
example of the Abresian nobility, Remus returned to
Scintilla, where he was crowned emperor before a cheering
crowd of thousands. His coronation in 0 LS marks the birth
of the Solar Hegemony and the calendar division between
what the Solasii call the time of darkness, or the Epoko de
Mallumo (EM), and the rise of Sola, or the Levigo de Sola (LS).
LIFE IN THE SOLAR HEGEMONY
During the first decade of Remus’s rule, daily life in the
Light Plains was completely upended. Dozens of regional
cultures and traditional lifestyles were outlawed. Their
practice soon became punishable by death. Many had to
choose between conforming to the new order, living a
double life, or fleeing persecution.
Unlike the city kingdoms that ruled the Light Plains in
the Heroic Era, the Solar Hegemony’s government is a
highly centralized, theocratic empire. The Emperor himself
serves as the head of both religious and imperial authority.
Subjects are judged by their faith, loyalty to the state, and
contributions to Humanity. Leniency is rare, except to those
who make great strides in art, engineering, trade, warfare,
or exploration.
The Church preaches that all of Humanity is equal
beneath the light of Sola. Remus justified his overthrow of
the nobles during the Day of Shattered Crowns by citing the
gross inequity they represented. Many of the Solar
Hegemony’s Emperors have promised a classless society.
They claim that as the link between Sola and Humanity,
only by their absolute authority is a society without want or
hardship possible.
While condemning the slavery and excesses of the
kingdoms it replaced, the Solar Hegemony fuels its
economy and war machine with its own vast population of
slave laborers. It constantly replenishes their ranks with
While condemning the slavery and excesses of the
kingdoms it replaced, the Solar Hegemony fuels its
economy and war machine with its own vast population of
slave laborers. It constantly replenishes their ranks with
“traitorous” Humans (Nephilai) and “corrupted”
nonhumans (Mallumochii). The government horribly
discriminates against nearly all nonhumans. It justifies their
mistreatment as a form of divine retribution for the Dayraid
and the Abeyance. Even “free” Humans must rely on
knowing public officials to gain work outside the military,
or to learn a trade besides farming.
Under Remus’s new Scintillan System, most adults were
required to serve a sacred tour of duty. Over the years,
hundreds of thousands were conscripted into the solar
legions. Millions of others were put to work in the
Hegemony’s military workshops or sent to its resource
colonies abroad. While serving to centralize and expand the
Hegemony’s power at breathtaking speed, the Scintillan
System often separated entire families for years.
THE CHURCH OF SOLA
The Solar Hegemony’s cruelty to the very downtrodden it
claims to protect is justified through its all-powerful state
religion, the Church of Sola. Its simple religious philosophy
 The Ab eya nce
A
ll must love Her word, a golden dawn heard at the break of the warmi ng
Allmot her Sola’s song cleare d the way for ageles s life and spirits flowin day. For eons, the silver lining of
was Dema lit with roaring hearth fire halls feedin g faithfu l sons and daugh g with waves of blessed love. Long
stewar ds of all Creati on. ters. Homa roamed free as trusted
Such was Sola’s pride in Her immort al begette d that seven sacred towers
Sola was secure in Her place as the last and first bringe r of rightne ss, might,sprung from the world’ s primal stalk.
Her woven lumino us line, best of brightn ess, the sun that never set. This and light. No doubt lingere d about
vast and bound less skies. Both seas within Her rest, and yet in that small world was Hers, to Her belong ed those
pool She now lies.
But cries of despai r swept the innoce nt land in the coming of the First Nightf
Mallum och, The Shado w Shroud er, The Night Bringe r, spawn sufferi ng onto all. Upon a black virse did
fallow fields befell fractur ed Dema, laying waste to Homa’ s timeles s temple a sunder ed paradi se lost. Frost and
s to Allmot her Sola.
Aided by deceiv ing Homa traitors , the Nephil ai, did Mallum och make war
Nephil ai’s evil was not sated till Sola’s light dimme d redder than despai on Dema’ s dawn creator . The

Part Two: The World

who birthed death itself unto Dema. That long dark at the end of all things, r corrup ted blood. For it was Mallum och
echoes of memor ies. a decay of preciou s minds to mere
So unfold ed the Abeya nce Wars, years that lasted lifetim es of agony in
of commo n Homa stood steadfa st agains t the bleake st night. The greate st the battle for the fate of life. The courag e
stronge st of the Sentin els. Pious in soul, dutiful in deed, honora ble againspower was channe led by Abrag on,
temper . With Dauntl ess, blade of roaring lightni ng, did Sola’s right hand t hardsh ip that only stoic resolve may
mounte d armies of the Mallum ochii and all those Nephil ai betray ers. His servan t Abrag on lay waste to the
mounta ins and valley s to fight the endles s night. Yet Human ity alway s righteo us wrath sent down darken ed
Dark was the world as Homa retreat ed to crumbl ing redoub ts by storm-wlost preciou s ground to the baying hordes .
fell on Abrag on. racked sea, until the ire of the Night Lord

Clad in gold and glory did the champ ion meet the time tyrant. Terribl e blows
force of decay tearing armor and bone as Sentin els all cried out. In this momen did strike the parago n, the full
battle, grievo us in rage at his reckles s hate. The clash of crystal and shadow t, Sola did meet Mallum och in
accurs ed lance Famin e, Mallum och harnes sed hatred and envy to poison shatter ed the ravish ed land. With his
Sola’s sonoro us light.
Sola howled a spell and then fell mute. A tidal wave of light sent darkne
dissolv ed the invinc ibility of the brute. In the faint glow of the aftersh ock ss fleeing , and with Her sacrifi ce
Allmot her collap se, advan ce to strike true at Mallum och. And The Betray did Abrag on, seeing his belove d
thousa nd cuts in tenebr ous heart. er did wilt beneat h Dauntl ess, ten

Flee did the Shado w Shroud er to lick his banefu l wound s. And Abrag on
night, casting the Mallum ochii out to the unlit west of Dema’ s lands. Their did rally the Sentin els to break the
the Mounta ins of the Moon, Mallum ochii usurpe rs cursed to writhe in a fate monstr ous souls were banish ed beyond
of pitch black sky. There the childre n of darkne ss mingle d and beget the worse than death, condem ned to a land
Montur yns, Qet, and Varak wai.
The battle won, Abrag on knelt before weary Allmot her Sola. His warrio
with tar of midnig ht gore. Her voice was lost, given willing ly for our life. r hands beheld Her wound s that gaped
labore d to Her restora tion. The seven corner s of the world must again shineFor eons since, commo n Homa have
us found and excise d. Throug h faith and fire shall all Solasii help restore with Her grace. The Nephil ai among st
what was lost, long before .
So, dear faithfu l, all must remem ber Sola’s golden rule. Treat all others as
from sisters and brothe rs. Let strong give unto weak until all Homa radiate one would hope to receiv e onesel f
Her life, withou t fear, desire, or strife. Let there be Kingdo ms withou t kings.bound less love. Let your labor honor
the fields of undyin g Creati on renew ed. Land with no lords but those who till

We pray until the day all are redeem ed. To gaze once more upon the majest
renew ed, Her mercy undrea med. At the end She will ascend to whenc e y of Allmot her Sola, Her voice
chosen with the eterna l flame. With no eye for wealth or fame, she will She came, and absolv e the sins of Her
Her name. A paradi se reborn beneat h a thousa nd miles of sunswe pt grain deify all those who died by the sword in
and sky.
-The Book of Sola: The Abeya nce, Read Aloud at Emper or Remus 's Corona
tion.
Munda ne Transl ation from High Scintil lan. 0 LS.

The Solar Hegemony

172
Krypteia Agents
Conducting an
Arrest
describes the world as a battleground between the forces of
goodness and light against the forces of darkness and evil.
Among the forces of light, the Church counts the poor, the
faithful, and Humanity itself. Among the forces of darkness,
the Church condemns the rich, the impious, and most
nonhumans. The Church of Sola exerts control over the
spiritual lives of millions and is always looking to convert
nonhumans abroad. The sitting Emperor rules at the head
of the church as the Voco de Deus, with a hierarchy of
clergy beneath them.
The Church proclaims that after Sola created the six
peoples of Dema, all except Humanity abandoned Her for
the god of darkness, Mallumoch. Nonhumans in the Solar
Hegemony who have not yet converted are, for this reason,
disparaged as Mallumochii. In the Book of Sola, the
wealthiest Humans underhandedly betrayed Sola during
the Abeyance. This is why both impious and wealthy
Humans are decried as Nephilai traitors.
Waiting for the Reascension. The Book of Sola states that
at the end of history, Sola will recover from the wounds
inflicted upon Her during the Abeyance Wars. According to
scripture, She will rise to slay Mallumoch once and for all.
The Solasii believe that on that day, known as the
Reascension, Humanity’s lost divinity will be restored, and
Redsky Core Book
173
they will return to Sola's warm embrace. In the time of
Remus, the Church of Sola believed that the Reascension
would come after the complete conversion of all
Mallumochii. Sola’s return could be accelerated, Remus
declared, by recovering the seven legendary Orbs of
Abragon. These would then be used to complete the Solar
Network.
The Solar Network. The Solar Network is a world-
spanning array of seven Eldertech towers that can cast
massive beams of light over hundreds of miles. For the
Solar Network to be completed, each of the towers must be
powered by an Orb of Abragon. When activated, the light
from the Eldertech towers connect each of Dema’s six
outlying regions to the Solar Network’s central tower in
Mundi. Although primarily an object of religious
significance, the Solar Network is also a powerful
administrative tool for the Solar Emperor. Remus realized
that by turning the tower in Scintilla off and on with the
appropriate timing, he could send encoded messages to his
distant generals instantly.
THE KRYPTEIA AND THE SOLAR LEGIONS
In order to bring about the Reascension, the Solar
Hegemony’s secret police, known as the Krypteia, are

tasked with rounding up every Mallumochii and rooting
out every last Nephilai traitor to Humanity. After becoming
emperor, Remus created the Krypteia to replace the
Defenders of Sola. It is a nightmarish organization of spies,
assassins, and elite masked warriors. Famed for their
cruelty, the Krypteia is accountable only to the sitting
Emperor, whose will is law. Fanatically devoted to
Humanity’s domination of the world, the Krypteia has
committed countless atrocities across the Hegemony’s long
and oppressive history. What the solar legions accomplish
in the light, the Krypteia does from the shadows.
Legions on the Frontier. The Hegemony’s twenty solar
legions are entrusted with the sacred conquest of Dema. In
principle, each legion contains 10,000 legionnaires. In
practice, their actual manpower and readiness ranges
wildly depending on the Era and the authority that their
commanding general holds. Each of the solar legions has its
own unique battlefield traditions, history, and soldierly
practices. While fighting in the Solar Hegemony’s dozens of
wars, many legions have been destroyed, only to be
reestablished by later rulers. Most times, at least one-third
of the solar legions are deployed within the Light Plains
and to the Hegemony’s colonies in order to prevent and
suppress revolts. The remainder are hardened by
174
continuous battle on the Hegemony’s ever-expanding
frontiers. The plunder from each battle won and every new
territory acquired fuels the Hegemony’s engine of
ruthlessly efficient industry and never-ending war.
EMPEROR REMUS CASSAR
The first decade of Emperor Remus’s rule was marked by
immense cultural upheaval. During this period, the Light
Plains’ regional cultures were suppressed and eventually
replaced by a single imperial culture. The solar legions were
formed, and the Church of Sola was elevated from a
persecuted faith at the margins of society to the most
powerful institution in the world. A cult of personality
developed around Remus. Soon, anyone openly critical of
his regime was labeled a traitorous Nephilai and arrested
by the Krypteia. Conditions only worsened in 6 LS, when
scouts began reporting that the King of Darkness was
gathering a second Dark Horde northwest of Mundi.
Part Two: The World
Vowing that Humanity would never again suffer the likes
of the Dayraid, Remus sent an army of twelve legions to
wipe out the new Horde. To lead the immense force, Remus
assigned his greatest and most trusted general, Gawain
Cang. In 7 LS, the two armies met in a mountain pass
northwest of Mundi. In the first decisive battle of what
became known as the Moon Realms Conflicts, Gawain
killed the King of Darkness in single combat and shattered
the Dark Horde. The valley where the battle occurred soon
became known as the Valley of Tears by the defeated
Nightriders.
Giving chase to the dissolving Horde, Emperor Remus
split Gawain’s army. Gawain was ordered to siege the
Hardhoove tribe’s great city of Yaras, while three other
legions established Camp Cynosure and enslaved the
defeated Dawnraiders. Although Yaras surrendered in 11
LS, the Solar Hegemony suffered several setbacks over the
next decade, including defeat by Freesteed nomads in 12 LS.
The entire invasion of the Moon Realms came to a grinding
halt from 15-16 LS when border skirmishes with the Solar
Hegemony’s northern Archivist neighbors threatened to
place the Solar Hegemony in a two-front war. Conditions
became so intolerable in occupied Yaras that an uprising
took place in 18 LS. Led by an heir to the King of Darkness
who styled herself the Queen of the Night, the Nightrider
tribes revolted and plunged the Moon Realms into total war
once more.
Gawain the Praetor. In response, Emperor Remus
elevated Gawain to Praetor Commander, gave him
command of fourteen solar legions, and charged him with
destroying the Queen of the Night’s rebellion. The events of
that uprising changed the fate of Dema for the rest of
recorded history. After the war, Gawain was made
governor of the newly established Hominid Dominion,
which included all the conquered territories from Mundi to
Yaras. Emperor Remus allowed a defeated Clan Kahr to
settle near Mundi in exchange for the annual tribute of their
most promising young warriors. From these recruits,
Remus formed the first Khadakoi Guard of elite
Wakewalker bodyguards to the Emperor.
The Moon Realms Conflicts were the last major struggle
of Emperor Remus’s life. He succumbed to old age in 29 LS,
dying with the belief he had once and for all saved
The Solar Hegemony
Humanity from the Nightrider menace. Two generations of
Humans had grown up during Remus’s rule that only knew
life under imperial law and the scripture of Sola. The events
of the Dayraid, distorted by propaganda, became
mythologized. The late Emperor Remus became enshrined
in national legend, celebrated as Sola’s blessed prophet and
Humanity’s savior.
EMPEROR DECIMUS CASSAR
Remus’s firstborn son Decimus became emperor. Although
Decimus was determined to follow in his father’s footsteps,
he succeeded only in being twice as cruel. Over his long life,
he emptied the imperial treasury waging destructive wars
both within the Solar Hegemony and against its neighbors.
At the end of the Aegis Campaigns in 32 LS, Decimus
ordered his generals to burn Aegis down with Scintillan
fire, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent Archivists.
Two years later, his disregard for his own citizens inflamed
the city of Deonar into armed revolt, which he then brutally
crushed. Ignoring the lessons of these wars, the aged
Decimus declared an unprovoked war on the Featherfolk of
The Auric in 46 LS. Tens of thousands died only for the
conflict to end in stalemate. The Gilded States mockingly
refer to this conflict the war of the Unloved Son.
Decimus’s cruelty against both Humans and nonhumans
strained the infrastructure and goodwill of the empire so
badly that several revolts in the Hegemony’s outlying
colonies erupted during the 40s and 50s LS. Decimus was
only able to put an end to these rebellions by massively
expanding military spending, and pressing thousands of
warriors from the Hegemony’s expanding population of
nonhumans into special units called Auxilia. Service in the
Auxilia guaranteed a limited form of imperial citizenship,
which was one of the only ways for nonhumans to be
upwardly mobile during Decimus’s reign.
NASTY, BRUTISH, AND LONG
Mallumochii inventions and culture were soon deemed
worthless and impious in a campaign of repression known
as the Extinguishment. The empire’s educated scholars,
sages, and emissaries were looked on with suspicion.
Possessing banned equipment became punishable with
forced labor or execution. Owing to the Hominid
Dominion’s special status, only the Scholasta of Mundi was
spared from Decimus’s censure. With the help of
adventurers from the Jade Feather, the Scholasta secretly
preserved banned works throughout the Light Plains in
what became known as the History Heists.
The Yaras Dispatch. One recovered text, the Yaras
Dispatch, detailed how Decimus’s father Remus had
planned to exterminate the nonhumans of Dema over
generations in order to secure new living space for
Humanity. Although these plans were abandoned at the
end of the Moon Realms Conflicts, the distribution of the
Dispatch to the wider world sparked outcries of anger and
fierce resistance against the Hegemony for generations.
Despite the ongoing repression, people throughout the
empire clamored for change. Veterans of the Auxilia began
demanding benefits granted to the legions like land rights.
Offshoot sects of the Church of Sola began cropping up in
the outer provinces professing religious tolerance. Orators
calling for dozens of civil reforms roused the empire’s
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175
public forums at the head of popular movements. Kept
down by the Krypteia’s watchful eye, these movements
achieved only a handful of minor changes. Decimus
responded to the calls for change in his characteristically
erratic and spiteful way, blocking all but the most
insignificant demands. Those who called for more radical
change disappeared.
THE TRIDENT INTERREGNUM
Blinded by his narcissism to the growing danger, Decimus
was forced to flee Scintilla in 50 LS along with his teenage
son Tacitus after four legion-strength Auxilia stormed the
imperial palace. Denied land rights for over a decade, the
Auxilia revolted after Decimus announced a significant
reduction to their pay. Failing to capture the Emperor or his
family, the Auxilia decided to occupy the imperial capital
until their demands for equality were met. For over a year,
in what became known as the Trident Interregnum, the
Hegemony’s throne was left vacant. The Interregnum only
came to an end when Decimus returned to Scintilla with six
legions at his back. Decimus recaptured the city in 52 LS
using bloody human-wave tactics during a brutal assault
known as the Days of Fury. Thousands of the defeated
Auxilia and their supporters were sent starving up the
Moon River to the island of Parime. The Hegemony’s
wordsmiths joked that the island’s legendary dragons dined
well that summer. Survivors could only have found shelter
with the Drakonoi, Parime’s near-mythical dragon-riders.
Following the Interregnum, the entire Auxilia system was
abolished by Decimus. Unsatisfied with sending the rebels
to their deaths, Decimus had their children rounded up and
enslaved. The few rights that had been allowed to
nonhumans during his reign were erased. The Krypteia
began hunting any nonhuman family with too much wealth
or influence and imposing new forms of institutional
suffering on the Hegemony’s nonhuman subjects.
EMPEROR TACITUS THE KIND
Emperor Decimus Cassar died in 58 LS from old age, like
his father before him. Decimus was succeeded by his own
firstborn son, Emperor Tacitus the Kind. Tacitus attempted
to pass sweeping social, economic, and military reforms to
try to undo some of the damage that had been set in motion
by his father. Tacitus repeatedly denounced his late father
as inhumane and unjust. Committed to making amends,
many were moved by Tacitus’s empathetic treatment of
nonhumans and the poor. Whenever forced to choose
between reasserting his regime’s authority and benefiting
the worst off in society, Tacitus almost always erred on the
side of compassion.
A REIGN OF DOVES
Steered by Emperor Tacitus, the navy of the Solar
Hegemony successfully repelled rampaging Wakewalker
pirates during the Marauder Wars from 59-64 LS.
Surprising many, he granted amnesty to multiple pirate
bands, allowing them to become dock workers in the
Hegemony’s ports. Tacitus abolished the Scintillan System
and diverted its budget to create a specialist corp of
educated laborers called Artificers. To beautify the imperial
capital, Tacitus created the Choruscada, a program which

offered patronage to the empire’s most skilled artists and
merchants.
The Choruscada helped fund the creation of hundreds of
new plays and ballads, standardized tools, and a handicraft
industry that boosted the economy and the general quality
of life for many of the poor. Migrant workers and traveling
bards brought these innovations to neighboring cities,
spreading new productivity, songs, and fashions across the
empire. The Hegemony’s citizens spoke freely in taverns
and restaurants that became popular throughout the Light
Plains. Yet as conditions improved and restrictions on
speech loosened, dissidents throughout the empire only
became louder. With decades of atrocities coming to light,
society steadily became polarized between revolutionaries
who saw Tacitus as nothing more than the least revolting of
the Cassars, and staunch traditionalists, who demanded a
return to the old ways.
The Vox. Hoping to appease the growing calls for
revolution, Tacitus assembled a close circle of advisors
known as the Vox from among the empire’s fiercest critics.
The Vox was the most diverse council ever assembled in
Scintilla. Everyone from former nonhuman slaves to exiled
kings held their summits in Scintilla’s imperial palace, eager
to forge a different path for Humanity. Talks even began
about dismantling Abresia’s infamous slave economy.
176
Mercenaries Searching
For an Orb of Abragon
Part Two: The World
LAST OF HIS NAME
Tacitus was soon criticized by the traditionalists that
remained in the government. The presence of nonhumans
in the Vox angered factions of Human supremacists.
Rumors of Tacitus’s atheism circulated widely throughout
the Church. A growing number in society felt that Tacitus
was surrendering the empire to the Vox and undermining
everything that previous generations of imperial citizens
died to accomplish. Unrest was worsened by a crop blight
called the Gnawrot that devastated two years of grain
harvests from 65-67 LS. Finally, in 67 LS, the Silver Horizon
riots broke out in Abresia, coordinated by a young
evangelical Solasii priestess named Celina Solati. Celina
was one of the leaders of a radical new sect of the Church
called the Rudiment. Its hardline, fundamentalist teachings
spoke to many frustrated worshippers. Rebellion soon
spread across the Light Plains. Allying with Admiral Ahn
Vanen of Deonar, Celina struck for Scintilla and seized
power, publicly executing Tacitus in 70 LS, ending the
Cassar bloodline.
THE DIARCHY OF CELINA AND AHN
Ruling jointly as co-Emperors, or Diarchs, Celina Solati and
Ahn Vanen brought about the largest transformation to the
culture and government of the Solar Hegemony since
Remus himself. Tacitus’s vision for the Solar Hegemony
was declared spiritually bankrupt. Executed on the day of
The Solar Hegemony
Celina and Ahn’s wedding in 70 LS, Tacitus’s rule was
replaced by the Diarchy, their rule of two devoted entirely
to Sola. For the duration of Celina and Ahn’s rule, faith took
priority over all else. Celina worked tirelessly to spread the
teachings of the Rudiment across the land. Breaking with
Remus’s interpretation, the Rudimentarii believed that only
the spiritual purity of Humanity, and not military
domination, would hasten Sola’s Reascension.
LUX IMPERIA AND A FALL OF WRATH
Under the reign of Celina and Ahn, the line between
imperial power and the Church’s authority became blurry.
The Krypteia was restored to its full strength under the
zealous new banners of the Rudiment. The Choruscada was
banned as heretical. Only Church-sponsored content was
approved for viewing in the empire’s theatrons and wine
halls. The property of the wealthiest members of society
was seized and handed over to an empowered class of
clergy-officials called Magisters. The administration of the
empire was reorganized beneath the Magisters, who
absorbed hundreds of Artificer specialists into their
religious bureaucracy.
Tens of thousands of Human slaves were incorporated
into Celina and Ahn’s Church during the Spring of Surprise
in 73 LS. Instead of fueling imperial power, this underclass
of Rudimentarii, known as the Aurorus, was tasked only
Human
Blacksmith
Redsky Core Book
177
with the glorification of Sola. They built ever larger temples
and shrines to Sola as the empire’s aqueducts and roads
crumbled. More zealous than almost any other members of
society, the Aurorus became the Diarchy’s staunchest
supporters. An exceptional few rose to powerful positions
in the government and legions.
With every aspect of society governed by the puritanical
and ascetic standards of the Rudiment, the Hegemony’s
industry and economy fell into intentional decline. Luxuries
were banned. Tens of thousands of skilled day laborers lost
their jobs, displaced by the unpaid Aurorus. To fund their
new temples, Celina and Ahn took out massive loans from
foreign powers in the belief that Sola’s Reascension would
come before having to repay them. Beginning in 75 LS,
Celina ordered food to be strictly rationed under the belief
that poverty brought one closer to Sola. Entire harvests
were seized from settlements, often by force. Black markets
sprung up for luxuries and necessities previous generations
took for granted.
Even the Solar Hegemony’s imperialism and foreign
conquests were cut down and repurposed to serve the
religious vision of the Rudimentarii. Instead of waging wars
for resources, the Diarchy treated the military as just
another tool of the Church. In 80 LS, Celina and Ahn waged
a costly war on the city-state of Luminos, known as the
Lumescent Corrosus, to crush the heresy of their Archivist
research. By committing everything to Humanity’s spiritual
purity, the Solar Hegemony began to wither away.
As living standards collapsed, public outcries against
Celina and Ahn’s program of spiritual purification began
surfacing everywhere in the empire. Firm in their resolve,
the Diarchs unleashed the Krypteia. Outspoken critics were
publicly executed in gruesome displays. Government
officials deemed ‘impious’ began disappearing by the
hundreds. A reign of terror descended on Humanity in the
name of bringing about the Reascension.

The Solar Hegemony's current practices
manifest a semi-novel synthesis of documented
political and social species norms. This makes
their ongoing wars of expansion, exploitation,
and eradication yet again a disappointment. Or,
as the Sentient Species “Homa” team composed
of Maguses Orwul, Tawood, Zamyetin, Hobes,
Kolins, Browyn, Rouzow, Huksli, Abneht, and
Radburree concluded: “tragically natural.”
Consequently, Magus Calibana's emphatic
concerns about the Solar Hegemony's goal of
activating the Silverstone Towers as core
religious tenets of Doctrine Sola are relevant,
most obviously because the Towers
_____________________________.
Maguses Adems, Vahneget, Greoning, Zgalzi, and
Brachet have produced a joint statement noting
that while they are no strangers to humor, the
concept of situational irony has unequivocally
been taken too far.
The Exaltation Wars. Unable to peacefully voice
criticism, rebellions against the Rudiment erupted across
the Solar Hegemony from 70-90 LS. Celina and Ahn
ruthlessly crushed these rebellions for decades in what
became known as the Exaltation Wars. Yet for everything
the Diarchs did to humble Humanity, Sola’s Reascension
never came. The weight of Celina and Ahn’s devastating
decisions began to hang heavy on them. Doubts began to
creep in. As Celina continued to rule the fragmenting
empire from Scintilla, Ahn Vanen and his legions bloodied
their hands across the Light Plains in the Exaltation Wars.
Finally, in 89 LS, Ahn Vanen could endure no more. For
19 years he had committed unspeakable acts to bring about
the Reascension. With no sign of Sola’s return, and the once
great empire on the verge of collapse, Ahn lost faith.
Admitting his doubts to his wife, Empress Celina ordered
his arrest. Emperor Ahn Vanen was executed on the charges
of atheism and heresy. Celina spent the final days of her
rule planning a massive religious atrocity throughout the
Light Plains. These plans were only averted by a conspiracy
led by Celina and Ahn’s son, a young prodigy named
Sicarius, who overthrew Empress Celina in 90 LS.
EMPEROR SICARIUS SOLATI-VANEN
Widely hailed as a genius, Emperor Sicarius Solati-Vanen
dedicated his life to unleashing the potential of the Solar
Hegemony that his parents had repressed. His ambitions
were vast. As a child, Sicarius received a rigorous religious
education in Mundi. He spent many months traveling to
foreign cities to represent the Diarchy regime. Sicarius’s
lifelong passion for history began with his childhood
adventures in these foreign lands.
By the age of 12, Sicarius spoke six languages. With the
help of his favorite Solasii tutor, he snuck countless books
out of the restricted section of the Scholasta library. The
forbidden knowledge Sicarius gained left a lasting
impression on him. It motivated many of the visionary
reforms he enacted during his rule from 90-102 LS.
178
A NEW EPOCH
SSicarius repurposed the absolute control over society he
seized from his mother. In the first years of his rule, Sicarius
used it to realign and renew life for the Solar Hegemony’s
millions of weary subjects. Inheriting a mountain of debt
and an economy in ruin, Emperor Sicarius was tasked with
rescuing the Hegemony from the brink. The massive
problems staring Sicarius down rivaled even those that
Remus had faced during the Dayraid almost a century
before. In reading everything he could about Remus,
Sicarius became determined not only to revive the lost glory
of the empire, but to bring it to new heights.
The road ahead of the young Emperor Sicarius was long.
In just his first few years, he reformed imperial trade policy
and the Church’s bloated tax code. He lifted research bans
and integrated refugees from across Dema into the
Hegemony as paid laborers. With aid from the Scholasta,
Part Two: The World
Sicarius reintroduced dozens of suppressed books and
works of art to public life. Although he surrounded himself
with advisors who freely questioned and disagreed with
him, he systematically dismantled the organized
Rudimentarii opposition to his rule.
Sicarius’s sweeping early reforms were known as the
Argent Dawn. As it took effect, the Solar Hegemony slowly
recovered from the Diarchy’s suffocating policies. Living
standards rose dramatically. New inventions inspired by
the power of Eldertech revolutionized industry. Despite
lowering taxes, tax revenue throughout the Hegemony
steadily rose, helping to pay off debts.
For everything it accomplished, Sicarius’s Argent Dawn
did not benefit everyone equally. Under Sicarius’s rule,
Homa continued to receive special treatment as Sola’s
chosen people. Even so, the Argent Dawn improved the life
and opportunities of almost everyone in the Light Plains.
FOREIGN WARS
In Sicarius’s quest to restore the power and prestige of the
Solar Hegemony, he waged several wars of conquest. By his
orders, dozens of settlements were brought under imperial
control. Military victory across Dema restored the
confidence and honor of the solar legions. It also
empowered Sicarius to reduce and sometimes cancel the
empire’s foreign debts with the spoils of conquest.
Although Sicarius’s repeated attempts to conquer Etherea
from 93-102 LS descended into a slow bloodbath, his
invasion of the Gilded States in 95 LS led to stunning
victories. In what is known as the Sunward Conquest,
Sicarius’s legions advanced rapidly to outmaneuver the
land armies of the Gilded States. Although constantly
harassed by guerillas, the solar legions quickly surrounded
and captured the jungle city of Panacea. Only months later,
Sicarius personally led the imperial fleet to war at the Battle
of The Auric. The staggering naval victory resulted in the
Hegemony’s conquest of the entire island.
Conquering the Gilded States. Emperor Sicarius quickly
established puppet governments in Panacea and The Auric.
In Panacea, Sicarius ordered large swathes of the jungle to
be cut down to fuel the Hegemony’s renewed industry. The
exploitation of the jungle continued until the city was
destroyed by a plague known as the Scourge in 100 LS.
Meanwhile, The Auric’s remaining Houses were persuaded
The Solar Hegemony
to turn on each other for favorable business relations. The
Hegemony quickly crushed local monopolies and replaced
them with new plutocrats answering to the Krypteia. The
manipulation of The Auric’s population for resources
reached new heights. For the first time in decades, the
imperial treasury swelled.
Sicarius’s quest for control over Sunbleak and Hollowfalls
were cut short by unexpected calamities. Sicarius’s Krypteia
fought a destructive battle against Sunbleak’s residents,
only for swarms of flying strigoi monsters to overrun the
city in 97 LS and kill tens of thousands. With Sunbleak
gone, Sicarius set his eyes on Hollowfalls. He orchestrated
the largest naval invasion in history. Just as the imperial
fleet arrived off the coast of Hollowfalls in 99 LS, the
cliffside city mysteriously collapsed, unthinkably, into the
sea. Hundreds of thousands died instantly.
Each of these devastating campaigns has Scholasta texts
dedicated to their key players and events. These include A
Hundred Days of Ice, Death in The Auric, It Belongs In The
Musaeum, and the war diaries of common legionnaires and
nonhuman uxiliaries collected in I, Arctinus. In the Light
Plains, news of each conquest was met with triumphal
parades and festivals. Each new catastrophe incited fear,
panic, and the growing rumors that the end was coming.
THE GREAT RIFT
The stiffest resistance to Sicarius’s rule came from the
Church of Sola itself. The massively wealthy Church
Magisters his parents had empowered owned enormous
tracts of land which they used only to enrich themselves. By
95 LS, protests against the Magisters’ stranglehold on key
industries broke out across the Light Plains.
Facing labor strikes and a growing number of public
assassinations, the Magisters attempted to violently stamp
out resistance. From 96-97 LS, urban fighting erupted
between the Magisters’ mercenaries and a loose collection
of commoners called the Populii. In what became known as
the Great Rift, a civil war in all but name roiled the Light
Plains. Sicarius had already been on shaky ground with the
Magisters. The outbreak of widespread violence forced
Sicarius to act or risk losing his regime. With most of his
armies occupied in wars abroad, Sicarius gathered what
forces he could. The Magisters had the support of the exiled
Rudimentarii clergy and most of the Aurorus. Emperor
Sicarius, the local solar legions, and a narrow majority of
the empire’s free citizens all sided with the Populii.
After several skirmishes, Sicarius was victorious in 97 LS
at the Battle of Lictor’s Throne, when retreating Populii
forces rallied to cast the Magisters’ mercenaries into the
Gilded Sea. Ironically, the counterattack had been led by
two Nightriders in the Cobalt Marines whose great-
grandparents had once been sworn enemies of the Solar
Hegemony.
THE FINAL YEARS OF THE HEGEMONY
Emperor Sicarius and the Populii’s triumph in the Great Rift
led to monumental changes. The defeated Magisters’
enormous land holdings were divided by the state to form
hundreds of small, loyal churches. Answerable to their local
communities, these churches provided generous alms to the
poorest Solasii throughout the empire.
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For his breathtaking reforms and conquests, Sicarius was
hailed by the chroniclers of his day as Stupor Mundi, the
Wonder of the World. But as the Redsky Era dragged on,
more and more of the world’s richest and oldest cultures
were wiped off the map. Others were forced to abandon
their ancestral homes for good, flooding the Light Plains
with untold refugees. Even Sicarius’s incredible
achievements became outshadowed by the looming sense
that the collapse of civilization was imminent.
The crisis for the Solar Hegemony came when its long-
time vassal the Hominid Dominion, governed from Mundi,
openly rebelled in 100 LS. Sicarius had incited the revolt by
ordering Mundi’s senate to dissolve. Thousands in the city
were outraged, believing that Sicarius was planning to erase
the Dominion’s decades-old special status. If that was not
enough, a massive armada of Fellcoast pirates also stormed
into the Gilded Sea in 100 LS, smashing the imperial navy’s
blockade at the Battle of Barren Straits. Open warfare
between the Hegemony and its rapidly multiplying enemies
raged as the sun itself dimmed into a dull crimson. The
Solasii deemed the blood-red sky proof that Sola’s
apocalyptic Reascension was at hand. Even worldly Sicarius
took it as a sign that the end was near.
Emperor Sicarius’s Eldertech-equipped legions, although
far stronger than any before, were the last struggling
defenders of a besieged Solar Hegemony in 102 LS. As
cataclysms bore down on burning imperial holdouts,
Sicarius’s nation of steel and marble was laid low just as it
might have reached new heights.
A LIVING CULTURE
The Solar Hegemony expanded, fragmented and was
reforged anew multiple times. Like all of Dema’s cultures,
imperial laws and customs changed across Dema’s four
Eras. Norms and conditions varied significantly between
the Reman, Deciman, Tacitan, Diarchy, and Sicarian years.
In the early years of the Solar Hegemony, Remus’s newly
imperial subjects wore bright gold, white, violet, and
crimson robes. Decades later, in the early Exodus Era,
Tacitus encouraged attire that reflected the diversity of his
empire. This completely changed with the Diarchy’s rise to
power. Clothing became much more minimalistic and
restrained under Celina and Ahn, who enforced mandatory
prayer four times a day. Fashion during Sicarius’s reign
returned to and reimagined the classic Reman style. In
every Era, military uniforms were tailored to the standards
of the sitting emperor and to the battlefield conditions the
solar legions faced. For instance, Decimus and Sicarius each
commissioned Sporespawn researchers to grow new
materials to better insulate their legionnaires while
campaigning in the wintry Athenaeum.
The favorite beverage of the empire changed just as often.
Under Remus, beer was championed as the people’s drink
while wine was tainted by its association with the disgraced
nobility. Wine made a comeback with Emperor Decimus,
who converted the imperial palace’s basement into the
world’s largest wine cellar. Choices expanded in the 60s LS
when explorers returned from the jungles of Panacea with
tea leaves and coffee beans. Celina and Ahn endorsed tea as
a soothing, temperate alternative to alcohol, which they
outlawed. The young Sicarius preferred coffee, spending
many caffeinated nights reading by candlelight. During his
parents’ reign, coffeehouses sprung up in the dozens across
the Light Plains. These served as focal points for news, new
ideas, and fledgling rebellions.
New fashions, foods, and inventions had a profound
impact on the daily life of imperial citizens. The gradual
adoption of technology inspired by Eldertech-equipped
Humans in the Exodus and Redsky Eras provided the
population with new tools and resources.
WHERE WILL YOU BEGIN?
The Solar Hegemony twists the tropes of heroes, goodness,
and light into a brutal shape. The only limits to imperial
power are the characters who will stand beside or against
them in the stories to come. The conditions of the Solar
Hegemony beneath each emperor reflect life in the rest of
Dema in any given year. As a rule of thumb, if one is not
with the Hegs, it is assumed one is against them as part of
the dozens of smaller factions living on the fringes of the
afterwards, escaped slaves from across Dema found safe
haven in Mundi, blending into its worldly population of
artisans, merchants, and freethinkers. The city was sacked
and occupied by the King of Darkness and the Dark Horde
in 5 EM, which marked the beginning of the infamous
Dayraid. Slavery did not become widespread again in
Mundi until its ‘liberation’ by the Solar Hegemony in 1 EM.
THE DIVERSIFYING NEW CAPITAL
Mundi’s status changed again two decades later, at the
conclusion of the Moon Realms Conflicts in 22 LS. The
cosmopolitan city became the capital of the Hominid
Dominion, and would continue to become more diverse
and densely populated during the Exodus and Redsky Eras.
Refugees streamed into Mundi from across the increasingly
uninhabitable Nightlands. The Dominion’s prosperity and
relative tolerance were major stabilizing forces in the
region. Although the majority of the Dominion’s population

Part Two: The World

nation’s control.
Humans in Dema have vivid lives and the potential for
greatness. Their stories are waiting for you to tell. Perhaps
you’re a hero of the Dayraid that helps Remus overthrow
the nobility at the turn of the Uprising Era. Or are you a
soldier of the 9th Legion Invicta skirmishing with Aegic
saboteurs? You could be a Krypteia agent policing the Izek
Holds of Asphodel who has a sudden change of heart. Or
how about a Deonan Cobalt Marine planning to desert her
unit to join the rebellions of the Exaltation Wars? Maybe in
some forsaken dungeon you’ll even discover a lost Orb of
Abragon, and go down in history as one of Sola’s most
faithful servants. If you survive, of course. As your tale
unfolds, what tragedy or triumph is waiting for the hero,
the heretic, the merchant, the rebel, the empress, and the
slave yearning to be free?
remained Human, growing communities of the other five
peoples of Dema came to call the region home. The
Dominion’s prosperity and relative tolerance were major
stabilizing forces in the region. In times of plenty, Mundi’s
bustling ports brought a higher standard of living to its
residents than almost anywhere else. In times of struggle
and occupation, the Dominion’s various peoples came
together to support each other.
Nearly a hundred trading guilds, secret brotherhoods,
mercenary companies, and religious orders vie for influence
behind the scenes of Mundi’s noisy public forums.
Guttersnipe thieves skim coins off of transactions at the
docks. Wordsmiths of the Golden Stage dazzle crowds of

Hominid Dominion
The Homonid Dominion is a tributary vassal state to the
Solar Hegemony, designed to rule over and integrate the
Hegemony’s prosperous Nightlands territories. The story of
the Dominion is heavily intertwined with the great city of
Mundi.
Mundi lies at the heart of Dema. It is known as the azure
jewel, the setting of a thousand plays. This breathtaking city
is seated at the strategically critical three-way junction of
the Moon River, which separates the Light Plains, Moon
Realms, and Midlands. It is the geographic and cultural
crossroads of the world, and receives an equal amount of
daylight and dusk each 25-hour day. Labyrinths of canals
and roads crisscross Mundi’s bustling neighborhoods. The
city’s waterways empty into and connect the Midnight and
Gilded Seas. Short of sailing all the way around the
Midlands, or braving the underground passageways of the
Thalkast, Mundi’s bridges and canals are the only means of
bypassing the Mountains of the Moon. This vast mountain
chain divides Dema’s dark western half from its light
eastern half.
In the Heroic Era, formidable kingdoms and regimes
reigned in Mundi. The most infamous of these was the
despotic, slave-trading Scions. Scion rule was brought to an
end by the bloody Marble Rebellion, which resulted in a
region-wide ban on the institution of slavery. For centuries Banner of the
Hegemony
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theatergoers with rhyming historical ballads and romantic until the foundation of the Dominion in 22 LS, when
dramas set in distant lands. Tucked away in a seedy corner Mundi’s tradition of a volunteer army was honored by a
of the city sprawl lies the Jade Feather. This tavern and special exemption of the Dominion’s population from
guild hosts only the most successful bands of adventurers legionary conscriptions. This turned out to be a boon for the
as they plan expeditions and squander the riches of their Solar Hegemony. Year after year, more volunteers joined
latest quests. Beginning in 13 LS, the city’s new creche the Dominion’s four legions than could be maintained as
system took in thousands of orphaned children. With access forced conscripts under the Scintillan System.
to food, shelter, and education, hundreds of orphans Nexus of Language and Light. Mundi is the ancestral
became model citizens. Some children of slaves that grew home of Mundane, a language so common that it is used as
up in the creche system even rose to the powerful heights of a bridge language throughout the world. Mundi is also the
Mundi’s government. nexus of the six beams of light that make up the Solar
The Scholasta. Mundi is also home to one of the oldest Network. For this reason, Mundi is regarded as a holy city
and most prestigious orders of academics in all of Dema: by the Church of Sola. Mundi’s holiness made its recapture
the great Scholasta. Much of Mundi and the Dominion’s a priority to Emperors Remus and Sicarius. The tale of how
history can be accessed from the Scholasta’s archives in the Emperor Remus seized Dema’s azure jewel from the Dark
grand Musaeum. The Musaeum is host to some of the most Horde is as epic as it is twisted by the mists of time.
well-kept historical records and collections of lore in Dema.
Novitiates to the Scholasta rise in station according to their
THE HARMONUS AND REBELLION
Although the Hominid Dominion remained a tributary
contributions. These include the archaeological digs and
vassal state to the Solar Hegemony for almost a century, the
Eldertech-recovering adventures they go on, the
Dominion’s ruling governors grew increasingly
prospective geniuses they recruit, and the many tomes of
independent over generations. Successive governors relied
history and folklore they author.
ever more on an advisory body called the Harmonus. Over
Only the great philosophers of Hollowfalls, the
time, the function and authority of the Harmonus came to
Kolloquium researchers of Ikhish, and the Eldertech-
resemble a classical republic. Senators from each region of
tinkering Arkwrights of Luminos can compare to the
the Dominion were elected to represent the population’s
Scholasta in its breadth of knowledge and ambitious
interests. The Harmonus assembled regularly in a special
research. Information exchanges between these groups
district on the eastern bank of the city called the Concord.
occur every so often. Teachers and apprentices from abroad
Tensions around issues like religious freedoms, taxation,
regularly visit the Musaeum’s halls. Visitors are eager to
and slavery led to passionate debates in the Harmonus.
mingle and share ideas with the Scholasta’s wizened
Lobbyists and outside agitators like the Archivists of
Abecedaries. Yet, just beneath the humming surface of
Etherea and the Hatinate of The Auric sent agents to
mutual teaching, all four seats of learning conspire against
influence the decisions of the Harmonus and the governor it
each other for superiority in the decades-long information
nominally answered to. Although a handful of senators
war known as the Duel of Scrolls.
openly flirted with the idea of seceding from the Hegemony
The Marshals. Beyond the walls of Mundi, Scholasta
numerous times, most of the time nothing came of it. It was
members depend on the protection of the Marshals. They
only during the puritanical reign of the Diarchy that
are one of the oldest and most prestigious militaries in
popular secessionist movements erupted in Mundi and the
Dema. The Marshals are renowned for their multi-species
Dominion. Similar revolts swept across the Human lands in
forces, quickly changing tactics, and iron discipline. They
the Exaltation Wars of 70-90 LS. Dozens of riots and
are named for Mundi’s ancient and legendary general Mar.
protests in Mundi’s streets were brutally suppressed by the
His warriors are said to have hailed from all across Dema.
Diarchy. The accounts from these events fill an entire
During military exercises, the Marshals perform intricate
subwing of the Musaeum.
combined arms maneuvers. Their Wakewalker shock
Independence Cut Short. The new Emperor Sicarius put
troops, Nightrider virsemen, and Featherfolk peltasts
an end to the Diarchy’s reign of terror, but increasingly
compete against each other just outside the Gates of Mundi.
stated his intention to annex the Dominion. In the final
The Gates are a series of walls and forts that was
years of the Redsky Era, a massive coalition of Dominion
constructed in 12-16 LS at the neck of the Valley of Tears to
nationalists formed in the Harmonus to ensure that Mundi
the northwest of Mundi. The Solar Hegemony built it to
continued to enjoy its special vassal status. When Sicarius
prevent a Nightrider army from ever reaching Mundi again.
ordered the body to disband in 100 LS, the Harmonus
The Marshals’ military strength served the city well in
instead declared independence. The Dominion’s Marshals
times of independence, and elevated Mundi’s reputation
swelled with Hiremai Wakewalkers, Dawnraider
when they served as powerful auxiliaries in the Hegemony.
Nightriders whose ancestors had fought the Hegemony,
The Marshals are one of the only volunteer armies in Dema.
Sporespawn refugees from the Hive Halls, and Human
This policy ensures that their ranks are only ever filled with
colonials far-removed from the indoctrination of the Solar
the very best. Before becoming a part of the Solar
Hegemony’s inner provinces. Outnumbered, the
Hegemony in 1 EM, it was common for well-off families in
devastating land war between the Hominid Dominion and
Mundi to donate vast quantities of their wealth to the
the legions of Emperor Sicarius left tens of thousands dead.
Marshals. These funds were used to train and equip anyone
The war raged until 102 LS when it was halted by the
willing to risk their lives on campaigns.
arrival of the Overseers. In the face of weapons technology
Under the Solar Hegemony, Mundi’s population was so advanced it made Eldertech look primitive, the collapse
briefly conscripted into the solar legions. This continued of civilization worldwide seemed imminent. Mundi barely

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endured at the center of a closing ring of unnatural disasters
and swarms of monsters sweeping Dema.
Across the many centuries of Mundi and the Dominion’s
history, it has been the site of countless dreams and dramas.
Your party could lose itself in these tales for years. From an
orphan studying for the creche system’s palace exams, to a
commander of the Marshals rallying against the King of
Darkness at the start of the Dayraid. Perhaps your
characters will outbid Archivist spice merchants in Mundi’s
bustling wharf markets, or ferry exotic goods between the
city and the dense jungles to the south. The infinite faces
and spaces of the Dominion are yours to mold. Will your
adventurers make their headquarters in Mundi to stoke
rebellion or to profit from it? Can you protect the remnant
of your culture and make the daring exodus from your
devastated homeland to the safety of the Hominid
Dominion? Mundi’s vaults overflowing with gems and
Eldertech won’t heist themselves. Each of the cities and
service as Naric’s tax administrator. Reluctantly, Gawain
taught himself to read Mundane. Language was quickly
followed by mathematics, logic, and most belovedly,
histories and myths like those of Deonar’s Cobalt Marines.
The Invasion. History had other plans for Gawain besides
coin counting. In 5 EM, the King of Darkness’s invasion of
the Light Plains upended Humanity’s reality without
warning. The Dayraid had begun. Eyewitness accounts
describe fields turned to ash as far as the horizon stretched,
and miles of charred bones and debris. As strife and
destruction gripped the land, Gawain enlisted in his lord’s
militia alongside his father and two older brothers.
Gawain’s first few tastes of battle nearly killed him. As
unit after unit of Deonan bannermen perished beneath
Nightrider arrows, a sense of futility among the ranks
began to take hold. Gawain recognized the superior
mobility and raw power of the Nightrider cavalry, and
convinced a sympathetic noble officer named Neridus to

Part Two: The World

locales in Dema are large and dynamic enough for entire arrange battle formations in thick yet flexible pike squares
campaigns. Yet, no other place offers a taste of everything at to halt the momentum of the relentless virse charges.
once quite like Mundi and the Hominid Dominion.

Leaders
Gawain Cang Governor
Gawain
Some leaders do not deserve the lofty titles they give Cang
themselves. Others, peerless in deed and character, allow
their actions to speak for them. In this case, it is no wonder
that General Gawain Cang, Titanus Draconis, is broadly
considered one of the greatest commanders in the history of
Dema. A soldier’s general, Gawain never desired the
monumental choices he faced. His career ended as Praetor
Commander and governor of the Hominid Dominion, with
the consequences of his actions looming over the Solar
Hegemony for nearly a hundred years.
Impoverished Youth. The day-to-day grinding poverty of
the rural Light Plains is often glossed over in the official
records of the late Heroic Era. Many histories dwell on the
excesses of the urban nobles of the Human Kingdoms.
Besides for a few dusty Deonan tax ledgers, there is no
other record of the Cang family. Recorded as the fifth child
of Haan and Peri Cang, Gawain grew up poor even by the
standards of his small Deonan village of Crestmarch.
Despite possessing strength and fortitude, Gawain’s
physical build was moderately stunted by malnutrition.
Although talent and potential was common among
Deonan youths like Gawain, opportunity and upward
mobility was extremely rare. It was without much hope of
self-gain that Gawain labored each day to protect his family
and neighbors from the constant danger of illness, monster
infestations, and poor harvests. Long after other youths
collapsed on their mats from exhaustion at the end of each
workday, Gawain mended fences, milked yamar cattle, and
cleared stones and roots from uncultivated fields.
To the surprise of many, Gawain was recognized by his
local lord Naric Imbus for maintaining the small turnpike
dirt road that connected Crestmarch to its neighbors. Like
many commoner families, the Cang family’s debts were
designed never to be fully repayable. Naric made a
seductive offer to pay off the debt in exchange for Gawain’s

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 As the war raged on, whispers of an obscure faith called
the Church of Sola enraptured many Human soldiers. Sola’s
preachers sang of the salvation of Humanity. Gawain and
thousands like him found comfort and purpose in the
Solasii teachings. Just as infectious were the growing
rumors of Remus Cassar’s military miracle just south of
Scintilla. Desperate to know how a peasant achieved what
they could not, nobles from across the Light Plains
convened a war council in Deonar and requested Remus’s
presence. It was here that Gawain first met Remus. They
would soon begin a friendship that would change the
world.
FAITH, POWER, AND SUCCESS
Gawain was drawn to Remus’s charisma, competence, and
aura of authority. The nobility reluctantly agreed to let
Remus coordinate Humanity’s combined forces until the
war’s end. Gawain found himself answering directly to
Remus as one of his top military officers. Within his inner
circle, Remus claimed himself to be Sola’s prophet and the
secret high priest of Her Church. He extolled the virtues of
Sola’s teachings, and his vision of a classless Humanity
shielded by Sola, one without debtors’ tears and the courts
of kings. Finding at last a sense of community and real
purpose, Gawain converted.
Given the opportunities he needed by Remus, Gawain
performed miracles on the frontlines. Over nearly a dozen
battles, Gawain outmaneuvered Nightrider units so
effectively that he was even able to ambush splinters of the
horde in their yurt encampments before their raids against
nearby towns and villages even began.
Battle of Tennegot. One of Gawain’s battles continues to
be studied at Hegemony military academies. At the Battle of
Tennegot, in 2 EM, Gawain constructed a wooden wall and
forts around the Dawnraider-occupied town of Tennegot.
His two older brothers had been killed inside along with the
rest of the town’s garrison. Seeking vengeance, Gawain’s
siege was complicated by a Nightrider relief force of
Cairnkeepers led by Bartra the Bold arriving from the south.
Gawain countered by building a second, outward-facing
wall around the first, conducting a siege-within-a-siege, to
valiantly defend his position. The battle finally ended when
Remus arrived and overwhelmed Bartra’s relief force. The
doubly encircled Dawnraiders surrendered in the midst of
lightning storms and tornadoes, both frequent hazards in
the Light Plains. The brutal early years of the Dayraid when
Human soldiers were hopelessly trampled beneath voctars
and war mammoths came to a permanent end. Within two
years, the Dayraid was over.
Gawain spent his postwar years aiding Emperor Remus
with the consolidation and reshaping of the Light Plains
under the new norms of the Solar Hegemony. Though eager
to spread the practices of his new faith, Gawain grew
uncomfortable with the escalating suppression of the Light
Plains’ once-independent regional cultures. Scholars can
only speculate about what conversations he shared with
Remus over the direction of the cause. There would be little
time to feud. In 6 LS, spies began reporting that the King of
Darkness was amassing a second Dark Horde to wage war
on Humanity once again.
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THE NEW GENERAL
Tied down by imperial administration, Emperor Remus
elevated Gawain to the rank of General, and granted him
command of twelve solar legions to annihilate the second
Dark Horde. In the first decisive battle of what soon became
known as the Moon Realms Conflicts, Gawain ambushed
the King of Darkness in a mountain pass to the northwest of
Mundi. As pike walls and crossbow bolts descended on the
Dark Horde from all directions, Gawain faced the towering
King of Darkness in single combat, both clad in stunning
Eldertech armor. Despite being wounded gravely, Gawain
slew the Dawnraider overlord with his Eldertech sword
Sunder.
With the King of Darkness dead and the second Dark
Horde shattered, the way was clear for the Solar
Hegemony’s total domination of the Moon Realms. Already
a beloved hero to his soldiers, Gawain’s reputation rose to
that of a living legend, celebrated throughout the Light
Plains. A religious celebration was held in Gawain’s rebuilt
hometown of Crestmarch. Gawain’s former lord Naric
Imbus, who renounced his nobility to avoid execution
during the formation of the Hegemony, stood next to
Gawain’s surviving parent Haan as both bowed to the
proudest son of Deonar amid shouts of “Sola Triumpha!”
from the crowd.
Imperial chroniclers would later record Gawain’s long list
of deeds as nothing less than divinely guided. Over the
following decade, Gawain’s leadership brought victory to
the solar legions from the walls of Yaras to the trenches of
Snow’s Edge. When a new rebel army utterly routed Yaras’s
garrison in 18 LS, Emperor Remus once again called on
Gawain to lead the armies of Humanity to victory in the
Moon Realms. This time elevated to Praetor Commander,
Gawain was given command over fourteen solar legions to
face the Queen of the Night’s uprising.
Tegan and the Creche System. At the end of the Moon
Realms Conflicts, Gawain returned to Mundi to assume
governorship of the new Hominid Dominion and oversee
reforms in the city. This included expanding the
standardized creche system for war orphans. Gawain’s only
adopted son Tegan Cang helped improve this system by
expanding both the eligibility for and the standard of care
offered.
As agreed upon by Gawain and Emperor Remus, the
Hominid Dominion, with Mundi as its capital, would serve
as a tributary vassal state to the Solar Hegemony. The
Hominid Dominion’s taxes were much higher than the rest
of the Solar Hegemony’s. In exchange, Mundi would
continue to enjoy special freedoms denied everywhere else.
Retiring from his decorated military career, Gawain
governed the Hominid Dominion over the next decade.
With no known marriage and few close personal friends
besides Remus, Gawain led a relatively private and
peaceful life until the death of Emperor Remus in 29 LS. At
the express command of Remus’s son and successor
Emperor Decimus Cassar, Gawain was called out of
retirement to once again command the solar legions and
defeat the empire’s enemies.
BACK ON THE BATTLEFIELD
The Hegemony’s northern legions were on the verge of a
disastrous defeat when Gawain assumed command late in
30 LS. The Archivist city-state of Aegis, resolute in their
mountain fortresses, had ambushed and destroyed almost
four legions during the early battles of the Aegis
Campaigns. With his legendary guile, Gawain
outmaneuvered Aegis’s armies and placed their city under
siege by 32 LS. Receiving a direct order from Emperor
Decimus, Gawain’s officers set Aegis aflame with Scintillan
fire.
Gawain stood by and did nothing as the purple flames
engulfed the city. When the pyre of an entire culture finally
died, and scouts began reporting nothing but ash and
chambers of scorched bones, Gawain’s hair is said to have
turned a sickly white. Visibly shaken, Gawain returned to
Mundi, where to his disgust, he was hailed by cheering
crowds as a returning warrior-saint. Over the next year,
Gawain began to contemplate the limits of duty until he
was yet again called out of retirement in 34 LS.
Gawain’s home city of Deonar was in a state of open
revolt against the Solar Hegemony. The Moon Realms
Conflicts and Aegis Campaigns had killed or maimed many
of Deonar’s young men. Ordinarily, these losses were
soothed by the enormously popular Widow’s Tithe, where a
tenth of the Hegemony’s tax revenue compensated
veterans, widows, and other casualties of war. Hoping to
free up funds for yet more wars, Emperor Decimus ordered
an end to the Tithe. What began as illegal protests soon
exploded into armed revolt in Deonar and the surrounding
settlements. Decimus sent six solar legions to isolate the
region and crush the revolt. Deonan legionnaires defected
by the thousands to join the city’s rebels.
The fighting soon arrived at the city of Deonar itself.
When the Deonan rebels heard the news that Gawain had
assumed command of the siege, they begged him to turn on
Decimus. With orders to storm the city and hunt down
every last rebel, Gawain was paralyzed by indecision. When
his legions took the city, Gawain failed to prevent what
became thousands of rebel executions held nearby in the
white salt flats of Fallow Fields.
Chosen Exile. Now an elderly man, the stresses of war
and the weight of his decisions had taken their toll on
Gawain. Returning again to Mundi, he relinquished his
governorship of the Hominid Dominion and exiled himself
from public life. Wizened with the scars, frown lines, and
haunting stare of having conquered nations, Gawain took a
small craft up the Moon River towards Parime, forbidden
land of the dragons. His son Tegan recounts that he left to
“banish his shadow.”
The wordsmiths of the Hegemony eulogized Gawain
Cang as worthy to join the ranks of blessed Abragon and
the prophet Emperor Remus as ascended Sentinels, the
guardians of Sola. Folk legends say that Gawain will return
after he finishes cleansing Parime of dragons. Whatever the
truth of these tall tales, none dispute that Gawain Cang, the
once-illiterate son of indebted Deonan farmers, saved
Humanity from many of the greatest struggles of his
generation. As the blade arm of the young Solar Hegemony,
Gawain carved a path to world conquest down which
merciless Emperors would follow for the next hundred
184
years of the Levigo de Sola. Yet as governor of the Hominid
Dominion, Gawain did more to preserve Mundi’s culture
and establish a foothold for freedom within its walls than
any other person. With such a conflicting and storied life,
the judging eyes of history would long debate whether
Praetor Commander Gawain Cang, Titanus Draconis, was
truly a good man.
Celina Solati
A single spark of judgment can echo through history. Of all
the great figures of the mighty Solar Hegemony, Empress
Celina Solati, Lux Imperia, stands atop a mountain of
enemies as a peer to the greatest leaders of Humanity. Not
since Emperor Remus did a personality reshape the Light
Plains so strongly to their vision and will, however twisted.
Celina’s ascension to new heights was necessary for such a
spectacular fall.
Part Two: The World
Celina was born around 41 LS, and was promptly
abandoned by her unwed parents at the steps of the Temple
of Sola in Abresia. This castoff origin did not immediately
spell a sentence to slavery, as is common in Abresia. Rather,
Celina spent countless hours in study and devout duty as
the clergy took her in on a trial charity emulating the creche
system of Mundi. Advisors took note of her dedication and
wit, although patronizingly urged her to curb her sharp
tongue. Scholasta historians speculate that Celina’s troubled
interpretation of her birth, coupled with the strict, relentless
teachings against the promiscuity and excess of the old
Abresian nobility, molded her into an assertive but deeply
puzzling figure focused on rising to the most respectable
position of power possible.
The High Priestess. By early adulthood, Celina was a
driven Solasii high priestess, fiercely pious and ascetic. Her
carefully planned machinations withered those she found to
be hypocritical or corrupt. Celina steeled herself to be the
embodiment of justice, faith, and the rule of divine law over
Abresia. Those who did not come around to her strict
interpretations of the Book of Sola found themselves
shunned by her growing flock of commoners and low-
clergy. In quick succession, several of Celina’s superiors in
the Church had their reputations tarnished, exposed for
To date, the effect this pursuit of Silverstone
Towers activation has had on Sentient Species
“Homa's” progress can be measured in 37 million
ARD, multiplied by the hundreds of thousands
oppressed in the faith's name. This committee
feels the zealous impulse shown once again
brings up questions of long-term viability for
Sentient Species “Homa” in the wider realms of
creation, majority of active personnel
notwithstanding.
Magus Calibana may find Sentient Species
“Homa” worth preserving in their flawed state,
but her peers have doubts. May we never forget
the cosmic disgrace which our mission is
dedicated to absolve.
The Solar Hegemony
vice and greed in trials that ended with public executions
overseen by Celina’s allies in the Abresian Krypteia.
Celina’s puritanical rise in Abresian society stood in
direct opposition with the official spirit of the wider
Hegemony. The reformations of Emperor Tacitus the Kind
were in full swing by the early 60s LS. Religious tolerance,
social programs for the poor, and expanded protections for
nonhumans were all on the national agenda. Even talk of
abandoning the quest to activate the Solar Network had
begun in the wake of the supposed destruction of one of the
seven Orbs of Abragon. Tacitus did not immediately
condemn this talk, to the damning judgment of his peers.
Most prominently, a push for more separation between the
civil government of the empire and the Church of Sola was
gaining steady support.
This was a vast political swing in the other direction from
the brutal reign of Tacitus’s father Emperor Decimus, who
had traumatized the Light Plains. Yet, to Celina’s flock,
Tacitus’s reformations appeared to be a straying of the
Hegemony’s society away from the fundamental tenets that
once guided it to conquer much of the known world. To
allow Tacitus’s sweeping reforms to continue would be to
risk the Reascension promised by the Book of Sola at the
end of days.
THE RUDIMENT
No further ‘heresy’ would be allowed to fester. The
Abresian church’s criticisms came to a head during the
Silver Horizon riots of 67 LS. Secretly roused to action by
Celina and a close core of ringleaders, the city’s devout
public rose up and declared a new sect of the Church of
Sola – The Rudiment. With Celina at the head, this ‘pure’
form of the faith was magnetic to the Abresians who felt
alienated by the rapidly changing pace of their world. It
quickly spread to other corners of the Hegemony through
waves of born-twice preachers. In Abresia, the Rudimentarii
overpowered the garrisoned legions, put down several
slave revolts, and looked for allies among the dozens of
fledgling separatist movements led by rogue generals and
governors across the Light Plains.
The most powerful of these rebellions was led by High
Admiral Ahn Vanen of Deonar. Vanen had also grown
wary of Tacitus’s reforms, seeing them as compassionate
but a threat to the survival of Humanity. He was quick to
pledge the imperial home fleet to spread the light of the
Rudiment. Using intelligence provided by Celina, two
loyalist provincial legions were defeated and captured by
Krypteia Mask
Redsky Core Book
185
the Cobalt Marines of Deonar at the Rout of Fallow Fields.
Thousands of disarmed legionnaires were paraded through
the streets of Deonar, then ordered to convert and fight for
the Rudiment or face death. As one, the entire force bent the
knee. Celina and Ahn finally had a military large enough to
strike the imperial palace in Scintilla.
Yet, when their forces at last entered the inner provinces,
they found the gates of Scintilla open, crowds of Scintillans
applauding in the streets. One of Tacitus’s most treasured
advisors, the devout Brutia Araelia, had convinced the
palace guards to seize Emperor Tacitus and surrender the
city to the true path of the Rudimentarii. It is said Celina
and Ahn wept ten thousand tears each upon seeing how
low even their beloved Emperor had fallen from the path of
light. The public execution of Tacitus and the political
wedding of Celina Solati and Ahn Vanen on the same day
in 70 LS marked the coming of a new order.
THE DIARCHY
The new government of the Solar Hegemony was led by
two co-Emperors, known as the Diarchs. Goodness and
justice were merely abstractions to hide oppression behind.
Massive purges of the church and military followed as the
Diarchy government put down rival insurgencies and false
emperors, their search for treason and heresy becoming a
quest fueled by paranoia and judgment. If the cunning
couple had come to rule in a power vacuum, they would
have to seal the possibility of being dethroned behind them.
Every level of Celina and Ahn’s government became
staffed with Rudimentarii clergy that would reshape life in
the Solar Hegemony for the next twenty years. Austere
spiritual purity was made to be the highest goal in a
citizen’s life, with almost every spare moment an average
citizen had away from labor devoted to worship. The most
competent of the Hegemony’s generals found themselves
purged by a zealous new Krypteia even more empowered
to root out enemies both real and imagined. The most
skilled leaders fell victim to the most pious, then simply the
most obedient, at the expense of the military, economy, and
social progress. The newest generation of ‘leaders’ were
Aurorus, Church-bound slaves whose lives were dedicated
to improving faith in the empire.
With the exception of Celina and Ahn’s devastating war
to silence the Archivist city-state of Luminos in 80 LS, the
final years of the Exodus Era marked a strong decline in the
Hegemony’s foreign expansion. Attention shifted in favor
of various schemes to bring about the return of Sola, known
as the Reascension. With Celina’s mercenaries and
adventurers scouring Dema, two more Orbs of Abragon
were miraculously discovered during the Diarchy. Yet, the
strains the Hegemony’s legions underwent as oppressed
provinces sought to break away from the Rudimentarii’s
tightening grip nearly fragmented the Light Plains back into
kingdoms on multiple occasions in conflicts that would
collectively be called the Exaltation Wars. The blood of one
battle was barely cleansed before the next flared up as rifts
along species, religion, and class deepened in the Daylands.
This dark age of discipline, abstinence, tension, and revolt
lasted between 70-90 LS, immortalized in tomes and
histories such as Faith and Fire, A Vigil For Would-Be Kings,
and Lux Imperia.
 Mundi Folklor e
Mundi, for many reasons, is known to be a bastion of free spirits. Its culture and legacy of freedom had to start
somewhere, though. Popular legends suggest that it began centuries ago with the city’s two mythic patrons, Zeo’ Xis and
Parhasios.
The Featherfolk Zeo’ Xis and Wakewalker Parhasios lived in the Years of The Hundred Scions, the old calendar days
when Mundi was a slaveholding city. In that time, any wealthy upstart could declare themselves ‘noble.’ The slavers of
the elite districts scoured the realms of Dema for any soul with an artistic spark. Competition s to display the grandest
works of art notoriously ended in either the satisfaction of the slavers or the severed hands of unfortunate artists.
Zeo’ Xis stood out even among the great Featherfolk painters of his time. It was said his eyes could distinguish ten
times as many hues as a Human. Whether it was touching up muscles and individual hairs on a lunging garnah in portrait,
or a mural of Coriv and Irenca leading a hundred Aegic heroes charging against armies of hardlight specters in the
Effulgent Times, the handiwork of Zeo’ Xis sold for chests of jewelry and coin to hang above the hearths of noble
houses throughout Dema.
Not one copper made it to Zeo’ Xis himself. He was a slave, you see. Owned by none other than Scion Castor, the

Part Two: The World

richest and most brutal of the Scions, Mundi’s ancient tyrants and slavers. It is said that Castor and his assassins were
responsible for ending the Years of the Hundred Scions and ushering in the Year of Tyranny. It should be noted
Castor’s family sigil was the grape. Wine, fertility, luxury. A calling card of his coterie was to leave a cluster of grapes
in the mouths of the less powerful Scions he murdered in their villas.
The remaining Scions saw the dangers of daggers closing in. They rallied around Castor, pledging their coffers and
slaves. Zeo’ Xis watched the calamity from his caged bedroom in Castor’s villa and despaired.
Upon his ascent to the newly carved marble throne of Mundi, Prime Scion Castor proclaimed three hundred days of
games in the Coliseum of Mar. He gifted barley and fruit by the barrel to the city’s disarmed Marshals. Twelve public
fountains pumped wine instead of water. Castor declared each citizen had only one chance to stay in his good graces and
out of the sights of his assassins. For the price of their freedom, Castor pledged utopia.
At the height of Castor’s games, he proclaimed a new art contest. Any slave who could create a work more
impressive or beautiful than Zeo’ Xis would win their freedom. Never one to miss an opportunity to nourish his ego,
these works had to be symbolic of Castor’s glory, and to dissuade all of Castor’s slaves from trying their luck, anyone
who lost was to be drowned in a wine casket and then paraded through the streets.
Only one slave was brazen enough to accept the long odds. Parhasios, one of the few Wakewalkers in ancient Mundi,
was noted among servants for her patience and towering height, nearer to eight feet than seven. Her katamar had been
marooned in a storm off the coast of the Midlands, and she had been tricked into slavery by a minor Scion house that
Castor had since brought under his control.
It is said Castor laughed when Parhasios knocked on his throne room’s door, Castor jeering, “I have never met a
Wakewalker delicate enough to be fond of painting.”
“You still have not,” replied Parhasios. “I am a sculptor. I carved the marble throne on which you sit. Give me until
the end of your three hundred days of games, and I will make for you art so fine it will be worth freeing every slave in
Mundi.”
“And I will take just as long to build a wine barrel large enough to hold you!” Brave of Castor to quip when flanked by
ten bronze-clad guards. The Human and Wakewalker agreed to present their work in the Coliseum of Mar for all to
see.
In the meantime, none were to disturb the artists at work. Zeo’ Xis labored at what he hoped would be his magnum
opus, a painting so realistic it would put the real object of its focus to shame. None saw any sign of Parhasios, though the
sound of chiseling could be heard coming from her master’s workshop at all hours.
On the fateful day, before a packed Coliseum, Castor walked with Zeo’ Xis across the arena floor as the Featherfolk
moved his blanketed canvas into position. In the center loomed Castor’s promised wine barrel. At the far end of the
arena, Parhasios stood beside her sculpture, which was concealed behind a white satin curtain. The circular curtain was so
large that it obscured the entire seating section behind it.
Zeo’ Xis unveiled his work to the amazement of the crowd: a bowl of grapes.

The Solar Hegemony

186
 Such a mun dane objec t may seem antic limac tic to
impr essio n. Acco unts spea k of a shad e of purp le neve many read ers of the mod ern era, but it must have
left quite an
spec kled acro ss indiv idual grap es, with gran ular wood r seen by the atten dees befo re. Perf ect drop lets of dew were
pine. Seve ral dove s swoo ped down from above to trywork on the bowl that trick ed the sens es into smel ling fres h cut
the sigil of Cast or’s fami ly engr aved in the bowl for and peck at the faux fruit as it was parad ed to the fron t rows ,
all to see.
“Are you thirs ty?” asked Cast or to Parh asios , point
ing to the wine barre l.
“I am, but I will not drink free ly from your barre
your eyes alone .” She beck oned Cast or to come to l until you see my piece . It shou ld be viewe d up close first by
her.
Wary , Cast or asked what the blue giant ess could have
repli ed it was some thing both light as air and heavy depic ted that was wort h takin g extra steps to see.
Parh
for all to see. She said to forg et paint -- this woul as the hills. As invis ible as Cast or’s assas sins, but in plain asios
d make Cast or’s glory pass into legen d with the swee view
poet ry. For a Prim e Scio n who had so much , Parh asios tnes s of
thirs t for more . All he had to do was step to the decla red she could final ly satis fy Cast or’s unqu ench
curta able
see the truth . She then stepp ed behin d the curta in. in, say, “Wha t await s Cast or after death ?” and pull it aside to
Flank ed by his guard s, Cast or appr oach ed. “And what
at the folds in the cent er. does await Cast or after death ?” He move d to part
the fabri c
Wher e Cast or expe cted his hand s to mee t satin , they
brush ed again st marb le.
Parh asios roar ed, “Not hing! ” and from the othe r end,
and all of his guard s bene ath one ton of marb le. Thus kicke d her sculp ture on its side, splat terin g the Prim e Scio n
alway s to tyran ts.
So bega n the Marb le Rebe llion . Afte r Parh asios ’s
rema ins of Cast or’s tyran ny acro ss Mun di. bold act, slave s revo lted again st the mino r Scio ns
and the
Conf lictin g accou nts have been writt en abou t the
entir e conf lict. She rema ined in the Colis eum of Year of Wrat h. One cons tant is Parh asios ’s locat ion durin g the
way to Cast or’s assas sins, who were still unde tecteMar witho ut hidin g, orga nizin g the free d. Her locat ion made its
Colis eum cups at a time . She let it be know n that d. Parh asios spen t her days drink ing from the barre l in the
The accou nts again diffe r as to how high the pile ofthe slave rs woul d run out of assas sins befo re she ran out of wine .
Perh aps the first row of seats , more likely the seco assas sins’ bodie s rose by the end of the Marb le Rebe llion .
nd.
Mun di brea thed free on the first day of the Year s
terri tory until the Sola r Hege mon y reint rodu ced the of Abol ition . Ther eafte r, no pers on woul d own anoth er in its
pract ice hund reds of year s later .
As for Zeo ’ Xis, it is said he came to Parh asios on
that she had obvio usly won the cont est. Zeo ’ Xis bowethe first anniv ersar y of the Marb le Rebe llion and decla red
sculp ture trick ed a fello w artis t.” d, notin g, “My paint ing may have trick ed the birds ,
but your
“It may be true, ” said Parh asios . “But were my curta
than your grap es.” in able to be parte d, no finer work could have been
behin d it
Seve ral othe r scho lars here at the Musa eum ques
away most conc lusiv e evide nce, with some even goingtion if these even ts truly happ ened as told. Histo ry has wipe d
Grea t Zme y. A grea t marb le curta in, supp osed ly so far as to claim that the tale is as fanc iful as Peru
smas hed it durin g Rem us’s “libe ratio n” of the city Parh asios ’s, rema ined on exhib it in Mun di until Scin tillannir and the
soldi ers
paint ing of grap es had disap pear ed a cent ury earli er,from the King of Dark ness in the year 1 EM. An expe nsive
eyes . rumo red to have been stole n by a Hum an thief with
golde n
Yet, a Wake walke r oral myth tells that a forlo rn
accom panie d by a male Feat herf olk. She reun ited Wake walke r fema le once retur ned to the Midn ight Isles
way to swap him into his desir ed sex. Havin g foun dwith her husb and, who she origi nally left on her voyag e to find a
Feat herf olk that was able to repli cate the strip e patte no magi c, she inste ad share d a shad e of purp le paint
made by the
befo re it. The seed s for the plant that prod uced this rns of Wake walke r fema les bette r than any othe r attem pt
hue were spre ad acro ss the islan ds.
Word smit hs note that in some diale cts of Kahr -Kho
kept one away from their loved ones is “Par has.” A ttan, the verb for retur ning home from a grea t journ ey that
“Zok sis.” local name for the purp le prod ucing plant and its
dye is

-Mas ter Arro nus, the Musa eum of the Scho lasta
“Fru its of Ston e,” Ency clope dia Dem ara, 4th Editi ,
on.

Redsky Core Book

187

Empress Celina
The Execution of Ahn. In 89 LS, Ahn revealed to Celina
that he had lost his faith in the Rudiment. After years of
enforcing the repression required to sustain Celina’s vision
of religious purity, Sola remained silent. Her Reascension
seemed no closer than it was before their rise to power. In
Ahn’s mind, the two decades he spent committing atrocities
in the name of Sola’s Reascension had been for nothing.
Worse, the Solar Hegemony was now on the verge of total
collapse. Ahn’s atheist revelation drove Celina to despair –
and fury. She ordered Ahn imprisoned, to be put to death in
the Coliseum of Mar in Mundi for the ultimate heresy.
Despite the best efforts of their brilliant son Sicarius to avert
his father’s demise, insisting that Ahn would find his faith
once more, Celina personally oversaw Ahn’s torture and
execution in the cheering arena, her billowing white silk
gown knit with thousands of rubies glinting on the arena’s
central throne.
The remaining year of Celina’s rule was spent in a frenzy
of violence across the Hegemony. Her guile was not dulled
by her unhinged wrath. She made the unprecedented
decision to shift the Solar Hegemony’s capital to Abresia,
ruling through atrocity from her battered homeland. By the
time she declared herself the divine Avatar of Dawn in 90
LS, Celina was in the final stages of arranging for every
188
Part Two: The World
firstborn child of the Rudiment’s faithful to be sacrificed on
the steps of the Temple of Sola in Abresia to bring about the
goddess’s return.
FALL FROM POWER
Only steps ahead of the Krypteia, a coalition of conspirators
led by Celina’s son Sicarius slew her warrior-monk
Chastined guards. The group of mostly palace guards and
priestesses horrified by Celina’s plans locked Celina in the
highest tower of Abresia. Power fell to Sicarius.
A sizable portion of the public, especially the Aurorus,
still spoke of Celina as the infallible Avatar of Dawn.
Equally vocal factions of the conspirators spoke of sparing
Celina as a powerless figurehead of the Rudiment, or of
executing her to prevent more danger to the Hegemony and
to restore the proper Church of Sola.
Sicarius’s choice was never known for certain. Only a
select cohort of palace guards were ever allowed to enter
that tower again. Officially, Celina perhaps still lived on
unseen. This allowed for at least a wishful interpretation to
the mainline Rudimentarii that the even mightier deeds of
Emperor Sicarius lasting into the final days of the Redsky
Era were at the command of his unforgettable imperial
mother.
The Solar Hegemony
 The Moon Realms liv e.”
me ans , as clo se as we can tra nsl ate to M un dan e, “Lo ng
” It
ght rid er fir st tel ls you “A va la. no t jus t for a lon g tim e. Fr om
th e
Yo u wi ll rem em ber wh en a Ni is a cal l to liv e ful ly, and
th e Ni ght rid ers , ‘ A va la’ mo on lit gra ssl and s of th e Pe ler yn e to th e fri gid Te nay bre , th e
to liv e lon g. An d yet , for
Al mo st all wi sh to th
fro m th e
e mi ght y wa lls of Ya ras , andngs ide th em on you r jou rn ey to bec om e wh o you we re me
ant to be.
of th e Du skp lai n
gre at hil ls
em bra ce life . W hat a pr ivi leg e it is to gal lop alo an to die un glo rio us and wr ink led ! Ba h, eas y for th e
Ni ght rid ers g po ten tia l th
rai de rs hav e a say ing : it is bet ter to ris k you r life cha sin
Th e Da wn
you ng to say . . Fo r how sw eet are th e fru its of a life tim e of hon est
ve s cou nt er: bet ter to ma ste r a cra ft fro m a you ng o she lte r and din e beh ind th eir mi ght y wa lls lik e her mi t
age
W ell , th e Ha rd hoo rd s to cap tu re th e cha rac ter of
a pe op le wh
Th ere are no bet ter wo
wo rk! to tel l th e
cra bs wh o’ v e com e acr oss a gra
pe .
ply sta te th at life beg ins wh en you fac e dan ger and liva esw eet rol l!
sim th em
Th e Ca irn kee pe rs, for ged in sen th eir fro stb itt en hal ls, wo uld e wa ste lan d, and do n’ t ev en hav e th e de cen cy to pa ck of
e. Th ey wo uld kn ow . Th ey d th eir chi ldr en int o th
th e mo on . Su re, th ey hav e ans we rs to th e big qu est ionh s
tal e, cha sin g ld ben eat
d th e Fr ees tee ds ? Ev en no w th ey rid e acr oss th e Pe lerrynlet th at get in th e wa y of life bef ore de ath , roa mi ng wi
An lea ve beh ind . Bu t th ey ne vebe.
life aft er de ath and of wh at we em , wh ate ve r wi ll be, wi ll dif fer en t
Ca yp ela ch’ s sil ve r sm ile . To th led th e on ce un ite d Ni ght rid er pe op les do wn th eir fouypr ela ch
g ago or Ca
fer en ces in th ou ght wh ich lon e, and th e pr op er wa y to hon
Th ese are jus t a few of th eingdifrel igi on s abo ut th e sel f, pe op le’ s rel ati on shi p to nat ur wo uld be as im po ssi ble as pic kin g my fav ori te
pa th s. Th ey’ v e for me d bra nch be of Ni ght rid ers
wi ll and wo nd er. Fo r th is rea son , to pic k my fav ori te tri
th rou gh
gra nd chi ld. ey are
I kid . It is th e Da wn rai de rs. wi th th e Da wn rai de rs gal lop ing abo ut th e Du skp lai n.r Th cam p.
ts and a hea rty me al if you wa nt to kee p up bar of soa p ma y bu y you a rid e bac k fro m th eir wa
So pa ck you r fin est boo
ses sti rru pe d and sho d. Br ing goo ds to tra de . A hea d too oft en . On ly too lat e did th e Da wn rai de rs rn lea
alw ays on th e mo ve , vir eir po etr y com pe tit ion s, vio len ce see ms to rea r its
Fo r a pe op le fam ed for th en d in cha ins . pr osp eri ty. On ly in th e maern rke ts of
th at wh at beg ins in wa r can rd hoo ve s. Th e cit y’ s lay ere d wa lls pr act ica lly scr eam
ve in ev ery do cky ard , tav , and
ps my fav ori te is th e Ha aza . Th ere ’ s a Ha rd hoo gai n
Th en aga in, pe rha
M un di can you fin d as ma ny cho ice s as in th e Gr eat wh o you are and wh at you hop e to acc om pli sh. Yo u wi ll
Pl
th e Gil de d St ate s or to Hi rem ai Isl and . If you me et on e, tel
l th em
lab ore r’ s fie ld fro m De on ar tra ck
an hon est fri en d for life . ey sp eak bri efl y and get to th e po int . Of ten abo ut how toto bu y an
Th n, try
rem ind ed of th e Ca irn kee pegurs.est rig ht th ey gra nt all vis ito rs. If you ev er vis it Ta llo
Bu t to sp eak of hon est y, I am no t squ and er th e on e nig ht of
ers acr oss De ma wi ll pa y for th e ing ot’ s we igh t in
and hu nt ap ex pr ed ato rs. Do irn kee pe r mo nst er hu nt th ese day s.
of ten ebr ium . Yo u can ma ke a tid y pr ofi t lat er, as Caers wi ll ap pr eci ate it too ! Sh ipp ing cos ts are ou tra geo us
ing ot
sar y for equ ipm en t rep air s, you see . Th eir hu nt
Th ey rid e har de r th an a th un de rst orm lat e for th e
gol d. Ne ces Fr ees tee ds ! led
rha ps it’ s bes t to cas t off th e com ple x and em bra ce th esim ple . Lo ng aft er th e wo rld ’ s mi ght ies t cas tle s hav e crud.mbSh ou ld
Hr mm . Pe ow of tax es. Lif e in th e Pe ler
yn e is th e W orl
eat h th e W all s at th e En d of
tax col lec tor . No t th at th ey llknsti ll be lea rn ing how to rid e and gu ide th eir tri be bentu r’ s Cr adl e wi ll ne ve r be for got ten , and ne ith er
aw ay, Fr ees tee d chi ldr en wihan d in pa int and lay it acr oss th e Sp her e of Re st. M on
you be so luc ky, dip you r mu ch
wi ll you . St ari ng at th ese pa ges , pe rha ps I’ v e rom ant ici zed th em too me .
goe s. sha
er tri bes are th e bes t. So it s and im me nse vio len ce. W isd om and stu pid ity . Glo rywhandich Ni ght rid er
It see ms th at all fou r Ni ght rid ing
aft er all . Ca pa ble of gre oon Re alm s. Bu t bef ore you em bar k, ma ke a cho ice abo utsho uld you be.
at th
e. Th ey are sim ply pe op le,
her
mb er th at wh en str ut tin g acr oss th e sta ge of th e M rid ers are n’ t afr aid to pa rti cip ate in life , th en ne ith er
Re me hin k you r de cis ion . If Ni ght
tri be to vis it fir st. Do n’ t ov ert lat er th an you th ink . Or , as th e loc als say , “A
va la! ”
mi ght las t and Grossly Impractic
al:
So en joy you rse lf! Th e hou rs Biased, Romanticized,
ide to the Re gio ns of De ma .
A Beginner’s Gu

-Mara Tancred.
Redsky Core Book
189
 The Forest of Ilda

Part Two: The World

Chapter 11: The Nightrider Tribes
Dawnraiders pinnacle of their power in the final decades of the Epoko de
Mallumo.
For centuries, the Moon Realms have been dominated by

T
he Dawnraiders charge forth on hooves of shadow
four great tribes of Nightriders: the Dawnraiders,
and thunder. These fearless Nightriders hail from
Hardhooves, Cairnkeepers, and Freesteeds. Of these four
the lush steppe of the Moon Realms known as the
overtribes, the Dawnraiders are the largest. They alone
Duskplain, where they ride mighty omnivorous steeds
came to contain more than one hundred undertribes, each
known as virses. The Dawnraiders have shaken the world
named for its most prominent dynasty. Folklore kept alive
of Dema to its foundations with their ambitions. A
by tribal shamans tells of the great deeds of the Rammjar,
Dawnraider is no fiercer an enemy, no truer a friend.
Teveryn, Erindera, Myrnoc, and dozens of other families.
During the Dayraid, Humanity learned this lesson at the
These oral histories weave a tapestry of alliances, blood
sharp end of the Dawnraiders’ arrows and curved swords.
feuds, feats of strength, marriages, and incredible
The fate of the Dawnraiders has long hung in the balance.
virsemanship. If they were ever written down, these tales
At the height of the Dayraid, it seemed inevitable that they
would fill several libraries. Collectively, they are called the
would conquer the farthest corners of civilization. Yet no
Lake of Memories. It is the dream of every young
more than a decade later, the Dawnraiders faced near ruin
Dawnraider to one day star in their own shamanic story.
at the hands of the empire their warmongering had sown.
The Dawnraiders live as nomads around the rim of the
Although many of Dema’s peoples swear by their own
Duskplain, making camp in collapsible shelters called yurts.
might and importance to history, the Dawnraiders have
Their youth learn to ride virses almost before they can walk.
both the crowns of conquerors and the shackles of the
Undertribes express their group membership in various
vanquished to prove it.
ways, such as braiding their virses’ manes in the traditional
Peace through Power. Although originally part of the
styles specific to each undertribe. The Dawnraiders conduct
Freesteeds in the distant past of the Heroic Era, the
commerce with a barter system, but are fascinated by the
Dawnraider tribe splintered off from their ancestors long
currencies and markets of other lands. Each individual’s
ago, during their domination of the Duskplain. Ever since,
status is measured by the size of their herds of cattle and
Dawnraider society has drawn its strength from the
virses, by the power of their undertribe, and by the
Duskplain’s vast network of resources. By raiding, trading,
grandeur of their accomplishments.
and extracting tribute, the Dawnraiders reached the

The Nightrider Tribes

190

Harbingers Shelli, Dauzin and Grosmin:
The worldbuilding of a new culture is always an
exciting prospect. The testing of ______ or
more Sentient Species concepts is underway in
pentinary decks or Simulacrum modeling by
______ the rest of the Maguses, and
Begetter's imaginations. Here, for the inaugural
introduction of Sentient Species “Monturyn”
into a cycle, the results are nearly optimal. This
committee believes the Class 3 Civilizations
developing across the Moon Realms provide a
stable model of transition from nomadic to
urban societal norm progression.
Sentient Species “Monturyn” displays strong
gravitation to independent critical thinking
and decentralized power structures, likely due
to the ______________________________
Magus Byutnur and Sentient Species “Kasini”
________________________ long echoes.
This committee lauds the trait planning of
Sentient Species “Monturyn” as exceptionally
suited to seeding in the event habitable
planets in proximate System _______ are low-
light or tidally locked, a likelihood estimated
at _____ by current models. Magus Shaan's
experienced work with nocturnal hunters is
undeniable. All the same, we must learn from the
errors of past low-light Ur Eden seedings
________________ ______________
______ which, in retrospect, were doomed to
their fates just as Magus Kasandra
prophetically warned.
LORDS OF THE DUSKPLAIN
The Dawnraiders coalesced during the fierce struggle for
virses, cattle, religious dominance, and thralls that defined
the Moon Realms for centuries. The first Dawnraiders
distinguished themselves by plundering the wealth of the
rich towns and villages that blossomed in the Duskplain
during the Heroic Era. Belittled for their sedentary lifestyles
as “plant souls,” these ancient communities of Humans
were periodically left in ruins after fierce struggles for their
crops and other resources. While many Nightrider factions
vied for supremacy in the region, the Dawnraiders emerged
triumphant. Several powerful undertribes combined forces
and innovated the region’s now infamous system of
tributary vassalage. By harvesting the region’s steady
supply of food and iron weaponry, the Dawnraiders were
soon able to sustain a much larger population of warriors.
As the remaining undertribes fell in line behind them, the
lords of the Duskplain finally came into their own. The
Dawnraiders’ regular tribute-taking from these agricultural
villages came to be known as the Reapings.
In the final decades of the Epoko de Mallumo, the strength
and prestige of the Dawnraiders eclipsed that of every other
faction in the Moon Realms. Bolstered by the Reapings, the
Dawnraiders soon wielded the fiercest and most effective
heavy cavalry in Dema. These forces were supported by
mounted archers and skirmishers that could quickly
dismount to ambush enemy forces, only to melt back into
Redsky Core Book
191
the countryside. This strategy was most effective when
combined with the Dawnraiders’ infamous feigned retreat.
When executing this tactic, the Dawnraider vanguard
pretends to rout, leading their disorganized pursuers right
into a devastating ambush.
Word of the Dawnraiders’ military prowess spread
quickly throughout Dema. Their fierce reputation soon
earned them dozens of lucrative mercenary contracts to
fight foreign armies in campaigns as far away as the Gilded
States. It was during one of these mercenary campaigns in
the prosperous Human Kingdoms of the Light Plains that a
young Dawnraider realized how much havoc a fully
mounted force of Nightriders could wreak against the
completely unmounted armies of the Human Kingdoms. As
fertile as the Duskplain was, the sweeping farmlands of the
Light Plains were flush with more grain and gold than most
Nightriders in the Moon Realms could even imagine.
Although nobody could have known it at the time, the
actions of this unknown Dawnraider from an insignificant
undertribe would soon reverberate across time, his glory
and fame even coming to rival that of Vella Montura. His
name was Lesco.
KING OF THE DARK HORDE
Lesco’s vision would seal the fate of the Nightriders. For
years, Lesco voyaged throughout the Moon Realms,
rallying his entire generation. He told everyone who would
listen that the question of whether greatness or destruction
awaited the Nightriders was dependent on their will to
march east and seize the riches of the Light Plains for
themselves. As undertribes throughout the Moon Realms
flocked to Lesco’s cause, it became clear that Lesco’s vision
was the future. The Nightriders would ride as one to wealth
and glory, or languish in obscurity. Representatives of the
four overtribes met in the Duskplain to decide the fate of all
Nightriders. After hours of fierce debate, the matter was
settled. Lesco was proclaimed King of Darkness, lord of all
Dawnraiders. The other three tribes retained their
independence, but would ride with Lesco’s gathering army
into the east.
Lesco’s rise to the top of Dawnraider society was
achieved through a last minute concession known as the
Shadow Bloodline. In order to ensure that every
Dawnraider undertribe had the opportunity to succeed
Lesco and rule the Dawnraiders themselves, Lesco agreed
to take a wife from each undertribe and father a child. Each
of these blood heirs might one day prove themselves
worthy and take Lesco’s place as the King of Darkness.
Through shrewd diplomacy and stirring oration, Lesco had
amassed over forty thousand mounted warriors from across
the Moon Realms, the largest surface army up to that point
in history. Mounting his massive war virse in a suit of
magnificent Eldertech armor, the King of Darkness led his
Dark Horde to war and into immortal song.
The Dayraid of the Light Plains is one of the most
important events in Dema’s history. The King of Darkness
and his Dark Horde sacked the great city of Mundi, and
then crashed upon the Human Kingdoms like a wave. The
Dark Horde pillaged hundreds of settlements over four
bloody years, displacing millions and killing hundreds of
thousands. In the first two years of the Dayraid, the Dark
Horde wiped out a dozen scattered and poorly organized
armies sent by Humanity’s complacent and bickering
nobility. Unable or unwilling to come together, the Human
Kingdoms offered no serious resistance to the Dark Horde.
The situation only changed with the rise of a relatively
obscure peasant warlord and religious figure named Remus
Cassar.
Remus and Gawain. In an unlikely series of events, the
forces of Humanity united behind Remus. Under his
generalship, the Human Kingdoms began to push back the
Dark Horde. For two years, both sides maneuvered across
the battered region, fighting half a dozen pitched battles. In
the end, Remus drove the Dark Horde out of the Light
Plains in 1 EM, reconquered Mundi, and brought an end to
the Dayraid. Retreating into the Duskplain, the Dark Horde
was in tatters.
The Moon Realms watched silently as Remus overthrew
the Human nobility and declared himself the first Emperor
of the Solar Hegemony. Over the next seven years, Emperor
Remus consolidated control over all the Light Plains as
Lesco did everything in his power to raise a second Dark
Horde. Foreseeing the inevitable, Remus preemptively
attacked in 7 LS. Commanded by the gifted general Gawain
Cang, the armies of man laid a trap for the King of Darkness
in a narrow valley just northwest of Mundi. Completely
surrounding his enemy, Gawain shattered the Dark Horde
and slew the King of Darkness. That narrow pass where the
hopes of the Dawnraiders died would forever after be
known as the Valley of Tears.
The Moon Realms Conflicts. The Solar Hegemony would
not be satisfied with the defeat of the Dark Horde.
Determined to never be in a position of weakness again, the
solar legions marched into the Moon Realms to subjugate
the four great Nightrider tribes. This invasion began the
decade-long Moon Realms Conflicts. The Hegemony’s first
and most brutal subjugation was of the Dawnraiders. The
surviving Dawnraiders of the Dark Horde scattered back to
their respective undertribes, only to be seized by the
legions. Whole undertribes were wiped out or enslaved.
The hundred heirs to the Shadow Bloodline were
systematically hunted and murdered by the Hegemony’s
Krypteia secret police.
Tens of thousands of Dawnraider slaves built the
Hegemony’s base of operations in the region, known as
Camp Cynosure. Countless others were bound in white
wagons for the prison camps of the Asphodel archipelago
and the slave markets of Abresia. The local “plant soul”
Humans were elevated to positions of power over their
former masters. These Humans were merciless in their
revenge for centuries of Reapings.
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT
For ten brutal years it seemed as though the Dawnraiders
were fated for enslavement and genocide. It was only
thanks to the efforts of the last surviving heir to the King of
Darkness, Jayne Erindera, that a resistance by the surviving
Dawnraiders was able to come together. Styling herself the
Queen of the Night, Jayne and her allies stormed the
occupied city of Yaras in 18 LS and routed its Hegemony
garrison. Word of her uprising soon spread throughout the
Moon Realms and rallied what remained of the
Dawnraiders.
192
Inspired by the Queen of the Night’s uprising, a gladiator
slave named Maas Crixsys led a revolt among the prisoners
of the Hegemony’s Asphodel camps. Maas and the
surviving prisoners sailed to Mundi in captured Krypteia
transports and disappeared into the city’s sympathetic
population. The insurgency that took root undermined
General Gawain’s war effort until the end of the Moon
Realms Conflicts in 22 LS.
Jayne’s uprising echoed throughout the world of Dema
and emboldened resistance movements for decades.
Already on the brink of a desperate outburst, thousands of
Dawnraider slaves laboring away in the crop fields and pit
mines of Abresia broke their chains in 28 LS and scattered
into the countryside. Although many were recaptured or
killed, a few large groups managed to escape and went on
to found diaspora communities in the Gilded States and
Athenaeum. With the Hegemony hot on their trail,
returning to their tribal homes in the Duskplain was far too
Part Two: The World
dangerous.
Continuing the Fight. The exiled Dawnraiders’ precious
few surviving virses were bred into widely diverging
breeds to adapt to conditions across Dema. Over the next
eight decades, Dawnraider warrior bands like Ameyla’s
Outriders helped fight the Solar Hegemony in the
Athenaeum. They would serve as military auxiliaries in the
defense of Aegis and Luminos until the defeat of both city-
states forced the Outriders to shelter in Etherea.
The Outriders would occasionally hear tales of their
Dawnraider kin living as mercenary companies for hire in
the Gilded States. Some became indentured royal guards to
merchant magnates of The Auric’s Hundred Houses.
Others, like Neyrah’s Disciples, sought out new lives in the
settlements Dawnraider ex-slaves established in the forests
and jungles of the Midlands. Hundreds found refuge in the
sandstone tenements of Sunbleak. Some of these even
worked as guards on private shiseli sandships that
crisscrossed the apocalyptic Red Desert, offering aid to
wastelanders isolated at waystations as far off as Wroc and
Arapho.
All the while, the remaining Dawnraider population in
the Duskplain adjusted to life as part of the newly formed
Virse
Sculpture
The Nightrider Tribes
Hominid Dominion. In this Hegemony vassal state,
Dawnraiders mixed and synthesized their culture in the
great cities of Mundi and Yaras. Tribesmen especially
passionate about keeping the old traditions sought shelter
with the Freesteeds. Within a century, the mightiest virse-
riding people in all the world had mostly dismounted from
their ancestral beasts and urbanized. War and exile had
displaced the Dawnraiders from the saddle, and the
Hegemony remained wary enough to ensure that the once
great virse lords never got back on again.
World history changes course when Dawnraider heavy
cavalry charges on the battlefield. In the Uprising Era,
Dawnraider characters have countless war stories from the
Dayraid and the Moon Realms Conflicts. Many of these
warriors galloped victoriously across the world in the span
of a few years and were humbled just as quickly. Others cry
“Avala!” and lead their enslaved kin in Asphodel and
Abresia to revolt. Plenty more live in the Exodus Era with
fellow Dawnraiders two generations removed from virse
riding and reminisce over half-remembered legends of what
once was. What story will you tell? The fate of all
Dawnraiders rests in hands forever defined by saddle,
spear, bow, and blood.
Freesteeds
Avala Vella! Avala Monturyns! The essence of the
Nightrider people rides immortal with the Freesteeds, first
and proudest of all the Moon Realms’ virse tribes. The
Freesteeds are the guardians of the grandfather moon spirit
they call Caypelach, and the stewards of the Peleryne. These
nimble weavers of history are the spiritual bedrock for
millions.
ROAMING THE PELERYNE
The Peleryne is a large, grassy steppe in the west of the
Moon Realms. Its dark meadows grow cyclically with the
path of the wandering moon. They tower to a virse‘s
shoulder when the moon passes above, and then wilt to a
tangled mess no higher than a Nightrider’s knees in the
moon’s absence. Countless creatures follow the moon
unimpeded across the Peleryne, trampling paths that will
be grown over by the time they return. Water flows
plentifully just beneath the surface, pooling in divots in the
soil.
In contrast to the sprawling and bountiful lakes of the
Duskplain to the east, the Peleryne’s handful of lakes are
better described as waterholes. The local fauna use them as
checkpoints on the unending path the moon carves across
the starless night sky. Plants less sensitive to the moon’s
whereabouts break out through the tangling grasses. Berry
bushes and low-light adapted trees dot the migration
routes, providing extra nutrition for the beasts large and
small who roam across this land.
All the animals of the Peleryne, and even some of the
plants, are adapted to life on the move. The native wildlife
follows the moon in herds or packs, wandering across the
steppe on an eternal journey. For the brief duration that the
moon is over the Midnight Sea, they rest and take the time
to give birth so the young will have enough time to get their
legs steady before moving on.
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193
The Freesteeds are by far the most nomadic and primeval
of the four great Nightrider tribes of the Moon Realms.
Their technology level has barely advanced beyond stone,
wood, and bone. Advanced tools and weapons are only
occasionally bartered for or seized from neighboring tribes.
Instead of grand estates, the wealthiest Freesteeds boast
about their large herds of virses and other animals native to
the Moon Realms. Most Freesteeds display their affiliation
to one of the dozens of undertribes using war paint, tattoos,
and decorative piercings inspired by their thriving natural
world.
Mounted Archers. Indisputably, the Freesteeds have the
best mounted archers in the world. Even the youngest
Freesteeds are expected to know how to fletch arrows, craft
bowstrings, and ride bareback on the region’s native virses,
renowned to be the fastest in all the Moon Realms. Almost
as esteemed are their festivals, which largely consist of feats
of strength and skill. Freesteed chieftains are expected to
compete in these games or else be seen as weak.
The Freesteeds are the orthodox guardians of the Path
of the Moon, the most widespread religion in the Moon
Realms. Despite major doctrinal differences, shamans from
the other great Nightrider tribes ride with the Freesteeds
during the major religious and festival days shared by all
sects. The Freesteeds firmly believe that they are the most
spiritually pure, and that their wayward cousin tribes have,
by settling down, allowed the seed of “plant souls” to grow
over their once unbridled animal hearts. Freesteed shamans,
clinging to the old ways, fume that this seed must be
cleansed by returning to the traditional orthodoxy.
Freesteeds throughout the Peleryne live as one with
nature. Their nomadic lives are deeply attuned to the
Concerns about Sentient Species “Monturyn's”
notably violent conflicts with Sentient Species
“Homa” have been flagged by Maguses Luu and
Gheymin, who have sought to preserve the
folklore and cultural mythology which alludes
to Sentient Species “Monturyn's” gods.
Although their claim is admirable, this
committee has come to the conclusion that it is
in direct violation of the ____ record of
confrontation between Sentient Species.
As Magus Juudsen has long maintained, there
is no shortage of such conflicts spanning
across the heroic, imperial, and declining ages
of history. The fates of the many Sentient
Species “Monturyn” individuals facing injury in
battle, generational enslavement by the Solar
Hegemony, and cultural admixture with the
other major cultural groups would shift growth
__________________________, factoring
in the comparative sociological demographics
of Cycle _____. Admittedly, this is only true in
the statistical paradigms modeled according to
the mean duration of all Cycle Logs.
Corrections administered by ___________
indicate[s] that Cycle ___ will terminate
before this point, owing to the fact that
proximate System ___ is now within i/
12sx_______.
 Pa th of the Mo on
Set tle frie nds ! Be at pea ce. Ton ight we gath
of Cay pela ch do we hon or the gran dfat her er at the mos t sacr ed of site s. Her e at the Sto ne Cir cle
end less nigh t. You may now ligh t the Nyc eahspir it. Mas ter of anim als who laug h and play ben eath the
floa ts upo n the void guid ing us all. All Mon . Bre athe dee p the air of Cay pela ch’s sacr ed sigh s. He
Hun ter. The Bow man of Moo nbe ams . tury ns mus t resp ect The Tru e Wan der er.
The Tim e
The arch spir it take s man y for ms on his
Fre este eds have stay ed by his side thro ugh ride to brin g bala nce to all the spir its of cre atio n. We
his chil dish crie s in the moo n’s wax ing. We them all. We are anim al soul s, Fyg ah Soo nra d. We nur ture
trav elin g full moo n. His wisd om guid es us let his stre ngth and cou rage lead us as an adu lt in the
resp ect the gre ates t spir it of all on his endin his elde r wan ing moo n day s. Suc h is the best way to
less circ uit thro ugh the sky.
Cay pela ch guid es the othe r spir its to ens ure
mou ntai ns. Ney rah stir s the gre at wate rs. the gro wth of Dem a. Isk ar soo thes the reac
the plan ts, the Osg hal. The plan ts of the The moo n’s pro diga l son Sel lach was supp ose d hing
Day land s wer e mea nt to gall op and ride in to she phe rd
way we do. But Sel lach ’s lazy spir it long lost muc h the sam e
one plac e and yell s hea t at the Osg hal that the anim al mov eme nt of Cay pela ch. Now Sel lach stay s in
Osg hal Soo nra d of the Day land s take afte draw fro m the vain ligh t he shin es out in his stea d. The
the plac e they wer e bor n. The y even plac er Sel lach and his plan ts. Laz y and pass ive, man y nev er leav e
cro wns on the hea ds of the wea k. Mad nes
We mus t be like Cay pela ch. In thou ght and s.
Osg hal and the plan t peo ples . To be Fyg ah. dee d mus t we stay on the mov e and graz e fro m the
duty . We Fyg ah anim al soul s emb olde n each Hun ters . To gro w stro ng and viril e is our sacr ed war rior
the Osg hal in turn onc e we fall fro m the othe r and dine on the lazy Osg hal plan ts. Our bod ies fee d
bloc k out the sun and the moo n. The bala nce fina l virs e. Wit hou t us the plan ts wou ld gro
w to the sky and
all mus t take thro ugh this brie f wak ing dre mus t be kep t. Suc h is the way to hon or the path that we
am call ed life .
One nigh t the void will take our spir its. We
of ance stor s past who give us visio ns dur ing shal l have no mor e swa y over this wor ld than
the tell ing of the end ing of tim e. Ton ight the new moo n. Ton ight is not that nigh t. Not the spe cter s
to the her d. is for see king way s to brin g our stra ying Fyg the nigh t for
ah cou sins back
The othe r trib es have wan der ed fro m the
the way s of the Har dho oves . The y spe ak of just path Cay pela ch trod s for us. Shie ld you r eye s fro m
them selv es awa y beh ind ston e wall s as if theyhon orin g the gran dfat her spir it in acti on, yet they lock
friv olou s Daw nra ider s. The y have no real wer e Osg hal Soo nra d. Rid icul ous! And pay
resp no hee d to the
Dus kpla in with hon or, they do so for wea lth. ect for the old way s. Tho ugh they ride abou t the
red eem able . Not like The Rec rean ts. The But of all our cou sins , they are per haps the mos t
Tho usan d Cur sed Bet raye rs. The Cai rnk
May Vell a Mon tura retu rn hom e to tram ple eep ers.
red emp tion can be had for the vile trai tors ever y Cai rnk eep er ben eath Paz uzu ’s hoo ves! Wha
who slew t
in thei r fro zen hell whip ping all thos e nob our ance stor s in the Bla ck Sev eran ce? Who
le anim als as if they wer e mer e Osg hal und hide
wor ship and resp ect? Tho se who see k to hold ese rvin g of
The y are not Fyg ah any mor e than a catt le mas ter over Cay pela ch’s chil dre n are no kin
poa of our s.
enc oun ter one of thei r own sham ans out in chin g dev iant is syn rah. Pre pare for bloo d if you
Ayl ac is no mor e Cay pela ch any mor e than the wor ld serv ing the crue l whim s of this so- call ed Ayl ac.
the spit they hoc k at our sacr ed virs es is a
We are the thun der . Sist ers and bro ther s. thun der stor m.
Pre ach to all who have ears to liste n. Let Rid e out. Rid e for the far cor ner s of the Moo n Rea
all Mon tury ns retu rn to the true path by the soun d of our lms .
son gs.
- Sha man Pey tra Wilc any n, Spe ech Tra nsc
ribe d by
Fina l Nigh t of The Gra nd Cou ncil of the Nyca Sch olas ta Obs erve r,
eah Cur sor, 18 EM .

The Nightrider Tribes

194
animal migrations of the Peleryne. They pride themselves
on their sustainable hunting and grazing, always making
sure to leave enough vegetation and game for it to replenish
with every cycle of the moon. Their young are encouraged
to choose their own path in life and pursue it tirelessly.
Each individual aspires to become the best version of
themselves. Whenever someone breaks trust with or harms
their undertribe, the punishment is almost always exile.
Most Freesteeds have highly developed senses of smell
and hearing because of the extremely low light conditions
of the Peleryne. The Freesteeds’ different sensory
experience has caused their culture to develop in countless
unique ways. For instance, their musical talent rivals that of
the famous Freespawn orchestras, who adapted similarly to
a life without much light. As the other great Nightrider
tribes split off from the original Freesteeds and migrated
beyond the Peleryne, the cultural differences between
Nightriders only grew. The divide was especially large
between those who migrated east, towards the sun, and
those who remained in the much darker west.
Cairnkeeper Exile. Large splits within the Freesteeds have
not always been peaceful. Widespread sectarian violence
broke out among the Freesteeds when the ancestors of the
first Cairnkeepers created a schism in the Path of the Moon.
Thousands died in the Cairnkeepers’ bid to divide the faith,
known as the Black Severance. In the end, the first
Cairnkeepers were exiled to the frigid mountainous
wasteland of the Tenaybre. For hundreds of years since, the
Freesteeds have shunned the use of illumite, a symbol of the
Cairnkeepers’ lifestyle, and a solemn reminder of the
traumatic split.
Sphere of Rest. Although the Freesteeds will accept no
settlements in the Peleryne, yearly gatherings are held at the
most sacred site of the dozens of holy places on the
wandering moon’s circuit: Montur’s Cradle. Amidst
intricate shrines that fill a small valley, there is a growing
boulder known as the Sphere of Rest. What supposedly
began as a simple trinket owned by the Freesteeds’ mythical
founder has been painted over by thousands of layers of
dyes and paints. Many pilgrims trace their hands in paint
on the Sphere to represent their hand in their people’s
heritage. In a simple but evocative hieroglyphic script,
messages to dead ancestors, records of great deeds, odes to
loved ones, and any other information Freesteeds find
meaningful is left on the Sphere of Rest. The layers act as a
collective totem of memory. Even if one person’s story is
painted over by time, it contributes to the growing narrative
of the Sphere, a legacy where the many become one. By the
Redsky Era, the Sphere of Rest grew to a cultural
touchstone weighing several tons.
Marshal of the Dark. The leader and military head of the
Freesteeds is known as the Marshal of the Dark. They have
been regularly selected from among undertribe chieftains
by contests of merit for hundreds of years. The Marshal of
the Dark is considered the shield arm of all Nightriders
until the day the Freesteeds’ legendary founder Vella
Montura returns.
Freesteeds from all walks of life and lengths of service
have heeded the call in times of honor and strife. During an
elaborate religious ceremony that can last days, the new
Marshal of the Dark is believed to receive the soul of their
Redsky Core Book
195
people beneath the gaze of Caypelach at Montur’s Cradle.
Casting aside their adult name, the new Marshal of the
Dark rises to represent a continuous line of all the Marshals
who rode before them, and all who ever will in their
stewardship before Vella Montura’s long awaited return.
Some Marshals have chosen to relinquish their positions
after merely a few years when their sense of duty
demanded it.
Under the leadership of a particularly revered and long-
serving Marshal of the Dark, the Freesteeds joined in the
Dawnraiders’ infamous Dayraid. The Freesteeds’
contribution to the Dark Horde that attacked the Light
Plains was second only to the Dawnraiders themselves. As
the histories recall, the invasion ended in catastrophe.
In the decades since the Dark Horde’s shattering at the
Valley of Tears in 7 LS, the Freesteeds continued to resist
the Solar Hegemony’s vengeful onslaught. The Freesteeds
soon earned a reputation for offering refuge to Dawnraider
and Hardhoove warriors who had the will to keep fighting.
With the uneasy peace that fell over the Moon Realms at the
conclusion of the Moon Realms Conflicts in 22 LS, many
Freesteeds returned to the Peleryne. There they maintained
a decades-long period of isolationism. Hegemony
legionnaires which continued to venture into the Peleryne
often found themselves ambushed in the darkness by a free
and unbreakable people.
ENDURANCE AND EXODUS
Over the decades after the Moon Realms Conflicts, the
Freesteeds fought several dimly recorded wars with a
mysterious group of Nightriders from the Forest of Ilda
known as the Phei. At the pinnacle of one conflict, hundreds
of Freesteed Vellatress riders, named after Vella Montura,
mounted a massive expedition. They braved deep into the
glowing forest. Their goal remained a secret to all but the
shamans and handful of adventurers who accompanied
them into the forbidden realm.
As calamity after calamity struck the frontiers of Dema in
the Exodus Era, the Freesteeds faced growing threats with
nothing more than the strength of their arms and the force
of their will. Daring to give battle with the nightmarish
monsters that emerged from the Eldertech ruins known as
Ebony Markers, the last Freesteeds fought their way to
Montur’s Cradle every moon cycle to add to the giant
painted work of their culture’s history. Already in low
spirits, the Freesteeds were devastated when their battle-
bloodied outriders arrived at the site in 94 LS only to
discover that the entire Sphere of Rest had vanished.
The Second Sphere. When faced with what was surely the
greatest religious tragedy of their time, the acting Marshal
of the Dark led what remained of her Freesteeds on a great
migration across the largely desolate Moon Realms. They
went to the great city of Mundi, where she and the
Freesteeds were surprised to find a warm welcome. Work
quickly began on a second, smaller “Sphere of Dema.”
Grateful for the hospitality they received upon arriving, the
Freesteeds invited every citizen of Mundi to put their own
stories to paint. As cultures and languages mixed on its
surface, the Sphere of Dema grew to a respectable size of its
own. The last of the Freesteeds devoutly defended it until
the final days of the Redsky Era.
 Of all the brave Nightrider peoples, the spirit of the
Freesteeds is remarkable, unwavering, unyielding.
Although only exceptional tribesmen venture beyond the
Peleryne, their feats thunder across the great steppe. Preach Dawnraider
to your wayward kin as a wordsmith seeking to mend the Warrior
religious rifts in the Path of the Moon. Immerse yourself in
foreign cities to liberate Nightriders enslaved since the
shattering of the Dark Horde. Return to Montur’s Cradle
one last time to leave your literal mark on the tales worth
telling. When death has come and the land feels lost, ride
after the moon with rein and spear, headstrong against the
wind.

Hardhooves
Behold the shepherds of civilization in the Moon Realms.
The Hardhooves are the most urbanized tribe of
Nightriders. Noble and diligent, the Hardhooves have left

Part Two: The World

an unforgettable mark on history over the generations they
have lived in the stone city of Yaras. This city lies at the
strategic point where the twin mountains known as Big
Brother and Little Brother meet the Midnight Sea.
The Hardhooves have lived in Yaras ever since they split
off from the Freesteeds in the distant past of the Heroic Era.
The schism occurred when the Hardhooves’ first king,
Vandyn the Tall, discovered the mysteriously abandoned
stone structures at Yaras. Vandyn took their existence as a
blessing from the grandfather moon spirit Caypelach and
began settling them. The walls around Yaras were built
steadily larger over the following generations. They
eventually became so extensive that the only two entrances
to Yaras became the fortified outer gates and the city’s
seaside docks. The Bay of Yaras served as a natural
springboard for the Hardhoove’s extremely profitable
seafaring tradition. Over the centuries, dozens of
Hardhoove undertribes centralized into one people
inhabiting this fortress city by the sea. While some
Hardhooves still roam the regions surrounding Yaras in the
traditional semi-nomadic way, the vast majority of
Hardhooves are city-dwellers.
The Ten Hundred. Yaras’s famous city guard is known as
the Ten Hundred. These warriors are extremely skilled with
spears and shields. Clad in magnificent bronze armor, The
Ten Hundred are a hereditary honor guard made up of the
Hardhoove’s best trained warriors. Each member’s position
passes from mother to daughter and father to son.
Intermarriage between members of the elite warrior corps is
common. Members of the Ten Hundred enjoy a high social
status in Yaras. They often wear their iconic helmets and
heavy facial makeup on patrol around the city.
The Ten Hundred are Yaras’s dedicated peacekeepers
and serve as the vanguard of the Hardhoove army in times
of war. Not even the noble families of Hardhoove society
openly disrespect their warrior cousins at the front of the
Hardhoove home army. The Ten Hundred’s thousands of
relatives and children help support the guard. Many
provide direct support on the warpath as sergeants-at-arms
in training. Others lend indirect support by donating money
for the order’s upkeep. The Ten Hundred are led by a
commander in chief known as the Stratygos.
While the Ten Hundred preserve their virse-riding ways

The Nightrider Tribes

196
 by practicing maneuvers outside the city limits, Yaras’s
ordinary residents tend to be infrequent riders compared to
their nomadic cousins. The Ten Hundred are nevertheless
renowned for breeding virses with the most stamina in the
Moon Realms.
Divergent Faith. The Hardhooves began to diverge from
the orthodox practice of their faith, known as the Path of the
Moon, when they split off from the ancient Freesteeds.
Instead of literally following the moon, the Hardhooves
interpret their moon god’s command to ‘stay in motion’ as a
requirement to always keep busy and take pride in work.
This is why the Hardhooves follow a creed of self-
sufficiency and personal responsibility. Instead of the
Freesteed interpretation of “plant souls” as any settled,
agricultural people, according to the Hardhooves, “plant
souls” are anyone that lazily feeds off the works of others.
For their divergence from orthodoxy, the Hardhooves are
scorned by the Freesteeds.
This difference in belief systems creates some tension
between those living in Yaras and the handful of
Hardhoove undertribes still following the orthodox Path of
the Moon out on the steppe. These undertribes feel that city
life has detached the Hardhooves from their connection to
nature. In order to reassure them, Yaras’s shamans
regularly go on pilgrimage to the steppe’s sacred lunar
shrines.
Trade in Yaras. Although there is a reliable overland
route for trade between Yaras and the cosmopolitan city of
Mundi, ships cruising through the Bay of Yaras cut many
days from the trip. Historically, Yaras and Mundi have been
rivals as often as they have been friendly partners. Yet this
has not stopped a large diaspora of Hardhooves from
finding work in Mundi and other coastal cities. In fact, if
you meet a Nightrider outside of the Moon Realms, it is
likely they are a shrewd, resilient Hardhoove. Many of
Guard of the
Ten Hundred
Redsky Core Book
197
these foreign Hardhooves work as deckhands, adventurers,
bounty hunters, craftsmen, and merchant understudies.
Hardhooves have a reputation for being dependable and
consistent, yet also aloof and more reserved compared to
the wild riders of the Dawnraiders and Freesteeds.
Dayraid Disaster. The Hardhooves and Dawnraiders
have long been fierce rivals. Only the diplomatic leadership
of the King of Darkness briefly united them in purpose
during the Dayraid. Both factions were interested in
enriching the Moon Realms. Lured by the opportunity of a
generation, Yaras’s King Toryn led most of the Ten
Hundred at the head of the Hardhoove army to test the
Hardhoove’s strength in the Light Plains. What little loot
the Nightriders seized paled in comparison with the
devastation of the war with Humanity. To make matters
worse, more than half of the Hardhoove’s army was
trapped and killed by the Solar Hegemony’s forces at the
Valley of Tears in 7 LS.
HEGEMONY OCCUPATION
Barricaded in Yaras, the aged King Toryn and what
remained of the Hardhoove army held out for four years
against repeated Hegemony attacks. In the end, the
Hegemony seized the city almost bloodlessly in 11 LS after
a Hardhoove magister named Ioneth Turonoc swung open
the city’s gates. King Toryn and the entire royal family were
publicly executed the next day. To reward his betrayal,
Ioneth was named the first Hegemony Prefect of Yaras.
Under his watch, the city became a center for solar legions
recuperating from deployments to Camps Ferron and
Cynosure, the forward operating bases the Hegemony built
during the Moon Realms Conflicts.
Ioneth’s betrayal was commended as reason by the
Hegemony and condemned as treachery by most
Nightriders. For the bloodless transfer of Yaras, the
Hardhooves were exempted from the slavery that the
Hegemony brutally imposed on the Dawnraiders. Even so,
the people of Yaras suffered under Hegemony occupation.
The Monturyn language, free movement in the city,
property rights, and other liberties were restricted from
12-17 LS. Imperial authority only tightened with the
outbreak of a plague called the Blue Fever. These conditions
led to the uprising that broke out in 18 LS, when Yaras was
liberated by the Queen of the Night.
After the Moon Realms Conflicts, the Hardhooves
enjoyed a period of calm as part of the new Hominid
Dominion. This lasted several decades before the
calamities of the Exodus and Redsky Eras,
when many fled from Yaras in an attempt to escape the
wildfires, lightning cyclones, and monsters that steadily
overran the Moon Realms.
Hardhoove characters can range from Yaras’s lowliest
urchin to the stone city’s Heroic Era kings and queens. Your
journey could begin beside King Vandyn as he breaks away
from the Freesteeds. Or perhaps your adventure begins at
the height of the Dayraid, riding to ruin with King Toryn. If
Yaras falls, will you join the resistance, or collaborate with
the Hegemony? For a more personal journey, you might
join the crew of a Hardhoove trade vessel ferrying allspice
and saffron between distant shores, or travel as an emissary
for the Ten Hundred. Few quests are not improved with a
Hardhoove at the head.
Cairnkeepers
There are few places in Dema more hostile to life than the
frigid hinterlands of the Tenaybre. Located in the far
northwest of the Moon Realms, the light of the distant
moon is the only relief from the unbroken shadow that
blankets the region. The Tenaybre is only traversable thanks
to this moonlight, and the glowing illumite crystals that are
stacked in cairns tens of feet high throughout the territory.
The wastelanders who maintain these waystones are proud
members of the great tribe of Nightriders called the
Cairnkeepers. These hardy folk dwell at the bottom of a
thermally heated crater. The city they established there,
known as Tallon, is the only bastion of civilization in the
pitch-black taiga of the Tenaybre.
The first Cairnkeepers were a band of starving religious
exiles from the Freesteeds that at last found refuge at the
bottom of Tallon’s crater. The Cairnkeepers have cherished
their isolation ever since, and still mistrust outlanders. Their
unlikely metropolis of Tallon is home only to those with the
will to endure constant dangers like razorhail storms,
marauding monsters, and avalanches from the neighboring
mountain chain. Known as the Walls at the End of the
World, these mountains are named for the fact that no one
has ever seen their storm-shrouded peaks.
The Frostrite. The government and might of the
Cairnkeepers is shaped by their most important practice,
the Frostrite. On the holiest days of the Path of the Moon,
young adults coming of age and returning candidates
depart on their rite deep into the Tenaybre. Their mission is
to survive in the wasteland as long as possible. The fewer
supplies they take with them, the more esteemed they will
be when, or if, they return home. Only those who partake in
additional Frostrites can rise to positions of authority in
Cairnkeeper society. In this way, the Cairnkeepers
guarantee that their king, queen, and other leaders are
always at their mental and physical peaks. More generally,
the Frostrite ensures that every man, woman, and child in
Tallon develops the survival skills and courage required to
thrive in the face of death’s chilled grip.
Metalworkers. The craftsmen and blacksmiths of Tallon
produce the world’s best tools and weapons. The Tenaybre
is abundant with rare mineral resources like illumite,
shadowstone, and countless precious gemstones. Most
valuable of all is the region’s tenebrium ore. The crater
city’s metalworkers spend decades in their roaring forges
198
This committee remains skeptical of Magus
Gaeanax's proposed ending for Cycle _____. In
particular, we have reservations about the
___________________________________
___ the languages of Magus Changhs's building
of this tower on arrival, and the
____________________ ringworld, which
Magus Nyvin rightly contends would be
unstable. Regardless, Sentient Species
“Monturyn's” various religious sects from
Doctrine “Path of the Moon” will yield a trove
of data on the consequences of contact with
_______________. The proposed trial has
the endorsement of Maguses Speelperg and
Ridli, if only for the sense of wonder it will
instill in observers.
Therefore, it remains this committee's view
Part Two: The World
that before Cycle ___'s conclusion, the entire
spiritual and historical fabric of Sentient
Species “Monturyn” should face an epochal
change at _____________. Preparations are
already underway for the exaggerated artificial
red-shifting of B-612 Stellar-Stableton and
________________ ___________
_____________________________
________________, assuming any survive.
perfecting their art. From diamond-sharp tenebrium blades
to sapphire encrusted tiaras, Cairnkeeper metalworks sell
for huge sums in the far markets of the known world.
The armors of Cairnkeeper smiths vary from forge to
forge. Some Houses are known for their form-fitting
insulated tunics. Others craft tenebrium plate armor that
can withstand the full force of war hammer strikes. Each
family House is identifiable by their unique heavy helms
designed to stop both jaws and the wind’s chill. Tallon’s
heavy armors are so strong that they are rivaled only by the
famous forgeworks of Abresia.
In the late Heroic and early Uprising Eras, Freesteed
nomads often helped the Cairnkeepers bring their
metalworks to market by escorting their caravans.
Occasionally, the Freesteeds would seize these valuables for
themselves, which only added to the intense rivalry and
mistrust that has long existed between the Cairnkeepers
and Freesteeds.
RELIGIOUS SCHISM
The first Cairnkeepers split off from the ancient Freesteeds
after a violent religious schism within the Path of the Moon
known as the Black Severance. After thousand died, the
Cairnkeepers were exiled into Tenaybre, where the
Freesteeds expected them to die. Instead, the Cairnkeepers
established a home for their branch of the faith.
Among the Cairnkeepers, the grandfather moon spirit
Caypelach is known as Aylac. This version of the moon god
commands the skies as a master of war. According to
Cairnkeeper legends, Aylac is rebuilding his strength after a
mortal battle with the virses and other beasts that he used
to hold domain over. The Cairnkeepers believe that by
The Nightrider Tribes
 Th e Fr os tri te
illum ite
dau ghte r, my son , my two trea sure s that shin e in my life like Ayl ac abov e us and the you any
My help
ates t chal leng e you can ima gine . I cann ot
belo w. You are abou t to und erta ke the gre be you and dea th. A spe cter in the sno w see king to wra p
furt her . On the Fro stri te, ther e will only
you in its emb race . I do
er you surv ive out in the Ten aybr e, the high er you r stat ion will be whe n you retu rn.in pitc h
The long will stan d
itse lf con spir es to kill Cai rnk eep ers. You
not nee d to rem ind you that the wea ther to shre ds by razo rhai l if you do not see k she lter ahe ad of
nigh t one mom ent , then have you r furs cut ass of a bear you will nee d to kill and stri p with not hing
the firs t clou d. Tha t she lter may be the carc m. Its mea t will nou rish you . Its cubs mus t kno
w they are
but you r dagg er. Its pelt will kee p you war
in you r terr itor y, not the othe r way arou nd. in you r hea rt
aid? I hop e you are. The thum p of you r che st is how you kno w ther e is still hea t Mon ster s lurk
Afr s.
on than exp lori ng the ruin s of the anci ent
to guar d. Bea r hun ting is still a safe r opti Saw sayd a the Bea stm aste r cou ld tam e. The sham ans
ther e. Mon ster s not even Yor do Ven nyk or Fro stri te. The wild life will sen se the com ing pall . The y
pre dict an esp ecia lly cold moo n cycl e on thisner mig hty mam mot hs. The bita arcs will des cen d fro m
will be on the hun t. Sab rew olf pack s will cor End of the Wor ld and swin g thro ugh the tree
s, how ling in
r lair s at the fee t of the Wal ls at the sho uld you
thei
ger . Ice spid ers big as hou nds will wea ve web s that slic e clea n thro ugh you r skin
thei r hun void .
not see stra nds as thin as a whis per in the y will not
thes e and mor e will try to take you , my chil dre n. All thes e and mor e will fail . The ody is
All Nob
end with me. Nor my mot her bef ore me.
end the line of Hou se Hay ber os. It did notyou in the spe ar and the bow as best as I cou ld with out
exe mpt fro m the Fro stri te. I have rais edas I kno w wha t you will fee l ever y seco nd you outw it the
you r fath er. I kno w this for a fact . Jus t fee ls. The des pair as you r mus cles tire and the cold
long shad ow. It is wha t ever y Cai rnk eep ers and snar es are spru ng by byla ks. The hop e as you fina lly
enc roac hes . The des per atio n as you r trap Cav ern s of Bou nty. And whe n you retu rn, it will be with
see the pass age back to Tal lon thro ugh the and man , into my arm s and a seat by the fire in our
the righ ts and priv ileg es of a gro wn wom an
hea rth. s and
cou rse, you atte mpt to che at on the Fro stri te. Hea d out in adva nce of The Sum monyou
Unl ess, of chil dre n,
en she lter . If that happ ens , beli eve me my
cach e foo d, or plan t mar kers to som e hidde mor e than the bita arcs . The hon or of the Fro stri te is
will have to fear the ten ebr ium of my blad trus t the resp ons ibili ties of our peo ples ’ surv ival in the
wha t guar ante es we can foll ow the best . Toto the cre dibi lity of our way s is dish ono r, and dish ono r is
call ouse d han ds of the fitt est. Any thre at
dea th. into batt le
w you still see k high stat ion in the cava lry, my son . To tam e and ride a sno wlio n that dre am
I kno did in the Hor de. To earn the righ t to live ning like you r
agai nst the Day land ers like you r gran dfat her than wha t is exp ecte d of a craf tsw oma n in
trai
mea ns surv ivin g wee ks long er on the Rite Rite agai n year s hen ce, to pro ve you have not bec ome soft
sist er. And you will have to com plet e the old age, or fang and shad ow, take you into the void bey ond
in you r high stat ion. Aga in and agai n. Unt il
the moo n. Rite . But
n to them . I beli eve you can live to pass the
If the voic es of dou bt spe ak to you now , liste gro up of chil dre n com ing of age? Tha t mer it is
each
to exce l? To retu rn to the Ten aybr e with who kno ws? Per haps one day I will bow to you , my son ,
rese rved for the like s of King Bar tra. Yet
like natu re bow s to us. rn with you r
cam e to this land as exil es. We rule it as ride rs of the nigh t. Go now . Go and retu
We
shie lds or upo n them .
- A not e to Sey llin and Ore yn,
Fro stri te
Mat ron Aly x Hay ber os, Eve of the 218 th

Redsky Core Book

199
capturing and subduing beasts and monsters, they can
restore Aylac’s authority over the beasts. Cairnkeepers have
an unusual relationship with their virse steeds. Unlike the
other Nightrider tribes, the Cairnkeepers treat their virses
as beasts of burden to be tamed rather than as spiritual
equals. Never a people to shy away from a challenge, the
Cairnkeepers have bred their virses to be the strongest in
the world.
Warriors of the Frost. The Cairnkeeper’s way of life has
given rise to a truly fearsome warrior culture. Legends have
spread across Dema of the beastmasters of Tallon. Across
generations, they have tamed howling sabrewolves,
snowlions three times as large as bylaks, and wooly
primates called bitaarcs that can rip the arms off fully-
plated warriors. The Cairnkeepers have brought these and a
dozen more creatures under their control. More
intimidating cavalry is rarely seen. The image of long-
haired virses, war mammoths, and snowlions charging
headlong into Hegemony legions is a site burned forever
into the memory of Humanity.
The nature-taming religion of the Cairnkeepers is a
meaningful guide to Tallon’s many Houses. None worship
Aylac more strictly than the Cairnkeepers’ brotherhoods of
warriors that strike off into the wider lands of Dema in
pursuit of greatest challenges and monsters to return to
Tallon’s animal pens. Each member of these zealous
brotherhoods must be self-sufficient and a force unto
themselves. They often embark deep into hostile territory,
hundreds of miles from settlements where they are
welcome.
From among these military brotherhoods come tales of
the Echo Stalkers, who descended into the realm of the
Sporespawn to fight in their terrifying Endless War. The
Void Owls have accompanied the Wakewalkers of Clan
Kahr on several famous voyages into the Midnight Sea,
where together they hunted giant leviathans known as
Deep Ones. Most famously, the Redeemers were tasked by
the Cairnkeepers’ mighty King Bartra himself to bring a
mountain of treasure back to Tallon. They swore an oath
that only the spirits of the land and skies might prevent the
Redeemers from keeping.
The Cairnkeepers were briefly called to the banners of the
King of Darkness to fight in the Dayraid in 5 EM, and again
by his daughter to fight in her uprising in 19 LS. These
warriors of the frost changed the fate of Dema on far-off
campaigns before they returned to their isolation in Tallon
for the next six decades. There, they would endure against
countless threats until the thermal heat of Tallon suddenly
and mysteriously ceased.
The Shivering March. Without the life-sustaining heat of
Tallon, the Cairnkeepers’ home in the Tenaybre was
doomed. Then the frigid wasteland became so cold and
overrun with monstrosities that even the Frostrite became
too deadly for the wastelanders to continue. In 85 LS,
despite their best efforts, the Cairnkeepers were forced to
make a desperate exodus from the Tenaybre known as the
Shivering March. Survivors made their way on to Yaras,
Mundi, and Etherea, where they would establish enclaves
of their proud culture over the remaining years. Many
found their footing just in time to fight in the final battles of
the Redsky Era.
200
The Cairnkeepers might live in isolation, but they drawn
to challenges across the world. Your character could be
looking forward to the day of their first Frostrite, or
tracking big game monsters in Dema’s hinterlands as an
expert hunter. The wars against Humanity saw many
Cairnkeepers travel to the farthest corners of Dema as
emissaries and warriors for hire. The Tenaybre itself is a
fertile ground for adventure. With spear in hand and a
beast by your side, will you breathe deep from the air of the
forever night?
Leaders
Vella Montura
In a time long before organized written records, the Heroic
Era history of the Freesteed people was passed down by
Part Two: The World
oral tradition. That tale begins with Vella Montura.
Typically described as taller than most women, with ashen
skin and piercing indigo eyes, Vella was the youngest child
of Montur, the chieftain of a small tribe of ancient
Nightriders. Her father’s people were often raided by
various groups in the steppes and grasslands of the
Peleryne. So Montur began a struggle to unify some of the
smaller tribes of the Peleryne against minor factions like the
Lakehunters of Aunau and the Fifty Bows.
This did not, however, begin a tale of excessive violence
and bloodshed. Vella grew closer to her father than her nine
older brothers during their many diplomatic headsmen
meetings. Outside the yurts, she was admired for her skills
at Pencraytai wrestling and competitive riding. Vella
eventually arranged steadily larger wagers with challengers
and rivals, with the winner entitled to the most robust cattle
and virses. Vella failed at first. When the young woman
doubted her skill or worthiness, it was always matched by
her determination that the only way to end discomfort was
to address it head on. After picking herself up time and
again, she was soon undefeatable.
Healthy Competition. Through hard work and stubborn
persistence, Vella eventually replaced the endemic killing
and raiding on the plains of the Peleryne with ritualized
sports. In time, Vella earned an unheard of ten thousand
cattle and virses, elevating her and her family to the
wealthiest in the Peleryne. Yet after Montur passed away,
and despite her contributions, Vella’s brothers fiercely
disputed who would lead the now prosperous unifying
tribes. In spite of Vella’s work to forge a grand peace, her
brothers all assumed a woman was not fit to lead.
Swallowing her fear, Vella objected to being left out of the
Rites of Succession. After a hundred days of debate, it was
decided that the next ruler would be chosen through a
contest. Specifically, a race. Beginning in the Peleryne, the
first rider whose virse splashed into the Moon River in the
far east of the Moon Realms would get to choose the new
leader.
Vella’s brothers all accepted, summoning additional
oathriders from the tribes to race for them and their claims.
Vella said that she only needed “one free steed” to ensure
her success. The nine brothers and ninety other challengers
mounted the strongest and fastest virses in the Moon
Realms, while Vella selected her favorite mare, Pazuzu.
The Nightrider Tribes
RACE FOR LEADERSHIP
The race began at the start of the new cycle of the
wandering moon. Many days of unbroken galloping
followed, with riders seen neck and neck at various
checkpoints along the route.
The fastest of the oathriders was a quick-thinking and
determined Nightrider named Shamoke. When he finally
reached the Moon River, he found Vella braiding Pazuzu’s
mane by the river bank. Vella had waited for hours for
somebody to confirm her victory. There was no gloating or
mockery by Vella, however. She made a proposal to
Shamoke, who accepted. Together, they rode their virses
into the Moon River at the same time.
The Chief and the Marshal. Vella Montura became
chieftain of the tribe. Shamoke, in turn, was named the first
Marshal of the Dark, a suitable second-in-command. As the
second most skilled Nightrider, he proved to be a suitable
husband after a wedding that involved a Pencraytai
Vella Montura
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wrestling match between the bride and groom. It was
declared a draw by the referee after the third hour.
Vella ruled justly for many years, erasing tribal intrigue
and forging a cohesive Freesteed identity for the scattered
tribesmen. The list of her adventures takes a minimum of
two shamans to recount fully. Her sound judgment in
mythical crises like the Freezing of the Moon and the raids
of a legendary band of female Wakewalkers called the
Megaruh only solidified her reputation as the fittest to lead.
Vella braved the deepest roots of the Forest of Ilda to banish
an entity known only as the Cinereal. She returned just in
time to out-drink her subjects at the annual Festival of
Elation held with the ancient inhabitants of what would
become Mundi.
The Final Match. Vella disappeared into legend after
allegedly climbing the Walls at the End of the World. The
shamans say that she challenged Iskar the Titan to a
wrestling match in the beyond-realm on the other side. The
tales tell of comets raining down across the steppes for
months on end, hurled by Iskar to win the contest. With no
referee to call a draw, the legends of the later Eras all insist
Vella will return when this wrestling match with Iskar
finishes in victory or defeat.
The primacy of an individual’s accomplishments over
and above their family membership still defines the tribe
that became known as the Freesteeds. Over many
generations of migration, the original Freesteeds would
split three times to form the other great tribes, known as the
Dawnraiders, Hardhooves, and Cairnkeepers. Only the
Freesteeds continued to keep the old ways alive on the
steppes of the Peleryne. Since Vella is still considered the
rightful ruler of all Freesteeds, and her death was never
confirmed, the tribe has been led for hundreds of years by
each generation’s new Marshal of the Dark.
Vella is a folk hero and part of a heritage shared by
almost all Nightriders. Her story represents the importance
of individuality, merit, and guile. The role of women in
Nightrider society has always been less rigid than other
societies in Dema. Hundreds of years later, the precedent
set by Vella Montura helped to build support for the Queen
of the Night’s uprising.
Bartra the Bold
Bartra Maeryn, known forever in the high hearth of Tallon
as Bartra the Bold, ruled over the Cairnkeeper tribe of
Nightriders for three of the most pivotal decades in Dema’s
history. In a society forged on the worth of one’s word,
Bartra undoubtedly proved himself worthy. His deeds are
still sung in the songs of the Cairnkeepers generations
after the fire of his youth.
Humble Beginnings. Little is known for certain
of Bartra’s origins or family. He appeared as a
child half-starved at the borders of Tallon
claiming to have escaped thralldom in Yaras.
Seeking camaraderie among the famed exiles
of the winter wasteland, Bartra struggled to
integrate into a religious warrior culture
suspicious of outlanders.
Years of working on the fringes of society
molded Bartra’s ambition. Small wagers with the
other houseless youths of Tallon turned into many
memorable nights and dreams of moving upward. Bartra
was not satisfied by the petty work he found as a tanner’s
apprentice and a scullery runner, so he volunteered to
accompany the tribe’s hunters on increasingly dangerous
expeditions into the hinterlands of the Moon Realms.
Bartra’s hunts in the Tenaybre produced many fine ursan
pelts and enough buckmeat to pass on to his expanding
network of friends. They informally gave themselves the
name House Maeryn as an association of poor Cairnkeepers
with no family alliances. By the time he was old enough for
the Frostrite, Bartra had grown a reputation for skill with a
spear and boasting of grand deeds soon to be done. Popular
for his humor and quick wit, many other members of the
tribe nevertheless awaited his death on the Rite, eager to be
rid of the outsider.
Bartra’s Frostrite. Most Cairnkeepers departing on the
Frostrite travel through the Caverns of Bounty into the
Tenaybre carrying days of supplies, heavy fur clothing, and
chains filtering into the growing Camp Ferron near his
city’s border. He would return to organize defenses and slip
out through the gemstone caves into the Tenaybre to look
for more resources. Bartra did what he could to hold
together the fragile internal unity of his fiercely
independent people as many began to question House
Maeryn’s resolve.
Bartra was used to proving himself in grand, decisive
displays. Maintaining the survival of the Cairnkeepers year
after year nearly drove him to despair. Only the fear of
leaving a vacancy in leadership kept him from taking his
closest supporters to flee Tallon farther north into the
Tenaybre, where the Hegemony could not follow.
The Hegemony’s mightiest siege was only broken upon
the arrival of help from the Queen of the Night in 19 LS.
After briefly participating in her uprising throughout the
Moon Realms, Bartra and his army returned to Tallon. He
struggled mightily to rebuild a civilization devastated and

Part Two: The World

as many weapons as they can carry. In front of the tribe’s exhausted by more than two decades of war.
elders and the old Queen Hennyk, Bartra threw aside his The Redeemers. It was Bartra’s decision to send the
tools, weapons, and food before disrobing to bare skin. He Redeemers, a new brotherhood of Cairnkeeper warriors,
declared he would only return from the Tenaybre once he out into Dema’s rich foreign lands. Earnings the Redeemers
was bored, rather than pushed to the brink of death. Bartra accrued by slaying monsters and selling the loot of
took off at a sprint into the frigid taiga. Weeks elapsed, with countless adventures helped ensure the recovery of their
no sign of his survival even after the last of his class people. The last decade of Bartra’s life in Tallon was spent
straggled back into Tallon frostbitten and starving. in relative peace.
When he finally did return, Bartra did so mounted atop a Abruptly, Bartra departed on his 60th birthday into the
snowlion twice as large as a virse, garbed in clothes he’d Tenaybre with a small band of his closest warriors, claiming
created himself and a dozen pounds heavier from the fine he would find a way over The Walls at the End of the
dining he had beyond the edges of civilization. Snowlions World. Like the legendary Vella Montura before him, Bartra
only submitted to the greatest beastmasters and cavalrymen vanished into history seeking to find what lay beyond the
of the tribe. His return was seen as the boldest assertion of edges of Dema. His people bade farewell as Bartra
skill in generations. Bartra did not stop at that feat. descended into the Valqet near Hive Hall Unrul, hoping to
Accusations of cheating quickly ended as he undertook find a path underneath those towering mountains.
every successive Frostrite into his thirties, always the first to
enter the Tenaybre and the last to return.
Houses that aligned with Bartra’s proposals and alliances Bartra Maeryn
always found themselves struggling less in the lean times.
House Maeryn legally became a family, with even adoptees
capable of rising to high positions through their merit.
When Queen Hennyk and the short-reigned King Varzyn
both fell out of power, Bartra was anointed handily.
Bartra would go on to lead the Cairnkeepers in the
Dayraid of the Light Plains. He brought his peoples’ war
mammoths and siege engines to bear as one of the King of
Darkness’s top generals. The cities of the Light Plains
quaked as Cairnkeeper trebuchets pounded fortifications
back into loose rock and mortar. Despite their best efforts,
the war ended in disaster for the Nightriders. When the
King of Darkness was slain in 7 LS by General Gawain
Cang at what came to be known as the Valley of Tears,
Bartra retreated with his warriors back to the security of
Tallon. The Moon Realms Conflicts had begun.

DISRUPTING THE ENEMY

The Moon Realms Conflicts followed the fleeing
Cairnkeepers back to Tallon. Under Bartra, the
Cairnkeepers weathered almost nine years of on and off
sieges by the Hegemony’s legions. Food supplies and
crafting resources shrank to intolerably low levels as wave
upon wave of legionnaires broke upon the crater city’s
defenses. Bartra often led sorties to disrupt the supply

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202
Part III: The Rules of the Game
Chapter 12: Abilities and Skills
S ix abilities provide a quick description of every
creature’s physical and mental characteristics:
To determine an ability modifier without consulting the
table, subtract 10 from the ability score and then divide the
total by 2 (round down).
� Strength, measuring physical power
Because ability modifiers affect almost every attack roll,
� Dexterity, measuring agility
ability check, and saving throw, ability modifiers come up
� Constitution, measuring endurance in play more often than their associated scores.
� Intelligence, measuring reasoning and memory
� Wisdom, measuring perception and insight Advantage and
� Charisma, measuring force of personality Disadvantage
Is a character muscle-bound and insightful? Brilliant and Sometimes a special ability or circumstance tells you that
charming? Nimble and hardy? Ability scores define these you have advantage or disadvantage on an ability check, a
qualities – a creature’s assets and weaknesses. saving throw, or an attack roll. When that happens, you roll
The three main rolls of the game, the ability check, the a second d20 when you make the roll. Use the higher of the
saving throw, and the attack roll, rely on the six ability two rolls if you have advantage, and use the lower roll if
scores. The core mechanic of the game is simple: roll a d20, you have disadvantage. For example, if you have
add an ability modifier derived from one of the six ability disadvantage and roll a 17 and a 5, you use the 5. If you
scores, and compare the total to a target number. instead have advantage and roll those numbers, you use the
17.
ABILITY SCORES AND MODIFIERS If multiple situations affect a roll and each one grants
Each of a creature’s abilities has a score, a number that advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you don’t roll
defines the magnitude of that ability. An ability score is not more than one additional d20. If two favorable situations
just a measure of innate capabilities, but also encompasses a grant advantage, for example, you still roll only one
creature’s training and competence in activities related to additional d20.
that ability. If circumstances cause a roll to have both advantage and
A score of 10 or 11 is the average for Humans and the disadvantage, you are considered to have neither of them,
other sentient species. Player characters are often a cut and you roll one d20. This is true even if multiple
above average in most abilities. A score of 18 is the highest circumstances impose disadvantage and only one grants
that a person usually reaches. Player characters can have advantage or vice versa. In such a situation, you have
scores as high as 20 under normal circumstances, though neither advantage nor disadvantage.
many creatures can have scores as high as 30. When other abilities or circumstances cause you to reroll,
Each ability also has a modifier, derived from the score replace, or interact with a d20, you treat the advantage or
and ranging from -5 (for an ability score of 1) to +10 (for a disadvantage dice as a single die. Reusing the previous
score of 30). The Ability Scores and Modifiers table notes example, if you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and a 5,
the ability modifiers for the range of possible ability scores, pretend as though the 17 never existed. If you then used an
from 1 to 30. ability to reroll a d20, you would roll a single die to replace
the 5, and that die will give the final result.
TABLE - ABILITY SCORES AND MODIFIERS You usually gain advantage or disadvantage through the
Score Modifier
use of special abilities or actions. The GM can also decide
1 -5
that circumstances influence a roll in one direction or the
2-3 -4 other and grant advantage or impose disadvantage as a
4-5 -3 result.
6-7 -2
8-9 -1 Proficiency Bonus
10-11 +0 Characters and creatures have a proficiency bonus
12-13 +1 determined by level, representing overall competence,
14-15 +2 training, or talent. The bonus is used in the rules on ability
16-17 +3 checks, saving throws, and attack rolls.
18-19 +4 Your proficiency bonus can’t be added to a single die roll
or other number more than once. For example, if two
20-21 +5
different rules say you can add your proficiency bonus to a
22-23 +6 Wisdom saving throw, you nevertheless add the bonus only
24-25 +7 once when you make the save.
26-27 +8 Multiplying Your Bonus. Occasionally, your proficiency
28-29 +9 bonus might be multiplied or divided (doubled or halved,
30 +10 for example) before you apply it. For example, the rogue’s

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Expertise feature doubles the proficiency bonus for certain
ability checks. If a circumstance suggests that your
proficiency bonus applies more than once to the same roll,
you still add it only once and multiply or divide it only
once.
By the same token, if a feature or effect allows you to
multiply your proficiency bonus when making an ability
check that wouldn’t normally benefit from your proficiency
bonus, you still don’t add the bonus to the check. For that
check your proficiency bonus is 0, given the fact that
multiplying 0 by any number is still 0. For instance, if you
lack proficiency in the History skill, you gain no benefit
from a feature that lets you double your proficiency bonus
when you make Intelligence (History) checks.
In general, you don’t multiply your proficiency bonus for
attack rolls or saving throws. If a feature or effect allows
you to do so, these same rules apply.
Attack Rolls
An attack roll is rolled when a character attempts to strike
and cause damage to a target with a weapon or their body.
They most often occur in combat, though they can be
utilized out of combat as well, such as when striking a
wooden door to break it into splinters. When you make an
attack, your attack roll is compared to the Armor Class
(AC) of the target to determine whether the attack hits or
misses.
To make an attack roll, roll a d20 and add the appropriate
modifiers. If the total of the roll plus modifiers equals or
exceeds the target’s Armor Class, the attack hits. If it fails,
the strike has no effect. The AC of a character is determined
at character creation, whereas the AC of a monster is in its
stat block.
Attack rolls have a special rule to increase the effect of
chance on their outcome: rolling a 1 on the d20 causes the
attack to miss automatically, while rolling a 20 is always a
critical hit, regardless of the AC of the target.
Unlike ability checks and saving throws, attack rolls
typically only utilize Strength or Dexterity modifiers. Which
ability is used (as well as the type of die used to calculate
damage inflicted on a hit) depends on the weapon used.
Most melee and thrown weapons utilize Strength, while
ranged and highly controllable weapons use Dexterity.
The Combat chapter has more information on attack rolls
and how they work.
Saving Throws
A saving throw, also called a save, represents an attempt to
resist a trap, poison, disease, or similar threat. You don’t
normally decide to make a saving throw; you are forced to
make one because your character is at risk of harm.
To make a saving throw, roll a d20 and add the
appropriate ability modifier. For example, you use your
Dexterity modifier for a Dexterity saving throw.
A saving throw can be modified by a situational bonus or
penalty and can be affected by advantage and
disadvantage, as determined by the GM.
206
Each class gives proficiency in at least two saving throws.
As with skill proficiencies, proficiency in a saving throw lets
a character add his or her proficiency bonus to saving
throws made using a particular ability score. Some non-
player characters and creatures have saving throw
proficiencies as well.
The Difficulty Class, or DC, for a saving throw is
determined by the effect that causes it.
The result of a successful or failed saving throw is also
detailed in the effect that allows the save. Usually, a
successful save means that a creature suffers no harm, or
reduced harm, from an effect.
Ability Checks
An ability check tests a character’s or creature’s innate
talent and training in an effort to overcome a challenge. The
GM calls for an ability check when a character or creature
attempts an action (other than an attack) that has a chance
of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the dice
determine the results.
For every ability check, the GM decides which of the six
abilities is relevant to the task at hand and the difficulty of
the task, represented by a Difficulty Class, or DC.
The more difficult a task, the higher its DC. The Typical
Difficulty Classes table shows the most common DCs.
TABLE - TYPICAL DIFFICULTY CLASSES
Task Difficulty DC
Part Three: The Rules
Very easy 5
Easy 10
Medium 15
Hard 20
Very hard 25
Nearly impossible 30
To make an ability check, roll a d20 and add the relevant
ability modifier. As with other d20 rolls, apply bonuses and
penalties, and compare the total to the DC. If the total
equals or exceeds the DC, the ability check is a success-the
creature overcomes the challenge at hand. Otherwise, it’s a
failure, which means the character or monster makes no
progress toward the objective or makes progress combined
with a setback determined by the GM.
CONTESTS
Sometimes one character’s or creature’s efforts are directly
opposed to another’s. This can occur when both of them are
trying to do the same thing and only one can succeed, such
as attempting to snatch up an ancient artifact that has fallen
on the floor. This situation also applies when one of them is
trying to prevent the other one from accomplishing a goal.
For example, when an enemy tries to force open a door that
an adventurer is holding closed. In situations like these, the
outcome is determined by a special form of ability check
called a contest.
Both participants in a contest make ability checks
appropriate to their efforts. They apply all appropriate
bonuses and penalties, but instead of comparing the total to
a DC, they compare the totals of their two checks. The
participant with the higher check total wins the contest.
Abilities and Skills
That character or creature either succeeds at the action or
prevents the other one from succeeding.
If the contest results in a tie, the situation remains the
same as it was before the contest. Thus, one contestant
might win the contest by default. If two characters tie in a
contest to snatch an artifact off the floor, neither character
grabs it. In a contest between an enemy trying to open a
door and an adventurer trying to keep the door closed, a tie
means that the door remains shut.
Skills
Each ability covers a broad range of capabilities, including
skills that a character or a creature can be proficient in. A
skill represents a specific aspect of an ability score, and an
individual’s proficiency in a skill demonstrates a focus on
that aspect. (A character’s starting skill proficiencies are
determined at character creation, and a creature’s skill
proficiencies appear in its stat block.)
For example, a Dexterity check might reflect a character’s
attempt to pull off an acrobatic stunt, to palm an object, or
to stay hidden. Each of these aspects of Dexterity has an
associated skill: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth,
respectively. So a character who has proficiency in the
Stealth skill is particularly good at Dexterity checks related
to sneaking and hiding.
The skills related to each ability score are shown in the
Skills by Related Ability table. (No skills are related to
Constitution.) See an ability’s description in the later
sections of this chapter for examples of how to use a skill
associated with an ability.
Proficiency. Sometimes, the GM might ask for an ability
check using a specific skill. For example, “Make a Wisdom
(Perception) check.” At other times, a player might ask the
GM if proficiency in a particular skill applies to a check. In
either case, proficiency in a skill means an individual can
add his or her proficiency bonus to ability checks that
involve that skill. Without proficiency in the skill, the
individual makes a normal ability check.
For example, if a character attempts to climb up a
dangerous cliff, the GM might ask for a Strength (Athletics)
SKILLS BY RELATED ABILITY
Strength Dexterity Intelligence
Athletics Acrobatics Eldertech
Sleight of Hand History
Stealth Investigation
Materials
Medicine
Nature
Politics
Religion
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check. If the character is proficient in Athletics, the
character’s proficiency bonus is added to the Strength
check. If the character lacks that proficiency, they just make
a Strength check.
SKILLS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES
Normally, your proficiency in a skill applies only to a
specific kind of ability check. Proficiency in Athletics, for
example, usually applies to Strength checks. In some
situations, though, your proficiency might reasonably apply
to a different kind of check. In such cases, the GM might ask
for a check using an unusual combination of ability and
skill, or you might ask your GM if you can apply a
proficiency to a different check.
For example, if you have to swim from an island to the
nearby mainland, your GM might call for a Constitution
check to see if you have the stamina to make it that far. In
this case, your GM might allow you to apply your
proficiency in Athletics and ask for a Constitution
(Athletics) check. So if you’re proficient in Athletics, you
apply your proficiency bonus to the Constitution check just
as you would normally do for a Strength (Athletics) check.
Similarly, when your Wakewalker fighter uses a display of
raw strength to intimidate an enemy, your GM might ask
for a Strength (Intimidation) check, even though
Intimidation is normally associated with Charisma.
PASSIVE CHECKS
A passive check is a special kind of ability check that
doesn’t involve any die rolls. Such a check can represent the
average result for a task done repeatedly, such as searching
for secret doors over and over again, or can be used when
the GM wants to secretly determine whether the characters
succeed at something without rolling dice, such as noticing
a hidden monster.
Here’s how to determine a character’s total for a passive
check:
PASSIVE CHECK = 10 + all modifiers that normally
apply to the check
Wisdom Charisma
Animal Handling Deception
Insight Intimidation
Perception Performance
Survival Persuasion
 Climbing the Cliffs
Near Hollowfalls
If the character has advantage on the check, add 5. For
disadvantage, subtract 5. The game refers to a passive check
total as a score.
For example, if a 1st-level character has a Wisdom of 15
and proficiency in Perception, they have a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 14.
The rules on hiding in the “Dexterity” section below rely
on passive checks.

WORKING TOGETHER
Sometimes two or more characters team up to attempt a
task. The character who’s leading the effort (or the one with
the highest ability modifier) can make an ability check with
advantage. This reflects the fact that working together
generally improves people’s chances of success. In combat,
this requires the Help action.
A character can only provide help if the task is one that
they could attempt alone. For example, trying to open a lock
requires proficiency with thieves’ tools, so a character who
lacks that proficiency can’t help another character in that
task. Moreover, a character can help only when two or more
individuals working together would actually be productive.
Some tasks, such as threading a needle, are no easier with
help.

GROUP CHECKS
When a number of individuals are trying to accomplish
something as a group, the GM might ask for a group ability
check. In such a situation, the characters who are skilled at a
particular task help cover those who aren’t.

Part Three: The Rules

To make a group ability check, everyone in the group
makes the ability check. If at least half the group succeeds,
the whole group succeeds. Otherwise, the group fails.
Group checks don’t come up very often, and they’re most
useful when all the characters succeed or fail as a group. For
example, when adventurers are navigating a swamp, the
GM might call for a group Wisdom (Survival) check to see if
the characters can avoid the quicksand, sinkholes, and other
natural hazards of the environment. If at least half the
group succeeds, the successful characters can guide their
companions out of danger. Otherwise, the group stumbles
into one of these hazards.

Using Each Ability

Every task that a character or monster might attempt in the
game is covered by one of the six abilities. This section
explains in more detail what those abilities mean and the
ways they are used in the game.

Strength
Strength measures bodily power, athletic training, and the
extent to which you can exert raw physical force.

STRENGTH CHECKS
A Strength check can model any attempt to lift, push, pull,
or break something, to force your body through a space, or
to otherwise apply brute force to a situation. The Athletics
skill reflects aptitude in certain kinds of Strength checks.

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208
 Athletics. Your Strength (Athletics) check covers difficult
situations you encounter while climbing, jumping, or
swimming. Examples include the following activities:
� You attempt to climb a sheer or slippery cliff, avoid
hazards while scaling a wall, or cling to a surface while
something is trying to knock you off.
� You try to jump an unusually long distance or pull off a
stunt midjump.
� You struggle to swim or stay afloat in treacherous
currents, storm-tossed waves, or areas of thick
seaweed. Or another creature tries to push or pull you
underwater or otherwise interfere with your
swimming.
Other Strength Checks. The GM might also call for a
Strength check when you try to accomplish tasks like the
following:
� Force open a stuck, locked, or barred door
� Break free of bonds
� Push through a tunnel that is too small
� Hang on to a wagon while being dragged behind it
� Tip over a statue
� Keep a boulder from rolling
ATTACK ROLLS AND DAMAGE
You add your Strength modifier to your attack roll and your
damage roll when attacking with a melee weapon such as a
mace, a battleaxe, or a javelin. You use melee weapons to
make melee attacks in hand-to-hand combat, and some of
them can be thrown to make a ranged attack.
LIFTING AND CARRYING
Your Strength score determines the amount of weight you
can bear. See the Character Properties section in the General
Rules chapter for more information.
Dexterity
Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, and balance.
DEXTERITY CHECKS
A Dexterity check can model any attempt to move nimbly,
quickly, or quietly, or to keep from falling on tricky footing.
The Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth skills reflect
aptitude in certain kinds of Dexterity checks.
Acrobatics. Your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check covers
your attempt to stay on your feet in a tricky situation, such
as when you’re trying to run across a sheet of ice, balance
on a tightrope, or stay upright on a rocking ship’s deck. The
GM might also call for a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to see
if you can perform acrobatic stunts, including dives, rolls,
somersaults, and flips.
Sleight of Hand. Whenever you attempt an act of
legerdemain or manual trickery, such as planting something
on someone else or concealing an object on your person,
make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. The GM might
also call for a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check to
determine whether you can lift a coin purse off another
person or slip something out of another person’s pocket.
Stealth. Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check when you
attempt to conceal yourself from enemies, slink past guards,
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209
slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on someone
without being seen or heard.
Other Dexterity Checks. The GM might call for a
Dexterity check when you try to accomplish tasks like the
following:
� Control a heavily laden cart on a steep descent
� Steer a chariot around a tight turn
� Pick a lock
� Disable a trap
� Securely tie up a prisoner
� Wriggle free of bonds
� Play a stringed instrument
� Craft a small or detailed object
ATTACK ROLLS AND DAMAGE
You add your Dexterity modifier to your attack roll and
your damage roll when attacking with a ranged weapon,
such as a sling or a longbow. You can also add your
Dexterity modifier to your attack roll and your damage roll
HIDING
The GM decides when circumstances are
appropriate for hiding. When you try to hide, make
a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Until you are
discovered or you stop hiding, that check’s total is
contested by the Wisdom (Perception) check of
any creature that actively searches for signs of your
presence.
You can’t hide from a creature that can see you
clearly, and you give away your position if you make
noise, such as shouting a warning or knocking over
a vase.
In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of
danger all around, so if you come out of hiding and
approach a creature, it usually sees you. However,
under certain circumstances, the GM might allow
you to stay hidden as you approach a creature that
is distracted, allowing you to gain advantage on an
attack roll before you are seen.
Passive Perception. When you hide, there’s a
chance someone will notice you even if they aren’t
searching. To determine whether such a creature
notices you, the GM compares your Dexterity
(Stealth) check with that creature’s passive Wisdom
(Perception) score, which equals 10 + the creature’s
Wisdom modifier, as well as any other bonuses or
penalties. If the creature has advantage, add 5. For
disadvantage, subtract 5. For example, if a 1st-level
character (with a proficiency bonus of +2) has a
Wisdom of 15 (a +2 modifier) and proficiency in
Perception, they have a passive Wisdom
(Perception) of 14.
What Can You See? One of the main factors in
determining whether you can find a hidden
creature or object is how well you can see in an
area, which might be lightly or heavily obscured, as
explained in the General Rules chapter.
when attacking with a melee weapon that has the finesse
property, such as a dagger or a rapier.
ARMOR CLASS
Depending on the armor you wear, you might add some or
all of your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class.
INITIATIVE
At the beginning of every combat, you roll initiative by
making a Dexterity check. Initiative determines the order of
creatures’ turns in combat.
Constitution
Constitution measures health, stamina, and vital force.
CONSTITUTION CHECKS
Constitution checks are uncommon, and no skills apply to
Constitution checks, because the endurance this ability
represents is largely passive rather than involving a specific
effort on the part of a character or monster. A Constitution
check can model your attempt to push beyond normal
limits, however.
The GM might call for a Constitution check when you try
to accomplish tasks like the following:
� Hold your breath
� March or labor for hours without rest
� Go without sleep
� Survive without food or water
� Quaff an entire stein of ale in one go
HIT POINTS
Your Constitution modifier contributes to your hit points.
Typically, you add your Constitution modifier to each Hit
Die you roll for your hit points when you level up. See the
Character Properties section in the General Rules chapter
for more information.
Intelligence
Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of recall, and
the ability to reason.
INTELLIGENCE CHECKS
An Intelligence check comes into play when you need to
draw on logic, education, memory, or deductive reasoning.
The Eldertech, History, Investigation, Materials, Medicine,
Nature, Politics, and Religion skills reflect aptitude in
certain kinds of Intelligence checks.
Eldertech. Your Intelligence (Eldertech) check measures
your knowledge and intuition regarding the mystical
artifacts known as Eldertech.
History. Your Intelligence (History) check measures your
ability to recall lore about historical events, legendary
people, ancient kingdoms, past disputes, recent wars, and
lost civilizations.
Investigation. When you look around for clues and make
deductions based on those clues, you make an Intelligence
(Investigation) check. You might deduce the location of a
hidden object, discern from the appearance of a wound
what kind of weapon dealt it, or determine the weakest
point in a tunnel that could cause it to collapse. Poring
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210
through ancient scrolls in search of a hidden fragment of
knowledge might also call for an Intelligence (Investigation)
check.
Materials. An Intelligence (Materials) check is used to
understand the construction of a building, identify the weak
points of a construct (even without visual clues), and
understand the physical properties of the components of
the natural world.
Medicine. An Intelligence (Medicine) check lets you try to
stabilize a dying companion or diagnose an illness.
Nature. Your Intelligence (Nature) check measures your
ability to recall lore about terrain, plants and animals, the
weather, and natural cycles.
Religion. Your Intelligence (Religion) check measures
your ability to recall lore about deities, rites and prayers,
religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of
secret cults.
Politics. Your Intelligence (Politics) check measures your
knowledge about governments, elected officials, concerns of
the people, and the plans or maneuvers of a royal court.
Other Intelligence Checks. The GM might call for an
Intelligence check when you try to accomplish tasks like the
following:
• Communicate with a creature without using words
• Estimate the value of a precious item
• Pull together a disguise to pass as a city guard
• Forge a document
• Recall lore about a craft or trade
Part Three: The Rules
• Win a game of skill
Wisdom
Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around
you and represents perceptiveness and intuition.
WISDOM CHECKS
A Wisdom check might reflect an effort to read body
language, understand someone’s feelings, or notice things
about the environment. The Animal Handling, Insight,
Perception, and Survival skills reflect aptitude in certain
kinds of Wisdom checks.
Animal Handling. When there is any question whether
you can calm down a sticated animal, keep a mount from
getting spooked, or intuit an animal’s intentions, the GM
Abilities and Skills
might call for a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. You also
make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to control your
mount when you attempt a risky maneuver.
Insight. Your Wisdom (Insight) check decides whether
you can determine the true intentions of a creature, such as
when searching out a lie or predicting someone’s next
move. Doing so involves gleaning clues from body
language, speech habits, and changes in mannerisms.
Perception. Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you
spot, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of something. It
measures your general awareness of your surroundings and
the keenness of your senses. For example, you might try to
hear a conversation through a closed door, eavesdrop under
an open window, or hear monsters moving stealthily in the
forest. Or you might try to spot things that are obscured or
easy to miss, such as thugs hiding in the shadows of an
alley, or candlelight under a closed secret door.
Survival. The GM might ask you to make a Wisdom
(Survival) check to follow tracks, hunt wild game, guide
your group through frozen wastelands, identify signs that
wild predators live nearby, predict the weather, or avoid
quicksand and other natural hazards.
Other Wisdom Checks. The GM might call for a Wisdom
check when you try to accomplish tasks like the following:
� Get a gut feeling about what course of action to follow
� Discern whether a seemingly dead creature is truly
dead
Charisma
Charisma measures your ability to interact effectively with
others. It includes such factors as confidence and eloquence,
and it can represent a charming or commanding
personality.
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CHARISMA CHECKS
A Charisma check might arise when you try to influence or
entertain others, when you try to make an impression or tell
a convincing lie, or when you are navigating a tricky social
situation. The Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and
Persuasion skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of
Charisma checks.
Deception. Your Charisma (Deception) check determines
whether you can convincingly hide the truth, either verbally
or through your actions. This deception can encompass
everything from misleading others through ambiguity to
telling outright lies. Typical situations include trying to fast-
talk a guard, con a merchant, earn money through
gambling, pass yourself off in a disguise, dull someone’s
suspicions with false assurances, or maintain a straight face
while telling a blatant lie.
Intimidation. When you attempt to influence someone
through overt threats, hostile actions, or physical violence,
the GM might ask you to make a Charisma (Intimidation)
check. Examples include trying to pry information out of a
prisoner, convincing street thugs to back down from a
confrontation, or using the edge of a broken bottle to
convince a sneering vizier to reconsider a decision.
Performance. Your Charisma (Performance) check
determines how well you can delight an audience with
music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of
entertainment.
Persuasion. When you attempt to influence someone or a
group of people with tact, social graces, or good nature, the
GM might ask you to make a Charisma (Persuasion) check.
Typically, you use persuasion when acting in good faith, to
foster friendships, make cordial requests, or exhibit proper
etiquette. Examples of persuading others include
convincing a chamberlain to let your party see the king,
negotiating peace between warring tribes, or inspiring a
crowd of townsfolk.
Other Charisma Checks. The GM might call for a
Charisma check when you try to accomplish tasks like the
following:
� Find the best person to talk to for news, rumors, and
gossip
� Blend into a crowd to get the sense of key topics of
conversation
SOCIAL SCORE
Your Charisma modifier also helps determine your Social
score, which can be used by your GM in social encounters.
See the Social Interaction chapter for more information.
Animal Tracks
 Chapter 13: General Rules
Time
I
n situations where keeping track of the passage of time
is important, the GM determines the time a task
requires. The GM might use a different time scale
depending on the context of the situation at hand.
� In combat and other fast-paced situations, the game
relies on rounds, a 6-second span of time.
� In a dungeon environment, the adventurers’ movement
happens on a scale of minutes. For example, it takes
them about a minute to creep down a long hallway,
another minute to check for traps on the door at the
end of the hall, and a good ten minutes to search the
chamber beyond for anything interesting or valuable.
� In a city or wilderness, a scale of hours is often more
appropriate. Adventurers eager to reach the lonely
tower at the heart of the forest hurry across those
fifteen miles in just under four hours’ time.
� For long journeys, a scale of days works best.
Character
Properties
Player characters have a lot of numbers and statistics to
keep track of. The following should be a complete reference
of those statistics, what they do, and where to find more
information about them when needed.
ARMOR CLASS
Armor Class, or AC, represents how difficult it is to hit a
creature with an attack roll. It is determined using the
following equation:
ARMOR CLASS = Base Armor + your Dexterity
modifier + other bonuses
Wearing armor, using a shield, or other class features
may change this equation. See the Equipment chapter for
more details about wearing armor to increase your
character’s AC.
Base Armor. This is the first value used when calculating
your Armor Class. For a normal, unarmored character, this
value is 10. Wearing armor will change this value to a
higher number, although heavier armors may limit the
contribution of your Dexterity modifier.
Dexterity Modifier. Your Dexterity modifier (see the
Abilities and Skills chapter) can play an important role in
determining your Armor Class. When not wearing any
armor, its full value is added to your Base Armor to
determine your AC. However, most types of medium armor
may limit how much of your Dexterity modifier can be used
in your AC, and heavy armor might not allow it to be used
at all. Characters with high Dexterity scores may benefit
more from light or no armor, while those with low
Dexterity scores would be better served with heavy armor.
212
Shields and Other Bonuses. Bearing a shield gives
additional bonuses to your AC, and many class features –
such as the Fighter’s “Defense” Martial Archetype - can
contribute to it as well. Situational benefits like taking cover
may also be applicable (see the Combat chapter for more
details).
TOUCH AC
Even when wearing armor, some attack rolls might be
measured against your Touch AC instead of your normal
AC. This usually means the armor you are wearing is
ineffective against the attack.
To calculate your Touch AC, replace your Base Armor
with 10, regardless of what armor you are wearing. All
other factors used to calculate your AC stay the same,
including shield bonuses and your Dexterity modifier.
Include penalties to your Dexterity modifier from wearing
heavier armor types. For example, do not add your
Dexterity modifier to your Touch AC if you are wearing
heavy armor.
CLASS
A character’s class determines most of the features and
proficiencies they have access to during the game. A class is
chosen at level 1 when a character is created. When a
character increases their level in a class, more advanced
Part Three: The Rules
abilities of the class are unlocked. See the Classes chapter
for more information.
It is possible to have multiple classes at one time. This is
known as multiclassing.
HIT DICE
Your Hit Dice are used for several things:
� Calculating a character’s hit point maximum, which
grows as the character gains levels
� Recovering current hit points while taking short rests
� They may be used as a resource for other in-game
abilities
Your character has a number of Hit Dice equal to their
level. The value of the dice is usually determined by the
class of your character: a rogue has d8 Hit Dice, while a
fighter has d10s.
If your character has multiple classes, you’ll have
different Hit Dice for each class. For example, a character
who has 2 levels in fighter and 1 level in sage has a grand
total of 3 Hit Dice: 2 d10s from the fighter and 1 d6 from the
sage.
See the section on Resting later in this chapter for more
information on how Hit Dice can be spent to recover hit
points, and how to regain spent Hit Dice.
HIT POINTS
Hit points represent a character’s vitality and ability to
continue fighting. Dropping to 0 hit points causes a
character to lose consciousness. See the Combat chapter for
more information.
General Rules
HIT POINT MAXIMUM
Your character’s hit point maximum is a limit on the
amount of hit points they can have at one time.
The hit point maximum of your character is calculated as
follows:
Take the maximum value of one of your Hit Dice (the
highest-value one, if you have multiple types) and add it to
your Constitution modifier. A fighter with a Constitution
modifier of +2 add together 10 (the maximum of their d10
Hit Die) and 2 (their Constitution modifier) for a total of 12.
This total represents a character’s hit point maximum at
level 1.
For each level gained after 1, roll a Hit Die and add the
result plus your Constitution modifier to your hit point
maximum. You always add a minimum of 1 hit point, even
if you have a negative Constitution modifier.
If your Constitution modifier changes, your hit point
maximum changes as well, as though you had the new
modifier from 1st level. For example, if you raise your
Constitution score when you reach 4th level and your
Constitution modifier increases from +1 to +2, you adjust
your hit point maximum as though the modifier had always
been +2. So you add 3 hit points for your first three levels,
and then roll your hit points for 4th level using your new
modifier. Or if you’re 7th level and some effect lowers your
Constitution score so as to reduce your Constitution
modifier by 1, your hit point maximum is reduced by 7.
CURRENT HIT POINTS
A character’s current hit points represent their ability to
stay conscious. Under normal conditions, a character starts
an adventuring day with hit points equal to their hit point
maximum. Hit points are lost when a character takes
damage - usually from being by attacks, though they can
also be lost due to environmental hazards such as poison or
traps.
A character regains hit points up to their hit point
maximum when they take a long rest, and they can spend
Hit Dice to regain them during a short rest. See the section
on Resting later in this chapter for more information.
It is sometimes possible for a character to regain hit
points without resting through receiving medical attention,
drinking potions, or other class features.
TEMPORARY HIT POINTS
Some special features and circumstances confer temporary
hit points to a creature. Temporary hit points aren’t actual
hit points; they are a buffer against damage, a pool of hit
points that protect you from injury.
When you have temporary hit points and take damage,
the temporary hit points are lost first, and any leftover
damage carries over to your normal hit points. For example,
if you have 5 temporary hit points and take 7 damage, you
lose the temporary hit points and then take 2 damage.
Because temporary hit points are separate from your
actual hit points, they can exceed your hit point maximum.
A character can, therefore, be at full hit points and receive
temporary hit points.
Healing can’t restore temporary hit points, and they can’t
be added together. If you have temporary hit points and
receive more of them, you decide whether to keep the ones
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you have or to gain the new ones. For example, if a feature
grants you 12 temporary hit points when you already have
10, you can have 12 or 10, not 22.
If you have 0 hit points, receiving temporary hit points
doesn’t restore you to consciousness or stabilize you. They
can still absorb damage directed at you while you’re in that
state, but only true medical attention can save you.
Unless a feature that grants you temporary hit points has
a duration, they last until they’re depleted or you finish a
long rest.
LEVEL
The competence and capabilities of a character are
represented in levels. A character starts with one level in a
class that they choose. As a character grows and gains
experience in their chosen class, they will eventually gain a
level in that class. Gaining a level has various benefits
including increasing hit point maximum, access to new
features, and many other things besides.
It is possible for characters to have levels in different
classes. This is known as multiclassing. In this case all the
class levels are added together to represent the character’s
total level.
LIFT AND CARRY CAPACITY
Your lift and carry capacity is a limit in pounds determined
by your Strength score.
Encumbrance. If you carry weight in excess of 5 times
your Strength score, you are encumbered, which means
your speed drops by 10 feet. Four-legged creatures (such as
mounts and pack animals) do not suffer this penalty.
If you carry weight in excess of 10 times your Strength
score, up to your maximum carrying capacity, you are
instead heavily encumbered, which means your speed
drops by 20 feet and you have disadvantage on ability
checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use Strength or
Dexterity.
Lift and Carry Capacity. Your maximum carrying
capacity is your Strength score multiplied by 15. This is the
weight (in pounds) that you can carry or lift at one time.
Pushing and Dragging. You can push or drag a weight in
pounds up to 20 times your Strength score. While pushing
or dragging weight in excess of your carrying capacity, your
speed drops to 5 feet.
Size and Strength. Larger creatures can bear more weight,
whereas Tiny creatures can carry less. For each size
category above Medium, double the creature’s carrying
capacity and the amount it can push or drag. For each size
category smaller than Medium, halve these weights.
Wearing Clothing and Armor. Worn clothing and armor
contribute only half of their total weight to the amount you
are carrying. Their full weight is applied only if they are
being carried unworn, such as in a bundle or pack.
VARIANT: UNENCUMBERED
Some gaming groups dislike keeping track of the weights of
items in their inventory. In these games, the GM may allow
the players to ignore penalties for being encumbered or
heavily encumbered.
SIZE
A creature’s size determines how much it can lift and carry
and how it interacts with other creatures in combat. See the
Combat chapter for more information.
Most player characters will have a size of medium.
SPEED
Every character and creature has a speed, which is the
distance in feet that the character or creature can walk in 1
round of combat. Speed is also used to calculate travel
times. See the Movement section later on in this chapter, the
Exploration and Weather chapter, and the Combat chapter
for more details on how speed is applied in different
situations.
SOCIAL SCORE
Your social score measures how well your character can
speak and debate when compared with other characters.
Normally, the social score of a character can be calculated as
follows:
SOCIAL SCORE = ½ × your Charisma modifier
Some classes or (subclasses), such as the wordsmith, have
special ways to calculate their social score. These special
calculations will be explained in the description of class
features.
See the Social Interactions chapter to learn more about the
social score.
THROWING DISTANCE
Throwing distance depends on your Strength score and the
weight of the object you are throwing. An object that fits in
your palm and weighs about 1/2 of a pound can be thrown
up to a number of feet up to 10 times your Strength score.
The distance is halved for objects more than 2 pounds, and
halved again for objects that weigh more than 8 pounds.
Objects whose weight exceeds twice your Strength score
may only be thrown up to 10 feet.
When throwing improvised objects as a ranged weapon
attack, the normal range of the weapon is equal to 1/4 of
your maximum throwing distance, and beyond that is
considered long range up to the maximum distance.
Humans have better throwing capability than other
creatures, and can throw objects twice as far (see the
Sentients chapter).
Movement
Swimming across a rushing river, sneaking down a
dungeon corridor, scaling a treacherous mountain slope-all
sorts of movement play a key role in adventures.
A creature’s ability to move is given by their speed, and a
group’s ability to move together over minutes, hours, or
days is determined by the creature in the group with the
lowest speed. The number shown for speed in a stat block
or on a character sheet represents how many feet that
creature can move in 1 round of combat.
214
See the Combat chapter for more information on how
speed works in combat, or the Exploration and Weather
chapter for details on how it applies to travelling.
Faster Movement
Creatures can move at various paces, represented by
multiplying their speed by a certain value. All multipliers
due to moving faster come after any movement penalties
such as Exhaustion or encumbrance. For example: a
character who has a speed of 30 has their speed reduced to
20 when encumbered. Dashing will increase this character’s
speed to 40, not 60.
Dashing. Characters can take the Dash action during
combat to double their speed for that round.
Sprinting. Characters who are wearing light or no armor
and not encumbered can take the sprint action during
combat to quadruple their speed for that round.
Special Types of
Movement
Movement through dangerous dungeons or wilderness
areas often involves more than simply walking.
Adventurers might have to climb, crawl, swim, or jump to
get where they need to go.
CLIMBING, SWIMMING, AND CRAWLING
While climbing or swimming, each foot of movement costs
1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult terrain), unless a
Part Three: The Rules
creature has a climbing or swimming speed. At the GM’s
option, climbing a slippery vertical surface or one with few
handholds requires a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might
require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
JUMPING
Your Strength determines how far you can jump.
Long Jump. When you make a long jump, you cover a
number of feet equal to 10 + your Strength score if you
move at least 10 feet on foot immediately before the jump.
When you make a standing long jump, you can leap only
half that distance. Either way, each foot you clear on the
jump costs a foot of movement.
This rule assumes that the height of your jump doesn’t
matter, such as a jump across a stream or chasm. At your
GM’s option, you must succeed on a DC 10 Strength
(Athletics) check to clear a low obstacle (no taller than the
height you would reach doing a Vertical Jump), such as a
hedge or low wall. Otherwise, you hit it.
When you land in difficult terrain, you must succeed on a
DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to land on your feet.
Otherwise, you land prone.
Vertical Jump. When you make a vertical jump, you leap
into the air a number of feet equal to 2 + half your Strength
modifier. If you are wearing heavy armor, you can only
jump up to half that height.
You may make this jump while standing still, landing in
the same spot or moving up to 5 feet in any direction during
the jump, provided you have enough movement to do so. If
you move at least 10 feet on foot prior to the jump, you may
General Rules
move 10 feet while jumping instead, but only in the same
direction you were moving on the ground.
You can extend your arms half your height above
yourself during the jump. Thus, you can reach above you a
distance equal to the height of the jump plus 1½ times your
height.
You can also tuck in your legs during the jump. Thus,
you can clear an obstacle of a height equal to the height of
the jump plus ½ times your height.
High Jump. When you make a high jump, you leap into
the air and roll or tumble to create the maximum possible
distance between your body and the ground. You must not
be wearing heavy armor and be able to move at least 10 feet
on foot before the jump. If you succeed on a DC 10 Strength
(Athletics) check, you leap as high as possible, clearing a
number of feet equal to 3 + your Strength modifier. You
land prone, taking 1d4 bludgeoning damage if you land on
a hard surface.
The Environment
By its nature, adventuring involves delving into places that
are dark, dangerous, and full of mysteries to be explored.
The rules in this section cover some of the most important
ways in which adventurers interact with the environment in
such places.
FALLING
A fall from a great height is one of the most common
hazards facing an adventurer. At the end of a fall, a creature
takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it fell, to a
maximum of 50d6. The damage is halved if the fall is into
water as long as the water is at least half as deep as the
distance fallen. The creature lands prone, unless it avoids
taking damage from the fall.
A creature can pass a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check
to ignore the first 10 points of damage from a fall that is 40
feet or less, or the first 20 points of damage from a fall of 150
feet or less into water that is at least half as deep as the
distance fallen.
SUFFOCATING
A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes
equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30
seconds).
When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can
survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution
modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn,
it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can’t regain hit
points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.
For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can hold
its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it has 2
rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points.
Senses and Light
The most fundamental tasks of adventuring- noticing
danger, finding hidden objects, and hitting an enemy in
combat, to name just a few-rely heavily on a character’s
ability to see. Darkness and other effects that obscure vision
can prove a significant hindrance.
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A given area might be lightly or heavily obscured. In a
lightly obscured area, such as dim light, patchy fog, or
moderate foliage, creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight.
A heavily obscured area-such as darkness, opaque fog, or
dense foliage-blocks vision entirely. A creature effectively
suffers from the blinded condition (see appendix A) when
trying to see something in that area.
The presence or absence of light in an environment
creates three categories of illumination: bright light, dim
light, and darkness.
Bright light lets most creatures see normally. Even
gloomy days provide bright light, as do torches, lanterns,
fires, and other sources of illumination within a specific
radius.
Dim light, also called shadows, creates a lightly obscured
area. An area of dim light is usually a boundary between a
source of bright light, such as a torch, and surrounding
darkness. The soft light of twilight and dawn also counts as
dim light. A particularly brilliant full moon might bathe the
land in dim light.
Darkness creates a heavily obscured area. Characters face
darkness outdoors at night (even most moonlit nights), or
within the confines of an unlit dungeon or a subterranean
vault.
LOW-LIGHT VISION
Many creatures, such as those native to the Nightlands,
spend much of their lives in area that are not well-lit. These
creatures can see in dim light as if it was bright light.
BLINDSIGHT
A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings
without relying on sight, within a specific radius. Creatures
with echolocation or heightened senses, such as bats, have
this sense.
DARKVISION
Many creatures in fantasy gaming worlds, especially those
that dwell underground, have darkvision. Within a
specified range, a creature with darkvision can see in
darkness as if the darkness were dim light, so areas of
darkness are only lightly obscured as far as that creature is
concerned. However, the creature can’t discern color in
darkness, only shades of gray.
A creature with Darkvision also has Low-Light Vision.
TREMORSENSE
A creature with tremorsense can detect and pinpoint the
origin of vibrations within a specific radius, provided that
the creature and the source of the vibrations are in contact
with the same ground or substance. Tremorsense can’t be
used to detect flying creatures. Many burrowing creatures,
such as Sporespawn, have this special sense.
Interacting with
Objects
A character’s interaction with objects in an environment is
often simple to resolve in the game. The player tells the GM
that his or her character is doing something, such as moving
a lever, and the GM describes what, if anything, happens.
For example, a character might decide to pull a lever,
which might, in turn, raise a portcullis, cause a room to
flood with water, or open a secret door in a nearby wall. If
the lever is rusted in position, though, a character might
need to force it. In such a situation, the GM might call for a
Strength check to see whether the character can wrench the
lever into place. The GM sets the DC for any such check
based on the difficulty of the task.
Characters can also damage objects with their weapons.
Objects are immune to poison and psychic damage, but
otherwise they can be affected by attacks much like
creatures can. The GM determines an object’s Armor Class
and hit points, and might decide that certain objects have
resistance or immunity to certain kinds of attacks. (It’s hard
to cut a rope with a club, for example.) Objects always fail
Strength and Dexterity saving throws, and they are immune
to effects that require other saves. When an object drops to 0
hit points, it breaks.
A character can also attempt a Strength check to break an
object. The GM sets the DC for any such check.
1 hour of walking, fighting, or similar adventuring activity-
the characters must begin the rest again to gain any benefit
from it.
At the end of a long rest, a character regains all lost hit
points, and their exhaustion level is reduced by 1 (to a
minimum of 0). The character also regains spent Hit Dice,
up to a number of dice equal to half of the character’s total
number of them (minimum of one die). For example, if a
character has eight Hit Dice, they can regain four spent Hit
Dice upon finishing a long rest.
A character can’t benefit from more than one long rest in
a 24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit
point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.
RESTING IN POOR CONDITIONS
There are certain circumstances that can impose penalties
on characters attempting to take a long rest.
Inadequate Food or Water. A creature that did not have
access to the full amount of food and water they need does
not recover any exhaustion levels during a long rest.
Exposure to Weather. Attempting to rest outside during
rain or snow - or when the temperature is too cold or hot to
be comfortable – will negatively impact a creature’s rest.
Resting without shelter such as a tent in these conditions
will result in a character regaining only one Hit Die (though
their hit points will still be restored to their maximum).
RECUPERATING FROM INJURIES
It may be required to take rests longer than 8 hours to

Resting recover from a debilitating injury, disease, or poison.

Part Three: The Rules

Heroic though they might be, adventurers can’t spend
every hour of the day in the thick of exploration, social
interaction, and combat. They need rest-time to sleep and
eat, tend their wounds, refresh their minds and spirits, and
brace themselves for further adventure.
Adventurers can take short rests in the midst of an
adventuring day and a long rest to end the day. This is the
primary way to regain hit points and Hit Dice, recharge
character features, and eliminate levels of exhaustion.
SHORT REST
After three days of downtime spent recuperating, you can
make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a successful
save, you can choose one of the following results:
� End one effect on you that prevents you from regaining
hit points.
� For the next 24 hours, gain advantage on saving throws
against one disease or poison currently affecting you.
On a failure, the saving throw can be repeated on the
following day, and the DC decreases by 1. The DC will
continue to decrease on each day of failure until the
character succeeds.

A short rest is a period of downtime, at least 1 hour long,

during which a character does nothing more strenuous than
eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds.
A character can spend one or more Hit Dice at the end of
a short rest, up to the character’s maximum number of Hit
Dice, which is equal to the character’s level. For each Hit
Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds the
character’s Constitution modifier to it. The character regains
hit points equal to the total (minimum of 0). The player can
decide to spend an additional Hit Die after each roll. A
character regains some spent Hit Dice upon finishing a long Common
rest, as explained below. Torch

LONG REST
A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8
hours long, during which a character sleeps for at least 6
hours and performs no more than 2 hours of light activity,
such as reading, talking, eating, or standing watch. If the
rest is interrupted by a period of strenuous activity-at least

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216
Diseases
The life of an adventurer can easily be put on hold by an
unexpected villain: sickness and disease. Whether it’s a bite
from a dungeon rat or tainted river water, an adventurer’s
path can be filled with potential vectors. Diseases vary in
intensity and contagiousness. Some may prove to be a mere
hinderance on the latest quest, and others may leave a
character barely able to function while they recover. A few
diseases show only mild symptoms to start but foretell
death or madness. Here we offer templates that you may
use to implement the mechanics of a specific disease in your
game, and a sample disease.
TEMPLATE 1: WASTING DISEASE
Diseases using this template cause one or several of a
creature’s ability scores to decline periodically. Every set
time period (such as 8 hours, 1 day, or 1 week) one of the
creature’s abilities scores decreases by 1. Some diseases of
this type cause physical decay to the Strength, Dexterity, or
Constitution scores. Others are mental ailments, decreasing
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. In either case, how far
the score drops depends on how debilitating or fatal the
disease is. For non-fatal diseases, have the ability score stop
decreasing at 7, 5, or 3, and remain there until the disease is
cured. Otherwise, the creature will die when any ability
score drops to 0.
When a disease of this type is cured, the affected ability
scores return to normal. The GM may choose to have the
restoration occur rapidly or over a period of time,
depending on the disease. For example, a Wisdom-wasting
disease may have the score be restored immediately once
cured, but a different Strength-wasting disease may only
recover 1 ability point per day.
TEMPLATE 2: DEBILITATING
DISEASE
Debilitating diseases, as the name implies, cause a negative
effect on a character. For example, a character may have a
50% chance to trip whenever the Dash action is taken, or
have a 30% chance to attack an ally for 1d4 rounds
whenever a combat begins, or simply have their speed
reduced by 5 feet. A good design to use with these diseases
is to have either the severity of the penalty or chance of it
occurring to increase as the disease progresses.
INFECTION AND RECOVERY
After a creature becomes infected with a disease, it usually
takes 1d4 days before symptoms begin showing. This time
can increase or decrease depending on the disease. Infection
may require physical contact with an infected creature,
contact with their bodily fluids, or simply breathing the air
nearby.
Recovering from a disease is usually only possible after
spending at least 1d4 or 2d4 days showing symptoms. After
this time period, a creature may recover by succeeding on a
Constitution saving throw, with the DC determined by the
GM. Some diseases do not allow recovery using a saving
throw, requiring a cure to be found or synthesized instead.
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Sample Disease: Blue Fever
Blue fever is a terrible sickness native to Yaras that is a good
sample of both disease templates. It is highly transmissible,
and you have a 30% chance of catching it if you breathe the
air within 10 feet of an infected person without breathing
protection. After 1d3 days symptoms manifest in the form
of a fever and coughing. After another 1d3 days a worse
symptom develops: loss of motor control.
At this stage an infected creature’s Dexterity score drops
by 1, and continues to drop by 1 every 2 days. During this
time there is a 10% chance that any Dexterity-based action
or check made by the creature fails automatically, as their
limbs spasm uncontrollably. The chance increases to 30%
after 8 days of these symptoms. A cure for this disease is
known by the Panacean communes.
Conditions
Conditions alter a creature’s capabilities in a variety of ways
and can arise as a result of an ingested substance, a class
feature, a monster’s attack, or other effect. Most conditions,
such as blinded, are impairments, but a few, such as
invisible, can be advantageous.
A condition lasts either until it is countered (the prone
condition is countered by standing up, for example) or for a
duration specified by the effect that imposed the condition.
If multiple effects impose the same condition on a
creature, each instance of the condition has its own
duration, but the condition’s effects don’t get worse. A
creature either has a condition or doesn’t.
The following definitions specify what happens to a
creature while it is subjected to a condition.
BLINDED
� A blinded creature can’t see and automatically fails any
ability check that requires sight.
� Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and
the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.
CHARMED
� A charmed creature can’t attack the charmer or
willingly target the charmer with harmful abilities.
� The charmer has advantage on any ability check to
interact socially with the creature.
DEAFENED
� A deafened creature can’t hear and automatically fails
any ability check that requires hearing.
EXHAUSTION
Some special abilities and environmental hazards, such as
starvation and the long-term effects of freezing or scorching
temperatures, can lead to a special condition called
exhaustion. Exhaustion is measured in six levels. An effect
can give a creature one or more levels of exhaustion, as
specified in the effect’s description.
If an already exhausted creature suffers another effect
that causes exhaustion, its current level of exhaustion
increases by the amount specified in the effect’s description.
TABLE - EXHAUSTION EFFECTS
Level Effect
1 Disadvantage on Strength and Charisma checks
Speed halved, disadvantage on Wisdom and
2 attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
Dexterity checks
3 Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
Hit point maximum halved, disadvantage on
4
Intelligence checks
5 Speed reduced to 0
6 Death
A creature suffers the effect of its current level of
exhaustion as well as all lower levels. For example, a
creature suffering level 2 exhaustion has its speed halved
and has disadvantage on all ability checks that are not
based on Intelligence.
An effect that removes exhaustion reduces its level as
specified in the effect’s description, with all exhaustion
effects ending if a creature’s exhaustion level is reduced
below 1.
Finishing a long rest reduces a creature’s exhaustion level
by 1, provided that the creature has also ingested some food
and drink.
FLUSTERED
� A flustered creature has disadvantage on ability checks
and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving
throws.
� For the duration of the condition, a flustered creature’s
Charisma score is reduced by 2.
FRIGHTENED
� A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability
checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is
within line of sight.
� The creature can’t willingly move closer to the source
of its fear.
GRAPPLED
� A grappled creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t
benefit from any bonus to its speed.
� The condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated (see
the condition).
� The condition also ends if an effect removes the
grappled creature from the reach of the grappler or
grappling effect.
� For both the grappled and the grappling creature,
attack rolls with a melee weapon that isn’t light have
disadvantage.
INCAPACITATED
� An incapacitated creature can’t take actions or
reactions.
PARALYZED
� A paralyzed creature is incapacitated (see the
condition) and can’t move or speak.
218
� The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity
saving throws.
� Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
� Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the
POISONED
� A poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls
and ability checks.
PRONE
� A prone creature’s only movement option is to crawl,
unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition.
� The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls.
� An attack roll against the creature has advantage if the
attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the
attack roll has disadvantage.
RESTRAINED
� A restrained creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t
benefit from any bonus to its speed.
� Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and
the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.
� The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity saving
throws.
STUNNED
Part Three: The Rules
� A stunned creature is incapacitated (see the condition),
can’t move, and can speak only falteringly.
� The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity
saving throws.
� Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
SURPRISED
� A surprised creature is incapacitated (see the condition)
and can’t move.
� The creature has disadvantage on Intelligence,
Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws and ability
checks.
� Surprise ends after a maximum of six seconds (one
round) unless the cause of the condition specifies
otherwise.
UNCONSCIOUS
� An unconscious creature is incapacitated (see the
condition), can’t move or speak, and is unaware of its
surroundings.
� The creature drops whatever it’s holding and falls
prone.
� The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity
saving throws.
� Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
� Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the
attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
General Rules
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 Chapter 14: Exploration and Weather
I
n our core rules, we are proud to introduce new
traveling and survival gameplay features to add to the
experience of interacting within the world of Dema.
These rules focus on how players move and survive while
adventuring in these fantastical locales. What follows are
features concerning navigation, weather, foraging, camping,
and new movement rules. These can be incorporated into a
campaign at the discretion of the GM. The end goal is to
provide as many new and exciting optional layers of nuance
to your gaming experience as possible.
Travelling
At the core of any adventure lies a simple truth: the
adventurers need to get from one location to another, and
that journey can be just as important as the destination. The
simple steps described here should cover most situations,
whether you are following a road, moving off-trail through
a forest, or trudging through a desert.
Travelling Steps
The starting point for these steps can vary. For example, the
characters can be safe in a town, setting out from a
campsite, or trying to rediscover a trail they lost minutes
ago after being ambushed by bandits.
1. Declare Direction and Details of Journey. The party
begins by declaring the direction of travel, or the
marker or road to be followed. They also declare their
travel pace, ranks, for how much time they expect to
travel in this direction, and whether somebody is
tracking or navigating.
If the marker or trail is clear the whole time (such as
when following a road) then there is no risk of getting
lost, and the next step can be skipped. Otherwise:
2. Navigate Successfully or Become Lost. If somebody is
tracking or navigating, they roll a Wisdom (Survival)
check against a DC determined by the GM to see if they
navigate or track correctly (if nobody is tracking or
navigating the GM rolls a Survival check for them to
see if they stick to the direction). If the character fails
the check, they and their companions end up travelling
slightly to the left or right of the intended direction and
become lost.
During this step the GM may also determine if the
party has any encounters and can describe what they
see along the way. The Wisdom (Survival) check must
be repeated if the party takes a long rest before
reaching their destination - or any other time the GM
decides it is necessary, such as after an encounter.
3. Spot the Destination. If the party is looking for
something large, obvious, or easily seen, the characters
automatically succeed at finding it. Otherwise, the
characters’ passive Perception scores are compared to a
DC to spot the destination (as determined by the GM).
If any of the characters succeed, the destination is
found. Otherwise, they will continue on in the same
direction and become lost.
220
BECOMING LOST
A party of characters can become lost by either travelling
slightly off-course while attempting to navigate or by not
spotting their destination and travelling past it. The players
may know that they are lost before their characters do, and
the GM can prompt for another Survival check every 1d4
in-game hours to see if the characters realize they are lost.
Even if they repeatedly fail Survival checks, characters
can realize they are lost in other ways. If they reach the total
intended travel time they declared in step 1, and the
destination is nowhere in sight, most adventurers will
suspect that something is wrong. They may also realize they
became lost by encountering a major unexpected landmark,
road signs, or NPCs who are helpful enough to give
directions.
In either case, the party starts over again from step 1 and
declares their direction, even though they may not know
exactly where they are. The characters may be able to intuit
the correct direction by using landmarks, the amount of
time already travelled, or other information (the GM may
prompt for additional checks). Ultimately, the party can
decide to continue in the same direction or change
strategies.
Part Three: The Rules
HELPING A LOST PARTY
If the party fails the Survival check, they end up off
course to either the left or right by X miles, where X is
the number of hours travelled before realizing they
are lost. If they fail by 5 or more, they end up off
course by twice that distance.
Of course, it is possible the party was not travelling
in the correct direction to begin with. For example,
they may have been provided with false information,
or they might be working off a poor-quality map (see
the section Using a Map).
If the party is struggling, you may want to allow
other kinds of checks to allow the party to realize they
are lost, or to help them discern the correct direction.
Wisdom (Perception), Intelligence (Nature), or other
kind of Intelligence checks may work better for a
party that does not include a survivalist.
ENCOUNTERS
Most adventure modules will include prewritten tables
of encounters to use while the characters are
adventuring. During step 2 of travelling, you can roll a
die to pick a result from the table, and the selected
encounter will interrupt the travel. Of course, you can
always design your own encounter tables, or pick
whichever option you like best.
Exploration and Weather
Travel Ranks
A travel rank is a subgroup of the total number of travelers
that move side-by-side. How many creatures can move
side-by-side depends on the width of the path being
followed. Wide roads or open plains can accommodate a
dozen or more characters walking next to each other,
whereas a narrow forest trail can force them to travel in
single file.
Front Rank. The front rank (or vanguard) is perhaps the
most important, and the most dangerous. It is almost
always where the navigator or tracker will be. Any traps
that are wandered into will be triggered by characters
walking at the front.
Back Rank. The back rank (or rearguard) is the most
susceptible to attacks from behind. Alert characters may be
able to detect if the travelling party is being followed with a
Wisdom (Perception) check, assuming the follower is close
enough to be seen or heard.
The ranks in-between the front and back are less
important and better defended, though they may still be
vulnerable to attacks from the side.
Tracking And
Navigating
Sometimes, you need to travel without a road or a clear
view of any guiding landmarks. In these cases, the party
must be continuously guided to ensure everybody stays on
course.
NAVIGATING
The navigator’s role is simple: they should be travelling in
the front rank of the party, and they are responsible for
attempting the Wisdom (Survival) checks to determine the
direction of travel and avoid becoming lost. The navigator
has advantage on this check if they are using a map (see the
Using a Map section)
MULTIPLE NAVIGATORS
No matter how many individuals are travelling in a
group, the direction to proceed in is usually
determined by one person. Navigators working
together is more difficult than it sounds.
In the cases where multiple people are trying to
navigate at the same time, each navigator should
make their Wisdom (Survival) check privately. If
some navigators pass and some fail, they will have
different opinions on which direction to proceed in,
and it is up to them to debate and agree on a
direction to choose. If they cannot agree, the rest
of the party may have to vote!
Don’t forget that even though a character may
get a low roll on their Wisdom (Survival) check to
navigate, they probably believe their opinion is
correct. That’s just good roleplaying.
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221
TRACKING
A good wilderness tracker can follow a trail left behind by a
person or animal as clearly as if it was a road. A party lucky
enough to find tracks to follow can bypass the need to make
checks to navigate successfully and won’t become lost
unless their target leads them astray.
If there are tracks to be followed, a character can locate
them by succeeding on a sight-based Wisdom (Perception)
check to spot them. The character has advantage on this
check if they are proficient in the Survival skill, and they
succeed automatically if the tracks are large and/or
obvious.
The Wisdom (Perception) check to spot the tracks may
need to be repeated in some situations, such as when
crossing a river or other obstacle, or after completing an
encounter. Even if a character fails the Perception check to
spot the tracks or trail quickly, a party can use additional
time to search for them as long as the DC is less than 20. It
will take the party 15 minutes for every number between
the ability check result and the DC. For example, if the DC
was 17 and the tracker gets a 15 on her Wisdom
(Perception) check, she fails to spot the tracks immediately
but finds them after about 30 minutes of searching.
TIME TO FIND TRACKS = 15 minutes × (DC – ability
check result)
In situations where it is unlikely to find footprints,
remember that creatures can still leave markings of their
passage. Examples include scratches on stone, broken
branches, leavings from eaten food, or excrement. If the GM
determines that there is adequate information left behind, a
character may be able to attempt an Intelligence
(Investigation or Nature) check to determine information
about the creature they are tracking, such as its species,
general size, or whether it is wounded.
TABLE - DCS FOR TRACKING
Terrain DC
Snow 8
Mud 10
Dry dirt or grass 14
Mountain scramble 18
Stone road 20
Rained since tracks left +5
Each day since tracks left +3
Large animal in forest -3
Injured/bleeding -5
River crossing +8
Using a Map
One of the most valuable items to have while navigating an
area is a map of your surroundings. Unfortunately, maps
come in many degrees of accuracy, ranging from a child’s
scribbles and pictures to a cartographer’s masterpiece. The
map you have might confer benefits to your travel,
depending on its quality.
Remember that even well-drawn, highly detailed maps
might have inaccurate information on them about distances
or travel times. Unlucky characters may even end up with a
map designed to lead them in the wrong direction entirely.
Accurate Map. A well-made and accurate map will give
advantage to all Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate, and
may also grant a +5 bonus to your passive Perception score
to spot your destination. It also ensures you will always be
able to pick the correct direction to travel in, assuming you
know where you are when you start and what your
destination is. They will include all noteworthy landmarks,
major and minor, unless the landmark is a secret or the
mapmaker decided to omit it.
Average Map. Common area maps will grant a +2 to your
Wisdom (Survival) checks to navigate, and enable you to
pick the correct direction toward your destination. They
will include most, if not all, major landmarks in the area.
Poor Map. Bad maps may only tell you the rough
direction of your destination from a starting point. They
may only include a few landmarks, or in the worst cases,
only the starting and ending locations you are looking for.
Activities while
Resting
Many adventures span distances that cannot be traversed in
one day. Thus, travelers quickly get used to the realities of
outdoor survival. In this section you will find details on
activities a party can undertake in their downtime while on
the road.
Camping
When a party settles down to take a long rest, certain
measures must be taken to protect against the elements.
Characters who attempt to rest while fully exposed to the
elements may risk their rest being interrupted or suffer
other penalties.
Campfire. A good fire is useful for many things: boiling
water and cooking food, keeping creatures warm, and
drying clothes to name a few. It may be necessary to start a
campfire in cold weather to prevent penalties to a long rest
(see the General Rules chapter).
Almost all adventurers learn how to start a basic
campfire. Assuming there are trees or other sources of
wood nearby, a character with an appropriate cutting tool
such as an axe can spend 30 minutes gathering enough
wood to light and keep a campfire going for 6 hours. When
travelling through areas without available wood, you may
need to bring some with you. For reference, 5 pounds of
firewood will burn for about 1 hour.
In normal weather, a campfire can be started with little
effort as long as a character has a flint and steel, or other
fire-starting tools. Starting a fire without tools requires a DC
15 Wisdom (Survival) check. Rain or snow also requires a
Wisdom (Survival) check to start a campfire, and the DC is
determined using the following table. A DC 10 Wisdom
(Survival) check must be repeated every 2 hours if it is
raining or snowing to ensure the fire does not go out.
Disadvantage is imposed on the checks to start or maintain
a campfire if the rain is heavier than normal, such as during
and Intense Storm (see the Weather Conditions section).
222
TABLE - STARTING A CAMPFIRE IN THE RAIN
Duration of Rain Start Campfire DC
< 10 minutes 10
10-30 minutes 14
30-60 minutes 17
> 1 hour 20
Shelter. Constructing or erecting a shelter is one of the
most important skills to have while adventuring. It allows
the travelers to escape rain or other weather hazards, and
ensures they can get the proper benefits from a long rest.
Standard and large tents can be erected by most
characters without trouble. If your party is attempting to
camp without tents (or your tents were destroyed or stolen
while on the journey), a character can make a DC 15
(Wisdom) Survival check to construct one with available
materials. On a success, a character can construct an
adequate shelter in Xd4 * 10 minutes, where X is the
number of medium-sized creatures the shelter can hold.
Large creatures take up 2 spaces in a shelter, and huge
creatures take up 10. Small creatures only take up half a
space, and tiny creatures hardly take up any space at all.
Constructing a makeshift shelter is usually only possible
in wooded areas or if the character has some kind of cloth
that can be used overhead.
Foraging
In an area with vegetation and/or water, a character can
spend up to 30 minutes attempting to find food or water
Part Three: The Rules
nearby during a short or long rest. The character must make
a Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check, with
the DC determined by the GM with respect to how
abundant food is in the area. On a success, the character
finds 1d4 pounds of food. Characters can gain advantage on
the check by having multiple individuals forage at once, but
disadvantage is imposed if the area is heavily obscured
(such as by darkness or fog) or subject to hazardous
weather.
Characters in the right area or who do exceptionally well
on the check (exceeding the DC by 5 or more) may find a
water source such as a spring or pond. They will be able to
fill up all watertight containers they are carrying.
The GM may require that characters make a Wisdom
(Survival) check or Intelligence (Nature) check to determine
if the food or water found is safe to consume. Unsafe food
or water can make a creature ill and subject them to various
conditions or diseases (see the General Rules chapter).
Luckily, most water can be made safe by boiling.
Foraging on the Move. Characters can also forage while
travelling at a slow or normal pace. They have disadvantage
on the relevant ability checks unless they are moving at a
slow pace.
Hunting
As an alternative to foraging, hunting can be a great way to
find safe food quickly even in areas without much plant
growth. Some prewritten adventures will have lists of wild
animals that can be found in particular regions, but the GM
may also come up with their own list based on the
environment.
Exploration and Weather
 During a long rest, a character can decide to go hunting.
Hunting takes 2d6 * 10 minutes to complete, and the hunt is
unsuccessful if the hunter cannot spend the required time
or is interrupted before finishing. If they can spend the time
and succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check, the
hunter enters combat 1d4 * 10 feet away from a wild
creature determined by the GM, and the creature is
surprised during the first round. If the character slays the
creature successfully, they will be able to harvest meat and
other materials from the body (the quantity detailed in the
creature’s stat block or determined by the GM).
Alternatively, the hunter can make a Dexterity (Stealth)
check after they succeed on the Survival check. If their
check is greater than the creature’s passive Perception, the
hunter is hiding 1d6 * 10 feet away from a wild creature.
The creature is unaware of the hunter’s presence, and the
hunter can discreetly set a trap or attack from hiding with
advantage.
Any meat harvested from hunted creatures must be
consumed or cooked/salted for preservation within 24
hours, or it will start to rot and cause illness in any who
consume it. In cold environments, this time is extended to
72 hours.
Drawing a Map
Characters with the correct tools (namely charcoal and
something to draw on) may be able to create their own
maps for reference while travelling, or annotate an existing
map. The character may start this process by taking notes
while travelling, though they must be moving at a normal
pace or slower and not subject to a weather hazard such as
rain, snow, or wind.
During the next short or long rest, the character may
attempt to compile their notes into a serviceable map. The
character makes a DC 10 Intelligence check. They have
disadvantage on this check if their vision was obscured (by
darkness, fog, heavy brush, etc.) for all or most of the travel
when they were taking notes. On a success, the character
creates an Average Map of the area that has been travelled.
On a failure, a Poor Map is created instead.
Characters who are proficient with cartographer’s tools
may instead construct an Accurate Map on a successful
check, and an Average Map on a failure.
The created map is only useful for navigating in the area
that was travelled over while a character was taking notes.
Improving an Existing Map. A character may instead
improve a Poor Map of the area into an Average Map. In
that case, they get a +2 to the Intelligence check while
attempting to create it. Characters proficient with
cartographer’s tools can likewise improve an Average Map
into an Accurate Map, with the same bonus to the check.
Travel Pace
and Duration
While traveling, a group of adventurers can move at a
normal, fast, or slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace
table. The table shows how far the party can move over
some common timeframes. A fast pace makes characters
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less perceptive, while a slow pace makes it possible to sneak
around and to search an area more carefully.
Forced March. The Travel Pace table assumes that
characters travel for 8 hours in day. They can push on
beyond that limit, at the risk of exhaustion.
For each additional hour of travel beyond 8 hours, the
characters cover the distance shown in the Hour column for
their pace, and each character must make a Constitution
saving throw at the end of the hour. The DC is 10 + 1 for
each hour past 8 hours. On a failed saving throw, a
character suffers one level of exhaustion (see the General
Rules chapter).
Mounts. For short spans of time (up to an hour), many
animals move much faster than humanoids. The speed that
a mountable creature can maintain varies greatly, and
depends on its natural endurance, biology, and training.
Vehicles. Characters in wagons, carriages, or other land
vehicles choose a pace as normal. Characters in a
waterborne vessel are limited to the speed of the vessel, and
they don’t suffer penalties for a fast pace or gain benefits
from a slow pace. Depending on the vessel and the size of
the crew, ships might be able to travel for up to 24 hours per
day.
Speed
Creatures tend to move at different speeds, even when they
are of the same species. There are some simple calculations
you can do to determine the travel pace of any given
creature (if you know its speed).
� In 1 minute, the creature can move a number of feet
equal to its speed times 10.
� In 1 hour, the creature can move a number of miles
equal to its speed divided by 10.
� For a day’s distance, multiply the hour’s travel distance
by the number of hours travelled (the standard is 8
hours).
� For a fast pace, the same calculations apply, but
increase the creature’s base speed by 1/3.
� For a slow pace, the same calculations apply, but
decrease the creature’s base speed by 1/3.
TABLE - TRAVEL PACE (STANDARD PARTY)
Day (8
Pace Minute Hour Effect
hours)
-5 penalty to
Fast 400 feet 4 miles 30 miles passive Wisdom
(Perception) scores
Normal 300 feet 3 miles 24 miles -
Slow 200 feet 2 miles 18 miles Able to use stealth
FASTER PACES
Most creatures can sustain greater travel speeds for short
time periods. The amount of time an increased pace can be
sustained is dependent on the Constitution of the creature,
as well as its biological design.
The amount of time that a category of creature can move
at increased speeds is shown in the Faster Pace Duration
table. It is determined by the creature’s Constitution
Modifier.
 DASH (AND SPRINT) PACE DURATION
Creature -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1
Bipedal 1 min 3 min 5 min 10 min 30 min
Sentient (6 sec) (18 sec) (30 sec) (1 min) (3 min)
4-legged 1 min 10 min 30 min 1 hour 2 hours
mount (6 sec) (1 min) (3 min) (6 min) (12 min)
DASHING
Creatures moving at a dash pace use the base speed that
they would use while taking the dash action in combat (see
the Combat chapter) when they are calculating their travel
pace. However, they cannot move at this pace for the same
amount of time that they could while moving at more
normal speeds.
SPRINTING
Sometimes moving as rapidly as possible is important.
When a monster being hunted by the party escapes, a
character may quickly mount their steed and gallop a mile
back to town to spread the warning. However, moving at
maximum speed (or close to it) can only usually be
maintained by normal creatures for a few minutes or even
seconds.
Characters and creatures can move at a sprint pace if they
are capable of taking the sprint action in combat (see the
Combat chapter). Their travelling speed is four times their
base speed, and they can maintain this pace for 1/10 the
length of their Dash Pace Duration: this is their Sprint Pace
Duration. For example, a Human with a Constitution
modifier of 0 can maintain a sprint pace for 3 minutes
(which is 1/10th of their Dash Pace Duration of 30 minutes).
Sprinting and dashing draw from the same pool of
endurance. Every second a creatures travels at a sprint pace
uses up 10 seconds of their Dash Pace Duration. Therefore,
if our Human from the previous example travels at a sprint
for 1 minute, they become just as tired as if they had dashed
for 10 minutes, and they will have 20 minutes remaining in
their Duration.
RESTING
The duration that a creature can travel at a faster pace only
resets when the creature takes a short or long rest. For
example, a Human with a Constitution modifier of 0 travels
at a dash pace for 10 minutes, then is stopped at a gate and
interrogated by a guard. After the guard is satisfied and lets
the traveler pass, the Human has 20 minutes remaining in
their Dash Pace Duration.
PUSHING THE LIMITS
If the creature continues to attempt to move at the same
pace when it reaches the end of its Faster Pace Duration, it
must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If it fails the
save, it must either slow to a normal pace or take a level of
exhaustion. Thereafter, the creature must repeat the saving
throw at time intervals equal to 1/3 of its normal Faster
Pace Duration, and the DC increases by 1 for every interval
that passes.
For example, a Human with a Constitution modifier of 0
can maintain a dash pace for 30 minutes before it must
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2 3 4 5
1 hour 3 hours 6 hours 9 hours 12 hours
(6 min) (18 min) (36 min) (54 min) (72 min)
3 hours 4 hours 5 hours 6 hours 7 hours
(18 min) (24 min) (30 min) (36 min) (42 min)
make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If it continues at
this speed, it must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw
10 minutes later (1/3 of the original duration of 30 minutes).
It continues making saving throws at 10 minute intervals
until it stops or slows.
The rules are the same if the Human is moving at a sprint
pace instead, albeit with shorter durations. The first
Constitution saving throw would come after 3 minutes
instead of 30 (1/10th of the normal dash duration), and the
additional saving throws would be attempted every 1
minute afterward.
Difficult Terrain
The travel speeds given in the Travel Pace table assume
relatively simple terrain: roads, open plains, or clear
dungeon corridors. But adventurers often face dense
forests, deep swamps, rubble-filled ruins, steep mountains,
and ice-covered ground-all considered difficult terrain.
Part Three: The Rules
You move at half speed in difficult terrain- moving 1 foot
in difficult terrain costs 2 feet of speed-so you can cover
only half the normal distance in a minute, an hour, or a day.
Viewable Distance
A medium-sized creature standing upright at sea level can
see about 3 miles before the landscape disappears below the
horizon (as long as the weather is clear). Of course, seeing
greater distances is possible at higher elevations, and tall
landmarks such as towers and mountains can be seen from
much farther away.
The following table can help you reference how far away
things can be seen, referred to here as Viewable Distance.
Whether an object can be observed depends both on the
height of the observer and the height of the object. Add the
two heights together to determine the viewable distance.
For example, a 6-foot creature standing atop a 50-foot tower
at sea level can perceive a 40-foot city wall from about 13
miles away.
The Viewable Distance is half of its normal value if the
weather is not clear (haze, rain, or snow) or vision is
otherwise lightly obscured. In heavily obscured conditions,
the Viewable Distance does not apply at all unless an
exception is made by the GM, such as when travelling in
darkness and the target being observed is lit by a light
source.
Exploration and Weather
TABLE - VIEWABLE DISTANCE A character who drinks only half as much water as they
need must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or
Height (ft) Miles Height (ft) Miles
suffer one level of exhaustion at the end of the day. A
3 2 300 20 character with access to even less water automatically
6 3 500 25 suffers one level of exhaustion at the end of the day.
10 4 1000 40 If the character already has one or more levels of
30 6 5000 80 exhaustion, the character takes two levels in either case.
50 8 10000 100 However, if a character is subsisting on half water, they will
100 13 30000 200 not drop below exhaustion level 5 due to lack of water.

Other Creatures
Food and Water Other sizes of creatures have different food requirements,
as detailed in the following table. Particular creatures
Characters who don’t eat or drink suffer the effects of
(especially heavy or four-legged ones) may have more
exhaustion (see the General Rules chapter). Exhaustion
specific food and water requirements detailed in their stat
caused by lack of food or water can’t be removed until the
block.
character eats and drinks the full required amount.
TABLE - FOOD AND WATER REQUIREMENTS
Food Creature Size Food Water
A normal character needs one pound of food per day and Tiny < 1/8 lb. < 1/8 gal.
can make food last longer by subsisting on half rations.
Small 1/2 lb. 1/4 gal.
Eating half a pound of food in a day counts as half a day
without food. Medium 1 lb. 1/2 gal.
A character can go without food for a number of days Large 15 lbs. 5 gal.
equal to 2 + his or her Constitution modifier (minimum 1).
This is known as the character’s Starvation Threshold. Huge 500 lbs. 25 gal.
Gargantuan 5,000 lbs. 100 gal.
STARVATION THRESHOLD = 2 + Constitution modifier
(minimum 1)
At the end of the Starvation Threshold, a character
automatically suffers a level of exhaustion, and the count
toward the Threshold begins again from 0. For example, a No matter how well-prepared an adventuring party can be,
character with a Constitution modifier of +2 will gain their weather has the potential to ruin or complicate an otherwise
first level of exhaustion after 4 days without food. Their standard journey. This section will be found most useful by
second level of exhaustion would come after 8 total days GMs who are planning and designing adventures for their
without food, and so on. However, if a character is group.
subsisting on half rations, they will not drop below
exhaustion level 4 due to starvation. Current Weather
A normal day of eating resets the count of days without An area’s weather is a great way to bring an environment to
food to zero. life in your adventures. The climate can vary greatly
depending on the time of year and geography, so use the
VARIANT: DIFFERENT FOOD REQUIREMENTS following information to help plan.
Creatures and characters of different sizes usually have
varying food requirements. For an added element of Stable regions have highly consistent temperature and
realism, a two-legged character’s food requirements can be are unlikely to have hazardous weather conditions. Volatile
tailored to their height or weight. Divide a character’s regions, on the other hand, may have wild temperature
weight by 100, or round their height to the nearest foot and swings and fairly regular adverse weather events. Your
divide by 4 (a player can choose which option their gamemaster may use the Potential Weather Conditions
character uses). Round down the result to the nearest half table to determine the weather on a daily basis.
pound to get the amount of food a creature needs per day.
TEMPERATURE
Water Weather that is too hot or too cold can have adverse effects
on your long rests – see the Resting rules in the General
A normal, medium-sized character needs half a gallon of Rules chapter for more information. Resting when the
water per day. Any creature who travels more than 4 hours ambient temperature is below freezing (less than 32°F/0°C)
in one day - or engages in strenuous activity such as or when it’s very hot (greater than 90°F/32°C) will cause
sprinting or combat - needs an additional day’s worth of you to only regain 1 hit die on a long rest. Campfires can
water. If the weather or environment is hot (greater than help prevent cold temperatures from affecting your rest, but
90°F/32°C), yet another day’s worth of water is needed. For there are few non-Eldertech solutions to hot climates.
example, a Human traveler journeying 6 hours through a
hot desert will need a total of 1.5 gallons of water that day.

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TABLE - POTENTIAL WEATHER CONDITIONS SCORCHING HEAT
Terrain d100 Creatures taking a long rest without shelter from the heat or
Stable region - Normal 0-89 sun must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or
gain a level of exhaustion. The saving throw can be made
Stable region - Rain/snow or
90-98 with advantage if the creature has resistance to fire damage.
temperature varies by 1d8
You require an additional half of your daily requirement
Stable region - Hazard 99
of water for every hour travelled.
Normal region - Normal 0-79 Travelling without clothes or equipment that shield you
Normal region - Rain/snow or from the sun will inflict 1d4 fire damage per hour travelled.
80-94 Your maximum HP is also decreased by this amount and
temperature varies by 1d12
cannot be regained until you rest in the shade or when you
Normal region - Hazard 95-99
are no longer subject to the Scorching Heat hazard.
Volatile region - Normal 0-59 Finally, creatures immune to fire damage suffer none of
Volatile region - Rain/snow or the effects of Scorching Heat.
60-84
temperature varies by 1d20
Volatile region - Hazard 85-99
FLOOD
Floods can come in various forms, often following an
Intense Storm. Sometimes a river might rise beyond its
Weather Hazards banks and wash out the roads on either side of it, or
submerge a bridge or crossing. Areas with lower elevation
RAIN OR SNOW may become temporary swamps as water flows in from
surrounding hills or mountains. Worst of all, giant waves
Tracks are obscured within 1d10 minutes of the start of the
might cause havoc in coastal towns, washing almost every
weather event and checks to navigate are made with
resident out of their homes.
disadvantage. A Wisdom (Survival) check is required to
start a campfire, and the DC is determined by how long and During a flood, ground activities such as foraging,
intense the rain is (see Activities while Resting section). starting a campfire, and tracking are impossible until the
waters recede. Creatures may, at the GM’s option, be able to
INTENSE STORM resist being swept away by the floodwaters by succeeding
on a Strength saving throw, where the DC equals 10 + the

Part Three: The Rules

In addition to the complications of the Rain or Snow
height of the water in feet. If the water exceeds a creature’s
hazard, the vision of any creature in the open (that can see
height, that creature fails automatically.
under normal conditions) becomes lightly obscured, and it
becomes impossible to see landmarks more than 1 mile Creatures that are swept away by the water cannot swim
away. Their speed is also halved. against the current, though they can swim sideways. They
continue to be carried by the water until they find a secure
Starting a campfire or taking a long rest outside of a
place to get a foothold.
shelter is impossible, and erecting a tent requires a DC 15
Wisdom (Survival) check. It takes twice as long to construct
a makeshift shelter as it usually would.
TORNADO
Creatures unlucky enough to be hit by a tornado are pulled
In regions that are subject to the Scorching Heat hazard,
into the air and carried away. They may be subject to
this hazard may take the form of a dust or sandstorm
bludgeoning damage from flying debris as determined by
instead of rain or snow.
the GM.
BITTER COLD The GM rules where and when a creature carried away
by a tornado falls to the ground.
Bitter Cold can be combined with the Rain or Snow or
Intense Storm hazards.
Creatures taking a long rest without shelter and a fire
EARTHQUAKE
During an earthquake, bipedal creatures must succeed on a
must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain
DC 10 Dexterity saving throw every six seconds to stay on
a level of exhaustion. The saving throw can be made with
their feet. Creatures with four or more legs have advantage
advantage if the creature has either a shelter or a fire but not
on this saving throw. All creatures’ speed is halved.
both, or if it has resistance to cold damage. The DC
increases by 1 for every subsequent day exposed to the cold. Buildings and large structures may become damaged
during an earthquake, at the GM’s discretion. In areas
Taking a long rest without shelter or a source of warmth
where there are structures or land overhead, creatures may
gives a creature 1d6 levels of exhaustion.
have to avoid falling debris.
Travelling without warm clothes will inflict 1d4 cold
damage per hour travelled. Your maximum HP is also
decreased by this amount, and cannot be regained until you
rest by a fire or when you are no longer subject to the Bitter
Cold hazard.
Finally, creatures immune to cold damage suffer none of
the effects of Bitter Cold.

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226
Redsky Core Book
227
 Chapter 15: Combat
A
typical combat encounter is a clash between two
sides, a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, and
footwork. The game organizes the chaos of combat
into a cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about 6
seconds in the game world. During a round, each
participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is
determined at the beginning of a combat encounter, when
everyone rolls initiative. Once everyone has taken a turn,
the fight continues to the next round if neither side has
defeated the other.
Combat Step by
Step
1. Determine surprise. The GM determines whether
anyone involved in the combat encounter is surprised.
2. Establish positions. The GM decides where all the
characters and monsters are located. Given the
adventurers’ marching order or their stated positions in
the room or other location, the GM figures out where
the adversaries are, how far away, and in what
direction.
3. Roll initiative. Everyone involved in the combat
encounter rolls initiative, determining the order of
combatants’ turns.
4. Take turns. Each participant in the battle takes a turn in
initiative order.
5. Begin the next round. When everyone involved in the
combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat step 4
until the fighting stops.
Surprise
A band of adventurers sneaks up on a bandit camp,
springing from the trees to attack them. A hungry predator
hides in the dark corner of a dungeon passage, unnoticed
by the adventurers until it leaps on them from behind. In
these situations, one side of the battle gains surprise over
the other.
The GM determines who might be surprised. If neither
side tries to be stealthy, they automatically notice each
other. Otherwise, the GM compares the Dexterity (Stealth)
checks of anyone hiding with the passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of each creature on the opposing side.
Any character or monster that doesn’t notice a threat before
rolling initiative has the surprised condition at the start of
the encounter, which lasts until the end of their first turn.
If you’re surprised, you are incapacitated. You can’t move
or take an action on your first turn of the combat, and you
can’t take a reaction until that turn ends. You also have
disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma
checks and saving throws. A member of a group can be
surprised even if the other members aren’t.
228
Initiative
Initiative determines the order of turns during combat.
When combat starts, every participant makes a special
Dexterity check called an initiative roll to determine their
place in the initiative order.
The GM ranks the combatants in order from the one with
the highest Dexterity check total to the one with the lowest.
This is the order (called the initiative order) in which they
act during each round. The initiative order remains the
same from round to round. If there is a group of identical
creatures, the GM makes one roll for the entire group so
each member of the group acts at the same time.
If a tie occurs, the GM decides the order among tied GM-
controlled creatures, and the players decide the order
among their tied characters. The GM can decide the order if
the tie is between a creature and a player character.
Optionally, the GM can have the tied characters and
creatures each roll a d20 to determine the order, highest roll
going first.
Your Turn
On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed
and take one action. You decide whether to move first or
take your action first. Your speed- sometimes called your
walking speed-is noted on your character sheet.
Part Three: The Rules
The most common actions you can take are described in
the “Actions in Combat” section later in this chapter. Many
class features and other abilities provide additional options
for your action.
The “Movement and Position” section later in this
chapter gives the rules for your move.
You can forgo moving, taking an action, or doing
anything at all on your turn. If you can’t decide what to do
on your turn, consider taking the Dodge or Ready action, as
described in “Actions in Combat.”
Bonus Actions
Various class features and other abilities let you take an
additional action on your turn called a bonus action. The
Cunning Action feature, for example, allows a rogue to take
a bonus action. You can take a bonus action only when a
special ability, or other feature of the game states that you
can do something as a bonus action. You otherwise don’t
have a bonus action to take.
You can take only one bonus action on your turn, so you
must choose which bonus action to use when you have
more than one available. If you cannot take actions on your
turn (such as when you are surprised or incapacitated), you
also cannot take bonus actions.
You choose when to take a bonus action during your
turn, unless the bonus action’s timing is specified, and
anything that deprives you of your ability to take actions
also prevents you from taking a bonus action.
Combat
Other Activity on
Your Turn
Your turn can include a variety of flourishes that require
neither your action nor your move.
You can communicate however you are able, through
brief utterances and gestures, as you take your turn.
You can also interact with one object or feature of the
environment for free, during either your move or your
action. For example, you could open a door during your
move as you stride toward a foe, or you could draw your
weapon as part of the same action you use to attack.
If you want to interact with a second object, you need to
use your action. Some items and other special objects
always require an action to use, as stated in their
descriptions.
The GM might require you to use an action for any of
these activities when it needs special care or when it
presents an unusual obstacle. For instance, the GM could
reasonably expect you to use an action to open a stuck door
or turn a crank to lower a drawbridge.
INTERACTING WITH OBJECTS AROUND YOU
Here are a few examples of the sorts of thing you can
do in tandem with your movement and action:
� draw or sheathe a sword
� open or close a door
� withdraw a potion from your backpack
� pick up a dropped axe
� take a bauble from a table
� remove a ring from your finger
� stuff some food into your mouth
� plant a banner in the ground
� fish a few coins from your belt pouch
� drink all the ale in a flagon
� throw a lever or a switch
� pull a torch from a sconce
� take a book from a shelf you can reach
� extinguish a small flame
� don a mask
� pull the hood of your cloak up and over your
head
� put your ear to a door
� kick a small stone
� turn a key in a lock
� tap the floor with a 10-foot pole
� hand an item to another character
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229
Reactions
Certain special abilities and situations allow you to take a
special action called a reaction. A reaction is an instant
response to a trigger of some kind, which can occur on your
turn or on someone else’s. The opportunity attack,
described later in this chapter, is the most common type of
reaction. Another common type of reaction is the parry.
When you take a reaction, you can’t take another one
until the start of your next turn. If the reaction interrupts
another creature’s turn, that creature can continue its turn
right after the reaction.
PARRYING
If a piece of equipment or class feature grants you the
ability, you may use your reaction to parry an enemy’s
attack after it hits. Parrying an attack adds your proficiency
bonus to your AC for that attack only. If your AC would
then exceed the attack roll, the attack misses instead.
Movement and
Position
In combat, characters and creatures are in constant motion,
often using movement and position to gain the upper hand.
On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed.
You can use as much or as little of your speed as you like on
your turn, following the rules here.
Your movement can include jumping, climbing, and
swimming. These different modes of movement can be
combined with walking, or they can constitute your entire
move. However you’re moving, you deduct the distance of
each part of your move from your speed until it is used up
or until you are done moving.
Breaking Up Your Move
You can break up your movement on your turn, using some
of your speed before and after your action. For example, if
you have a speed of 30 feet, you can move 10 feet, take your
action, and then move 20 feet.
MOVING BETWEEN ATTACKS
If you take an action that includes more than one weapon
attack, you can break up your movement even further by
moving between those attacks. For example, a fighter who
can make two attacks with the Extra Attack feature and
who has a speed of 25 feet could move 10 feet, make an
attack, move 15 feet, and then attack again.
USING DIFFERENT SPEEDS
If you have more than one speed, such as your walking
speed and a swimming speed, you can switch back and
forth between your speeds during your move. Whenever
you switch, subtract the distance you’ve already moved
from the new speed. The result determines how much
farther you can move. If the result is 0 or less, you can’t use
the new speed during the current move.
 For example, if you have a speed of 30 and a swimming
speed of 20, you could walk 10 feet, then swim 10 feet, and
then emerge from the water to walk 10 feet more.
Difficult Terrain
Combat rarely takes place in bare rooms or on featureless
plains. Boulder-strewn caverns, briar-choked forests,
treacherous staircases-the setting of a typical fight contains
difficult terrain.
Every foot of movement in difficult terrain costs 1 extra
foot. This rule is true even if multiple things in a space
count as difficult terrain.
Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth, steep stairs, snow,
and shallow bogs are examples of difficult terrain. The
space of another creature, whether hostile or not, also
counts as difficult terrain.
Being Prone
Combatants often find themselves lying on the ground,
either because they are knocked down or because they
throw themselves down. In the game, they are prone (see
the Conditions rules).
You can drop prone without using any of your speed.
Standing up takes more effort; doing so costs an amount of
movement equal to half your speed. For example, if your
speed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement to
stand up. You can’t stand up if you don’t have enough
movement left or if your speed is 0.
To move while prone, you must crawl. Every foot of
movement while crawling costs 1 extra foot. Crawling 1 foot
in difficult terrain, therefore, costs 3 feet of movement.
Moving Around
Other Creatures
You can move through a nonhostile creature’s space. In
contrast, you can move through a hostile creature’s space
only if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller
than you. Remember that another creature’s space is
difficult terrain for you.
Whether a creature is a friend or an enemy, you can’t
willingly end your move in its space.
If you leave a hostile creature’s reach during your move,
you provoke an opportunity attack, as explained later in the
chapter.
Flying Movement
Flying creatures enjoy many benefits of mobility, but they
must also deal with the danger of falling. If a flying creature
is knocked prone, has its speed reduced to 0, or is otherwise
deprived of the ability to move, the creature falls, unless it
has the ability to hover or glide.
Creatures with Four
Legs
Creatures with four (or more) legs have a more difficult
time turning around than creatures who can walk upright
on two legs. If a four-legged creature moves in a direction
230
on its turn, it costs an extra 5 feet for that creature to reverse
course and then move in a direction more than 90 degrees
to its left or right on that same turn.
Huge four-legged creatures require an extra 10 feet of
movement to turn around, and Gargantuan four-legged
creatures require 20 feet.
Creature Size
Each creature takes up a different amount of space. The Size
Categories table shows how much space a creature of a
particular size controls in combat. Objects sometimes use
the same size categories.
TABLE - CREATURE SIZE
Size Space
Tiny 2 1/2 by 2 1/2 ft.
Small
Medium
5 by 5 ft.
5 by 5 ft.
Large 10 by 10 ft.
Huge 15 by 15 ft.
Gargantuan 20 by 20 ft. or more
SPACE
A creature’s space is the area in feet that it effectively
controls in combat, not an expression of its physical
dimensions. A typical Medium creature isn’t 5 feet wide, for
example, but it does control a space that wide. If a Medium
Part Three: The Rules
Human stands in a 5-foot wide doorway, other creatures
can’t get through unless the Human lets them.
A creature’s space also reflects the area it needs to fight
effectively. For that reason, there’s a limit to the number of
creatures that can surround another creature in combat.
Assuming Medium combatants, eight creatures can fit in a
5-foot radius around another one.
Because larger creatures take up more space, fewer of
them can surround a creature. If four Large creatures crowd
around a Medium or smaller one, there’s little room for
anyone else. In contrast, as many as twenty Medium
creatures can surround a Gargantuan one.
SQUEEZING INTO A SMALLER SPACE
A creature can squeeze through a space that is large enough
for a creature one size smaller than it. Thus, a Large
creature can squeeze through a passage that’s only 5 feet
wide. While squeezing through a space, a creature must
spend 1 extra foot for every foot it moves there, and it has
disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws.
Attack rolls against the creature have advantage while it’s
in the smaller space.
When squeezing into a smaller space, it may be difficult
or impossible for creatures with four or more legs to turn
around. They can still move backward at the same speed to
get out of the space, but they may not be able to use certain
attacks on their front or rear side (subject to the ruling of the
GM). Clever adventurers may be able to use this to their
advantage.
Combat
Actions in Combat
When you take your action on your turn, you can take one
of the actions presented here, an action you gained from
your class or a special feature, or an action that you
improvise. Many monsters have action options of their own
in their stat blocks.
When you describe an action not detailed elsewhere in
the rules, the GM tells you whether that action is possible
and what kind of roll you need to make, if any, to
determine success or failure.
Attack
The most common action to take in combat is the Attack
action, whether you are swinging a sword, firing an arrow
from a bow, or brawling with your fists.
With this action, you make one melee or ranged attack.
See the “Making an Attack” section for the rules that govern
attacks.
Certain features, such as the Extra Attack feature of the
fighter, allow you to make more than one attack with this
action.
Bypass
You can take the Bypass action to attempt to move through
a hostile creature’s space this turn, as long as the creature is
no more than one size larger than you and you have enough
movement remaining to continue moving past the creature.
Make a Strength (Athletics) or a Dexterity (Acrobatics)
check, contested by the same check from the target creature.
You automatically succeed on the check if the creature is
incapacitated. On a success, you manage to force or weave
your way through the hostile creature’s space.
You have disadvantage on the check if the creature is
larger than you, and advantage if the creature is smaller
than you or prone.
Dash
When you take the Dash action, you gain extra movement
for the current turn. The increase equals your speed, after
applying any modifiers. With a speed of 30 feet, for
example, you can move up to 60 feet on your turn if you
dash.
Any increase or decrease to your speed changes this
additional movement by the same amount. If your speed of
30 feet is reduced to 15 feet, for instance, you can move up
to 30 feet this turn if you dash.
Sprint
If you are not wearing medium or heavy armor and are not
encumbered, you can take the Sprint action to gain a larger
amount of extra movement on your turn. You gain extra
movement equal to three times your speed. With a speed of
30 feet, for example, you can move up to 120 feet on your
turn if you dash.
Similar to the Dash action, any increase or decrease to
your speed is applied to the extra movement before it is
multiplied by 3. If your speed of 30 feet is reduced to 15
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feet, for instance, you get 45 extra feet of movement and can
move up to a total of 60 feet this turn if you sprint.
When you take the Sprint action, any melee attacks
against you have advantage until the start of your next turn.
Disengage
If you take the Disengage action, your movement doesn’t
provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn.
Dodge
When you take the Dodge action, you focus entirely on
avoiding attacks. Until the start of your next turn, any
attack roll made against you has disadvantage if you can
see the attacker, and you make Dexterity saving throws
with advantage. You lose this benefit if you are
incapacitated (as explained in appendix A) or if your speed
drops to 0.
Help
You can lend your aid to another creature in the completion
of a task. When you take the Help action, the creature you
aid gains advantage on the next ability check it makes to
perform the task you are helping with, provided that it
makes the check before the start of your next turn.
Alternatively, you can aid a friendly creature in attacking
a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target,
or in some other way team up to make your ally’s attack
more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your
next turn, the first attack roll is made with advantage.
Hide
When you take the Hide action, you make a Dexterity
(Stealth) check in an attempt to hide, following the rules for
hiding. If you succeed, you gain certain benefits, as
described in the “Unseen Attackers and Targets” section
later in this chapter.
Ready
Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a
particular circumstance before you act. To do so, you can
take the Ready action on your turn, which lets you act using
your reaction before the start of your next turn.
First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will
trigger your reaction. Then, you choose the action you will
take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up
to your speed in response to it. Examples include “If the
cultist steps on the trapdoor, I’ll pull the lever that opens
it,” and “If the guard steps next to me, I move away.”
When the trigger occurs, you can either take your
reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger.
Remember that you can take only one reaction per round.
Search
When you take the Search action, you devote your attention
to finding something. Depending on the nature of your
search, the GM might have you make a Wisdom
(Perception) check or an Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Use an Object
You normally interact with an object while doing
something else, such as when you draw a sword as part of
an attack. When an object requires your action for its use,
you take the Use an Object action. This action is also useful
when you want to interact with more than one object on
your turn.
Making an Attack
Whether you’re striking with a melee weapon, or firing a
weapon at range, an attack has a simple structure.
1. Choose a target. Pick a target within your attack’s
range: a creature, an object, or a location.
2. Determine modifiers. The GM determines whether the
target has cover and whether you have advantage or
disadvantage against the target. In addition special
abilities and other effects can apply penalties or
bonuses to your attack roll.
3. Resolve the attack. You make the attack roll. On a hit,
you roll damage, unless the particular attack has rules
that specify otherwise. Some attacks cause special
effects in addition to or instead of damage.
If there’s ever any question whether something you’re
doing counts as an attack, the rule is simple: if you’re
making an attack roll, you’re making an attack.
Attack Rolls
When you make an attack, your attack roll determines
whether the attack hits or misses. To make an attack roll,
roll a d20 and add the appropriate modifiers. If the total of
Archivist
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Master
232
the roll plus modifiers equals or exceeds the target’s Armor
Class (AC), the attack hits. The AC of a character is
determined at character creation, whereas the AC of a
creature is in its stat block.
MODIFIERS TO THE ROLL
When a character makes an attack roll, the two most
common modifiers to the roll are an ability modifier and the
character’s proficiency bonus. When a monster makes an
attack roll, it uses whatever modifier is provided in its stat
block.
Ability Modifier. The ability modifier used for a melee
weapon attack is Strength, and the ability modifier used for
a ranged weapon attack is Dexterity. Weapons that have the
finesse or thrown property break this rule.
Proficiency Bonus. You add your proficiency bonus to
your attack roll when you attack using a weapon with
which you have proficiency.
ROLLING 1 OR 20
Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the
novice to hit and the veteran to miss.
If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits
regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC. This is called
a critical hit, which is explained later in this chapter.
If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack misses
regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC.
Part Three: The Rules
Combat
TOUCH AC
In some circumstances, an attack roll may be compared
against a creature’s Touch Armor Class (Touch AC) instead
of their normal AC. A creature’s Touch AC represents how
hard it is just to make contact with that creature. Attacks
with extraordinary or Eldertech weapons might only need
to make contact with an enemy to hurt them, cleaving right
through armor. Additionally, some armors are weak against
attacks with a certain damage type (see the Equipment
chapter), and in those cases, attacks should be compared
against Touch AC.
Unseen Attackers
and Targets
Combatants often try to escape their foes’ notice by hiding
or lurking in darkness.
When you attack a target that you can’t see, you have
disadvantage on the attack roll. This is true whether you’re
guessing the target’s location or you’re targeting a creature
you can hear but not see. If the target isn’t in the location
you targeted, you automatically miss, but the GM typically
just says that the attack missed, not whether you guessed
the target’s location correctly.
When a creature can’t see you, you have advantage on
attack rolls against it. If you are hidden-both unseen and
unheard-when you make an attack, you give away your
location when the attack hits or misses.
Ranged Attacks
When you make a ranged attack, you fire a bow or a
crossbow, hurl a handaxe, or otherwise send projectiles to
strike a foe at a distance.
RANGE
You can make ranged attacks only against targets within a
specified range.
If a ranged attack has a single range, you can’t attack a
target beyond this range.
Some ranged attacks, such as those made with a longbow
or a shortbow, have two ranges. The smaller number is the
normal range, and the larger number is the long range.
Your attack roll has disadvantage when your target is
beyond normal range, and you can’t attack a target beyond
the long range.
RANGED ATTACKS IN CLOSE
COMBAT
Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next
to you. When you make a ranged attack you have
disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a
hostile creature who can see you and who isn’t
incapacitated.
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Melee Attacks
Used in hand-to-hand combat, a melee attack allows you to
attack a foe within your reach. A melee attack typically uses
a handheld weapon such as a sword, a warhammer, or an
axe. A typical creature makes a melee attack when it strikes
with its claws, horns, teeth, tentacles, or other body part.
Most creatures have a 5-foot reach and can thus attack
targets within 5 feet of them when making a melee attack.
Certain creatures (typically those larger than Medium) have
melee attacks with a greater reach than 5 feet, as noted in
their descriptions.
Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon
attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, head-
butt, or similar forceful blow (none of which count as
weapons). On a hit, an unarmed strike deals bludgeoning
damage equal to 1 + your Strength modifier. You are
proficient with your unarmed strikes.
OPPORTUNITY ATTACKS
In a fight, everyone is constantly watching for a chance to
strike an enemy who is fleeing or passing by. Such a strike
is called an opportunity attack.
You can make an opportunity attack when a hostile
creature that you can see moves out of your reach. To make
the opportunity attack, you use your reaction to make one
melee attack against the provoking creature. The attack
occurs right before the creature leaves your reach.
You can avoid provoking an opportunity attack by taking
the Disengage action. You also don’t provoke an
opportunity attack when someone or something moves you
without using your movement, action, or reaction. For
example, you don’t provoke an opportunity attack if an
explosion hurls you out of a foe’s reach or if gravity causes
you to fall past an enemy.
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
When you take the Attack action and attack with a melee
weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you can use a
bonus action to attack with a different melee weapon that
you’re holding in the other hand, as long as the weapon in
that hand is a light weapon. You don’t add your ability
modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that
modifier is negative.
If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw
the weapon, instead of making a melee attack with it.
GRAPPLING
When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you
can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a
grapple. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the
Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
When two creatures are grappling, all melee weapons
wielded by either creature have disadvantage on attack
rolls, unless they are light weapons. Unarmed strikes also
do not suffer disadvantage.
The target of your grapple must be no more than one size
larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at
least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a
grapple check instead of an attack roll: a Strength (Athletics)
check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability
to use). You succeed automatically if the target is
incapacitated. If you succeed, you subject the target to the
grappled condition (see Appendix A). The condition
specifies the things that end it, and you can release the
target whenever you like (no action required).
Escaping a Grapple. A grappled creature can use its
action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength
(Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by
your Strength (Athletics) check.
Moving a Grappled Creature. When you move, you can
drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but your
speed is halved, unless the creature is two or more sizes
smaller than you.
SHOVING A CREATURE
Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee
attack to shove a creature, either to knock it prone or push it
away from you. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with
the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them.
The target must be no more than one size larger than you
and must be within your reach. Instead of making an attack
roll, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the
target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check
(the target chooses the ability to use). You succeed
automatically if the target is incapacitated. If you succeed,
you either knock the target prone or push it 5 feet away
from you.
If you shove a creature into a wall or other obstacle, the
creature takes 1 + your Strength modifier in bludgeoning
damage instead of being moved.
DISARM
Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee
attack to knock a weapon out of a creature’s grip. If you’re
able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this
attack replaces one of them.
The target must the same size or smaller than you and
must be within your reach. Make an attack roll against the
target, and the attack roll is contested by a Strength
(Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target
chooses the ability to use). You succeed automatically if the
target is incapacitated. If you succeed, the weapon is
knocked out of the target’s hands and falls to the ground at
their feet.
You have disadvantage on the attack roll if the creature is
holding the weapon with more than one hand.
Cover
Walls, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide
cover during combat, making a target more difficult to
harm. A target can benefit from cover only when an attack
or other effect originates on the opposite side of the cover.
There are three degrees of cover. If a target is behind
multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree
of cover applies; the degrees aren’t added together. For
example, if a target is behind a creature that gives half cover
and a tree trunk that gives three-quarters cover, the target
has three-quarters cover.
234
A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and
Dexterity saving throws. A target has half cover if an
obstacle blocks at least half of its body. The obstacle might
be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree trunk,
or a creature, whether that creature is an enemy or a friend.
A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus to AC
and Dexterity saving throws. A target has three-quarters
cover if about three-quarters of it is covered by an obstacle.
The obstacle might be a portcullis, an arrow slit, or a thick
tree trunk.
A target with total cover can’t be targeted directly by an
attack, although some effects can reach such a target by
including it in an area of effect. A target has total cover if it
is completely concealed by an obstacle.
Knocking a
Creature Out
Sometimes an attacker wants to incapacitate a foe, rather
than deal a killing blow. When an attacker reduces a
creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, the attacker can
knock the creature out. The attacker can make this choice
the instant the damage is dealt. The creature falls
unconscious and is stable.
Damage and
Healing
Part Three: The Rules
Injury and the risk of death are constant companions of
those who explore the world. The thrust of a sword, a well-
placed arrow, or a blast of flame from a dungeon’s trap all
have the potential to damage, or even kill, the hardiest of
creatures.
Hit Points
Hit points represent a combination of physical and mental
durability, the will to live, and luck. Creatures with more
hit points are more difficult to kill. Those with fewer hit
points are more fragile.
A creature’s current hit points (usually just called hit
points) can be any number from the creature’s hit point
maximum down to 0. This number changes frequently as a
creature takes damage or receives healing.
Whenever a creature takes damage, that damage is
subtracted from its hit points. Taking damage does not
necessarily mean that a creature has been wounded.
Damage can also be imagined as a character running out of
breath, mental fortitude, or energy to continue fighting. The
loss of hit points has no effect on a creature’s capabilities
until the creature drops to 0 hit points.
Damage Rolls
Each weapon and harmful creature ability specifies the
damage it deals. You roll the damage die or dice, add any
modifiers, and apply the damage to your target. Special
weapons, features, and other factors can grant a bonus to
damage. With a penalty, it is possible to deal 0 damage, but
never negative damage.
Combat
 When attacking with a weapon, you add your ability
modifier-the same modifier used for the attack roll-to the
damage.
If an effect deals damage to more than one target at the
same time, roll the damage once for all of them.
CRITICAL HITS
When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice for
the attack’s damage against the target. Roll all of the
attack’s damage dice twice and add them together. Then
add any relevant modifiers as normal. To speed up play,
you can roll all the damage dice at once.
For example, if you score a critical hit with a dagger, roll
2d4 for the damage, rather than 1d4, and then add your
relevant ability modifier. If the attack involves other
damage dice, such as from the rogue’s Sneak Attack feature,
you roll those dice twice as well.
Damage Types
Different attacks and other harmful effects deal different
types of damage. Damage types have no rules of their own,
but other rules, such as damage resistance, rely on the
types.
The damage types follow, with examples to help a GM
assign a damage type to a new effect.
Acid. A corrosive spray of spit from some predators and
the dissolving enzymes secreted by some plants deal acid
damage.
Bludgeoning. Blunt force attacks-hammers, falling,
constriction, and the like-deal bludgeoning damage.
Cold. The chill environment of a frozen tundra can deal
cold damage.
Fire. Being caught in a burning house or exposed to
intense heat from lava or the sun can cause fire damage.
Force. Force is energy focused into a damaging form.
Most effects that deal force damage come from Eldertech
weapons.
Vials of Poison
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235
Lightning. A rare damage type, normally only caused by
being struck by lightning. Some ancient artifacts may cause
lighting damage as well.
Necrotic. A rare damage type, necrotic damage is the
extremely rapid dehydration, desiccation, or decay of flesh.
It can be caused by some creatures’ toxins.
Piercing. Puncturing and impaling attacks, including
spears and creature bites, deal piercing damage.
Poison. Venomous stings and ingesting toxic substances
can deal poison damage.
Psychic. A rare damage type that can be caused by verbal
abilities, drugs, and trauma.
Slashing. Swords, axes, and creature’s claws deal slashing
damage.
Thunder. A concussive burst of sound deals thunder
damage.
DAMAGE RESISTANCE AND
VULNERABILITY
Some creatures and objects are exceedingly difficult or
unusually easy to hurt with certain types of damage.
If a creature or an object has resistance to a damage type,
damage of that type is halved against it. If a creature or an
object has vulnerability to a damage type, damage of that
type is doubled against it. If a creature has both resistance
and vulnerability to the same damage type, the modifiers
cancel each other out, and damage is calculated as normal.
Resistance and then vulnerability are applied after all
other modifiers to damage. For example, a creature has
resistance to bludgeoning damage and is hit by an attack
that deals 25 bludgeoning damage. The creature is also
subject to an ally’s special feature that reduces all damage
by 5. The 25 damage is first reduced by 5 and then halved,
so the creature takes 10 damage.
Healing
Unless it results in death, damage isn’t permanent. Rest is
the most common way to restore a creature’s hit points.
Other rarer and quicker methods exist, such as a sage’s
medical attention or certain Eldertech artifacts
When a creature receives healing of any kind, hit points
regained are added to its current hit points. A creature’s hit
points can’t exceed its hit point maximum, so any hit points
regained in excess of this number are lost.
A creature that has died can’t regain hit points.
Dropping to 0 Hit
Points
When you drop to 0 hit points, you either die outright or
fall unconscious, as explained in the following sections.
INSTANT DEATH
Massive damage can kill you instantly. When damage
reduces you to 0 hit points and there is damage remaining,
you die if the remaining damage equals or exceeds your hit
point maximum.
 For example, a fighter with a maximum of 12 hit points
currently has 6 hit points. If she takes 18 damage from an
attack, she is reduced to 0 hit points, but 12 damage
remains. Because the remaining damage equals her hit
point maximum, the fighter dies.
FALLING UNCONSCIOUS
If damage reduces you to 0 hit points and fails to kill you,
you fall unconscious (see the Conditions rules). This
unconsciousness ends if you regain any hit points.
DEATH SAVING THROWS
Whenever you start your turn with 0 hit points and you are
not stable (see below), you must make a special saving
throw, called a death saving throw, to determine whether
you creep closer to death or hang onto life. Unlike other
saving throws, this one isn’t tied to any ability score. You
are in the hands of fate now, aided only by features that
improve your chances of succeeding on a saving throw.
Roll a d20. If the roll is 10 or higher, you succeed.
Otherwise, you fail. A success or failure has no effect by
itself. On your third success, you become stable. On your
third failure, you die. The successes and failures don’t need
to be consecutive; keep track of both until you collect three
of a kind. The number of both is reset to zero when you
regain any hit points or become stable.
Rolling 1 or 20. When you make a death saving throw
and roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures. If you roll a
20 on the d20, you regain 1 hit point.
STABILIZING A CREATURE
A creature that is reduced to 0 hit points must be stabilized
so that it isn’t killed by a failed death saving throw.
You can use your action to administer first aid to an
unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which
requires a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Medicine) check.
A stable creature doesn’t make death saving throws, even
though it has 0 hit points, but it does remain unconscious.
The creature stops being stable, and must start making
death saving throws again, if it takes any damage. A stable
creature that isn’t healed regains 1 hit point after 1d4
minutes.
ENEMY CREATURES AND DEATH
Most GMs have a non-player creature die the instant it
drops to 0 hit points, rather than having it fall unconscious
and make death saving throws.
Mighty villains and special nonplayer characters are
common exceptions; the GM might have them fall
unconscious and follow the same rules as player characters.
Lingering Injuries
Lingering injuries are an optional rule that can add higher
stakes to combat encounters. Injuries can arise from a wide
variety of situations, and have lasting effects that may take
time to fully heal. To recover from a lingering injury, you
will usually have to rest for several consecutive days (see
the Recuperating from Injuries section in the General Rules

Part Three: The Rules

Damage at 0 Hit Points. If you take any damage while chapter).
you have 0 hit points, you suffer a death saving throw
To see if a lingering injury was sustained, roll a d100 if a
failure. If the damage is from a critical hit, you suffer two
character is subjected to one of the items listed in the
failures instead. If the damage equals or exceeds your hit
Sources of Injuries table. If the result is less than the
point maximum, you suffer instant death.
threshold listed on the table, then the character receives an
injury of the type listed. Then roll on the appropriate table
for the injury type to determine the severity of the injury. If
DAMAGE TYPES IN REDSKY multiple injury types are possible, the GM determines
Most of the damage types that you are familiar with which one is applied
still exist in Redsky. However, you will want to take
note of several differences in how they are used:
TABLE - SOURCES OF INJURY
Fire damage simply isn’t as common, because
there are very few creatures capable of using their Source of Injury Injury Type D100 Threshold
bodies to create dangerous heat and fire. You’ll still Falling damage Arm or leg Damage taken
encounter it in traps or the environment, or rarely
being used by sentients as part of their weapons Vulnerable to damage
Arm or leg Damage taken
(such as an arrow lit on fire). from a weapon attack
Cold damage will likely only be encountered in Disarmed Arm Roll d6
frozen environments, not from creatures.
Knocked prone Head Roll d10
Psychic damage is used to represent mental
torment or horror. Hit with an attack while
Any Damage taken
restrained
Necrotic damage can be thought of as poison in a
different form. It causes flesh to dry out or rot Hit by a shield-breaking
away. or shield-wrapping Arm Damage taken
attack
Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage now
have more interactions, especially if you use Redsky Hit by falling debris Head Damage taken
equipment rules. Slashing damage is rarely effective Reduced to 0 hit points Any Roll d20
against Medium or Heavy armor, while bludgeoning
damage remains effective unless the target is Roll a 1 on a death saving
Any 50
wearing an under-layer of padded or leather armor throw
as well.

Combat
236
TABLE - ARM INJURIES
Effect
Half ability score bonus to damage rolls (or
half shield bonus to AC)
No ability score bonus to damage rolls (or no
shield bonus to AC)
Disadvantage on Strength or Dexterity checks
involving the arm
Temporarily lose use of the arm /hand
Lose an arm or hand (no recovery)
TABLE - LEG INJURIES
Effect
-5 to movement speed
Half movement speed and cannot sprint,
disadvantage on Dexterity checks involving
the leg
Half movement speed and cannot dash or
sprint, disadvantage on Strength and
Dexterity checks involving the leg
Temporarily lose use of the leg, require a cane,
stick, or assistance to move at half speed
TABLE - HEAD INJURIES
Effect
Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks
using sight
Temporarily blinded
Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks
using sound
Temporarily deafened
Disadvantage on Dexterity checks and saving
throws, and on attack rolls that use Dexterity
Permanently scarred, minor (no recovery)
Permanently scarred, major (no recovery)
Mounted Combat
A willing creature that is at least one size larger than you
and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount,
using the following rules.
Mounting and
5 feet of it. If you’re knocked prone while mounted, you
must make the same saving throw.
D100
If your mount is knocked prone, you can use your
reaction to dismount it as it falls and land on your feet.
0-49
Otherwise, you are dismounted and fall prone in a space
within 5 feet of it.
50-64
65-89
Controlling a
90-98
Mount
While you’re mounted, you have two options. You can
99 either control the mount or allow it to act independently.
Intelligent creatures act independently.
You can control a mount only if it has been trained to
D100 accept a rider. Domesticated horses, donkeys, and similar
creatures are assumed to have such training. The initiative
0-49
of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you
mount it. It moves as you direct it, and it has only three
50-74 action options: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. A controlled
mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount
it.
75-89 An independent mount retains its place in the initiative
order. Bearing a rider puts no restrictions on the actions the
mount can take, and it moves and acts as it wishes. It might
90-99
flee from combat, rush to attack and devour a badly injured
foe, or otherwise act against your wishes.
In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity
D100 attack while you’re on it, the attacker can target you or the
mount.
0-24
25-29 Underwater
30-54 Combat
54-59 When adventurers pursue ocean monsters back to their
undersea homes, fight off sharks in an ancient shipwreck, or
60-84 find themselves in a flooded dungeon room, they must fight
in a challenging environment. Underwater the following
85-94 rules apply.
95-99 When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that
doesn’t have a swimming speed has disadvantage on the
attack roll unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin,
shortsword, spear, or trident.
A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target
beyond the weapon’s normal range. Even against a target
within normal range, the attack roll has disadvantage
unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is
thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart).
Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water

Dismounting have resistance to fire damage.

Once during your move, you can mount a creature that is

within 5 feet of you or dismount. Doing so costs an amount
of movement equal to half your speed. For example, if your
speed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement to
mount a horse. Therefore, you can’t mount it if you don’t
have 15 feet of movement left or if your speed is 0.
If an effect moves your mount against its will while
you’re on it, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving
throw or fall off the mount, landing prone in a space within

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Bargaining in

Part Three: The Rules

the Market

Chapter 16: Social Interaction

W Approach 1: Acting
hether you are trying to get the best price for an
Eldertech artifact in the market, convincing a
gate guard to let you into town, or persuading a
village chief that an army is approaching, player characters And Improvisation
can expect to interact with other citizens of the world very
Many players of tabletop role-playing games have strong
frequently. Redsky has some rules that aim to help your GM
skills in acting, voice acting, or improvisation. If your
plan and structure your social interactions efficiently and
gaming group prefers to “act out” your characters, and
reliably.
your gamemaster can do the same for NPCs, your group
Different groups of gamers handle social interaction in a may have no need for the rules that come later in this
wide variety of ways, and there is no easy system that will chapter. Redsky is designed to work with or without the
work for everybody. There are several tiers of rules, advanced social encounter mechanics. Your character’s
designed to let players of all social skill levels engage with abilities and features should still have a chance to shine if
non-player characters. you carry out your social interactions with live acting and
The first compatible playstyle involves simply acting out use the normal ability checks (such as Charisma
the encounter with a group that is comfortable with a deep (Persuasion) and Charisma (Deception)) when your GM
level of role-playing, and may or may not involve dice rolls. asks for them.
This is a version of social interaction that everybody who Of course, gamemasters should keep in mind that not all
has played RPGs is likely familiar with. players may be interested in acting out their character in the
The second tier introduces a basic version of the Redsky first person. Many players may feel more comfortable
social encounter system. This system adds a number of describing their character’s actions in the third person.
successes required and failures allowed based on the
party’s social skills and the situation. The third tier,
advanced social encounters, builds on this system further
by adding structure to the player’s actions.

Social Interaction
238
Approach 2: Basic
Social Encounters
A social encounter occurs when you ask a non-hostile NPC
to take some action - often a favor that benefits you or your
companions - and they hesitate, unsure whether they
should grant your request. A player character can persuade
the NPC to act in their favor through dialogue, and the
structured form of this interaction is a social encounter.
In a social encounter, you usually will not succeed on
persuading an NPC to take a course of action with a single
ability check. It may take multiple successful checks to get
your way. To balance this out, NPCs will often tolerate
several failed checks before they stop listening to you. The
GM uses social scores and several other factors to determine
how many successes and failures a social encounter can
have.
SOCIAL SCORES
The overall difficulty of a social encounter is determined by
the GM using the social score of the NPC versus the highest
social score among the present party characters. A
character's social score is half their Charisma modifier.
SOCIAL SCORE = your Charisma modifier / 2
A party’s social score is equal to the highest individual
social score from the characters who are present and not
incapacitated. Some game features may alter how a
character’s social score is calculated, which usually benefits
the whole party.
ENCOUNTER DC
Every social encounter has a given DC that is based on how
reluctant an NPC is to grant the player’s request. The
players make ability checks against this DC to try and
persuade the NPC. They can try various approaches, and
the GM will prompt for the relevant skill checks (such as
Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Intimidation)).
COUNTING SUCCESSES AND
FAILURES
In a social encounter, the amount of ability check successes
needed to win versus the amount of failures allowed is
called the success/fail counter. Success/fail counters work
similarly to Death saving throws (see the Combat chapter).
The GM determines the success/fail counter when the party
meets an NPC and triggers a social encounter, and it takes
into account the social score, NPC attitude, and difficulty of
the request.
The left number of the success/fail counter is the number
of ability check successes needed to win an encounter. If the
party hits this number first, the NPC grants their request.
The right number is the amount of ability check failures
tolerated by the NPC. If the party hits this number first,
they fail the encounter and their request is not granted. For
example, a success/fail counter of 2/4 means that it takes 2
successes to win the social encounter and 4 failures to lose.
The success/fail counter is shared among all members of
a party. Characters can take turns trying to convince an
Redsky Core Book
239
NPC, or let one character handle everything. Successes and
failures are always added to the same counter, no matter
who is responsible for them.
Each side of the success/fail counter cannot be higher
than 5 or lower than 1.
Approach 3: Advanced
Social Encounters
The advanced version of Redsky’s social encounter system
introduces social actions and bonus actions, which are more
specific versions of the skill checks that are normally used
in social interactions. This level of rules builds on the basic
social encounters detailed in the former section by adding
complexity and tactical gameplay.
Actions and Appeals
In a social encounter, you’ll take social actions instead of
performing a normal skill check. For example, imagine your
party needs to seek shelter from a storm, and you need to
convince a farmer to let you and your companions rest in
his barn. You could take the Appeal to Pity action,
attempting to look unthreatening and cold as you make a
Charisma (Persuasion) check. Or you could take the Bribe
action and offer up some coin.
Often your Action will be one of four Appeals that use
the NPC's nature and personality in an attempt to sway
them towards granting your request. Other times might call
for a tit-for-tat, using Trade Favor to offer the target
something they desire in return. Some people may be
vulnerable to the Bribe Action, and sneaky characters can
even Mislead a target into acting a certain way. You can see
the full list of social actions (and bonus actions) later in the
chapter.
BONUS ACTIONS
Bonus actions can improve your odds of succeeding on
your normal social actions. For example: you can improve
your credibility or influence the target to take a more
friendly attitude with the Bolster Self bonus action.
Any character can attempt normal social actions, but
bonus actions are only available if a character has a feature
that allows them. They can be activated at any time during
a social encounter, but after a bonus action is used the party
must wait until after the next social action resolves before
using another.
WHY SOCIAL ACTIONS?
You may be thinking: “Social actions just sound like
another way of saying ‘skill check’. Why bother?” The
similarity is intentional!
Social actions are simply meant to give a category
and some context to the skill checks normally used in
social interactions. This can be helpful both when
designing a social encounter and when playing one, as
well as when applying more advanced mechanics to
the interaction.
Playing the
Encounter
When the party attempts to convince the target to agree
with their request, a player chooses one of the social actions
available. Any present party member can take the action,
using the time to speak to the target. An action will usually
result in either a success point or a failure point being
added to the success/fail counter. However, some social
actions (such as Trade Favor or Mislead) can result in
immediately winning or losing a social encounter.
The party continues making social actions until either the
success or failure threshold is reached on the counter,
determining if they win or lose the encounter. In-between
social actions, player characters can converse normally with
the NPC, asking questions or offering information of their
own.
There are no limitations on how many actions an
individual character can attempt during a social encounter.
One character may handle the whole conversation alone,
the party members may take turns, or anything in-between.
Determining which party member gets to take the next
social action may often be decided through trust, intuition,
and meaningful glances (or by discussing beforehand!).
Finally, player characters who have access to bonus
actions may use them before a social action is attempted.
Only one bonus action per social action is allowed: After a
player uses a bonus action, no other bonus actions may be
taken by any player until after the next social action is
resolved.
List of Social
Actions
APPEALS
The Appeal action is your primary tool to convince a target
to grant your request. Each Appeal type corresponds to a
strategy or approach to the persuasion. When you make an
Appeal, you choose a type and make an ability check
against the social encounter DC for this particular request.
You'll use the skill indicated in the Appeal type.
APPEAL TO FEAR
Play on the target's preexisting fears or concerns, playing
up what might happen if the target doesn't accede to your
request. Uses a Charisma (Intimidation) check.
APPEAL TO REASON
Convince the target that your request is logical and in their
best interests using reasoned arguments. Uses an
Intelligence check, and a skill may be applicable based on
the subject matter.
APPEAL TO IDEAL
Explain to the target why acting on your request is the
"right" thing to do from an ideological, moral, or religious
standpoint. Uses a Charisma (Persuasion) check or an
Intelligence check with a skill determined by the subject
matter.
240
APPEAL TO PITY
Utilize the target's compassion and ask them to grant your
request as an act of mercy for your party or the people
being discussed. Uses a Charisma (Persuasion) check.
TRADE FAVOR
Many NPCs will be willing to grant your request in return
for a favor. The favor usually relates to the person's current
mindset and goals, and may be large or small.
If you have not already been informed of a Trade Favor
option through dialogue or other actions, you may make a
Wisdom (Insight) check against the Social Encounter DC to
find out if such an option exists for the current request.
Agreeing to trade a favor for your request results in an
immediate success for the social encounter. If you do not
intend to follow through on your agreement, you must
succeed on a Charisma (Deception) check contested by the
target's Wisdom (Insight) check. Failing this check results in
failing the social encounter, and may also have more serious
consequences.
BRIBE
This action will only succeed with certain personality types,
and counts as an automatic failure against others. You offer
an amount of money or an object of value, followed by a
Charisma (Persuasion) check, and the GM will inform you if
you have disadvantage or advantage on the check based on
the value of what's offered.
If you fail the check, the target may counteroffer by
Part Three: The Rules
requesting a greater amount of money or more valuable
object. If you agree to meet this amount, you succeed at the
social encounter.
MISLEAD
Misleading a target is a common tool of the sly or dishonest
character. Using this action, you can convince the target to
believe something that is false or trick them into acting
without thinking. However, failing your deception will
often have more severe consequences than other Social
Actions.
Both types of Mislead actions typically use a Charisma
(Deception) check against a DC that is determined by the
GM (based on the believability of the ruse).
DECEIVE
The simple act of convincing the target to believe an untrue
statement. The lie may be about the identity of the player,
current events, or any number of things. The cleverer or
closer to truth the lie is, the more likely it is to be believed.
Whether your lie succeeds or fails, the GM arbitrates the
result. Some examples of successful results include:
permanent advantage on a certain Appeal type against this
target, a change in attitude to "allied", causing the target to
become confused, or immediate success on the current
request.
Social Interaction
 SOCIAL ACTIONS REFERENCE
Action Roll Required (against Social Encounter DC, unless stated otherwise)
Appeals
Fear Charisma (Intimidation)
Reason Intelligence, skill may be applicable based on subject
Ideal Charisma (Persuasion), or Intelligence with skill determined by subject
Pity Charisma (Persuasion)

Trade Favor
Discover Option Wisdom (Insight)
Pretend to Agree Charisma (Deception) against target’s Wisdom (Insight)

Bribe
Offer Bribe Charisma (Persuasion), advantage or disadvantage based on offer

Mislead (DC determined by believability of the lie)

Deceive Charisma (Deception)

Provoke Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Performance)

Bonus Actions
Bolster Self Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception) if a lie
Once per Character per Encounter, gain advantage on social action this round or make NPC friendlier

Impair Target Charisma (Intimidation), Charisma (Deception), or Intelligence, chosen by GM

Failure adds a Failure Point, Lower social encounter DC by 1 or advantage on next Charisma (Deception) check

Push for Information Wisdom (Insight)

Players learn of target’s personality, a Trade Favor option, or effective Appeals

� Gain advantage on a check related to a social action

PROVOKE that the character makes this round
Unlike the Deceive action - which relies on changing what a � Change the attitude of the NPC to be one rank more
target thinks - the Provoke action aims to force a target into favorable to the party until the end of the social
acting without thinking at all. Timing and circumstances encounter
play a large role here; you won't be able to convince a target
This action can only be taken by a character once per Social
that there is a fire in a nearby area if you have already been
Encounter.
talking to them for several minutes.
To take the Provoke action, you declare what you are trying Signet Ring
to get the target to do and what lie you will tell to inspire
action. The GM will determine the DC to beat.

List of Bonus Actions

BOLSTER SELF
A character can augment their standing in the eyes of a
target with a successful Bolster Self action. A character may
emphasize why their request should be taken seriously,
name-drop an important contact, state their rank and
mission, or some other similar action. Make a Charisma
(Persuasion) or a Charisma (Deception) check against the
social encounter DC; the type of check is determined by the
GM, based on whether your attempt contains a lie. If
successful, you can choose between one of two effects:

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241
IMPAIR TARGET
You can make an attempt to throw the target off-balance
mentally with an Impair Target action. Usually this takes
the form of a subtle insult, or a making a statement that is
confusing or difficult to follow. Make a Charisma
(Intimidation), a Charisma (Deception), or an Intelligence
check against the social encounter DC; the check is
determined by the GM depending on the nature of the
action. If successful, you can choose between one of two
effects:
� The social encounter DC is lowered by 1 for the
remainder of the encounter.
� Grant advantage to the next Charisma (Deception)
check made against the target this encounter.
Failing on the Impair Target check will add a failure to the
success/failure counter.
PUSH FOR INFORMATION
The Push for Information action allows a character to
deduce key facts that may help them succeed in the social
encounter. It may involve simple observation of the target’s
clothing or reactions, or asking a clever question. Make a
Wisdom (Insight) check against the social encounter DC. On
a success, the GM may give you hints that can help you
determine factors like a target’s personality type, what
Appeal types might be particularly effective, or the
existence of a Trade Favor option.
Sample Advanced
Social Encounter
Party:
Amit - Weaponmaster fighter, social score 0
Bob - Con artist rogue, social score 2
Carla - Entertainer wordsmith, social score 3
Target:
Guard - social score 0
The party needs to get inside a local politician’s home to
warn them of an assassination plot. The party doesn’t know
who to trust, so blabbing about the plot to the guard out
front may be a bad idea (what if he is in on it?). They’ll have
to talk their way past the guard to enter the politician’s
home.
The GM has the tools to set up the encounter, so they will
know that the party’s Social score is 3 (equal to Carla’s
because hers is the highest in the party, and everybody
benefits) and the guard’s is 0. The guard has a neutral
attitude, and the encounter difficulty is normal, so there
should be 2 successes needed to win and 4 failures allowed
before the party loses.
Amit: I’ll begin with a threat: “You better move out of the
way... or else!”
GM: We’ll count that as an Appeal to Fear, roll Charisma
(Intimidation).
Amit: I got a 9.
GM: That’s not gonna do it. One failure point.
Guard: “You don’t scare me! On your way.”
Bob: Let me try. “My large friend is not very eloquent, so let
me rephrase: we have urgent news to deliver to Senator
242
Diego, and it’s for his ears only. Getting in our way would
not be wise.” I put my hand on the hilt of my dagger on my
belt while I say this.
GM: That could be an Appeal to Reason, but I’m going to
go with Appeal to Fear because you’re clearly trying to
threaten him with the dagger. You also roll Charisma
(Intimidation).
Bob: 19.
GM: That works, one success point.
Guard: Takes a step back nervously. “Maybe you do have
important news, but it's my responsibility to not let
anybody through this gate. You’ll have to find the Senator
tomorrow.”
Carla: Alright, let’s try another approach. I’m going to
Bolster Self, followed by an Appeal to Reason. “Good sir,
you must have seen me before! My name is Carla the
Songbird, and I’m a frequent performer in the largest
taverns in the city. I rub elbows with some very important
people, you know.”
GM: Not bad on the Bolster, roll Charisma (Persuasion).
Carla: I rolled a 15, is that enough? If it is, I’ll use it to gain
advantage on my Appeal.
GM: That just does it, the guard seems impressed. Let’s
hear your Appeal to Reason.
Carla: “So you know that tonight I could be raking in coin
at almost any establishment that I wished. Why would I be
here instead? Because I have come across some dire and
sensitive information. It cannot wait until tomorrow, I
assure you.”
Part Three: The Rules
GM: Alright, roll Charisma (Persuasion) again, with
advantage because of your Bolster Self.
Carla: I got an 18!
GM: That’s two success points, you have convinced the
guard!
Guard: “Okay, okay! Please go on in.”
Designing and
Running Social
Encounters
Effectively running a social encounter requires a
combination of planning and flexibility. You must know the
personality attributes of the NPC in the encounter, as well
as their current goals and attitude towards the players’
characters. One NPC can have several social encounters
available, depending on what the players might ask for. As
the GM, you should know these triggers beforehand. In
addition, you must know what strategies and actions might
be particularly effective against this NPC given their
attributes, or the circumstances of the conversation.
Social Stat Blocks
One of the cornerstones of Redsky is the social stat block. A
social stat block is the counterpart of the normal stat block
used for combat. Instead of detailing combat abilities, the
social stat block is used to describe a non-player character’s
background, current mindset, relationship to the party, and
Social Interaction

other important information used when interacting with
them in a non-violent way.
There are several approaches to using the Redsky social
rules, and the social stat block is useful to all of them. It
allows a gamemaster to pick up the most important
information about an NPC at a glance, so that effective
roleplay becomes quicker and easier.
Not all NPCs need a social stat block. They are most often
used when a character’s initial goals are at odds with the
players’ goals, and the players must use debate or favors to
proceed.
A social stat block may be combined with a normal stat
block if it is also possible to engage a character in combat.
SOCIAL INFORMATION
The basic information in the stat block can be found under
the “Social” tag. There are three attributes described here,
sometimes followed by notes that can optionally be used for
the advanced social encounter rules.
TYPE
A simple descriptor, usually only two words, that usually
summarizes a character’s personality and profession. This is
the bare minimum needed for a gamemaster to imagine
how a character would act.
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243
SOCIAL SCORE
The social score of the character, which is used to measure
how charismatic and effective they are in debate and
conversation. More detail about social scores can be found
later in this chapter.
ATTITUDE
Describes how a character feels about the party. This value
can be dependent on factors such as what species of
characters are in the party, or recent events. Besides helping
set the tone of a social interaction, this may have an impact
on the more advanced social encounter rules.
GOALS AND FEARS
The details about the character that are given in this section
can help a gamemaster know how a character will react to
certain situations. It also determines what player tactics will
be most and least effective; smart players who can learn
these details through conversation or game features can use
them as leverage.
ENCOUNTERS
The encounters section tries to anticipate what the players
may be trying to achieve when talking to this character. An
ability check or social encounter will be required before this
character will cooperate with any of the listed requests.
Each request has its general difficulty and a DC for any
ability checks, and further details about that request should
be provided in nearby text for any written adventures.
Success/Fail Counter
For the players, to win a social encounter is to convince the
NPC to grant the players’ request. As stated earlier in the
chapter, it may take several successful actions to win the
encounter. The number of successes needed vs the number
of failures allowed for an average social encounter with an
NPC is called the success/fail counter, and it is determined
by comparing the social score of the NPC with the social
score of the party. The social score of the party is
determined by the highest social score among the party
members present and not incapacitated.
The following table can be used to figure out the base
success/fail counter of a social encounter. This base counter
can then be modified by the difficulty of the social
encounter and the NPC’s attitude toward the party.
Encounter Modifiers
and DC
After you determine the success/failure counter between
the party and an NPC, you determine the encounter
modifiers by looking at the encounter difficulty and NPC
attitude.
As long as you know the stats of your party and the social
encounters the party might trigger in a session, you can
calculate these modifiers of every social encounter while
planning a game – there’s no need to do it on the fly. The
only trick is that sometimes NPC attitudes change
depending on the course of the game, so make sure you
keep track of that!
 SUCCESS/FAIL COUNTER (DETERMINED BY SOCIAL SCORE)
Player party score
Social
-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4
score
-3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5
-2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4 1/5 1/5 1/5
NPC score

-1 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4 1/5 1/5

0 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4 1/5
+1 5/1 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4
+2 5/1 5/1 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4
+3 5/1 5/1 5/1 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3
+4 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3

ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY mechanical effect, and are simply meant to clue in the GM
� Hard: +1 successes needed, DC 16-20 on a character’s personality.
� Normal: No change, DC 12-15
TABLE - EXAMPLE NPC TRAITS
� Easy: -1 successes needed, DC 7-11 Trait Effect

NPC ATTITUDE Greedy

Player has Disadvantage on all Appeals if a
Trade Favor option exists and advantage on
� Unfriendly: -1 failures allowed Bribes
� Neutral: No change Disadvantage when contesting Charisma
Gullible
(Deception) checks
� Friendly: +1 failures allowed
Disadvantage on saving throws against the
Impulsive
Roleplaying Actions Narcissistic
Provoke action
Player has disadvantage on Bolster Self actions
If winning requires multiple Social Check successes, you

Part Three: The Rules

should have the NPC show that they understand and agree Neurotic Always has a Trade Favor available
with what your players are saying even though they are not Player has advantage on Appeal to Ideal when
Pious
fully convinced yet (“I feel bad for all of you, and I would aligned with religious beliefs
let you stay in the barn, but if the Hegemony finds out I
Shrewd +2 on Wisdom (Insight) checks
helped you I could be arrested!”). Conversely, failure
should be met with frustration and impatience, but not Stoic +2 on contesting Impair Target actions
outright dismissal until the social encounter has been failed. Timid 20 by 20 ft. or more
As a rule, you should encourage your players to be
creative in their attempts to persuade an NPC to grant their TABLE - EXAMPLE NPC BACKGROUNDS
requests. It is fair to grant advantage to carefully planned or Background Effect
worded arguments, or disadvantage to halfhearted
attempts. However, you must keep in mind the personality Advantage when contesting Charisma
Con Artist
(Deception) checks
of the NPC when making these decisions; a brilliant
scientific argument usually will not have any benefits when Player has advantage on Appeal to Ideal and
trying to persuade a street urchin. Monk Appeal to Pity when aligned with religious
beliefs
Finally, you should not respond to Push for Information
actions with direct gameplay statistics or mechanics. Use Peasant Player has +2 on Bolster Self actions
descriptive language instead: communicate that an NPC is Public
Timid because they keep glancing over their shoulder or Player has advantage on Appeal to Ideal
Servant
looking down at their feet, or that they are a Guild Artisan
Player has -2 on Bolster Self actions based on
because they use specific jargon not known to a layman Outsider
government or political standing
when responding to a question.
Sage Player has advantage on Appeal to Reason
NPC Personalities Soldier None
When you create an NPC with a social encounter, that NPC Thief Player has disadvantage on Appeal to Pity
should have a background and additional trait, both of
which have effects on the actions taken during an
encounter. The backgrounds and traits available are listed
here, and dictate what player strategies are most effective
against a particular NPC with those qualities. Some have no

Social Interaction
244
Redsky Core Book
245
 Chapter 17:
Equipment and Eldertech
Economics TABLE - COST OF TRADE GOODS
Cost Goods

Coinage 1 cp
2 cp
1 candle
1 lb. of salt

C
ommon coins come in several different 3 cp 1 lb. of wheat or 1 lb. of beeswax
denominations based on the relative worth of the 5 cp 1 lb. of flour, 1 chicken, 1 lb. iron ingot
metal from which they are made. Coins from
1 sp 1 lb. copper ingot or 1 lb. of tobacco
different regions may be shaped differently and have
different names, but for simplicity they all break down into 2 sp 1 deer hide
three common denominations: the gold piece (gp), the silver 3 sp 1 cow hide, 1 lb. of cinnamon
piece (sp), and the copper piece (cp). 1 sq. yard of tanned leather, tanned
5 sp
The silver piece is the most commonly found, and is the deer hide, linen, or canvas, 1 goat
most used coin for measuring the price of goods in a 1 lb. of pepper, 1 lamb, 1 sq. yard of
7 sp
marketplace. Ten silver pieces are worth one gold piece, tanned lambskin
and one silver piece is worth ten copper pieces. One silver 1 gp 1 pig or 1 lb. of silver
piece will buy a torch, a pound of hardtack rations, a glass 1 gp 5 sp 1 sheep, 30 gallon barrel, 1 ton coal
bottle, or a piece of parchment. It can also purchase a bed 3 gp 1 sq. yard of silk, 1 gallon seed oil
for a night at a cheap inn. Common laborers, such as 5 gp 1 cow, 1 donkey
longshoremen, wagon drivers, and lumberjacks, expect to
10 gp 1 ox
earn between two and seven silver pieces a day.
15 gp 1 lb. of saffron
The gold piece is less common than the silver, but is often
used to measure wealth or the value of more expensive 50 gp 1 lb. of gold

Part Three: The Rules

goods. One gold piece can buy a wool blanket, a pig, a
dagger, or 50 feet of hempen rope. It can also buy a day’s
work from a skilled laborer or craftsperson such as a tailor,
cobbler, blacksmith, or carpenter (though you will also have
to pay for or provide any material used).
The copper piece is used for petty goods and small
change. A copper piece can buy a cooked egg, a piece of COINS AND WEALTH IN DIFFERENT REGIONS
paper, a candle, or enough firewood to keep a campfire Many tabletop game worlds use a unified system of
going for four hours. currency to make keeping track of coins simple.
A standard coin weighs about a third of an ounce, so fifty However, using different money in different regions
coins weigh a pound. can be a useful way to limit players amassing a large
amount of wealth. We recommend this optional
TABLE - STANDARD EXCHANGE RATES rule if you’re looking to prevent a party from easily
Coin CP SP GP bribing and purchasing influence or acquiring rare
goods when they travel to a new area.
Copper (cp) 1 1/10 1/100
Regional Coinage. The coins of a region have a
Silver (sp) 10 1 1/10 specific regional name, such as “Mundi gold piece”
or “Athenaeum silver ducat”. In each region, the
Gold (gp) 100 10 1
prices given in this chapter apply to that region’s
coins.
Trade Goods The further away you travel from a region, the
less its coins are worth. For example, a Mundi gold
Most wealth is not in coins. It is measured in livestock,
piece is worth “1 gp” in Mundi, but is worth “5 sp”
grain, land, rights to collect taxes, or rights to resources
across the sea in the markets of The Auric (half as
(such as a mine or a forest). much as it is normally worth). The same Mundi gold
The conditions of the market determine what specific piece might only be worth “2 sp” (1/5th its normal
goods are worth. These prices can be influenced by guilds value) in the far distant Midnight Isles.
and governments, especially when trading or shipping Why bother with this rule? It helps limit the
rights are restricted or granted to privileged individuals via financial influence and power of a party to the
charter. Merchants commonly exchange trade goods region they have adventured in, without requiring
without using currency, and are often willing to do the them to start from scratch whenever they travel.
same with adventurers. The Trade Goods table shows the
value of commonly exchanged goods.

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246
Armor
Most adventurers that expect to do battle prefer to wear
some level of protective gear. The Armor table collects the
most commonly available types of armor found in the game
and separates them into three categories: light armor,
medium armor, and heavy armor.
Many warriors supplement their armor with a shield.
There are several types of shields available as well, each
with different purposes and functions.
The Armor table shows the cost, weight, and other
properties of the common types of armor that can be worn.
Armor Proficiency. Anyone can put on a suit of armor or
strap a shield to an arm. Only those proficient in the
armor’s use know how to wear it effectively, however. Your
class gives you proficiency with certain types of armor. If
you wear armor that you lack proficiency with, you have
disadvantage on any ability check, saving throw, or attack
roll that involves Strength or Dexterity.
Armor Class (AC). Armor protects its wearer from
attacks. The armor (and shield) you wear determines your
base Armor Class.
Touch Armor Class (Touch AC). Some types of armor
have weaknesses against particular damage types. When
you are wearing armor that is weak against attacks with a
certain damage type, those attacks are made against your
Touch AC instead of your normal AC. Your Touch AC
equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier (unless you are wearing
heavy armor) + all other AC bonuses, including those from
shields.
Stealth. If the Armor table shows “Disadv.” in the Stealth
column, the wearer has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth)
checks.
Weight. How much a full set of a type of armor weighs.
Armor you are currently wearing only contributes half its
weight to the total amount of weight you are carrying.
Archivist
Leather Armor
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247
GETTING INTO AND OUT OF ARMOR
The time it takes to don or doff armor depends on the
armor’s category.
Don. This is the time it takes to put on armor. You benefit
from the armor’s AC only if you take the full time to don
the suit of armor.
Doff. This is the time it takes to take off armor. If you
have help, reduce this time by half.
TABLE - DONNING AND DOFFING ARMOR
Category Don Doff
Light Armor 1 minute 1 minute
Medium Armor 5 minutes 1 minute
Heavy Armor 10 minutes 5 minutes
Shield 1 action 1 action
Armor Properties
Armor Protection. Armor with this property is designed
to protect the wearer from a specific type of damage. When
you are dealt damage of that type, reduce it by your
proficiency modifier.
Superior Protection. Armor with this property is excellent
at defending the wearer from a specific type of damage.
When you are dealt damage of that type, reduce it by your
proficiency modifier. You also gain resistance to that
damage type.
Armor Weakness. Most armor isn’t perfect, and pieces of
armor with this property are ineffective at protecting
against attacks with a specific damage type. When an attack
against you would deal damage of that type, the attack roll
is compared to your Touch AC instead of your normal AC.
Layering. This armor can be worn with other pieces to
mitigate the weaknesses of both. Armor could either be
designed to wear (under) or (over) other pieces of armor. A
character using layers of armor uses the AC and properties
of the top piece of armor as well as the properties of the
bottom piece of armor.
Unless the layers share an Armor Weakness type, any
Armor Weakness of one layer will be negated by the other
layer. Armor Protection and Superior Protection of the same
type do not stack, with Superior Protection taking
precedence.
Oil Treatment. Armors with this rule can be treated with
specialty oils that can alter their properties. Treating armor
with oil is permanent, and the armor cannot be re-treated
with a different oil.
Types of Armor
SHIELDS
A shield is made from wood and may be coated or
embossed with metal. It is carried in one hand. You can
benefit from only one shield at a time.
Shield Wall. This type of shield benefits from being
adjacent to similar shields. If you have an ally within 5 feet
of you who is also using a shield with this property, you
 ARMOR
Armor Cost Armor Class Stealth Weight Properties

Light Armor

Padded 6 gp 11 + Dex mod - 8 lb. Armor protection (bludgeoning), armor weakness

(piercing), layered (under)
Leather 6 gp 11 + Dex mod - 10 lb. Armor protection (bludgeoning), armor weakness
(slashing), armor weakness (piercing), layered (under), oil
treatment
Hardened Leather 15 gp 12 + Dex mod - 13 lb. Oil treatment

Medium Armor

Rawhide 3 gp 12 + Dex mod - 12 lb. Armor protection (bludgeoning), oil treatment

(max 2)
Mail shirt 15 gp 13 + Dex mod Disadv. 20 lb. Armor protection (slashing), armor weakness
(max 2) (bludgeoning), layered (under)
Scale 40 gp 13 + Dex mod Disadv. 45 lb. Armor protection (slashing), armor weakness (piercing), oil
(max 2) treatment
Lamellar 75 gp 14 + Dex mod Disadv. 25 lb Armor protection (piercing), layered (over), oil treatment
(max 2)
Cuirass 75 gp 14 + Dex mod - 20 lb. Armor protection (slashing), layered (over)
(max 2)
Half plate 375 gp 15 + Dex mod Disadv. 40 lb. Superior protection (slashing), superior protection
(max 2) (piercing)

Heavy Armor

Part Three: The Rules

Mail 50 gp 16 Disadv. 55 lb. Superior protection (slashing), armor weakness
(bludgeoning), layered (over)
Brigandine 100 gp 17 Disadv. 60 lb. Armor protection (slashing), layered (over)

Plate 750 gp 18 Disadv. 65 lb. Superior protection (slashing), superior protection

(piercing)

Shields

Buckler 2 gp +1 - 2 lb. Parrying

Heater 10 gp +2 - 6 lb. -
Round 6 gp +2 Disadv. 8 lb. Shield wall
Tear Drop 15 gp +2 - 7 lb. Mounted protection
Tower 50 gp - Disadv. 20 lb. Shield wall, special

may use your reaction to impose disadvantage on enemies
that try to perform a ranged attack on either of you until the
start of your next turn.
Parrying. This shield allows you to take a Parry reaction
(see the Combat chapter).
Mounted Protection. Shields with this property are
designed to protect a mounted rider from attacks from the
ground. While mounted, attacks of opportunity against you
have disadvantage.
Tower Shields. These gigantic shields cover the whole
body and provide extra protection. While wielding this
shield, you are considered to have three-quarters cover (+5
AC) from attacks from the direction it is facing. You can
only change the direction the shield is facing when you are
capable of moving (such as on your turn).
LIGHT ARMOR
Made from supple and thin materials, light armor favors
agile adventurers since it offers some protection without
sacrificing mobility. If you wear light armor, you add your
Dexterity modifier to the base number from your armor
type to determine your Armor Class.
Padded. Padded armor (or ‘gambeson’) consists of quilted
layers of cloth and batting. It is useful for dulling the blows
of bludgeoning attacks, and not much else. It can be worn
as an under-layer for heavier armor.

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248
 Coins used in the Gilded States
Leather. Simple leather armor serves a similar purpose to
padded armor and shares many of the same weaknesses.
However, it can also be treated with oil.
Hardened Leather. The breastplate and shoulder
protectors of this armor are made of leather that has been
stiffened by being boiled in brine or treated with wax. It can
be treated with oil.
MEDIUM ARMOR
Medium armor offers more protection than light armor, but
it also impairs movement more. If you wear medium armor,
you add your Dexterity modifier, to a maximum of +2, to
the base number from your armor type to determine your
Armor Class or Touch AC.
Rawhide. This crude armor consists of thick untanned
animal hide. Rawhide armor can be crafted in about two
hours from the pelt of a large animal, as long as the
character has access to and proficiency with leatherworker's
tools or the Survival skill. It is commonly worn by folk who
lack access to the tools and materials needed to create better
armor. It can be treated with oil.
Mail Shirt. Made of interlocking metal rings, a mail shirt
is worn between layers of clothing or leather, offering
modest protection to the wearer’s upper body.
Scale. This armor consists of a coat and leggings (and
perhaps a separate skirt) of leather covered with
overlapping pieces of metal, much like the scales of a fish. It
can be treated with oil.
Lamellar. Made from small rectangular plates (scales or
lamellae) of iron, steel, leather, or bronze laced into
horizontal rows. It can be treated with oil or layered over
some lighter armors for additional reinforcement.
Cuirass. This armor consists of fitted metal (typically
bronze) chest and back pieces. Although it leaves the legs
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249
and arms relatively unprotected, this armor provides good
protection for the wearer’s vital organs while leaving the
wearer relatively unencumbered. It can be layered over
some lighter armors for additional reinforcement.
Half Plate. Half plate consists of shaped metal plates that
cover most of the wearer’s upper body. It does not include
leg protection beyond simple greaves that are attached with
leather straps.
HEAVY ARMOR
Of all the armor categories, heavy armor offers the best
protection. These suits of armor cover the entire body and
are designed to stop a wide range of attacks. Only proficient
warriors can manage their weight and bulk.
Heavy armor doesn’t let you add your Dexterity modifier
to your Armor Class or Touch AC, but it also doesn’t
penalize you if your Dexterity modifier is negative.
Mail. Made of interlocking metal rings, chain mail
includes a layer of quilted fabric worn underneath the mail
to prevent chafing and to cushion the impact of blows. The
suit includes gauntlets. It can be layered over some lighter
armors for additional reinforcement.
Brigandine. This armor is made of heavy cloth or leather,
with many metal strips or plates riveted to the interior. It
covers the entire torso and upper legs, with accompanying
helmet, gauntlets, and boots made of leather, mail, or plate.
It can be layered over some lighter armors for additional
reinforcement.
Plate. Plate consists of shaped, interlocking metal plates
to cover the entire body. A suit of plate includes gauntlets,
heavy leather boots, a helmet, and thick layers of padding
underneath the armor. Buckles and straps distribute the
weight over the body.
Weapons
Your class grants proficiency in certain weapons, reflecting
both the class’s focus and the tools you are most likely to
use. Whether you favor a longsword or a longbow, your
weapon and your ability to wield it effectively can mean the
difference between life and death while adventuring.
The Weapons tables shows the most common weapons in
the world of Redsky, their price and weight, the damage
they deal when they hit, and any special properties they
possess. Every weapon is classified as either melee or
ranged. A melee weapon is used to attack a target within its
reach (usually 5 feet), whereas a ranged weapon is used to
attack a target at a distance.
Weapon Proficiency
Your character design can grant you proficiency with
certain weapons or categories of weapons. The two main
categories are simple and martial. There are also exotic
weapons that may need specific training to use.
Most people can use simple weapons with proficiency.
These weapons include clubs, maces, and other weapons
often found in the hands of commoners. Martial weapons,
including swords, axes, and polearms, require more
specialized training to use effectively. Most warriors use
martial weapons because these weapons put their fighting
style and training to best use.
Proficiency with a weapon allows you to add your
proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make
with that weapon. If you make an attack roll using a
weapon with which you lack proficiency, you do not add
your proficiency bonus to the attack roll.
Weapon Properties
Many weapons have special properties related to their use,
as shown in the Weapons table.
Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the
ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you
have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you
Throwing Knives
250
attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of
ammunition. Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case,
or other container is part of the attack (you need a free hand
to load a one-handed weapon). At the end of the battle, you
can recover half your expended ammunition by taking a
minute to search the battlefield.
If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to
make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an
improvised weapon (see “Improvised Weapons” later in the
section). A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when
used in this way.
Armor-Bane. This weapon deals an additional die of
damage to targets wearing medium or heavy armor on a
critical hit, and ignores the Armor Protection and Superior
Protection properties of all armor.
Charge-Breaking. This weapon is designed to counter
mounted combatants. When you hit a mounted target, they
must make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics)
check to remain mounted. The DC for the check equals the
result of the attack roll.
Finesse. When making an attack with a finesse weapon,
you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier
for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same
modifier for both rolls.
Flesh-Bane. This weapon deals an additional die of
damage to targets not wearing medium or heavy armor on
a critical hit.
Heavy. Small creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls
with heavy weapons. A heavy weapon’s size and bulk
Part Three: The Rules
make it too large for a small creature to use effectively.
Light. A light weapon is small and easy to handle,
making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.
Additionally, you can use light weapons while grappling
without disadvantage.
Loading. Because of the time required to load this
weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it
when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it,
regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.
Parrying. This weapon allows you to take a Parry
reaction (see the Combat chapter).
Chakram
Equipment and Eldertech
 WEAPONS
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties

Simple Melee Weapons

Club 5 sp 1d4 bludgeoning 2 lb. Light

Dagger 15 sp 1d4 piercing / 1 lb. Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)
slashing
Greatclub 10 sp 1d8 bludgeoning 10 lb. Two-handed
Handaxe 8 sp 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Light, thrown (range 20/60)
Harpoon 25 sp 1d6 piercing 2 lb Light, thrown (range 20/60)
Javelin 5 sp 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Thrown (range 30/120)
Light hammer 5 sp 1d4 bludgeoning 2 lb. Light, thrown (range 20/60)
Mace 35 sp 1d6 bludgeoning 4 lb. -
Peasant’s flail 30 sp 1d8 bludgeoning 5 lb. Polearm, shield-wrapping, two-handed, unwieldy
Quarterstaff 8 sp 1d6 bludgeoning 4 lb. Versatile (1d8)
Sickle 10 sp 1d4 slashing 2 lb. Flesh-bane, light
Spear, short 20 sp 1d6 piercing 3 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)

Simple Ranged Weapons

Bola 1 sp - 2 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), special

Dart 5 cp 1d4 piercing 1/4 lb. Finesse, thrown (range 20/60)
Shortbow 25 sp 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), two-handed
Sling 3 sp 1d6 bludgeoning - Ammunition (range 30/600), loading

Martial Melee Weapons

Battleaxe 10 gp 1d8 slashing 4 lb. Versatile (1d10)

Bill Hook 12 gp 1d8 piercing 4 lb. Polearm, special, two-handed
Falx 12 gp 1d6 slashing / 3 lb. Shield-wrapping, versatile (1d8)
piercing
Flail 10 gp 1d8 bludgeoning 2 lb. Shield-wrapping
Glaive 12 gp 1d10 slashing 6 lb. Polearm, two-handed
Greataxe 15 gp 1d12 slashing 7 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Greatsword 20 gp 2d6 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Halberd 12 gp 1d10 piercing / 6 lb. Polearm, two-handed, unwieldy
slashing
Lance 5 gp 1d12 piercing 6 lb. Polearm, special, unwieldy
Longsword 10 gp 1d8 piercing / 3 lb. Versatile (1d10)
slashing
Mancatcher 20 gp - 3 lb. Polearm, special
Maul 10 gp 2d6 bludgeoning 10 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Morningstar 5 gp 1d8 piercing 4 lb. Flesh-bane
Parry dagger 2 gp 1d4 piercing / 1 lb. Finesse, light, parrying
slashing
Pike 5 gp 1d12 piercing 18 lb. Charge-breaking, polearm, special, two-handed, unwieldy
Pole axe 8 gp 1d10 slashing 8 lb. Armor-bane, polearm, two-handed, unwieldy

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251
 WEAPONS CONTINUED
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties

Martial Melee Weapons Continued

Pole hammer 8 gp 1d10 bludgeoning 12 lb. Armor-bane, polearm, shield-breaking, two-handed, unwieldy
Rapier 5 gp 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Finesse
Saber 8 gp 1d8 slashing 2 lb. Finesse, special
Scimitar 8 gp 1d6 slashing 3 lb. Finesse, light
Shortsword 5 gp 1d6 piercing / 2 lb. Finesse, light
slashing
Spear, long 3 gp 1d8 piercing 5 lb. Charge-breaking, polearm, versatile (1d10)
Swordbreaker 25 gp 1d4 slashing 1 lb. Light, special
Swordcatcher 25 gp - 5 lb. Polearm, special
Trident 10 gp 1d6 piercing 4 lb. Flesh-bane, thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)
War pick 5 gp 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Armor-bane
Warhammer 5 gp 1d8 bludgeoning 2 lb. Shield-breaking, versatile (1d10)
Whip 1 gp 1d4 slashing 3 lb. Finesse, reach

Martial Ranged Weapons

Blowgun 2 gp 1 piercing 1 lb. Ammunition (range 25/100), loading

Crossbow 50 gp 1d12 piercing 15 lb. Ammunition (range 100/400), heavy, loading, two-handed
Longbow 10 gp 1d10 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, two-handed

Part Three: The Rules

Net 1 gp - 3 lb. Special, thrown (range 5/15)

Exotic Melee Weapons

Chakram 25 gp 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Finesse, light, thrown (range 40/80)

Rope dart 5 sp 1d8 piercing 1 lb. Reach, two-handed
Punch dagger 2 gp 1d4 piercing 1 lb. Armor-bane, finesse, light, special
Whip sword 75 gp 2d4 slashing 3 lb. Finesse, flesh-bane, shield-wrapping

Exotic Ranged Weapons

Rider’s bow 15 gp 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 100/400), two-handed

Net thrower 100 gp - 40 lb. Ammunition (range 30/60), loading, special, two-handed
Harpoon launcher 100 gp - 25 lb. Ammunition (range 60/200), loading, special, two-handed

Nightrider Sword

Equipment and Eldertech

252
 Polearm. This weapon has both the heavy and reach
properties.
Range. A weapon that can be used to make a ranged
attack has a range in parentheses after the ammunition or
thrown property. The range lists two numbers. The first is
the weapon’s normal range in feet, and the second indicates
the weapon’s long range. When attacking a target beyond
normal range, you have disadvantage on the attack roll.
You can’t attack a target beyond the weapon’s long range.
Reach. This weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you
attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for
opportunity attacks.
Shield-Breaking. On a hit, targets wielding a shield must
succeed on a Strength check or lose their shield. The GM
decides whether the shield is dropped or destroyed. The DC
for the check equals the attack roll (without any modifiers).
Shield-Wrapping. These weapons ignore any bonuses a
creature has to their AC from using a shield (not including
the cover granted by a tower shield).
Special. A weapon with the special property has unusual
rules governing its use, explained in the weapon’s
description (see “Special Weapons” later in this section).
Thrown. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can
throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. If the weapon is
a melee weapon, you use the same ability modifier for that
attack roll and damage roll that you would use for a melee
attack with the weapon. For example, if you throw a
handaxe, you use your Strength, but if you throw a dagger,
you can use either your Strength or your Dexterity, since
the dagger has the finesse property.
Two-Handed. This weapon requires two hands when you
attack with it.
Versatile. This weapon can be used with one or two
hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the
property-the damage when the weapon is used with two
hands to make a melee attack.
Unwieldy. This weapon fares poorly at close range. You
have disadvantage when using this weapon to attack
targets within 5 feet of you.
Improvised Weapons
Sometimes characters don’t have their weapons and have to
attack with whatever is at hand. An improvised weapon
includes any object you can wield in one or two hands, such
as broken glass, a table leg, a frying pan, a wagon wheel, or
a dead animal.
Often, an improvised weapon is similar to an actual
weapon and can be treated as such. For example, a table leg
is akin to a club. At the GM’s option, a character proficient
with a weapon can use a similar object as if it were that
weapon and use his or her proficiency bonus.
An object that bears no resemblance to a weapon deals
1d4 damage (the GM assigns a damage type appropriate to
the object). If a character uses a ranged weapon to make a
melee attack, or throws a melee weapon that does not have
the thrown property, it also deals 1d4 damage. An
improvised thrown weapon follows the rules for Throwing
Distance to determine its range (see the General Rules
chapter).
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253
SPECIAL WEAPONS
Weapons with special rules are described here.
Bill Hook. This weapon allows you to make a special
melee attack to knock a target prone, using the standard
rules for Shoving a Creature (see the Combat chapter). If the
target is mounted, you impose disadvantage on their
opposed Strength or Dexterity check.
Bola. A Medium or smaller creature hit by a bola is
restrained until it is freed. A bola has no effect on creatures
that are Large or larger. A creature can use its action to
make a DC 10 Strength check, freeing itself or another
creature within its reach on a success. Dealing 3 slashing
damage to the bola (AC 10) also frees the creature without
harming it, ending the effect, and destroying the bola.
When use an action, bonus action, or reaction to attack
with a bola, you can only make one attack regardless of the
number of attacks you can normally make.
Harpoon Launcher. This weapon uses harpoons as
ammunition. You can elect to connect a harpoon with a
launcher with a length of rope. If you do, you can prevent a
hit target from moving further than the length of rope with
an opposed Strength check.
Lance. A lance requires two hands to wield when you
aren’t mounted.
Mancatcher. Instead of a standard attack, you use this
weapon to attempt to grapple a target. You have advantage
on the initial Strength (Athletics) check to grapple the
target. Once grappled, the target has disadvantage on
attempts to escape the grapple. If a grappled target fails
their attempt to escape, they take 1d4 piercing damage.
Net. A Large or smaller creature hit by a net is restrained
until it is freed. A net has no effect on creatures that are
Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to make a DC
10 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within
its reach on a success. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net
(AC 10) also frees the creature without harming it, ending
the effect and destroying the net.
When you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to
attack with a net, you can make only one attack regardless
of the number of attacks you can normally make.
Net Launcher. This weapon fires a net as ammunition.
Pike. A pike adds 10 feet to your reach when you attack
with it, and cannot be used while mounted.
Punch Dagger. The shape of this weapon protects you
from being disarmed against your will.
Saber. This weapon is particularly effective when
slashing downward and gains an additional die of damage
on critical hits made when mounted.
Swordbreaker. This weapon is designed for disarming or
immobilizing an enemy’s weapons. If you successfully
Parry an enemy’s attack (see the Combat section), and the
attacker is using a non-Heavy weapon that does slashing
damage, you may make an opposed Strength check to
disarm the attacker. Alternatively, you may make a
Strength (Athletics) check with advantage to grapple the
attacker.
Swordcatcher. This weapon is designed for disarming or
immobilizing an enemy’s weapons. Instead of using this
weapon to attack, you can make an opposed Strength check
to disarm a target.
Adventuring Gear
This section describes items that have special rules or
require further explanation.
Acid. As an action, you can splash the contents of this vial
onto a creature within 5 feet of you or throw the vial up to
20 feet, shattering it on impact. In either case, make a
ranged attack against a creature or object, treating the acid
as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes 1d6 acid
damage.
Alchemist’s Fire. This sticky, adhesive fluid ignites when
exposed to air. As an action, you can throw this flask up to
20 feet, shattering it on impact. Make a ranged attack
against a creature or object, treating the alchemist’s fire as
an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 fire
damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end
this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity
check to extinguish the flames.
Arrows. A stick with a (usually) pointed head fired from
a bow. There are several types of arrows:
� Barbed. These arrowheads are designed to be difficult
to remove after striking a target and are commonly
used when fighting monsters or hunting in Dema. If an
attack with this arrow is a critical hit, the arrow embeds
itself in the target’s flesh. The target continues to take 1
damage every minute until the arrow is removed. As
an action, the target or an ally with hands can remove
the arrowhead, dealing 1 damage. The arrow can be
removed without dealing damage by succeeding on a
DC 15 Intelligence (Medicine) check.
The GM may rule that the arrow’s effects apply in
some situations where the attack is not a critical hit,
such as when hunting weak game or attacking with
advantage from a hiding place.
� Blunted. These arrowheads are designed not to damage
the skin of the target. They deal bludgeoning damage
instead of piercing damage. Against Small or larger
creatures, however, they do half the normal amount of
damage. You can choose to knock a target unconscious
when you bring them to 0 hit points with these arrows.
� Bodkin. These arrowheads are designed to pierce
deeply through tough armor. When using these
arrows, your bow gains the armor-bane property while
attacking targets at normal range.
� Forked. These arrowheads are designed for hunting
fowl but pirates in the Midnight Sea have also found
them useful for damaging ship sails or cutting ropes.
These arrows deal slashing damage instead of piercing
damage. When dealing damage to a ship’s ropes or
sails, you may reroll your first 1 or 2 on your damage
dice and must use the new roll.
� Standard. These are the traditional arrows used by
most archers and hunters.
� Swallow Tail. These arrowheads were designed to
leave large, deep wounds in their targets. When using
these arrows, your bow gains the flesh-bane property
while attacking targets at normal range.
Various Types of Arrows
254
EQUIPMENT PACKS
The starting equipment you get from your class
includes a collection of useful adventuring gear, put
together in a pack. The contents of these packs are
listed here. If you are buying your starting
equipment, you can purchase a pack for the price
shown, which might be cheaper than buying the
items individually.
Burglar’s Pack (14 gp, 40 lb.). Includes a
backpack, 10 feet of string, a bell, 5 candles, a
crowbar, a hammer, 10 pitons, a hooded lantern, 2
flasks of oil, 5 days rations, a tinderbox, and a
waterskin. The pack also has 50 feet of hempen
rope strapped to the side of it.
Diplomat’s Pack (32 gp, 30 lb.). Includes a chest, 2
cases for maps and scrolls, a set of fine clothes, a
bottle of ink, an ink pen, a lamp, 2 flasks of oil, 5
sheets of paper, a vial of perfume, sealing wax, and
soap.
Dungeoneer’s Pack (14 gp, 45 lb.). Includes a
backpack, a crowbar, a hammer, 10 pitons, 5
torches, a tinderbox, 10 days of rations, and a
waterskin. The pack also has 50 feet of hempen
rope strapped to the side of it.
Entertainer’s Pack (35 gp, 33 lb.). Includes a
backpack, a bedroll, 2 costumes, 5 candles, 5 days
of rations, a waterskin, and a disguise kit.
Explorer’s Pack (12 gp, 45 lb.). Includes a
backpack, a bedroll, a mess kit, a tinderbox, 5
Part Three: The Rules
torches, 10 days of rations, and a waterskin. The
pack also has 50 feet of hempen rope strapped to
the side of it.
Priest’s Pack (19 gp, 20 lb.). Includes a backpack, a
blanket, 10 candles, a tinderbox, an alms box, 2
blocks of incense, a censer, vestments, a holy
symbol, 2 days of rations, and a waterskin.
Scholar’s Pack (20 gp, 8 lb.). Includes a backpack,
a book of lore, a bottle of ink, an ink pen, 50 sheets
of parchment, and a small knife.
Equipment and Eldertech
 ADVENTURING GEAR

Item Cost Weight Item Cost Weight

Abacus 25 sp 2 lb. Ink Pen 2 cp -
Acid (vial) 12 sp 1 lb. Jug or pitcher 5 sp 4 lb.
Alchemist’s fire (flask) 50 gp 1 lb. Ladder (10-foot) 14 sp 25 lb.
Ammunition Lamp 3 sp 1 lb.
~Barbed Arrows (20) 3 gp 1 lb. Lantern, bullseye 10 sp 2 lb.
~Blunted Arrows (20) 2 gp 1 lb. Lantern, hooded 18 sp 2 lb.
~Bodkin Arrows (20) 4 gp 1 lb. Lock 5 gp 1 lb.
~Forked Arrows (20) 3 gp 1 lb. Magnifying glass 15 sp -
~Standard Arrows (20) 1 gp 1 lb. Manacles 4 gp 6 lb.
~Swallow Tail (20) 4 gp 1 lb. Mess kit 12 sp 1 lb.
~Blowgun needles (50) 1 gp 1 lb. Mirror, steel 5 sp 1/2 lb.
~Sling bullets (20) 4 cp 1½ lb. Oil (flask) 6 cp 1 lb.
Antitoxin (vial) 5 gp - Oil (armor) 40 gp 1 lb.
Backpack 20 sp 5 lb. Nail 1 cp -
Barrel 15 sp 70 lb. Paper (one sheet) 2 cp -
Basket 20 sp 2 lb. Parchment (one sheet) 1 sp -
Bedroll 25 sp 7 lb. Perfume (vial) 20 sp -
Bell 15 sp - Pick, miner’s 25 sp 10 lb.
Blanket 12 sp 3 lb. Piton 2 sp 1/4 lb.
Block and tackle 25 sp 5 lb. Poison, basic (vial) 10 gp -
Book, blank 4 gp 4 lb. Pole (10-foot) 5 sp 7 lb.
Bottle, glass 1 sp 2 lb. Pot, iron 16 sp 10 lb.
Bucket 4 sp 2 lb. Pouch 7 cp 1 lb.
Caltrops (bag of 20) 25 sp 2 lb. Quiver 5 sp 1 lb.
Candle 1 cp - Ram, portable 4 gp 35 lb.
Case, map or scroll 8 sp 1 lb. Rations (1 day) 5 sp 1 lb.
Chain (10 feet) 5 gp 10 lb. Robes 3 gp 4 lb.
Chalk (1 piece) 1 cp - Rope, hempen (50 feet) 15 sp 10 lb.
Chest 6 gp 25 lb. Rope, silk (50 feet) 8 gp 5 lb.
Climber’s kit 4 gp 12 lb. Sack 5 sp 1/2 lb.
Clothes, costume 5 gp 4 lb. Scale, merchant’s 5 gp 3 lb.
Crowbar 20 sp 5 lb. Sealing wax 1 cp -
Fishing tackle 5 sp 4 lb. Shovel 12 sp 5 lb.
Flask or tankard 6 sp 1 lb. Signal whistle 1 sp -
Grappling hook 25 sp 4 lb. Signet ring 20 sp -
Hammer 9 sp 3 lb. Soap 8 cp -
Hammer, sledge 3 gp 10 lb. Spikes, iron (10) 10 sp 5 lb.
Healer’s kit 1 gp 3 lb. Spyglass 3 gp 1 lb.
Holy symbol Tent, two-person 6 gp 20 lb.
~ Amulet 5 gp 1 lb. Tinderbox 2 sp 1 lb.
~ Emblem 5 gp - Torch 1 sp 1 lb.
~ Reliquary 5 gp 2 lb. Torch, illumite 1 gp 1 lb.
Hourglass 22 sp 1 lb. Vial 1 sp -
Hunting Trap 10 gp 25 lb. Waterskin 5 sp 5 lb. (full)
Ink (1 ounce bottle) 2 sp - Whetstone 5 cp 1 lb.

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255

Terminarch
Holy Symbol
Antitoxin. A creature that drinks this vial of liquid gains
advantage on saving throws against poison for 1 hour.
Block and Tackle. A set of pulleys with a cable threaded
through them and a hook to attach to objects, a block and
tackle allows you to hoist up to four times the weight you
can normally lift.
Book. A book might contain poetry, historical accounts,
information pertaining to a particular field of lore, diagrams
and notes, or just about anything else that can be
represented using text or pictures.
Caltrops. As an action, you can spread a bag of caltrops
to cover a square area that is 5 feet on a side. Any creature
that enters the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity
saving throw or stop moving this turn and take 1 piercing
damage. Taking this damage reduces the creature’s walking
speed by 10 feet until the end of that creature’s turn. A
creature moving through the area at half speed doesn’t
need to make the save.
Candle. For 1 hour, a candle sheds bright light in a 5-foot
radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet.
Case, Map or Scroll. This cylindrical leather case can hold
up to ten rolled-up sheets of paper or five rolled-up sheets
of parchment.
Chain. A chain has 10 hit points but is immune to all
damage types except acid. It can be burst with a successful
DC 20 Strength check.
Climber’s Kit. A climber’s kit includes special pitons,
boot tips, gloves, and a harness, though you'll need to
provide your own rope. You can use the climber’s kit as an
action to anchor yourself; when you do, you can’t fall more
than 25 feet from the point where you anchored yourself,
and you can’t climb more than 25 feet away from that point
without undoing the anchor.
Crowbar. Using a crowbar grants advantage to Strength
checks where the crowbar’s leverage can be applied.
Fishing Tackle. This kit includes a wooden rod, silken
line, corkwood bobbers, steel hooks, lead sinkers, velvet
lures, and narrow netting.
256
Healer’s Kit. This kit is a leather pouch containing
bandages, salves, and splints. The kit has ten uses. As an
action, you can expend one use of the kit to stabilize a
creature that has 0 hit points, without needing to make an
Intelligence (Medicine) check.
Holy Symbol. A holy symbol is a representation of a god
or pantheon. It might be an amulet depicting a symbol
representing a deity, the same symbol carefully engraved or
inlaid as an emblem on a shield, or a tiny box holding a
fragment of a sacred relic.
Hunting Trap. When you use your action to set it, this
trap forms a saw-toothed steel ring that snaps shut when a
creature steps on a pressure plate in the center. The trap is
affixed by a heavy chain to an immobile object, such as a
tree or a spike driven into the ground. A creature that steps
on the plate must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving
throw or take 1d4 piercing damage and stop moving.
Thereafter, until the creature breaks free of the trap, its
movement is limited by the length of the chain (typically 3
feet long). A creature can use its action to make a DC 13
Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its
reach on a success. Each failed check deals 1 piercing
damage to the trapped creature.
Lamp. A lamp casts bright light in a 15-foot radius and
dim light for an additional 30 feet. Once lit, it burns for 6
hours on a flask (1 pint) of oil.
Lantern, Bullseye. A bullseye lantern casts bright light in
a 60-foot cone and dim light for an additional 60 feet. Once
lit, it burns for 6 hours on a flask (1 pint) of oil.
Part Three: The Rules
Lantern, Hooded. A hooded lantern casts bright light in a
30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. Once
lit, it burns for 6 hours on a flask (1 pint) of oil. As an action,
you can lower the hood, reducing the light to dim light in a
5-foot radius.
Lock. A key is provided with the lock. Without the key, a
creature proficient with thieves’ tools can pick this lock with
a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. Your GM may decide
that better locks are available for higher prices.
Magnifying Glass. This lens allows a closer look at small
objects. It is also useful as a substitute for flint and steel
when starting fires. Lighting a fire with a magnifying glass
requires light as bright as sunlight to focus, tinder to ignite,
and about 5 minutes for the fire to ignite. A magnifying
glass grants advantage on any ability check made to
appraise or inspect an item that is small or highly detailed.
Manacles. These metal restraints can bind a Small or
Medium creature. Escaping the manacles requires a
successful DC 20 Dexterity check. Breaking them requires a
successful DC 21 Strength check. Each set of manacles
comes with one key. Without the key, a creature proficient
with thieves’ tools can pick the manacles’ lock with a
successful DC 15 Dexterity check. Manacles have 15 hit
points but are immune to all damage types except acid and
bludgeoning.
Mess Kit. This tin box contains a cup and simple cutlery.
The box clamps together, and one side can be used as a
cooking pan and the other as a plate or shallow bowl.
Oil. Oil usually comes in a clay flask that holds 1 pint. As
an action, you can splash the oil in this flask onto a creature
within 5 feet of you or throw it up to 20 feet, shattering it on
impact. Make a ranged attack against a target creature or
Equipment and Eldertech
object, treating the oil as an improvised weapon. On a hit, Pouch. A cloth or leather pouch can hold up to 20 sling
the target is covered in oil. If the target takes any fire bullets or 50 blowgun needles, among other things.
damage before the oil dries (after 1 minute), the target takes Quiver. A quiver can hold up to 20 arrows.
an additional 2d4 fire damage from the burning oil. You can Ram, Portable. You can use a portable ram to break
also pour a flask of oil on the ground to cover a 5-foot down doors. When doing so, you gain a +4 bonus on the
square area, provided that the surface is level. If lit, the oil Strength check. One other character can help you use the
burns for 2 rounds and deals 2d4 fire damage to any ram, giving you advantage on this check.
creature that enters the area or ends its turn in the area. A
Rations. Rations consist of dry foods suitable for
creature can take this damage only once per turn.
extended travel, including jerky, dried fruit, hardtack, and
Oil, Armor. Armor oils are used to treat leather armor or nuts.
clothing to provide some type of beneficial effect. When
Rope. Rope, whether made of hemp or silk, has 2 hit
applied to clothes made from natural fibers, they take one
points and can be burst with a DC 18 Strength check. It is
hour to soak in provide full effectiveness. When applied to
immune to all damage types except slashing, fire, and acid.
leather and hide armors, they require 24 hours to fully soak
in and provide their full effectiveness. Only one oil can be Scale, Merchant’s. A scale includes a small balance, pans,
used at a time, and it takes thorough cleaning to remove it and a suitable assortment of weights up to 2 pounds. With
from clothing. It cannot be removed from armor. it, you can measure the exact weight of small objects, such
as raw precious metals or trade goods, to help determine
� Perimian Oil. Made from dissolved asbestos, ground their worth.
dragon scale powder, and the essential oils of
bioluminescent corals from the Midnight Isles, this Spyglass. Objects viewed through a spyglass are
potent-smelling oil resists fire. When applied to magnified to twice their size.
clothing or armor, the item gains Armor Protection Tent. A simple and portable canvas shelter, a tent sleeps
(fire) property and a distinct sulfurous smell. two.
� Tenaybren Oil. Made from the liquified blubber of sky Tinderbox. This small container holds flint, fire steel, and
whales, fats from Deep Ones, and the powder stones tinder (usually dry cloth soaked in light oil) used to kindle a
from the Tenaybre, this thick, fatty oil resists the cold. fire. Using it to light a torch-or anything else with abundant,
When applied to clothing or armor, the item gains the exposed fuel-takes an action. Lighting any other fire takes 1
Armor Protection (cold) property and a faint musky minute.
smell. Torch. A torch burns for 1 hour, providing bright light in
� Lightning Ward Oil. Made from distilled tar, crushed a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet. If
cave horror chitin, and the rubbery inner bark of trees you make a melee attack with a burning torch and hit, it
from Snow’s Edge, this surprisingly thin oil resists deals 1 fire damage.
holding a charge. When applied to clothing or armor, Torch, Illumite. A glowing crystal fastened to a handle
the item gains the Armor Protection (lightning) made of wood, ivory, or bone. The crystal emits bright light
property and an aroma of ozone. in a 20-foot radius and dim light in an additional 20-foot
� Scent-Masking Oil. Made from the oils of pressed river radius.
lilies, dust from the Red Desert, and the blood of
maldormacs, this dull and odorless oil suppresses TABLE - CONTAINER CAPACITY
scents and the rustling of clothing. When applied to Container Capacity
clothing or armor, the item gives the wearer a +1 bonus Backpack* 1 cubic foot/30 pounds of gear
on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Barrel 40 gallons liquid, 4 cubic feet solid
� Maw Repellent. Made from unripe fruit rinds, toxic Basket 2 cubic feet/40 pounds of gear
frog poison, and fleckan musk, this foul-smelling oil is Bottle 1½ pints liquid
used to keep creatures from biting you. When applied Bucket 3 gallons liquid, 1/2 cubic foot solid
to clothing or armor, creatures that successfully make a
Bite attack against you must succeed on a DC 13 Chest 12 cubic feet/300 pounds of gear
Constitution saving throw before making a Bite attack Flask or tankard 1 pint liquid
against you again. Jug or pitcher 1 gallon liquid
� Insoluble Oil. Made from snottite remains, calcified Pot, iron 1 gallon liquid
soft tissues, and alkaline mineral water, this milky oil Pouch 1/5 cubic foot/6 pounds of gear
resists acids. When applied to clothing or armor, the Sack 1 cubic foot/30 pounds of gear
item gains the Armor Protection (acid) property and a
Vial 4 ounces liquid
vague ammonia smell.
Waterskin 4 pints liquid
Poison, Basic. You can use the poison in this vial to coat
one slashing or piercing weapon or up to three pieces of * You can also strap items, such as a bedroll or a coil of
ammunition. Applying the poison takes an action. A rope, to the outside of a backpack.
creature hit by the poisoned weapon or ammunition must
make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 poison
damage. Once applied, the poison retains potency for 1
hour before drying.

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257
Tools Poisoner’s Kit. A poisoner’s kit includes the vials,
chemicals, and other equipment necessary for the creation
of poisons. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your
A tool helps you to do something you couldn’t otherwise
proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make to craft or
do, such as craft or repair an item, forge a document, or pick
use poisons.
a lock. Your class, background, and other character choices
give you proficiency with certain tools. Proficiency with a Thieves’ Tools. This set of tools includes a small file, a set
tool allows you to add your proficiency bonus to any ability of lock picks, a small mirror mounted on a metal handle, a
check you make using that tool. set of narrow-bladed scissors, and a pair of pliers.
Proficiency with these tools lets you add your proficiency
Tool use is not tied to a single ability, since proficiency
bonus to any ability checks you make to disarm traps or
with a tool represents broader knowledge of its use. For
open locks.
example, the GM might ask you to make a Dexterity check
to carve a fine detail with your woodcarver’s tools, or a TABLE - TOOLS
Strength check to make something out of particularly hard Item Cost Weight
wood. Artisan’s tools
Artisan’s Tools. These special tools include the items ~ Alchemist’s supplies 50 gp 8 lb.
needed to pursue a craft or trade. The table shows examples
~ Brewer’s supplies 20 gp 9 lb.
of the most common types of tools, each providing items
related to a single craft. Proficiency with a set of artisan’s ~ Calligrapher’s supplies 10 gp 5 lb.
tools lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability ~ Carpenter’s tools 8 gp 6 lb.
checks you make using the tools in your craft. Each type of ~ Cartographer’s tools 15 gp 6 lb.
artisan’s tools requires a separate proficiency. ~ Cobbler’s tools 5 gp 5 lb.
Disguise Kit. This pouch of cosmetics, hair dye, and small ~ Cook’s utensils 1 gp 8 lb.
props lets you create disguises that change your physical ~ Glassblower’s tools 30 gp 5 lb.
appearance. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your
~ Jeweler’s tools 25 gp 2 lb.
proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make to create a
visual disguise. ~ Leatherworker’s tools 5 gp 5 lb.
Forgery Kit. This small box contains a variety of papers ~ Mason’s tools 10 gp 8 lb.
and parchments, pens and inks, seals and sealing wax, gold ~ Painter’s supplies 10 gp 5 lb.
and silver leaf, and other supplies necessary to create ~ Potter’s tools 10 gp 3 lb.

Part Three: The Rules

convincing forgeries of physical documents. Proficiency ~ Smith’s tools 20 gp 8 lb.
with this kit lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ~ Tinker’s tools 50 gp 10 lb.
ability checks you make to create a physical forgery of a
~ Weaver’s tools 1 gp 5 lb.
document.
~ Woodcarver’s tools 1 gp 5 lb.
Gaming Set. This item encompasses a wide range of game
pieces, including dice and decks of cards. A few common Disguise kit 20 gp 3 lb.
examples appear on the Tools table, but other kinds of Forgery kit 15 gp 5 lb.
gaming sets exist. If you are proficient with a gaming set, Gaming set
you can add your proficiency bonus to ability checks you ~ Dice set 1 sp -
make to play a game with that set. Each type of gaming set ~ Playing card set 5 sp -
requires a separate proficiency.
~ Enthroned set 1 gp -
Herbalism Kit. This kit contains a variety of instruments
Herbalism kit 5 gp 3 lb.
such as clippers, mortar and pestle, and pouches and vials
used by herbalists to create remedies and potions. Musical instrument
Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency ~ Bagpipes 30 gp 6 lb.
bonus to any ability checks you make to identify or apply ~ Drum 6 gp 3 lb.
herbs. Also, proficiency with this kit is required to create ~ Dulcimer 25 gp 10 lb.
antitoxin. ~ Flute 2 gp 1 lb.
Musical Instrument. Several of the most common types of ~ Lute 35 gp 2 lb.
musical instruments are shown on the table as examples. If
~ Lyre 30 gp 2 lb.
you have proficiency with a given musical instrument, you
can add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you ~ Horn 3 gp 2 lb.
make to play music with the instrument. Each type of ~ Pan flute 12 gp 2 lb.
musical instrument requires a separate proficiency. ~ Shawm 2 gp 1 lb.
Navigator’s Tools. This set of instruments is used for ~ Viol 30 gp 1 lb.
navigation at sea. Proficiency with navigator’s tools lets you Navigator’s tools 25 gp 2 lb.
chart a ship’s course and follow navigation charts. In Poisoner’s kit 50 gp 2 lb.
addition, these tools allow you to add your proficiency
Thieves’ tools 25 gp 1 lb.
bonus to any ability check you make to avoid getting lost at
sea. Vehicles (land or water) *
* See the “Mounts and Vehicles” section.

Equipment and Eldertech

258
Mounts and TABLE - MOUNTS AND OTHER ANIMALS
Item Cost Speed
Heavily Encumbered

Vehicles Canine, medium 25 gp 40 ft.

/ Carrying Capacity
130 / 195 lb.
A good mount can help you move more quickly through Desert mount,
25 gp 50 ft. 290 / 450 lb.
large
the wilderness, but its primary purpose is to carry the gear
that would otherwise slow you down. The Mounts and Draft animal,
10 gp 40 ft. 260 / 420 lb.
medium
Other Animals table shows each animal’s speed and base
carrying capacity. Draft animal, large 25 gp 40 ft. 360 / 540 lb.
An animal pulling a carriage, cart, chariot, sled, or wagon Draft animal, huge 200 gp 40 ft. 880 / 1,320 lb.
can move weight up to five times its base carrying capacity, Riding animal,
15 gp 40 ft. 150 / 225 lb.
including the weight of the vehicle. When pulling a weight medium
greater than its base carrying capacity, the creature moves Riding animal, large 40 gp 60 ft. 290 / 450 lb.
at the same speed as if it was heavily encumbered. If War mount, large 75 gp 50 ft. 320 / 480 lb.
multiple animals pull the same vehicle, they can add their
carrying capacity together. TABLE - WATERBORNE VEHICLES
Barding. Barding is armor designed to protect an animal’s Item Cost Speed
head, neck, chest, and body. Any type of armor shown on Galley 10,000 gp 4 mph
the Armor table can be purchased as barding. The cost is Keelboat 1,000 gp 1 mph
four times the equivalent armor made for humanoids, and it Longship 2,000 gp 3 mph
weighs twice as much.
Rowboat 20 gp 1½ mph
Saddles. A military saddle braces the rider, helping you
Sailing ship 2,000 gp 2 mph
keep your seat on an active mount in battle. It gives you
advantage on any check you make to remain mounted. Warship 8,000 gp 2½ mph
Vehicle Proficiency. If you have proficiency with a certain
kind of vehicle (land or water), you can add your
TABLE - TACK, HARNESS, AND DRAWN
proficiency bonus to any check you make to control that VEHICLES
kind of vehicle in difficult circumstances. Item Cost Weight
Rowed Vessels. Keelboats and rowboats are used on lakes Barding ×4 ×2
and rivers. If going downstream, add the speed of the Bit and bridle 2 gp 1 lb.
current (typically 3 miles per hour) to the speed of the
Carriage 100 gp 600 lb.
vehicle. These vehicles can’t be rowed against any
Cart 10 gp 200 lb.
significant current, but they can be pulled upstream by
draft animals on the shores. A rowboat weighs 100 pounds, Chariot 75 gp 100 lb.
in case adventurers carry it over land. Feed (per day) 1 sp 20 lb.
Saddle
~ Exotic 50 gp 25 lb.
~ Military 20 gp 30 lb.
~ Pack 5 gp 15 lb.
~ Riding 8 gp 25 lb.
Saddlebags 20 sp 8 lb.
Sled 20 gp 300 lb.
Rowboat Stabling (per day) 2 sp -
Wagon 200 gp 750 lb.

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259
Expenses
When not descending into the depths of the earth, exploring
ruins for lost treasures, or waging war against the
encroaching empire, adventurers face more mundane
realities. Adventurers – like all people – require basic
necessities such as shelter, sustenance, and clothing. These
things cost money, although some lifestyles cost more than
others.
Lifestyle Expenses
Lifestyle expenses provide you with a simple way to
account for the cost of living. They cover your
accommodations, food and drink, and all your other
necessities. Furthermore, expenses cover the cost of
maintaining your equipment so you can be ready when
adventure next calls.
At the start of each week or month (your choice), choose a
lifestyle from the Expenses table and pay the price to
sustain that lifestyle. The prices listed are per day, so if you
wish to calculate the cost of your chosen lifestyle over a
thirty-day period, multiply the listed price by 30. Your
lifestyle might change from one period to the next, based on
the funds you have at your disposal, or you might maintain
the same lifestyle throughout your character’s career.
Your lifestyle choice can have consequences. Maintaining
a wealthy lifestyle might help you make contacts with the
rich and powerful, though you run the risk of attracting
thieves. Likewise, living frugally might help you avoid
criminals, but you are unlikely to make powerful
connections. Living a Wretched lifestyle will subject you to
the effects of Starvation as you go without eating, while
living a Squalid lifestyle at least allows you to get half your
daily requirement of food (see the Exploration and Weather
chapter).
TABLE - LIFESTYLE EXPENSES
Lifestyle Price/Day
Wretched -
Squalid 1 sp
Poor 2 sp
Modest 1 gp
Comfortable 2 gp
Wealthy 4 gp
Aristocratic 10 gp minimum
Wretched. You live in inhumane conditions. You shelter
wherever you can, sneaking into barns, huddling in old
crates, and relying on the good graces of others. A wretched
lifestyle presents abundant dangers. Violence, disease, and
hunger follow you wherever you go. Other wretched
people covet your armor, weapons, and adventuring gear,
which represent a fortune by their standards. You are
beneath the notice of most people.
Squalid. You live in a leaky stable, a mud-floored hut just
outside town, or a vermin-infested boarding house in the
slums. Your environment is desperate and often violent, rife
with disease, hunger, and misfortune. You are beneath the
notice of most people, and you have few legal protections.
Most people at this lifestyle level have suffered some
260
terrible setback. They might be disturbed, marked as exiles,
or suffer from disease.
Poor. Simple food and lodgings, threadbare clothing, and
unpredictable conditions result in a sufficient, though
probably unpleasant, experience. Your accommodations
might be a room in a flophouse or in the common room
above a tavern. You benefit from some legal protections, but
you still have to contend with violence, crime, and disease.
People at this lifestyle level tend to be unskilled laborers,
peddlers, thieves, mercenaries, and disreputable types.
Modest. You live in an older part of town, renting a room
in a boarding house, inn, or temple. You don’t go hungry or
thirsty, you can maintain your equipment, and your living
conditions are clean, if simple. Ordinary people living
modest lifestyles include soldiers with families, laborers,
students, priests, and the like.
Comfortable. You live in a small cottage in a decent
neighborhood or in a private room at a fine inn. You can
easily afford maintaining your equipment. You associate
with merchants, skilled tradespeople, and military officers.
Wealthy. You live a lifestyle comparable to that of a
highly successful merchant, a favored servant of the royalty,
or the owner of a few small businesses. You have
respectable lodgings, usually a spacious home in a good
part of town or a comfortable suite at a fine inn. You likely
have a small staff of servants.
Aristocratic. You move in circles populated by the most
powerful people in the community. You have excellent
lodgings, perhaps a townhouse in the nicest part of town or
Part Three: The Rules
rooms in the finest inn. You dine at the best restaurants,
retain the most skilled and fashionable tailor, and have
servants attending to your every need. You receive
invitations to the social gatherings of the rich and powerful,
and spend evenings in the company of politicians, guild
leaders, high priests, and nobility. You must also contend
with the highest levels of deceit and treachery. The
wealthier you are, the greater the chance you will be drawn
into political intrigue as a pawn or participant.
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The expenses and lifestyles described here assume
that you are spending your time between
adventures in town, availing yourself of whatever
services you can afford-paying for food and shelter,
paying townspeople to sharpen your sword and
repair your armor, and so on. Some characters,
though, might prefer to spend their time away from
civilization, sustaining themselves in the wild by
hunting, foraging, and repairing their own gear.
Maintaining this kind of lifestyle doesn’t require
you to spend any coin, but it is time-consuming. If
you spend your time between adventures
practicing a profession, you can eke out the
equivalent of a poor lifestyle. Proficiency in the
Survival skill lets you live at the equivalent of a
modest lifestyle.
Equipment and Eldertech
 Services
Adventurers can pay nonplayer characters to assist them or
act on their behalf in a variety of circumstances. Most such
hirelings have fairly ordinary skills, while others are
masters of a craft or art, and a few are experts with
specialized adventuring skills.
Some of the most basic types of hirelings appear on the
Services table. Other common hirelings include any of the
wide variety of people who inhabit a typical town or city,
when the adventurers pay them to perform a specific task.
For example, a sage might pay a carpenter to construct an
elaborate chest for containing their various salves and
mixtures. A fighter might commission a blacksmith to forge
a special sword. A wordsmith might pay a tailor to make
exquisite clothing for an upcoming performance in front of
Bottle of Wine the duke.
Other hirelings provide more expert or dangerous
services. Mercenary soldiers paid to help the adventurers
take on a bandit gang are hirelings, as are scholars hired to
Food, Drink, and research ancient or esoteric lore. If a high-level adventurer

Lodging establishes a stronghold of some kind, they might hire a

whole staff of servants and agents to run the place, from a
The Food, Drink, and Lodging table gives prices for castellan or steward to menial laborers to keep the stables
individual food items and a single night’s lodging. These clean. These hirelings often enjoy a long-term contract that
prices are included in your total lifestyle expenses. includes a place to live within the stronghold as part of the
offered compensation.
TABLE - FOOD, DRINK, AND LODGING Skilled hirelings include anyone hired to perform a
Item Cost
service that involves a proficiency (including weapon, tool,
Ale
or skill): a mercenary, artisan, scribe, and so on. The pay
~ Gallon 2 sp shown is a minimum; some expert hirelings require more
~ Mug 3 cp pay. Untrained hirelings are hired for menial work that
~ Banquet (per person) 10 gp requires no particular skill and can include laborers,
~ Bread, loaf 2 cp porters, maids, and similar workers.
~ Cheese, hunk 1 sp TABLE - SERVICES
Messenger 2 cp per mile Service Pay
Road or gate toll 4 cp Coach cab
Ship’s passage 15 sp per day ~ Per day 12 sp
Inn stay (per day) ~ Within a city, 1 hour 1 sp
~ Squalid 7 cp Hireling
~ Poor 1 sp ~ Skilled 2 gp per day
~ Modest 2 sp ~ Untrained 2 sp per day
~ Comfortable 7 sp Messenger 2 cp per mile
~ Wealthy 2 gp Road or gate toll 4 cp
~ Aristocratic 4 gp Ship’s passage 15 sp per day
Meals (per day)
~ Squalid 3 cp
~ Poor 6 cp
~ Modest 3 sp
~ Comfortable 5 sp
~ Wealthy 8 sp
~ Aristocratic 2 gp
Meat, pound 5 cp
Wine
~ Common (pitcher) 2 sp
~ Fine (bottle) 10 gp

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261
Clothing Pelts and Animal
Goods
The world is far too dangerous to be strolling around
naked. All adventurers need clothing of some kind, and you
may find that your road-worn rags are inadequate for
bluffing your way past the guard at a gala. Or maybe you While adventuring and exploring the wilderness, it is
just need a new tunic after yours got sliced open by an common to hunt game in the surrounding area for food.
angry bylak. Adventurers with the proper skills can harvest more than
just meat from hunted animals and monsters with a
Many gaming groups pay no mind to the finer details of
Wisdom (Survival) check (DC determined by the GM).
clothing. If your game is one where presentation matters,
Pelts, claws, saliva, poison sacs, eyes, and all matter of
then the Clothing table gives the costs of different pieces
animal parts may have a practical use, or could be sold
you may purchase, whether common or fine. Note that
along to the right buyer for some extra coin.
many commoners simply buy fabric and stitch clothing
themselves, but adventurers without the time for such Most furred animals have pelts that can be easily and
endeavors will have to visit a tailor for their needs. reliably sold. The price you can get for an animal hide in the
region they are found can be referenced in the Animal Pelts
TABLE - CLOTHING table, though these values may vary depending on
Clothing Cost (common) Cost (fine) circumstances. Note that these numbers apply to hunted
Belt 3 sp 1 gp animals, not farm animals.
Belt, weapons 4 sp 2 gp If a creature has any parts that may be harvested and
Boots 15 sp 8 gp sold, they may be listed in a creature's stat block. A Wisdom
(Survival) check is required to harvest successfully, and the
Breeches 20 sp 6 gp
DC for an item will also be listed. Some samples are
Cloak 10 sp 15 gp provided in the Other Animal Goods table. All sizes listed
Gloves 8 sp 4 gp in this table are references to the creature sizes listed in the
Moccasins 4 sp 1 gp Combat chapter. If nothing is listed, the GM may come up
Pants 20 sp 6 gp with their own list with respect to the nature of the creature.
Shirt 20 sp 6 gp TABLE - ANIMAL PELTS
Shoes 9 sp 4 gp Size of Pelt Value Pelt Value (dangerous or
Socks 3 sp 1 gp Creature (prey creature) rare creature)

Part Three: The Rules

Tunic 16 sp 5 gp Tiny 5 cp 3 sp
Undergarments 1 sp 1 gp Small 2 sp 10 sp
Medium 4 sp 5 gp
Large 6 sp 30 gp
Huge 10 gp 100 gp

TABLE - OTHER ANIMAL GOODS

Animal Good Value
10 quills or spines from a common, tiny animal 3 cp
Claw of a large predator 6 cp
Pearly shell of a tiny creature, intact 1 sp
Feathers and down of a small bird 1 sp

Oil made by boiling the blubber of a large creature 8 sp

Intact poison sac of a medium creature 1 gp

Tusk of a huge creature 20 gp

ANIMAL GOODS FROM DISTANT REGIONS

All prices listed for animal products are for the
regions in which the creatures can be found.
Distance from the source can make a product more
valuable. For regions bordering the home region of
a creature, items harvested from that creature may
be worth twice as much. In even further regions,
the price can quadruple.

Fine Boots

Equipment and Eldertech

262
Eldertech
Eldertech is the collective term for items placed in Dema by
the advanced Overseers who run the World Ship. It is as
safe to say magic does not exist in Dema as surely as the
world is flat, and the sun hangs forever in the southeast.
After seeing Eldertech in use, though, it is easy to mistake
these tools for arcane sorcery out of some daydream or
fantasy.
Eldertech can be anything from a jar that fills itself with
water out of thin air, swords with an unbreakable blade,
diving suits that allow one to breathe underwater, gauntlets
that generate a blast of flame, spectacles that grant vision in
pitch darkness, or boots that let a user walk a foot above the
ground. The largest, most powerful artifacts can feed entire
cities. Most Eldertech artifacts are made of an incredible
purplish-blue metal. Many items have the distinct Eldertech
symbol etched into their side. For every mild curiosity and
harmless Eldertech trinket that is discovered, strange new
artifacts with never-before-seen properties are extracted
from flooded jungle temples, labyrinthine ruins buried
beneath the sands, and grand caverns unlit by torchlight for
centuries.
The identity of Eldertech’s makers remains a mystery to
the people of Dema, although theories abound. While all the
sentients covet Eldertech’s power and prestige, the
Archivists have based their entire culture around the
worship and collection of Eldertech. Archivist societies
regularly send expeditions to claim new items. The ancient
relics baffle most attempts at replicating their effects and
uses. Nevertheless, it is commonly accepted that Eldertech
simply bends the natural laws without breaking them
through a perfectly unexplainable application of
technology.
The trading value of this limited supply of objects varies
widely. A small perpetual source of light might cost one
pouch of coins. The most powerful weapons may involve
exchanging enough land and jewels to declare a kingdom.
Adventurers should always be on the lookout to discover or
trade Eldertech in their travels. While rare, the right piece
could give irresistible advantages over the most challenging
obstacles and foes.
Rarity
While no Eldertech is truly commonplace, some artifact
types are scarcer than others. The different levels of rarity
can help give context to how powerful an artifact can be
and how easily it can be acquired.
Common. Even sentient creatures that live in small
villages have at least seen common Eldertech once or twice
in their lives, though that doesn’t mean artifacts of this
category are cheap or plentiful. Towns of a decent size will
often have at least a few of them available for purchase, and
usually they cost at least as much as a decent riding animal
(about 50 gp or more).
Uncommon. Eldertech in this category is usually worth
about 10 times as much as common Eldertech, and the
artifacts often have significantly stronger properties.
Uncommon Eldertech can only be found for purchase in
large towns or cities on important trading roads.
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263
Rare. Worth at least 100 times as much as common
Eldertech, rare artifacts usually hold significant power and
can easily turn the tide of a small battle. They’re also
commonly used as political gifts among the wealthy elite
looking to curry favor with those in power. You will only be
able to purchase rare artifacts in the largest cities from
specialized merchants.
Legendary. These artifacts reside in the hands of royalty,
leaders of armies, the vaults of the Eldertech-worshipping
city Etherea, and the darkest and most dangerous ruins.
Legendary artifacts often have world-bending capabilities
that can determine the outcome of wars. Typically, there are
only a few known copies of each type of artifact, and some
are even one-of-a-kind. Eldertech of this tier cannot be
purchased normally anywhere.
Properties
Eldertech artifacts have several special properties. Many are
constructed from a unique metal known as Eldertech alloy
and are immune to all damage types. They can still be
damaged by bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage
dealt by another Eldertech artifact, though they have
resistance to this damage.
IGNORES PHYSICAL DAMAGE RESISTANCES
Any slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage caused by
Eldertech weapons or effects generated by Eldertech
artifacts ignores damage resistances, unless the creature’s
stat block specifies otherwise.
USE AND ACTIVATION
Eldertech artifacts have various activation methods. Some
have buttons, some respond to being waved in the air, and
many seem to respond to simple thoughts from the wielder.
When successfully identifying an Eldertech item, the
identifier will usually also learn how an artifact is activated.
CHARGES
Many Eldertech items have a number of charges that limit
how often they can be used. If an artifact has used some of
its charges, then it will recover all spent charges during
your next long rest as long as it has been exposed to
sunlight for a total of at least 1 hour. Some artifacts regain
charges through a unique process specific to the item, in
which case details about charging are provided in the item’s
description. An artifact cannot hold more charges than the
amount specified in its description.
In the absence of sunlight, light from a campfire (or
similarly bright light from a fire) can be used in its place. It
is less efficient to recharge artifacts this way: in these cases,
an artifact will only recover half of its maximum amount of
charges during your long rest.
CARTRIDGES
Some Eldertech items require ammunition in the form of
Eldertech cartridges. An Eldertech cartridge is a common
artifact about the size of a human fist, cylindrical in shape
with a small window in the side made from transparent
material. Full cartridges have a blue powder inside that is
visible through the window.
Artifacts that use cartridges have a socket. As an action,
an Eldertech cartridge can be held against this socket, and a
mechanism will seal the cartridge in place. The powder
inside will often become a liquid and change color
according to the specific properties of the Eldertech artifact.
After being attached, a cartridge may not be removed until
it is empty.
After an artifact is “loaded” in this fashion, its properties
can be used normally until the Eldertech cartridge is emptied.
The empty cartridge may then be removed from the artifact,
which cannot be used again until it is loaded with a new,
full cartridge.
Eldertech Alloy
While Eldertech artifacts can be constructed from a variety
of materials both known and unknown, the most common
and puzzling material is a violet-blue metal known to
researchers as Eldertech alloy. It exists both as plates and
wires as thin as fine thread that can be woven into cloth. In
the artifacts themselves, the alloy is usually colored,
textured, or given other physical properties. When broken,
these alterations will usually revert to the natural violet-
blue coloring, though the properties will be restored when
the artifact is repaired.
Eldertech alloy is both light and extremely strong. It
cannot be cut or forged with any conventional methods,
though it can be broken by extreme stress or other Eldertech
artifacts. The secret of its creation has not been discovered.
Broken Artifacts and
Repairs
Eldertech items are highly resilient, but they can still
degrade when exposed to extreme stress, centuries of
neglect, or aggressive damage from other Eldertech items. It
is common to discover broken artifacts. Broken Eldertech
artifacts weigh half of their normal weight, and checks to
identify them have disadvantage.
Repairs. Broken Eldertech can be repaired if you have
access to the right tools. Repairing an artifact requires a
reconstruction sphere or repair station, and an Intelligence
(Eldertech) check against the Repair DC (see the Eldertech
DC by Rarity table). On a success, the Eldertech is restored
to full functionality.
You can only attempt to repair an Eldertech artifact if you
have correctly identified it or have used the same type of
Eldertech in the past.
Hardlight
Some Eldertech is capable of emitting a transparent blue
light that takes a fixed size and shape, known as hardlight.
This light acts as an inflexible solid and cannot be passed
through by any object, creature, or liquid, unless the
artifact’s properties describe otherwise.
If a barrier made of hardlight encloses a space, creatures
within that space can breathe normally. However, gases
(such as fog) and wind will not penetrate the barrier.
Identification
Discovering an Eldertech artifact is only half of the battle.
While in the field, it can take time and experience to
properly identify the properties of a new piece of Eldertech.
264
REPAIRING ELDERTECH
Eldertech is durable but not indestructible, and
those knowledgeable and skilled in handling it may
learn how to make repairs to broken artifacts.
Repairing broken Eldertech requires special
artifacts known as reconstruction spheres or repair
stations. More details about the repair process can
be found in the items’ descriptions.
Reconstruction Sphere. The reconstruction sphere
is held near the broken artifact in question and
activated. After a few moments of emitting a bright
spotlight on the artifact, the sphere begins floating
in the air, and projects a hardlight screen with text
in an indecipherable language. Also on the screen is
an image of the item and several controls that can
be touched and manipulated by the repairer. An
Intelligence (Eldertech) check against the Repair
DC is required to program this screen correctly and
begin the repairs. After the repair, the
reconstruction sphere runs out of material and
power, becoming useless scrap.
Repair Station. The repair station is a heavy bundle
that, when deployed, unfolds into a large half-
sphere resembling a washing basin constructed of
Eldertech and hardlight. A broken Eldertech
artifact placed in the middle of the basin will float
on air, and its image will be projected on a hardlight
screen with controls. Inserting an Eldertech
cartridge into the available port and succeeding on
an Intelligence (Eldertech) check will begin the
Part Three: The Rules
repair. The repair process takes longer than the
reconstruction sphere, but the repair station can be
used to repair artifacts multiple times.
To learn what exactly an Eldertech artifact is and how to
use it, you can attempt to experiment with it during a short
or long rest. You make an Intelligence (Eldertech) check
against a DC determined by the rarity of the item. On a
success, you learn all the properties of the item and how to
use it, and how many charges it has (if the item uses
charges). On a failure, you must wait until your next rest to
try again, though other allies may also make the same
attempt during the current rest if there is enough time.
If a character has seen and/or used a particular Eldertech
artifact in the past, they can recognize and use artifacts of
the same type immediately. Knowledge of the use and
properties of an artifact can be shared freely with other
characters.
If an artifact is broken (see the Broken Artifacts and
Repairs section), the check to identify has disadvantage.
TABLE - ELDERTECH DCS BY RARITY
Time to Time to
Rarity Identify DC Repair DC
Identify Repair
Common 12 5 minutes 14 1 hour
Uncommon 15 15 minutes 17 2 hours
Rare 18 30 minutes 20 4 hours
Legendary 21 1 hour 25 12 hours
Equipment and Eldertech
 Chapter 18: List of Eldertech
FINDING ELDERTECH
Proper distribution of Eldertech artifacts is an
important part of a balanced adventure.
Gamemasters should follow these guidelines to
make sure their players don’t become too powerful.
Cartridges and Common Items. Artifacts with
common rarity shouldn't actually be common, but
also won't be too difficult to find for most
adventurers. Eldertech cartridges are the most
common of all artifacts, and it would be normal to
find 2 or 3 even in a small dungeon. Every so often,
replace a cartridge with a different common item.
Rarer rewards. A single uncommon or rare
artifact may be found at the end of dungeons,
perhaps even being wielded by a dungeon boss!
Start with an 85% chance for the reward to be
common, and 15% chance rare. The balance may
shift toward rare as the party gains levels.
Legends. Legendary artifacts should only be
found in difficult dungeons by the highest level
players, perhaps as they follow rumors about
treasure.
Acid Javelin
Uncommon weapon (javelin), 2 lbs., cartridge-based
A long, greenish-gray javelin with a toxic-smelling Eldertech
cartridge filled with green fluid attached behind the handle.
Bolt-Thrower
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265
If thrown, it will automatically prime and detonate on
impact, emptying the cartridge.
The acid javelin behaves like a normal javelin when being
wielded as a melee weapon. When thrown, it activates the
attached cartridge, which sprays acid in a radius around the
weapon upon impact. Creatures within 10 feet of where the
acid javelin hits must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw,
taking 2d6 acid damage on a failed save and half as much
on a successful one. Creatures that fail the save also take an
additional 1d6 acid damage at the start of their next two
turns. The acid javelin has a 60% chance of being broken
after being activated and thrown.
Amulet of Metal
Rejection
Uncommon artifact, 1/2 lb.. 1 charge
A perfectly circular, steel-colored amulet with strange runes
engraved on the front. As a bonus action, you may expend a
charge and activate the amulet, creating an unseen aura in
your immediate space that pushes away metal. Any metal
you are already wearing or holding is unaffected by this
aura.
The amulet of metal rejection remains activated for 1
minute. While active, all attacks against you with non-
Eldertech metal weapons have disadvantage on their attack
rolls. You also cannot pick up any objects made of metal, as
they skitter away from you as you approach.
The amulet holds a maximum of 1 charge. It regains its
charge after spending 4 hours in contact with an object
made of iron.
Amulet of Metal
Rejection
Arm Support
Uncommon accessory, 1 lb., 1 charge
This strange-looking artifact consists of a small shoulder
pauldron attached by a hinge to a long arm brace. When
worn, a small bar will run down the outside of the wearer’s
arm which bends effortlessly at the elbow despite no trace
of a hinge. The bar ends at the wrist and is fastened by two
bands of metal, one locking around the upper arm and the
other around the forearm.
Wearing the arm support allows the user to seemingly
ignore any injuries to the arm, allowing them to continue
using the limb as normal. Any pain is numbed – even from
broken bones – and bleeding is slowed. However, healing
of these injuries is not accelerated. If the arm support is worn
on a healthy arm, it doubles the amount of weight that the
wearer can lift (though it doesn’t increase carry capacity).
As an action, the wearer can expend a charge to shove a
target within 5 feet with enormous force. A target of
medium size must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving
throw or be thrown backward 30 feet, landing prone. If the
target succeeds on the saving throw, they are pushed half
that distance and do not fall prone. The distance is doubled
for creatures smaller than medium, and halved for large
creatures. The shove fails completely against huge or larger
creatures.
Arrows of Increasing
Accuracy
Uncommon weapon (ammunition), <1/4 lb. (each)
These arrows are entirely metallic, with head, shaft and
fletching made of a blue-tinged steel. They are commonly
found in groups of 12, though they do not have an
accompanying quiver. The arrows will stick together when
placed near each other.
These arrows increase an archer’s accuracy with each
successive shot. When you hit a target with one of these
arrows, all future attack rolls against that target with an
arrow of increasing accuracy have a +1 bonus. This bonus lasts
for 1 minute from the last hit and will grow by 1 with every
additional successful hit. Different bonuses may be active
on different targets simultaneously.
The shafts do not break easily, and their metal coloring
makes it easy to collect them all from a battlefield after
combat. When collecting multiple arrows from a felled
target, there is a 5% chance that one of the arrows will
dissolve into soft, gray dust. An arrow will also dissolve if it
is snapped or otherwise broken.
Binding Bar
Uncommon artifact, 2 lbs.
A thin, cylindrical rod 2 feet long that is completely
unremarkable apart from the blue-violet gleam of the
Eldertech alloy it is constructed from.
As an action, any part of the binding bar can be placed
against a flat surface and activated. When activated, the bar
will stick where it is placed, and will remain in position
until deactivated by the creature who placed it or by a DC
21 Intelligence (Eldertech) check. The bar can only be
266
forcibly moved by a DC 24 Strength check, and it can hold
up to 2,000 pounds of weight. If moved by force, it
deactivates immediately.
Bolt-Thrower
Rare weapon (special), 3 lb., cartridge-based
A quintessential Eldertech weapon, the bolt-thrower
resembles a crossbow miniaturized to fit in one hand, made
of a deep gray metal with brightly colored accents. Behind
the handle is a port for an Eldertech cartridge, and when one
is attached the blue powder becomes a thick silver liquid.
The bolt-thrower fires bolts of raw energy at targets when the
trigger is pulled. It comes in several variants, each dealing a
different type of damage: fire, lightning, cold, and force are
the only ones currently known to exist.
When you attack with this weapon, you point it at a
target within 120 feet and make a ranged attack roll against
the target’s Touch AC. On a hit, the target takes 4d8 damage
(type depending on the variant of the bolt-thrower). One
Eldertech cartridge provides enough fuel to fire 4 shots.
Boots of the Spider
Uncommon clothing (boots), 1 lb.
These knee-high boots made of stiff gray-black leather
easily shed any dust, dirt, or mud that tries to accumulate
on them. While wearing the boots of the spider, you have the
ability to walk on walls and ceilings as if they were the
floor. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking
Part Three: The Rules
speed. The boots fail to work on slick or wet surfaces such
as ice.
Bounding Belt
Uncommon accessory (belt), 1/2 lb.
A finely crafted belt that feels like leather of the highest
quality. The belt buckle is a black and white grid of squares.
While wearing the bounding belt, your long jump distance
and vertical or high jump height are doubled. You also
become immune to falling damage and float easily on the
surface of water. If you are moved against your will by an
effect, you move twice as far as you normally would.
Bracer of Parime
Legendary artifact, 1 lb., cartridge-based
A single bracer made from leather that resembles dragon’s
flesh with bronze-like bands. When an Eldertech cartridge is
inserted between the two largest bronze bands, the
cartridge’s powder turns into an orange, glowing fluid that
radiates heat.
As an action, the wearer may activate the bracer of Parime,
which sends forth a 20-foot line of burning hot fluid which
ignites anything it touches. The wearer may spend another
action at the start of their next turn to continue ejecting the
burning fluid in the same or a different direction, but with
the range reduced to a 15-foot line. They may do this one
more time on the start of their following turn with the range
reduced to a 10-foot line. All 5-foot squares in the path of a
line catch fire, even if it is raining or the line crosses a
List of Eldertech
surface of water. The Eldertech cartridge is fully spent
regardless of how long the bracer is used.
Fires started by the bracer last for at least 30 seconds
(though they may burn longer if something flammable, like
wood, is ignited) or until they are put out. Creatures caught
in the line must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw,
taking 5d6 fire damage and catching fire on a failed save, or
taking half as much damage on a successful one. Creatures
that end their turn in a 5-foot square on fire must repeat the
saving throw with the same results. Creatures that move
through spaces set on fire by the fluid take 5d6 fire damage
immediately, and creatures caught on fire take 5d6 fire
damage at the start of their turns. Creatures on fire may use
an action to extinguish the blaze on themselves, though
extinguishing one of the fires on the ground requires using
an action to smother it with cloth, canvas, or hide big
enough to cover the space.
Bracers of Water
Command
Rare artifact, 1 lb., 1 charge each
A pair of metallic bracers fastened by pale leather and silver
buckles. They each possess a ring of blue opals that lie over
the wearer’s wrists. When submerged in water, the rings
begin to spin and collect water. Lifting them reveals orbs of
collected water that cover the wearer’s wrists, indicating
that the bracers are charged.
The wearer can use the water to make one of three
actions:
DEFLECT - The user throws up their arms to create a wall
of water to protect themselves as a reaction. The user gains
+3 AC until the start of their next turn.
PULSE - A bolt of water surges from the user as they make
a Dexterity-based ranged weapon attack on a target up to 30
feet away. If the target is hit, they take 2d4 bludgeoning
damage, and must succeed on a Strength saving throw
where the DC is the result of the attack roll or be knocked
prone.
WHIP - Water lashes out as the user makes a Dexterity-
based melee weapon attack to strike a target up to 15 feet
away. If the target is hit, they take 2d6 bludgeoning damage
or are pulled up to 10 feet towards the user.
Each bracer can make one of these actions before needing
to be submerged in water again. Submerging and charging
these bracers takes one action.
Button Clasp
Common artifact, 1/2 lb.
Two small, silvery, half-circle chunks of Eldertech alloy,
each attached on the round end to about a foot of thin but
extremely durable Eldertech rope. When activated via
touching either piece or by speaking the command word,
the two pieces will pull toward each other and attempt to
attach on their flat sides, forming a disk of Eldertech alloy
with rope coming off of each side. When attached, the
pieces can be detached by the creature who activated them,
by speaking the command word, or with a DC 19
Intelligence (Eldertech) check. The pieces can only be
forcibly detached with a DC 21 Strength check, and they can
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267
support up to 1000 lbs. of weight before failing and
deactivating.
Each piece is capable of pulling up to 200 lbs. when
activated. If attached to a greater weight, or if the pieces are
more than 20 feet apart, the activation fails.
Burner
Common artifact, 1 lb., cartridge-based
A dome-shaped object 6 inches in diameter, with a small
hole on the top of the dome, a button and a switch on the
side, and a cartridge socket on the flat bottom. When an
Eldertech cartridge is attached, its powder will turn into a
translucent yellow oil and drain into the burner, allowing
the cartridge to then be discarded.
As an action, the button may be pressed to activate the
burner, causing a small flame to appear from the hole in the
top. A word of the user’s choice may be spoken as the
button is pressed, and the flame will extinguish itself when
the button is pressed again or the chosen word is spoken.
The burner remains cool to the touch no matter how long
the flame is left burning.
The size and intensity of the flame depends on the switch.
One position will emit a small fire equal in brightness to a
candle. The other position will emit a flame equal to a small
campfire. The fuel in one Eldertech cartridge will sustain the
candle flame for up to 50 hours, and the campfire flame will
use fuel twice as quickly.
Canister of Liquid
Sun
Rare artifact, 1/2 lb., cartridge-based
A handheld, mostly transparent cylinder with a cartridge
socket on the top and a button on the side. If an Eldertech
cartridge is inserted, the cartridge drains bright orange
liquid into the cylinder, glowing bright enough to emit 10
feet of bright light and another 10 feet of dim light.
As an action, a character may hold the button and aim the
top of the canister in any direction. The canister will spray
its contents in a 15-foot cone, emptying itself of fluid.
Creatures caught in this cone must make a DC 13 Dexterity
saving throw, taking 6d6 fire damage on a failed save, or
half as much damage on a successful one. Creatures made
of metal or wearing metal armor have disadvantage on this
saving throw. Additionally, all creatures wielding a weapon
made of metal must immediately drop that weapon or
suffer an additional 2d6 fire damage.
Canister of Fog
Uncommon artifact, 1/2 lb., cartridge-based
A small, short cylinder that attaches to the top of an
Eldertech cartridge. When a cartridge is attached, its powder
will become a light gray, milky liquid.
As an action, a character may activate the canister. The
canister of fog will eject its contents rapidly with a concussive
blast of air, creating a cloud of fog in a 20-foot radius sphere
centered on the canister. The fogged area is heavily
obscured. In an area with no wind, the fog will last for 10
minutes before dissipating. In a windy environment, the fog
will be dispersed in 30 seconds.

Canister of Glue
Uncommon artifact, 1/2 lb., cartridge-based
A small, short cylinder that attaches to the top of an
Eldertech cartridge. When a cartridge is attached, its powder
will become an off-white, viscous liquid.
As an action, a character may activate the canister. The
canister of glue will slowly pour out its contents to cover 5
square feet of space, and the liquid will turn into a
translucent glue. For the next 24 hours, anything that
touches the glue will become stuck to it, requiring a DC 16
Strength saving throw to escape from the glue or a DC 16
Strength check to remove something attached to the glue.
Pouring vinegar or any other acid on the glue allows these
checks to be made with advantage. After 24 hours, the glue
will become mostly inert, leaving whatever it touched
slightly sticky.
Alternatively, as an action, a character may activate the
canister and throw it at a target within their throwing
distance (see the General Rules chapter). The space within
5-foot radius of where the canister lands becomes difficult
terrain, coated in several feet of rapidly expanding sticky
foam.
Creatures who start their turn in the sticky foam or enter
the foam during their turn must make a DC 13 Strength
saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained as Bracers of
long as it remains in the foam or until it breaks free. A Water Command

Part Three: The Rules

creature restrained by the foam can use its action to make a
DC 13 Strength check. If it succeeds, it is no longer
restrained.
After 24 hours, the foam will dissolve into a clear goo that
is slightly sticky to the touch. The canister of glue is encased
in the foam until it dissolves.
Canister of
Canister of Liquid Sun

Rejuvenating Foam
Rare artifact, 1/2 lb., cartridge-based
A small, short cylinder that attaches to the top of an
Eldertech cartridge. When a cartridge is attached, its
powder will become a translucent blue gel. When exposed
to the air, this gel expands and becomes a blue-white foam.
As an action, a character may activate the canister. The
canister of rejuvenating foam will release a foam that
rapidly expands to fill wounds and stop bleeding on a
target. The target regains 2d4 HP at the start of their turn
for the next 5 turns.

Canister of Webbing
Rare artifact, 1/2 lb., cartridge-based
A small silver cube with a cartridge socket on one side, and
a leather strap and buckle so it can attach to a wrist. When
an Eldertech cartridge is attached, the blue powder turns into
a solid silver-gray substance.
As an action, the canister of webbing can be fired at a space
within 60 feet, emptying the Eldertech cartridge. A 20-foot
cube centered on that space fills with a thick, sticky

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268
 Cloak of Warmth webbing that lasts for up to 1 hour. The webs are difficult
terrain and lightly obscure their area.
If the webs aren’t anchored between two solid masses
(such as walls or trees) or layered across a floor, wall, or
ceiling, the created web collapses on itself, and the effect
ends at the start of your next turn. Webs layered over a flat
surface have a depth of 5 feet.
Each creature that starts its turn in the webs or that enters
them during its turn must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving
throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained as long as
it remains in the webs or until it breaks free. A creature
restrained by the webs can use its action to make a DC 14
Strength check. If it succeeds, it is no longer restrained.
The webs are flammable. Any 5-foot cube of webs
exposed to fire burns away in 1 round, dealing 2d4 fire
damage to any creature that starts its turn in the fire.
Alternatively, the webbing can be fired in a line at a solid
surface up to 120 feet away, emptying the Eldertech cartridge.
The end will stick to the surface it hits, and the rest of the
line acts as a long rope, dissolving after 1 hour. A DC 20
Strength check is required to remove the web from the
surface it is attached to, and it capable of supporting up to
500 pounds before failing.

Charge Battery
Uncommon artifact, 2 lbs., 1 charge
A small cube about 4 inches on a side that is surprisingly
heavy. There is a small circle of blue light on one side,
though the light is not bright enough to illuminate an area.
When the charge battery has no charges remaining, the light
vanishes.
As an action, the charge battery may be held up to another
Eldertech artifact that uses charges and is at less than its
maximum number of charges. The battery will expend its
charge and the artifact will be restored to its maximum
number of charges immediately.
The charge battery requires 75 hours of sunlight to restore
its charge.

Color-Changing
Clothes
Common clothing, 1/2 lb.
A sleek, lightweight garment (such as a shirt, skirt, or tunic)
that is a blue-violet color in its natural state. A creature
wearing this garment can use an action to alter its hue to
any desired color. The level of shine and texture also be
changed, from the appearance of rough canvas to the
smoothest silk. The garment will revert to its natural state
when it is no longer worn.
Color-changing clothes are impossible to stain or damage
permanently. When soiled, washing them easily removes
any trace of dirt or filth. While they can be slashed or torn,
holding the damaged ends together will cause the garment
Dagger of Tracking to repair itself.

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269
Cloak of the
Shadow-Walker
Uncommon clothing, 1/4 lb.
A thin, dark gray cloak made of a material that feels like silk
but has no shine. While wearing this cloak, you may hide
while lightly obscured by shadows as if you were heavily
obscured by darkness. This hiding is effective even against
creatures with low-light vision and darkvision.
Cloak of the
Wanderer
Rare clothing, 1 lb.
This seemingly innocuous red cloak might fool the average
passer-by, though it flutters in a breeze rather more than
would be normal. While wearing it, you feel strangely light.
While wearing the cloak of the wanderer, any falling
damage you take is halved and your maximum long jump
distance equals your speed, even if you jump while
standing still. Jumping over or past hostile creatures will
still provoke attacks of opportunity, but these attacks are
made with disadvantage.
When wearing the hood, you may use your movement to
levitate straight up into the air, with the maximum distance
from the ground equal to your speed. While levitating, you
may not move in any direction except up or down, and
movement in any other direction causes the levitation to
immediately end. At the start of your turn (or every few
seconds while not in combat), you must make an
Intelligence saving throw against a DC equal to half the
distance in feet from the ground. If you fail the saving
throw, you fall to the ground, taking half falling damage
due to wearing the cloak.
Cloak of Warmth
Uncommon clothing, 3 lb.
This large cloak has the weight and feel of wool and is
embroidered with bright strands of Eldertech alloy. It
wards away even the bitterest cold, keeping the wearer
warm even in blizzards.
While wearing the cloak of warmth, you have advantage on
saving throws against exhaustion that are caused by the
cold weather and gain resistance to cold damage. Resting
while wearing a cloak of warmth is equivalent to having the
heat of campfire nearby.
Cryo-Grenade
Uncommon artifact, 1/2 lb., cartridge-based
A cold-to-the-touch blue sphere with a hole containing a
cartridge socket on the bottom. An attached Eldertech
cartridge protrudes halfway out of the sphere, and the
powder inside turns into a brilliant white liquid, with frost
will often forming on the cartridge’s windows.
The cryo-grenade can be activated and thrown as an
action. When thrown (see the General Rules chapter for
information about throwing distance), this device explodes
upon impact. When it explodes, all creatures within a 10-
270
foot radius of it must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw,
taking 3d8 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much
damage on a successful one.
Alternatively, as an action, the cryo-grenade can be primed
to explode after one minute or whenever there’s movement
within 10 feet. If set to trigger on movement, it must be
approached by a prone creature of medium size or smaller
to avoid triggering the explosion. A timed or movement-
triggered cryo-grenade can be disarmed in 3d10 seconds with
a DC 17 Intelligence (Eldertech) check. If a creature not
proficient in the Eldertech skill fails this check, the cryo-
grenade explodes.
After it explodes, the cryo-grenade is broken and requires
repair before it can be used again.
Cube of Cold
Uncommon artifact, 3 lbs., 5 charges
A cube measuring 1 foot on each side resembling a large
block of bluish ice. As charges are expended, it gets warmer
to the touch.
As an action, you may expend a charge to activate the
cube of cold. The temperature in a 10-foot radius around the
cube slowly drops until it is a few degrees above where
water freezes. This effect lasts for 20 hours, and is blocked
by walls or coverings, even thin canvas or cloth. However,
the effect only lasts for 5 hours when out in the open air
during very hot weather (see the Exploration and Weather
chapter), meaning in these circumstances it is best to keep
the activated cube inside a tent or covered wagon.
Part Three: The Rules
The cube of cold regains all its charges when it spends 10
hours in contact with a surface made of copper or similarly
heat-conducting metal while deactivated. During this time,
the metal object becomes quite warm to the touch. This
artifact is very coveted by far-travelling merchants, who
consider a cube of cold and an accompanying copper plate
essential for the preservation of exotic meats and other
spoilable goods during long journeys.
Dagger of Lightning
Uncommon weapon (dagger), 1 lb.
The steel blade of this well-made dagger gleams with a faint
yellow tinge, and it sparks when it strikes metal. When
attacking targets made of metal or wearing metal armor
with this weapon, your attack roll is made against the
target’s Touch AC. On a hit against these targets, the dagger
of lightning deals 1d6 lightning damage + your ability
modifier instead of the normal slashing or piercing damage.
Dagger of Tracking
Uncommon weapon (dagger), 1 lb.
A richly colored bronze dagger with a brown hilt. The
pommel of the dagger has a small depression in it. When a
drop of a living creature’s blood is set in the divot, the
blood vanishes and the dagger becomes capable of
“tracking” that creature even over a great distance.
When the dagger of tracking is pointing in the direction of
the creature it is tracking, and that creatures is no further
than 100 miles away, it gives off a tiny vibration
imperceptible to all except the person holding it. The
List of Eldertech
vibration will be stronger or weaker depending on the
distance to the target.
While searching for your quarry with this dagger, you
will be able to easily discern the direction of the target by
slowly sweeping it in a circle around you.
Defender’s Bracers
Rare accessory, 1 lb. (each)
These bracers are made from a thin platinum-like material
and are nigh indestructible. While wearing the defender’s
bracers, you notice an increase in your reflexes, and have a
+1 bonus to your AC.
The defender’s bracers also grant you the ability to deflect
incoming projectiles. When you or a creature within 5 feet
of you is hit with a ranged weapon attack, you may use
your reaction to make a Dexterity check to deflect the
projectile. If the Dexterity check exceeds the result of the
attack roll, then the attack is deflected and deals no damage.
Otherwise, you take half of the projectile’s damage,
rounded down.
Depth Rig
Rare armor, 200 lbs., 5 charges
An enormous full-body enclosure with a gleaming metallic
finish, the depth rigs grant fantastic power and mobility to
the wearer as long as they are kept underwater. A sentient
wearing a depth rig appears as a large biped made entirely
out of Eldertech, with a window along the front of the head
allowing the wearer to see. The exact coloration and shape
vary from one unit to the next. The interior adjusts its
available space to fit the size of the creature inside, after
which the wearer can move the arms and legs of the craft as
if they were moving their own body. The majority of depth
rigs known to exist are used by Wakewalkers when
defending against and attacking the monstrous Deep Ones
that plague the Midnight Sea.
A charge must be expended to activate a depth rig’s air
supply for 1 hour. While activated, the occupant will be able
to breathe normally underwater.
While wearing a depth rig, a creature has a normal speed
of 5 feet and a swim speed of 60 feet. They also have total
cover, and any attacks against the creature must target the
depth rig instead. The rig has 20 AC, 100 HP, resistance to all
damage types not dealt by Eldertech weapons, and can only
be damaged by Eldertech weapons or attacks that do more
than 20 damage. If its HP is reduced to 0, it becomes broken
and requires repair to be used again. Enough air remains in
a broken rig to allow a creature inside to breathe for 5
minutes. Broken rigs are too big to be repaired with a repair
station; a reconstruction sphere must be used to restore its
function, and they can also be used to restore a partially
damaged rig to 100 HP.
The depth rig has a Strength score of 22, and all attack rolls
and Strength checks made by the wearer use this score. The
wearer can make unarmed strikes with the depth rig’s limbs
that do 2d6 bludgeoning damage or use its hands to grasp
weapons. In water the rig can move freely, but on land it is
cumbersome, and all attack rolls and Strength checks have
disadvantage.
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Earring of Clarity
Uncommon accessory, <1/4 lb.
A small silver hoop earring with carefully engraved line
work. While wearing the earring of clarity, you have
advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks based on
sound. Additionally, if you become deafened or hearing-
impaired, you will still be able to hear normally through the
ear wearing the earring.
Elder Weapon
Uncommon weapon (any), weight varies
A weapon crafted from Eldertech alloy. There are elder
weapon versions of every weapon type. They come in
various colors and shapes, with a hilt or handle commonly
textured to resemble metal, wood, or wrapped leather. Elder
weapons have no special properties apart from exceptionally
fine construction and durability. You have a +1 bonus to
attack and damage rolls when making an attack with an
elder weapon.
Eldertech Cartridge
Common artifact, 1/2 lb
A sleek cylinder about 2.5 inches in diameter and 5 inches
tall, Eldertech cartridges contain a mysterious powdered fuel
that is used by many other Eldertech artifacts. The strange
blue powder can be seen through transparent windows on
the side of the cartridge. Apart from the windows, there are
no protrusions, holes, or seams that indicate how a
cartridge might be opened. The exact design of a cartridge
varies greatly, though they are all the same size.
When attached to a suitable artifact, the powder inside
will usually liquify and change color, and drain away as the
artifact is used. To date, it is unknown if there is any way to
refill a spent cartridge. Strangely, the weight of the cartridge
does not change after it is drained.
If a full cartridge is broken open, the powder immediately
liquifies and begins to rapidly evaporate. It will vanish
completely within 30 seconds, even if poured into a
different container and sealed.
Eldertech
Reinforcement
Uncommon artifact, 1/2 lb.
Raw-looking Eldertech alloy that comes in one of three
forms: manacles, leg shackles, or a belt. Any one of these
forms can be fastened to the body over clothing or armor.
The artifact will then be “absorbed” into the clothing or
armor over one minute, and the chains holding the
manacles or shackles together will disintegrate. Decorative
lines of Eldertech alloy appear on the sleeves, legs, or torso
of the garment, depending on the respective form of the
artifact.
When clothing or armor is treated with an Eldertech
reinforcement, it grants a +1 bonus to your AC. A
reinforcement can be reclaimed from a garment with a DC
21 Intelligence (Eldertech) check, and the reclamation
process takes 1 hour.
Elemental
Ammunition
Uncommon weapon (ammunition), <1/4 lb. (each)
A sleek blue arrow, bolt, or stone, this ammo will have
colored markings or fletching indicating its damage type.
Elemental ammunition can come in fire (orange), lightning
(yellow), cold (blue), or acid (green) variants.
While normally unremarkable, the ammunition will
activate automatically when used in a ranged attack against
a target. Fire and lighting ammunition will erupt with an
aura of flames or sparks, while cold and acid variants leave
behind a trail of snowflakes or green smoke.
When this ammunition hits a target, it deals 2d6 damage
of its type in addition to the damage that would be dealt by
a normal attack. The elemental ammunition then becomes
inert and functions as normal ammunition, though it
remains highly durable and can always be found after a
battle.
If an attack with this ammunition misses, then it does not
become inert retains its ability to deal elemental damage.
An inert piece of elemental ammunition can have its
properties restored by charging it with a charge battery.
Eldertech Cartridge
Explosive
Ammunition
Rare weapon (ammunition), <1/4 lb. (each)

Part Three: The Rules

A deep brown arrow, bolt, or stone that is always very
warm to the touch. When it strikes a location within the
firing weapon’s range, this ammunition unleashes a 20-foot-
radius explosion of fire. All creatures within the radius
must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. Creatures take
6d6 fire damage plus 2d6 thunder damage on a failed save,
or half as much damage on a successful one.
Explosive ammunition becomes broken after a single use,
and it must be repaired before it can be used again.

Eye of Truesight
Uncommon accessory, <1/4 lb.
A tiny golden dome with intricate black markings and a
hole in the peak, designed to be worn over an eyeball.
Though it is uncomfortable, the wearer will be able to blink
and otherwise use their eye as normal, though their pupil
will glow with a violet light that may be seen up close or in
the dark. Elder Shortsword
While wearing the eye of truesight, you may as a bonus
action learn the Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score of
a single creature you can see within 40 feet. You can also
learn whether the creature’s current HP is less than half of
their maximum.
Within the same range, you may also detect any
Eldertech artifacts that are not concealed behind at least a
foot of stone, dirt, sand, wood, or metal.
If you are dealt lightning damage while wearing the eye of
truesight, there is a 30% chance that it becomes broken.
While broken, it does not detect Eldertech and gives

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272
random readings for a creature’s statistics and HP.
Repairing the eye restores its normal functionality.
Firethrower
Uncommon weapon (special), two-handed, 8 lbs., cartridge-based
A long gray tube with markings down its length, meant to
be held with both hands. One end of the tube has a port for
an Eldertech cartridge, and the other end has a small,
unassuming hole. When a cartridge is loaded its blue
powder turns into a clear, thin fluid.
As an action, you may activate the firethrower, causing a
15-foot line of bright orange flame to erupt from the hole.
Creatures caught in this line must make a DC 14 Dexterity
saving throw. The creatures take 2d6 fire damage on a
failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one.
A single Eldertech cartridge holds enough fuel to keep the
firethrower active for 1 minute, or a total of 10 uses.
Flare Wand
Rare artifact, 1/4 lb., 5 charges.
A thin wand about a foot long tapered to a blunt point,
lined with Eldertech alloy but no other distinguishing
marks besides a band made of hardlight an inch from the
tip.
The wielder may expand a charge to activate the flare
wand, which fires a small intangible orb of white light from
the blunt tip. The orb quickly moves in the direction the
wand was pointing, passing through all obstacles and
stopping 50 feet from the wand. The orb of light cannot be
moved by any means. The orb is bright enough to be seen
from miles away, even in daylight, emitting bright light in
250-foot radius and dim light for an additional 250 feet.
The wielder may also expend 3 charges to send the orb
250 feet away, and 5 charges to send it 500 feet away.
Hardlight Shield
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Forcewave Weapon
Rare weapon (any melee piercing), weight varies
A piercing weapon made of Eldertech alloy and radiating a
soft blue glow. Thrusting attacks with this weapon send out
a short wave of blue hardlight energy, extending your reach
with it by 5 feet. Targets hit by the forcewave weapon or its
shockwave take the weapon’s normal piercing damage plus
an extra 1d6 force damage.
Fortifying Ichor
Uncommon artifact, 1/2 lb., cartridge-based
A thick reddish-silver disc with a port for an Eldertech
cartridge on one of the faces and a small spout on the other.
When a cartridge is attached, its blue powder transforms
into a thick, honey-colored liquid.
You may consume the contents of the cartridge through
the spout as an action, leaving you feeling strong and alert.
For the next 10 hours, you have advantage on all Strength,
Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and whenever
you regain HP you also gain 1d8 temporary hit points.
Additionally, the first time you are reduced to 0 HP you
immediately regain 1d4 HP.
If you consume the fortifying ichor again within 3 days of
the last time you consumed it, you immediately gain a level
of exhaustion.
Gauntlet of Force
Rare accessory, 1 lb., 6 charges
A robust gauntlet made of deep violet metal plates with a
strangely soft and cushioned interior.
As an action, you may expend a charge to emit a
shockwave from the gauntlet of force against a single target
within 10 feet. The target must make a DC 17 Strength
saving throw, being thrown backward 10 feet and taking
Flare Wand
1d8 force damage on a failed save, or taking half as much
damage on a successful one. Huge or larger creatures
automatically succeed on the saving throw.
The gauntlet can emit even greater waves of force if you
take time to charge before firing. An action may be used to
begin charging the gauntlet, which vibrates forcefully as it
gathers energy. On their next turn, you must use your
action to either fire a large blast of force or use a bonus
action to dissipate the energy without firing.
When fired, you expend charges to determine the size of
the blast. If 3 charges are used, the gauntlet of force emits a
15-foot cone of force, and creatures inside the cone are
thrown 15 feet away from you, land prone, and take 3d8
force damage. If 5 charges are used, a 30-foot cone is
emitted and creatures are thrown 30 feet, land prone, and
take 5d8 force damage. Gargantuan creatures will not be
moved by the blast.
Gauntlets of Stone
Calling
Rare accessory, 1 lb. (each)
A pair of long metallic gauntlets that resemble forge
worker’s gloves. The joints are covered in lines of a copper-
like material that eventually meet and braid into cords,
reinforcing the forearms of the wearer.
As an action, you can use the gauntlets to call forth 2d6
stones from the earth beneath them, which then levitate
around you. This number is 12 if you are standing above
cobblestone, brick, or any type of stone floor. However, the
action will fail if attempted on a metal floor, on a boat in the
open ocean, or elsewhere where stones may be impossible
to access. You do not choose which stones are summoned,
so these gauntlets may not be used to perform acts such as
pulling stones from a wall.
You then choose one of the following forms for the
stones.
CLOBBER - The stones fuse together over the gloves to
make a pair of large stone fists. These fists augment your
unarmed strikes to deal 2d6 bludgeoning damage on a hit.
Each time these fists deal damage to a target, one stone is
destroyed. At least one hand must be empty to use this
form.
LAUNCH - As an action, the wearer hurls up to 3 stones at
targets up to 60 feet away. They can be thrown at one target
or several. Make a ranged weapon attack for each stone. On
a hit, a stone deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
SHIELD - When this form is used, the wearer creates a
barrier of whirling stones to protect them from incoming
attacks. Each stone may be used to reduce damage from an
attack by 1d4. The user may use any number of stones to
reduce damage from incoming attacks. Additionally, this
form applies disadvantage to any attempts to grapple the
wearer, and gives the wearer advantage on attempts to
escape or avoid a grapple. These effects last until the end of
the wearer’s next turn, when any remaining stones are
dropped.
As long as there are remaining stones, the gauntlet of stone
calling can shift forms as a bonus action. If an action is used
to gather more stones, all currently used stones are
274
dropped. If you are dealt damage while stones are
summoned, you must make an Intelligence saving throw
(DC 8 or the amount of damage received, whichever is
higher). On a failed save, you drop the currently summoned
stones.
Glove of Fire-starting
Common clothing, <1/4 lb.
A simple glove made of a thick white cloth. While wearing
the glove of fire-starting, you may snap your fingers to create
a small shower of sparks. The sparks will appear even when
the glove is wet, and are hot enough to light tinder, small
twigs, or cloth.
Goblet of Purification
Common artifact, <1/4 lb.
A plain metallic cup, with a stem and base but without
decoration. It is big enough to hold 8 fluid ounces. They
exist in various shapes and colors.
When a drink or water-based liquid is poured into the
goblet, it activates automatically, filtering out anything that
is not pure water. The impurities appear to drain
downward into the stem and then vanish, leaving behind
any water that was part of the liquid. Solids and fluids with
no water, such as dirt or oil, do not activate the goblet, but
they will still drain if an equal proportion of water is then
added.
There are no discernable holes in the cup. These goblets
Part Three: The Rules
are highly sought after by the upper classes and paranoid of
Dema.
Hardlight Blade
Legendary weapon (shortsword), 1/2 lb.
The black hilt of this sword spans the inside of a hollow
dome of polished Eldertech alloy. When activated using a
charge and a bonus action, the peak of the dome emits a
blade made entirely of hardlight perpendicular to the hilt.
The hardlight blade has no trouble cutting through armor
and thick hide, allowing it to strike a target’s Touch AC.
Additionally, it has a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
When you take the Attack action on your turn, you may
allow the sword to pull you up to 15 feet towards your
target as part of the attack. This movement does not
provoke opportunity attacks, does not count against your
speed, and ignores difficult terrain. If you’re able to make
multiple attacks with the Attack action, your first attack
must be against the target you moved toward.
The blade can only stay active for 1 minute at a time, and
after deactivating requires an hour in a fire or forge to
regain its charge. However, the activation time is extended
by 1 minute whenever an attack with the blade reduces a
creature to 0 hit points.
Hardlight Shield
Uncommon armor (heater, round, or tear drop shield), 1/2 lb.
A very light steel-colored wristband that resizes to fit the
wearer’s arm when clasped. When activated as a bonus
action, translucent hardlight in the shape of a shield
List of Eldertech
appears inches above your arm. The color of the hardlight
and exact type of shield can vary from one artifact to the
next.
This shield cannot be broken (including by weapons with
the shield-breaking property) and grants a bonus +1 to your
AC on top of the normal shield bonus.
Hat of Perfect
Thought
Uncommon accessory, 1/4 lb.
These hats come in many shapes and colors, though all are
made from a thick silky cloth. While wearing this hat, your
Intelligence score is increased by 1 if it is less than 20.
Wearing multiple hats of perfect thought does not further
increase your Intelligence.
Helm of Blind Luck
Legendary accessory, 2 lbs.
A helm with a hinged visor constructed from plates of
Eldertech alloy. The thick visor has no slots or holes for
eyes.
You may raise or lower the visor as a bonus action. When
the visor is lowered you cannot see normally, but the
ground and all nearby walls and creatures will appear as
light blue outlines against a black canvas. Incoming attacks
will cause the attacking creature’s outline to flash red. In
this state, it becomes remarkably easy to spot and avoid
attacks.
While the visor is down, all attack rolls against you are
made with disadvantage as long as you are not restrained
or incapacitated and the attacker is not hidden from you.
Additionally, creatures within 500 feet cannot hide from
you if you are facing their direction. However, you are
considered blinded for all purposes other than spotting
creatures and attacks. A creature receives these benefits
even if they are normally blind.
Helm of the
Warrior’s Cry
Rare accessory, 3 lbs., 3 charges
This horned helm looks like a relic of a bygone time, in an
alien style that does not originate from any known culture
in Dema. It has a fixed visor with cutouts for eyes, but
otherwise completely covers the wearer’s face. When worn,
the visor reshapes itself, forming into a metallic copy of the
wearer’s face making an angry expression.
While wearing this helm, you are immune from the
damage and effects of any airborne poisons. Additionally,
any creature within 100 feet of you can perfectly hear your
voice when you speak, regardless of any other noises,
barriers, or deafness.
As an action, the wearer may expend a charge and
amplify their voice to project an extremely loud shout. All
creatures in a 20-foot cone must make a DC 16 Constitution
saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 3d6 thunder
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damage and is deafened until the start of your next turn. On
a success, a creature takes half damage.
A Featherfolk wearing this helm may use their Piercing
Screech feature instead of a normal shout. In these
circumstances, the cone deals 6d6 thunder damage instead.
Horn of Thunder
Uncommon artifact, 1 lb., 1 charge
A robust chunk of nearly black metal in the shape of an
animal horn, with openings at the tip and base. As an
action, you may raise the tip of the horn to your mouth and
blast a note on it, expending a charge to do so. The sound
that issues forth is violently loud, though it sounds oddly
muffled to you. The note may be heard faintly as far as 10
miles away.
When a note is played on the horn, all creatures (except
you) within 30 feet make a DC 14 Constitution saving
throw, taking 2d6 thunder damage and become deafened
for 30 seconds on a failed save, or taking half as much
damage on a successful one. Creatures who have sufficient
warning may cover their ears in advance of the horn’s blast
automatically succeed on the saving throw and take no
damage.
Jaffer’s Staff
Rare weapon (quarterstaff), 4 lbs., 8 charges
This artifact has the shape of a blue-violet quarterstaff with
bulbous ends. It can be used as a normal quarterstaff with a
+1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
As an action, you may expend a charge to activate the
staff, causing the top end to split and revealing a hidden
emitter capable of firing a concentrated blast of energy.
Make a ranged attack against the Touch AC of a target
within 40 feet. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 force damage.
Expending 2 charges causes the staff to fire a louder,
brighter blast that deals 2d10 force damage instead. If the
target’s HP is reduced to zero by this attack, and they have
been damaged by the jaffer’s staff during a previous attack
within the last 24 hours, the target dies.
Lambda Relay
Legendary artifact, 5 lbs.
A perfect sphere of a deep obsidian black that occasionally
gleams with a faint color, as if illuminated from within.
Only a few lambda relays are known to exist.
While touching the sphere, you can see far-distant places
using the relay’s power, as if you were standing or hovering
somewhere else entirely. You may mentally switch your
current field of vision among many options. Most of the
options are high up in the air over many different regions.
You can get a bird’s eye view of almost anywhere on the
surface of Dema through a lambda relay, though notably you
cannot see the World Tree or the mountains on any of the
edges of the world. To view a region successfully, you must
succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence (Eldertech) check. On a
failure, a random region will be displayed, and you must
wait 12 hours before attempting to view a specific region
again. Occasionally points of view may become lost and
unable to be accessed, only to reappear days or weeks later
with no warning. Lambda Relay
The other sights available are the other lambda relays.
Other relays may always be viewed and do not require a
skill check. Two people using different relays can
communicate visually with each other, as if looking at each
other through a glass window they are both touching. The
other relays are often dark with nothing to be seen at all,
indicating that they are covered, or perhaps hidden in a
long-lost ruin waiting to be found.
You cannot hear or experience senses besides sight
through the lambda relay. Additionally, you are blind to
your surroundings while you use it.

Lexicographer’s Sand
Rare artifact, 2 lbs.
A clear, glass-like box, 8 inches on a side with a golden
frame along the edges. The box has a hinged top that latches
closed, and the inside contains one pound of a gray
substance not unlike sand. Adhered to the top of the box is
a parchment-like material with enough space to write one
or two words, or a total of about 20 characters.
When an item’s name is written upon the parchment, the
box will create a gray facsimile of the item out of the sandy
material inside. The formation process takes 1 minute. The
box can make a facsimile of almost any item that can fit
inside of it, though any complex devices like clockwork will
appear less precise than a genuine item. Naming an object
larger than the dimensions of the box will generate nothing, Helm of Blind Luck

Part Three: The Rules

and the name will fade from the parchment in 1 minute.
Facsimiles always use all the sand and thus always weigh
one pound – even small items like needles. They are about
as durable as common stone.
If placed back inside the box, the facsimile will become
sand once again and whatever was written on the
parchment will fade away in an hour. Any paint or glue
vanishes into the sand, and other objects placed in the box
sit atop the sand unaffected.
If the facsimile is broken while outside of the box, it will
fall apart into sand and not return to the box. If the item is
engulfed in flame, it will transform into a glassy substance
and no longer return to sand when placed back in the box.
If a box’s sand becomes destroyed or transformed, a port for
an Eldertech cartridge will appear on the bottom of the box. If
a cartridge is attached, it will be emptied and the box’s sand
will be replenished.

Light Caster
Rare weapon, 2 lbs., 6 charges
This long, metallic rod resembling an angler’s fishing rod.
Where its line would be stored is a glowing orb, floating
millimeters off the rod. It is unable to be removed from its
position.
As an action, you may expend a charge and activate the
light caster. Choose a large or smaller target you can see
within 40 feet. The orb emits a flexible hardlight line that
wraps around the target. Targets caught by the line are
restrained, and they may make an opposed Strength check

List of Eldertech
276
 against you as an action on their turn to break free of the
line.
Molten Dagger You can use an action to pull a target restrained by the
line 10 feet closer to you with an opposed Strength check,
knocking the target prone if you win the check by 5 or
more. You can expend an additional charge as a bonus
action to give yourself advantage on the Strength check and
pull the target up to 40 feet instead.
The light caster can hold a maximum of 6 charges and
regains 1 charge for every hour it spends with the orb
submerged in water.

Mantle of
Protecting Light
Uncommon clothing, 2 lbs., 1 charge
Made of a silky indigo fabric, this short cape-like mantle
ends at the wearer’s elbows. It covers the upper body, and
is decorated with repeating geometric patterns that slowly
shift under close observation. It shimmers in sunlight,
further highlighting its pattern. Occasionally, the pattern
will glow with the distinct light-blue color of hardlight.
While wearing the mantle of protecting light, you can
expend a charge and use your reaction to negate up to 5d4
damage from any one attack by activating its internal
hardlight barrier. You may use this ability after the attack
hits and after damage has been rolled. If the damage of the
attack exceeds the amount of protection, it will break
through the hardlight barrier, and you take any remaining
Mantle of damage. The mantle will regain its charge automatically
Protecting Light after 8 hours.
When an attack pierces the barrier, there is a 5% chance
that the mantle will be broken. If the attack comes from an
Eldertech weapon, the chance increases to 25%. If broken,
then the mantle of protecting light loses its properties until
repaired.

Mask of Face-changing
Rare accessory, 1/2 lb.
A masquerade-style full-face mask that stays on the face
without need for a buckle or strap. The mask is off-white
and has the texture of earthenware pottery, and has a
smiling expression.
When you wear this mask, you may mentally alter it to
take the shape of a real face of the same sentient species as
you. The face can be of a person you know or one you
imagine. The mask will take one minute to shift its shape
into the chosen face. If removed, the mask will revert to its
original form over one minute.
When the shifting is finished, the mask will visually
resemble real skin of your normal skin tone and will move
naturally with your normal facial expressions. Anybody
examining you must succeed on a DC 21 Wisdom
(Perception) check to determine that you are wearing a
mask. The texture of the mask still feels like earthenware,
and anybody that touches your face will immediately know
that it is not natural.
If you take damage while wearing the mask, you must
make an Intelligence saving throw (DC 8 or the amount of

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277
damage received, whichever is higher). On a failure, the
mask reverts back to its original form.
Mist of Relaxation
Uncommon artifact, 1 lb., cartridge-based
A chunky blue four-sided pyramid with a hole in the base
where an Eldertech cartridge may be inserted. Each side is
emblazoned with a dark blue cross.
When loaded with an Eldertech cartridge, the mist of
relaxation may be activated with an action, causing a light
green mist to slowly be emitted from small holes near the
peak of the pyramid. The mist will slowly cover an area in a
40-foot radius, and lasts about 1 hour. When a creature
takes a short rest within the mist, they regain 10 + 4d4 HP
in addition to any other HP they recover. If the mist is used
at any point during a long rest, and a creature would
recover a level of exhaustion during that rest, they recover
an additional level of exhaustion and gain 4d4 temporary
hit points at the end of the long rest.
Mist of Suggestion
Rare artifact, 1/4 lb., cartridge-based
A small violet box with a hole on one side and a slot for an
Eldertech cartridge on the bottom. When a cartridge is
attached, the blue powder inside it will shift into a swirling
lavender mist.
As an action, you may spray the mist into space of a
single creature within 5 feet, which empties the cartridge.
The creature will become stunned for two rounds. During
this time, as long as the creature is capable of
understanding you, you may suggest to it a single course of
action or idea.
The mist dissipates quickly, and when the creature
regains their awareness they will have no memory of the
mist being sprayed or anything that happened in the
moments since. They will believe the action or idea
suggested is their own, and act accordingly. If the creature
is directly confronted about the origin of the idea or action,
they may make a DC 17 Intelligence saving throw to realize
they have been influenced in some manner, though they
will still not remember the mist.
Molten Dagger
Uncommon weapon (parry dagger), 1 lb.
A dagger kept in a specially designed sheath that contains
its enormous heat. The straight, glowing blade occasionally
drips with molten metal. A basket hilt protects the user’s
hands.
When you make an attack with this dagger, it deals fire
damage instead of piercing or slashing damage and deals
an extra damage die to targets wearing metal armor.
This dagger can also be used to take the Parry reaction
against incoming melee attacks. As a reaction, you can use
the molten dagger defensively to add your proficiency bonus
to your AC. When this action is used, roll a d20. On a 19 or
20, the attacking character’s weapon (if a weapon was used)
is broken by the heat of the molten dagger, unless it is an
Eldertech weapon. If no weapon was used, the attacker
takes 1d4 fire damage. On a 1, the dagger sputters with
278
smoke and cools off, losing its heat-based properties and
behaving like a normal parry dagger.
A deactivated molten dagger can be activated again by
succeeding on a DC 18 Intelligence (Eldertech) check (the
check may be attempted once per day). Alternatively, the
dagger can be rekindled by leaving it in a heated forge.
After 1 hour in the forge, it has a 5% chance of restarting.
For every consecutive hour in the forge, the chance of
restarting increases by 5%.
Murder’s Gloves
Uncommon (single) or rare (pair) accessory, 1 lb. (each)
Often seen among Dema’s gladiators and sport fighters,
these heavy leather gloves turn any hand into a deadly
weapon. They are made from an exotic leatherlike material
with a cap of solid Eldertech alloy around each fingertip.
When worn, the glove molds tightly around your hand and
cannot be removed by anyone except you.
As a bonus action, you may transform the metal
fingertips into blades that cause your unarmed strikes to
deal 2d4 slashing damage. If you are grappling or being
grappled, attacks with the murder’s gloves are made with
advantage. Another bonus action may be used to retract the
blades.
If you are wearing a pair of these gloves, you may attack
with both gloves simultaneously when making an unarmed
strike, dealing a total of 3d4 slashing damage.
The murder’s gloves take on a special shape when worn by
a Featherfolk, forming talons even longer than the normal
Part Three: The Rules
blades. In these circumstances, a single glove has a +1
bonus to damage rolls, and a pair has a +2 bonus to damage
rolls.
Omni-tool
Common artifact, 2 lbs.
An unremarkable 2-foot-long metal bar that is a flat gray in
color. As an action, you can reshape the bar into any basic
tool. Some example shapes include a crowbar, hammer,
chisel, or small shovel. The omni tool’s maximum
dimensions are 3 feet long by 1 foot in width and height. Its
weight never changes, no matter its current shape.
Orb of Heat
Common artifact, 2 lbs., 3 charges
A roughly textured navy-blue orb, almost perfectly round
except for a slightly flattened base. The shade of blue
brightens as the orb gains charges and darkens as they are
expended.
As an action, you can expend a charge to activate the orb
of heat, which causes all creatures within 20 feet to feel
warm as if they were standing near a small campfire.
Obstacles such as the wall of a tent do not interfere with the
warmth, and the level of warmth does not change if
creatures approach or move away from the orb, which
remains at a cool temperature. The creatures may rest as if
they had a campfire nearby, though the orb is useless for
cooking food or starting real fires.
List of Eldertech
 One charge will keep the orb active for up to 8 hours. The opens to the middle of the tome, revealing two polished
orb of heat will regain a charge if left in a campfire for 4 and blank white “pages” made of metal.
hours or a forge for 1 hour, and will retain a maximum of 3 When you point the pocket compendium’s eye at a non-
charges. sentient creature, it displays all your knowledge about that
type of creature on the pages inside. You can bring up this
Pendant of information later as well by holding the compendium and
focusing on a mental image of the creature in question. As
Inoculation you learn more about the creature, the additional
Rare artifact, 1/4 lb. information will be added to the creature’s entry. The
information remains on the pages of the pocket compendium
A bronze-colored pendant shaped like an inverted tear
until the eye is pointed at a different non-sentient creature
drop. The pendant’s properties can be activated by touching
or a different entry is summoned mentally.
it to a drop of blood from a person with a disease.
If the pocket compendium is used by another sentient, it
When activated and worn around the neck, the pendant
will retain all information added to it by you. Conversely,
will protect you from being infected with that specific
you may use a compendium with entries populated by
disease. If you are already infected with said disease, all
another sentient. A compendium will lose all its entries and
symptoms vanish and the progression of the disease will
information if it is dealt at least 10 lightning damage from a
stop. The symptoms will return and progression will
single attack or goes 5d4 years without sunlight.
continue if you remove the pendant unless you have been
cured. If two or more pocket compendiums are stacked on top of
each other, each will “learn” the knowledge stored in the
The pendant can offer protection from a different disease
other compendium. This feature makes the artifacts highly
if it is given a new drop of blood, though it can only offer
desired by organizations like the Scholasta.
protection from one disease at a time. If the source of the
blood has multiple diseases, the pendant chooses the most
severe or debilitating, or selects randomly from among the Pocket Handhold
most severe options. You may use your own blood to Common artifact, 1/2 lb.
activate the pendant. It will deactivate if it is dealt at least 10 A small, light blue stone-shaped blob that deforms slightly
lightning damage from a single attack or goes 5d10 years when squeezed. They are commonly found and sold in
without sunlight. pairs. When placed against a surface and squeezed, the
pocket handhold will stick to that surface. It can hold up to
Periapt of Resistance 500 lbs. before failing and requires a DC 18 Strength check
Uncommon artifact, <1/4 lb. to separate by force. As soon as the squeezing pressure is
removed, the pocket handhold will detach from the surface.
A small charm necklace in the shape of a heater shield, with
The handhold will not stick to flesh or especially slick
many variants of different colors. When worn, the periapt
surfaces like ice.
of resistance grants you resistance to a damage type, with
the specific type determined by its color.
You may only wear one periapt at a time. Wearing Polearm of Decay
multiple periapts at once causes them all to cease working Uncommon weapon (any polearm), flesh-bane, weight varies
until all but one are removed. A robust pole weapon made of gleaming black metal with a
thick wood-textured grip. It has the flesh-bane property,
TABLE - PERIAPT OF RESISTANCE VARIANTS making it particularly effective against lightly armored and
Damage Resistance Color
unarmored targets. Strikes with this weapon have the
Acid Green
unusual ability to cause flesh to dry out and wither slightly.
Cold Dark blue When you hit a target with this weapon, it takes an
Fire Red additional 1d4 necrotic damage.
Force White
Lightning Light blue Purelight Lantern
Necrotic Black Common artifact, 2 lbs., 10 charges
Poison Violet A heavy steel cylinder about 12 inches long, with one
Psychic Lavender bulbous end that contains a reflective inward-facing dome.
Thunder Yellow The other end has a crank that folds against the side when
not in use.

Pocket Compendium As a bonus action, the purelight lantern may be activated

by expending a charge, causing it to emit a very bright
of Beasts white light from the reflective dome. The dome emits bright
light in a 120-foot cone, and dim light for an additional 120
Rare artifact, 1 lb.
feet. The light will last for 10 minutes, though it can be
This item appears to be a small tome bound in Eldertech deactivated at any time.
alloy with an onyx-colored eye on the back cover. It only The light is bright enough to cause temporary blindness
to those whose eyes are adjusted to darkness. If you are in

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279
darkness, activating the lantern will force any creatures
within a 30-foot cone who are looking in your direction to
make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a
creature is blinded until the start of its next turn.
The lantern can hold a maximum of 10 charges. Turning
the crank for 10 minutes causes the lantern to regain a
charge.
Quicksilver Disc
Uncommon artifact, 10 lbs.
When deactivated, this artifact is a smooth silver rod about
18 inches in length. Throwing the rod at the ground as a
bonus action activates the quicksilver disc, with the rod
sweeping out into a 3-foot diameter ring with a mirror
finish and a 1-inch hole at the center. It hovers about 6
inches above the ground.
While deployed, the hovering disc can be pushed and
pulled effortlessly, and will move up and down gentle
slopes without issue. It can bear up to 500 pounds with no
impact to its function, though it will deactivate if a greater
weight is placed on it. If it is moved over an empty space,
such as off a cliff, it will descend at a rate of 30 feet per
round (about 5 feet per second) until it reaches 6 inches
above ground level again. The disc treats water as if it were
the ground, allowing it to cross rivers, lakes, and oceans.
A creature may climb onto the quicksilver disc and move it
by tilting their weight in the desired direction. While riding
the disc in this fashion, you have a movement speed of 60
feet and are not affected by difficult terrain. Enemy
creatures that succeed on a grapple check against you may
grab the disc instead, preventing it from
moving. If you are hit by an attack while atop
the disc, you must succeed on a Dexterity
saving throw (DC 8 or the amount of damage
Periapt of
Fire Resistance
280
received, whichever is higher) or fall from the disc, landing
prone next to it.
If more than one creature is on top of the disc, any
attempts to move it can be contested as a reaction, causing
the disc to move in a random direction determined by the
GM.
Quill of Infinite Ink
Common artifact, <1/4 lb.
A simple quill pen that closely resembles a white feather,
though closer inspection reveals it to be artificial. This quill
does not need to be dipped; despite the lack of any ink on
the tip, it leaves clear and smooth black lines when used to
write. The ink never runs out, and the pen can leave its
marks on almost any solid surface that isn’t wet or coated in
oil.
Quiver of Arrow
Charging
Rare artifact, 2 lbs.
This small indigo quiver is usually found empty, and it has
room for up to 5 arrows. When inert Eldertech arrows that
have been used (such as expended elemental ammunition) are
placed in the quiver of arrow charging, a charge battery may be
applied to restore the properties of all the arrows at once.
Similar Eldertech can be found in forms to accommodate
other ammunition, such as a case for crossbow bolts or a
Part Three: The Rules
bag for sling bullets.
Quiver of
Arrow Charging
List of Eldertech
 Hardlight Quiver
Quiver of Hardlight
Arrows
Uncommon artifact, 3 lbs., 2 charges
A heavy, deep gray quiver decorated with blue and violet
markings. The quiver is empty but has space for 10 arrows,
yet any wooden arrows that are placed inside it catch fire
within 1 minute.
You may expend a charge and activate the quiver as a
bonus action, causing 10 arrows made entirely of hardlight
to suddenly appear inside it. These arrows may be drawn
out and used as normal arrows and deal normal piercing
damage + 1 force damage, though they vanish with a flash
after hitting a target or striking a surface. If unused, the
arrows will disappear after 10 minutes.
Alternatively, a single powerful arrow may be
summoned instead of 10 when activating the quiver. This
arrow crackles with blue lightning and shines brighter than
normal. On a successful hit, this arrow deals the normal
piercing damage plus an extra die of lightning damage and
another extra die of force damage. The extra damage dice
are equivalent to the die used for the bow’s normal piercing
damage.
The quiver of hardlight arrows has a maximum of two
charges and must be filled with a gallon of clean water to
regain a charge. After 1 hour, the water will have
disappeared, and the quiver will regain 1 charge.
Redsky Core Book
281
Seismic Mace
Reconstruction
Sphere
Uncommon artifact, 1 lb., 1 charge
A reconstruction sphere is one of few known ways to repair
broken Eldertech artifacts. The sphere itself is light gray,
perfectly smooth, and fits neatly in the palm of a hand. On
the top is a small crystal bead and a thin band of Eldertech
alloy runs horizontally around the sphere’s circumference.
When activated, a soft spotlight emits from the crystal
bead. If the spotlight is pointed onto a nearby broken
Eldertech artifact, the reconstruction sphere will expend its
charge and begin floating next to the artifact. A hardlight
screen will appear next to the sphere, with an image of the
broken artifact, text in an unknown language, and controls
that can be manipulated.
The language on the screen has never been deciphered,
despite many efforts by the finest academics in Dema.
Those familiar with Eldertech have a greater chance of
using their intuition and memory to operate the controls
correctly. The character attempting to make a repair must
make an Intelligence (Eldertech) check against the Repair
DC for the broken artifact (see the Eldertech DCs by Rarity
table in the Equipment and Eldertech chapter). On a
success, the reconstruction sphere will come to life, hovering
around the artifact and emitting small beams of hardlight at
it that materialize into Eldertech alloy. On a failure, the
sphere falls to the ground, deactivated. After 1 full day the
sphere will regain its charge, and another repair may be
attempted.
Broken artifacts must be identified before repair attempts
can be made. The repair takes an amount of time specified
in the Eldertech DCs by Rarity table. The reconstruction
sphere can only be used for one successful repair, after
which it runs out of material and power and becomes
completely inert. Moving the artifact any significant
distance during the repair will also cause the sphere to
deactivate and become inert.
Repair Station
Rare artifact, 20 lbs., 1 charge, cartridge-based
A repair station is a highly sought-after piece of Eldertech
equipment. It can repair an infinite number of broken
Eldertech artifacts as long as it can be supplied with
Eldertech cartridges. However, it takes longer than a
reconstruction sphere would to make the same repairs.
Repair stations come in a compacted form, resembling a
bundle of Eldertech alloy about the size of a rolled-up
bedroll. When a charge is expended to activate the repair
station, it unfurls several spider-like arms that point
upward. The arms are joined by hardlight barriers, giving
the impression of a large washing basin made of Eldertech
alloy and hardlight. On the front of the basin are 4 ports for
Eldertech cartridges and a projected hardlight screen,
similar to the one projected by the reconstruction sphere.
When an Eldertech artifact is placed in the basin, it floats
suspended in the air, and its image will be displayed on the
screen. The character attempting to make a repair must
manipulate the screen, making an Intelligence (Eldertech)
check against the Repair DC for the broken artifact (see the
Eldertech DCs by Rarity table in the Equipment and
Eldertech chapter). On a success, a number of the Eldertech
cartridge ports will light up, indicating how many need to be
inserted for the repair to begin. The station requires 1
cartridge for common artifacts, 2 for uncommon, 3 for rare,
and 4 for legendary. After the insertion, the cartridges are
drained and the repair station’s arms start projecting
hardlight beams that generate missing Eldertech alloy on
the broken artifact. The repair takes 4 times longer than the
amount of time specified in the Eldertech DCs by Rarity
table.
Broken artifacts must be identified before repair attempts
can be made. If a character fails the Intelligence (Eldertech)
check or a repair is completed successfully, the repair
station deactivates and folds back up into a bundle. Moving
the repair station or artifact during this time will also
deactivate the station. It will regain its charge after 1 full
day, after which another repair may be attempted.
Ring of Light
Uncommon accessory, <1/4 lb.
A large and heavy golden ring that shrinks down to
perfectly fit any finger it is placed on. It always appears as if
a light is shining on it, no matter how dark the
surroundings are.
As a bonus action, you may activate the ring of light,
causing it to emit a glow illuminating your surroundings.
You can control how bright the glow is, up to a maximum
of 10 feet of bright light and an additional 10 feet of dim
light.
As an action, you may expend its charge and cause the
ring to flash an incredibly bright light. Any creatures within
282
60 feet that have a line of sight to the ring (and whose eyes
are not closed) will be blinded until the end of your next
turn. The ring will automatically regain its charge after 8
hours, and during this time it will be unable to glow.
Seeking Ammunition
Common (+1), uncommon (+2) or rare (+3) weapon (arrow or
bolt), <1/4 lb., cannot be harvested
A normal-looking arrow or other ammunition type. The
only evidence that this piece of ammunition is special is the
faint lines of Eldertech alloy running down its length.
This ammunition is unbreakable and grants you a bonus
to hit and damage, with the size of the bonus depending on
the rarity of the item. After it is used once, the bonus no
longer applies, though it may still be used as normal
ammunition and can always be found after a battle. A
charge battery can be used to restore the bonus.
Seismic Weapon
Rare weapon (any melee bludgeoning), weight varies
A bludgeoning weapon made of Eldertech alloy and
radiating a soft hum. When you hit a target with an attack
using this weapon, it deals an extra 1d4 force damage and
forces the target to succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving
throw or be knocked back 5 feet. If the weapon is two-
handed, the creature is pushed back 10 feet instead. If the
target is unable to be moved the full distance, they are
moved back as much as possible and knocked prone
Part Three: The Rules
instead.
Shackle of Binding
Common or uncommon artifact, 1 lb.
This artifact is a single brass-colored shackle to be worn on
the wrist or ankle of a medium or small creature, with an
accompanying but unattached brass ring large enough to
slip onto a wrist. The shackle has no hole to attach a chain.
When attached to a wrist or ankle, the shackle may not be
removed by any person except the individual who attached
it. The wearer will find themselves unable to move more
than 100 feet away from the ring, with the shackle suddenly
feeling as if it is attached to a chain when the limit is
reached. After a certain amount of time, ranging from a few
days to a year depending on the particular item, the shackle
will automatically unlock and fall off the wearer. It may
never be re-attached to the same individual and will not
lock if this is attempted. Uncommon versions of the shackle
of binding exist that have ranges greater than 100 feet.
Pulling on the shackle at the maximum distance does not
exert any force on the ring, though moving the ring past the
limit will cause the wearer of the shackle to be pulled
towards the ring against their will at a rate of 5 feet per
round. If a wall or heavy obstacle is in the way, the shackle
will be pulled against the obstruction and stay in place until
the ring gets closer or the obstruction is removed. If the
shackle-wearer manages to get ahold of the ring, they will
be able to move about freely.
List of Eldertech
Shield of the
Blockade
Rare armor (heater shield), 5 lbs., 2 charges
A thick bronze-colored heater shield with no decoration on
its face. As an action, you may expend a charge and slam
the point of the shield into the ground at your feet. A 60-
foot-long, 15-foot-high wall of hardlight bursts into
existence parallel to the shield. The shield glows brightly
while the wall is active and can be located at any point
along the wall’s base.
The wall lasts for 3 rounds. It is translucent but
impenetrable, and creatures behind it are considered to
have total cover from attacks.
The shield of the blockade holds a maximum of 2 charges.
Striking the shield with weapons 5 or more times will cause
it to regain 1 charge an hour later. The striking may happen
in or out of combat.
Sound Amplifier
Rare artifact, 2 lbs., 8 charges
This artifact is made from a steel-colored cone with the
narrow end encased in black box. The top of the box has a
handle, and there’s a switch on the side opposite the cone.
At the back end of the cone is a darkly colored mesh that
absorbs sound, potent enough to noticeably lower the
ambient sound of a room.
As an action, you may flip the switch and expend all the
charges currently stored in the device. It emits a 30-foot
cone of focused sound from the steel cone that violently
impacts anything in its path. Creatures caught in this cone
are deafened for 1 minute and must make a DC 14
Constitution saving throw, taking Xd6 thunder damage on
a failed save, where X is the number of charges expended.
Creatures that succeed on the saving throw take half
damage.
The sound amplifier holds a maximum of 8 charges and
regains 1d4+1 charges for every 8 hours it spends around
people talking, such as a traveling party of adventures, a
busy market, or an inn. Carrying this artifact causes you to
make sound-based Wisdom (Perception) checks with
disadvantage.
Spelunking Goggles
Rare accessory, 1 lb.
Highly sought-after by those who traverse the Thalkast,
these yellow lenses are connected by a strip of brown elastic
material, designed to strap around the wearer’s head like a
headband. They allow the wearer to see in pitch darkness,
even in the darkness summoned by the wand of night.
When you are wearing the spelunking goggles, you have
darkvision out to 100 feet. This darkvision is inferior
to natural darkvision. Objects appear in grainy
shades of gray and you are unable to read,
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283
though you can perfectly identify the borders of objects and
see the movement of creatures. However, they do very little
to improve peripheral vision, and you still automatically
fail sight-based Perception checks for anything outside of
your direct line of sight.
Staff of Protection
Legendary weapon (quarterstaff), 2 lbs., 5 charges
A slender and elegant staff about 5 feet long made of solid
Eldertech alloy, with a spherical bright blue crystal attached
to the top. It can be used in combat as a regular quarterstaff
with a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls, although
strikes with the crystal end do force damage instead of
bludgeoning damage.
As an action, you can strike the ground with the crystal
and expend a charge to summon an impenetrable wall of
hardlight into existence. The wall lasts for 1 hour or until it
is dismissed by the wielder of the staff. You can form the
barrier into a hemispherical dome or a sphere with a radius
of up to 10 feet centered on the point you struck, or you can
shape a flat surface made up of 6 10-foot-square panels at a
point you choose. Each panel must be in contact with
another panel, and at least one panel must be within 30 feet.
The panels may be free-floating or resting on a surface, and
each panel may be horizontal, vertical, or any angle you
choose. You may also choose whether the wall is opaque or
transparent. If the wall cuts through a creature’s space
when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the
wall (your choice which side). If the wall would intersect
the ground, it stops at the point of contact, but will appear if
the ground is dug away.
If you expend 2 charges instead of 1, the dome you
summon may have a radius up to 20 feet, or you may
summon 20 10-foot-square panels.
If you expend all 5 charges, you may summon a dome
with a radius up to 500 feet, or a wall up to 40 feet high and
1000 feet long (some part of the wall must be within 30 feet
of you).
Stalwart Shield
Rare armor (heater, round, or tear drop shield), 7 lbs.
Made from polished Eldertech alloy, this shield is
practically indestructible. It grants a shield bonus of +3 to
your AC, instead of the normal +2. Many accomplished or
wealthy warriors who acquire one of these shields will
paint the front with a personal emblem or a sigil of their
house or clan.
If you succeed on a Strength or Dexterity saving throw to
take half damage from an effect, you take no damage
instead. If the effect in question is in the shape of a line, the
line also stops at you if you succeeded on your
Tenaybrye's Razor

saving throw. Additionally, you may make a DC 17
Dexterity saving throw while falling when you have this
shield equipped, avoiding all falling damage on a success
by landing on the shield.
Stun Wand
Common weapon (club), 4 lbs. 6 charges
A rod about 2.5 feet in length with a metallic ball at one end
and a braided cord attached with to a socket at the opposite
end. The cord leads to a Eldertech metal box with a crank,
which can be used to recharge the device.
When you hit a target with this weapon, you may expend
a charge and activate this weapon as part of the attack. The
target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw,
becoming stunned until the end of their next turn on a
failure. Creatures wearing metal armor have disadvantage
on this save.
The stun wand holds a maximum of 6 charges. Spinning
the crank for 20 minutes restores 1 charge.
Tenaybrye’s Razor
Rare weapon (longsword), 2 lbs., 8 charges
An oddly shaped and cut Eldertech longsword that is
extremely cold to the touch and best handled with gloves. A
soft blue mist continually rises from the blade.
When you hit a target with this weapon, you may expend
a charge and activate the weapon as part of the attack. The
target takes an additional 2d4 cold damage and must make
a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the
creature has disadvantage on the next Strength or Dexterity
check it makes within 1 minute. If the target is wet, it takes
3d4 cold damage instead, and has disadvantage on its
saving throw.
The Tenaybre’s razor holds a maximum of 8 charges. It
regains 1 charge for every hour it is kept in darkness. The
maximum charges it can hold are decreased at a rate of 1
charge per minute if placed in a fire, or 1 charge per day
when carried in very hot weather (see the Exploration and
Weather chapter). The maximum charge amount is restored
284
Tongue of Flame
when the razor is fully submerged in snow or ice-cold water
for 1 hour.
Thermal Sack
Common or uncommon artifact, 1 lb.
A large waterproof bag made of a dark green, stiff fabric,
with a rope to tie around the mouth. The common version
of the thermal sack has an interior measuring about 1 cubic
Part Three: The Rules
foot. Uncommon versions can be found that are larger.
An item placed in the thermal sack will maintain its
temperature extremely well. Any warming or cooling will
be slowed, and it will take about 3 days for an item to
change to the temperature of the surrounding environment.
Tongue of Flame
Uncommon weapon (whip), 1 lb., 7 charges
The cord of this whip is made of tightly woven metal fibers
and ends in 7 strands. Its handle is a polished dark gray,
and has a guard similar to a rapier. You have a +1 bonus to
attack and damage rolls with this weapon.
You may expend a charge and activate this weapon as
part of an attack before the attack roll is made. Until the
start of your next turn, the cord of the whip glows red-hot
and your attacks will deal an extra 1d4 fire damage.
Alternatively, you may expend a charge and start a small
fire at a point you strike with the whip, as long as there is
flammable material at the target location.
The tongue of flame holds a maximum of 7 charges, and
regains 1 charge after spending an hour in a forge or fire.
Trackless Boots
Common accessory, 1 lb.
A comfortable pair of brown boots that shrink to perfectly
fit the wearer. While wearing these boots, you will leave no
trace of footprints over any kind of dry ground. You will
still leave footprints in mud or snow, though you will not
List of Eldertech
leave behind any water or mud after crossing through a
puddle or river.
Tunic of
Ungrounded
Strength
Rare clothing, 5 lbs.
A belted tunic made from a glossy, blue fabric that appears
to be silk but is much heavier. The garment is rather large
but will adapt to the size of the wearer, shrinking slowly
over about 5 minutes until it is a perfect fit.
While wearing this tunic, you feel incredibly strong yet
strangely light. Your Strength score becomes 19 if it is not
already 19 or greater. However, you become vulnerable to
lightning damage due to the tunic’s high conductivity, and
you have disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength
saving throws to resist being pushed or moved against your
will.
Unbreakable Rope
Common artifact, 5 lbs.
This thick blue-violet rope has an easy-to-grip texture and
no stray fibers. It usually comes in lengths of 50 feet, though
longer or shorter stretches can be found. It cannot be cut or
snapped by any known means except by an active vibro-
weapon or forces in excess of several tons.
Unseen Armor
Legendary artifact, 1 lb., cartridge-based
A plain, steel bracelet attached to a boxy mechanism that
covers the back of the wearer’s hand. The strange
mechanism has a single button and a port for an Eldertech
cartridge. The cartridge’s powder turns into a thick orange
liquid when attached.
As a bonus action, you may press the button, causing the
mechanism to unfold into a panel that glows orange and
displays markings in an unknown language. For the next
minute, you are cloaked in a just-visible bubble of energy as
the Eldertech cartridge slowly drains. Any foreign objects that
move quickly into the bubble are deflected and thrown
backward.
While the unseen armor is active, attacks made against you
are not compared to your AC. Instead, subtract your
Dexterity score from 25. Attack rolls against you must be
less than or equal to this number to hit. Rolling a 1 counts as
a hit (but not a critical hit), and rolling a 20 automatically
misses.
Vibro-Weapon
Rare weapon (any melee slashing), armor-bane, weight varies, 10
charges
These weapons are highly sought after by warriors and
collectors across Dema. Made from the distinctive Eldertech
alloy, they have the armor-bane property and are harder
and tougher than any other weapon forged in Dema.
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Attacks with this weapon have a +2 bonus to attack and
damage rolls.
You may expend a charge and activate this weapon as
part of an attack before the attack roll is made. While active,
the blade of the vibro-weapon will pulse with rapid,
imperceptible vibrations until the start of your next turn,
and your attack rolls will be compared against the target’s
Touch AC instead of their normal AC.
Wand of Night
Legendary artifact, 1/2 lb., 1 charge
A thin, black rod about 12 inches long, with lines of
Eldertech alloy decorating the upper two-thirds. While
holding the wand in your hand, you have darkvision out to
500 feet.
As an action, you may expend the wand of night’s charge,
causing supreme darkness to fall in a 500-foot sphere
centered on you. The sphere does not move with the wand,
and remains fixed where it was summoned. Torches and
other light sources have no effect in this darkness, and even
creatures with darkvision find themselves blinded. The
darkness will fade after 10 minutes, or when it is dismissed
by the holder of the wand. The wand will regain its charge
when it spends 25 hours in darkness.
Only the current holder of the wand retains their sight in
the conjured darkness, though they can only see in shades
of gray. If the wand is dropped or taken by another
creature, the original holder becomes just as blind as
everyone else.
Weapon of the
Perfect Strike
Legendary weapon (any), flesh-bane, armor-bane, weight varies
This weapon is magnificently decorated with Eldertech
alloy, and features delicate details and workmanship.
Attacks with this weapon have a +3 bonus to attack and
damage rolls. Additionally, it has both the flesh-bane and
armor-bane properties, and therefore always adds an extra
die of damage on a critical hit.
Weapon of Warning
Uncommon weapon (any melee), weight varies
These weapons are indistinguishable from their normally
constructed counterparts, apart from their fine
craftsmanship and exceptional durability. You have a +1
bonus to attack and damage rolls with this weapon.
The weapon of warning emits a glow when within 120 feet
of a particular type and subtype of creature. For example,
one may glow when a bylak is in range, and another may
react to Nightriders. The type and subtype of creature that
causes the glow is determined by the first wound the
weapon causes. These weapons are rarely found “fresh”
and are usually tuned to a specific creature already.
Identifying the creature type when the weapon is not
glowing requires a DC 18 Intelligence (Eldertech) check.

Chapter 19:
Creatures and Combatants
Creature Types
Redsky includes the following creature types.
Beasts are nonhumanoid creatures that are a natural part
of the Dema’s ecology. Beasts include all varieties of
ordinary animals.
Constructs are made, not born. Some are programmed by
their creators to follow a simple set of instructions, while
others are imbued with sentience and capable of
independent thought.
Fungi in the world of Dema can be more active than you
would expect. There are several fungal creatures capable of
movement that seem to be of a similar evolutionary line to
the Sporespawn.
Insectoids are similar to beasts but are very different
anatomically, usually having an exoskeleton and distinct
biological processes.
Monstrosities are horrifying creatures that seem to defy
conventional explanation, with a biology that seems
supernatural.
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A Rampaging Soidyat
Plants in Dema can be more active than you expect.
Dema has some instances that are more sentient than
ordinary flora. Most of those instances are ambulatory, and
some are carnivorous.
Sentients are the main peoples of Dema, including
Humans, Featherfolk, Sporespawn, Nightriders,
Wakewalkers, and Archivists. They have language, culture,
and a bipedal form.
CHALLENGE RATINGS
The lack of magic in the Redsky universe can
change the dynamics of combat, making deadly
encounters even more dangerous. Redsky is
designed around brute force not always being the
answer, and sometimes that means the party will
encounter creatures they cannot stand up to in
combat. For characters at the level cap that want
to vanquish all challengers, Eldertech will usually be
necessary to win encounters with Redsky’s
strongest creatures.
Creatures and Combatants
Creatures AC 13 (natural armor)
HP 203 (22d12+60)
Touch AC 11
Speed 0 ft., fly 80 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +9, Constitution +6
Azhitsa Skills Athletics +9, Perception +5
Location Athenaeum, Etherea Damage Immunities cold
Harvest Damage Vulnerabilities piercing
� DC 10: 1 sq. yd. of azhita skin Senses passive Perception 15, blindsight 240 ft.
� DC 15: 1 gal. blubber CR 7 (2900 XP) Proficiency 3
Azhitsa are gargantuan, peaceful animals that resemble Languages N/A
terrestrial flying whales. They have leathery wings to
slowly sail through the sky, and store gas within their
bodies for buoyancy. With great practice, azhitsa can be Echolocation. The azhitsa can’t use its blindsight while
ridden.
deafened.
The azhitsa are significant to Etherean culture. They are Siege Monster. The azhitsa deals double damage to objects
the only reliable means of reaching the Gray Pyer, the and structures.
enormous floating rocks above the city of Etherea. In order Actions
to ride an azhitsa, they must first be herded by experienced Multiattack. The azhitsa makes two attacks: one with its
trainers to a feeding ground beneath a cliff. Then, a leap of bite and one with its tail slam.
faith is required. In times of war, barrels of flammable
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
liquid can be dropped from an azhitsa onto passing enemies creature. Hit: (1d12+6) piercing damage.
below.
Tail Slam. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
Azhitsa target. (3d10+6) bludgeoning damage. Targets must
Huge beast succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10
feet away from the azhitsa.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

23 (+6) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 8 (-1)

Bahrial

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Bahrial Beglat
Location Midnight Sea Location Thalkast
Harvest Harvest
� DC 10: 2d6 bahrial teeth � DC 10: 1 lb. cave horror chitin
� DC 15: 1 sq. yd. bahrial hide � DC 15: 1d4 beglat claws
Bahrials are two-headed sea serpents that feed on just about Beglats are hostile, darkly-colored insects. They have
everything on the rocky shores of the Midnight Sea. Their features of blind terrestrial moles, and multiple armored
scales vary from light blue to a brilliant rainbow color. forelimbs for burrowing. Beglats leave a trail of ichor
Bahrials are always on the hunt. Even when one head behind them when they move.
sleeps, the other is alert.
Bahrials can vary in size. The very largest known to
Beglat
attack small fishing ships returning to port, drawn from Huge insectoid (cave horror)
miles away to the smell of their catch.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Bahrial 22 (+6) 9 (-1) 18 (+4) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 9 (-1)
Large beast

AC 18 (natural armor) Touch AC 9

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 5 (-3) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) HP 189 (18d12+72) Speed 40 ft., burrow 30 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +9, Constitution +7
AC 16 (natural armor) Touch AC 13 Skills Athletics +9, Perception +5
HP 123 (19d10+19) Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft. Damage Resistances slashing from non-Eldertech
weapons
Saving Throws Strength +6, Dexterity +6
Damage Immunities poison
Skills Stealth +6, Perception +5
Condition Immunities poisoned, prone
Damage Resistances cold, poison
Senses passive Perception 15, Darkvision 60 ft.,
Condition Immunities poisoned

Part Three: The Rules

Senses passive Perception 15, Darkvision 240 ft.
CR 5 (1800 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages N/A
Two-Headed. The bahrial has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks and on saving throws against being
blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and
knocked unconscious.
Wakeful. When one of the bahrial’s heads is asleep, the
other head is awake.
Actions
Multiattack. The bahrial makes three attacks: two with its
bite, and one with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) piercing damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 12 (2d8+3) slashing damage.
Tremorsense 60 ft.
CR 8 (3900 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages N/A
Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the beglat has
disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Tunneler. The beglat can burrow through solid rock at half
its burrowing speed and leaves a 10 foot-wide, 8-foot-high
tunnel in its wake.
Actions
Multiattack. The beglat makes two attacks with its rending
claws.
Rending Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +10 to hit, reach 10
ft., one creature. Hit: 19 (2d12+6) slashing damage. If this
attack is a critical hit, reduce the target’s AC by (1d6) if
they are wearing non-Eldertech reinforced armor.
Tail Flail. Melee Weapon Attack. +10 to hit, reach 15 ft., up
to two adjacent creatures. Hit: 16 (2d10+6) bludgeoning
damage. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength
saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away from the Tunneler
and be knocked prone.
Tremor (Recharge 5-6). The beglat may slam its claws into
the ground and cause the area to shake with massive force.
All creatures in a 30-foot radius are knocked prone. If
inside a cave or tunnel, the creatures also must succeed on
a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 9 (3d6)
bludgeoning damage from falling rocks.

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288
Bitaarc
Location Tenaybre
Bitaarcs are vicious gorillas adapted to life in the frozen
wasteland of the Tenaybre. They are woolly and stand
between six to eight feet tall. Bitaarcs are hunted and
respected by the hardy Cairnkeepers. Their pelts are known
to keep warriors warm for the long nights of the Frostrite.
The Cairnkeepers sometimes call bitaarcs ‘Iskar-kin,’ after
a mythical titan in Nightrider folklore. Like Iskar, bitaarcs
are renowned for their incredible strength. They can scale
trees and tear limbs off enemies with ease.
Bitaarc
Medium beast
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
19 (+4) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 9 (-1)
AC 11 Touch AC 11
HP 60 (8d8+24) Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +3
Damage Resistances cold
Senses passive Perception 13, Darkvision 120 ft.
CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A
Berserk. Whenever the bitaarc starts its turn with 30 hit
points or fewer, roll a d6. On a 6, the monster goes
berserk. On each of its turns while berserk, the bitaarc
attacks the nearest creature it can see. If no creature is
near enough to move to and attack, it will instead attack
an object. Once it goes berserk, it continues to do so until
it is killed, regains all its hit points, or there are no other
creatures in sight.
Keen Hearing. The bitaarc has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Actions
Multiattack. The bitaarc makes two fist attacks.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) bludgeoning damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, range 20/40 ft.,
one target. 5 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage.
Brass Automaton
Location Thalkast, Valqet
The brass automata are mechanical monsters that first
emerged from some forsaken chamber in the Thalkast in 19
LS. Every so often, they attack the Sporespawn in the Valqet
in apocalyptic waves of thousands. Although the main
Sporespawn factions have turned back the brass automata
several times over decades, each wave has been more
devastating than the last. By the late Redsky Era, the brass
automata succeeded in eradicating all life in the Valqet.
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Each brass automaton has 5-8 legs, with additional limbs
for slashing. They come in different metal variations, with
brass being the most common. Damaged automatons will
scavenge parts from destroyed automatons to repair
themselves.
Brass Automaton
Medium construct
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 10 (0) 10 (0)
AC 14 (natural armor) Touch AC 13
HP 76 (12d8+22) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Skills Athletics +4, Acrobatics +5, Perception +2
Damage Resistances thunder; piercing and slashing from
non-Eldertech weapons
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Vulnerabilities lightning, acid
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
Senses passive Perception 12, Darkvision 120 ft.,
Tremorsense 60 ft.
CR 4 (1100 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A
Acidic Corrosion. Acid damage dealt to brass automata
reduces their health total. If an automaton’s HP is reduced
to zero by acid damage, it cannot be scavenged by other
brass automaton.
Motion Detection. Brass automata have keen senses that
allow them to detect hidden creatures. They have
advantage on checks to detect hidden creatures within
their Tremorsense range and are immediately aware of any
creature that moves within this range.
Unrelenting Numbers. While these creatures are
dangerous on their own, their true strength is in their
numbers. Brass automata gain +1 to attack, up to a
maximum bonus of +4, for each adjacent automaton that
has more than 0 hit points.
Actions
Multiattack. The brass automaton makes 2 attacks: one
with its claws and one with its grinding bite.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage.
Grinding Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 13 (4d4+3) slashing damage. Targets
without armor take 15 (4d6+3) damage instead.
Scavenge. Brass automata are capable of repairing
themselves with the parts of the fallen. As an action, a
brass automaton can heal 13 (2d8+4) hit points by taking
parts from another automaton’s corpse. After this action,
that corpse can no longer be used for this ability.
Bylak Bylak
Large insectoid (bylak)
Location Everywhere
Harvest
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
� DC 12: 1d4 lb. bylak chitin
12 (+1) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 10 (0) 9 (-1)
Bylaks are three-legged insect monsters common
throughout the world. Every settlement in Dema has felt the
threat of these shelled horrors. Subspecies of these creatures AC 13 (natural armor) Touch AC 12
have adapted almost all of the world’s biomes. Bylaks form HP 68 (8d10+24) Speed 30 ft.
nests that can rapidly multiply their numbers if the Saving Throws Strength +3, Dexterity +4
infestation is not cleared. A few wandering bylaks are a
Skills Athletics +3, Perception +2
nuisance to farmers, tearing through livestock and
trampling crops. Once a nest takes root, however, that could Damage Resistances slashing
mean doom for every poor soul for miles around. Damage Vulnerabilities piercing
Adult bylaks stand 5 feet tall and grow up to 8 feet in Senses passive Perception 14
length. Their three long legs end in razor sharp claws. Their
CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
shells are thick like a crab’s, just like their cold, unblinking
eyes. They make little noise beyond soft chittering sounds. Languages N/A
It is still debated whether they can perceive and feel things,
or if they just react like machines. Hunters worth their salt Pack Tactics. The bylak has advantage on an attack roll
can fell a dozen bylaks in a day, but that does not make against a creature if at least one of the bylak's allies are
them any less dangerous. within 5 feet of it and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Actions
Multiattack. The bylak makes two attacks: one bite and
one slash.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.
Slash. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one

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target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage.

Jungle Bylak

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290
Bylak Brood Mother the shadows before delivering a paralyzing, venomous
strike. Jungle bylaks then drag their paralyzed but living
Location Everywhere prey back to their hive, where they meet a terrible fate.
Harvest
Bylak, Jungle
� DC 12: 2d4 lb. bylak chitin Large insectoid (bylak)
� DC 17: 1d4 bylak eggs
At the heart of every bylak nest is a bylak brood mother. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Supplied with enough food, these huge insectoids can 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 4 (-3) 11 (0) 8 (-1)
produce hundreds of offspring in a matter of weeks. Bylak
brood mothers typically have thicker carapaces and are
much stronger than ordinary bylaks, which assist them in AC 15 (natural armor) Touch AC 12
establishing new nests in hostile environments. HP 52 (8d10+8) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Bylak brood mothers are some of the most dangerous Saving Throws Strength +4, Dexterity +4
creatures in Dema. Left unchecked, their nests can quickly
Skills Athletics +4, Perception +2, Stealth+4
go from being a local nuisance to a major regional threat.
This makes it essential to wipe out new nests immediately. Damage Immunities poison
Damage Vulnerabilities piercing
Bylak Brood Mother Condition Immunities poisoned
Huge insectoid (bylak)
Senses passive Perception 12

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2

16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 5 (-3) 12 (+1) 11 (0) Languages N/A

AC 16 (natural armor) Touch AC 12 Spider Climb. The jungle bylak can climb difficult surfaces,
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to
HP 136 (16d12+32) Speed 30 ft., burrow 15 ft. make an ability check.
Saving Throws Strength +6, Dexterity +5
Actions
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +5, Intimidation +3 Multiattack. The jungle bylak makes two melee attacks,
Damage Resistances slashing from non-Eldertech one of which can be its bite attack.
weapons Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Damage Vulnerabilities piercing target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage and the target
Condition Immunities frightened makes a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 13 (3d8)
poison damage on a failed save and half damage on a
Senses passive Perception 15 successful one.
CR 5 (1800 XP) Proficiency 3 Slash. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
Languages N/A target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
Venomous Spittle. Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, range
10/30 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d8+2) poison damage. The
Pack Tactics. The bylak brood mother has advantage on an
target and must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving
attack roll against a creature if at least one of the brood
throw or become poisoned.
mother’s allies is within 5 feet of it and the ally isn't
incapacitated.

Actions Bylak, Mountain

Multiattack. The bylak brood mother makes three melee Location Mountains
weapon attacks, one bite and two slashes. Harvest
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one � DC 12: 1d4 lb. bylak chitin
target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) piercing damage.
Mountain bylaks are a subspecies of bylak adapted to steep,
Slash. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one rocky terrain. They are known to charge at prey with their
target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3) slashing damage. dense, extremely hard heads. Their carapaces are spongier
than most bylaks, and surprisingly impact resistant. This
Bylak, Jungle helps them survive falls which would kill most other
bylaks.
Location Panacean Jungle
Harvest Bylak, Mountain
� DC 12: 1d4 lb. bylak chitin Large insectoid (bylak)
� DC 17: 1d4 oz. jungle bylak venom
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Jungle bylaks are a subspecies of bylak adapted to life in the
Panacean Jungle. These large bylaks stalk their prey from 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 4 (-3) 9 (-1) 9 (-1)

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 Pack Tactics. The bylak nymph has advantage on an attack
AC 13 (natural armor) Touch AC 12 roll against a creature if at least one of the bylak nymph's
allies are within 5 feet of it and the ally isn't incapacitated.
HP 75 (10d10+20) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +4, Dexterity +4 Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Skills Athletics +4, Perception +4 target. Hit: 2 (1+1) piercing damage.
Damage Resistances bludgeoning from non-Eldertech Slash. Melee Weapon Attack. +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
weapons target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) slashing damage.
Damage Vulnerabilities piercing
Senses passive Perception 13 Bylak, Wooly
CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2 Location Athenaeum, Valqet
Languages N/A Harvest
� DC 12: 1 sq. yd. wooly bylak hide
Charger. If the mountain bylak moves at least 15 feet in a Wooly bylaks are a subspecies of bylak adapted to cold and
straight line towards a target and then hits it with a slam snowy conditions. Their insulating wool helps them to
attack on the same turn, the target takes an additional 3
retain heat while moving around in freezing conditions.
(1d6) bludgeoning damage.
Wooly bylaks are typically white or gray in color, to more
Impact Resistant. The mountain bylak can fall from up to easily blend in with snow and ice. They can tunnel through
50 ft. without taking damage deep snow effortlessly.
Actions Bylak, Wooly
Multiattack. The mountain bylak makes two attacks: one
bite and one slash. Large insectoid (bylak)
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Slash. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 10 (0) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 8 (-1)
target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) slashing damage.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. one AC 14 (natural armor) Touch AC 12

Part Three: The Rules

target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) bludgeoning damage. HP 61 (7d10+23) Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +2, Dexterity +4
Bylak Nymph Skills Athletics +2, Perception +3, Stealth +4
Location Everywhere Damage Resistances cold; slashing from non-Eldertech
Bylak nymphs are the bylaks’ juvenile form. Bylak nymphs weapons
of all subspecies appear mostly the same, and lack many of Damage Vulnerabilities piercing
the adaptations that attune them to their environment.
Although relatively harmless, most people take their
Senses passive Perception 15
appearance as a warning sign of a new nest in the region. CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2
Bylak nymphs spend their youth scavenging for food and Languages N/A
exploring their surroundings. If they are not killed within a
few weeks, they grow much larger and acquire the
adaptations unique to their subspecies. Camouflage. When lying prone in snow, the wooly bylak is
almost indistinguishable from a snow-covered rock. Add 10
Bylak Nymph to the result of any Stealth check that it makes.
Small insectoid (bylak) Snow Tunneling. The wooly bylak's speed is not impaired
by difficult terrain caused by snow. When digging through
deep snow, the wooly bylak can move as though it had a
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA burrowing speed equal to its regular speed.
8 (-1) 13 (+1) 11 (0) 3 (-4) 8 (-1) 7 (-2)
Actions
Multiattack. The wooly bylak makes two attacks: one bite
AC 12 (natural armor) Touch AC 11 and one slash.
HP 10 (3d6) Speed 20 ft., climb 20ft. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Saving Throws Strength +1 target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.
Damage Vulnerabilities piercing Slash. Melee Weapon Attack. +2 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
Senses passive Perception 9 target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage.

CR 0 (10 XP) Proficiency 2

Languages N/A

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292
Deldagan AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 105 (14d12+28)
Touch AC 8
Speed 20 ft.
Location Moon Realms
Skills Stealth +2, Performance +4
Harvest
Senses passive Perception 9, Darkvision 120 ft.,
� DC 15: 1 deldagan lure Tremorsense 10 ft.
� DC 18: 1d8 deldagan shell fragments CR 3 (900 XP) Proficiency 2
Deldagans are predatory turtles that lure prey in the dark Languages N/A
forests and grasslands of the Moon Realms. Despite their
huge size, deldagans can camouflage themselves in
burrows so that only their shell and bioluminescent lure are Lure. While stationary, the deldagan uses its
visible. When prey gets close, deldagans erupt from the bioluminescent lure to draw creatures towards it.
ground and snap their powerful jaws around the legs of Creatures that see the lure must succeed on a DC 13
their victims. Charisma saving throw or become charmed by the lure for
1 minute. Creatures that succeed on this save are immune
The shells and lures of deldagans are prized by sages and to the lure for 24 hours, and the charm ends after the
crafters for their unique properties. Rare flowers, herbs, and creature takes damage from one of the deldagan's attacks.
miniature trees grow on the backs of deldagans. Travelers
Terrain Camouflage. The deldagan has advantage on
in the Moon Realms should exercise cuation when
Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in its home
approaching colorful plants. A deldagan might be waiting. terrain.
Deldagan Actions
Huge beast Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target.
Hit: 11 (1d12+5) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) acid damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Large or smaller creatures must succeed on a DC 13
Strength saving throw or become swallowed. Swallowed
20 (+5) 7 (-2) 14 (+2) 2 (-4) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) targets become restrained and take 2 (1d4) acid damage at
the start of each of their turns.

Deldagan

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Dragon of Parime
Location Parime
Harvest
� DC 10: 2d6 dragon scales
� DC 20: 1 dragon fire gland
The fire-breathing dragons of Parime are legendary
monsters well-adapted to their volcanic, island
environment. Depending on their subspecies, they can vary
in their number of limbs, scale coloration, and maximum
body size. Their internal bone structure is biomechanical, as
the various skeletons on Parime reveal. The flames these
dragons breathe from their draconic glands are typically
purple, and can burn for hours even on water. Many people
believe that the Solar Hegemony’s legendary scintillan fire
is harvested from Parime’s dragons.
The iconic dragons of Parime are featured in folklore all
across the world. They are one of the rarest encounters in
the world. They can only be found on the volcanic island of
Parime. Their terrifying roars can send soldiers running
even miles away. Their hardened scales are immune to fire.
Only the most skilled adventurers can even travel in the
volcanic land of Parime, let alone slay one of its dragons. In
their volcanic caves, they are known to hoard enormous
piles of rare and even legendary Eldertech. An indigenous
group of dragon-riding Humans known as the Drakonoi
coexist with the island’s dragons and drakes.

Dragon of Parime Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) slashing damage.
Huge monstrosity (dragon)
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack. +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 15 (2d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
22 (+6) 16 (+3) 19 (+4) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) Fire Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon of Parime
exhales fire in a 60-foot line. Each creature in that area
must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 49
AC 20 (natural armor) Touch AC 13 (14d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much
damage on a successful one.
HP 157 (15d12+60) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.,
fly 80 ft. Legendary Actions
Saving Throws Strength +11, Dexterity +8, Constitution The dragon of Parime can take 3 legendary actions,
+9, Charisma +7 choosing from the options below. Only one legendary

Part Three: The Rules

Skills Stealth +8, Perception +8, Intimidation +7
Damage Resistances poison; slashing and piercing
damage from non-Eldertech weapons
Damage Immunities fire
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses passive Perception 18, Darkvision 120 ft.,
Blindsight 45 ft.
CR 13 (10000 XP) Proficiency 5
Languages N/A
Legendary Resistance (3/Long Rest). If the dragon of
Parime fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed
instead.
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon of Parime makes 3 attacks: one
with its bite or tail and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
creature. Hit: 17 (2d10+6) piercing damage.
action option can be used at a time and only at the end
of another creature's turn. The dragon of Parime regains
spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Intimidating Roar (Costs 1 Action). Each creature of the
dragon of Parime's choice that is within 120 ft. of the
dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom
saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. If they
fail the save by 5 or more, they also take 7 (2d6) thunder
damage. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the
end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a
success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the
effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon
of Parime's Intimidating Roar for the next 24 hours.
Smoke Screen (Cost 2 Actions). The dragon of Parime
breathes up a thick cloud of smog in a a 15-foot-radius
sphere centered on a point adjacent to the dragon. All
points inside the sphere are heavily obscured. Creatures
inside this sphere are blinded until they leave the sphere
and must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw
or become poisoned for 1 minute.
Tail Attack (Cost 1 Action). The dragon of Parime makes a
tail weapon attack.

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294
 Efral

creature. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage. Small or smaller

Efral creatures must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw
or become grappled.
Location Sunbleak Wastes Slam. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Efrals are aggressive scavengers native to the desert skies of target. Hit: 6 (1d10+1) bludgeoning damage. This attack
the Sunbleak Wastes. With a wingspan of up to 15 feet, deals an additional 5 (1d10) damage for each 30 ft the efral
efrals dominate the air. They dive from the sky at an has moved this turn. The target must succeed on a DC 14
incredible speed and smash their dense hammer-like horns Constitution saving throw or become stunned for 1d6
into their prey with enough force to crack bones. Efrals rounds.
come in many colors, with the most common being brown
and orange. Fleckan
Efral Location Moon Realms, Light Plains
Medium beast Harvest
� DC 10: 1 fleckan hide
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA � DC 15: 1 oz. fleckan musk
12 (+1) 19 (+4) 15 (+2) 6 (-2) 15 (+2) 10 (0) Fleckans are tiny rodents with rows of serrated teeth that
can puncture armor and cut bone. Fleckans are carnivorous,
AC 14 Touch AC 14 and can dig large holes to create land traps that collapse
beneath a heavier animal’s feet.
HP 117 (18d8+36) Speed 15 ft., fly 80 ft.
Saving Throws Constitution +2 Fleckan
Skills Athletics +3, Acrobatics +6, Perception +2 Tiny beast
Damage Resistances fire
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Condition Immunities stunned
5 (-3) 14 (+2) 10 (0) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 10 (0)
Senses passive Perception 13
CR 4 (1100 XP) Proficiency 2
AC 12 Touch AC 12
Languages N/A
HP 5 (2d4) Speed 20 ft., burrow 15 ft.
Senses passive Perception 12
Aggressive. As a bonus action, the efral can move up to
half its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see. CR 1/8 (25 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A
Actions
Multiattack. The efral makes two attacks: one with its beak
and one with its claws. Keen Senses. The fleckan has advantage on Wisdom
Beak. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one (Perception) checks.
target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) slashing damage.
Actions
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one

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creature. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any
opening large enough for a tiny creature. The swarm can't
Fleckan Swarm regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Medium swarm of tiny beasts Actions
Bite (swarm has more than half HP). Melee Weapon Attack.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA +2 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature. Hit: 17 (6d4+2)
5 (-3) 14 (+2) 10 (0) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 10 (0) piercing damage.
Bite (swarm has less than half HP). Melee Weapon Attack.
+2 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) piercing
AC 12 Touch AC 12 damage.
HP 36 (8d8) Speed 20 ft., burrow 15 ft.
Skills Stealth +4, Perception +3 Fry-With-Lemon
Damage Resistances piercing and slashing, even from Location Midnight Sea
Eldertech weapons
Fry-with-Lemon is a type of titanic sea monster, or Deep
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, One. A Fry-with-Lemon’s incredible size allows it to pull
paralyzed, prone, restrained, stunned smaller ships beneath the waves. Their coloration can vary
Senses passive Perception 13 from deep blue to orange, and they are often
CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2 bioluminescent.
Languages N/A Fry-With-Lemon is a rare Deep One known to plague the
waters around Bonewater and the Karchipelago. Quick
action is needed to avoid the streams of acid it spits when it
Keen Senses. The fleckan swarm has advantage on Wisdom appears. Veteran sailors can attest to this acid melting
(Perception) checks. through wood and even metal. Its name is poetic revenge:
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space for acidifying its prey, a slain Fry-With-Lemon is almost
always cooked with an acidic fruit like lemon.

Fry-With-Lemon Tail Slam. Melee Weapon Attack. +11 to hit, reach 15 ft.,

Part Three: The Rules

one target. Hit: 20 (2d12+7) bludgeoning damage. Large
Gargantuan beast (Deep One)
or smaller creatures must succeed on a DC 17 Strength
saving throw or be knocked back 20 feet.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Acid Spit (Recharge 5-6). The Fry-With-Lemon spits acid
24 (+7) 17 (+3) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 11 (0) 11 (0) into a 25-foot radius circle centered on a point within 60
feet. Creatures that start their turn in this circle or move
through this circle must make a DC 16 Constitution
AC 15 (natural armor) Touch AC 13 saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) acid damage on a failed
HP 244 (18d20+55) Speed 10 ft., swim 60 ft. save and half as much damage on a successful one. Non-
Saving Throws Strength +11, Constitution +7 living, non-Eldertech objects inside this circle
automatically fail the save.
Skills Athletics +11, Stealth +11, Perception +4
Damage Resistances acid, fire Legendary Actions
The Fry-With-Lemon can take up to 2 legendary actions,
Senses passive Perception 14, Darkvision 240 ft. choosing from the options below. Only one legendary
CR 12 (8400 XP) Proficiency 4 action option can be used at a time and only at the end
of another creature’s turn. Fry-With-Lemon regains
Languages N/A
spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Dive (Costs 1 Action). The Fry-With-Lemon swims up to its
Siege Monster. The Fry-With-Lemon deals double base movement speed and gains +10 bonus on Dexterity
damage to objects and structures. (Stealth) checks until the end of its next turn.
Water Breathing. The Fry-With-Lemon can only breathe Spit Out (Costs 1 Action). The Fry-With-Lemon may spit
underwater. out a swallowed creature up to 15 feet away from it. The
spat creature takes 3 (1d6) acid damage at the start of its
Actions next turn from residual acid.
Multiattack. The Fry-With-Lemon makes two attacks:
one with its bite and one with its tail slam. Making Waves (Costs 2 Actions). The Fry-With-Lemon
thrashes about in the water, using its enormous body to
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +11 to hit, reach 20 ft., one make a current of water away from it. All large or smaller
creature. Hit: 18 (2d10+7) piercing damage. Large or creatures within 10 feet of the Fry-With-Lemon must
smaller creatures must succeed on a DC 16 Strength succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked
saving throw or be swallowed. Swallowed creatures take back 10 feet.
(2d6) acid damage at the start of each turn and must
succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be
restrained until the start of their next turn.

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296
Garnah Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Location Everywhere target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage. Creatures hit by this
Harvest attack must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or
become grappled.
� DC 10: 1 garnah hide
� DC 15: 1d2 garnah tusks
Garnahs are four-legged beasts originally indigenous to the
Gierigar
Moon Realms. They become common across Dema since the Location Moon Realms, Valqet
Dayraid. They have wolf-like faces, with two large tusks on Harvest
their lower jaw behind their canine teeth. They have tall, � DC 15: 1 gierigar carapace
pointed ears and thick, brown manes. They are known to
Gierigars are bipedal beetle creatures with tough carapaces.
trail armies, eating the waste and bodies they leave behind.
Mostly carnivorous, they usually feed by hunting small
Garnah creatures in the northern Moon Realms and upper layers of
Medium beast the Valqet. They can cooperate in groups to attack larger
prey, but ordinarily live in solitary. They are sometimes
harvested by Everborn Sporespawn to seed bioarmor. After
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA the Solar Hegemony’s conquest of the Moon Realms,
12 (+1) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) gierigars became a staple in Mundi’s fight pits.

AC 11 Touch AC 11
Gierigar
Medium insectoid
HP 16 (2d8+7) Speed 50 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +3 STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Skills Perception +4 10 (0) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 5 (-3)
Senses passive Perception 13
CR 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency 2 AC 13 (natural armor) Touch AC 12
Languages N/A HP 14 (2d8+5) Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Skills Stealth +4
Pack Tactics. The garnah has advantage on an attack roll Damage Resistances poison
against a creature if at least one of the garnah's allies is
Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning
within 5 feet of it and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Condition Immunities poisoned

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Senses passive Perception 9, Darkvision 120 ft.,
Tremorsense 10 ft.
CR 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A
Actions
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (2d4) poison damage and the target
must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or have
their speed reduced to a maximum of 15 feet for 1d4
rounds. The speed reduction can be ended early if the
target is submerged in water.
Ground Drake
Location Parime, Mountains of the Moon
Harvest
� DC 10: 2d4 dragon scales
� DC 20: 1 dragon fire gland
Ground drakes are the smaller, grounded cousins of the
dragons of Parime. Ground drakes can breathe cones of fire.
They can cover ground remarkably quickly for their weight.
Red, brown, and orange drakes are the most common,
while blue, green, and other colors are rarer and more
powerful.
Ground drakes sometimes form symbiotic relationships
with dragons. They offer to guard the nests of dragons in
exchange for a share any food the dragon hunts. The
Humans of Parime, known as the Drakonoi, have learned to
ride a small number of ground drakes to traverse the
volcanic land of Parime.

Ground Drake Tail. Melee Weapon Attack. +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage.
Medium monstrosity (dragon)
Fire Spray (Recharge 5-6). The ground drake sprays
burning saliva in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA area must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking
21 (+5) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 30 (10d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half damage
on a successful one.
AC 19 (natural armor) Touch AC 11

Part Three: The Rules

HP 105 (14d8+42) Speed 35 ft., climb 35 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +10, Dexterity +6
Skills Stealth +6, Perception +7
Damage Resistances slashing from non-Eldertech
weapons
Damage Immunities fire
Senses passive Perception 16, Darkvision 60 ft.,
Blindsight 15 ft.
CR 10 (5900 XP) Proficiency 4
Languages N/A
Insulated Body. The ground drake can move through fire
and lava as though it were normal terrain.
Actions
Multiattack. The ground drake makes 2 attacks: one with
its bite and one with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) slashing damage.
Legendary Actions
The ground drake can take 1 legendary action, choosing
from the options below. Only one legendary action
option can be used at a time and only at the end of
another creature's turn. The ground drake regains spent
legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Intimidating Growl (Costs 1 Action). Each creature of the
drake's choice that is within 30 foot of it and aware of it
must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or
become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat
the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending
the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving
throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature
is immune to the drake's Intimidating Growl for the next
24 hours.
Smog Breath (Costs 1 Action). The ground drake breathes
up a thick cloud of smog in a a 15-foot-radius sphere
centered on a point adjacent to the drake. All points
inside the sphere are heavily obscured. Creatures inside
this sphere are blinded until they leave the sphere.
Tail Attack (Costs 1 Action). The ground drake makes a tail
attack.

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298
Gurno image of any sentient it has seen in the past. Their image is
nearly perfect, despite its occasional shimmers and
Location Valqet glitches. Creatures that succeed on a DC 15 Insight
Gurnos are fierce and dependable beetle mounts. They can (Wisdom) check see through the deception. An illusory
carry hundreds of pounds of goods over rough appearance fades away if the specter takes any damage.
underground terrain without stopping for rest. They are Incorporeal Movement. The hardlight specter can move
typically brown or dark blue. through other creatures and objects as if they were
difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its
Gurno turn inside an object.
Large insectoid
Actions
Multiattack. The hardlight specter makes two attacks: one
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA with its static touch, and one with its wail or its dazing
14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 10 (0) 8 (-1) lights.
Dazzling Lights. Ranged Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, range
20/40 ft., up to two adjacent targets. Targets must
AC 13 (natural armor) Touch AC 11 succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become
HP 23 (3d10+7) Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft. stunned for 1d4 rounds.
Senses passive Perception 10, Darkvision 120 ft. Static Touch. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
CR 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency 2 one target. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) lightning damage.
Languages N/A Wail. The hardlight specter emits a piercing wail, affecting
all targets within a 20-foot radius. All creatures in this area
must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or
Spider Climb. The gurno can climb difficult surfaces, take 10 (4d4) thunder damage and become deafened for 1
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to minute. Deafened creatures that fail this saving throw take
make an ability check. half the damage instead.

Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Igiodar
Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. Location Fellcoast, Panacean Jungle
Harvest
Hardlight Specter � DC 12: 1d3 igiodar talons
Location Athenaeum, Forest of Ilda Igiodars are flightless birds that hunt in packs. Their
Hardlight specters are ethereal humanoids made of pure feathers are typically yellow with green accents, although
energy. They are found in some of Dema’s ancient, other variants exist. Their large, curved talons can easily
Eldertech rich lands. They can resemble any creature or tear through prey and shred armor.
person, from Dema or otherwise. Specters are capable of
communication but rarely speak more than vague whispers. Igiodar
Small beast
Hardlight Specter
Medium construct STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (0) 6 (-2) 13 (+1) 10 (0)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
7 (-2) 19 (+4) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 11 (0) 14 (+2)
AC 12 Touch AC 12
HP 38 (11d6) Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
AC 14 Touch AC 14
Skills Athletics +3, Acrobatics +4, Stealth +4, Perception
HP 55 (10d8+10) Speed 30 ft. +2
Saving Throws Dexterity +6 Senses 0
Skills Acrobatics +6, Intimidation +5, Deception +5 CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing Languages N/A
from non-eldertech weapons
Damage Immunities poison, necrotic
Pack Tactics. The igiodar has advantage on an attack roll
Damage Vulnerabilities lightning against a creature if at least one of the igiodar’s allies is
Senses passive Perception 10 within 5 feet of it and the ally isn't incapacitated.
CR 4 (1100 XP) Proficiency 2 Surprise Attack. If the igiodar surprises a creature and hits
it with an attack during the first round of combat, the
Languages N/A
creature takes an extra 7 (2d6) damage from the attack.

Illusory Appearance. The hardlight specter can take on the Actions

Multiattack. The igiodar makes two attacks: one with its

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bite, and one with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 7 (2d4+2) slashing damage.

Kagonak
Location Midnight Isles, Fellcoast
Harvest
� DC 18: 1 kagonak tongue
Kagonaks are amphibious ambush predators that resemble
bipedal crocodiles. They are known to wait hours by the
shore for prey. They use their powerful, barbed tongues to
ensnare victims and then pull them into the sea.

Kagonak
Medium beast

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

15 (+2) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 5 (-3)

AC 11 Touch AC 11
HP 24 (4d8+6) Speed 20 ft., swim 30 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +4
Skills Stealth +3, Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13, Darkvision 60 ft.

Part Three: The Rules

CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A

Hold Breath. The kagonak can hold its breath for 15

minutes.

Actions
Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, range 10/20 ft.,
one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) bludgeoning damage, and the
target makes a DC 13 Strength saving throw or becomes
grappled. Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained,
and the kagonak can’t use this action on another target. At
the end of each of the kagonak’s turns, it may use a bonus
action to pull a grappled target (of size medium or smaller)
5 feet towards them.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.

Kagonak

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300
 Maldormac

check opposed by the maldormac’s Charisma (Deception)

Maldormac check.
Location Everywhere Spider Climb. The maldormac can climb difficult surfaces,
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to
Harvest
make an ability check.
� DC 15: 1d4 oz. maldormac blood
Sun Sickness. While in sunlight, the maldormac has
Maldormacs mimic the faces and voices of their previous disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving
victims. They infest sewers, alleys, forests, and caves. Using throws. At the start of each round the maldormac is in
the voices of victims, they call out for ‘help’ to lure in fresh direct sunlight, it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage. Maldormac
victims. Their ‘face’ can split from the forehead to the chin, corpses turn into a semi-clear goo if left in direct sunlight
revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. for more than 10 minutes.

Maldormac Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Large monstrosity creature. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) piercing damage and target
makes their next attack with disadvantage. The target
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become
9 (-1) 19 (+4) 15 (+2) 7 (-2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) paralyzed for 1 minute. Paralyzed creatures may repeat the
saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the
effect on a success.
AC 14 Touch AC 14 Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
HP 60 (8d10+16) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. target. Hit: 3 (1d8-1) slashing damage.
Skills Stealth +6, Perception +4, Deception +3
Damage Resistances poison Mantek
Senses passive Perception 14, Darkvision 60 ft. Location Fellcoast
CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2 Manteks are huge, monstrous chimeras with three heads,
Languages N/A each from a different creature. Although no two manteks
have the same heads, they all have powerful, leathery
wings, sharp claws, and a long, barbed tail.
Mimicry. The maldormac can mimic sounds it has heard,
including voices. Creatures that hear the sounds can tell
they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight)

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Mantek
Huge monstrosity Toxic Body. A creature that touches the mrozt or hits it
with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 3 (1d6)
necrotic damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 10 (0) Actions
Multiattack. The mrozt makes two bite attacks.
AC 14 (natural armor) Touch AC 11 Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 3 (1d4+1) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic
HP 180 (19d12+57) Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft. damage.
Saving Throws Strength +7, Constitution+7 Poison Spray (Recharge 5-6). The mrozt fires a 15-foot-
Skills Stealth +3, Perception +3 cone of acid from its thorax. Any creatures caught in the
spray must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking
Condition Immunities unconscious
3 (1d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half damage
Senses passive Perception 15 on a successful one. Creatures that fail the save by 5 or
CR 6 (2300 XP) Proficiency 3 more are also poisoned for 1 minute.
Languages N/A
Mumpen
Terrain Camouflage. The mantek has advantage on Location Light Plains
Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in its home Harvest
terrain.
� DC 10: 1 mumpen tail
Actions Mumpens are three foot tall beasts that resemble raccoons
Multiattack. The mantek makes three attacks: one with its with opposable thumbs. They typically run on all fours but
bite, and one with its claws, and one with its tail. can walk on their hind legs in a clumsy fashion. The long,
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one striped tails of mumpens are considered lucky. Mumpens
target. Hit: 8 (2d6+1) piercing damage. are also famous for their curious nature that often leads
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one them to steal and break into peoples homes. They were
target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) slashing damage. almost hunted to extinction for their prized tails.

Part Three: The Rules

Tail. +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) Mumpen
piercing damage.
Medium beast

Mrozt STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Location Thalkast, Valqet 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 9 (-1) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 8 (-1)
Harvest
� DC 12: 1d6 oz. mrozt toxin AC 12 Touch AC 12
Mrozts are huge ants with glowing thoraxes. Their HP 16 (2d8+7) Speed 30 ft., climb 10 ft.
abdomens are filled with a bright yellow toxin that Skills Stealth +4, Insight +3
necrotizes flesh on contact. Sporespawn are known to
harvest this toxin for their weapons. These creatures use
Senses passive Perception 13
their gaseous poison as a defense mechanism against CR 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency 2
predators. Languages N/A
Mrozt
Large insectoid Improvisation. Mumpens are capable of using simple
weapons. When they pick up the weapon, the mumpen
may make a DC 13 Intelligence check to be able to use the
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA weapon effectively. If the mumpen succeeds on this check
12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 3 (-4) 10 (0) 8 (-1) by 5 or more, they can use the weapon as though they
have proficiency with it.
AC 14 (natural armor) Touch AC 12 Actions
HP 27 (5d8+5) Speed 30 ft., burrow 5 ft. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage. Creatures hit by this
Damage Resistances acid, necrotic attack must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or
Damage Vulnerabilities cold, piercing become grappled.
Senses passive Perception 10, Darkvision 120 ft.,
Tremorsense 20 ft.
CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A

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302
Ostrex
Location Fellcoast
Harvest
� DC 10: 1d4 lb. ostrex chitin
Ostrex are large, aggressive hermit crabs known for their
heavy shells and acidic spit. Their patterning resembles
sand, which helps them camouflage on the shores of the
Fellcoast. Ostrex absorb blows with their heavy shells until
they are destroyed. Freed from the huge weight, unarmored
ostrex are surprisingly swift swimmers.
Soft-Bodied. An unarmored ostrex’s soft body allows it to
move through a space as narrow as 6 inches wide without
squeezing.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack. +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 3 (1d8-1) bludgeoning damage.
Caustic Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack. +1 to hit, range 10/20
ft., one target. Hit: 7 (3d4) acid damage. Unless washed or
wiped away using water or cloth, the target takes 2 (1d4)
acid damage at the start of their turns for 1 minute.

Ostrex Sauragash
Large beast Location Silverleaf Wilds
Harvest
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA � DC 17: 2d6 sauragash scales
16 (+3) 9 (-1) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 9 (-1) � DC 20: 1 sq. yd. sauragash hide
Sauragashes are giant reptilian herbivores that grow thick
AC 16 (natural armor) Touch AC 9 armored plates from their hides. Their long necks allow
HP 95 (10d10+40) Speed 15 ft., swim 20 ft. them to reach the sharp, silver leaves that make up their
entire diet. These leaves contain Eldertech alloys leeched
Skills Stealth +1 from the ground beneath the Silverleaf Wilds, and are
Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning absorbed by sauragashes that consume them.
Senses passive Perception 12
Sauragash
CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2 Huge beast
Languages N/A
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Destructible Shell. When the ostrex reaches 0 hp, instead 11 (0) 11 (0) 17 (+3) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 10 (0)
of dying, replace it with an unarmored ostrex instead.
Terrain Camouflage. The ostrex has advantage on AC 16 (natural armor) Touch AC 10
Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in its home
terrain. HP 180 (19d12+57) Speed 50 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +9, Constitution +6
Actions
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one Skills Athletics +9, Perception +5
target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage. The target Damage Resistances poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and
must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or slashing from non-Eldertech weapons
become grappled. The Ostrex has two claws, each of which Senses passive Perception 12
can grapple only one target.
CR 7 (2900 XP) Proficiency 3
Caustic Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack. +1 to hit, range 10/20
ft., one target. Hit: 7 (3d4) acid damage. Unless washed or Languages N/A
wiped away using water or cloth, the target takes 2 (1d4)
acid damage at the start of their turns for 1 minute.
Siege Monster. The sauragash deals double damage to
objects and structures.
Ostrex, Unarmored
Sharp Feathers. The sauragash is covered in extremely
Large beast
sharp, metallic feathers. Creatures that try to climb this
beast take 7 (2d6) slashing damage at the start of each
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA turn they are in physical contact with the sauragash. The
8 (-1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 9 (-1) damage is reduced to 3 (1d6) if they have at least 1 piece of
Eldertech-reinforced armor or clothing, and is reduced to
0 if they have 3 pieces of reinforced armor or clothing.
AC 13 Touch AC 13
HP 57 (6d10+24) Speed 40 ft., swim 50 ft.
Actions
Multiattack. The sauragash makes two attacks: one with its
Skills Stealth +1 tail, and one with its stomp.
Senses passive Perception 12 Tail. Melee Weapon Attack. +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one
CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2 target. Hit: 17 (2d10+6) slashing damage.
Languages N/A

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Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack. +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 25 (3d12+6) bludgeoning damage. All Scarin
creatures in a 10-foot radius of the target that are size Location Fellcoast
large or smaller must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving The scarin are lumbering, carnivorous trees. They are
throw or be knocked prone. If the target of the attack incredibly territorial and known to feast on each other. They
took damage from the stomp attack, they automatically
can trap smaller animals with their knotted roots, and pull
fail the saving throw.
them underground to strangle them. Scarin use their
massive limbs to smash anything they cannot strangle. They
Scalerotten bury the corpses of their victims beneath their hovels,
which they slowly consume with their root systems.
Location Valqet
Harvest Scarin
� DC 15: 1d4 oz. scalerotten oil Huge plant
The scalerotten are small, blind, reptilian pack hunters.
They are known for their strong sense of smell, and are a STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
significant threat to lone travelers. Scalerotten range in color 23 (+6) 8 (-1) 18 (+4) 7 (-2) 12 (+1) 10 (0)
from deep red to black.

Scalerotten AC 16 (natural armor) Touch AC 9

Small beast HP 189 (18d12+72) Speed 20 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +9, Constitution +7
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Damage Resistances bludgeoning from non-Eldertech
14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) weapons
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
AC 14 (natural armor) Touch AC 11 Senses passive Perception 11, Tremorsense 20 ft.
HP 17 (5d6) Speed 30 ft., climb 15 ft. CR 8 (3900 XP) Proficiency 3
Skills Stealth +3, Perception +2 Languages N/A
Senses passive Perception 13, blind, Blindsight 90 ft.

Part Three: The Rules

CR 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A
Keen Smell. The scalerotten has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Pack Tactics. The scalerotten has advantage on an attack
roll against a creature if at least one of the scalerotten's
allies is within 5 feet of it and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage. If the target is a
creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving
throw or become grappled. A scalerotten that is grappling
a creature cannot use its bite attack without ending the
grapple.
False Appearance. While the scarin remains motionless, it
is indistinguishable from a normal tree.
Siege Monster. The scarin deals double damage to objects
and structures.
Actions
Multiattack. The scarin makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack. +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Root. Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, range 10/20 ft.,
one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage. Target must
succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or become
grappled. This attack can only be made against targets that
are on the ground. As an action, the scarin may drag a
grappled target underground. These creatures make their
escape attempts with disadvantage and take 5 (2d4)
bludgeoning damage at the start of each turn.
Soil Disruption (Recharge on Long Rest). The scarin uses its
roots to churn up the soil from underneath. All soil within a
20-foot radius of the scarin becomes difficult terrain and
it makes root attacks within this area with advantage. The
scarin cannot move the same round it used this attack.

Creatures and Combatants

304
Snottite
Location Thalkast
Harvest
� DC 10: 1 lb. snottite goo
Snottites are monstrous oozes that dwell in the forsaken
tunnels of the Thalkast. Their slime is extremely corrosive to
all metal except Eldertech. They hunt by enveloping prey
into their extremely acidic insides. Snottites are typically
green or brown, although more dangerous, brightly colored
subspecies exist.
Snottite
Large monstrosity
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 5 (-3) 15 (+2) 1 (-5) 5 (-3) 1 (-5)
AC 9 (natural armor) Touch AC 7
HP 75 (10d10+20) Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Damage Resistances cold
Damage Immunities acid, lightning; slashing, even from
Eldertech weapons
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
exhaustion, frightened, prone
Senses passive Perception 7, blind, Blindsight 60 ft.
CR 4 (1100 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A
Amorphous. The snottite can move through a space as
narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Corrode. Any non-Eldertech weapon made of metal that
hits the snottite corrodes. After dealing damage, the
weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to
damage rolls.
If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed. Non-
Eldertech ammunition made of metal that hits the snottite
is destroyed after dealing damage. The snottite can eat
through 2-inch-thick non-Eldertech metal in 1 round.
Regeneration. At the start of its turn, the snottite heals 8
(1d10+3) hit points if it did not take cold or fire damage
since its last turn.
Actions
Envelop. The snottite moves up to its speed. While doing
so, it can enter a large or smaller creatures’ spaces.
Whenever the snottite enters a creature’s space, the
creature must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a
successful save, the creature can choose to be pushed 5
feet by the snottite. Creatures that choose not to be
pushed are enveloped by the Snottite. On a failed save, the
snottite enters the creature’s space and the creature is
enveloped by it, taking 10 (3d6) acid damage and
becoming restrained. At the start of their turns, creatures
enveloped by the snottite take 7 (2d6) acid damage. At the
end of their turn, an enveloped creature may make a DC 11
Strength check to break out of the envelopment, entering
a space next to the snottite.
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Redsky Core Book
305
target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage plus 5 (2d4)
acid damage. Targets wearing Eldertech-reinforced armor
do not take the acid damage.
Soidyat
Location Athenaeum, Mountains of the Moon
Soidyats are huge monstrosities with six massive arms, each
strengthened by an Eldertech implant. A larger implant in
each soidyat’s chest causes them to heal rapidly. It is
unknown where soidyats come from, or why they are fused
to Eldertech. They are extremely dangerous to travelers in
the Athenaeum, and are known to brutalize those who scale
the Mountains of the Moon in the north.
Soidyat
Huge monstrosity
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 10 (0) 12 (+1)
AC 16 (natural armor) Touch AC 12
HP 210 (20d20+80) Speed 40 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +10, Constitution +6
Skills Athletics +10, Intimidation +5
Damage Resistances fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and
slashing from non-Eldertech weapons
Damage Immunities cold
Damage Vulnerabilities poison
Senses passive Perception 10
CR 9 (5000 XP) Proficiency 4
Languages N/A
Grappler. The soidyat has advantage on attack rolls against
any enemy grappled by it.
Regeneration. The soidyat regains 10 hit points at the start
of its turn. If the soidyat takes poison damage, this trait
doesn't function at the start of the soidyat’s next turn. The
soidyat dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and
doesn't regenerate.
Actions
Multiattack. The soidyat makes three fist attacks or a fist
attack and a boulder attack.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack. +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 12 (1d12+6) bludgeoning damage. If the target
is medium or smaller, they must succeed on a DC 16
Strength saving throw or become grappled. The soidyat
can grapple up to four creatures at a time.
Boulder. Ranged Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, range 20/60 ft.,
one target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) bludgeoning damage. The
soidyat may instead throw a grappled creature. They must
make a Dexterity saving throw equal to the attack roll,
taking 7 (1d10+2) bludgeoning damage on a failed save and
half as much damage on a successful one. Creatures
thrown from a high place also take falling damage.
Terrifying Roar (Recharge 5-6). The soidyat belows a deep
and rumbling call that shakes all within 30 feet to their
core. Every creature within 30 feet of the soidyat must
succeed on a DC 15 Charisma or become frightened for 1
minute. Creatures that cannot see but can hear the soidyat
have disadvantage on this save and become paralyzed with
fear for 1 minute on a failed save.
Stew-With-Bones
Location Midnight Sea
Stew-with-Bones is a type of titanic sea monster, or Deep
One. Its appearance resembles a massive lobster with the
head of a shark. It uses its two large hands the size of castles
to drown and crush other sea monsters. Its kelpy hair grows
up to a half mile in length and glows a bioluminescent
green.
Stew-With-Bones is a particularly rare and apocalyptic
Deep One. It ‘swims’ by lumbering across the ocean floor,
and is capable of walking on land to destroy entire villages.
This type of Deep One typically lurks in the deepest
recesses of the Maelstrom. Occasionally, they migrate to
Bonewater in search of prey. Although they mostly eat
other sea monsters, they are known to settle for fleets.
With their terrifying screams, a Stew-with-Bones can
superpressurize air and water to crush prey. They are one
of the few Deep Ones that can send even Clan Kahr
Wakewalkers into a panic. On the rare occasion that a Stew-
With-Bones is slain, the best way to cook it is to boil its meat
in a broth reduced from its crushed bones. This painstaking
process yields a thick, delicious stew.

Stew-With-Bones Slam. Melee Weapon Attack. +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 24 (4d8+6) bludgeoning damage. If the
Gargantuan beast (Deep One)
Stew-With-Bones has moved 20 feet or more this turn,
increase the damage of this attack to 28 (4d10+6).
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Piercing Shriek (Recharge 5-6). The Stew-With-Bones
25 (+7) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 11 (0) focuses its voice and shrieks in a 30-foot long cone.
Creatures within this cone must make a DC 17
Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) thunder
AC 14 (natural armor) Touch AC 12 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
HP 275 (20d20+66) Speed 15 ft., swim 60 ft. successful one. If this action is used underwater, the DC
Saving Throws Strength +12, Constitution +8 is 19.
Skills Athletics +12, Stealth +7, Perception +6 Legendary Actions

Part Three: The Rules

Damage Resistances fire
Senses passive perception 14, Darkvision 240 ft.
CR 13 (10000 XP) Proficiency 5
Languages N/A
Siege Monster. The Stew-With-Bones deals double
damage to objects and structures.
Water Breathing. The Stew-With-Bones can only breathe
underwater.
Actions
Multiattack. The Stew-With-Bones makes two attacks:
one with its punch and one with its slam.
Punch. Melee Weapon Attack. +11 to hit, range 15 ft., one
target. Hit: 19 (2d12+6) bludgeoning damage. Large or
smaller creatures must succeed on a DC 21 Strength
saving throw or become grappled and submerged
underwater. Until this grapple ends, the creature is
restrained. The Stew-With-Bones can grapple up to two
creatures before it must release a target, and cannot
punch with a hand it is using to grapple a creature.
The Stew-With-Bones can take up to 2 legendary actions,
choosing from the options below. Only one legendary
action option can be used at a time and only at the end
of another creature’s turn. The Stew-With-Bones regains
spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Surge (Costs 1 Action). The Stew-With-Bones swims its
base movement speed, without provoking opportunity
attacks.
Subsonic Scream (Costs 1 Action). The Stew-With-Bones
emits a deep, subsonic noise that rattles the water
around it. All creatures within 30 feet of the creature in
water must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving
throw or take 13 (3d8) thunder damage, taking half as
much damage on a successful save. If this action is used
above water, the DC is 15.
Making Waves (Costs 2 Actions). The Stew-With-Bones
thrashes about in the water, using its enormous body to
make a current of water away from it. All large or smaller
creatures within 10 feet of the Stew-With-Bones must
succeed on a DC 17 Strength Saving throw or be
knocked back 10 feet.

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306
Strigoi Senses passive Perception 14
CR 8 (3900 XP) Proficiency 3
Location Red Desert
Languages N/A
Harvest
� DC 17: 1d2 strigoi fangs
Regeneration. The strigoi regains 10 hit points at the start
Strigoi are apocalyptic monstrosities that flock over the of its turn. If it takes acid or fire damage, this trait doesn't
skies of the Red Desert. They require sunlight to survive, function at the start of the its next turn. It dies only if it
and hosts to reproduce. There are many variations of starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.
strigoi. Depending on the host they incubate in, strigoi can
Solar Powered. The strigoi requires contact with direct
have a monstrous wingspan of up to 12 feet, and fangs the sunlight, and makes all Strength, Dexterity, and
size of daggers. They inject their victims with their parasitic Constitution checks with disadvantage when not in direct
eggs. Most strigoi are crimson, brown, or black. sunlight. If the strigoi is not exposed to direct sunlight for 1
minute, it falls unconscious. While unconscious, a strigoi
Strigoi cannot regain hit points. An unconscious strigoi regains
Medium monstrosity (strigoi) consciousness after being exposed to sunlight for 1d4
minutes.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Actions
18 (+4) 17 (+3) 16 (+3) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) Multiattack. The strigoi makes two attacks, only one of
which can be its proboscis attack.
AC 15 (natural armor) Touch AC 12 Claws. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 10 (2d6+4) slashing damage. Target must
HP 187 (26d8+70) Speed 10 ft., fly 80 ft.
succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or become
Saving Throws Strength +7, Dexterity +6 grappled.
Skills Athletics +7, Perception +4 Proboscis. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Damage Resistances bludgeoning target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. If the target is
grappled, it must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw
Damage Immunities poison, lightning or become a host for (1d3) strigoi larva. Host creatures
Condition Immunities poisoned have their maximum HP reduced by 1 hit die for every 25
hours. Once the host creature’s total hit points are

Strigoi

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307
reduced to zero, they fall unconscious and stable. They are
unable to be awoken by any means. WIthin 25 hours, the Tenaybre Snowlion
strigoi larva will emerge from their chest as juvenile Location Tenaybre
strigoi, killing the host. Harvest
Wing Attack. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, range 10 ft., � DC 10: 1d4 snowlion fangs
one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage. If the
strigoi moved more than 40 feet this turn, this attack � DC 15: 1 snowlion hide
deals 17 (2d12+4) bludgeoning damage instead. Snowlions are large and majestic beasts that are well-
adapted to life in the frozen Tenaybre. They can stalk their
Strigoi, Juvenile prey through blizzards with their white and grey fur.
Snowlion claws sharp and strong enough to shear stone.
Location Red Desert The Cairnkeeper tribe of Nightriders has tamed them for
Young strigoi are smaller and weaker than fully-grown use as war mounts.
adults, and are much more commonly seen in flocks.
Juvenile strigoi are not yet capable of producing parasitic Tenaybre Snowlion
larvae, so they eat their victims instead. Large beast

Strigoi, Juvenile STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Small monstrosity (strigoi)
19 (+4) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 8 (-1)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 5 (-3) 9 (-1) 8 (-1) AC 12 (unarmored) Touch AC 12
HP 75 (10d10+20) Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
AC 12 Touch AC 12 Skills Stealth +4, Perception +4
HP 43 (10d6+8) Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. Damage Resistances cold
Damage Resistances bludgeoning from non-Eldertech Senses passive Perception 15, Darkvision 120 ft.
weapons CR 3 (900 XP) Proficiency 2
Senses passive Perception 10 Languages N/A

Part Three: The Rules

CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A
Regeneration. The juvenile strigoi regains 2 hit points at
the start of its turn. If it takes acid or fire damage, this trait
doesn't function at the start of the its next turn. It dies
only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't
regenerate.
Solar Powered. The juvenile strigoi requires contact with
direct sunlight, and makes all Strength, Dexterity, and
Constitution checks with disadvantage when not in direct
sunlight. If the strigoi is not exposed to direct sunlight for 1
minute, it falls unconscious. While unconscious, a strigoi
cannot regain hit points. An unconscious strigoi regains
consciousness after being exposed to sunlight for 1d4
minutes.
Keen Senses. The Tenaybre snowlion has advantage on
Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Pounce. If the Tenaybre snowlion moves at least 20 feet
straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw
attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC
14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the
target is prone, the snowlion can make one bite attack
against it as a bonus action.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) slashing damage.

Actions
Multiattack. The juvenile strigoi makes two attacks, only
one of which can be its proboscis attack.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing damage.
Proboscis. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: (2) piercing damage.

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308
Tenaybre Snowlion, AC 13 (natural armor) Touch AC 11
Armored HP 17 (2d10+6) Speed 35 ft.
Location Tenaybre Skills Athletics +6
Tamed snowlions are known to be overprotective of their Senses passive Perception 10
owners and handlers. As war mounts, snowlions are
CR 1/2 (100 XP)
equipped with metal or leather armor for protection. Each
of the Cairnkeepers’ various Houses decorates their Languages N/A
snowlions’ armor differently. Unlike most animals in
Cairnkeepers society, snowlions are allowed to have names.
Charge. If the tovus moves at least 20 feet in a straight
line towards a target and then hits it with a gore attack on
Tenaybre Snowlion, Armored the same turn, the target takes an additional 7 (2d6)
Large beast piercing damage.
Herd Creature. When within 10 feet of at least 2 other
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA tovus, the tovus makes Wisdom (Perception) checks with
19 (+4) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) advantage.

Actions
AC 15 (snowlion armor) Touch AC 12 Gore. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one
HP 75 (10d10+20) Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft. target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage.
Skills Stealth +4, Perception +4
Damage Resistances cold Thrennex
Senses passive Perception 15, Darkvision 120 ft. Location Thalkast
CR 4 (1100 XP) Proficiency 2 Harvest

Languages N/A � DC 10: 1 lb. cave horror chitin

� DC 20: 1d4 oz. thrennex poison
Keen Senses. The Tenaybre snowlion has advantage on Thrennex are the most common type of huge tunnel
Wisdom (Perception) checks. monstrosity, or cave horror. They are massive carnivorous
centipedes that can grow up to a hundred feet long, and
Pounce. If the Tenaybre snowlion moves at least 20 feet
straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw have up to a hundred skittering legs. The horrifying maws
attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC of Thrennex contain more than a dozen separate mandibles.
14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the They also have three pairs of deadly claw arms located just
target is prone, the snowlion can make one bite attack behind their head.
against it as a bonus action.
Thrennex
Actions Huge insectoid (cave horror)
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) piercing damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
14 (+2) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 14 (+2) 10 (0)
target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) slashing damage.

Tovus AC 16 (natural armor)

HP 168 (18d12+51)
Touch AC 14
Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
Location Light Plains
Saving Throws Dexterity +7, Constitution +6
Harvest
Skills Stealth +7, Perception +5
� DC 10: 1 tovus hide
Damage Resistances slashing from non-eldertech
� DC 15: 1d2 tovus horns
weapons
Tovuses are large mammals, similar to oxen and bison. Damage Immunities poison
They can grow up to seven feet tall. Tovuses graze in herds
in the Light Plains. For hundreds of years, farmers have Condition Immunities poisoned, prone
fitted tovuses with plows to till farmland and used them as Senses passive Perception 15, Darkvision 120 ft.,
pack animals. Tremorsense 60 ft.
CR 8 (3900 XP) Proficiency 3
Tovus
Languages N/A
Large beast

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Keen Senses. The thrennex has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks.
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 2 (-4) 11 (0) 7 (-2)

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Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the thrennex has
disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Monstrous Speed (Recharge on Long Rest). The thrennex
may Dash as a bonus action on its turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The thrennex makes three attacks: one with
its bite, and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage. The target must
make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (3d6)
poison damage and becoming poisoned for 1 minute on a
failed save, or taking half damage on a successful one.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
creature. Hit: 8 (2d6+2) slashing damage.
Venom Spray. Ranged Weapon Attack. The thrennex sprays
its venom on creatures in a 15-foot cube in front of it.
Creatures in this cube must make a DC 15 Constitution
saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage and
becoming poisoned for 1 minute on a failed save, or taking
half damage on a successful one.
Ursan
Location Athenaeum
Harvest
� DC 10: 1 ursan hide
� DC 15: 1d4 oz. ursan saliva
AC 12 (natural armor) Touch AC 10
HP 56 (4d10+34) Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13
CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages N/A
Ice Walk. The ursan can move across and climb icy surfaces
without needing to make an ability check. Additionally,
difficult terrain composed of ice or snow doesn’t cost any
additional movement.
Keen Senses. The ursan has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on either one or a
combination of sound and smell.
Actions
Multiattack. The Ursan makes two attacks: one with its
bite, and one with its claw.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage and 2 (1d4) cold
damage. When in a bitterly cold environment, the target
must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or
gain one level of exhaustion as the frigid saliva causes the
target’s wound to freeze solid.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Part Three: The Rules

Ursans are powerful white bears adapted to the cold of the Thrennex
Athenaeum. They can stand on their hind legs and swipe
with shaggy paws powerful enough to bend tree trunks.
Ursan spit rapidly causes frostbite. Tamed ursans can be
used as mounts.

Ursan
Large beast

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

19 (+4) 10 (0) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 13 (+1) 7 (-2)

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310
Virse Virse, Armored
Location Moon Realms Armored virses are used as heavy cavalry to devastate
Harvest unmounted foes. Equpped with layers of metal or leather
on their hides, heads, and joins, they can charge into and
� DC 10: 1 virse hide
break up enemy formations.
Virses resemble horses with sharp teeth and nails. They are
used as mounts by Nightriders, and can have different Virse, Armored
lengths of hair and attributes depending on the breed. Large beast
Virses are omnivores and can use their powerful front feet
to trample enemies. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Virse 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 10 (0) 7 (-2)
Large beast
AC 14 (virse armor) Touch AC 11
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA HP 35 (5d10+8) Speed 60 ft.
16 (+3) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 2 (-4) 10 (0) 7 (-2) Senses passive Perception 10, Darkvision 120 ft.
CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
AC 11 Touch AC 11 Languages N/A
HP 23 (3d10+7) Speed 60 ft.
Senses passive Perception 10, Darkvision 120 ft. Battle-Hardened. While it is being used as a mount, the
CR 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency 2 armored virse makes Charisma saving throws to resist
Languages N/A becoming frightened with advantage.

Actions
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (2d4+3) bludgeoning damage. If the virse did
not move this turn, its hoof attack deals an additional die
of damage.
Actions
Reinforced Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning damage. If the
virse did not move this turn, its hoof attack deals an
additional 3 (1d6) damage.

Virse

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Worm Man Yamar
Location Thalkast Location Moon Realms, Light Plains
The worm men are wriggling masses of thousands of Harvest
individual corrupted worms. They combine together to � DC 10: 1 yamar hide
form bipedal or quadrupedal attack forms. The worm men
show a cunning intelligence that grows the larger the form � DC 15: 1d4 oz. yamar musk
they take. They are typically light pink or black, although Yamars are large, slow-moving bovines. They migrate
rarer colors exist. across the plains of Dema in herds of hundreds. They have
The worm men threatened to destroy Hive Hall Unrul been domesticated as cattle by Nightriders and Humans.
from 40-52 LS. Increasingly larger waves and more Yamars are also used as pack animals like their cousins, the
monstrous mutations of worm men emerged from the tovuses. While usually docile, the sheer size of yamars can
Thalkast to attack the city. Finally, in 52 LS, a group of make them dangerous if forced to defend themselves.
adventurers teamed up with Awakened flamethrower units
to find the worm men’s lair at the Great Burl, and destroy it.
Yamar
Large beast
Worm Man
Medium monstrosity STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 2 (-4) 8 (-1) 7 (-2)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) AC 12 (natural armor) Touch AC 11
HP 17 (2d10+6) Speed 30 ft.
AC 15 (natural armor) Touch AC 9 Skills Athletics +6
HP 94 (18d8+13) Speed 15 ft., burrow 15 ft. Senses passive Perception 9
Skills Athletics +2, Perception +3, Stealth +4 CR 1/4 (50 XP) Proficiency 2
Condition Immunities grappled, restrained Languages N/A
Senses passive Perception 11, Darkvision 120 ft.,
Tremorsense 30 ft.

Part Three: The Rules

Beast of Burden. The yamar is considered huge for the
CR 3 (900 XP) Proficiency 2 purposes of determining its carrying capacity.
Languages N/A Charge. If the yamar moves at least 20 feet in a straight
line towards a target and then hits it with a gore attack on
Earth Glide. The worm man can burrow through unworked the same turn, the target takes an additional 7 (2d6)
earth and stone. While doing so, the worm man doesn’t piercing damage.
disturb the material it moves through.
Actions
Actions Gore. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, one
Multiattack. The worm man makes two punch attacks. target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage.
Punch. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Bellow. The yamar bellows out a thunderous roar that alters
target. Hit: 8 (2d4+3) bludgeoning damage. all nearby yamar to danger. Any other yamar within 30
feet may immediately move up to their speed away from
Envelop. The worm man moves into a space that is the roaring yamar.
occupied by a hostile creature of size medium or smaller.
The creature must make a DC 14 Strength saving throw or
be enveloped by the mass of worms. Enveloped creatures
are restrained and take 6 (2d4+1) bludgeoning damage at
the start of their turns. At the end of their turn, an
enveloped creature may make a DC 13 Strength check to
break out of the envelopment and stun the worm man for
1d4 rounds, entering a space next to the worm man.
Enveloped creatures take half the damage the worm man
takes when attacked. A worm man may take this action as
a reaction if they are targeted by a grapple.

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312
Combatants
Abresian Knight
In the age before the Solar Hegemony, lords and ladies
reigned in the Kingdom of Abresia. Once famed as the land
of Fifty Kings, the Abresian nobility jostled for power over
the land’s great castles known as the Saradian Bastions.
In battle, the Abresian lords sent forth their honor-bound
knights. When Remus wiped out the Abresian lords, he
spared the knights of the Saradian Bastions if they swore
allegiance to the Solar Hegemony. These lifelong warriors
don the heavy plate armor Abresia is so famous for. Many
of them belong to knightly orders, which have different
specializations.
Abresian Knight
Medium sentient (Human), Aether-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 14 (+2)
AC 20 (plate, heater shield) Touch AC 12
HP 90 (12d10+24) Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +6, Charisma +5
Skills Athletics +6, Politics +4, Persuasion +5
Damage Resistances piercing and slashing from non-
Eldertech weapons
Armor Protections piercing, slashing
Senses passive Perception 12
CR 6 (2300 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Scintillan, Mundane
Inspiring Presence. Allies that end their turn within 10 feet
of the Abresian Knight make Constitution and Charisma
saving throws with advantage. Allies cannot benefit from
this trait while the Abresian Knight is prone.
Second Wind (Recharge on Long Rest). On its turn, the
Abresian Knight may choose to regain 1d10 + 4 hit points.
Actions
Multiattack. The Abresian Knight makes two attacks with
their battleaxe.
Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage.
Call to Arms (Recharge 6). Any ally within 30 feet that can
see and hear the Abresian Knight may use their reaction to
take the Dodge action and immediately move up to their
speed towards the Abresian Knight. Allies must move as
close to the Abresian Knight as possible, and may move
through other allies’ spaces to do so.
Reactions
Protection. The Abresian Knight uses their shield to protect
an ally within 5 feet from a melee attack, adding 2 to the
ally's AC for the duration of the attack.
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Aegic Ambuscader
Aegic Archivists trained in ambush tactics are known as
ambuscaders. They wear white and grey insulated cloaks
that helps them camouflage in heavy snow. They are highly
trained assassins capable of infiltrating enemy bases.
During Aegis’s various wars with the Solar Hegemony,
Aegic ambuscaders would sneak into isolated Hegemony
camps at the first sign of a blizzard. Patrols sent the next
day would find entire legionnairy units with their throats
cut.
Aegic Ambuscader
Medium sentient (Archivist), Water-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (0) 14 (+2) 10 (0)
AC 14 (hardened leather) Touch AC 12
HP 24 (4d8+6) Speed 30 ft.
Skills Athletics +3, Acrobatics +4, Perception +4, Stealth
+4
Damage Resistances cold
Senses passive Perception 14
CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Eltayan, Mundane
Mastery of Self. As an action, the Aegic ambuscader can
adjust their metabolic state to gain the following features:
High Metabolism. The Aegic ambuscader has +2 to their
AC, and may take 2 reactions per round. Whenever the
ambuscader takes damage, they must make a Constitution
saving throw (DC 10 or the damage taken, whichever is
higher), entering Low Metabolism on a failure.
Low Metabolism. The Aegic ambuscader's base speed is
20 feet, they are resistant to poison damage, and they
make Constitution saving throws with advantage.
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the Aegic ambuscader deals
an additional (2d6) damage on an attack made with
advantage. The ambuscader does not need advantage to
gain this bonus if an enemy of the target is within 5 feet
and not incapacitated.
Actions
Rope Dart. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5
ft. or range 20/60 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4+2)
piercing damage.
Net. Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, range 5/15 ft., one
target.
Abresian Knight Auran Asset
Mercenary
In the shackled roosts of The Auric, tens of thousands of
contractually indentured servants, known as ‘Assets,’ are
forced to fight. The vast majority are in the Combines,
Asset-warrior guilds that The Auric’s ruling class throw
around like dispensable pawns.
The most skilled Asset warriors are bought up by various
prestigious mercenary companies. These Asset mercenaries
are equipped with half-plate armor almost as expensive as
their contracts. Depending on their guild, their armor is
decorated green, gold, or purple.

Auran Asset Mercenary

Medium sentient (Featherfolk), Air-Aether-any

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 9 (-1) 12 (+1) 10 (0)

AC 16 (half plate) Touch AC 11

HP 38 (7d10) Speed 30 ft.
Skills Athletics +4, Perception +3, Intimidation +2
Damage Resistances piercing and slashing from non-
eldertech weapons
Armor Protections piercing and slashing
Senses passive Perception 11

Part Three: The Rules

CR 3 (700 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Usundi

Adaptable. When the Auran Asset mercenary has

advantage or disadvantage on a roll, it may reroll one
of the dice. The mercenary cannot use this ability
again until it has finished a long rest.
Light Bones. The Auran Asset mercenary has
disadvantage on ability checks to initiate or
maintain grapples with non-Featherfolk
sentients.

Actions
Multiattack. The Auran Asset mercenary
makes two attacks with its pike or chakram.
Pike. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach
15 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d12+2) piercing
damage. Mounted targets must make a
Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check against the attack roll of
this action to remain mounted.
Chakram. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit,
reach 5 ft., or range 40/80 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2)
slashing damage.

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314
Clan Kahr Warrior
Many of the Wakewalker warriors of Clan Kahr refuse to
wear armor into battle. They consider it a sign of cowardice.
Even so, most of them wear highly stylized decorations
made of metal and bone which occasionally deflect blows.
These decorations are held in place by a thick red rope
characteristic of Clan Kahr warriors.
The Wakewalkers of Clan Kahr are known to wield
massive two-handed weapons carved from the extremely
dense bones of Deep Ones. They relish a good fight, and are
known to spare foes they consider honorable.
Clan Kahr Warrior
Medium sentient (Wakewalker), Fire-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (0) 8 (-1) 14 (+2)
AC 13 (hardened leather armor) Touch AC 12
HP 46 (5d12+14) Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft.
Skills Athletics +4, Perception +1, Intimidation +4,
Performance +4
Senses passive Perception 11, Darkvision 60 ft.
CR 3 (900 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Khottan
Frenzy (Recharge on Long Rest). As a bonus action, the
Clan Khar warrior may enter a state of elevated passion
that drives their actions for 1 minute. During this time,
they have advantage on Strength checks and are immune
to the effects of poison or exhaustion.
Toxin Resistance. The Clan Khar warrior has advantage on
Constitution saving throws against the negative effects of
drugs, poisons, or other toxins
Actions
Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d12+2) slashing damage.
Harpoon. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach
5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing
damage.
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Cairnkeeper
Beastmaster
Raised in the icy wastes of the Tenaybre, Cairnkeeper
beastmasters are the world’s best monster trainers. As
veterans of several Frostrites, they are also excellent
survivalists. They typically wear clothing themed to match
their animal companions. Beastmasters often decorate their
heavy silver and black coats with fangs and claws.
Cairnkeeper beastmasters are often accompanied by two
or more highly trained animal companions. Their most
iconic companions are the Tenaybre’s fierce snowlions.
Other common companions include wooly virses and
shaggy garnahs. Legendary beastmasters have also tamed
mighty bitaarcs and deldagans. Some have even traveled to
the Athenaeum to tame ursans.
Cairnkeeper Beastmaster
Medium sentient (Nightrider), Void-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 14 (+2)
AC 15 (hardened leather) Touch AC 13
HP 74 (14d8+11) Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Wisdom +5
Skills Stealth +6, Animal Handling +8, Survival +5,
Intimidation +5
Senses passive Perception 12, Darkvision 60 ft.
CR 6 (2300 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Monturyn
Beastmaster's Command. Once per turn as a free action,
the Cairnkeeper beastmaster may direct the actions of an
allied beast within 120 feet that has not already taken its
turn this round.
Light of the Moon. When traveling outdoors, the
Cairnkeeper beastmaster treats darkness as dim light if the
moon is visible.
Actions
Multiattack. The Cairnkeeper may make two attacks with
their whip and use one order.
Whip. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) slashing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) piercing damage.
Order - Trainer's Whistle. All allied beasts within 120 feet
may use their bonus action to move their speed towards
the Cairnkeeper beastmaster.
Order - Signal Attack. Up to two allied beasts within 120
feet may use their bonus action to make a melee attack
against a target creature within the beast's reach.
Cobalt Marine
The Cobalt Marines are one of the oldest and most
prestigious military organizations in the world. Equipped
with their brilliant cobalt blue scale armor and golden
shields, the Marines have faithfully defended the coasts of
Deonar for hundreds of years. Cobalt Marines take excellent
care of their armor and weapons. When they are not in
combat, they are constantly oiling and sharpening their
equipment so it shimmers in the sunlight.
The Cobalt Marines are skilled sailors, and even tougher
fighters. They excel at close quarters combat on the decks of
ships. They can board an enemy vessel in minutes, and lock
their shields together to corner and then cut down anyone
foolish enough to intrude in their waters.
Cobalt Marine
Medium sentient (Human), Aether-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 11 (0) 12 (+1) 10 (0)
AC 17 (scale, round shield) Touch AC 14
HP 90 (12d10+24) Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +6, Dexterity +5
Skills Athletics +6, Politics +3, Perception +4
Armor Protections slashing
Armor Weaknesses piercing
Senses passive Perception 14
CR 6 (2300 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Scintillan, and other language (usually
Mundane)
Second Wind (Recharge on Long Rest). On its turn, the
Cobalt Marine may choose to regain 1d10 + 4 hit points.
Shield Wall. When within 5 feet of an ally with this ability,
the Cobalt Marine may use its reaction to impose
disadvantage on ranged attacks until the start of its next
turn.
Actions
Multiattack. The Cobalt Marine makes two attacks.
Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5
ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing
damage.
Short Sword. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) slashing damage.
Reactions
Protection. The Cobalt Marine uses their shield to impose
disadvantage on an attack made against an ally within 5
feet.
316
Dawnraider Heavy
Cavalryman
There are few things in Dema more intimidating than a
massed charge of Dawnraider heavy cavalry. Mounted on
the backs of only the largest and most armored virses,
Dawnraider heavy cavalrymen crash on their foes with
more than a thousand pounds of muscle and iron. The
heavy brigandine armor worn by these riders are passed
between generations, and decorated with symbols of the
moon.
During the Dayraid, the Dawnraiders’ heavy cavalry
formed the vanguard of the Dark Horde that ravaged the
Light Plains. Until Remus standardized the use of massed
pikes and crossbows to counter their charges, Dawnraider
heavy cavalry massacred half a dozen Human armies sent
by the region’s nobles and kings.
Dawnraider Heavy Cavalryman
Medium sentient (Nightrider), Void-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 11 (0) 13 (+1) 10 (0) 15 (+2) 10 (0)
AC 19 (brigandine, tear drop shield) Touch AC 12
HP 35 (5d10+8) Speed 30 ft., mounted 60 ft.
Skills Animal Handling +4, Perception +4
Armor Protections slashing
Part Three: The Rules
Senses passive Perception 14, Darkvision 60 ft.
CR 4 (1100 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Monturyn
Heroic Charge (Recharge on Long Rest). When the
Dawnraider heavy cavalryman begins their turn with no
allies or enemies within 10 feet, they may use their dash
action to move towards a target and make an attack
action. This attack is a critical hit on both a 19 and a 20.
Light of the Moon. When traveling outdoors, the
Dawnraider heavy cavalryman treats darkness as dim light
if the moon is visible.
Mounted Protection. The Dawnraider heavy cavalryman’s
shield is designed to protect a mounted rider from attacks
from the ground. While they are mounted, opportunity
attacks against them have disadvantage.
Actions
Lance. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d12+2) piercing damage.
Falx. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) or 6 (1d8+2) piercing or slashing
damage. Attacks made with a falx ignore the armor class
bonus of shields.
Javelin. Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Creatures and Combatants
Eldertech Tinkerer
Some Archivists from Luminos and Aegis spend their entire
lives studying and training with Eldertech. These Eldertech
tinkerers can harness the power of various Eldertech
weapons without exhausting their charged abilities. Many
serve as advisors on how to use and repair Eldertech.
Eldertech Tinkerer
Medium sentient (Archivist), Water-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 11 (0)
AC 12 (unarmored) Touch AC 12
HP 44 (8d8+8) Speed 30 ft.
Skills Sleight of Hand +4, Eldertech +5, Materials +5
Damage Resistances cold
Senses passive Perception 12
CR 3 (900 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Eltayan, Mundane
Disciplined Ingenuity. The Eldertech tinkerer has found
ways to push Eldertech to its limits, allowing them to get
more out of the artifacts than others. When they use an
Eldertech artifact that would expend a charge, they may
make an DC 18 Intelligence (Eldertech) check. If they
succeed, the charge is not used.
Mastery of Self. As an action, the Eldertech tinkerer can
adjust their metabolic state to gain the following features:
High Metabolism. The Eldertech tinkerer has +2 to their
AC, and may take 2 reactions per round. Whenever the
tinkerer takes damage, they must make a Constitution
saving throw (DC 10 or the damage taken, whichever is
higher), entering Low Metabolism on a failure.
Low Metabolism. The Eldertech tinkerer's base speed is
20 feet, they are resistant to poison damage, and they
make Constitution saving throws with advantage.
Actions
Multiattack. The Eldertech tinkerer makes 2 attacks with
either of its weapons.
Molten Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 3 (1d4+3) fire damage.
Stun Wand. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. HIt: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage. If the
Eldertech tinkerer expends a charge, the target makes a
DC 15 Constitution saving throw, becoming stunned for
1d3 turns on a failed save. The stun wand starts with 6
charges.
Reactions
Parry. If the Eldertech tinkerer used their molten dagger in
their last attack, they may add 2 to their Armor Class as a
reaction when hit by an attack. If their AC then exceeds
the attack roll, the attack misses instead. The bonus to AC
expires after the attack ends. On a parry, roll a d20. On a
20 the attacker’s weapon is broken if it is not made from
Eldertech. On a 1, the molten dagger deactivates and
becomes a parry dagger until recharged.
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Etherean Missionary
Archivist missionaries from Etherea travel the world on
their sacred mission. Uninterested in converting anyone to
their faith, known as Zenyecrot, these missionaries are
instead on a holy quest to recover as much Eldertech as
possible. They consider Eldertech to be their birthright.
Etherean Missionary
Medium sentient (Archivist), Water-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 18 (+4) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
AC 14 (unarmored) Touch AC 14
HP 101 (16d10+13) Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dexterity +7, Intelligence +4
Skills Eldertech +3, Nature +3, Religion +3, Persuasion +6
Damage Resistances cold
Senses passive Perception 12
CR 7 (2900 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Eltayan, any two languages
Mastery of Self. As an action, the Etherean missionary can
adjust their metabolic state to gain the following features:
High Metabolism. The Etherean missionary has +2 to
their AC, and may take 2 reactions per round. Whenever
the missionary takes damage, they must make a
Constitution saving throw (DC 10 or the damage taken,
whichever is higher), entering Low Metabolism on a failure.
Low Metabolism. The Etherean missionary's base speed
is 20 feet, they are resistant to poison damage, and they
make Constitution saving throws with advantage.
Sacred Duty. The Etherean missionary is obsessed with
protecting and acquiring Eldertech. Once per round, they
gain 5 (1d10) temporary hit points when an Eldertech
device is activated. If attacked by an Eldertech weapon,
the missionary may immediately enter High Metabolism.
Actions
Multiattack. The Etherean missionary makes 3 attacks with
their elder rope dart or quarterstaff.
Elder Rope Dart. Melee Weapon Attack. +8 to hit, reach 10
ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) piercing damage. Attacks
from this weapon ignore damage resistances.
Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) or 6 (1d8+2) bludgeoning
damage.
Chastise (Recharge 5-6). The Etherean missionary rebukes
a target character that they can see within 30 feet. The
target must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw, taking
2d4 psychic damage and getting disadvantage on their
next attack roll on a failed save, or taking half damage on a
successful one.
Proclaim Heresy (Recharge 6). The Etherean missionary
loudly accuses a target character that they can see within
30 feet of an egregious heresy, terrible crime, or violation
of a taboo. All creatures within 60 feet that can hear and
understand the missionary that are not already friendly
towards the target must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma
saving throw or become hostile to the target, with the goal
of capturing them to turn over to the proper authorities.
Everborn Beetle
Rider
Some of the Everborn’s Sporespawn drones tame and ride
giant gurno beetles. Ordinarily used to haul cargo, some
gurnos are equipped with heavy armor to smash into and
break up defensive formations.
Everborn Beetle Rider
Medium sentient (Sporespawn), Earth-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 11 (0) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 8 (-1)
AC 15 (natural armor) Touch AC 10
HP 31 (4d10+7) Speed 30 ft., mounted 40 ft.
Skills Athletics +4, Animal Handling +3
Damage Resistances cold
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Senses passive perception 11, Darkvision 120 ft.
CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Qet
Miasmic Will. All Everborn drones are under the direct
influence of the Everborn's miasma, making them immune
to the charmed and frightened conditions. The Everborn
beetle rider loses these immunities and makes all
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks with
disadvantage if they have not been exposed to the
Everborn's miasma in the past 7 days.
Actions
Multiattack. The Everborn beetle rider makes 2 attacks
with its lance.
Lance. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d12+2) piercing damage
Mancatcher. Melee Weapon Attack. The Everborn beetle
rider attempts to target a creature sized medium or
smaller within 10 feet. The rider has advantage on the
Athletics check to successfully grapple the target. Once
grappled, the target of this attack has disadvantage to
escape the grapple and takes 2 (1d4) piercing damage on a
failed escape. While grappling a target, the Everborn
beetle rider cannot make another attack without ending
the grapple.
Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack. +2 to hit, range 30/600 ft.,
one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage.
318
Everborn Warrior
Form
The warrior forms grown by the Everborn hive mind are
denied individual consciousness. They are biosculpted to be
tools of war, and like tools, the Everborn discards them
when they are no longer of use.
Everborn warrior forms typically have reinforced brown
or green carapaces. A short weapon is biosculpted to each
of their hands. Most of these warrior forms are also grown
with acidic glands in their throats in order to corrode the
metal armors and weapons of the Everborn’s many enemies
in the Valqet.
Armored warrior forms make up the vanguard of the
Everborn’s deadly swarms. Thousands of charging
Everborn warrior forms, without a sense of self-
preservation, are incredibly effective at overwhelming
defensive positions. Hundreds of thousands of warrior
forms have served in the Everborn’s swarms over the
centuries-long Endless War.
Everborn Warrior Form
Medium sentient (Sporespawn), Earth-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 10 (0) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 8 (-1) 8 (-1)
AC 15 (natural armor) Touch AC 10
Part Three: The Rules
HP 26 (3d10+10) Speed 30 ft.
Skills Athletics +4
Damage Resistances cold
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Senses passive Perception 9, Darkvision 120 ft.
CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Qet
Miasmic Will. All Everborn drones are under the direct
influence of the Everborn's miasma, making them immune
to the charmed and frightened conditions. The Everborn
warrior form loses these immunities and makes all
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma checks with
disadvantage if they have not been exposed to the
Everborn's miasma in the past 7 days.
Biosculpted Hands. The Everborn warrior form cannot
drop or be disarmed of its bioscythes.
Actions
Multiattack. The Everborn warrior form makes two attacks
with their bioscythes.
Bioscythe. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing or piercing damage.
Caustic Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack. +1 to hit, range 10/20
ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) acid damage. Unless washed or
wiped away using water or cloth, the target takes 1 acid
damage at the start of their turns for 1 minute.
Creatures and Combatants
Freespawn Liberator
Liberators are the elite special forces of the Freespawn. They
often go on daring missions to capture enemy soldiers, and
specialize in freeing them from their mental shackles.
Freespawn liberators typically operate in small, tactical
cells. Many paint their limbs with silver or yellow patterns
to show their rank and specialization.
Freespawn Liberator
Medium sentient (Sporespawn), Earth-Void-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1)
AC 16 (cuirass) Touch AC 12
HP 68 (9d10+19) Speed 30 ft., burrow 5ft.
Saving Throws Strength +5, Charisma +4
Skills Athletics +5, Survival +4, Perception +4,
Persuasion +7
Damage Resistances cold
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Armor Protections slashing
Senses passive Perception 14, Darkvision 120 ft., Blindsight
30 ft.
CR 5 (1800 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Qet, any other language
Absolute Stillness. The Freespawn liberator may take the
Hide action if lightly obscured.
Carapace. Unarmed strikes made by the Freespawn
liberator deal (1d4) bludgeoning damage. If their Armor
Class would be less than 14 (such as when wearing no
armor), it becomes 14 instead.
Ideologue. The Freespawn liberator is committed to their
beliefs on a core level, and it is hard to make them see
things from another perspective. Persuasion checks made
against the liberator have disadvantage
Actions
Multiattack. The Freespawn liberator makes two melee
weapon attacks.
Halberd. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d10+2) piercing or slashing damage.
Attacks made against creatures within 5 feet are made
with disadvantage.
War Pick. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage. Critical attacks
made against medium or heavy armor deal an additional
die of damage. Attacks from this weapon ignore the
Armor Protection and Superior Protection properties of
all armor.
Interjection (Recharge 5-6). The Freespawn liberator states
a very pointed and direct statement that interrupts the
listener’s train of thought. Target creature within 15 feet
that can see and understand the Freespawn liberator must
succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or be flustered
until the end of their next turn. Creatures that fail the save
by 5 or more become stunned instead.
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319
Freesteed Virse
Archer
Freesteed virse archers have been riding virses and
practicing archery their entire lives. They are the best
mounted archers in the entire world. Freesteed virse archers
are known to carry multiple quivers, and to fletch and
feather their own arrows. Both they and their virses are
lightly armored to maintain speed and maneuverability.
During the Dayraid, the Freesteeds’ virse archers formed
the backbone of the Dark Horde that ravaged the Light
Plains. With their hail of arrows, the Freesteeds provoked
several Human armies into making a stand, priming them
to be destroyed by heavier cavalry charges. This was an
effective strategy until Remus standardized the use of
massed pikes and crossbows.
Freesteed Virse Archer
Medium sentient (Nightrider), Void-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 11 (0) 14 (+2) 10 (0)
AC 14 (rawhide) Touch AC 13
HP 44 (8d8+8) Speed 30 ft., mounted 60 ft.
Skills Animal Handling +6, Survival +4, Perception +4
Armor Protections bludgeoning
Senses passive Perception 14, Darkvision 60 ft.
CR 4 (1100 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Monturyn
Light of the Moon. When traveling outdoors, the
Freesteed virse archer treats darkness as dim light if the
moon is visible.
Actions
Multiattack. The Freesteed virse archer makes two attacks
with their rider’s bow.
Falx. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) or 5 (1d8+1) piercing or slashing
damage. Attacks made with a falx ignore the Armor Class
bonus of shields.
Rider's Bow. Ranged Weapon Attack. +5 to hit., range
100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.
Volley. The Freesteed virse archer is joined by at least 3
other Freesteed virse archers, firing simultaneously to bog
down their opponents. The archers designate a 20-foot
square within 100 feet. All creatures within this area must
make a Dexterity saving throw where the DC is equal to 10
plus the number of archers joining in this attack (maximum
DC of 20). Creatures that fail this save take 7 (1d12+1)
piercing damage and are restrained until the start of this
archer’s next turn. Any Freesteed virse archer that joins
this attack uses their action for the round.
Hegemony
Crossbowman
Hegemony crossbowmen are Human soldiers that Hegemony Crossbowman
specialize in the use of crossbows. Their crossbows,
uniforms, and armor have been redesigned several times for
different combat environments. The crossbowmen of each
solar legion have a different sigil. At the battle of Yaras, for
example, the sigil of the crossbowmen deployed to the 9th
Legion Invicta was a raven perched on a castle wall.
During the Dayraid, Remus’s crossbowmen played a
crucial role in turning back the tide of the Dark Horde.
Protected by a shield of massed pikes, Humanity’s
crossbowmen inflicted disproportionate casualties on
the Dark Horde’s virse archers. Unable to replace
expert virse archers as quickly as Remus could
train new crossbowmen, the Dark Horde
eventually had to abandon their invasion of the
Light Plains.

Hegemony Crossbowman
Medium sentient (Human), Aether-Earth-any

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

10 (0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 10 (0) 10 (0)

AC 15 (lamellar) Touch AC 11
HP 17 (2d10+6) Speed 30 ft.

Part Three: The Rules

Skills Perception +2
Armor Protections piercing
Senses passive Perception 12
CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Scintillan

Formation. If the Hegemony crossbowman is within 5 feet

of an ally that is not incapaciated, prone, or unconscious,
they have advantage on saving throws against being
charmed, frightened, grabbed, or restrained.
Actions
Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, range
100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d12+1) piercing damage.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage.
Volley. The Hegemony crossbowman is joined by at least 3
other Hegemony crossbowmen, firing simultaneously to
bog down their opponents. The crossbowmen designate a
20-foot square within 100 feet. All creatures within this
area must make a Dexterity saving throw where the DC is
equal to 10 plus the number of crossbowmen joining in this
attack (maximum DC of 20). Creatures that fail this save
take 7 (1d12+1) piercing damage and are restrained until
the start of this artillerists’s next turn. Any Hegemony
crossbowman that joins this attack uses their action for the
round.

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320
Hegemony AC 17 (lamellar, tower shield) Touch AC 13
Legionnaire HP 17 (2d10+6) Speed 30 ft.
Hegemony legionnaires are the lifeblood of the Solar Skills Athletics +3
Hegemony’s military machine. Their weapons, uniforms,
Armor Protections piercing
and armor have been redesigned several times for different
combat environments. During the Dayraid, the first Senses passive Perception 10
‘legionnaires’ were the Human infantry that Remus led to CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
become the heroes of the Dayraid. For decades afterwards, Languages Scintillan
the Hegemony recruited its legionnaires through Remus’s
new Scintillan System. According to this system, the faithful
citizens of the Hegemony owed the emperor a sacred tour Formation. If the Hegemony legionnaire is within 5 feet of
of duty in the solar legions. Marching in lockstep, the solar an ally that is not incapacitated, prone, or unconscious,
legions have conquered vast swathes of Dema, in the name they have advantage on saving throws against being
of Sola and the emperor. charmed, frightened, grappled, or restrained.
Shield Wall. When within 5 feet of an ally with this ability,
Hegemony Legionnaire the Hegemony legionnaire may use its reaction to impose
Medium sentient (Human), Aether-Water-any disadvantage on ranged attacks until the start of its next
turn.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Actions
13 (+1) 11 (0) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 10 (0) 10 (0) Spear, Long. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing damage. Mounted
targets must make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check against the attack roll of this action to
remain mounted.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage.
Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 5
ft., or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing.

Highwayman
Highwaymen lay in ambush on roads and in alleys
throughout Dema. These looters and bandits are very
poorly equipped, and can only hope to outnumber and
overwhelm their victims. Most Highwaymen are only
interested in robbery, and do not go out of their way to kill
their victims. Relatedly, they are much more likely to run
away at the first sign of real danger.

Highwayman
Medium sentient (any), any Element

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

11 (0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 10 (0) 10 (0)

AC 12 (leather) Touch AC 11
HP 19 (3d8+6) Speed 30 ft.
Skills Intimidation +2
Armor Protections bludgeoning
Armor Weaknesses piercing, slashing
Senses passive Perception 10
CR 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Any language

Jana'haki Pirate

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Actions
Club. Melee Weapon Attack. +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage.
Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, range 30/600 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage.
Hiremai Khutara
The Khutara are the mighty Wakewalker berserkers of Clan
Hiremai. They guard Clan Hiremai’s tentacled god, known
as the Terminarch. The Khutara are made up entirely of
skilled warriors. A Khutara warrior must also take well to
the Terminarch’s ichorous will, known as waparaka.
Consuming waparaka subjects a person to the
consciousness of the Terminarch at the moment he emitted
it. The Khutara ingest the highest doses to enter a battle
trance known as the Blood Fire. In this state, they are a
terrifying force to be reckoned with. Khutara warriors in the
Blood Fire have been known to kill more than a dozen
pirates on their own.
Hiremai Khutara
Medium sentient (Wakewalker), Fire-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 10 (0) 15 (+2)
AC 16 (cuirass) Touch AC 12
HP 114 (11d12+43) Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +6, Constitution +6
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +3, Religion +4,
Intimidation +5, Performance +5
Armor Protections slashing
Senses passive Perception 12, Darkvision 60 ft.
CR 6 (2300 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Khottan, any other language
Blessing of the Outer God. As an action, the Hiremai
khutara may consume waparaka to enter an enhanced
state for 2 minutes. During this time, they have advantage
on Strength checks and gain resistance to bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing damage from non-Eldertech
weapons. Upon exiting this state, they take 2 levels of
exhaustion and are vulnerable to all damage until they take
a short or long rest.
Actions
Multiattack. The Hiremai khutara makes two melee
attacks each turn.
Poleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) slashing damage. Critical attacks
made against medium or heavy armor deal an additional
die of damage. Attacks from this weapon ignore the
Armor Protection and Superior Protection properties of
all armor.
Harpoon. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach
5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing
damage.
322
War Cry (Recharge 6). The Hiremai khutara raises their
weapon and bellows out the name of their god, rallying all
allies within 15 feet that can see or hear them. These allies
gain 1d8 temporary hit points and advantage on attack
rolls until the end of their next turn.
Jana’haki Hoka
The Hoka are the fearsome Wakewalker cannibals of Clan
Jana’haki. These fanatical cultists consume defeated rivals
in the mad belief that they will absorb their power. Hoka
wear the skulls of their strongest victims as necklaces and
shoulder pauldrons. There is rarely ever more than one
Hoka onboard a Jana’haki pirate ship. This is because they
typically prioritize killing and eating each other to assert
dominance.
Jana'haki Hoka
Medium sentient (Wakewalker), Fire-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 15 (+2) 15 (+2) 10 (0) 8 (-1) 14 (+2)
AC 11 (unarmored) Touch AC 11
HP 87 (9d12+29) Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft.
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2, Intimidation+2
Senses passive Perception 9, Darkvision 60 ft.
CR 4 (1100 XP) Proficiency 2
Part Three: The Rules
Languages Khottan, any other language
Blood Frenzy (Recharge on Long Rest). After taking
damage, the Jana’haki hoka may use their reaction to enter
an enhanced state for 1 minute. While in this state, the
hoka has advantage on Strength checks and and gains
resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage
from non-Eldertech weapons. If the hoka reduces a
creature's hit points to 0, they gain 8 (1d12+2) temporary
hit points.
Toxin Resistance. The Jana’haki hoka has advantage on
Constitution saving throws against the negative effects of
drugs, poisons, or other toxins.
Actions
Multiattack. The Jana’haki hoka makes two melee attacks.
They may make an additional bite attack with disadvantage
during their Blood Frenzy.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing damage.
Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach
5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+3) slashing
damage.
Call Duel. The Jana’haki hoka points their weapon at a
target creature they can see within 30 feet and challenges
them to a duel. The hoka and the target make opposed
Charisma checks, and the character that loses makes
attack rolls against any other creature with disadvantage.
The hoka cannot use this ability again unless the
challenged creature is reduced to 0 hit points.
Creatures and Combatants
Jana’haki Pirate Armor Weaknesses piercing, slashing
Senses passive Perception 12
The Wakewalker pirates of Clan Jana’haki have plagued the
waters of the eastern Midnight Isles for as long as their clan CR 1 (200 XP) Proficiency 2
has existed. Originally made up of exiles from other Languages Any two languages
Wakewalker clans, the Jana’haki quickly gained a
reputation for piracy and villainy. They capture any ships
they can, drink heavily, and take pleasure in hurting others. Actions
Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach
Jana'haki Pirate 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing
Medium sentient (Wakewalker), Fire-any damage.
Bola. Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft.,
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA one target. The target makes a Strength (Athletics) or
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the attack roll for this
14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 9 (-1) 8 (-1) 14 (+2)
action, becoming restrained if they fail the check. A
creature may use its action to make a DC 10 Strength
AC 13 (rawhide) Touch AC 11 check to free itself or a creature restrained by the bola.
Dealing 3 slashing damage to the bola (AC 10) also frees
HP 34 (4d12+8) Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft. the creature without harming it, ending the effect and
Skills Athletics +4, Materials +1, Intimidation +4, destroying the bola.
Performance +4
Armor Protections bludgeoning Khadakoi Guardian
Senses passive Perception 9, Darkvision 60 ft. The Khadakoi Guard are the elite Wakewalker shock troops
CR 2 (450 XP) Proficiency 2 of the Solar Hegemony. They are recruited from the most
Languages Khottan, any other language promising young Wakewalker warriors in the provinces.
Ranging from 7 to 8 feet tall, these Wakewalkers convert to
the Church of Sola are equipped with the best armor and
Toxin Resistance. The Jana’haki pirate has advantage on weaponry available to the Solar Hegemony. They are
Constitution saving throws against the negative effects of ultraloyal guardians of the emperor, and would rather die
drugs, poisons, or other toxins. than dishonor themselves.
Actions Khadakoi Guardian
Multiattack. The Jana’haki pirate makes two attacks with
their hand axes. The second attack is made with Medium sentient (Wakewalker), Water-Aether-any
disadvantage.
Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 11 (0) 11 (0) 15 (+2)
damage.
Harpoon. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach AC 17 (half plate) Touch AC 12
5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+2) piercing
damage. HP 114 (12d12+36) Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +8, Constitution +7
Jebalken Marauder Skills Athletics +8, Perception +4, Politics +4,
Intimidation +6, Performance +6
Jebalken marauders spend their days rampaging through
the deserts of the Warm Shores. These masked cultists are Damage Resistances piercing and slashing from non-
known to catch and then ritually butcher their victims.
Eldertech weapons
Some of the Jebalken live on shiseli sand ships as pirates in Armor Protections piercing, slashing
the Red Desert. Senses passive Perception 14, Darkvision 60ft.
Jebalken Marauder CR 8 (3900 XP) Proficiency 4
Medium sentient (any), Fire-Air-Void Languages Scintillan, Khottan

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Frenzy (Recharge on Long Rest). As a bonus action, the
10 (0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 10 (0) 12 (+1) Khadakoi guardian may enter a state of elevated passion
that drives their actions for 1 minute. During this time,
they have advantage on Strength checks and are immune
AC 12 (leather) Touch AC 11 to the effects of poison or exhaustion.
HP 29 (5d8+7) Speed 30 ft. Sola's Vengeance. When a Khadakoi guardian witnesses
Skills Stealth +3, Perception +2, Survival +2, one of their allies reach 0 hit points, they may immediately
Intimidation +3 move up to half their speed towards that ally and make a
melee weapon attack against an adjacent hostile creature.
Armor Protections bludgeoning

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323
Toxin Resistance. The Khadakoi guardian has advantage on
Constitution saving throws against the negative effects of
drugs, poisons, or other toxins.
Actions
Multiattack. The Khadakoi guardian makes three attacks
with its elder greataxe.
Elder Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack. +8 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 11 (1d12+5) slashing damage. This weapon
ignores damage resistances to slashing. On a critical hit,
reduce the target's AC by 1 for the remainder of combat.
their longsword.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage. Targets must
succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become
poisoned for 1 minute
Credible Threat (Recharge 5-6). The Krypteia agent utters a
threat that cuts deeply on a single target within 60 feet
that can hear and understand them. The target must
succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or become
stunned until the end of their next turn.

Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, range
100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d12+2) piercing damage.
War Chant (Recharge 6). The Khadakoi guardian stoicly
recites a passage from the Book of Sola. Each ally within
20 feet that can see and hear the Khadakoi guardian gains
1d8 temporary hit points and may ignore 1 level of
exhaustion until the end of their next turn.
Goading Rhetoric (Recharge 6). The Krypteia agent
antagonizes a single target with dismissive language. The
target must be within 60 feet and be able to hear and
understand the agent. The target must succeed on a DC 14
Charisma saving throw or use its next action to attack the
Krypteia agent.

Krypteia Agent Khadakoi Guardian

The Krypteia are the dreaded secret police of the Solar
Hegemony. They are the masked enforcers of the emperor’s
will. The Krypteia arrest and torture heretics, dissidents,
and any other enemies of the state. During wartime, they
act as spies, assassins, and roaming kill squads.

Krypteia Agent
Medium sentient (Human), Aether-any

Part Three: The Rules

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 15 (+2)

AC 17 (brigandine, padded) Touch AC 10

HP 110 (15d10+28) Speed 35 ft.
Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Charisma +5
Skills Stealth +6, Politics +4, Investigation +4, Insight +4,
Intimidation +8
Armor Protections bludgeoning, slashing
Senses passive Perception 11
CR 5 (1800 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Scintillan, two other languages (usually
Mundane)

Ideologue. The Krypteia agent is committed to their

beliefs on a core level, and it is hard to make them see
things from another perspective. Persuasion checks made
against the agent have disadvantage.
Imposing. The visage of a Krypteia agent strikes fear in
those across Dema, especially among citizens of the Solar
Hegemony. As a bonus action, the Krypteia agent may
make an Intimidation check to frighten a target that they
can see within 120 feet. If the Krypteia agent gains
advantage on this check if they have reduced a target to 0
hit points or made a critical hit this turn.
Second Wind (Recharge on Long Rest). On its turn, the
Krypteia agent may choose to regain 1d10 + 4 hit points.

Actions
Multiattack. The Krypteia agent makes two attacks with

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324
Marshal of Mundi
The Marshals of Mundi are one of the oldest standing
guards in the world. As one of the only volunteer militaries
in Dema, the ranks of the Marshals are only filled with the
very best. They are named after their city’s ancient and
legendary general Mar.
Sworn to protect the cosmopolitan city of Mundi, the
Marshals contain warriors from all of Dema’s peoples. The
city’s Human veterans combine arms with Wakewalker
shock troops, Nightrider cavalry, Featherfolk peltasts, and
Sporespawn siege engineers, all drilled by experienced
Archivist commanders. Generous donations by Mundi’s
rich citizens ensure that the Marshals remain one of the best
equipped armies in the world. Even the lowest ranked
Marshals are equipped with sturdy mail armor.
The Marshals were briefly disbanded during the Dayraid,
after Mundi was sacked. When Mundi became the capital of
the Hominid Dominion in 22 LS, the Marshals once again
became the city’s preeminent military force.
Marshal of Mundi
Medium sentient (any), any Elements
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 10 (0)
AC 16 (mail shirt, heater shield) Touch AC 13
HP 23 (3d10+7) Speed 30 ft.
Skills Politics +3, Insight +3, Perception +4
Armor Protections slashing
Armor Weaknesses bludgeoning
Senses passive Perception 14
CR 3 (900 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Mundane
Formation. If the Marshal of Mundi is within 5 feet of an
ally that is not incapacitated, prone, or unconscious, they
have advantage on saving throws against being charmed,
frightened, grappled, or restrained.
Actions
Spear, Short. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage or 5 (1d8+1)
piercing if using two hands.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
Rally Allies (Recharge 6). The Marshal of Mundi leads a
chant or song from the Coliseum of Mar, rallying all allies
within 15 feet that can see or hear them. These allies gain
1d8 temporary hit points and advantage on attack rolls
until the end of their next turn.
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325
Panacean Commune
Cultist
Dozens of isolated communes dot the interior of the
Panacean Jungle. Located in treetop villages high up in the
canopy, these communes are each dedicated to a different
way of life.
While some of Panacea’s communes are peaceful, like the
Sisters of Kinziha, others are full of violent cultists. The
Sishuun’zar worship death and coat themselves in the ashes
of their fallen kin. The Cegroti skulltakers are even more
brutal. These painted raiders are known to attack
neighboring villages just to ritually execute their entire
population.
Panacean Commune Cultist
Medium sentient (Featherfolk), Air-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (0) 12 (+1) 11 (0) 10 (0) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
AC 11 (unarmored) Touch AC 11
HP 35 (10d6) Speed 30 ft.
Skills Insight +4, Intimidation +5, Persuasion +5
Senses passive Perception 12
CR 1/2 (100 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Usundi, one other language (usually Mundane)
Ideologue. The Panacean commune cultist is committed to
their beliefs on a core level, and it is hard to make them
see things from another perspective. Persuasion checks
made against the cultist have disadvantage.
Light Bones. The Panacean commune cultist has
disadvantage on ability checks to initiate or maintain
grapples with non-Featherfolk sentients.
Actions
Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack. +2 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) or 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, reach 80/320
ft,. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) piercing damage.
Vicious Mockery (Recharge 5-6). As an action, the Panacean
commune cultist unleashes a string of insults at a creature
it can see within 60 feet. Targets that can hear the cultist
must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or take 2
(1d4) psychic damage and have disadvantage on the next
attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
Resource Baron Ten Hundred
Mercenary Warrior
Sunbleak’s sly plutocrats are known as the Resource Barons. The Ten Hundred are an elite warrior-caste of Nightriders.
The Barons have a virtual monopoly on the supply of water, They have guarded the stone walls of Yaras, the home of
food, equipment, and desert treasure sold in Sunbleak’s the Hardhooves, since the city was first founded. The
bustling bazaars. warriors of the Ten Hundred wear brilliantly polished
The Resource Barons protect their financial interests with bronze armor and carry large shields. While patrolling the
hundreds of mercenaries from all over the world. These city, they wear their iconic helms and heavy facial makeup
hired swords can be seen just about everywhere in to identify and express pride in their unit.
Sunbleak. They guard the Barons’ market stalls, workshops, Service in the Ten Hundred passes from father to son and
and private villas. They escort Sunbleak’s caravans across from mother to daughter. Its members are expected to be on
the desert, and brawl constantly with the impoverished constant watch, and to serve as the vanguard of the
gangs of Forgotten that crowd Sunbleak’s alleys. Hardhoove army in times of war. For their lifelong
vigilance, the Ten Hundred enjoy a high social status in
Resource Baron Mercenary Yaras.
Medium sentient (any), Fire-Air-any
Ten Hundred Warrior
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Medium sentient (Nightrider), Void-any
15 (+2) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 9 (-1) 11 (0) 11 (0)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 11 (0) 13 (+1) 11 (0) 13 (+1) 10 (0)
AC 16 (mail shirt, round shield) Touch AC 11
HP 47 (7d10+9) Speed 30 ft
AC 20 (plate, heater shield) Touch AC 12
Skills Perception +2, Intimidation +2
HP 32 (5d10+5) Speed 30 ft.
Armor Protections slashing
Saving Throws Strength +5, Constitution +4
Armor Weaknesses bludgeoning
Skills Athletics +5, Animal Handling +4
Senses passive Perception 12

Part Three: The Rules

CR 3 (900 XP) Proficiency 2
Languages Usundi, Mundane
Shield Wall. When within 5 feet of an ally with this ability,
the Resource Baron mercenary may use its reaction to
impose disadvantage on ranged attacks until the start of
its next turn.
Actions
Spear, Long. Melee Weapon Attack. +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage. Mounted
targets must make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity
(Acrobatics) check against the attack roll of this action to
remain mounted.
Sling. Ranged Weapon Attack. +3 to hit, range 30/600 ft.,
one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage.
Damage Resistances piercing and slashing from non-
Eldertech weapons
Armor Protections slashing, piercing
Senses passive Perception 11, Darkvision 60 ft.
CR 5 (1800 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Monturyn, Mundane
Heroic Charge. Once per long rest, when the Ten Hundred
warrior begins their turn with no allies or enemies within
10 feet, they may use their dash action to move towards a
target and make an attack action. This attack is a critical
hit on both a 19 and a 20.
Actions
Multiattack. The Ten Hundred warrior makes two attacks
with one of its weapons.
Spear, Long. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) or 7 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
Mounted targets must make a Strength (Athletics) or
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the attack roll of this
action to remain mounted.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack. +2 to hit, range 80/320
ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage.

Reactions
Protection. The Ten Hundred warrior uses their shield to
impose disadvantage on an attack made against an ally
within 5 feet.

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326
Theonite Peacekeeper
The Theonites are a militant, religious order of Archivists.
They are headquartered in Aegis, and are masters of the
martial art known as Pwanoszt. Every Theonite takes a
sacred oath to defend the Archivists’ homeland in the
Athenaeum. Some Theonites dedicate their lives to slaying
rampaging monsters like ursans and soidyats. Others
become peacekeepers. These lone enforcers wander through
the Athenaeum meting out justice according to their strict
codes.
Theonite Peacekeeper
Medium sentient (Archivist), Water-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 11 (0) 14 (+2) 11 (0)
AC 19 (brigandine, padded, heater shield) Touch AC 12
HP 75 (10d10+20) Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Strength +6, Constitution +5
Skills Athletics +6, Perception +5
Damage Resistances cold
Armor Protections slashing, bludgeoning
Senses passive Perception 15
CR 6 (2300 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Eltayan
Mastery of Self. As an action, the Theonite peacekeeper
can adjust their metabolic state to gain the following
features:
High Metabolism. The peacekeeper has +2 to their AC,
and may take 2 reactions per round. Whenever the
peacekeeper takes damage, they must make a Constitution
saving throw (DC 10 or the damage taken, whichever is
higher), entering Low Metabolism on a failure.
Low Metabolism. The peacekeeper's base speed is 20
feet, they are resistant to poison damage, and they make
Constitution saving throws with advantage.
Actions
Multiattack. The Theonite peacekeeper makes 2 attacks
with their mace. They make 3 attacks instead if they are in
a High Metabolism state.
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack. +5 to hit, range 80/320
ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Rally Allies (Recharge 5-6). The Theonite peacekeeper
bellows an inspiring mantra that reinvigorates their
surrounding allies. Each ally within 20 feet that can see
and hear the Theonite peacekeeper gains 1d8 temporary
hit points.
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327
Undominated
Commando
The Undominated Typhoon are the elite, foreign excursion
army of Hollowfalls. These Featherfolk commandos train
for seven years in the Tutor Islands. They study strategy,
fighting styles, philosophy, and poetry. The Undominated
are the most edcuated army in the world. They operate in
small units deep in enemy territory, and rely on quick
thinking, clever traps, and sabotage.
Undominated Commando
Medium sentient (Featherfolk), Water-Air-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
11 (0) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
AC 15 (hardened leather) Touch AC 13
HP 93 (17d8+17) Speed 40 ft.
Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Charisma +6
Skills Athletics +3, Acrobatics +6, Stealth +6,
Intimidation +6
Senses passive Perception 12
CR 6 (2300 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Usundi, Mundane, any other language
Light Bones. The Undominated commando has
disadvantage on ability checks to initiate or maintain
grapples with non-Featherfolk sentients.
Actions
Multiattack. The Undominated commando makes two
attacks with either their rapier or their parry dagger.
Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage.
Parry Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) piercing or slashing damage.
Reactions
Cutting Words. When the Undominated commando sees an
attack roll or ability check within 60 feet, they may use
their reaction to reduce the result of the roll by a d4.
Parry. If the Undominated commando used their parry
dagger in their last attack, they may add 3 to their Armor
Class as a reaction when hit by an attack. If their AC then
exceeds the attack roll, the attack misses instead. The
bonus to AC expires after the attack ends.
Unrul Murkhaunter
Murkhaunters are Sporespawn trained from birth to
assassinate the enemies of the Allspawn. Every aspect of
their bodies is biosculpted to maximize their killing
potential. Their unique bioforms conceal a dozen blades
and vials of poison. They use these poisons to coat their
daggers and contaminate food. Murkhaunters prefer death
to failure.
Unrul Murkhaunter
Medium sentient (Sporespawn), Earth-Aether-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 19 (+4) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2)
AC 16 (hardened leather) Touch AC 14
HP 82 (11d10+22) Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dexterity +7, Intelligence +4
Skills Acrobatics +10, Stealth +7, Politics +5, Sleight of
Hand +7, Deception +8
Damage Resistances cold
Damage Vulnerabilities fire, thunder
Senses passive Perception 11, Darkvision 120 ft.
CR 7 (2900 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Qet, any other language (usually Mundane)
Absolute Stillness. The Unrul murkhaunter may take the
Hide action if lightly obscured.
Carapace. Unarmed strikes made by the Unrul
murkhaunter deal 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage. If their
Armor Class would be less than 14 (such as when wearing
no armor), it becomes 14 instead.
Ideologue. The Unrul murkhaunter is committed to their
beliefs on a core level, and it is hard to make them see
things from another perspective. Persuasion checks made
against the murkhaunter have disadvantage.
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the Unrul murkhaunter can
deal an extra 14 (4d6) damage on one creature it hits with
an attack that has advantage. The murkhaunter does not
need advantage to gain this bonus if an enemy of the
target is within 5 feet and not incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack. The Unrul murkhaunter makes two attacks
with its dagger.
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, reach 5
ft. or range 20/40 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) slashing
or piercing damage. The first target hit by this attack must
make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 15 (6d4)
poison damage and becoming poisoned for 1 minute on a
failed save, or taking half damage on a successful one.
Blow Gun. Ranged Weapon Attack. +7 to hit, range 25/100
ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1+4) piercing damage. The target
must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw.
Targets that fail the saving throw fall unconscious after 1
minute, or fall unconscious immediately if they fail the
saving throw by 5 or more. Targets remain unconscious for
3d12 minutes, though they immediately awaken if they are
dealt any damage.
Credible Threat (Recharge 5-6). The Unrul murkhaunter
utters a threat that cuts deeply on a single target within
60 feet that can hear and understand them. The target
must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or
become stunned until the end of their next turn.
328
Whip Sword
Bladeweaver
The Gilded States are famous for their elaborate sword and
dagger fighting styles. Some Featherfolk train for years to
become skilled with rapiers and parry daggers. Others
spend decades mastering the ancient Featherfolk art of the
whip sword. The most skilled maestros of the whip sword
are known as bladeweavers.
Although bladeweavers hail from all around the Gilded
Sea, Panacea and Hollowfalls are home to most of them.
Bladeweavers proved their courage and skill in the final
years of the Redsky Era. As thousands of Scourge infected
flooded Panacea and The Auric, the world’s greatest
bladeweavers unleashed a typhoon of blood, bile, and steel.
Whip Sword Bladeweaver
Medium sentient (Featherfolk), Air-Void-any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (0) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 11 (0) 13 (+1) 10 (0)
AC 16 (hardened leather, buckler) Touch AC 14
HP 71 (11d8+22) Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Constitution +4
Skills Acrobatics +6, Insight +4, Perception +4
Senses passive Perception 14
Part Three: The Rules
CR 5 (1800 XP) Proficiency 3
Languages Usundi, any other language
Crowd Controller. Creatures attacking the whip sword
bladeweaver do not benefit from features that require
creatures to be next to the bladeweaver, such as Sneak
Attack and Pack Tactics.
Lunging Attacks. Once per turn, the whip sword
bladeweaver may make an attack against a target an
additional 5 feet away.
Light Bones. The whip sword bladeweaver has
disadvantage on ability checks to initiate or maintain
grapples with non-Featherfolk sentients.
Actions
Multiattack. The whip sword bladeweaver makes two
attacks with their whip sword.
Whip Sword. Melee Weapon Attack. +7 to hit., reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) slashing damage. Attacks made
with the whip sword ignore the Armor Class bonus of non-
tower shields. Critical attacks made against targets
without medium or heavy armor deal an additional die of
damage.
Disarming Strike. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach ft.,
one target. The target of this attack must succeed on a DC
15 Strength saving throw or drop their weapon.
Reactions
Parry. The whip sword bladeweaver may add 3 to their
Armor Class as a reaction when hit by an attack. If their AC
then exceeds the attack roll, the attack misses instead. The
bonus to AC expires after the attack ends.
Creatures and Combatants
 Appendix A: Reference Tables
ELEMENTS
Chaos Order
Emotional Fire Water
Strength +1, Charisma +1 Dexterity +1, Wisdom +1
Passion, Ambition, Pleasure, Excess Discipline, Self-Mastery, Mindfulness, Judgement
Intellectual Air Earth
Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1 Strength +1, Intelligence +1
Creativity, Intuition, Spontaneity, Inconsistency Certainty, Systematic, Caution, Rigidity
Social Void Aether
Dexterity +1, Constitution +1 Constitution +1, Charisma +1
The Individual, Merit, Freedom, Chaos The Collective, Compassion, Unity, Oppression

SENTIENTS
Sentient Ability Score Modifiers Age Typical Size Height Weight
Archivists Dexterity +1, Intelligence +1 70-120 Medium 6'-6'6" 140-180 lb.
Featherfolk Wisdom +1, Charisma +1, 60-90 Medium or small Male: <4'-5' Male: 40-90 lb.
Strength -1, Dexterity or Female: 5'-6' Female: 60-110 lb.
Intelligence +1
Human Constitution +1, one other +1 50-80 Medium 5'-6' 100-300 lb.
NIghtrider Strength +1, Wisdom +1 60-80 Medium 5'6"-6'6" 150-320 lb.
Sporespawn Intelligence +1, additional 40-60 Medium or small Soldier: 5'-5'6" Soldier: 175-225 lb.
subspecies bonus Diplomat: 5'6"-6' Diplomat: 125-175 lb.
Worker: <4'-4'6" Worker: 100-150 lb.
Wakewalker Strength +2, Constitution +1, 45-65 Medium 6'6"-7'6" 250-450 lb.
Dexterity -1

CLASSES
Class Description Hit Die Primary Abilities Saving Throws Armor & Weapon Proficiencies
Emissary A determined, intelligent d10 Intelligence & Intelligence & All armor; buckler, round, and
adventurer who travels land and sea Constitution Constitution heater shields; simple weapons,
in service to a higher cause martial melee weapons
Fighter A battle-hardened brawler with a d10 Strength or Strength & All armor, shields, simple
lifetime’s experience of taking blows Dexterity Dexterity weapons, martial weapons
and returning them in kind
Hunter A hardy survivalist who can strike d8 Wisdom & Wisdom & Light armor, medium armor,
hard and strike true whenever the Dexterity Dexterity simple weapons, blowgun, net
moment demands it
Rogue A clever, thrifty scoundrel who d8 Dexterity Dexterity & Light armor, simple weapons,
excels at getting what they want out Intelligence longswords, rapiers, shortswords
of others with force or guile
Sage A scholarly specialist whose d6 Intelligence Intelligence & Light armor, simple weapons
enormous reserves of knowledge Wisdom
will help their companions survive
Wordsmith A captivating speaker with amazing d6 Charisma Dexterity & Simple weapons, rapiers,
talents in performance or debate Charisma shortswords
that will dazzle friends and foes

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329
 SOCIAL ACTIONS REFERENCE EXAMPLE NPC TRAITS EXAMPLE NPC BACKGROUNDS
Action Roll Required (vs. Social Encounter DC, unless Trait Effect Background Effect
stated otherwise) Greedy Player has Disadvantage on all Appeals Con Artist Advantage when contesting Charisma
if a Trade Favor option exists and (Deception) checks
Appeals
advantage on Bribes
Fear Charisma (Intimidation) Monk Player has advantage on Appeal to
Gullible Disadvantage when contesting Ideal and Appeal to Pity when aligned
Reason Intelligence, skill may be applicable based on Charisma (Deception) checks with religious beliefs
subject
Impulsive Disadvantage on saving throws against Peasant Player has +2 on Bolster Self actions
Ideal Charisma (Persuasion), or Intelligence with the Provoke action
skill determined by subject
Public Servant Player has advantage on Appeal to
Pity Charisma (Persuasion) Narcissistic Player has disadvantage on Bolster Self
Ideal
actions
Trade Favor Neurotic Always has a Trade Favor available Outsider Player has -2 on Bolster Self actions
based on government or political
Discover Wisdom (Insight) standing
Pious Player has advantage on Appeal to
Option
Ideal when aligned with religious beliefs
Pretend to Charisma (Deception) against target’s Wisdom Sage Player has advantage on Appeal to
Agree (Insight) Reason
Shrewd +2 on Wisdom (Insight) checks
Soldier None
Bribe
Stoic +2 on contesting Impair Target actions
Offer Bribe Charisma (Persuasion), advantage or Thief Player has disadvantage on Appeal to

330
disadvantage based on offer Timid 20 by 20 ft. or more Pity

Mislead (DC determined by believability of the lie)

Deceive Charisma (Deception)

SUCCESS/FAIL COUNTER
Provoke Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (DETERMINED BY SOCIAL SCORE)
(Performance)

Bonus Actions Player party score

Social
Bolster Self Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4
score
(Deception) if a lie
Once per Character per Encounter, gain advantage on social -3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5
action this round or make NPC friendlier
-2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4 1/5 1/5 1/5
Impair Target Charisma (Intimidation), Charisma -1 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4 1/5 1/5
(Deception), or Intelligence, chosen by GM
0 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4 1/5
Failure adds a Failure Point, Lower social encounter DC by 1 or
NPC score

advantage on next Charisma (Deception) check +1 5/1 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4 2/4

Push for Wisdom (Insight) +2 5/1 5/1 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/4
Information
+3 5/1 5/1 5/1 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3 3/3
Players learn of target’s personality, a Trade Favor option, or
+4 5/1 5/1 5/1 5/1 4/2 4/2 3/3 3/3

Reference Tables
effective Appeals
 DASH (AND SPRINT) PACE DURATION DCS FOR TRACKING

Creature -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Terrain DC

Bipedal 1 min 3 min 5 min 10 min 30 min 1 hour 3 hours 6 hours 9 hours 12 hours Snow 8
Sentient (6 sec) (18 sec) (30 sec) (1 min) (3 min) (6 min) (18 min) (36 min) (54 min) (72 min)
Mud 10
4-legged 1 min 10 min 30 min 1 hour 2 hours 3 hours 4 hours 5 hours 6 hours 7 hours
mount (6 sec) (1 min) (3 min) (6 min) (12 min) (18 min) (24 min) (30 min) (36 min) (42 min) Dry dirt or grass 14

Mountain scramble 18

Redsky Core Book

Stone road 20
TRAVEL PACE CAMPFIRES IN RAIN
Rained since tracks left +5
Pace Minute Hour Day (8 hours) Effect Duration of Rain Start Campfire DC
Each day since tracks left +3
Fast 400 feet 4 miles 30 miles -5 penalty to passive Wisdom < 10 minutes 10
(Perception) scores
Large animal in forest -3
10-30 minutes 14
Normal 300 feet 3 miles 24 miles -
Injured/bleeding -5
30-60 minutes 17
Slow 200 feet 2 miles 18 miles Able to use stealth River crossing +8
> 1 hour 20

331
WEATHER CONDITIONS FOOD AND WATER (1 DAY) VIEWABLE DISTANCE
Terrain d100 Size Food Water* Height (ft) Miles
Stable region - Normal 0-89 Tiny < 1/8 lb. < 1/8 gal. 3 2
Stable region - Rain/snow or temperature varies by 1d8 90-98 Small 1/2 lb. 1/4 gal. 6 3
Stable region - Hazard 99
Medium 1 lb. 1/2 gal.
10 4
Normal region - Normal 0-79
Large 15 lbs. 5 gal.
Normal region - Rain/snow or temperature varies by 1d12 80-94 30 6
Huge 500 lbs. 25 gal.
Normal region - Hazard 95-99 50 8
Gargantuan 5,000 lbs. 100 gal.
Volatile region - Normal 0-59 100 13
*+4 hours travel or combat requires an
Volatile region - Rain/snow or temperature varies by 1d20 60-84 additional day’s water.
Very hot weather requires an additional 300 20
Volatile region - Hazard 85-99 day’s water.
500 25

1000 40
EXHAUSTION 5000 80
1 2 3 4 5 6
10000 100
Disadvantage on Speed halved, Disadvantage on HP max halved, Speed reduced to 0 Death
Str and Cha checks disadvantage on attack rolls and disadvantage on Int
Wis and Dex checks saving throws checks 30000 200
 CONDITIONS SOURCES OF INJURY
Condition Effect Source of Injury Injury Type D100 Threshold
Blinded Can’t see and fails all checks that need sight, attack rolls have disadvantage, attack Falling damage Arm or leg Damage taken
rolls against have advantage
Vulnerable to damage Arm or leg Damage taken
Charmed Can’t attack charmer or target with harmful abilities, charmer has advantage on from a weapon attack
social checks
Disarmed Arm Roll d6
Deafened Can’t hear and fails all checks that need hearing.
Knocked prone Head Roll d10
Flustered Disadvantage on checks and Int, Wis, and Cha saves.
Hit with an attack while Any Damage taken
Frightened Disadvantage on checks and attack rolls while they can see source of fear. Can’t restrained
move closer to source of fear.
Hit by a shield-breaking Arm Damage taken
Grappled Speed becomes 0, ends if grappler incapacitated or character is forcibly moved or shield-wrapping
beyond reach, attacks with non-light melee weapons have disadvantage. attack while wielding a
Incapacitated Cannot move or take actions. shield

Paralyzed Incapacitated and can’t speak, fails Str and Dex saves, attacks against have Hit by falling debris Head Damage taken
advantage, attacks from within 5 feet are critical hits. Reduced to 0 hit points Any Roll d20
Poisoned Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. Roll a 1 on a death Any 50
Prone Must crawl to move, disadvantage on attack rolls, attacks against from within 5 feet saving throw
have advantage but further away have disadvantage.
Restrained Speed becomes 0, attack rolls and Dex saves have disadvantage, attack rolls against
have advantage
Stunned Incapacitated and can barely speak, fails Str and Dex saves, attack rolls against have

332
advantage
Surprised Incapacitated and can’t move, disadvantage on Int, Wis, and Cha saves and checks.
Unconscious Incapacitated and can’t speak, unaware of surroundings, prone, fails Str and Dex
saves, attack rolls against have advantage, critical hit on attacks within 5 feet.

HEAD INJURY
ARM INJURY LEG INJURY Effect D100
Effect D100 Effect D100 Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 0-24
using sight
Half ability score bonus to damage rolls 0-49 -5 to movement speed 0-49
(or half shield bonus to AC) Temporarily blinded 25-29
Half movement speed and cannot sprint, 50-74
No ability score bonus to damage rolls 50-64 disadvantage on Dexterity checks Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 30-54
(or no shield bonus to AC) involving the leg using sound
Disadvantage on Strength or Dexterity 65-89 Half movement speed and cannot dash 75-89 Temporarily deafened 54-59
checks involving the arm or sprint, disadvantage on Strength and
Dexterity checks involving the leg Disadvantage on Dexterity checks and saving 60-84
Temporarily lose use of the arm /hand 90-98 throws, and on attack rolls that use Dexterity
Temporarily lose use of the leg, require a 90-99
Lose an arm or hand (no recovery) 99 Permanently scarred, minor (no recovery) 85-94
cane, stick, or assistance to move at half

Reference Tables
speed Permanently scarred, major (no recovery) 95-99
 COMMON EXPENSES CONTAINER CAPACITY TRADE GOODS
Item Cost Container Capacity Cost Goods
Ale Backpack* 1 cubic foot/30 pounds of gear 1 cp 1 candle
~ Gallon 2 sp Barrel 40 gallons liquid, 4 cubic feet solid 2 cp 1 lb. of salt
~ Mug 3 cp Basket 2 cubic feet/40 pounds of gear 3 cp 1 lb. of wheat or 1 lb. of beeswax

Redsky Core Book

~ Banquet (per person) 10 gp Bottle 1½ pints liquid 5 cp 1 lb. of flour, 1 chicken, 1 lb. iron ingot
~ Bread, loaf 2 cp Bucket 3 gallons liquid, 1/2 cubic foot solid 1 sp 1 lb. copper ingot or 1 lb. of tobacco
~ Cheese, hunk 1 sp Chest 12 cubic feet/300 pounds of gear 2 sp 1 deer hide
Messenger 2 cp per mile Flask or tankard 1 pint liquid 3 sp 1 cow hide, 1 lb. of cinnamon
Road or gate toll 4 cp Jug or pitcher 1 gallon liquid 5 sp 1 sq. yard of tanned leather, tanned
deer hide, linen, or canvas, 1 goat
Ship’s passage 15 sp per day Pot, iron 1 gallon liquid
7 sp 1 lb. of pepper, 1 lamb, 1 sq. yard of
Inn stay (per day) Pouch 1/5 cubic foot/6 pounds of gear tanned lambskin
~ Squalid 7 cp Sack 1 cubic foot/30 pounds of gear 1 gp 1 pig or 1 lb. of silver
~ Poor 1 sp Vial 4 ounces liquid 1 gp 5 sp 1 sheep, 30 gallon barrel, 1 ton coal
~ Modest 2 sp Waterskin, small 4 pints liquid

333
3 gp 1 sq. yard of silk, 1 gallon seed oil
~ Comfortable 7 sp Waterskin, large 1 gallon liquid 5 gp 1 cow, 1 donkey
~ Wealthy 2 gp 10 gp 1 ox
~ Aristocratic 4 gp 15 gp 1 lb. of saffron
Meals (per day) COMMON SERVICES 50 gp 1 lb. of gold
~ Squalid 3 cp Service Pay Pay
~ Poor 6 cp Coach cab
~ Modest 3 sp ~ Per day 12 sp
~ Comfortable 5 sp ~ Within a city, 1 hour 1 sp
~ Wealthy 8 sp Hireling
~ Aristocratic 2 gp ~ Skilled 2 gp per day
Meat, pound 5 cp ~ Untrained 2 sp per day
Wine Messenger 2 cp per mile
~ Common (pitcher) 2 sp Road or gate toll 4 cp
~ Fine (bottle) 10 gp Ship’s passage 15 sp per day
 Appendix B: Index
A Archivist, The - A mysterious, legendary figure in Archivist
A Hundred Days of Ice - A Hegemony-Athenaeum war text. 179
A Thousand and One Sleights - A ranked record book
describing grudges, feuds, and assassinations in The Auric.
Rankings can change. 137
A Vigil For Would-Be Kings - A history of the rebels and
uprisings during the Exaltation Wars. 185
Abbots - [-ah-BUHT-] An order of Aegic support field units.
79, 120–121, 126. See Oslon
Abecedary - [-uh-BEE-sih-day-ree-] A senior rank of the
Scholasta. 119
Abeyance - [-uh-BAY-anse-] The Church of Sola’s creation myth.
169–173
Abeyance Wars - The many battles in Solasii myth that
were fought between the forces of darkness and light.
92, 172–173
Abjection - [-ABB-jek-SHUN-] A Nightrider term for a long-term
mental illness that includes aspects of depression, anxiety,
and other psychological hardship. 145
Abragon - [-AH-bruh-gone-] The herald and champion of Sola.
102, 113, 172, 184
Abragon River - The local river near Lake Scintilla. 92
Orb of Abragon - Seven objects sacred to the Solasii.
149–150, 173, 185. See Solar Network
Abresia - [-uh-BREE-zha, ah-BREE-zee-uh-] City in the Light
Plains. 87–88, 108, 184, 188
Mausoleum of Tancred - [-Tank-RED, TAN-cred-] A
district of Abresia dedicated to the remembrance of the
dead. 89
Saradian Bastions - [-suh-RAY-DEE-uhn-] Series of castles
and estates in Abresia. 89, 126, 167, 171
Temple of Sola - The largest place of worship in the
Abresian region. 89, 184, 188
Aegis - [-AYY-jiss-] The southernmost Archivist city-state,
known for its martial culture. 79–80, 120
Agricultural Zone - A concentric ring within Aegis where
food is produced. 79
Arch Chambers - A senior council building for Aegis. 79,
133–134
Artisan Zone - A concentric ring within Aegis where
crafting and industry occurrs. 79
Residential Zone - A concentric ring within Aegis where
many inhabitants live. 79
Aegis Campaigns – A Hegemony war against the Aegic
Archivists. Ended with the burning of Aegis. 76, 79, 122,
125, 133, 184
Agrander - [-uh-GRAND-uhr-] A Wakewalker who lived in the
Heroic Era. 108
Alikos - [-AHL-eh-koss, AHL-ee-koes-] A legendary companion
of King Odiseas. 115–117
Allroots, the - The large root bridges over the Azta River in
Panacea. 84–85
Allspawn, the - The dictator of the Awakened of Unrul. 159,
162–163. See Awakened
Amethyst Arsenal - [-AM-eh-thisst-] A crypt near Sunbleak that
is a stockpile of Eldertech weapons. 140
Ameyla’s Outriders - [-uh-MAY-uh-] A Dawnraider diaspora in
the Athenaeum. 192
Angor’ Boad - [-ANG-er-bode-] A legendary Featherfolk figure.
115. See Fell Saga
Ankha’s Chains - [-AHN-kuhs-] One of the largest Asset-
catching guild in The Auric. 136
Apothicants - [-uh-POTH-ih-kant-] The world’s best doctors
headquarted on Panacea. 85, 144
Aquevitaq - [-ah-kway-VEE-TAK-] A water-producing organic
device invented by Keeper of Absorption. 157
Arapho - [-Ara-FOE-] A waystation in the Red Desert. 192
Archgeneral - The supreme leader of the Aegic military. 120,
122, 133. See Proxima Generals
Archicon - [-ARK-eh-kahn-] The large Eldertech device that is
the primary food source for the city of Etherea. 80, 123, 125
334
history. 75, 122–123, 126, 130
Archivists - A sentient species of Dema. 21, 120
Argent Dawn - [-ARR-jent, ARR-zhent-] Emperor Sicarius’s
early, sweeping reforms to the Solar Hegemony. 78, 178. See
Emperor Sicarius Solati-Vanen
Argosi, the - [-arr-GOES-ee, arr-GOSS-ee-] The Hiremai home
fleet. 94, 110–111
Ark Colonies - A dozen large Freespawn surface settlements.
77, 93, 158, 161, 165
Arkwright - A Luminosi title for skilled citizens who excel at the
Valuations. 126–127. See Luminos, Boradyr
Armistice of Huzar - [-huh-ZARR-] The surrender of Luminos to
the Solar Hegemony in 32 LS. 127
Arthrec - [-ARR-threk-] A type of jungle monster in the
Silverleaf Wilds. 86
Artificer - [-Arr-tih-FYS-uhr, arr-TIH-fih-suhr-] A specialist corp
of educated laborers established by Emperor Tacitus. 177
Ascension Crisis, the - The destruction of minor hives like Tivit
and Loxol by the Nevermore in 48 LS. 165. See Sees The
Light
Asphodel - [-AZ-Foe-dell-] An island chain region home to
many Hegemony prison camps. 87, 89
Battle of Asphodel 78, 118
Asset - The lowest caste of society in the Auric. 83, 136. See
Auric Castes
Astrictions, the - [-uh-STRIK-shuns-] Conflicts between The
Auric and Hollowfalls in 73 LS. 77, 138, 140–141, 147
Athenaeum - The frozen region in the northeast of Dema. 79,
119
Atramentos, the - A huge black obelisk that stands beneath the
sun. 83
Auric Castes - The social ladder of society in The Auric. 136
Auric, The - [-OR-ik, AWW-rek] A mercantile city-state on an
island in the Gilded Sea. 83, 136
Castle Row - Lavishly decorated citadels on the southern
coast of The Auric. 83
Marble Roost, the - The capital palace of The Auric. 84,
137, 149
Storm District - A central zone in The Auric. 84
Aurorus - [-UH-roar-uhs, Oh-ROAR-ihs-] Thousands of Human
slaves that were made to worship and honor Sola by the
Diarchy. 177, 185, 188. See Spring of Surprise
Auxilia - [-awk-ZILL-ee-uh-] Units of nonhuman warriors of the
solar legions. 175
Avanc - [-ah-VANK-] A cetacean sea creature in the Midnight
Isles. 71, 113
Avanknaga - [-ah-VANK-NAH-guh-] A Hiremai Wakewalker
Khutara war epic from the Heroic Era. 111
Avatar of Dawn - The ceremonial title given to Empress Celina
in the final years of her reign. 188. See Empress Celina Solati
Awakened - The cultural group of Hive Hall Unrul. 158, 163.
See Unrul
Aylac - [-AYY-lak-] The Cairnkeeper name for the moon god
Caypelach in their religious variation. 194, 198–200
Azhitsa - [-Ah-ZHEET-suh-] Animals in the Athenaum that
resemble flying whales. 80, 82, 132, 287
Azta River - [-AZ-tuh-] The large river that Panacea is built on
the banks of. 84, 143
B
Bahrial - A two-headed sea monster. 288
Banishes Shadow - A Freespawn companion of Katabas
Skulltaker. 166
Baris Vikayr - [-BAH-ris vih-CARE-] An Etherean High Cleric in
the late Exodus and Redsky Era. 129
Bartra Maeryn - [-BAR-truh MAY-run-] The king of the
Cairnkeepers in the Uprising Era. Also known as Barta the
Bold. 142, 183, 199, 201–202
Bastion Kings - The petty Abresian kings that ruled from
individual Saradian Bastions. 89
Battle of Barren Straits - A battle between a Wakewalker fleet
and the Hegemony in the Southern Barrens, 100 LS. 104
Index
 Battle of Danozam - A battle in the Lakes of Winter offensive.
133
Battle of Lictor’s Throne - [-Lik-TOOR, LIKT-uhr-] A decisive
win for the Populii in 97 LS during the Great Rift. 179
Battle of Tennegot - [-Ten-eh-GOT-] A battle in the Dayraid
between Gawain Cang and part of the Dark Horde. 170, 183
Battle of the Bellcrest Forest - A battle in the Dayraid where the
King of Darkness nearly perished. 170
Beastmaster - Cairnkeeper animal trainers famous for their skill.
97, 99, 200, 315
Beckoned - A mysterious group of heroes. 166
Begetters - [-BEE-get-urs, bee-GET-erz-] Overseers tasked with
managing Simulacrums. 148
Betrayal of Reason, the - The subversion of Hollowfalls from
Mindmaster leadership to the Reckoners in the 90s LS. 148.
See Dari’ Tath
Biased, Romanticized, and Grossly Impractical - Mara Tancred’s
traveler’s guide to the regions of Dema. 71, 105, 119, 135,
151, 167, 189. See Mara Tancred
Big and Little Brother - The two mountains of Yaras. 100, 196
Bitaarc - [-BYE-tark-] A monstrous ape-like creature that lives in
the Tenaybre. 142, 199–200, 289
Black Orsenia - [-or-SEN-ee-uh-] A mercenary company in the
Exodus Era. 129
Black Severance, the - A religious schism that caused
Carinkeepers to split from Freesteeds in the Heroic Era.
194–195, 198
Bladeweavers - Featherfolk warriors who are experts in using
whip swords. 146, 328
Blighted Years, the - A Freespawn term for the years after the
collapse of the Overmind, and the first efforts to survive and
rebuild Ikhish. 101, 155
Blood Fire - A waparaka-induced battle trance for Khutara
warriors. 111
Bloody Proki - [-PRO-KEY-] A conflict in the Jana’haki Isles
between Mikuran Fellstrider’s family. 118
Blue Fever - An infectious disease. 197, 217
Bonewater - Sunken atoll in the southeastern Midnight Sea. 93
Book of Sola - Sacred text of the Solasii. 168, 172–173, 184
Born Running - A Freespawn companion of Katabas Skulltaker.
166
Brass Automata - [-Aww-TOM-MAH-tah, AWW-tuh-MAH-
dah-] Mechanical Thalkast monsters that swarmed beginning
in 19 LS. 154, 289
Bronko - Region in the Light Plains between Abresia and
Deonar. 90
Brutia Araelia - [-BROO-shuh-uh-RAYL-ee-uh-] A trusted
advisor to Emperor Tacitus. 185
Butterfish - A special fish native to the Midnight Sea. 112
Byela Cognitas - [-Bee-yell-ah COG-nih-tass-] An order of tutors
and mentors in Etherea. 128
Bylak 142, 199–200, 290
C Era. 181–184
Cairnkeepers - [-KAYRN-keep-uhr-] A tribe of Nightriders that
live in the most northwestern region of Dema. 99, 195, 198
Cambul’ Jo - [-KAM-buhl-JOE-] A Featherfolk playwright
popular in the Uprising Era. 142
Camp Cynosure - [-SIGH-no-zhoor, Sih-NO-zhur-] A
Hegemony encampment in the Moon Realms in the Uprising
Era. 97, 174
Camp Ferron - [-FAYR-ON-] An Hegemony encampment in the
Moon Realms in the Uprising Era. 202
Carion - [-CARRY-on, Carry-UHN-] An eldritch entity who
ruled in a deep area of the Thalkast. Killed by Katabas
Skulltaker. 166
Cave Horror - The terrifying and deadly beasts of the Thalkast.
102, 151, 288, 309
Cavern of the Deep - A region of the Thalkast. Saw a massive
battle in 25 LS. 154
Caverns of Bounty - The entrance to the Tenaybre from Tallon.
199, 202
Caypelach - [-KAYP-lahk, KAY-puh-lahk-] The Nightrider’s
main lunar deity. 193–196, 198
Cazemir - [-Cazz-EH-meer-] An Archivist who assisted Mikuran
Fellstrider. 118
Redsky Core Book
335
Cazram - [-CAZZ-RAHM-] Culturally significant scrolls that
Archivists use to preserve knowledge and events. 123–124,
126
Cegroti - [-keh-GROW-tee-] a Panacean commune that attacks
travelers navigating the jungle rivers. 144
Chasm of Oblivion - One of the most deadly areas of the
underground Thalkast. 150, 161
Chastined - [-CHAY-send-] Warrior monks that protected the
Diarchy. 188
Chieftain Salumeen - [-SAHL-oo-MEEN-] A legendary
Wakewalker figure. 115. See Fell Saga
Choruscada - [-Kor-us-KAH-duh-] A patronage system to
promote art, commerce, and industry in the Solar Hegemony.
175–177
Church of Sola - Religion of the Solar Hegemony. 88, 92, 169,
171–173
Cinereal - [-SIN-ear-EE-uhl-] A mysterious being or entity in the
Forest of Ilda. 150, 201
Clan Hiremai - [-HEAR-am-ai-] An overclan of Wakewalkers
that worship the Terminarch. 77, 94, 109, 113
Clan Jana’haki - [-john-ah-HOHK-ee, JAN-uh HOK-ee-] A group
of exiled Wakewalkers that are mostly either pirates or
merchants. 93, 96, 111
Clan Kahr - [-CAR-] An overclan of Wakewalkers known for
hunting Deep Ones. 96, 106, 315
Clan Laklan - [-LAHK-Lan-] A small clan of Wakewalkers with
strong ties to Sheri’ Din. 150
Clan Montinez - [-MON-TEN-ez-] A Wakewalker clan that was
loyal to the King of Darkness. 142
Cobalt Marine - [-Koe-BAHLT, KOE-buhlt-] Military order of
Deonar. 44, 90, 167, 316
Cobalt Military Academy - The most prestigious military
training school in Deonar. 90
Combines - [-COM-bines-] Asset class Auran warrior guilds.
They are treated as disposable tools of war by the Optimacy.
137, 149
Commorancy, the - [-coh-MORE-ants-ee,COM-uh-RAN-see-]
The Allspawn’s private residence in the Polity Quarter. 103
Compound Chaos - A complete written history of The Auric.
138
Consensus - A process of melding minds between free
Sporespawn individuals to share thoughts and experiences.
155
Corsair King 76, 93, 114, 118. See Wrex Hakagar
Council of Elders, the - An oligarchy of Mindmasters that rules
Hollowfalls. 138–140, 148
Council of the Zdarlyti - [-zdar-LEE-tee-] The ruling government
of Etherea. 80, 123
Crai Hinterlands - [-CRY-] A region in the western Athenaeum.
79–80, 123, 129
Creche System - [-KRESH-] A system for caring for and
educating the orphans of Mundi established in the Uprising
Crestmarch - A small village near Deonar. Hometown of
Gawain Cang. 182–183
Crow Watch, the - An Auran mercenary company made up of
skilled Asset class Featherfolk. 137
D
Darakal - [-DAHR-uh-kahl-] Abominations that threatened
Unrul during the late Heroic and early Uprising Era. 163
Dari’ Tath - [-DAH-ree Tahth-] An elite general and statesman of
Hollowfalls. He later went mad and became the Sunfather.
146–148
Daska - [-DAH-SKUH-] A Hiremai relative of Delfee. 105
Dauntless - Abragon’s legendary Eldertech blade of lightning.
172
Dawnraiders - A main tribe of Nightriders. 97, 169, 190, 197
Day of Shattered Crowns 89, 171
Daylands - The eastern half of Dema, continually lit by the sun.
79
Dayraid of the Light Plains - A war between Nightriders and
Humans for the Light Plains. 79, 89, 169, 191
Days of Fury - The critical battles in Scintilla during the Trident
Interregnum. 175
Death in The Auric - A Hegemony-Auric war text. 179
 Deep One - Giant sea monsters in the Midnight Isles. 75, 106,
108, 296, 306
Boil-The-Tail 108
Chewy-Eyes 108
Fry-With-Lemon 296
Garnish-With-Seaweed 108
Just-Like-Steak 108
Salt-Then-Smoke 108
Stew-With-Bones 306
Defenders of Sola - Militant order of the Solasii in the late Heroic
Era. 169, 174
Defiant, the - The resistance movements against the Allspawn’s
rule in Unrul. 159, 163
Deldagan - [-Del-DAY-gahn-] A huge turtle-like predator of the
Moon Realms. 293
Delfee - [-DEL-fee-] A Hiremai messenger in the Uprising Era.
105
Dema - Lands inside the World Ship. 72–74
Deonar - [-DAY-oh-nar, DEE-uh-nar-] City in the Light Plains.
87, 90, 182
Battle of Deonar - The military defeat of Deonar, ending
its rebellion against the Solar Hegemony in the
Uprising Era. 167
Sahdo Fortress - [-SA-doe, Sah-DOE-uh-] Capital palace of
Deonar. 91, 167
Desolation, the - The arrival of the Deep Ones in the Midnight
Isles in the Heroic Era. 106, 110–111, 116
Diarchy - [-DAI-ark-ee-] The joint co-rule of Empress Celina
Solati and Emperor Ahn Vanen. 176–178, 185
Din’s Wanderers - [-DIHN-] An adventuring group of
Featherfolk. 150
Doyen - [-DOY-ehn, DOY-uhn-] Traveling Luminosi sages and
Arkwrights who fled after the Armistice of Huzar. 127
Dragon - Legendary flying monsters that dwell in Parime. 91,
175, 184, 294
Dragon’s Spine Mountains - A mountain range in eastern Dema.
71, 84–85, 140, 150
Drake - A smaller cousin of dragons that cannot fly. 91, 298
Drakonoi - [-Druh-KON-OI, DRAH-Kan-oi-] An indigenous
group of Dragon-riding humans in the lands of Parime. 91,
175. See Parime
Dreadfins - Predatory animals in the Midnight Sea. 105
Dreadfleet, The 76, 93, 114, 118
Duel of Scrolls - A four-way competition between the great seats
of learning in Dema. 181
Dur - [-DER, DOOR-] Large Panacean acorns used as jars. Often
richly decorated.
Duskplain, the - The southeastern region of the Moon Realms.
97, 191
E from Hive Hall Tohol. 103, 152–153, 318
Ebb - The low metabolism state of Archivists. 22, 80, 123,
130–131. See Flow
Ebony Markers - Eldertech structures in the Moon Realms. 97,
195
Echo Stalkers, the - A Cairnkeeper military order who operate in
the Hive Halls. 200
Efermeni - [-eff-err-MEN-ee-] Archivist sand mandalas. 80,
123, 130
Effulgent Times - [-eff-FULL-gent-] A mythological period in the
Archivist religion Zenyecrot. 120, 124, 130, 132, 186
Efral - [-EFF-rawl-] A large, aggressive bird native to the Warm
Shores. 295
Eikva Plateau - [-AYK-vuh, AIYK-vah-] A region in the central
Athenaeum. 79, 119–120, 123, 129
Ekhof Melvel - [-EKH-off MELL-vell-] A former Abresian chef
who explored the Midnight Isles in the Heroic Era. 108
Elder Guardian - The supreme commander of the military of
Hollowfalls. 139, 148
Eldertech - Mysterious advanced technology scattered around
Dema by the Overseers. 73, 263, 265
Elemental Dualism - [-DOO-uhl-is-uhm, DOOL-IZM-] A famous
thought system. Founded by Midis’ Al in the Heroic Era. 6,
138, 142
Aether - The social Element of order. 17
Air - The intellectual Element of chaos. 11
336
Earth - The intellectual Element of order. 13
Fire - The emotional Element of chaos. 7
Void - The social Element of chaos. 15
Water - The emotional Element of order. 9
Elizeo - [-El-EE-zee-oh, uh-LEE-zee-uh-] The grain fields outside
of Scintilla. 170
Eltaya, the - [-ell-TAY-uh-] Three pieces of mythical Eldertech in
the Archivist religion Zenyecrot. 124
Blue Eltay - The Eltaya of Eternity. 124
Orange Eltay - The Etlaya of Knowledge. 124
White Eltay - The Eltaya of Power. 124
Eltayan - [-ell-TAY-ann, ELL-tai-AHN-] The name for Archivists
in their own language. 21, 123, 128–129, 131
Emperor Ahn Vanen - [-AH-nuh, ANN-] 5th co-ruler of the
Solar Hegemony. 77, 176–178, 185. See Diarchy
Emperor Decimus Cassar - [-DEH-sih-mus-] 2nd ruler of the
Solar Hegemony. 122, 134, 175, 184–185
Emperor Remus Cassar - [-REE-mus-] 1st ruler of the Solar
Hegemony. 76, 168–171, 173–175
Emperor Sicarius Solati-Vanen - [-Sih-cah-REE-uhs, Suh-KAHR-
EE-ohs-] 6th ruler of the Solar Hegemony. 78, 178–179, 188
Emperor Tacitus Cassar - [-Tah-sih-TUHS-] 3rd ruler of the Solar
Hegemony. 77, 115, 175–176, 185
Empress Celina Solati - [-Sell-EE-nuh so-LAH-tee-] 4th co-ruler
of the Solar Hegemony. 77–78, 176–178, 184. See Diarchy
Endless War - A conflict between the three Hive Halls that
continues for hundreds of years. 75, 153–154, 160
Enthroned - [-en-THROWND-] A popular tabletop strategy
game in Dema. Involves many pieces and gameplay rules.
147, 258
Entities - Horrific beings that inhabit or are imprisoned in the
Thalkast. Include beings like The Darkweaver, A Thousand
Mouths, Nyhilenph, Mohlaeg, and Not Mother. 102, 154,
159, 165
Eonia Spire, the - A strange tower in the Mountains of the Moon.
80
Epoko de Mallumo - [-Eh-POWK-oh Day Mahl-OO-moh-] Pre-
Hegemony calendar years. 75, 171. See Levigo de Sola
Eremites - [-err-EHM-ight-] Aegis foreign mission warriors. 79,
120–122. See Oslon
Erindera - [-AIR-uhn-DEER-uh, air-ehn-DARE-uh-] An
undertribe of culturally Dawnraider Nightriders. 190
Etherea - [-eth-EAR-ee-uh-] An Archivist city-state in the
Athenaeum. 80, 82, 123, 125, 128
Basilica of Zenyecrot - The greatest government and
religious building of Etherea. 80
Gray Pyer - [-PYAIR-] Floating mountains above Etherea.
80, 129
Everborn, the - A hive mind successor to the Overmind. It rules
Exaltation Wars - [-Eks-ahl-TAY-shun-] Conflicts and rebellions
against the Diarchy in 70-90 LS. 150, 178, 181, 185
Exemplar - [-Eks-EMP-lahr-] The Everborn Sporespawn who
take on the mantle of the Throne of Thorns. 103, 153, 155,
164. See Tohol, Throne of Thorns
Extinguishment - The banning of many types of technology and
culture in the Solar Hegemony. 175
F
Faith and Fire - A tome detailing the changes to Solar
Hegemony life during the Diarchy. 185
Fallow Fields - The white salt flats outside of Deonar. 184
Rout of Fallow Fields - A decisive battle of rebelling
Deonar in the Exodus Era against Emperor Tacitus.
185
Famine - Mallumoch’s legendary Eldertech lance. 172
Farnus - [-FAR-nuhs-] A lost civilization that used to inhabit the
Midlands. 150
Faromite - [-Farrow-MIGHT-] A rare metal found in the
Silverleaf Wilds. Good for edged weaponry. 87
Featherfolk - A sentient species of Dema. 23, 136
Fel - [-FELL-] A Heroic Era city that was sacked during the Fell
Saga. 94, 115–116
Fell Saga, the - A recounting of a war between ancient
Wakwalkers and raiders in the Fellcoast. 115–116
Index
 Fellcoast, the - [-FELL-COAST-] The western coast of the
Midlands. 93–94, 112, 115, 118
Bloodsand Beach - The site of the Dreadfleet in the
Uprising Era. 93
Fargone Fjords - [-FYOORD-] A monster infested region of
the Fellcoast. 93
Fell Harbor - The largest neutral Jana’haki Fellcoast
settlement. 93, 118, 131
Kaldera - [-call-DEHR-uh-] A notable and deadly lake in
the Fellcoast. 93
Festival of Elation - [-EE-lay-shun-] An ancient festival held
between Mundi and the Moon Realms. 201
Fifty Bows, the - An ancient, mythical tribe of Nightriders. 200
Filo family, the - [-FEE-low-] A wealthy family that ruled The
Auric. 137, 148
Filo’ Nar - Featherfolk who swindled the Ursa family to become
Hatin of The Auric. 141
Filo’ Saq - The daughter of Filo’ Nar and mother of Filo’ Ya. She
briefly ruled as Hatin before her death. 149
Filo’ Ya - Hatin of The Auric in the early Uprising Era. 137,
148–149
First Nightfall - The mythological war against Mallumoch and
Sola. 172
Fleckan - [-FLEK-ahn-] A tunneling rodent. 295
Flow - The high metabolism state for Archivists. 22, 121, 128.
See Ebb
Forbidden Cells, the - The chambers beneath the Mountains of
the Moon that imprison mythical entities. 150
Forest of Ilda - [-ILL-duh-] A mysterious “haunted” forest of
bioluminescent plants. 97, 201
Forever Noon, the - A four-way war in Sunbleak in 97 LS. 143
Forgotten, the - Sunbleak’s many criminal gangs. 141
Forlorn - Slaves in Abresian society that are forced to work
harsh agricultural and labor positions. 89
Fractious - [-FRAK-SHUSS-] Rowdy Luminosi Archivists
common in the Exodus and Redsky Eras. 127–128
Frandemulo - [-Fran-deh-MUHL-oh-] A famous restaurant
northeast of Deonar. Hidden base for assassins. 91
Freespawn - A civilization of independent Sporespawn that
greatly value knowledge and their independence. 100, 155
Freespawn Liberator - Special Freespawn warriors who try to
deprogram enemy warriors. 156, 160, 319
Freesteeds - The oldest Nightrider overtribe. 98, 193–194, 200
Freezing of the Moon - A mythical crisis in the ancient Heroic
Era. 201
Frostrite - A rite of passage for young adult and adult
Cairnkeepers. 142, 198–200, 202
Fygah - [-FY-guh-] A Nightrider term for “Hunter.” 194
G Hoka - [-HOK-uh-] A cult of cannibalistic Jana’haki warriors.
Gahla - [-GAH-luh-] An unknown, tentacled entity in the
Thalkast. Killed by Katabas Skulltaker and his companions.
166
Gamantori - [-GAHM-an-tour-ee-] A mythical monster in the Fel
Saga. 115
Garnah - [-GAHR-nuh-] Large tusked canines. 105, 186, 297
Gatekeeper, the - An unknown entity in the Thalkast. 166
Gates of Mundi - Fortifications sealing off the Midlands from the
Moon Realms. 181. See Valley of Tears
Gawain Cang - [-Guh-WAYN, GOW-uhn-] A Human
commander of the Solar Hegemony. 133, 170, 182–184
Gierigar - [-GUY-reh-gahr-] Bipedal beetle monsters. 297
Gilded Sea, the - The large sea in the southeast of Dema. 83, 135
Gilded States, the - The region of Featherfolk city-states that
border the Gilded Sea. 83, 136
Gnawrot - [-NAWW-raht-] A crop blight that struck Light Plains
harvests between 65-67 LS. 176
God Workshop, the - A location in Pandaemonium where
legends say the Brass Automata were created. 102. See
Thalkast, Pandaemonium
Golden Jana’haki - Merchant members of Clan Jana’haki. 105,
112, 118
Grand Council of the Nyceah Cursor, the - [-Nigh-SEE-uh-] An
18 EM Freesteed event that led to a religious revival for
Nightriders. 194
Redsky Core Book
337
Grand Innovator - A ceremonial title given to exceptional
Freespawn. 157
Grand Missionary - A leader of Etherea. 123
Granite Years, the - A particularly brutal five year period of the
Sporespawn’s Eternal War. Lasts from 37-41 LS. 76, 154,
156, 160, 164
Great Awakening, the - A period after the Munificent fell where
the Allspawn consolidated control over Unrul. 163
Great Burl, the - [-Buhr-UHL-] The site of the Worm Men’s
control locus. 160. See Worm Men
Great Rift - A social war between commoner Populii and
oligarch Magisters in the Redsky Era. 179
Great Seed - A massive barrier built to seal off Hive Hall Unrul
in the Redsky Era. 78, 161, 163
Gullrori Ironclaws - [-Gull-ROAR-ee-] An Auran mercenary
company made up of skilled Asset class Featherfolk warriors.
137
Guo, the - [-GOO-oh-] Racetrack in the Warm Shores. 84
Gurno - [-GER-noh-] Large beetles that Sporespawn use as
mounts. 153, 299
H
Hardhooves - A main Nightrider overtribe. 100, 194, 196
Hardlight Specter - Ghostlike creatures made of hardlight
energy. 126, 186, 299
Harlequins - [-HAR-leh-kwins-] Companions of the Hatin of The
Auric. 149
Harmonus - [-HAR-mohn-us-] An advisory senate body in the
Hominid Dominion. 181
Hatin, the - [-Hah-TEEN-] The title of The Auric’s ruler. 84, 137
Hatinate of The Auric - [-HAT-in-ATE-] The government of The
Auric. 137, 181
Headache, the - The informal name for the administrative
bureaucracy of The Auric. 138
High Chieftain Telemakus - [-TELL-eh-MAHK-uhs, tell-ehm-uh-
KUSS-] A descendent of King Odiseas. 109
High King - The title of the reigning leader of Clan Khar. 106,
117
High Tide, the - A cultural revival within Clan Kahr. 109, 150
Hiremai Isle - The largest island in the Midnight Sea. 94–95,
109–111
Blood Pikes - Highways in Hiremail Isle. 95, 105
Eternity Harborage - A giant temple above the home of
the Terminarch. 95
History Heists - A movement to preserve banned works of
culture and technology. 175
Hive - A Sporespawn settlement. Can vary greatly in size. 152
Hive Halls, the - The collective name for Sporespawn
civilization. 100, 152
114, 118, 322
Holds The Dark - A Freespawn leader. 165
Hollowfalls - A city of Dema that is famous for its philosophical
traditions. 83–84, 138
Deck of the Growing Mind - The industrial,
administrative, and academic zone of Hollowfalls. 84,
148
Deck of the Immortal Soul - The leadership zone of
Hollowfalls. 84
Deck of the Living Body - The residential zone of
Hollowfalls. 84
Eye of Jola - [-JOE-luh-] A Hollowfalls device that
magnifies heat rays from the sun’s energy. 84, 139,
148
Hall of Elders - A Mindmaster meeting place in
Hollowfalls. 84
Spires of Zacarna - [-Zuh-KAR-nah-] Administrative
buildings of Hollowfalls. 84
Summer Forum - The academic meeting grounds of
Hollowfalls. 84
Homa - Humanity’s name for themselves in Dema. 26, 162, 168
Hominid Dominion - [-HOM-uh-nihd-] A tributary vassal state
to the Solar Hegemony based in Mundi. 77–78, 180–182
House Hayberos - [-HAY-burh-OES-] A Cairnkeeper House.
199
 House Maeryn - [-MAY-ran-] The Cairnkeeper House of Bartra
the Bold and allies. 202
House of Eyes - The infamous guild of assassins and spies in
The Auric. 138–139
Human Kingdoms - The collection of city-states in the Light
Plains during the Heroic Era. 168–170
Humans - A sentient species in Dema. 25, 168
Hundred Houses - The wealthy and powerful Houses of The
Auric that dominate the island. 136–138
House Gohla - [-GO-lah-] An important house of The
Auric. 136
House Trahno - [-TRAH-noe-] A great House of The
Auric. 136, 147
Hundred Labors - The adventures of the King of Darkness to
prove his merit to lead the Dark Horde. 142
I Kargonauts - [-CAR-guh-nots-] A term for King Odiseas’s band
I, Arctinus - [-ARK-ten-uhs-] A collection of Hegemony soldier
war diaries in the Redsky Era. 179
Ica’ Wirn - [-Ika-WERN-] A companion of Dari’ Tath who died
in the Panacean Jungle. 147
Igiodar - [-Ig-ee-OH-dahr-] Flightless carnivorous birds. 299
Ikhish - The Hive Hall of the Freespawn. 100–101, 155
Archives of Irkalla - [-Urr-KAH-lah-] A top secret
repository of Eldertech built by the Freespawn in
Ikhish. 101, 155
Kolloquium - [-KUH-low-kwee-UHM-] Laboratories used
by the Freespawn of Ikhish for research. 100, 155, 157
Kortex, the - [-KORR-TEKS-] The capitol building of Hive
Hall Ikhish. 100
Symposia Lodges - [-SIM-poe-zee-UH, sim-POE-see-ah-]
The site of regular Consensus among Freespawn of
Ikhish. 151, 155
Illumite - [-ILL-oom-ight-] A glowing crystal gem. 81, 99, 125,
195, 198
Impeller - [-IM-PEHL-uhr-] Eldertech devices that power the
shiseli sand ships. 85
Incarnadine, the - [-Ink-car-nah-DINE-] Headquarters of the
Rudden, located near Ikhish. 101. See Rudden, the
Indigent - The “commoners” caste in the Auric. 83, 136. See
Auric Castes
Intlango - [-Int-LANG-oh-] Homeland of the Jebalken. 84. See
Jebalken
Ioneth Turonoc - [-eye-ohn-ETH TUR-uhn-ok-] The first
Hegemony Prefect of Yaras. 197
Irunga Island - [-EAR-oon-GUH-] The island in the
Karchipelago that Katabas Skulltaker hailed from. 166
Iskar - [-ISS-kar-] A mythical Nightrider titan god. 194, 201
Iskar-kin 289. See Bitaarc
Isle Imp - A term for Kahr Wakewalker children before they
earn their adult names. 96, 107, 109, 112
It Belongs in the Musaeum - A Hegemony-Sunbleak war text.
179
Izek Holds - [-EYE-zek-] The prison camps of the Asphodel
Islands. 89
J Laestrygion - [-Lay-STRIG-ee-ohn-] A large island in the
Jana’haki Isles - [-john-ah-HOHK-ee, JAN-uh HOK-ee-] An
island chain in the eastern Midnight Sea. Named by
Featherfolk explorers. 93, 95, 112
Janagar - [-JAH-nuh-gahr-] The Jana’haki Wakewalker term for
“Captain.” 112, 114–115
Jaradium - [-Juh-RAY-dee-am-] A type of strong metal alloy and
ore used by the Sporespawn. 165
Jayne Erindera - [-JAYY-N-AIR-uhn-DEER-uh, air-ehn-DARE-
uh-] A Nightrider who led an uprising in the Moon Realms
Conflicts. 74, 192
Jebalken - [-Jeh-BALL-ken, JUH-balk-uhn-] Desert marauder
tribes in the Warm Shores with a hidden civilization. 84–85,
87, 323
Jokas - [-joe-KASS-] A sibling of Mikuran Fellstrider. 117–118
Jola’ Ran - [-joe-luh-RAHN-] The creator of the Eye of Jola in
Hollowfalls. 139
K rise of The King of Darkness. 142
Ka’bar - [-kuh-BAR, KAY-buhr-] A Human port town north of
the Red Desert. 85, 88, 143
Ka’bar Run - The dangerous south-north journey across
338
the Red Desert on shiseli sand ships. 85, 143
Kaathi - [-KAH-thigh-] The legendary home island of King
Odiseas. 115
Kagonak - [-KAH-goh-nak-] Bipedal reptile monsters. 300
Kahr Island - Home island of Clan Kahr. 94, 96, 106
Coral Throne - The Clan Kahr seat of government. 96,
106, 117
Kaisilius Scrolls - [-KAI-sill-EE-uhs-] Sacred texts to the Church
of Sola. 112
Kamuss’ Nich - [-kam-uhs-NICH-] A Panacean commune
resident and adventurer. 145
Karakoa - [-KAH-ruh-COE-uh-] The largest vessel to ever sail in
Dema and the Dreadfleet’s flagship. 93, 114
Karchipelago - [-CAR-kuh-PELL-uh-go-] The island chains that
Clan Khar inhabits. 96, 106, 109, 116
of companions. 106, 116–117
Kartagar - A legendary Wakewalker hunter. 93
Katabas Skulltaker - [-KAH-tah-BASS, kuh-TAY-bus-] A famous
Wakewalker warrior. 166
Katamar - [-CAT-uh-mahr-] A two pontoon sailboat that is most
commonly used by Wakewalkers. 96, 106, 109–110, 112
Keeper Of Absorption - A Freespawn scientist who invented
aquevitaq. 157
Ketahr - [-keh-TAR-] A rank in Jana’haki ship crews. 105, 112
Khadakoi Guard - [-KAH-duh-koi-] An elite unit of Wakewalker
warriors that guard the Solar Emperors. 107, 111, 174, 323
Khammar Tarosk - [-CAM-are TAH-rosk-] A member of Clan
Hiremai. 105
Khimerians - [-KAI-meer-EE-uhns-] Creatures from Freespawn
myth made of gaseous black haze. 165
Khutara - [-coo-TAR-uh-] A Hiremai warrior honor guard for
the Terminarch. 95, 111, 113, 322
King of Darkness, the - The leader of the Nightrider war host
called the Dark Horde. 99, 169–171, 191
King Toryn - [-TOOR-in-] The king of the Hardhooves in the late
Heroic Era. 142
King Varzyn - [-VAR-zen-] A Cairnkeeper King in the late
Heroic Era. 202
Kinurr - [-KEE-noor, KAI-nuhr-] Light Plains city-state. 87, 91,
168
Kobatchos - [-KOE-buh-choes-] Large flightless yellow birds
used as animal mounts in The Auric. 135
Kolkes - [-COAL-kehs-] A location and clan name for a
prominent Jana’haki group. 118
Kolkes Islands - The home of the Jana’haki underclan
Kolkes and their settlements. 116, 118
Krusa - [-KROO-suh-] A prominent Hiremai Wakewalker
priestess in the Exodus Era. 118
Krypteia - [-KRIHP-tay-UH, Kruhp-TAY-eh-] The secret police
of the Solar Hegemony. 89, 173–174, 324
Kyberia - [-KAI-beer-ee-uh-] A species of gigantic tree used for
crafting structures in Panacea. 84
L
northeastern Midnight Sea. 94, 96, 107, 111
Lagus - [-Lah-GOHS-] A sibling of Mikuran Fellstrider. 117–118
Lake of Memories - The oral storytelling heritage of the
Dawnraiders. 190
Lakehunters of Aunau, the - [-OWW-NOW-] An ancient,
mythical tribe of Nightriders. 200
Lakes of Winter - An offensive in the Aegis Campaigns. 133
Last Curators - Warriors of Freespawn tasked with defending
Ikhish in a last stand during the Redsky Era. 158, 165
Laveen’ Ya - [-lah-veen-YUH-] A Featherfolk companion of the
King of Darkness. 142
Laying Gates, the - The surface entry points to the Valqet. 152.
See Valqet
Lesco - [-LESS-koe-] The Nightrider who would become the
King of Darkness. 142, 191. See King of Darkness, the
Lesco the Adventurer - The epic, multi-part dramatic play of the
Levigo de Sola - [-Luh-VEE-joe day SO-lah-] Post-Hegemony
calendar years. 75, 171. See Epoko de Mallumo
Light Plains - Region of the Daylands. 88, 167
Index
 Long shadow - A Cairnkeeper expression for death and dying.
199
Lord Kavend - [-KAH-VEND-] An Abresian noble in the Heroic
Era. 108
Lost Denari - [-deh-NAHR-ee-] An ancient Athenaeum lost
civilization. 126
Loxol - [-LOKS-all-] A minor hive located near the Maw. 165
Lumescent Corrosus - [-loo-MESS-ent core-OH-suss-] The
annexation of Luminos by Empress Celina in 80 LS. 127,
129, 177
Luminos - [-LOO-men-oess-] A city in the Athenaeum. Also
known as the City of Lights. 81, 125–127
Boradyr - [-BOAR-ah-deer-] Luminosi laboratories. 81,
125–126
Cogency - [-co-GEN-see-] The Domavi for military
science. 81
Domavi - [-doe-MAH-vee-] The term for research districts
of Luminos. 81, 125
Interchange - The Domavi that studies commerce and
fabrication. 81
Liniment - [-LIHN-eh-ment-] The Domavi for agriculture
and medicine. 81
Milieu - [-mill-YOU-] The Domavi that researches the
Elements. 81
Perpend - [-PER-pend-] The Domavi dedicated to physical
sciences. 81
Steps of Agra - [-AGG-ruh-] Food-producing district in
Luminos. 81, 126, 128
Teczarc - [-TEK-ZARK-] Mysterious Domavi for so-called
“Subtle” Technology. 81
Tracery - [-TRAY-sir-ee-] The Domavi for architecture and
civics. 81
White Index - The capital building and highest point of
Luminos. 81, 126, 128
Luminosi Directorate - [-LOO-men-OH-see-] Luminos’s leading
governing body. 126
Lux Imperia - [-LUKS-ehm-PEER-ee-uh-] A biography of
Empress Celina Solati’s life during the Exaltation Wars. 177,
185. See Empress Celina Solati
M Mirmedons - [-muhr-meh-DONS-] A powerful band of
Maas Crixsys - [-MAHS- crick-SIS-] An upriser in the Moon
Realms Conflicts. 192
Madic Arraz - The last Archgeneral of Aegis. 132-134
Maelstrom, the - An eternal storm that rages over the
southeastern Midnight Sea. 95–96, 106–107
Magisters - Wealthy clergy-officials. 177, 179
Makta - [-MAK-tuh-] A Wakewalker hunting horn used on Wild
Hunts. 108
Maldormac - [-Mal-DOOR-mac-] Horrifying monsters that can
mimic voices. 97, 301
Mallumoch - [-MAH-loo-mok-] The name of the villainous lunar
deity in Solasii mythology. 169, 172–173
Mallumochii - [-Mahl-oo-MOK-EE, MAH-loo-mok-ee-ai-]
Nonhumans that are seen as enemies of the Church of Sola.
171. See Mallumoch
Mantek - [-MAN-TEHK-] A type of monster that lives in the
Fellcoast. 93, 301
Mapinkari - [-MAH-pen-CAR-ee-] Mikuran Fellstrider’s forces.
118
Mapinkari Armada - The fleet of Mikuran Fellstrider. 78,
115, 118
Mar - [-MAHR, Mayr-] Founding legendary general of Mundi.
181
Mara Tancred - [-MAR-uh, Mah-rah-] Scholasta master and
travel writer. 71, 105, 119, 123, 135, 151, 167, 189. See
Biased, Romanticized, and Grossly Impractical
Marauder Wars - A Hegemony-Jana’haki regional war between
59-64 LS. 77, 115, 118, 131, 175
Marble Rebellion - An uprising against the Scions of Mundi in
the Heroic Era. 104, 180, 187
Maroon Mask, the - A famous traveling troupe of actors, bards,
dramatists, and other creators performing circuits in Dema’s
major settlements. 108
Marshal of the Dark - The leader of the Freesteeds. 142, 195,
201
Redsky Core Book
339
Marshals - Defense forces of Mundi. 78, 181, 325
Masquerade, the - [-MASK-uhr-AYD-] The struggle between ex-
Assets, bounty hunters, and the Resource Barons for liberty
and working conditions in Sunbleak. 141
Matron Alyx Hayberos - [-Alex-HAY-buhr-oes-] Matriarch of
the Cairnkeeper House Hayberos. Mother of Seyllin and
Oreyn. 199
Maven, the - [-MAY-vehn-] An unknown person or entity who
assisted the Awakened in constructing New Nexus. 161
Maw, the - A perfectly circular shaft in the Thalkast that eldritch
horrors emerged from. 165
Megaruh - [-meh-GAR-uh-] Ancient mythical Wakewalkers who
raided the Moon Realms. 201
Melancholia - [-mel-an-KOhl-ee-UH-] A Featherfolk term for a
long-term mental illness that includes aspects of depression,
anxiety, and other psychological hardship. 145
Mhaol Grannek - [-MOLL GRAN-ekk, MAHL GRAN-ekk-] A
famous Wakewalker mercenary leader. 115
Miasma - [-MEE-az-muh, my-AS-meh-] A green haze that the
Everborn uses to maintain its hive mind. 153
Midis’ Al - [-Me-DEES-al-] The creator of Elemental
Dualism. He was a disciple of Rori’ Nos. 138
Midlands - The continent between the Daylands and the
Nightlands. 104
Midnight Isles - The many islands of the Midnight Sea. 31, 92,
106, 110, 112
Midnight Sea - The southeastern ocean of Dema known for its
rough waters and dangerous monsters. 31, 92, 105
Mikuran Fellstrider - [-ME-coo-ron, MIHK-uh-rahn-] A famous
Jana’haki Wakewalker pirate leader. 115, 117–118
Gasok - [-gass-ohk-] Mikuran Fellstrider’s father. 118
Medeya - [-meh-DEE-uh-] Mother of Mikuran Fellstrider.
118
Million Step Path - An alternate name for the Archivist religion
Zenyecrot. 119–120, 125, 128, 131. See Zenyecrot
Mindmaster - The head of one of Hollowfalls’ schools. They also
serve in the Council of Elders. 84, 88, 139
Mines The Nether - A Freespawn companion of Katabas
Skulltaker. 166
Wakewalker warriors. 115
Moldcrawlers - Monsters from the Thalkast that threatened Hive
Hall Ikhish. 157
Montur - [-MON-tuhr-] Vella Montura’s father. 200
Montur’s Cradle - A sacred site for Freesteeds. 98, 189, 195
Monturyn - [-mon-TOUR-ehn, MON-tuhr-ihn-] The name for
Nightriders in their own language. 27, 98, 172, 194, 197
Moon Realms - The northwestern region of Dema. 27, 96–97,
122, 189
Moon Realms Conflicts - A war of subjugation against the Moon
Realms by the Hegemony. 76, 174–175, 183, 192
Moon River - The river at the center of Dema. 91, 98, 180, 201
Mortan - [-Moor-TAN-] City in the Thalkast made entirely from
bones. 101
Mount Ekur-Sumera - [-eh-KOOR-soo-MEHR-uh-] A large
mountain at the southern end of the Midlands. 145
Mount Hars - [-HAHRZ-] A sacred mountain of Archivist
folklore. 98, 119, 124
Mount Svarog - [-svah-ROHG-] A prominent mountain in the
Athenaeum. 128. See Pilgrim’s Pass, Hoards of Svarog
Mount Svetovit - [-SVET-oh-viht-] The tallest mountain in the
Athenaeum. 81, 125–126, 165
Mountains of the Moon - Tallest mountains in Dema, dividing
the Daylands and Nightlands. 80, 82, 98, 180
Mrozt - [-MRROTS-] Huge toxic ants. 302
Mu - [-MYOO, MOO-] An explosive compound made from the
fermented fat of Deep Ones. 106–108, 162
Mumpen - [-MUM-pen-] Small inquisitive racoon-like creatures
that were driven nearly to extinction. 302
Mundane - The language of Mundi and a bridge between
cultural groups to communicate. 65, 181
Mundi - The city at the Dema's center. 104, 180–182, 186–187
Coliseum of Mar 104, 186–188. See Mar
Concord - [-CON-cord-] The specialty district in Mundi
where the Harmonus senators convened. 181
 Jade Feather - Famous adventurers for hire in a world-
spanning network, based in a Mundi tavern. 149–150,
175, 181
Marshal Causeway - The main promenade in the city of
Mundi. 104
Palace of Eyes - The capitol building of Mundi. 104
Munificent, the - [-MYOO-nih-feh-sent-] The oligarchic leaders
of Hive Hall Unrul in the Heroic Era. 75, 159, 162
Murkhaunters - Assassins indoctrinated from birth to kill for the
Allspawn. 160, 327
My Walk Through Dema - A travelog by Mara Tancred on her
time in the Athenaeum. 123
Myrnoc - [-MEER-nock-] An undertribe of culturally
Dawnraider Nightriders. 190
N 120–121, 133
Naitraya - [-NYE-try-UH-] A family of twelve legendary
founding siblings of the Zenyecrot religion. 123–124
Chec - [-CHEHK-] A Luminosi Naitraya sibling. 124
Coriv - [-KOR-ihv-] An Aegic Naitraya sibling. 124, 186
Cyee - [-KYEE-] An Etherean Naitraya sibling. 124
Irenca - [-EAR-en-kah-] An Aegic Naitraya sibling. 124,
186
Jadvica - [-JAD-vih-guh-] An Aegic Naitraya sibling. 124,
134
Morana - [-More-AHN-uh-] An Etherean Naitraya sibling.
124
Roz - [-ROZ-] An Etherean Naitraya sibling. 124
Vera - [-VEER-uh-] A Luminosi Naitraya sibling. 124
Vojek - [-VAH-juhk, vo-JIHK-] An Aegic Naitraya sibling.
124
Yetta - [-YEHT-ah-] An Etherean Naitraya sibling. 124
Zhec - [-ZHEHK-] A Luminosi Naitraya sibling. 124
Zosia - [-ZOE-see-uh-] A Luminosi Naitraya sibling. 124
Naric Imbus - [-Nahr-ek IHM-bus-] The former lord of Gawain
Cang’s family. 182–183
Nascency - [-NAY-sen-see-] The process where a hive mind
Sporespawn slowly develops consciousness after being
disconnected from the hive. 152, 156, 165
Nehel - [-nuh-HELL-] A mythological Wakewalker from the Fell
Saga. 115
Nekia Gesahr - [-NEK-ee-UH guh-ZAR-] A Wakewalker
member of the Scholasta. 166
Nephilai - [-NEFF-ih-LIE, nef-uh-LEE-] A religious term for
Human traitors against Sola. 171–172
Neppelo - [-NEHP-ell-OH-] Wife and companion of High King
Odiseas. 116–117
Neridus - [-NAIR-ih-duhs-] A former noble and close assistant
of General Gawain Cang. 182
Nevermore, the - A monster that threatened the Thalkast during
the Ascension Crisis in 48 LS. 165. See Entities
New Nexus - An Awakened colony on the surface of Dema in
the Midlands. 77, 93, 161, 163
Neyrah - [-NEIGH-ruh-] A Nightrider goddess of lakes and seas.
194
Neyrah’s Disciples - A Dawnraider diaspora in the Midlands.
192
Nightlands - The dim-to-dark western half of Dema. 92
Nightmare of Echoes - The early struggle of Sporespawn in
Unrul to survive the years after the Sundering. 159
Nightriders - A sentient species of Dema. 27, 190
Node - A biomechanical device that produces miasma that
influences Everborn drones. 103, 153–154, 164
Noreb Creyan - [-NOOR-eb-CRAY-ann-] A famous explorer and
archeologist who disappeared after returning to the Silverleaf
Wilds. 86
Novitiate - [-No-vee-SHEE-uht, NO-VIE-shee-ate-] A middle-
rank of the Scholasta. 181
O Populii - [-POP-yoo-lai, pop-yoo-LAI-ee-] Commoners that
Obelisks of Mandyas - [-MAN-dee-UHS-] Strange obelisks in the
Silverleaf Wilds. 86
Odiseas - [-oh-DIH-see-uhs, OH-deh-sees-] The founding leader
of Clan Khar. 106, 115–117. See High King
One Hour War, the - A mythological war in the Zenyecrot
religion. 124
340
One Who Cleans - The Sporespawn who would become the
Allspawn dictator. 75, 162–163
Optimacy - [-OHP-tih-muh-SEE-] The highest, most wealthy
families of The Auric. 83, 136. See Auric Castes
Orange Skin Fights Hard - A war memoir by the Wakewalker
Saktos Far Roamer. 123
Orders of the Dawn - Knightly orders in Abresian society drawn
from notable families. 89
Ornel - [-OR-nuhl-] A barley crop grown in the Nightrider city
of Tallon. 99
Osghal - [-OZZ-gall-] “Plant souls” of Dema’s settled
agricultural populations. It is used as an insult by
Nightriders. 194
Oslon - [-OZZ-lohn-] The conscript military of Aegis. 79,
Ostrex - [-OSS-treks-] A type of monster in the Fellcoast. 93, 303
Osyris - [-oh-SAI-ruhs-] A Nightrider member of the Beckoned.
166
Overmind, The - The great unity of all Sporespawn in a single
consciousness, destroyed by the Sundering. 75, 101, 152
Overseers - Mysterious wardens of the World Ship that contains
Dema. 72–74, 78, 110, 181
Oysmac Forest - A forest made from giant flowering mushrooms
in the northeastern Moon Realms, above the Valqet. 101, 152
P
Panacea - [-PAN-uh-SEE-uh-] The largest settlement in the
Panacean Jungle. Home to the Apothicants. 83–84, 143
Graean Palisade - [-GRAY-an-] The living wooden
fortifications of Panacea. 84, 146
Hippocraton, the - [-hih-POH-krah-TOHN-] The
headquarters of the Apothicants in Panacea. 85
Panacean commune - Groups of tribes, colonists, or other
inhabitants of Panacea. Many have unique ideologies
and subcultures. 144–145
Panacean Jungle, the - The vast expanse of rainforest on
the eastern Midlands. 84, 135, 147
Panopticon, the - [-pan-OP-tuh-COHN-] A prison for entities in
the Thalkast. Original constructors are unknown. 154
Panthera - [-PAN-thayr-UH-] Auran officials who collect taxes
in Panacea. 85, 144
Parhasios - [-Parr-HASS-ee-ohs-] A Wakewalker sculptor in the
Heroic Era. 186–187
Pariahs - Surface-born officials in Unrul society. They serve as
military and government officers. 103, 160, 162
Parime - [-Puh-REEM-] A region north of Mundi home to
dragons. 91, 184, 294, 298
Pass of Champions - The entrance to the city of Sunbleak. 141
Peleryne, the - [-PELL-er-EEN-] A region in the western Moon
Realms. 98, 189, 193, 200
Pencraytai - [-pen-cray-TAI-] A Nightrider martial and athletic
wrestling style. 200–201
People Zoo - A vast exhibition of actors and prisoners reenacting
different cultures in The Auric. 149
Peytra Wilcanyn - [-PEY-truh Will-CAYN-an-] A Heroic Era
Freesteed shaman. 194
Phei - [-FAY-] A mysterious tribe of Nightriders living in the
Forest of Ilda. 84, 98, 195
Pieces-of-eight - The currency of the Gilded States that can be
broken into eight pieces. 135, 141
Pilgrim’s Pass - A mountain pass that leads to Etherea. 80, 82,
129
Hoards of Svarog - [-SVA-rog-] Crystal caverns that lie on
the outskirts of the city of Etherea. 82, 132
Plant soul - A Nightrider pejorative for those who do not live a
nomadic lifestyle. 97, 191–193, 197. See Osghal
Plutebi of the Golden Barge - [-ploo-TEB-ee-] A famous Golden
Jana’haki Wakewalker. 112
opposed the Magisters in the Redsky Era. 179
Praetor Commander - [-PRAY-TOOR-] A supreme commander
of the solar legions. The title is bestowed only on rare
occasions. 174, 182–184. See Gawain Cang
Primeval Times - A mythological period of history in the
religion Zenyecrot. 124
Index
 Profligate, the - [-PROFF-luh-get-] The legendary and
mysterious antagonist of Zenyecrot. 124, 130
Protects The Bough - A Sporespawn sage who lived in the
Oysmac Forest. 166
Proxima Generals - Leaders of Aegis. 120, 133
Pulk canoe - [-PULLK-] The small craft built by young
Featherfolk to reach the Tutor Islands. 139, 146
Pwanoszt - [-PWAHN-ost, PWAHN-ozt-] The Archivist martial
art that utilizes their unique metabolism. Translates to “two
strikes.” 79, 121, 124, 132
Pykrete - [-PIE-CREET-] A building material made of wood pulp
and ice. 79, 119, 121
Pyotr Tevet - [-PYOT-uhr TEV-eht-] Bodyguard of Madic Arraz.
133
Q Schools of Balance - A group of organizations that teach specific
Qet - [-KEHT-] The name for the Sporespawn sentient species in
their language. 29, 65, 153
Qetamar - [-KEHT-ah-mahr] A minor group of Sporespawn
floating in the Midnight Sea. 96
Queen Hennyk - [-HEN-ik-] A Cairnkeeper Queen in the Heroic
Era. 202
Queen of the Night, the - A successor to the King of Darkness.
Her real name is Jayne Erindera. 111, 174, 192. See Jayne
Erindera
R School of Joyous Eddies - An organization that maintains
Rago - [-RAY-GO-] A beast in Wakewalker folklore. 115
Rammjar - An undertribe of culturally Dawnraider Nightriders.
190
Reality Consensus - A process of melding minds between
Freespawn researchers to share thoughts and debate ideas.
155, 157. See Consensus
Reapings, the - A system of tribute forced on locals in the
Duskplain by the Dawnraiders. 191–192
Reascension - A Solasii day of salvation when Sola is supposed
to regain her voice and return to Humanity. 173, 177–179,
185
Reckoning, the - The end of the world preached by Dari’ Tath.
148. See Scourge, Dari’ Tath, Sunward Conquest
Reckoners - Cultists loyal to The Sunfather, Dari’ Tath.
148
Red Desert, the - An extremely dangerous region of the Warm
Shores. 83, 85, 143
Red Mast - A Jana’haki pirate coalition that plagued the Gilded
Sea. 77, 88, 115, 118, 131
Redeemers, the - A Cairnkeeper military order that adventures
to enrich Tallon. 200, 202
Regatok - [-reh-GAH-tok, REG-uh-TOK-] A term for
Wakewalkers born with rare red skin. 117
Remnant bands - Devolved remnants of sentient species living
in the Thalkast. Include offshoots of Sporespawn, Humans,
“Altana,” and “Ikto.” 162
Resource Barons, the - The oligarchs of Sunbleak. 88, 141, 143
Rifteater, the - A massive organism that once carved many of the
Thalkast’s tunnels. 102. See Entities
Rites of Succession - A Freesteed practice of transferring power
ceremonially. 200
Rodyon Colnacov - [-ROW-dee-on COAL-nuh-KOV-] An
Abecedary at the Scholasta in the Uprising Era. 119
Rori’ Nos - [-roar-ee-NOES-] The founder of Hollowfalls. 84,
138. See Hollowfalls
Rudden, the - [-RUH-den-] An elite multispecies group that
fights entities in the Thalkast. 101, 165
Rudiment - [-ROO-dih-MENT-] A fundamentalist sect of the
Church of Sola. 77, 176–177, 185
Rudimentarii - [-ROO-duh-men-TAHR-ee-AI, ROO-dih-
MENT-uh-ree-] Religious followers of the Rudiment
sect of the Church of Sola. 177, 185
Runtok - [-RUN-Tawk-] An unknown species, society, or
language in the Hive Halls. 154
Ruscolna family - A Heroic Era Archivist royal family of the
Zhavit ethnic group. 119
S Shadowstone - A crafting material found in the Tenaybre. 198
Saktos Far Roamer - [-SAK-TOSS-] The Wakewalker author of
Orange Skin Fights Hard. 123
Redsky Core Book
341
Sapphire Fleece, the - A famous Wakewalker relic buried
somewhere in the Fellcoast by the Corsair King and later
recovered by Mikuran Fellstrider. 118
Sauragash - [-SOAR-uh-GASH-] Reptilian animals native to the
Silverleaf Wilds. 86, 303
Sawsayda the Beastmaster - [-saw-SAY-duh-] A famous
Cairnkeeper monster tamer. 199
Scalerotten - [-SCAYL-rot-uhn-] Blind reptilian pack hunters.
These monsters slaughtered thousands of Freespawn after
the Sundering. 155, 304
Scarin - [-SCARE-uhn, SCAR-in-] Mobile carnivorous trees. 93,
304
Scholasta - [-Skuh-LAST-uh, SKOE-last-ah-] Seat of learning in
the Midlands. 141–142, 175, 181
fields or disciplines in Hollowfalls. 138
School of Argent Passage - [-AR-JENT-] An organization
that maintains Hollowfalls’ navy. 139
School of Expressive Domain - An organization that uses
landscape paintings as property deeds for
recordkeeping in Hollowfalls. 139
School of Fervent Deduction - An organization that
teaches philosophy, rhetoric, debate, and languages in
Hollowfalls. 139
water supply in Hollowfalls. 139
School of the Cutting Whisper - A subschool of the
Undominated trained in assassination and counter-
intelligence. 139–140
School of the Scorching Arrow - A subschool of the
Undominated that teaches archery. 139
School of the Undominated Typhoon - The foreign
excursion army of Hollowfalls. It is also known as the
Undominated. 139, 146, 327
School of Valiant Calling - A secondary home army
occasionally formed to defend Hollowfalls. 139
School of Weathered Endurance - The home army and city
guard of Hollowfalls. 139
Scintilla - [-Sin-till-UH, SKIN-till-ah-] City in the Light Plains.
87, 91, 168
Diakonta - [-DAI-uh-KON-tuh-] The golden throne room
of the Solar Emperors. Located at the peak of the
imperial palace in Scintilla. 92
Sankta Lumo - [-SANK-tah-LOO-moe-] The largest Solasii
temple ever constructed. Located in Scintilla. 92
Scintilla Invicta - [-in-VIK-tuh-] An ethnography about Scintilla
and its cultural group. 92
Scintillan Fire - A napalm-like substance. 79, 122, 134, 175, 184
Scintillan System - A system of conscription for Solar Hegemony
organizations. 171, 175, 181
Scion Castor - [-CASS-tour-] A Human despot in Mundi in the
Heroic Era. 186
Scions - [-SIGH-ON-] Slave-trading despot rulers of Mundi in
the Heroic Era. 104, 180, 186
Scourge - A plague in Panacea that causes infected to become
feral killers. 78, 146–147
Scylus’ Aes - [-skill-uhs-EHS-] A famous Featherfolk playwright
and teacher in the Exodus Era. 142
Secchium - [-Sech-ee-um-] A lucrative and famous plant that
went extinct in the Heroic Era. 91. See Frandemulo
Sees The Light - A famous Freespawn warrior. 164–165
Seki’ Nin - [-sek-ee-NIHN-] A Mindmaster of the Undominated
Typhoon. He tutored Dari’ Tath. 146–148
Sellach - [-sell-ACK-] The Nightrider god of the sun. Often
equated to Sola in comparative religion. 194
Senecus - [-SEHN-uh-cuss-] A director for the Solar Hegemony
in the Panacean Jungle. 118
Sentinels - Mythological protectors of Sola. 172, 184
Separation, the - A sacred religious ritual for Solasii. 92
Shadow Bloodline - The Dawnraider heirs of the King of
Darkness. 191–192
Shakahr - [-shuh-CAR, SHAK-are-] Eldertech dive suits that
Clan Kahr Wakewalkers use to hunt Deep Ones. 73,
106–107, 109, 116
Shamoke - [-SHAM-oh-kuh-] The first Marshal of the Dark. 201
She Is Hunger - An eldritch monster that pursued the
Nevermore out of the Maw. 165. See Maw, the
Sheri’ Din - [-sherry-DIHN-] Famous Featherfolk adventurer
and founder of Din’s Wanderers. 149–150
Sheri’ Garc - [-GARK-] Sheri’ Din’s unsuccessful treasure-
hunting father. 149
Sheri’ Osh - [-AH-Shuh-] Sheri’ Din’s unsuccessful
treasure-hunting mother. 149
Shiseli - [-SHEE-sell-ee, shuh-SELL-ee-] The sand ships used in
the Red Desert. 85, 143
Shivering March, the - The exodus of all Cairnkeepers from the
Tenaybre in 85 LS. 200
Silent Plague, the - A horrifying disease that causes paralysis
and death in Sporespawn. 75, 103, 159, 162
Silver Horizon riots - Abresian religious revolt against the
leadership of Emperor Tacitus. Led by Celina Solati. 176,
185. See Empress Celina Solati
Silver Sagas, the - Oral storytelling sagas and shanties in
Wakewalker culture. 115
Silverleaf Wilds - A deadly region in the jungles of the eastern
Midlands. 83, 86, 144
Silverstone Towers, the - The Solasii name for the Solar Network
nodes. 178, 184
Simulacrum, the - [-SIM-yoo-LAK-rum, Sih-MYOO-luh-CRUM-]
Simulations of entire cycles managed by the Overseers. 73,
141, 148, 191
Sishuun’zar - [-sih-shoon-ZAHR-] A Panacean commune of
death cultists. 144
Sisters of Kinziha - [-kin-ZEE-hah-] a Panacean commune of
naturalists. 144–145
Skyborn - A Sporespawn term for members of the other five
sentient species. 100, 155, 160
Slinczgi’s Charioteers - [-SLINK-zees-] An Auran mercenary
company made up of skilled Asset class Featherfolk warriors.
137
Smooths Talking - A Freespawn companion of Katabas
Skulltaker. 166
Snottite - [-SNOT-tight-] Monstrous oozes that plague the
Thalkast. 102, 305
Snow’s Edge 80, 82, 133
Perif - [-PEAR-IFF-] A large town in Snow’s Edge. 82
Shieldwoods - A large forest near Snow’s Edge. 82
Snowlion - An apex predator in the frigid Tenaybre. 199–200,
202, 308
Sog tea - [-sohg-] A mint tea common in the Athenaeum. 119
Soidyat - [-Soyd-YAT-] Terrifying monsters that live in the far
north of the Athenaeum. 305
Sola - The patron goddess of the Church of Sola. 172–173. See
Book of Sola, Church of Sola
Solar Communion - A harvest festival for Solasii. 92
Solar Emperors - The rulers of the Solar Hegemony. 91
Solar Hegemony - Large empire of the Light Plains. 88, 168
Solar legion - Military of the Solar Hegemony. 174
Solar Network - Seven towers lit by Orbs of Abragon used for
communication and worship. 150, 173, 181. See Abragon,
Orb of Abragon
Solasii - [-So-LASS-ee-AI, Suh-LASS-ee-] Faithful of the Church
of Sola. 92, 169. See Sola
Southern Barrens, the - Flat wastes at the southern tip of the
Midlands. 104
Sphere of Dema - A second Sphere of Rest built in Mundi in the
Redsky Era.
Sphere of Rest - A sacred painting structure in Montur’s Cradle.
189, 195. See Montur’s Cradle
Sporespawn - A sentient species of Dema. 29, 152
Spring of Surprise - The incorporation of Aurorus slaves into the
Church of Sola during 73 LS. 177
Stelya - [-STELL-yah-] Etherean mountain fortresses. 129
Stigia - [-STIH-jee-uh-] The ‘lost colonies’ and origin land of the
Darakal abominations underground. 163
Stone Curtain, the - A mountain range that separates the Light
Plains from the Athenaeum. 79, 82, 133–134
Storm Wars - Several wars between the Hegemony and Etherea.
78, 122, 125, 129
First Storm War - A war that began in 93 LS between the
342
Solar Hegemony and Etherea. 130, 132
Second Storm War - A war that began in 96 LS between
the Solar Hegemony and Etherea. 130
Third Storm War - The final war that began in 100 LS
between the Solar Hegemony and Etherea. 130
Stratygos - The commander-in-chief of Yaras’s Ten Hundred
guard. 196
Strigoi - [-strih-GOI, STRIH-goi-] Flying monsters that infest the
Red Desert. 78, 85, 143, 307
Suffers No Weakness - A Sporespawn who helped overthrow
the Munificent. 162–163
Summons, the - The seasonal call for Cairnkeeper youth to
partake in the Frostrite. 199
Sun, the - Source of light and warmth in Dema. Hovers above
the Warm Shores. 87
Sunbleak - The largest settlement in the deserts of the Sunbleak
Wastes. 83, 88, 140
Little Athenaeum - An area of Sunbleak where many
Archivists live. 140
Nadir Roads - [-NAY-DEER-] The canyon floor districts of
Sunbleak. 88, 140–141
Sarai - [-suh-RAI-] Villas that are owned by Sunbleak’s
wealthy, especially Resource Barons. 88, 141, 143
Sybarites - [-Sih-buh-RITES-] Establishments of gambling
and excess in Sunbleak. 141
Zenith Roads - [-ZEE-NITH-] Elite neighborhoods of
Sunbleak high above the rest of the city. 141, 143
Sunbleak Wastes, the - The large arid region of the Warm Shores
closest to the sun. 87, 140
Croto - [-KROE-TOE-] A legendary lost city in the Warm
Shores. 143
Sunder - General Gawain Cang’s personal Eldertech sword. 183
Sundering, the - A cataclysmic event that destroyed the
Overmind. 101, 152
Sunflower Duchess - A member of the Hundred Houses who
lived in the Uprising Era. 149. See Filo’ Ya
Sunset Revolt - A Nightrider revolt in the Light Plains. 94
Sunward Conquest - Emperor Sicarius’s rapid conquest of
Panacea and The Auric in 95 LS. 146-147, 178
Synrah - [-SIN-ruh-] A Nightrider term for family or kin. 194
T
Talla Kalazar - [-TAH-lah KAH-la-zahr-] The personal assassin
of Hatin Filo’ Ya. 147, 149
Talla’s Dagger - A text that recounts the missions of Talla
Kalazar in The Auric. 149
Tallon - [-tahl-ahn, tahl-ehn-] A crater city in the extreme
northwest of Dema. It is the home of the Cairnkeepers. 99,
198–201
Jewel Caverns - Glinting caves of gems in Tallon. 99
Tavar Roroza - [-tuh-VAHR roar-OH-zah-] An Archgeneral of
Aegis in the Uprising Era. 133
Tedgei’ Sel - [-ted-gai-ZELL-] A Featherfolk playwright famous
in the Heroic and Uprising Era. 142
Tegan Cang - [-Tey-gahn-] The adopted son of Gawain Cang.
183-184
Telonishad - [-tell-ON-ih-shahd-] A popular story collection text
describing the deceptions and grievances of the Hundred
Houses of The Auric. 137
Ten Hundred - An ancestral order of warriors that guards Yaras.
100, 196, 326
Tenaybre - [-TEN-ayy-bray, ten-UH-brai-] A dark and very cold
region in the extreme northwest of the Moon Realms. 99,
198, 202
Tenebrium - [-ten-EE-bree-UHM-] A special material utilized by
the Cairnkeepers. 189, 198–199
Tenek Karkan - [-TEN-EK CAR-CAN-] A prominent Hiremai
Wakewalker. 105
Terminarch - A mysterious entity who lives beneath Hiremai
Isle. Worshipped as a god. 31, 93–94, 110–111
Terminarchon - The Wakewalker ruler of Clan Hiremai. They
answer directly to the Terminarch, and serve as his avatar.
95, 110–111, 113
Terraqet - [-TAYR-uh-ket, TEAR-ah-ket-] The defense forces of
the Freespawn of Ikhish. 100, 155, 164
Index
 Tethrium - [-TETH-ree-uhm-] A rare metal ore found in the
Silverleaf Wilds useful for equipment and tools. 87
Teveryn - [-Tuh-vayr-ehn-] An undertribe of culturally
Dawnraider Nightriders. 190
Thalkast - [-THALL-kasst-] The deep, extremely hazardous, and
uncharted regions of the underground. 101
Pandaemonium - [-pan-DEE-moe-nee-UHM-] A “city of
the dead and demons” located in the Thalkast. 102
The Fears Beneath - An Everborn bestiary documenting the
monstrosities of the Thalkast. 154
The Scarlet Vendettas - A poetic oral history of the Abresian
Bastion Kings. 89
The Skyborn Chronicles - A tome authored by a Scholasta
member describing the activities of all three Sporespawn
factions aboveground. 160
The Yaras Dispatch - The preserved letters documenting the
Solar Hegemony’s abandoned plan to commit genocide on
the Nightriders. 175
Theonite - [-THEE-oh-NIGHT-] An order of peacekeepers,
monster hunters, and domestic soldiers for Aegis. 79,
120–121, 133, 327. See Oslon
This One Knows - A head researcher form of the Freespawn in
the Uprising Era. 157
Thought Guardians - The secret police of the Awakened in Hive
Hall Unrul. 103, 160–161, 163
Tiric’ Zair - [-teer-ik-ZAYR-] A member of the Optimacy in the
Uprising Era. 149
Tivit - [-TEH-viht-] A minor hive located near the Maw. It was
destroyed by the Nevermore. 165
To Serve Varakwai - A Khutara war epic from the Heroic Era.
111
Tohol - [-TOE-hole, tuh-HALL-] The Hive Hall controlled by the
Everborn. 101–102, 152
Growth Chambers - Production areas in Hive Hall Tohol.
103
Recycling Chambers - Waste reusing centers for biomatter
in Hive Hall Tohol. 103
Throne of Thorns - A massive biomechanical construct
that connects all the Everborn nodes to the current
Exemplar. 103, 151, 153. See Exemplar
Tonni’ Bord - [-tohn-ee-BOARD-] A Featherfolk traveler and
author of food guides. 105
Torna’ Cai - [-tor-nuh-KAI-] Many-eyed carnivorous plants
living in Panacea. Distinct from the scarin. 144
Toskaroth - [-TOSK-uh-ROTH-] A village on Hiremai Isle. 105
Trident Interregnum - [-TRY-dent int-er-EGG-numm-] A coup
against Emperor Decimus Cassar in 50 LS by nonhuman
Auxilia. 175. See Emperor Decimus Cassar
Tutor Islands, the - An island archipelago in the Gilded Sea
claimed by Hollowfalls. 83, 88, 139
U Voshnaht - [-Vosh-NAHT-] Weaponized avalanches used by
Ukuzi Karyadne - [-OO-COO-ZEE CAH-ree-AHD-nee-] A
Terminarchon in the Uprising Era. 113
Undominated, the. See Schools of Balance, School of the
Undominated Typhoon
Unrul - [-UN-ROOL, Uhn-ruhl-] The Hive Hall of the Awakened
and their ruler the Allspawn. 101, 103, 158
Consensus Hall - A Heroic Era structure where residents
of Hive Hall Unrul met. 103, 159
Eternity Fields - A military and political rally ground for
Awakened of Unrul. 103, 159, 163
Habitation Quarter - A district of Unrul. 103, 162–163
Nutriment warrens - [-NOO-trih-MENT WAR-uhns-]
Food distribution centers in Hive Hall Unrul. 103
Polity Quarter - [-POE-leh-tee-] A district of Unrul. 103,
162–163
Silent Quarter - A zone in Unrul for Sporespawn infected
with the Silent Plague. 103, 159, 161, 163. See Silent
Plague, the
Supremacy Quarter - A zone where Hive Hall Unrul’s
markets and workshops are located. 103
Ursan - [-URR-san-] A large bear with saliva that causes a
freezing chemical reaction. 80, 119, 202, 310
Usundi - [-oo-SOON-dee, UH-suhn-dee-] The name for
Featherfolk in their own language. 23, 65
V
Redsky Core Book
343
Vala’ Cas - [-vall-ah CASS-] A companion and lover of Sheri’
Din. 150
Valley of Tears - A pass west of Mundi where Gawain Cang
killed the King of Darkness and shattered the Dark Horde.
99, 181, 192
Valqet - [-VAHL-ket-] The enormous network of tunnels and
caverns that stretch for hundreds of miles beneath the Moon
Realms. 100, 151
Valuations - [-Vahl-yoo-ayy-shuns-] The Luminosi civil-service
exams. 126
Vandyn the Tall - [-VAN-din-] First king of the Hardhooves.
196
Varakwai - [-VAHR-uh-KWAI-] The name for Wakewalkers in
their own languages. 31, 166, 172
Varkus Rakanon - [-VAR-cuss ruh-CAN-on-] The Wakewalker
who would become the Corsair King. 114. See Corsair King
Varma - [-VAHR-muh-] An insulating biomaterial. 126
Vella Montura - [-Vell-UH mon-TOOR-uh-] The founding
heroine of the Freesteeds, the oldest Nightrider tribe. 191,
194–195, 200–201
Vellatress - [-vell-uh-TRESS-] An all-female group of mounted
Freesteed warriors. They led an expedition into the Forest of
Ilda. 195
Venachar - [-VEN-ahh-KAR-] Feathered serpent monsters in
Panacea. 144
Vergal - [-VUR-guhl-] A Wakewalker shaman on Irunga Island
in the Uprising Era. 166
Vichnica’s Crypt - [-VIK-nik-ah-] A lost Archivist temple with a
heretical cazram written by an exiled monk. 82
Vidim - [-vih-DEEM-] An Archivist who lived in the Heroic Era.
108
Vikna - [-VIK-nuh-] A high-yield crop grown in Deonar. 91
Viridian Mountains - Mountains in the middle of the Midlands.
93, 104
Virse - [-VERSE-] A creature that resembles a horse. They are of
enormous importance to Nightrider cultures. 27, 97, 190,
192, 311
Vladac Zdrosa - [-VLAH-dak ZDRO-zuh-] The High Cleric of
Etherea in the Uprising Era. 133
Voco de Deus - [-VOE-koe day DAY-oos-] Religious title of the
sitting Emperor for their command of the Church of Sola.
173
Voctar - [-Vok-TAHR-] A beast used for mounted warfare by the
Cairnkeepers. 183
Void Owls - A Cairnkeeper military order that operates in the
Midnight Isles. 200
Volad Idonik - [-Voe-LAD eh-DON-ek-] A Prosperity Chancellor
of Etherea in the Exodus Era. 128
Volinia - [-Voh-LIN-ee-ah-] Archivist combat engineers. 82
Vom - [-VOHM-] Archivist prayer wheels. 119
Archivists. 82, 130, 132
Vox - [-VOKS-] Close advisors to Emperor Tacitus from multiple
species. 176
Vrach - [-VRACH-] Wakewalker alcohol fermented from the
blood of Deep Ones. 105, 108
Vulgus - [-VUL-gus-] A middle-class of free Featherfolk in The
Auric. 83, 136. See Auric Castes
W
Wakewalker - A sentient species of Dema. 31, 92, 105–106
Walls at the End of the World, the - A mountain range on the
west end of Dema. 189, 198–199, 201–202
Waparaka - [-WAH-puh-RAH-kuh-] The ichorous will of the
Terminarch. It is hallucinogenic and sacred to Clan Hiremai.
95, 110–111, 113
War of the Drinking Horn - A war between Clan Kahr and Clan
Hiremai. 96, 109, 111. See Laestrygion
Warm Shores - The eastern and southern coasts of the Gilded
Sea. 79, 135, 138, 140
Waystation Wroc - [-WROK-] A waystation in the Red Desert.
88, 192
Where the Light Always Shines - A nonfiction tome about the
history and traditions of Scintilla. 92
White Masovi - [-mah-ZOE-vee-] Archivist guides through the
Pilgrim’s Pass. 82, 132
 White Wardens - A colloquial name for Aegic warriors. 120,
122
Whudi - [-WOO-dee, wuh-DEE-] Desert nomads who serve as
guides for foreigners in the Warm Shores. 141, 149
Widow’s Tithe - A Hegemony fund to compensate veterans and
families of casualties. 184
Wild Hunt, the - A regular hunt by Clan Kahr that involves
slaying Deep Ones with shakahr depth rigs. 96, 106, 108.
See Deep One
Winter bastion - A name for Aegis and its capital buildings. 79,
122. See Aegis
World Tree, the - An enormous tree-like structure beyond the
Maelstrom in the southwest Midnight Sea. 94, 96, 116–117
Worm Men - Monstrous enemies from the Thalkast that
threatened Unrul between 40-52 LS. 160, 312
Wrex Hakagar - [-REKS-HAH-kuh-gar-] The term for the
Jana’haki Corsair King. 114, 118. See Corsair King
Y
Yamar - [-YAM-ahr, yuh-MAHR-] Bovine cattle animals. 167,
182, 312
Yaras - The stone city of the Hardhooves. It was built in the
space between Big Brother and Little Brother on the coast of
the Midnight Sea. 100, 196–197
Alcazar, the - [-AHL-kuh-ZAR-] Capital building of Yaras.
100
Bay of Yaras - The bay that Yaras overlooks and the
largest port of the Moon Realms. 100, 196
Dais, the - A market in Yaras where thralls are sold. 100
Great Plaza, the - Yaras’s largest market and forum. 100,
189
Year of Tyranny - The reign of Prime Scion Castor over ancient
Mundi during the Early Heroic Era. 186
Year of Wrath - The slave revolts that ended Scion rule in
ancient Mundi. 187
Years of Abolition - The years that followed the fall of the Scions
in Mundi. 187
Years of the Hundred Scions - The oldest calendar days of
Mundi’s early Heroic Era. 186
Yields To None - A Freespawn companion of Katabas
Skulltaker. 166
Yondering - [-YAHN-dur-ing-] A journey young Featherfolk
take around the Gilded Sea. 139, 147
Yordo Vennyk - [-YORD-oh VEN-nyk-] A famous Cairnkeeper
hunter. 199
Yurt – [-YURHT-] A nomadic shelter commonly utilized by the
Nightrider tribes that roam the Moon Realms on virses. 97,
183, 190, 200
Z
Zandoku - [-Zan-DOH-koo-] A secret and minor order of
assassins wiped out by the Krypteia. 91. See Frandemulo
Zarci Wildlands - [-ZAR-kee-] An area around Luminos. 81. See
Luminos, Mount Svetovit
Zasha Vigon 78, 122, 128
Declin Vigon - [-DEH-klin-] Zasha Vigon’s father. 128
Tanis Vigon - [-TAN-ihs vih-GONE-] Zasha Vigon’s
mother. 128
Zenyecrot - [-ZEN-yeh-croat, zen-yeah-CROW-tuh-] The main
religion of Archivists in the Athenaeum. 79, 123–126, 131
Zeo’ Xis - [-ZEE-ok-sis-] A Featherfolk painter in the Heroic Era.
186–187
Zevenians - [-zuh-VEN-ee-ans-] An ancient Athenaeum
civilization. 126
Zhavit - [-ZHAH-viht-] One of dozens of Archivist ethnic
groups in the Eikva Plateau. 119
Zhiscusdah - [-zhis-COO-sduh-] Archivist religious artists. 123
Zila Pratyon - [-ZILL-uh PRAT-yon-] A War Chancellor of
Etherea in the late Exodus Era. 129

Index
344
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 ABILITIES
STRENGTH DEXTERITY CONSTITUTION
CHARACTER NAME LEVEL PLAYER NAME

CLASS SUBCLASS BACKGROUND

INTELLIGENCE WISDOM CHARISMA
ASI ASI ASI

EMOTIONAL FEA. INTELLECTUAL FEA. SOCIAL FEA.

SENTIENT
ELEMENTS

ARMOR PROFICIENCY BONUS

ARMOR ( )
SPEED INITIATIVE SOCIAL
A. TYPE ARMOR CLASS TOUCH AC SKILLS
HIT POINTS TEMPORARY CURRENT MAXIMUM SHIELD ( ) PROTECTION PROF. SKILL ABY PROF. ABILITY OTHER TOTAL

( ) OTHER ( ) WEAKNESS ACROBATICS DEX

DEX BONUS ( ) AC MINIMUM ( ) ANIMAL HANDLING WIS

CONDITIONS
ATHLETICS STR

HIT DICE DEATH SAVES FEATURE RESOURCES DECEPTION CHA

CURRENT MAXIMUM SUCCESSES FAILURES FEATURE NAME USES MAX SHORT/LONG ELDERTECH INT

HISTORY INT

INSIGHT WIS
RESISTANCES | VULNERABILITIES
INTIMIDATION CHA
RESISTANCES
INVESTIGATION INT
VULNERABILITIES
MATERIALS INT
IMMUNITIES
MEDICINE INT

NATURE INT
LANGUAGES PROFICIENCIES
PERCEPTION WIS

PERFORMANCE CHA

PERSUASION CHA

POLITICS INT
INVENTORY FEATURES
RELIGION INT
WEIGHT NAME CURRENCY
SLEIGHT OF HAND DEX

STEALTH DEX

SURVIVAL WIS

SAVING THROWS
PROF. ABILITY PROF. ABILITY OTHER TOTAL

STRENGTH

DEXTERITY

CONSTITUTION

INTELLIGENCE

WISDOM

CHARISMA

ATTACKS
PROF. ATTACK ABILITY ATK B. RANGE

DMG / TYPE

DMG / TYPE
TOTAL

DMG / TYPE

DMG / TYPE
CARRY PUSH/DRAG THROW
OFFICIAL REDSKY CHARACTER SHEET - VER. 1.0
CHARACTER NAME AGE HEIGHT WEIGHT EYES SKIN HAIR

PLAYER NAME SCARS OR IDENTIFYING MARKS

SENTIENT KEEPSAKES OR TROPHIES

VIRTUES BACKSTORY

VICES

OTHER TRAITS ALLIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ADDITIONAL ITEMS

WEIGHT NAME

SYMBOL

CHARACTER PORTRAIT ADDITIONAL FEATURES

TOTAL

ADDITIONAL ATTACKS
PROF. ATTACK ABILITY ATK B. RANGE

DMG / TYPE

DMG / TYPE

DMG / TYPE

DMG / TYPE

DMG / TYPE

DMG / TYPE

OFFICIAL REDSKY CHARACTER SHEET - VER. 1.0