III

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

© 2022, Sine Nomine Publishing, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-950965-18-2
Written by Kevin Crawford
Cover by Jeff Brown. Art by Adobe Stock/breakermaximus, Dominick, ElConsigliere, Kalleeck, liuzishan, lobard, Newtro-
nial, T Studio, thanawong, warmtail, Николай Акатов.

A PAST WITHOUT BEGINNING
Year upon year, age upon age, the Latter Earth has heaped
higher its sorrows and its wonders. Uncounted empires
lie buried beneath its dust, proud kings and petty men
all equal now beneath the impartial veil of forgetting.
Their deeds once made the world cry out; now they are
no more than a sculpted stone, a curious artifact, a mon-
strous beast that once served well…. Men do not even
remember them enough to tell lies about them.
Yet if they are forgotten now, their deeds were all too
real in their own hour. Their works remain in the pres-
ent day, with terrible ruins and fearsome Deeps enticing
those bold enough to waken that which has long slept.
Their gold drips from bony hands, their treasures shine
in darkened chambers, and their secrets wait for living
mouths to speak them once again.
Their sons and daughters have raised new king-
doms on the bones of the old. Even now, men and wom-
en struggle against the weight of the pitiless past and
the dangers of the savage present. Grand lords rule in
the palaces of their ancestors, and armies of bronze and
steel march on ancient roads. They contend as kings and
queens have ever contended, and their people endure it
as they have always endured.
Amid these wars and intrigues, between these deca-
dent cities and the trackless wilds about them, there are
those who desire more than the world would willingly
give. These men and women are adventurers, the mad
freebooters and reckless sellswords that dare the wrath of
an endless past to seize its most precious treasures. The
crowns of dead kings, the jewels of vanished queens, and
the secrets of sorcerers long burning in their hells await
their bloody grasp.
1
In this book you will learn of the lands of Agath-
on and Gyarus, the two great continents of the western
Latter Earth. Cruel and magnificent in equal measure,
these nations and scattered tribes are heir to the deeds of
ages and the blood of ancient kings. They have inherited
the disputes of those now long dust and the mistakes of
those no longer here to suffer them.
So too, you will find tales of the awful beasts that
stalk the deep glades of the wilderness and the shadowed
streets of human cities. Grim Rusted Princes rule in their
decaying towers and hungry ghouls celebrate their aw-
ful feasts in charnel places. Autopurgators carry out the
vendettas of their dead masters, while weeping dragons
strive to remember the age when they were young and
happy.
There are new tools here with which to fight them.
Instruction is given in the making of campaigns where
magic is weak or not to be found, and the telling of for-
eign histories in lands where there are no true wizards.
The secrets of the fearsome wheelguns of Ondas, the
struggles of ships upon the sea, and the subtle alchemies
of unsorcerous scholars are given here, with all the ways
in which they may be of use to adventurers.
New professions are provided in turn. Accursed lad-
en with fell pacts, Bards gifted with Legacy-woven power,
Mageslayers fell for the killing of wizards, and the Wise
in unmagical ways are all offered for your play. So too are
new Foci to arm these fresh heroes.
This book is for the making of your own world,
whatever you may take from this one. Whether your he-
roes rise to glory or perish in the hungry dark, let these
pages aid you in sending them to their fate.
2
Using This Book as a Game Master
This book is intended to provide equal parts inspiration
and practical help for a busy GM. The strange lands,
sinister creatures, and unfamiliar peoples within are
meant to give a small taste of a world only half-familiar,
one scabbed over by a fathomless past and burdened by
choices its long-vanished ancestors have made. Even so,
these pages are also meant to give a GM the information
they need to actually turn these descriptions into play-
able fun at the table, for there is no profit in a world too
strange for a game master to use.
Many setting books of this sort assume that the
reader is an old hand at campaign creation and does not
need any specific advice on how to make use of a setting
atlas. Some readers will undoubtedly be so versed, but
out of consideration for those less confident in their de-
miurgic powers the following steps will help you get the
most out of this book.
Skim the World
Every author likes to imagine the reader lingering con-
templatively over every jeweled syllable of their prose, but
authors like to imagine a lot of things. This book is for
your own entertainment, and you should read it exactly
as carefully as you like.
Start by skimming the gazetteer section. Glance
over the thumbnail history at the start of the chapter
and leave a bookmark next to the continental map so you
can reference it easily later. Then start paging through
the nation descriptions. If the introductory paragraph
doesn’t grab you, drift on to the next land. If it piques
your curiosity, check back on the continental map to see
where this land lies in relation to its neighbors and then
investigate it a little more attentively.
Think about whether this land has themes or ele-
ments that would suit it to a campaign. Does it do some-
thing you like? Make a note of it for later. Has it got
elements that don’t suit you? Make a note to clip those
bits out for your own rendition of the place, or reshuffle
them into something more to your liking.
Skim through the nations until the end, and you
should have a certain number of places that have poten-
tial as a start for a campaign. While you should keep the
tastes of your players in mind, it’s important to focus on
the places and peoples that interest you. You’re the one
who is going to be doing the worldbuilding work.
Scan the Bestiary
With a few places in mind, now glance through the bes-
tiary section of the book and consider some of the vile
beasts and sinister entities within. Do any of them strike
your interest as antagonists? Even if none leap out, you
might note down a few creatures you’d like your players
to encounter during your campaign, or some that play
on themes and elements you want to emphasize at your
table. Any of them can be reshuffled as needed.
Read the New Rules and Classes
At this point, you need to start reading more careful-
ly. This section of the book contains a number of op-
tional new mechanics and classes, and you can expect
your players to likely be interested in using some or all
of them. While the rules and classes given are meant to
be balanced for the typical table, your concern is for the
specific group you have. Not everything that works for
the median party is going to work at your table.
Some rules may not be relevant; you won’t care
about low-magic campaigns if you’re running a game in
the heart of the Amundi kingdoms, and you may not
care about new wound rules if you’re not really interested
in increasing the grit of your game. If a rule does look
interesting, you can add it as a provisional addition to
your game. If it doesn’t work out well for you in play, be
ready to pull it or change it to something more suitable.
For the new classes, read them over and think about
whether or not any of your players are likely to be inter-
ested in them. You shouldn’t feel obligated to add them
to your campaign unless you feel comfortable with their
abilities and the impact they might have on play. If you
do allow them, the players should understand that their
existence is provisional and if they don’t work out for
either the player or the GM some retroactive changes
may be called for.
Make a Location Shortlist
Now that you have a selection of interesting nations,
potential antagonists, and additional rules in mind, go
down the nation list and pick a few locations that appeal
as the starting points for a campaign. If you don’t have
any particular players in mind for your game yet, you can
then winnow down that short list to the one you like best
and use the tools in the Worlds Without Number core
book and this volume to flesh it out into the proper start
for a sandbox campaign.
Talk With Your Players
If you do have a specific group of players, however, take
your shortlist to them and talk it over. Maybe one choice
will be an obvious favorite with them, or maybe their in-
terests give you an entirely new idea. It’s not uncommon
for a campaign to shift wildly at this stage as a GM gets
a clever idea from listening to what their players want to
focus on in the campaign.
This is also a good opportunity to talk over the addi-
tion of new rules or new character classes. It may be the
players just aren’t interested in something you planned
on involving, and finding that out now can save you a lot
of wasted prep work. Once everyone’s on the same page,
you can start to build your campaign using the corebook’s
tools and guidelines with the confidence that your efforts
will be enjoyed by an engaged band of heroes.

The Facts of the World
While the Latter Earth is similar to our own in many
ways, there are some basic facts about its societies that
must be kept in mind if many of its realities are to make
sense. Three particular facts need to be understood if a
GM is to have a comfortable time running campaigns in
the Latter Earth.
Humans Don’t Rule The Earth
On the modern globe, the only truly empty regions of
Earth are those that are utterly uninhabitable or utter-
ly worthless. “Trackless wildernesses” are almost never
uninhabited so much as they are simply thinly peopled.
There are very few situations where a habitable territory
with useful natural resources is left unclaimed.
In the Latter Earth, there can be a hundred miles of
utter wilderness a few days away from a nation’s capital.
It’s not a wilderness because no one wants its resources or
territory, it’s a wilderness because it’s full of unspeakable
monsters and alien horrors that even an army could not
reliably root out. Human nations simply do not have the
manpower or the resources to secure territory beyond
the immediate reach of their communities.
Many of these wildernesses were once thriving lands
with kingdoms and cities the equal of any modern realm.
Yet time overcame them all the same, just as many present
nations will yet fall to the constant peril of vile beasts,
cruel Blighted, or natural, inexorable disaster.
Science Is Futile
Modern societies experience technological progress. We
explore the fundamental laws of physical reality, and
3
through experimentation and careful repetition we can
produce reliable effects and lasting conclusions.
This is not the case in the Latter Earth. Due to the
decay of the Legacy all manner of basic physical laws
are now conditional, temporary, and special-cased. Even
the spells of sorcerers cannot be guaranteed to remain
functional over several ages, let alone the fine distinctions
of chemistry, biology, or physics.
Because of this, there is no point in scientific re-
search. There is no reliable technological advancement,
and the societies of the present are no more advanced
than those of ten thousand years ago. If anything, they
may be more limited by the ongoing decay of the Legacy
and the failure of ancient Workings. The future does not
automatically bring progress of any kind.
Adventurers are Recognized
It’s inevitable that there will be men and women willing
to dare the perils of the wilderness and the monstrous
secrets of the past in order to come away with gold, glory,
and power. Every nation counts some number of these
adventurers as useful if disposable members of society.
Most nations recognize adventuring as a particu-
lar societal role, one dedicated to driving back monsters,
plundering ancient ruins, and performing criminal acts
for pay. It is rarely an esteemed role, but most societies
have made their peace with it and have ways of managing
relations with these freebooters. Laws and social expec-
tations are often a little laxer with them, for odds are
that most of them will be dead soon enough… hopefully
before causing more trouble than they’re worth.
4
THE LANDS OF THE WEST
The western hemisphere of the Latter Earth is the one
best known to the scholars of the Gyre. Numerous tales
and legends of the far eastern lands are cherished by
storytellers and sages alike, but there has been so little
contact with the east during recorded history that few
would dare to speak with confidence.
The history of the west is better understood. The
scholars of the Gyre use the traditional Brass Calendar
for their calculations, beginning their epoch with the ar-
rival of the Reaping King in 1 AL, “after landing”. Dates
before this epoch are expressed as “BL”, or “before land-
ing”. The current date by Gyre reckoning is 1055 AL.
The true age of the Latter Earth is unknown, and
perhaps unknowable due to the splintering of Iterums.
In the western hemisphere, however, all reliable recorded
history begins with a great and ancient catastrophe.
The Colligation of Epochs
At some point near the year 3000 BL a massive convul-
sion of space and time disordered much of the Latter
Earth, an event later known as the Colligation of Epochs.
Cities were trapped in amber bubbles of frozen hours,
lands were warped and reconnected in impossible to-
pographies, and several empires rose, prospered, and fell
within isolated chronal pockets that seemed to exist for
no more than an hour elsewhere. The temporal chaos
made it impossible to synchronize events world-wide,
and it is only out of convention that scholars place the
“end” of the event in 3012 BL. After that point time and
space appear to have regained their consistency over the
majority of the planet, though even today there remain
pockets of dangerous asynchrony or distorted space in
the more isolated regions of the world.
This Colligation of Epochs marks the supposed ini-
tiation of the current Latter Earth Iterum, one identified
as “108 Triumphant Void”. Some sages dispute this origin,
crediting the earlier Yamad Rebellion as the fruit of an
Iteral divergence, while others think that the Logomachy
of Nakad’s creation of the Cut splintered off the present
reality, claiming that the identifier “108 Triumphant Void”
does not appear in that precise form until shortly after
that calamity. The truth is extremely difficult to discern,
however, as this world’s parent Iterum is unknown in the
present age. Without knowing the history of the former
world it is all but impossible to discern where the current
one first diverged.
The texts known as the Seven Ash Scriptures kept
by the now-defunct Smoke Venerants appear to point
to the Colligation as the most likely point of splitting,
claiming certain meta-ontological equivalences that con-
nect the great disaster to the Preterite glyphs that the
later scholars of the Black Glass Forest in present-day
Vitrum first read as “108 Triumphant Void”. The coal-
tongue of the Smoke Venerants is poorly understood by
modern scholars, however, and the sorceries used to help
translate it cannot repair the numerous corruptions and
scribal lacunae introduced in the past several thousand
years. It’s possible that these equivalencies were inserted
long after the scriptures were first compiled.
The aftermath of the Colligation continues to plague
modern-day historians. Many of the dates and locations
recorded in ancient texts are inconsistent or implausible,
and it remains difficult, if not impossible, to determine
how many of these disagreements are due to transcrip-
tion errors or the author’s own ignorance, and how many
are due to chronal or spatial distortions left over from
the Colligation. Scholar-seekers of the Calendric Order
in Atlantis continue to investigate historical and contem-
porary temporal disorders, but even those daring scholars
can verify only so much.
In the millenia since, these Atlantean scholars
have divided history into three great ages, from the lit-
tle-known first to the present third age. Many anticipate
some great turning soon to usher the world into a fourth.
Historical Scholarship
The four thousand years of history dimly retained
by scholars of the present western lands is owed
chiefly to the work of sorcerers. The incessant search
for ancient magic these adepts undertake leaves
them with a large supply of ancient documents, lost
codices, and hidden inscriptions that their magic is
often able to repair and at least partially translate.
Even so, the restricted interests of most sor-
cerers tend to leave frustrating lacunae in the past.
Many topics of great interest to historians, such as
details of political shifts, cultural mores, daily life,
and even basic biological facts about ancient peoples
are but little-represented in these salvaged grimoires.
Sages who specialize in historical questions must
often piece together conclusions from scraps of im-
plication and insinuation, and their accuracy suffers
considerably as a consequence.
As a result, many nations have at least one or
two academic institutions dedicated to seeking out
ancient ruins for their documents and cultural arti-
facts. These adventuring sages are often bankrolled
by wizards or nobles eager to get the benefit of their
magical discoveries. Among independents, some
such scholars are largely indistinguishable from
common tomb-robbing adventurers save for their
wider linguistic education.
Seekers into the past should not be surprised if
document dates conflict, traditions contradict each
other, or past histories do not seem to match per-
fectly. Few among those who recorded them were
there to see the truth of matters, while others had
good reasons to conceal the truth.
6
The Lords of the First Age
The exact nature of most of the kingdoms and civiliza-
tions that existed in the first thousand years after the Col-
ligation remain unclear to modern scholars. Documents
accessible to the scholars of the Gyre region are focused
mainly on the surrounding continent of Gyarus, the con-
tinent of Agathon to the north, and the great island of
Carce, later known as Atlantis. Within this scope several
great nations are known to have existed at some point. As
they commenced at the start of recorded history, beyond
the light of surviving scholarship, they and their rulers
are often spoken of as the “midnight kings”.
These polities were merely some of the most signifi-
cant during the first quasi-recorded age of human history,
and include only those known to scholars of the Gyre. In
the western lands, the beginning of this era is thought to
be marked by the end of the Colligation of Epochs, and
the end of it signified by the pact in 1605 BL between the
first King of Carce and the Zakathi rebels that overthrew
the island’s former republic.
The Deep Lords: A collective name for the several dozen
Far Deeps that banded together in order to con-
quer the surface world around 2500 BL. The surface
had already been claimed by the peoples liberated
from higher, shallower Deeps, and by the time the
ancestors of the Far Deeps had managed to reach
the surface, little unclaimed land remained for
them. Their lords had a superlative understanding
of the ancient pathways beneath the earth, however,
and their armies were known for appearing as if
by magic at far distances from one another. Their
deep imprisonment and the changes wrought by
their jailers left them poorly-suited for the sunlit
world, however, and the few surface kingdoms they
established did not prosper.
Their ruins tend to be shallow bunker-settle-
ments once surrounded by ancient fields. They al-
most invariably have at least one deep shaft leading
to the old transit passages, most of which are col-
lapsed in the present age.
The Four Dynasties: Several consecutive dynastic em-
pires thrived throughout the continent of Gyarus.
The first appears to have ruled through military
power, the second through divine theocratic au-
thority, the third as a scholarly magocracy derived
from these gods, and the fourth as a bureaucratic
counter-revolution against sorcerous excesses. Dy-
nastic ruins are especially thick in the center of the
continent, particularly around their once-capital
of Anchang. Their last remnants still persist in the
modern rulers of the Fifth Dynasty.
Dynastic settlements often had extensive un-
derground areas dedicated to civil defense, particu-
lar subterranean gods, or dubious arcane traditions.
The Grand Harmony: The last major surviving Outsid-
er empire in this region of the Latter Earth, being
established by a confederation of Outsider species
in the southeastern parts of Agathon and on the
island of Carce, later known as Atlantis. Having
failed to overcome humanity by violence before the
Colligation, the Harmony attempted to influence
their neighbors through subterfuge, alien sorceries,
and calculated diplomacy. Their own human chattel
were imprisoned within fortress-Deeps on the is-
land, and it was not until the rising of the Liberator
Queen that the humans were able to break free of
their walled domains and exterminate their alien
jailers. Even so, persistent legends speak of hidden
bargains and secret agreements made to preserve
some fragment of the aliens’ old power.
Harmony ruins were all initially built to suit
the alien requirements of their inhabitants, but each
tended to have a small associated Deep for breeding
and housing human servitors or livestock.
The Intoners: A civilization marked by the great metal
bands they embedded in the earth, straps as broad
as roads that were flung over much of western Ag-
athon. They were said to possess secrets of music
capable of manipulating the Legacy, the mystical
chords transmitted through the “iron weft” to ex-
tend the reach of their power. Their cities were all
resonant towers of iron and glass, and silence was
blasphemous to them. Now almost all of the surviv-
ing iron weft is long lost under the earth and their
cities are no more than rust and buried shards in
windblown places.
Surface ruins of the Intoners are largely de-
cayed. Subsurface structures can be dangerously
charged with occult musical energies, or maintain
echoes of ancient weft-resonant powers.
The Liberated Republic: This short-lived polity was
formed on the island of Carce under the leadership
of the Liberator Queen, a semi-mythical figure who
led the great rebellion that finally broke the Grand
Harmony. Modern scholars believe she was the
human monarch of one of the fortress-prisons of
Carce, but surviving Zakathi execration-texts in-
sist she was actually an Outsider herself, one who
betrayed both Gan Zakath and her own kind. The
republic she founded scarcely outlived her, collaps-
ing under the pressure of Zakathi hostilities and
internal conflict within the fortress-prisons.
Republic ruins tend to be few and relatively
small in size. The radical individualism encour-
aged by their society led to a preference for small
like-minded groups of neighbors rather than large,
coordinated urban areas.

The Pale Empire: Led by a necromantic Imperator of
superlative power, one who maintained an entire
kingdom of both the living and the animate dead.
Those who still drew breath were expected to
provide a tax of children for the next generation,
with the most fruitful and useful of his living ser-
vants promised the best grade of unlife upon their
death. Those who offended his laws were punished
with eternal torment as an anguished corpse. His
throne-barrow was an entire mountain range in the
central region of Agathon, a megastructure that is
still being carved within and without by swarms of
his surviving undead slaves. Scholars debate over
whether he was destroyed by proto-Amundi heroes
or if he has simply forgotten about the world.
Places dedicated to the Pale Emperor are al-
ways fashioned of stone and ornamented to an im-
possible degree. Every inch of them is covered with
patterns, images, and symbols of his power, all of
them carved by unsleeping corpse-laborers.
The Seven Rivers Confederacy: A confederation of feu-
dal rulers in the northeastern regions of Agathon,
each of whom was in possession of a powerful de-
fensive Working seized from the Outsiders. Warfare
was futile among them, and the Workings provided
for almost all of their material needs, so they vied
amongst each other for excellence in beauty, honor,
and fame. The music and poetry of the Seven Rivers
spread throughout Agathon as hallmarks of culture
and refinement. Some say they became perhaps too
refined, and that they did not end as human as they
had begun. The confederation’s downfall came in
1410 BL, with the meteor impact that formed the
Hammersea. The Legacy contained the worst of
the catastrophe, but it still ruined all their guardian
Workings and scattered their lords.
Remaining Seven Rivers ruins are beautiful
even in decay, lacking any military function but of-
ten possessing impractical aesthetic Workings.
The Tempest Horde: Nomadic wielders of lightning
and storm, locked in perpetual warfare with the
Intoners and the dead hosts of the Pale Empire.
While surviving texts depict them as nomads and
barbarians, their sky-priests were privy to secrets of
iron and meteorological magic that have not been
duplicated in the ages since. Had they not been di-
vided up into so many feuding banner-clans, they
may have avoided their ultimate disintegration into
dozens of squabbling petty kingdoms.
The Horde was nomadic, but ancient forge-
sites have been found where their steeds of iron and
lightning were fabricated. Most of their metal servi-
tors have long since decayed, but some still function.
Their later settled kingdoms were generally founded
amid the architectural wreckage of the peoples they
had conquered or driven away.
7
The Ten Thousand Clans: A catch-all for the innumerable
small city-states and tribal groupings that formed
during this poorly-recorded age. These civilizations
rarely extended further than a single city or a small
local hegemony, and almost all were wiped out
sooner or later by their neighbors, internal strife,
or an unexpected disaster. The shards of their
surviving people made up the root stock of many
later nations, but the records about each city-state
are usually long lost to history. Even so, some of
them possessed great magical powers or impressive
Workings, while others were inhabited by species
that would no longer be considered human by mod-
ern sensibilities.
It’s impossible to characterize the ruins of the
Ten Thousand Clans, as each nation and civiliza-
tion had their own preferences. Neighbors of great
empires often adopted elements from their grander
associates, however.
The Wind Cities: Flying cities that appeared to be found
mostly in western Gyarus, given the locations of
surviving crashes. These city-states occupied small
floating islands that hovered high above the ground,
harvesting clouds for water and dueling each other
for the mystical energies of sunlight they required
for operation. The year-long occlusion of the sky
produced by the eruption of a volcano in what is
now Sarx around 1600 BL appears to have spelled
their doom. Of course, the common pretensions of
modern sky reavers to being “princes” or “princesses”
of the long-lost Wind Cities are no more than fan-
ciful self-aggrandizement.
Crashed wind cities are mostly little more than
small mountains of rubble and ruined buildings, but
a few landed softly enough to maintain some struc-
ture. The skydocks of these surviving ruins are often
fought over by modern sky pirates.
The Zakathi Uprising: First formed during the waning
years of the Grand Harmony, the humans of the
prison-Deep of Gan Zakath were universally afflict-
ed by a great curse of toil. The inhabitants blamed
the Liberator Queen for this curse, accusing her of
having betrayed their rebellion. Whether true or
not, the hostility of the newly-accursed Zakathi
was a major factor in the eventual collapse of the
Liberator Queen’s republic. Led by Overseers, their
many labor crews fought until the chaos eventually
brought forth the Kings of Carce and their great
bargain with the Zakathi.
Zakathi ruins are characterized by their ex-
treme physical inconvenience. Long flights of stairs,
heavy doors, spiraling passages, carved ladders, and
other means were used to enforce physical exertion
and exhaustion in the populace, who were all cursed
to require such wearisome labor if they were to live.
8
The Masters of the Second Age
The Second Age of the western lands is better under-
stood by historians, its documents and relics being much
closer to the present day than those of the most ancient
empires. By the time of the first King of Carce, the other
great nations of the First Age were all collapsed or in an
advanced state of decay, and their heirs were growing
in strength and prominence. The Second Age ruins left
behind are more likely to be surface structures, having
had to endure fewer millenia of erosion, and more likely
to have formed the nuclei of still-extant modern cities.
Convention places the start of the Second Age with
the great pact between the first King of Carce and the
Zakathi Uprising in 1605 BL. The end is commonly set
by the coming of the Prior Crown and the transforma-
tion of decaying Carce into the nation of Atlantis by its
new rulers in 498 BL.
The Kingdom of Carce: The successor of the Liberated
Republic, the kingdom was born amid the bloody
civil war between the embittered fortress-prison
of Gan Zakath and the disorganized cities of the
Liberated Republic. The warlord Heraklion of
Gan Imadi succeeded in allying himself with the
Toil-General Azusa, and their political marriage en-
sured Heraklion’s eventual ascent as the first King
of all Carce. The Blighted of Gan Zakath became
the martial nobility of Carce, and their congenital
need for constant exertion was recast as “tireless val-
or” rather than a Blighting flaw in their blood. Even
so, the eventual conflicts between the Task-Houses
toppled Carce’s last king around 500 BL.
Carcian ruins are few, largely because most of
their settlements and cities were seamlessly taken
over by the Prior Crown at the end of the age. The
convulsive warfare that marked its final decades did
leave its marks, however, and some massive stone-
built edifices yet remain to decay. Carcian architec-
ture was greatly influenced by Zakathi work-mania,
and often tended to the monolithic and cyclopean.
The Indur Banners: Beyond the Shangu mountain range
of Gyarus, numerous Deeps had opened up not
long after the Colligation and unleashed dozens
of city-states on the surface, each under the ban-
ner of its own king or chieftain. These civilizations
clashed repeatedly over control of surface resources,
and were relatively easy prey for the First Dynasty’s
armies. Many of their customs and ethnicities still
survive among the cities of modern Tseb Hwii.
Indur ruins are often found beneath Tseban
cities, buried under millenia of new construction.
They often have passages downward to their ances-
tral Deeps, many of which still contain Outsider
guardians or alien devices left behind in their an-
cestral exodus.
The Spire Lords of Javair: The great volcanic eruption of
Dumat Mul around 1600 BL choked the sky with
ashes and forced the Wind Cities to make perma-
nent landings, some more controlled than others.
Most of the intact cities fell in northwestern Gyarus,
amid Third Dynasty provinces that could no longer
be effectively controlled from its capital. It was not
long before the princes of the Wind Cities were able
to supplant the terrestrial governors and divide up
the area into new domains. The undying memory
of flight remained to them, however, and some of
the wind ships they built remain intact almost three
thousand years later. It was this longing for the sky
that produced their eventual doom, however, as an
alliance of princes conceived a plan to construct
a Working that could successfully lift their fallen
cities once more. The sorcery went catastrophically
wrong, with many of the cities exploding outright
and clouds of mutagenic dust falling to blight the
region into a twisted wasteland.
Javairi ruins tend toward the vertical, with
many tall towers and raised halls. Perversely, the
great Rain of Red Ash that ended their society bur-
ied many of these ruins, with only their uppermost
levels still accessible from the surface, and their
deeper passages now entombed in dangerous dust.
The Logomachy of Nakad: By 1012 BL, the tech-
no-theological studies of the Speakers of the Storm
had eventually consumed their entire society, with
the sorcerous elite making serfs of the populace and
retreating into temple-laboratories dedicated to the
pursuit of cosmic secrets. These studies were rei-
fied and proven in the form of artificial deities, the
dreaded Gods of Truth. These divine tulpas were
wielded by their cults as weapons of conquest and
internal enforcement, until the disastrous crusade
against Old Amund that resulted in the forming of
the Cut and a berserk rampage by the gods in 378
BL. The chaos destroyed most of the Nakadi tem-
ples and gave birth to the eventual empire of Sarx.
Nakadi ruins are similar to those of the Speak-
ers of the Storm, but tend to be dedicated to par-
ticular cosmic universals, such as space, time, heat,
light, life, or other fundamental elements of reality.
Their temple-laboratories in particular are rife with
remnant energies.

Old Amund: Born in the heartlands of Agathon from
the remnants of the Tempest Horde, the Seven Riv-
ers Confederacy, and several hegemons of the Ten
Thousand Clans, Old Amund was a land greatly
blessed with divine heroes. Countless legends per-
sist of the hundreds of demi-divine warriors and
nobles of that land, many of which were enthroned
as living gods during their time among mortals.
Such strength was necessary to hold back the in-
cursions of the Speakers of the Storm and their fell
iron sorcery. Old Amund outlasted the Speakers
and almost survived their heirs in the Logomachy
of Nakad, until a final cataclysmic battle shattered
the power of the living gods and destroyed the basis
of Amundi rule in their lands.
Old Amundi ruins are opulently adorned as a
rule, usually with the symbols and iconography of
whatever living god was worshiped in the area. Such
ruins usually have some remaining echo of magical
power related to the deity’s former portfolio, though
this magic is often curdled and twisted by long years
of neglect.
The Speakers of the Storm: Successful raiding by the
Tempest Horde eventually collapsed the decayed
southern portion of the Intoner empire. Far from
their rival banner-clans and with a wealth of an-
cient song lore at their disposal, the newly-settled
Horde concentrated on erecting their familiar
forges in the hearts of the old Intoner cities. The
Horde sky priests assimilated the old Intoner caste
of tonesmiths into a lore of iron and song, and the
two cultures blended into a knowledge-obsessed
oligarchy of intellectual and magical elite. Profound
magical insights were unearthed by the Speakers
who ruled each city, and deep truths about the
substance of the world and the operation of the
Legacy were discerned by their legions of honored
scholar-slaves. Initially this interest in cosmological
truths was curbed by prudence and a reluctance to
delve into certain topics, but by the waning years
of the Speakers their rulers were casting off all re-
straint in their pursuit of terrible secrets.
Speaker ruins are invariably orderly, rational,
and geometrical in their outlines. Mathematical
principles inform most architecture, and a particular
love for odd numbers and straight lines are visible
in their work. Many of their sites were taken over
by the Logomachy that followed them, but a few
remote cities and settlements had already perished
from magical mishaps or internal strife by then.
9
The Suldant Theocracy: When the Pale Emperor per-
ished or lost interest in the surface world, the re-
maining surface-cities under his control were left
leaderless. The Imperator had sealed many of the
undeath-arts that they had formerly relied upon, re-
stricting them to the use of himself and his autho-
rized viceroys; without such agents, they could no
longer maintain their old society. If undeath could
not give them eternity, then perhaps green life could;
they threw themselves into the study of plant-based
sorceries and floral life forms. The Green Priests
were those sage-sorcerers most knowledgeable in
such things, and through their magics they trans-
formed much of the Theocracy into a multicolored
jungle. Where once the elites had been gifted un-
death, the Theocracy gave them a half-vegetative
existence, merging them with perpetually-regener-
ating plant life. In the end, however, the interests
of these half-human Verdant Lords wandered too
far from the interests of their human subjects, and
the Theocracy collapsed into isolated cells of green
sorcery amid half-inhabited wilderness.
Suldant ruins are all organic in nature, usual-
ly grown out of plant life and heavily infused with
sorcery. Many ruins have died in the centuries since
the theocracy’s fall, and their rot has been known to
give birth to foulness-fed things of an awful nature.
The Vothite Empire: Born of the peerless Impera-
tor-Queen Voth, the empire emerged from the
Well of the One Thought around 2500 BL in
what would later be known as the Gyre region of
Gyarus. Their initial rise was halting, and it wasn’t
until 1500 BL that the empire reached its true peak.
Blocked from southern expansion by the strength
of the Fourth Dynasty, the Vothites spread along
much of the northeastern coastline of Gyarus. Long
ages of rule by their Mentarchs and mind-bending
Thought Houses kept the provinces in line until the
empire’s eventual collapse around 1000 BL. Schol-
ars are still uncertain as to the cause of this fall,
with some crediting internal rebellion by a major
Thought House, and others preferring a successful
rebellion by renegades somehow immune to the
empire’s mental binding.
Vothite ruins tend to be classical in their ar-
chitecture, with few or no mundane fortifications.
The occult iconography and memetic symbology
they are decorated with are usually too archaic to
affect modern explorers, but some dangerous com-
pulsions can still be found.
10
The Fallen of the Third Age
The Third Age is commonly counted to begin with the
enthronement of the Prior Crown in Atlantis in 498 BL.
Fifteen hundred years have passed since that date, and
several major polities have risen and collapsed during
that time. The present-day survivors are described in
more detail later in this chapter, but a few of the more
important lost nations are mentioned here. This list is by
no means exhaustive.
The Great Benevolence: The demihuman Great Benev-
olence of the Nagadi is unusual in having almost
completely erased its own existence from the cur-
rent Iterum. The exact history of the polity is un-
clear, but it appears to have been a major power in
what is now Lost Emedia and the Anak Wastes. At
some point early in the Third Age, its Imperator
Acalis worked a tremendous sorcery that excised
their entire causal history from the present Iterum
and translated it into an unknown realm free of hu-
man inhabitants. An alternate history took its place,
one in which the Dynasts pushed their control to
the southern borders of the Gyre. The only remain-
ing Nagadi in the current Iterum are the “Oblates”,
Nagadi warriors left behind as being unsuitable for
their new world.
Little is known of the Nagadi save for a few
documents and ruins that survived the polity’s
translation. They depict the Nagadi as much like
humans, aside from their gold-on-gold eyes and
perfect forms. They were supposedly kinder, no-
bler, and more courageous than baseline humans,
famous for their innate compassion and aversion
to violence. It was only after centuries of human
raids and exploitation that their Imperator Acalis
transformed certain of their members into “Oblates”,
warriors capable of taking human life. While these
steps curbed the human hostility, the moral influ-
ence of baseline humanity was deemed intolerably
corrupting to the Nagadi people, and Acalis even-
tually saw no other option but complete withdrawal.
Nagadi ruins are beautiful even in decay, carved
of white stone and adorned with peaceful scenes of
happy life. None have anything resembling fortifica-
tions or military structures. Considerable wealth in
art remains behind, having been left behind by the
Nagadi, but the surviving Oblates make its recovery
a very dangerous prospect. While they are no more
innately violent or cruel than baseline humans, they
see themselves as accursed monsters and nurse a
bitter grudge against both humanity and their van-
ished brethren. Their sorcery-enhanced martial
prowess makes that resentment highly dangerous
to outsiders.
The Plan of the Graven World: The rise of the Plan is
difficult to trace, as most of its activity took place
far below the roots of the Black Spine mountains
to the west of the Gyre. Led by the Imperator Uba-
run, this dwarven polity was obsessed with imple-
menting the Plan of the Graven World. The entire
purpose of their existence was to carve, engrave, and
shape every portion of the world into a single perfect
machine that would ensure peace, abundance, and
harmony for all eternity. Massive currents of magi-
cal energy were tamed in their great Workings and
used to power self-sustaining underground cities
and automaton servitors. They first came to the no-
tice of surface dwellers around 655 BL and a limited
amount of trade was conducted between the Great
Plan and the Vothite Republic. This traffic did not
last long, however, and by 554 BL all contact from
the Plan had been cut off. The exact cause of their
silence has never been confirmed, though surviving
tales speak of great earthquakes in the mountains
and torrents of murderous light from the peaks.
Even now, the states of Runom still sometimes un-
earth dwarven devices that retain some remnant of
their old power.
Ruins of the Great Plan are easily identified
by the incredibly complex engraving and geomet-
ric designs on virtually every surface. Rooms and
corridors interlock in repeated patterns, patrolled
by automated guardians and fueled by channels of
magical energy. Few are inhabited by living crea-
tures, and the surviving dwarves of the Black Spine
either know little of the Graven World or will not
speak of it.
The Remnant Chords: When the Tempest Horde broke
the southern reaches of the Intoner polity, the
northern remnants were forced further north in
order to escape the pursuing banner-tribes. There,
they took refuge in the backwater tower-cities that
had been established in the northern provinces. Nu-
merous chord-cities formed along the great lake’s
shore, pale shadows of their former glory but still
potent in their remaining sorceries. The decay of
their magic and the evolution of the Legacy gradu-
ally forced the Remnants into new modes of living,
with most of the survivors becoming the people of
the present-day Hyperborean tribes.
Chord-city ruins tend to have numerous fallen
towers as a legacy of their old Intoner architecture.
Most have been empty for centuries, but a few pock-
ets of settled habitation remain around those with
still-functional agricultural magic or climate main-
tenance Workings. Most of these dwellers have been
direly changed by the curdled magic.

The Salt Vassalage: The same Polop invasion that struck
Llum in 807 BL swept over the Vothite provinces of
the northeastern Gyarus coast. While the local sa-
traps were able to push back most of the fish-devils,
five eastern Vothite provinces were overwhelmed.
The Polop installed themselves as lords over the
surviving aristocracy, altering them to be depen-
dent on Polop drugs and gifting them with many
strange weapons from below. They were charged
with providing a steady tribute of humans to their
overlords, and if they could not acquire them from
their neighbors, they would be taken from their
numbers. The harvests continued for almost six
hundred years before a final alliance of vengeful
neighbors and peasant rebels massacred the nobil-
ity and drove their Polop masters back into the sea.
The swampy province has ever after been considered
an ill-favored land, but intruders still come to seek
the old secrets that the Polop left for their servants.
Vassalage ruins are all adjacent to the water-
ways by which the Polop once maintained their rule.
Most have both air-filled and aqueous portions, the
latter of which are often now occupied by hazard-
ous water beasts. The great port of Triloukon was
the heart of their naval power, and even now the
occasional would-be pirate king dares to reclaim
some portion of the ancient city.
Sunken Llum: An island nation north of the Gyre, Llum
was a trading hub that negotiated much of the
commerce between Carce and the Vothite Empire,
its peak being around 1250 BL. Their mighty Im-
perator-King Qwoll was able to suppress the Polop
cities of the coastal waters until the fishmen invaded
11
in 807 BL. Qwoll enacted a terrible rite that sank
almost the entire nation, using the power of the sac-
rifice to transform the Polop invaders into masses
of nacreous coral. The Sisters off the Gyre coast are
the only surface remnants of Llum, though sailors
still peak of the pearl-eyed Llumans below and their
supposed claim on all the Atlantean Main.
Lluman ruins are normally found only on the
Sisters, though outposts and trading marts are
sometimes found on farther coasts. The Llumans
favored towers erected atop masses of subdivided
warehouses and workshops. The tops of these tow-
ers often rise above the silt of centuries past.
The Vothite Republic: The fall of the empire around 1000
BL left much of northeastern Gyarus in chaos, with
innumerable breakaway provinces and suddenly-in-
dependent domains taking the place of the old fiefs
of the Thought Houses. The Republic maintained
a relatively firm grip on the imperial core of the
Gyre, but the eastern coastal provinces respected
the Senate in word more than deed. Much of the
Republic’s life was spent in dispatching military sup-
port to cooperative provincial governors in order
to chastise less docile regions, or bargaining with
supposed subordinates for theoretically-mandatory
taxes. While its effective control steadily dwindled
over the centuries, it was never quite overthrown
until the Reaping King took effective control of
the Vothite heartland and freed its unruly eastern
provinces from any practical reason for obedience.
Republican ruins resemble their imperial pre-
decessors, save for the aversion to visual decoration,
iconography, or the other memetic objects.
12

A Timeline of Significant Events

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

Date Event
807 BL Fall of Llum and invasion of the Gadavin Coast by the Polop; the great Dynastic port city of Triloukon
falls to them
790 BL Fall of the Third Dynasty due to accumulated strains and rise of the bureaucratic Fourth Dynasty
785 BL Xindai daimyos brought to heel by the Fourth Dynasty, who appoints a shogun to control and
manage them
720 BL Xindai receives a renegade Nakadi sorcerer who brings several varieties of demihuman with him;
these later form communities in Xindai
655 BL Plan of the Graven World first contacted by the Vothite Republic beneath the Black Spine mountains
544 BL Plan of the Graven World ceases contact with the surface
510 BL The Predecessants of Atlantis take service with the Carcean Task-House Phaistos, later to betray them
498 BL Beginning of the Third Age; Fall of the Kingdom of Carce and founding of Atlantis by its new Prior
Crown
490 BL The Xindai shogunate is captured by the Hironaka family, who make it their hereditary possession.
Beginning of the decline of the Fourth Dynasty's power over Xindai
482 BL The Rain of Red Dust, a catastrophic magical error, transforms Javair into the Choking Dunes
480 BL Kytheron's native nobility conquered by Carcean exiles from Atlantis who marry into their families
400 BL The Choral Republic in present-day Vitrum falls to internal strife, opening the way for the Sathans to
ravage the balkanized remnants of the country for centuries to come.
378 BL Fall of the Logomachy of Nakad as their eidolons turn on them and the vast Cut is created. Rise of
Sarx in its former territories
230 BL The collaborator nobles of Triloukon on the Gadavin Coast are killed by other lords in the region and
their Polop masters are driven into the sea
155 BL The Imperator Shun rises in present-day Llaigis, seizing control of that land and driving out Vothite
Republic forces
1 AL Reaping King lands at modern Ka-Adun
110 AL Xindai shogunate becomes a bauble for daimyos to fight over, a position with little real power
160 AL The Imperator Shun perishes in a failed attempt at living godhood, his Rule of Shun dissolving without
his guiding force. The Vothite Republic is too weak to reclaim Llaigis.
222 AL Marius, first Glass Emperor of Vitrum, uses mysterious Intoner arts to unite the remnants of the Choral
Republic and drive back the Sathan raiders.
241 AL Collapse of the Vothite Republic and their submission to the Reaping King
262 AL Death of Marius, first Emperor of Vitrum, and the recommencement of raids from Sath Ingit
500 AL Rise of the present-day Aristoi Principalities, who drive their bestial cousins north into Shinbu Anak
520 AL "Oni Shogunate" of Xindai, with a brief sequence of demihuman shoguns and grave unrest
605 AL Xindai shogunate effectively abolished due to a lack of any meaningful authority
700 AL Founding date of the oldest currently-surviving arcane school in the Black Pact
801 AL Xindai's soldiery crushes Shenlai province's military forces as part of a rebellion; the Hundred Schools
descend to save the province from a monstrous invasion from the Shining Peaks
802 AL Disintegration of the Fourth Dynasty into its successor-states and a new Fifth Dynasty in the heartland
805 AL Xindai gains de facto independence due to concessions from the Fifth Dynasty as payment for their
help in bringing the Tui clan to the throne
810 AL Hantu established as an independent state nominally led by the Fourth Dynasty's imperial heir
855 AL Destruction of the province of Emed-Dar by Anak raiders
856 AL Founding of the Anak nation of Sarul in the Gyre
1055 AL Current date
14
Seas and Mountains of Note
There are numerous great landmarks within the trackless
wilds of the Latter Earth, but a few of them are so vast
that even distant scholars know of them. The features
listed below are only the greatest of these.
The Atlantean Main: That sea formed between Atlantis,
Sarx, the Gadavin Coast, and Kytheron. Relative-
ly few sea monsters or Outsider perils exist in the
Main, allowing for a rich trade among nations... and
regular profit for the many pirates and privateers
who sail it.
The Bight of Nakad: Accounted as all the seas between
the tip of the Godblight and the coast of the Chok-
ing Dunes, the Bight teems with pirates preying on
Sarxian ships, naval forces from the surrounding na-
tions, and an age-old infestation of sea monsters off
the coast of Runom. Its small isles are richly veined
with gold, and Sarxians and freebooters struggle
regularly over the mines there.
The Black Spine: Once the western boundary of the
Vothite Empire, these mountains now separate the
Gyre and the Anak Wastes from Runom. They are
jagged and difficult to cross, with only ancient Out-
sider-built passes and transit-cities offering much
of a direct way across. Some such places are still
inhabited, if not always by their original creators.
Boras Mur: A glacial sea of endless ice, the Boras Mur
marks the limit of northern human habitation. On
land, its glaciers entomb many ancient nations in
the Far Wastes, and numerous sea isles exist only
as thickened bulks of ice. Adventurers speak of no-
madic nations of inhuman beings who dwell on the
ice, determined to one day spread the Boras Mur to
the southern pole. Its glaciers are strange, for they
simply swallow and cover what they take instead of
grinding it flat with their advance.
The Carcereal Sea: Named for the old Kingdom of
Carce, all the waters south, north, and east of At-
lantis are counted part of this ocean. It teems with
dangerous sea-beasts and aquatic Outsiders; there
has been no reliable contact with the eastern conti-
nents in presently-remembered history.
The Carven Peaks: Mightiest of the northern mountain
ranges, the Carven Peaks earned their name during
the First Age, when the Pale Emperor bade his
undead servitors carve the entire mountain range
into a testimony to his immortal glory. While the
foothills and lower reaches of the range are largely
untouched, undead carving-crews have been build-
ing mountain-sized statues, memorial tableaux, and
inscriptions in the range for three thousand years.
Most of the larger works have names given by the
Amundi, and while most of the crews have fallen
prey to the range’s dangers over the past millenia,
some still labor on.
The Cut: The product of a disastrous clash of sorcery in
378 BL, the Cut is a massive cleft running from the
Atlantean Main to the Bight of Nakad, fifty miles
wide at most points and seemingly bottomless. The
waters on either end of the cleft are prevented from
flowing in by some spatial distortion, but the sides
of the Cut appear to have sliced through scores
of ancient subterranean Deeps, exposing them to
those daring enough to scale the gorge. A few up-
thrust lengths of megastructure wreckage within
the gorge provide a way to cross to the other side,
but only bold travelers would risk those roads.
Gebed Hau: The southern half of the Gebed Hau range
is cold and treeless, but possessed of ancient mines
that give up gems of remarkable beauty and occa-
sional occult power. The northern half is lost to the
ice of the Boras Mur, but ice-miners of a former
age cut vast roads and thoroughfares through stone
and frost alike.
Gebed Mur: The sea-road of the northernmost na-
tions, the Gebed Mur is a freshwater sea that re-
sists freezing year-round, save for its perpetually
ice-locked northern coast. Vitrum’s ships conduct
uneasy trade with the Black Pact across the Gebed
Mur, while the Still Cities send out undead galleys
to gain new recruits, and the Hyperborean tribes
raid south with an equitable hand. The ice-kissed is-
land of Mur Indis was once an ancient, long-lasting
stronghold of human rebels against the Outsiders,
but now only their ruins remain.
The Hammersea: A meteor impact in 1410 BL destroyed
the heartland of the Seven Rivers Confederacy and
gouged out this freshwater sea, penetrating so deep-
ly as to flood a number of buried Deeps. Aquatic
creatures from the bottom of the world sometimes
float upward to the surface, usually expiring hid-
eously under the sun, but sometimes nesting in ru-
ined Deeps near the surface. Certain sorcerers of the
Black Pact are said to worship the meteor, thereby
receiving secret messages from beyond the world.
The Herondeep: One of the three great freshwater seas
of Agathon, the Herondeep sees much piracy from
the Shinbu Anak. The Blighted prey on the mer-
chantmen that pass between Kytheron and the
Amundi kingdoms or raid the villages of Couront.

The Lakaian Range: Oldest of all the mountain ranges
in Agathon, these peaks are riddled with the ruins
of the Grand Harmony and their Outsider citadels.
Anak tribes driven out by the Aristoi or on the los-
ing side of Shinbu power struggles nest in the val-
leys and hollows. Scholars believe that some of the
Deeps here were surface colonies of the now-van-
ished Deep Lords that assaulted the surface during
the First Age.
The Master’s Teeth: The last stronghold of Outsider do-
minion in the southern continent, the First Dynas-
ty’s conquest of Atba Sim drove the surviving Tor-
mentors of Vesh into these jagged peaks in 2300 BL.
While many of their mountain fortresses have been
destroyed over the centuries, they still command
the heights, and sometimes raid south to acquire
victims for their hideous rites.
The Moebian Ocean: No navigator has ever succeeded
in reaching the eastern continents by sailing west
over the Moebian Ocean. Some great Working or
defect in the Legacy leaves such explorers sailing
vainly for months on end, only to turn back and find
themselves among the Bluecrowns a few weeks later.
The Pale of Leng: Cursed mountains that guard Ninth
Leng. Countless strange shrines and obscure tem-
ples are carved into the range, most abandoned,
some still supported by sullen mountain villages.
Rogue creatures of unholy origin stalk the valleys
and ridgelines of the Pale.
Saidonis Mountains: Studded with Zakathi task-cita-
dels and the ruins of Old Carce, the Saidonis moun-
tains are rich in ores and valuable metals. They are
also volcanically active, with the perpetually-smok-
ing Mt. Athra being the most volatile of them.
15
The Seadevil Coast: A narrow band of water north of
the Gyre. Within it, the Polop are dangerously ac-
tive, and they and other monsters make sea travel a
perilous prospect.
The Shangu Mountains: Greatest of the southern moun-
tain ranges, the Shangu are majestic, beautiful, and
exceedingly dangerous. Three ages worth of Dy-
nastic exiles, mad sorcerers, renegade malcontents,
and unspeakable monsters have ventured among its
peaks, and not all of them have left their bones there.
The uppermost reaches of the Shangu are so high
that humans cannot survive without magical aid.
The Shining Peaks: These peaks are dangerous not
only for the warped and hideous beasts that crawl
among its stones, but also for the lethal blue glow
that shines from certain ridges and valleys. The
glow waxes and wanes at unpredictable intervals,
and those caught within it rapidly sicken and die.
Guides from the villages of the Litten Coast some-
times claim to know the patterns for a particular
stretch of the peaks; sometimes they tell the truth.
Ultima Ondas: Formerly the population core and cultur-
al heart of the nation of Ondas, a surge of the Boras
Mur drove them south in ages past. The haste of
the ice’s advance forced them to leave many of their
treasures behind, though certain modern sorcerers
are said to have raised cold towers there.
The Whiteskulls: Largely buried by the glaciers of the
Boras Mur, the white peaks of this mountain range
jut above and earn it its given name. The absolute
solitude of the peaks combined with the loot buried
in the ice below have beckoned more than a few
groups of adventurers, along with a few foolhardy
southern gem merchants willing to bankroll expe-
ditions and base camps in the killing cold.
16
A Summary of Lands and Nations
The Amundi Kingdoms: A patchwork of kingdoms, des-
potates, autarchies, tribes, and lesser polities, the
Amundi kingdoms share a past rather than a mon-
arch. Once ruled by living gods and apotheosized
beast-deities, the ancient fall of their paragons has
left most states decadent, listless, and half-barbaric.
Great cruelties keep company with great heroics
there, and new temples to strange gods are raised
in lonely places.
Anak Wastes: Once held by the Third Dynasty, then by
the Vothite Empire, the collapse of the latter left the
heavily-populated lands of the wastes prey to Anak
warbands from the Black Spine. The sudden explo-
sive growth of several arratus in the area finished
the expulsion of the human inhabitants and left
the place the alternately desolate and jungle-choked
wasteland it is today. Even so, isolated remnant-ru-
ins of the demihuman Great Benevolence can still
be found in isolated places. These are yet guarded
by the bitter Oblate Nagadi left behind by their
Imperator during the causal warp that erased their
prior history in the region.
Aristoi Principalities: Ruled by a breed of highly-refined
Anak nobility, the Aristoi pride themselves on their
self-control, discipline, and personal excellence.
Even so, this pride does not prevent constant strug-
gles among their princely houses or an incessant
state of warfare with their savage Shinbu cousins
to the north. Foreign lords view them as ruthlessly
effective rulers largely unburdened by either person-
al affections or compassion.
Atba Sim: Once a human prison-state in subjection to
the Tormentors of Vesh, the First Dynasty crushed
the Outsiders and planted garrison-forts outside of
their ruins. The heirs of these ancient guardians still
populate the land, keeping watch over the old ruins
and remaining vigilant against Outsider perils. They
have little commerce with the outside world, but
provide services to adventurers who dare to inves-
tigate the ancient prison-cities on the island.
Atlantis: One of the greatest powers in the land, the Prior
Crown of Atlantis rules much of the eastern sea.
They fence with Sarx over the Atlantean Main, and
struggle at times to put down internal rebellions
and secession movements supported by enemies
from both the present and the past. Some among
their Zakathi demihuman population resent the
current order and remember the glories of Old
Carce.
The Black Pact: Ancient enemies of the men of Ninth
Leng, the sorcerers of the Black Pact rule their cold
and bitter land in a loose confederacy. Every coun-
cilor of the Pact is a great arcanist in their own right,
and their lonely towers command the unclean cities
and drear villages surrounding them. The evil send-
ings of these wizards often bleed over their borders
to plague their neighbors.
The Bluecrowns: Named for the plumes of blue smoke
that often issue from their peaks, the Bluecrowns
are an archipelago of steamy volcanic islands that
have served as a refuge for exiles and a base for pi-
rates for more than an age. Numerous ancient ruins
and pirate dens litter the islands, but the natural
hazards of its jungles and mazey volcanic tunnels
have been the doom of almost all prior colonies.
The Choking Dunes: The only human inhabitants of the
Choking Dunes are those dunefolk who know the
secrets for neutralizing the semi-mutagenic dust of
its wastes. These survivors cluster around buried
oasis-tunnel villages that can still maintain some
magical agriculture in the face of the dangers of the
dunes. The few others that come do so to plunder
the buried ruins of the ancient princes of Javair or
trade with the dunefolk for their own salvage.
Couront: A land of cold pine forests and broad fields
of barley, Couront is under the hand of a dozen
great noble houses who rule by the strength of
their knights and a Church of the Bleeding God
that rules by its faith. Monsters and curses bleed
over often from the Black Pact to the west, and the
king of Couront is constantly tested in his ability to
drive back those dark perils.
The Far Wastes: Legend says that the lands now called
the Far Wastes were once warm and fertile, cov-
ered over in towering jungles and broad plains. The
remnants of this age can still be seen buried thirty
paces deep in the crystal-clear ice that now covers
the land. Whole cities of some ancient people are
thus entombed, though few dare to plunder them.
The Fifth Dynasty: Heritor of the fallen Fourth Dynasty,
the Fifth is little more than a footnote in compari-
son to its predecessor. An emperor rules it in name,
but practical authority is in the hands of a legion of
scholar-bureaucrats who mimic old Dynastic forms
without the power those forms once commanded.
Its ministers yearn to reclaim its wayward provinces.

The Free Clans: A successor-state of the Fourth Dynasty,
the Free Clans are not a single polity so much as a
loose alliance of a hundred or more major lineages
under regional clan-heads and revered monastic
leaders of the Golden Path. Merchants are highly
respected here, unlike in most Dynastic states, and
the wealth of its grandees funds an army powerful
enough to discourage the forces of the Fifth Dy-
nasty’s emperor.
The Gadavin Coast: Formerly five different provinc-
es of the Vothite Empire, control over them was
gradually lost during the Republic era. The political
structure has devolved into city-states and small re-
gional kingdoms, with the exception of the largely
uninhabited marshes around the former great port
of Triloukon. The lands there were lost to a Polop
invasion centuries ago, and the ruins of Triloukon
are now only infrequently held by some rash pirate
king or would-be princeling.
The Godblight: When the Logomachy of Nakad fell to
the madness of its artificial gods, most of its schol-
ar-priests were killed by their eidolons or by the
proto-lords of present-day Sarx. Those that sur-
vived fled here, to nurse their old arts in relative
safety. Their reckless studies have made the land a
desolation and a place of countless horrors.
The Gyre: The Gyre was once unified under the rule of
the Reaping King, until his seeming somnolence
has led to its present state of disorder. It has no
neighbor strong enough to step in as a new hege-
mon save perhaps for Atlantis, but the Prior Crown
shows no interest in such involvement. It may take
a catastrophic season of war to identify a new king.
Hantu: A disorganized remnant of the Fourth Dynasty,
Hantu is only nominally ruled by the current heir
to the fallen dynasty. In truth, its Empress Mei ac-
tually holds a tight leash on many of its quarreling
governors, and their chaotic scheming and plotting
all merely serve to further her ends. Its peasantry
are sorely oppressed by the hereditary literati class,
and they suffer cruelly for the ambitions of their
governors.
The Hundred Schools: When the Fourth Dynasty col-
lapsed, several cells of sorcerer-scholars emerged
from the Shining Peaks to take control of the prov-
ince between the mountains and the inland sea.
Claiming a line of legitimacy from the Third Dy-
nasty’s sorcerer-kings, they employed their magics
to break the local governors and institute new laws.
Now the province is a patchwork of domains under
various splinter sects and arcane schools, some of
which are prone to magical accidents, and others
who are dissatisfied with their limited scope of rule.
17
Kytheron: When the kingdom of Carce fell, most of
its nobility submitted to the new rule of the Prior
Crown or were destroyed by his armies. Those that
did neither fled to the mainland province of Kyth-
eron, viewed as a backward colonial possession at
the time. Its present Queen considers herself the
rightful ruler of Carce and Kytheronan privateers
are a lasting threat to Atlantean shipping. Kytheron
itself is a mix of Old Carcean gentility and rough-
edged primitivism, with the heirs of the exiles close-
ly pressed by restive natives.
The Litten Strand: In ancient days this mountain range
was the site of a terrible war between its native
demihumans and some alien evil that threatened
to boil up from below. The poisonous radiance that
remains of their struggle still infects the peaks and
its monstrous denizens, their surface ruins now
given over to Blighted and worse. Some coastal vil-
lages and market-towns remain to support pirates,
refugees, and freebooters seeking wealth among the
dead.
Maqqatba: The First Dynasty considered it a sacred
duty to entomb its emperors and high officers in
the eternal white ice of Maqqatba. These “ice saints”
have been foci of veneration ever since, with schools
of warriors inheriting the ancient martial tech-
niques of the First Dynasty knights who guarded
the tombs. These quarreling sects form the only real
government in this cold land, their affairs almost
wholly separate from the common class of farmers,
fishermen, and herders that feed them.
Ninth Leng: There have been eight Lengs before this one,
though scholars have few details of them. Scarce
more is known of the land at present, save that it
is cold, isolated, and much encumbered by priest-
hoods of many kinds. Even the commoners are
priests of one strange god or another, and many
of the hierarchs are versed in mysterious sorceries
and the petitioning of the mysterious Bright Names
they serve. Lengish merchants buy slaves from
Kytheron in exchange for gold and silver coins and
blue jade plaques, but they do not welcome many
casual travelers.
Ondas: Once seated on the northern island of Ultima
Ondas, a failure of some great climate-Working
left the shores of that place entombed in ice and
snow. Its refugees made homes among the dark pine
forests and cool meadows of the mainland. A pros-
perous civilization arose there before the coming
of savage automatons from beneath the Pale drove
them back to the coast two hundred years ago. Now
a great reclaiming is underway to take back their
frontier lands. Numerous pioneers are pressing west
with the help of their unique Ondasi hurlants.
18
Runom: Once a land inhabited by the demihuman
creations of the Logomachy of Nakad, the tribes
broke away into their own scattered domains when
Nakad fell and Sarx rose in its place. Now dozens
of petty princedoms and clan-holdings bear the
weight of annual Sarxian raids amid the rivalries
of their neighbors. The Sarxians are known to cut
deals with Runom’s lords in order to cripple any
too-promising hegemons who might threaten to
unite the tribes in resistance.
Sarx: A land of ruthless order, rich abundance, and
blood-stained altars, Sarx is the most powerful na-
tion on the northern continent. Its Red Gods grant
blessings of riches and power to its people and offi-
cials in exchange for an endless flow of human sacri-
fices. Many of these “honored offerings” are taken by
slave raids into Runom and the Amundi kingdoms,
but citizens who prove superfluous to the Flame of
Heaven’s purposes may also find such an end.
Sath Ingit: Sath Ingit’s riders are famed both for their
peerless cavalry and the tremendous variety of war-
beasts they ride. Their beastwrights are privy to the
secrets of molding animals and humans alike, con-
ferring great power on Sathan lords in exchange for
unfortunate costs in longevity and occasionally on
their sanity as well. The beast-clans make regular
raids on Vitrum, and some even dare the perils of
the Godblight to bring home treasures from afar.
The Scarlet Princes: Heirs of Dynastic cadet branches
and losers of internal power struggles, the Scar-
let Princes formed a backwater western province
during the Fourth Dynasty. With its fall and the
rise of the Fifth, many of these ancient families as-
pire to reclaim old glory or to unseat the “usurpers”
to the east. Their inability to coalesce under a single
candidate for this is all that has kept them from
commencing open warfare. Even so, many families
retain heirloom relics or ancient secrets from the
days of their prior glory.
Shinbu Anak: Once the rulers of much of the southeast-
ern Agathon coast, the Shinbu Anak were driven
into their present lands by their cousins, the Aristoi.
They count dozens of Anak subspecies among their
numbers, some of them scarcely recognizable as hu-
manoid. Necessity has made them more organized
than most Anak, and their warlords sport a pow-
erful pirate navy and bases on the isles of Yamad’s
Bones. Their raids plague Kytheron, the Aristoi
principalities, and points west.
The Still Cities: With the fall of the Pale Empire three
thousand years ago, its undead refugees colonized
this chill and gloomy land. They have persisted here
ever since, a land of half-dreaming undead miming
the useless habits of life and raiding their neighbors
for new recruits to eternity. Living humans are treat-
ed as monsters there, and many are the adventurers
from foreign lands who raid the dead cities in search
of the wealth the undead still produce. Their lords
have retained much of their human intelligence, but
the commoners of the Still Cities have had their
reason worn away to little more than repetitious
habit in the ages since their conversion.
Sunward Isles: The plant-obsessed Suldant Theocracy of
the second age had many discontent with the Green
Priests who ruled them. Some were not satisfied un-
til they’d put an ocean between themselves and their
former lords. Each isle has its own ruler, and their
competition sometimes boils over into naval war-
fare. Unlike many other lands, the Sunward Isles
are a “dryland”, one where conventional magic does
not function within a hundred miles of the islands.
Tavat: Craggy Tavat is the beating heart of piracy in
the Atlantean Main, a curse-defended foothold
for sending out reavers to feast on the commerce
of the eastern nations. Rulers rise and fall with the
fortunes of various pirate kings, but the anchorages
here see smugglers and freebooters of every variety...
save for those who seem weak enough to make a
good meal for the locals.
The Tombfell: Cold, desolate, and grim, the Tombfell is
dotted with numerous crumbling Outsider cities
and settlements, the remnants of old refuges against
humanity’s swelling conquest. Much of the land has
been transformed into strange arratus by owners
now dead or in hiding. The terrain itself is wildly
unpredictable, with pockets of strange climates and
geography inflicted by decaying Workings. Out-
siders still dwell in the Tombfell, but they seem to
be much degenerated from their former heights,
though still possessed of rich treasures.
The Tribes of Hyperborea: Once city-dwelling rem-
nants of the ancient Intoner empire, the collapse
of their urban Workings and the increasing chill of
the northern forests and meadows forced the Hy-
perborean tribes into either a nomadic existence as
hunters and gatherers or a settled one of barely-ad-
equate agriculture. They are a proud and ruthless
people, sometimes raiding south into Vitrum and
sometimes taking pay to serve southern masters.

Tseb Hwii: The heretical wizard-lords of Tseb Hwii did
not exterminate the local Outsiders in prior ages,
but instead enslaved them for their particular tal-
ents and uses. This slavery greatly disquiets their
neighbors, who would rather see the Outsiders
wiped out, but the Tsebans find their minions too
useful to be rid of them. Rumors persist that the
seeming slavery is actually a facade for hidden Out-
sider rule.
The Verdancy: The Suldant Theocracy of a former age
worshiped all things green and growing as the key
to eternal life. Their demented remnants linger in
the Verdancy, a multicolored hell of lethal forest
and maddened flesh-and-flora hybrids. The forest
makes occasional incursions into Vitrum and Sath
Ingit, requiring heroes to seek out the twisted things
that guide the intruders and extinguish them before
they plant roots.
Vitrum: A proud empire of glass and iron, Vitrum is
the martial heir to the ancient Intoners and their
secrets of sonic sorcery. The emperor sends forth
his legions to fight the raiders of Sath Ingit, the
tribes of Hyperborea, and the green monsters of the
Verdancy. Meanwhile, the Vitrumite senate schemes
to profit by these just wars and elevate their own
kinsmen that much closer to the oft-vacant throne.
19
The Xindai Commanderies: The support of the daimyos
of the Xindai Commanderies ensured the success
of the Fifth Dynasty’s rebellion against the Fourth.
This help bought them so many privileges and im-
munities that they now stand practically indepen-
dent of the emperor’s will. They handle much of the
Dynastic sea trade through their ports on the Ver-
million and Carcereal Seas, and their quarreling do-
mains are occupied by many breeds of demihuman.
Yain: When the Logomachy of Nakad fell and the red
empire of Sarx rose in its place, some survivors fled
the sacrifices of their new masters. These exiles
escaped to Yain, where they maintain a shadow of
Nakad’s old sorcery without revering their gods. A
powerful sky-navy and a number of potent magical
schools defend them from Sarxian invasion and
make them a power in the Bight of Nakad.
Yamad’s Bones: Legend claims that the first successful
rebellion against the Outsiders took place in the
rich land of Yamad. Rather than admit human suc-
cess, the Outsiders sank Yamad into the sea, leaving
only its highest points above water. Yamad’s Bones
are those remnants, each layered over with ancient
and inexplicable human ruins. This ill-omened past
has left them largely uninhabited save by pirates,
hermits, and outlaws.
20
THE AMUNDI KINGDOMS
Raucous, tempestuous, and ever-changing, the Amundi
Kingdoms form the ancient heartlands of Agathon. Doz-
ens of nations have left their bones in this graveyard of
gods, and their ruins provide ripe picking for latter-day
explorers.
History
The final centuries of the First Age were a chaotic time,
with many early empires collapsing or being overrun
by more ambitious neighbors. The lands between the
Carven Peaks and the Lakaians were no exception, and
opportunities blossomed with the disappearance of the
Pale Emperor and the collapse of the Seven Rivers.
The first proto-Amundi kingdoms formed around
1800 BL, centered on a half-dozen city-states around the
Jilat and Munait rivers. Each of these cities was suppos-
edly ruled by a divinely graced god-hero who led their
chosen people to unnumbered victories over their rivals
and the hated Speakers of the Storm to the south. The
details are unclear, as few records exist from these days.
As the centuries passed, more god-heroes rose to
lead their followers to new heights. Something about
the Amundi lands seemed to act as an incubator for
legendary greatness, and hardly any city was without a
half-dozen heroes and a demigod or two. Their quarrels
and adventures birthed scores of epic poems and prose
sagas. Dozens of kingdoms rose, prospered, and fell as
their patrons were overcome, while the Speakers of the
Storm to the south became the sinister Logomachy of
Nakad, scholar-thralls to their dark Gods of Truth.
Their rivalry ended in 378 BL. During one of the
regular northern crusades by the Logomachy, some error
unleashed the shackled eidolons of the Gods of Truth
and threatened to annihilate both Nakad and Amund.
Legends speak of the Thousand Gods of Amund who
marched to drive back the eldritch hordes. At the cost of
their divine lives, they broke the invaders and carved the
Cut that now separates the two lands. The scorched and
desolate Spoil is all that remains for their graves.
Whatever the gods did to save Amund cost it its
special grace as a cradle of divinity. A handful of gods
remained after the divine bloodbath, but they were weak-
ened and distanced from their followers. The occasional
sacred king or holy queen emerged as the centuries rolled
by, but their powers were far weaker and their reigns far
briefer. When their kingdoms fell or their temples were
shattered, they vanished as mortals do.
Without their god-heroes, the Amundi kingdoms
were thrown back on more mundane forms of struggle.
In the past fourteen hundred years since the fall of Nakad,
more than three dozen major kingdoms, despotates, free
domains, principalities, and other polities have formed,
prospered, and fallen. Currently there are seven major
domains in Amund worthy of being called kingdoms,
along with dozens of petty border states and vassal lords.
The Emirate of Qasir is southernmost, bordering
the uninhabitable Spoil. Emir Seif is both the land’s lord
and the head of the Great Faith dedicated to the worship
of the Thousand Gods. According to the Great Faith,
these gods are not destroyed, but merely distant, and only
through a life of piety can their aid reach humanity.
The Despotate of Mishar broke away from Qasir
a hundred years ago. Its Despot Amiya is a bloodthirsty
queen, eager for war and delighting in barbarous splendor.
She preys often on the lesser satraps of Nabardura, but
her people groan under the weight of her taxes and the
cruel depredations of her warlike lords.
The Satrapies of Nabardura bow in theory to the
Great King Darius at Capavan, but in practice every
satrapy is all but an independent nation with its own
petty dynasty. The king allies with the weaker satraps to
contain the strong and acts as first among equals when
repelling attacks from Mishar, but the quarrelsome lords
of this land are often at each others’ throats.
The Kingdom of Pelegrin prides itself on its inher-
itance from the great Seven Rivers Confederacy of ages
past, glorying in the art, music, and elegant architecture
they received from it. Its King Amalric is said to partake
of some of the ancient divine power of a god-hero, and
is both famously mighty in battle and famously indolent
in rule. Its nobles love pageantry, jousting, and decadent
excess, and care nothing for their crushed subjects.
The Duchy of Vois is one consequence of Pelegrin’s
decay. Three hundred years ago its rulers, the Dukes of
Vois, broke away from Pelegrin to obtain de facto inde-
pendence. Its people are notoriously resistant to noble
rule, and its present Duke Clotaire is hard-pressed to
bind its many mayors, aldermen, elders, and headmen
together to resist the raids from Pelegrin.
The Duchy of Ostmark is a similar tale, though
their departure happened only forty years ago. Many
suspect King Amalric’s father let it go intentionally, for
now the Ostmarkers are solely responsible for resisting
the depredations of the Shinbu Anak to the east. Some
whisper that Duke Franz is actually making bargains
with the Blighted to send them further west.
The Clans of Fidach do not have a recognized lead-
er, but keep to their chill forests and deep hollows in
territories hallowed by tradition. Their warriors go south
as mercenaries and freebooters, to bring back gold and
luxuries to their primitive homes.
The Lost March is a land wholly unknown to this
book. By some inexplicable oversight, everything about
its past, people, and even its internal geography appears
to have been omitted in the available records. Nothing
is known of its past relations with the other kingdoms
of Amund. A creative storyteller could make up almost
any kingdom or collection of domains for the March and
have faith that their fictions would not be contradicted
by anything else in this book.

Geography
The Amundi kingdoms are temperate in climate, with
warm, dry coastal plains near the Spoil and a colder, wet-
ter clime in the Fidach hills. Snow is rare in the south, but
in winter it falls heavily around Ras Egrin and Salburgh,
where the broadleaf forests of Nabardura and Vois give
way to the pines of the northern foothills.
The Gulf of Amund is relatively free of monstrous
perils, and every kingdom with a coastline sends heavy
traffic across it. These ships are as often pirates as traders,
and travelers must weigh the overland perils of bandits
and wild beasts against the risk of a freebooter’s sail on
the horizon.
The Carven Peaks mark the western boundary of
the kingdoms, the greatest of them fashioned into mas-
sive monuments to the glory of the long-vanished Pale
Emperor. His undead labor crews continue to chip and
dig at the mountains even now, fashioning empty shrines
and grand edifices that are to be inhabited only by beasts
and renegades.
The Spoil is nominally part of Amund, but little
can live on its blasted soil. The curse of so many divine
deaths in such a narrow space has forever blighted the
land. Monsters and worse are constantly congealing out
of the soured divinity, and it is only for the sake of the
many ancient, abandoned ruins within that adventurers
dare risk that cursed land.
21
Peoples of Amund
There are four major ethnic groups in Amund, along with
a host of smaller ones. While these types dominate the
nobility of their homelands, it’s not remarkable to see
them mixed among other nations, or for an upstart to
make good in another land when opportunity calls.
Qasiri are found in Qasir and Mishar, being lean,
amber-hued men and women with long, dark hair and
black eyes. They favor ornate clothing, often decorated
with symbols and tokens of their favored gods.
Nabar are in Nabardura and western Vois. They are
a tall, broad people with dark skin and hair, and their
clothing tends to simple drapes and robes. While of un-
complicated cut, they enjoy bright shades and brocaded
stitching on their finer garments.
The Riu are the people of Pelegrin, eastern Vois, and
parts of Ostmark. They are a pale-skinned, dark-haired
folk, and have inherited much of the old Seven Rivers
beauty that First Age nation was known for. This old
grace comes at a cost; some Riu are known for being
prey to ungovernable passions and the occasional fit of
madness.
The Marchen are found both in Fidach and Ost-
mark, being remnants of a much older kingdom that
collapsed in the First Age before the Seven Rivers rose.
They are of average height but broad-built, with dark or
brown hair, pale eyes, and ruddy bronze features.
22
Demography
A rough estimate suggests that as many as 10,000,000
people live within the Amundi kingdoms, with Qasir
and Pelegrin being the most populous and Fidach hav-
ing the fewest inhabitants. Most settlements cluster near
the coasts and rivers, with a few placed inland where a
secure site and valuable resources can be had.
There are no major demihuman kingdoms in
Amund, though a few minor fiefs and remnant domains
do exist in the mountain foothills and deeper forests. Ad-
venturers from these people are rare and few, but most
Amundi have at least heard of their existence.
Cities and Towns
Great cities are few in Amund, but every domain worth
the name has at least one major urban center. The ones
listed below are merely the most famous among them.
Capavan: Capital of Nabardura, with scores of magnifi-
cent palaces, most abandoned for decades. Every sa-
trapal family claims one of them but few dare leave
their home fiefs unguarded. Many things now dwell
in their empty halls.
Ganzabara: The great mart of mercenaries in Amund,
with Fidach warriors gathering there and the poor
sons of satraps joining them. Their captains intrigue
with would-be patrons, and some sell more services
than open warfare.
Hazirim: A safer base for expeditions into the Spoil than
Yath, gloomy Hazirim is an exile-prison for nobles
who have offended the Emir. Such exiles are eager to
present their ruler with relics that might earn them
forgiveness, and carefully inspect any finds.
Jilat: Seat of Mishar’s despot, famed for its mighty walls
and the great arena she oversees. Champions gain
a place of great favor with her; losers are fed to the
dogs.
Kennet: The only city worth mentioning in Fidach, Ken-
net is little more than a trading port for merchants
on the Hammersea. It’s been burnt a dozen times
by raiders, but the clans think nothing of import is
lost by such temporary inconveniences.
Khatin: A mining town reliant on the ores of the hills and
the charcoal of the forest. Its warriors prevent the
forest beasts from overwhelming Mishar’s southern
farms.
Mundburgh: Seat of the Dukes of Ostmark, and a sig-
nificant port city. Its Duke Francois is Riu, but most
here are Marchen, and like him only a little better
than their old Pelegrin masters.
Rais Egrin: Magnificent ancestral seat of Pelegrin’s kings,
the palace there is of pale adamant and jewel-bright
stones. Nobles live in the old Seven Rivers quarter
of magnificent villas, while peasants patch together
half-ruined buildings and erect shanties in ancient
courtyards.
Rais Vois: Capital of the Dukes of Vois. With the Stark-
wald arratu to the east, the inhabitants are often
pressed by monsters from that twisted forest. The
gold and ores of the nearby hills make the old cap-
ital too precious to abandon.
Rukh: Capital of Qasir, built amid the cyclopean ruins
of the greatest temple in Amund. Single shrines
house whole neighborhoods, and the Emir’s palace
is carved into the monolithic great altar of the place.
Sidonne: Once the winter seat of Pelegrin’s king, it’s now
divided into a half-dozen districts run by clans de-
scended from the original servants. Each guards
valuable secrets about the great palace at its heart.
Voigne: Pelegrin’s port on the Herondeep, well-popu-
lated by merchants and by the naval forces charged
with fending off Shinbu Anak pirates. Many crimi-
nals and exiles from Couront flock there.
Yath: A lawless den of vice, Yath provisions both the
pirates of the gulf and explorers of the Spoil. Its
“prince” changes regularly, the succession motivated
either by gold or sharp steel.
Amundi Society
Life is harsh in Amund for most commoners. Peace is
only ever temporary between its warring domains, and
the peasantry take the brunt of the raiding. Ties are
strong between families and kindred because no other
source of sure protection can be had.
Every kingdom but Fidach has some caste of nobles
or gentry. In Vois, these are merely the richest burghers
and most important landowners of the area, and they
have no special authority beyond their own lands and
businesses. In Pelegrin, however, a baron can have a man
killed for sport alone and no one would think it strange.
Most other nations have lighter degrees of noble author-
ity, but it’s never safe to make an enemy of the great.
Slavery is common throughout Amund, save in Fi-
dach, where it is considered degrading to both slave and
owner. In Qasir and Mishar, slaves partake of some of the
status of their owner, and a great lord’s slaves are subject
to fearful deference. In Nabardura, Vois, and Ostmark
they are counted as little more than movable property
or valuable battle-spoils. Slavery technically exists in
Pelegrin, but merely as a class of serf that can be legally
sold off their land by their lord. Few find any meaningful
difference in the distinction.
Social classes are stark in Amund, but they are also
considerably more fluid than in some other lands. The
fortunes of war, the vagaries of politics, and the chances
of the market can all conspire to upend a noble house or
bring wealth and power to a slave. A self-made noble is
often given more credit than one of ancient lineage, for
the former can at least be sure to have been good at some-
thing to get their current rank. A useful servitor to a king
can easily rise to the highest rank, just as a disappointing
one can quickly meet the axe.
This instability tends to lend a violence of spirit
to life in the Amundi kingdoms. When everything can
change so quickly, there are many who will dare great
risks to get the better of such shifts.

Government and Law
Every kingdom has its own laws, and most of them are
unsurprising to visitors. Outside of Vois and its watchful
burghers, however, enforcement tends to be lax. A bandit
who can cross a border is unlikely to be pursued, and a
noble who commits some infamy against a commoner
is seldom troubled by the magistrates. A lack of legal
rebuke does not make such things safe, however, as ven-
geance is punished no more carefully than crime.
The rulers of the Amundi kingdoms are theoretical-
ly absolute monarchs. Within his own palace, the Great
King of Nabardura can have the head of any man with
a fingersnap, and only a fool of a courtier would dare
gainsay Despot Amiya her slightest whim. Even Duke
Clotaire in Vois may have his own way in Rais Vois
without heeding the complaints of the burghers. Alas,
this authority weakens rapidly the further the offender
is from the king’s soldiers.
None of the kingdoms have very developed bureau-
cracies or administrative resources. A lord may have a
number of courtiers and ministers, but these grandees
are usually nobles in their own right with their own do-
mains and interests. The only bureaucrats that exists are
those few clerks, messengers, and baliffs that might be
personally attached to a noble. Far more numerous and
important are the dependent warriors that make up the
noble’s military forces.
Thus, if the king wants something done in a far place,
he must send a messenger and hope the local lord carries
the order out. Any single rebel baron can be crushed eas-
ily by the king – assuming he notices the disobedience
– but a widely despised command cannot be rammed
through by brute force.
As a consequence, every ruler in Amund is always
looking for agents and trusted envoys to investigate mat-
ters and resolve royal difficulties. Because so many local
gentry are compromised by their ties, outsiders such as
adventurers or foreigners often become such agents... and
are wholly reliant on the king’s protection should they
make powerful enemies. Sometimes it is convenient for
a king to let an unfortunate agent take the blame for an
order’s regrettable outcome.
Ultimately, however, most of Amund’s rulers are not
nearly so interested in detailed obedience as they are in
the timely provision of taxes and soldiers. A lord who
pays his due and brings aid in time of war is forgiven
many little errors and failures in decorum. An adventurer
who cuts their own domain out of a country might well
be made a legitimate vassal by the king, provided they
carry their responsibilities well and didn’t kill anyone the
monarch especially liked during their conquest.
Lesser lords tend to act with the same free spirit as
their master. The common law does not exist for such
grandees, but only the custom and opinion of their peers.
Disagreements between them are not settled by lawyers,
but by raids, marriages, bribes, or the occasional risky
appeal to a king who might like the chance to cut down
an overly-powerful vassal.
23
Religion in Amund
Amund is god-burnt, its history teeming with demi-di-
vine heroes and god-kings and its present sorely lacking
in such figures. The rough western hill country nurtures
some monasteries of the Golden Path, and the Bleeding
God has a surprisingly strong presence among the most
downtrodden Pelegrin serfs, but most gods in Amund
are makeshift deities revered only in a single city or king-
dom.
The Great Faith is an exception, being the state
religion of Qasir and the de-facto faith of Mishar. They
revere the vanished gods that turned back the Gods of
Truth during the catastrophe of 378 BL, their shrines
and priests all dedicated to their memory and their wor-
ship. Its believers are taught to be truthful, brave, gener-
ous, and obedient to their lords. Some followers take to
the lessons better than others.
The City Gods are a compound of ancient heroes
and dimly-remembered divinities, each major city having
a host of them recorded in their past. Rather than rever-
ing them individually, most cities have temples dedicated
to them as a whole, with prayers and sacrifices offered to
them as an indistinct pantheon. They oversee the city’s
prosperity and fortunes in war, and are invoked to bring
blessings on its people.
A farmer seeking good harvests or a sailor wishing
fair winds turns to the Need Gods. If a petitioner knows
of no specific god to help them, they tend to call out to
any who might listen, making a generic appeal to the gods
of war, health, harvest or sea. Priests of the Need Gods
boast of their knowledge of many different deities of past
ages, all of which are guaranteed to grant splendid success
in exchange for the proper rituals and tributes. Other
Need Gods are well-known in particular communities,
having been hallowed by tradition and regular use.
The Living Gods are the most disturbing of the
modern faiths. These sects revere actual living deities,
with whole communities shot through with rituals and
sacrifices to their glory. Some such gods are little more
than divine beasts, ravenous for sacrifices, while others
appear as human heroes or more sentient divinities.
Their power is almost always restricted to a single city
or small region, though it can be fearsome within that
scope. Some such gods have been summoned by their
priests, while others appear to be the product of the old
Amundi predilection towards birthing divinities. Their
strange ways often leave their protectorates isolated and
avoided by unbelievers.
Aside from these types of deities, the land itself is
littered with the remnants of old shrines and forgotten
temple complexes erected over the course of centuries.
Every so often some mad petitioner unearths some frag-
ment of old divinity, usually with disastrous consequenc-
es. Such dangers do not prevent modern seekers from
searching out these old places, for the ancients were often
generous in their golden sacrifices, and the gods are so
long dead that they cannot be expected to object to their
plundering.
24
Adventuring in the Amundi Kingdoms
Adventure comes easy in the Amundi kingdoms, with
so many different states at odds with each other and so
many ancient ruins awaiting a bold explorer. Adventurers
are practically respectable among noble courts, provided
they have enough worthy deeds to their names or enough
plundered gold to impress. Even kings will not consider
it beneath their dignity to deal with a proven hero or
entrust them with some great task. Of course, all such
glory comes at the price of terrible risk, and far more
adventurers are made in a year than ever see it out alive.
Exploration Adventures
Amund was more populous and far more developed
in the Second Age, when the god-heroes were at their
height and their magnificent cities covered the land.
With their passing, the wilderness has crept in to swal-
low whole nations, with abandoned cities and half-buried
roads through the perilous wilds. The forested foothills
of the Carven Peaks are particularly rich in such lost cit-
ies, many of which were built after the Pale Emperor
vanished and his empire disintegrated.
Numerous flecks of islands dot the Gulf of Amund
and the two inland seas that touch Amundi kingdoms.
Too minor to have earned any cartographic note, they’re
still large enough to hide valuable secrets, and some re-
main in the grip of peoples and kingdoms that have long
since collapsed on the mainland. A few are even reputed
to be Outsider strongholds still, with their bizarre cities
and half-poisonous surrounds.
The Lost March has room for any manner of explo-
ration a GM could wish. If you’re not using it as a con-
venient blank spot for setting your own campaign, you
can make it a trackless wilderness for ambitious heroes
to explore.
Dungeon Adventures
The Carven Peaks have been sculpted for thousands of
years by tireless undead carvers, whole mountains rid-
dled with galleries and temple-cities dedicated to the Pale
Emperor. Often every inch of these megastructures is
engraved with symbols and artistry praising the vanished
Imperator. While these delvings are far from human hab-
itations, some renegades or monsters find them conve-
nient nests, if a sufficient source of food can be found
nearby. When they die, their belongings become bait for
adventurers.
Many of Amund’s cities are built on top of ancient
settlements, or are presently part of the obdurate remains
of such places. These time-lost buildings often make pas-
sageways deep below the earth, or have hidden wings
and districts that can only be found by those who know
their old secrets. It’s not uncommon for such places to
still have an unwelcoming remnant of their former pop-
ulation.
Antagonists
The powers of Amund want gold, glory, and rule over
their peers. With such an attitude being commonplace,
it’s not difficult for a band of adventurers to find antago-
nists amid their travels.
Ancient Abominations: Monstrous things still dwell in
the wilderness of Amund, some of them decayed
remnants of ancient gods that once had hosts of
loyal worshipers. Many have gone mad in the long
years of isolation and loss, and are a terrible danger
to any who draw their attention.
Bandit Lords: Anyone with enough swords at their com-
mand can be a king in Amund, and there are more
than a few border provinces and isolated domains
where no law runs but a warlord’s will. These bandit
lords are a scourge on their neighbors, being too
strong to easily drive off, yet canny enough to avoid
drawing a king’s full anger.
Cruel Nobles: Might rules in the Amundi kingdoms, and
a noble who wants something can be expected to
take it. If the PCs have something they desire or are
in the way of some ambition, the heroes can’t hope
to be sheltered by mere laws.
Death Cultists: The edifices cut out of the Carven Peaks
hold many of the necromantic secrets of the Pale
Emperor. Some zealots still revere the vanished Im-
perator in hopes of obtaining eternal unlife. Others
merely seek these places to loot them of their occult
lore. Both kinds have a need for living victims.
Mad Priests: Amund’s history is so god-ridden that there
are bound to be some devil-deities or alien powers
that have their own crazed priesthoods. These ne-
farious gods tend to be very direct in their blessings
and punishments alike, and so attract those follow-
ers who are in need of tangible rewards. Few such
believers make good neighbors.
Ruthless Rebels: It’s no surprise that the harsh life in
Amund gives birth to its share of rebels and rene-
gades, some of them banding together into secret
societies or roving warbands. While some of these
groups are earnestly idealistic, the most successful
tend to be the most ruthless, amoral, and grasping.
Some are willing to unleash atrocities on their own
people, if only to weaken a lord’s grip by a little.
Sarxian Raiders: The Cut and the Spoil prevent easy
overland raids from Sarx into Amund, but the sea
makes a good road for their grim galleons. Coastal
villages and market towns are their chief prey, their
populations swept up and carried south to the altars
of Sarx. A fast ship can sometimes catch up with
them in time to save the taken.
 25

Amundi Names Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Carloman Alys Altdobern Weathered temple-robber of the

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

9 Heinrich Jamila Hermsdorf Backwoods peasant inured to the

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

16 Qasim Soraya Taurize Scholar seeking the secrets of the

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

Example Amundi Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Rapacious lord of Downtrodden A new god is said Holy relic of a Ragged rural
1
the area peasant clan head to have arisen here now-dead god village
Priest of some half- Earnest knight of The local lord has Ancient precious Debaucherous,
2
mad god some petty lord been usurped temple goods grimy tavern
Sorcerer from the Slave seeking a Oppressors are Antique token of Border lord’s ram-
3 Carven Peaks new and better life plundering the the local authority shackle keep
locals with taxes to rule
Merciless bandit Scholar of the prior An ancient god’s Dead noble’s hid- Long-lost temple to
4
chieftain era of the gods artifact has run wild den loot cache a dead god
Scheming merchant Idealistic healer War-born famine is Fist-sized gems Shrine to a local
5
with noble ties seeking to help stalking the area from an idol’s eyes god-hero
Vicious monster Foreigner lost in this A rebel is gathering Supply of arcane Splendid palace
6 from the wilds harsh land the discontented to and addictive drug from a former age
his banner of art and grace
Rebel with no care Deposed noble A hideous monster Proof of a noble’s Burnt-out ruins of a
7
for collateral harm seeking revenge is abroad here treacherous plan bandit attack
Mercenary captain Hard-bitten back- The local ruler is Dead warlord’s Abandoned city
8 who’s more than woods wanderer betraying his land lost payroll and dedicated to a
half bandit for some rich profit plunder hoard vanished god
26
THE ANAK WASTES
Cursed by history and plagued by brutal Blighted war-
riors, few who enter the Anak Wastes ever emerge alive.
Even so, the wealth of the ancient Dynastic cities within
and the promise of lost occult secrets are enough to draw
adventurers, despite the likelihood of a terrible doom.
History
Once the lush Ai Mej Province of the Second Dynas-
ty, the present-day lands of the Anak Waste were a rich
and fertile farming province for the priestly lords of that
lost empire. Dozens of major cities dotted its forests and
plains, and several important magical schools called its
hills their home. While the inevitable perils of the Latter
Earth could be found in its wilder corners, the Anak were
its worst threat, and they were confined to the mountain
Deeps where the largest clans had been spawned. Aside
from the occasional large-scale raid, there was little to
fear from the Blighted.
Unfortunately, a religion-driven civil war between
competing occult sects resulted in the collapse of Dy-
nastic authority in Ai Mej around 1553 BL. The rising
Vothite Empire to the north stepped in to fill the void,
and Ai Mej Province became the empire’s Emedia.
This transition came at a cost, and the southern
reaches of the province around the headwaters of the
Zinju became too dangerous for human settlement. A
ferocious Anak warlord, Ka the Tensplitter, unleashed
a magical miasma from his mountain stronghold that
petrified the entire frozen forest now known as Ka’s Gar-
den. His peers worked more prosaic havoc around the
shores of Ivory Lake, and destroyed the peaceful towns
and cities that had once stood there.
Even so, the Vothites were able to hold back the
Anak from the northern half of the province for centuries,
allowing the ancient graces of Ai Mej to linger in Emed-
Mar. In time, however, the empire fell to the Republic,
and the ensuing chaos left the border sorely undefended.
In 980 BL, while the Republic was embroiled in their
struggles for internal unity, the volcanic range known as
the Cinders blew its guts out, darkening much of north-
eastern Gyarus for a full year. While the Legacy was able
to contain the damage locally, the ensuing convulsions
weakened the world-binding sorcery enough for several
ancient arratus to awaken from their long quiescence.
The Anak took advantage of this chaos to strike
north, overwhelming Emed-Mar and threatening the
remaining Emedian provinces. The Republic was able
to fend them off at last, but the lands now known as the
Anak Wastes would never again be inhabited by baseline
humans.
In the centuries since, the Wastes have been a con-
stant scourge to both the Dynastic heritor-states and the
Gyre. As terrible as the land is and as ferocious as its
masters are, there seems little prospect for that to change.
Regions of the Wastes
Modern explorers and possessors of ancient maps have
been able to identify several distinct regions with the
Waste. While some are more dangerous than others,
none can be said to be safe for human habitation.
The Ashblight: A Hell of fungi and ash that extends north
into the Gyre, the Ashblight arratu is a prison for
the weakest Anak clans, the ones unable to steal bet-
ter land. Parasitic fungi are a constant threat here.
Shadag’s Road: Named for the Anak warlord who was
most responsible for the eventual fall of Emed-Mar,
this stretch of sandy desert is perpetually dry and
ash-choked. Only knowledge of its hidden cave-
wells can make it passable.
The Cinders: A stretch of small volcanic peaks, infested
with beasts of flame and poisonous smoke. Rich
veins of precious minerals have been vomited up
near their crowns, but few can reach them.
Lost Emed: Once the portion of Emedia known as Emed-
Mar, this jungle was once a fertile and well-watered
plain. When the Anak seemed certain to overrun it,
its last defenders used mighty magics to artificially
trigger the same Legacy disruption that had created
the other arratus in the Wastes; rather than bring-
ing forth an ancient hellscape, however, it revived a
protohistorical jungle of cycads and massive ferns.
The huge lizard-beasts that stalk it are mindlessly
ferocious, and often nest in its ruined cities.
The Strait: Named for the narrow bands of grasslands
amid the three surrounding arratus, these lands are
fought over regularly by Anak tribes and soldiers of
the Fifth Dynasty trying to push the border north.
The lack of any truly monstrous perils makes it an
inviting place for novice adventurers able to dodge
the Anak tribes, as many ancient towns and ruins
of Ai Mej still stand unplundered.
Ivory Lake: Once the lake was named for the white-
walled cities of its shore. Later, it was named for
the bones of the dead that were mounded around it.
The northeast coast of the lake is low and swampy,
a place of refuge for Dynastic criminals and exiles.
Ka’s Garden: The trees of this forest are of gray stone,
every one perfectly petrified. Nothing living grows
in this place, though there are many undead dating
back to Ka’s conquest. The Anak warlord’s tomb is
said to be somewhere within, an ancient Dynast’s
bones thrown out to make room for the conqueror’s
body and a king’s ransom in stolen treasures.
The Torn Plains: Corked up by Ivory Lake and the ar-
ratu of Salt, the Anak clans on these plains have no
convenient foe but each other. The ancient moun-
tain-Deeps seem to disgorge new tribes every time
the old ones finally kill each other off.

The Four Wounds
Four great arratus erupted in Ai Mej when the Cinders
blew out. Each of them is named for some unearth-
ly quality they possess. While creatures do live within
these accursed lands, all of them are wholly unlike any
terrestrial beast.
Iron: A sandy wasteland, but every grain is of dull, un-
smeltable iron. Jagged edifices of razor-sharp metal
jut up from the sand, vibrating and moaning in the
sulfur-stinking winds of the arratu. Hunting crea-
tures of rusted metal await living prey.
Bone: The earth has been flensed away from a massive
network of hill-sized bones and joints, as if the car-
cass of some gigantic creature lies flayed beneath the
earth. The bones are living, with poisonous black
marrow, and many wormlike creatures dwell in
holes bored within the titanic masses.
Blood: This arratu is deceptively normal-seeming, save
for a distinct smell of copper in the air. The land is
inhabited by a humanoid Outsider species the lo-
cal Anak call kaddak, who appear to require human
or Blighted blood for both religious and sorcerous
purposes.
Salt: The air here is full of poisonous salt, the ground
crusted white with it. The towns within the arratu
are unplundered, but it is death to seek them.
27
The Lords of the Wastes
The Anak are the undisputed masters of Ai Mej, but their
clans are constantly at war with one another. Those near
the borders raid into the Gyre and the Fifth Dynasty to
bring back food, slaves, and plunder, and their neighbors
raid them to take what they have gathered. Most tribes
sneer at the thought of picking over Dynastic ruins, there
being no pleasure in taking baubles from those who do
not suffer at the loss.
Anak clans range from small groups of a few score
adults to massive hordes of thousands, usually dwelling
in the most defensible ruins in the area. They remain as
long as the hunting and the killing are both good, or until
they are swept away by a rival warband.
The Anak are not the only intelligent inhabitants of
the wastes, however. Renegades and criminals from the
Fifth Dynasty are known to slip over the border in search
of refuge in some abandoned town. Now and then some
mad soul will seek to establish a farming village in a “safe”
place. Sometimes the place lasts out the decade. At other
times, it doesn’t last out the season.
Other varieties of intelligent humanoid can also be
found in the Wastes. Nonhumans don’t inspire the in-
stinctive Hate in the Anaks, and so can sometimes form
small communities so long as they have the strength to
hold them. Some say that Outsiders have made nests in
the Four Wounds, and that not all of them are immune
to diplomacy.
28
THE ARISTOI PRINCIPALITIES
The Aristoi Principalities form the largest non-baseline
human polity in Agathon, if not the entire western hemi-
sphere. Centuries of sorcerous eugenics have rendered its
Anak lords very unlike their cousins and made them far
more inclined to human intrigues.
History
When the Liberator Queen broke the Grand Harmo-
ny on Carce two and a half millenia ago, its surviving
Outsider lords were forced back to their mainland
strongholds. Infuriated by their losses, they turned their
efforts towards breeding more and more Anak warriors
to avenge themselves on the hated humans.
For almost five hundred years, the Outsider city-
states in the lowlands and the Lakaian mountain range
created innumerable varieties of Anak. At first they were
united in wishing vengeance on the Carceans, but as their
prospects of success dimmed, their Anak legions were
turned on each other. Each species of Outsider warred
to become paramount over their rivals.
This struggle compelled them to progressively loosen
the sorcerous bindings on their creations, making them
more and more capable of fighting fellow Outsiders. In-
evitably, the legions broke free in 1150 BL. In an exultant
orgy of slaughter the Anak erased the lowland Outsider
cities and sent the survivors fleeing into their mountain
fastnesses, never again to rule over their creations.
Having broken the power of their creators, the Anak
promptly seized their tools and continued their experi-
ments. Each major tribe performed hideous alterations
on their own people, constantly seeking greater might
and cunning or imbuing them with new shapes and pow-
ers. Anak nations rose and fell, with whole new species
of monstrous Blighted appearing, spreading, and being
destroyed by those who followed.
The victors of these centuries of war were not the
most savage Anak, but the most far-sighted. One par-
ticular tribe, later known as the Aristoi, employed their
creator’s sorcery and alchemy to breed scions who were
far more inclined to cooperation and self-discipline than
their peers. These Aristoi Anak had a vastly lessened
sense of Hate and far more ability to restrain their own
urges in the service of cold reason.
The Aristoi fought as liberators of the human slaves
their rivals had taken and employed their new subjects as
warriors in their armies. By 500 AL, their rivals had been
driven north to become the Shinbu Anak, and the Aristoi
were the exclusive masters of the present principalities.
While the Aristoi are far more given to cooperation
than normal Anak, they still retain considerable ambi-
tion and self-interest. The result is the present patchwork
of principalities, duchies, counties, and baronies, each
independent save for specific ties of alliance and conve-
nience. Every domain has its Aristoi clan to rule it, and a
great hegemon has yet to arise from among them.
People and Culture
The average Aristoi is the product of centuries of alchem-
ical and sorcerous eugenics. Most are of the same general
size as their baseline human subjects, with skin tones of
greens, grays, or earthen colors. Hair and eye colors are
usually dark, and their ears and teeth tend to delicate
points. They are usually accounted to be extremely hand-
some or beautiful by most baseline standards.
The chief characteristic of Aristoi thinking is fore-
thought. No normal Aristoi ever acts without consid-
ering the consequences of their choices, and while they
may act with great daring, they do so after gauging the
odds. They have a natural predilection towards intrigue,
plotting, and present sacrifice for future gains.
Their entire society is built around producing new
generations of cunning, capable, self-disciplined rulers.
Aristoi “whelps” lack full personhood until passing a
family’s traditional tests of adulthood. The ten to fifteen
percent that fail are commonly poisoned so as not to
risk tainting the bloodline, though some manage to flee.
Each Aristoi family rules their own domain, wheth-
er a small plot in informal vassalage to a greater neighbor
or a grand duchy or principality. These clans rule over
human commoners and serfs, who are generally treated
fairly but who cannot hope to attain any post more signif-
icant than a village mayor or military captain. Intermar-
riage is not unknown, but Aristoi blood predominates.
The Aristoi love elegance, pageantry, and all such
pursuits that reward careful consideration. Their country
manors are graceful, their commoners well-ruled, and
their assassinations conducted with the utmost taste.
Murder, warfare, and politics are to be carried out with
decorum, fully remembering that present victory is often
matched with future hardship. Human soldiers form the
bulk of their armies, but even their internecine wars rare-
ly touch on the farmers and peasants, as both sides wish
to preserve valuable resources.
The Land and its Cities
The southern “lowland estates” are hot, swampy, and
heavily overgrown. Farming villages grow rice and net
fish amid the countless small waterways, and graceful
Aristoi plantation-houses command the higher rises.
Warfare in the lowlands often relies on small groups of
river raiders and targeted assassinations, as the land gives
little help to moving large bodies of troops.
The northern reaches, past Uzynkol Lake, are drier
and more open, with broad plains speckled with forests
until the deeper woods of Pokrov are reached. The cli-
mate here is cooler and more temperate, and suitable for
the massed cavalry that the Aristoi rulers here prefer.
While there are several large cities among the Prin-
cipalities, no single clan claims exclusive rule of any. A
viceroy appointed by the city council manages the daily
 29

affairs of each city, while the council itself is

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

The Adventuring Life

Surplus sons and daughters of struggling Aris-
toi clans often find it necessary to take up life
as mercenaries, as that and a life in the clergy
are the only two “respectable” professions for
the nobly-born. As the Aristoi chiefly worship
ancestors and abstract concepts of victory and
wisdom, the opportunities for clerics are few.
These mercenaries tend to mix in with
foreign adventurers and the disgraced victims
of Aristoi plotting. Ancient Outsider ruins are
regular targets of such bands, and expeditions
into the Lakaian range to pry open some an-
cient alien city or failed conqueror’s tomb are
commonplace.
Adventurers are treated courteously by
the Aristoi, as all are, but most are viewed as
unreliable tools at best. They can be hired for
brute work, but if matters go astray, there is
no objection to dropping the association... and
perhaps tying up the loose ends as well.
30
ATBA SIM
Once the domain of the horrible Outsiders known as
the Tormentors of Vesh, the ancient First Dynasty broke
their power and drove them north into the Master’s
Teeth. The heirs of their guardian garrisons dwell here
still, maintaining their ancient watch on the mountains.
History
The Outsider rulers of Latter Earth were of a thousand
kinds. Some treated humans as mere cattle; others were
less gentle with them. The Tormentors of Vesh were
among the worst, being insectile monsters that seemed
to make some sort of alien religion out of the suffering
of humankind. Their prison-cities were engineered to
inflict agonies both physical and mental, and tremendous
effort was put into their dark enchantments and terrible
engines of woe.
In the days before present reckoning they were
confined to the great island of Atba. Out of pity for the
wretched humans imprisoned there and a desire to erase
the Vesh from existence, the armies of the martial First
Dynasty crossed over from the mainland to make war
upon the aliens around 2300 BL.
The campaign was a savage one, and the further the
aliens were pushed back, the more horrible the slaugh-
ter. Unspeakably vile sorceries of pain and disfigurement
were unleashed upon the Dynasts and monstrous war-
beasts of parasitized human flesh were sent forth. In the
end, the Dynasts forced the Vesh back into their north-
ern mountain strongholds and established a string of
fortresses in the foothills to keep them pent.
For approximately three thousand years, the heirs
of those garrison troops have dwelled on this cold island,
making a simple living in farming, fishing, or hunting.
Between the unwelcoming land and the presence of pow-
erful Dynastic military artifacts, no foreign power has
ever had much appetite for invading, and piratical raids
along the coast are the most interest the outside world
has shown in its people.
Yet a steady stream of treasure-hunters and scholars
still come to Atba Sim in hopes of exploring the ruined
prison-cities and unearthing the plunder of the past. The
natives of the island have made a modest industry out
of these explorers, providing them support and supplies.
The People and the Land
The Atban are derived both from the ancient Dynasts
and the Vesh’s slave-populace. The former were a slim,
amber-skinned people with straight black hair, while
the latter came in a dozen different appearances, all en-
gineered for unfathomable purposes. Many are almost
unnaturally beautiful, while others are born cursed with
deformities and Blights.
The basic political organization of the Atban is by
their ancestral fortress-garrisons, and every village knows
its proper affiliation. Marriage is always between differ-
ent fortress-clans, and sometimes war as well when there
are disputes over succession to a generalship or access to
a valuable resource. These disputes tend to be small-scale,
as every fortress is armed with First Dynasty defensive
artifacts that would crush any open assault; if a fortress
is to be taken, it can only be by cunning or politics.
The island of Atba is cold and dry, particularly in the
southern reaches and the great Simnok taiga. Crops of
barley and jade sorghum are grown on the Silitak plains,
but the southern villages live by fishing and hunting.
None dare venture north into the Master’s Teeth unless
it is to raid a Vesh stronghold. The six-armed aliens still
haunt those cursed peaks, and sometimes small parties
creep south to steal victims for their awful rites.
There are only two cities worth the name on Atba
Sim. Ingalik is the larger, being the usual entry point for
foreign adventurers and traders. It’s held by a military
council drawn from several of the nearby fortresses, and
its rulers keep it strictly neutral toward any local polit-
ical disputes. Its buildings include both hide yurts and
ancient First Dynasty port fortifications.
Silivik is the market for the villages and fortresses
of the western coast, with a few traders or adventurers
docking there instead. It’s far less developed than Ingalik
and considerably more lawless. The only authority is a
weak city council who can be stirred to act only when
some great disturbance is threatened. Numerous crimi-
nals and exiles dwell there.
The entire island of Atba is dotted with ancient Vesh
prison-cities and small garrison-forts. One can scarcely
go ten miles without finding some fortified village or om-
inous ruin of black stone. While these lesser prison-cit-
ies are numerous, six great Cities of Woe are especially
noteworthy.
Innok is the southernmost and coldest, locked in
ice for nine months of the year. Its chief torment was
Privation; the lack of warmth, lack of food, and lack of
hope. Its human citizens were made to kill and be killed
over the insufficient produce of ancient hothouses, ones
that still operate and grow strange fruits that possess
wonderful virtues.
Wiarak on the southwestern coast was the pris-
on-city of Fear. Horrible hunting-things stalked the dark
corners of the city, creeping in to commit atrocities upon
the unwary. Certain rituals and safeguards could fend
off the beasts, but these rites changed at unpredictable
intervals, leaving every citizen dreading each night. Its
human sorcerers conducted great research into warding
and protective enchantments, many of which are lost to
the present day.
Bleak Chumina was the city of Pain, a self-con-
suming prison designed to make the inmates monsters
to each other. All suffered constant, gnawing pains that
could only be lessened by inflicting torment on other
human beings. The victims sweated a thin blue liquid
 31

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

icine powerful enough to cure almost any pain or
disease. Ancient stores of this liquid are still to be
found in Chumina’s halls... as well as its curse of
suffering.
Shaktool, on the north edge of the pine taiga,
was the city of Despair. Everything about Shaktool
was designed to crush the hope from its inhabitants.
It was maintained by inhuman automaton-guard-
ians who would arrange for powerful artifacts and
rich caches of resources to be found within its halls.
These treasures were never enough to prevent their
cycles of torment and misery, however, and only
served to give false hope for a better future.
Tigat, in the cool northern grasslands, was the
city of Betrayal. The city sweated secrets in hid-
den places, codes and ciphers that could be used
to open vaults that contained precious treasures
and priceless resources. Using the wrong code un-
leashed horrible beasts or lethal traps. Its citizens
played cruel games of misrepresentation and deceit,
all to be the last ones alive to gain the treasures.
Perhaps the most horrible of all the pris-
on-cities, Kabuk was the city of Eternity. Its in-
habitants were effectively immortal, being infect-
ed with a hideous symbiote that preserved them
from all mortal injury. Yet despite this immortality,
monstrous creatures constantly tormented them,
starvation and privation constantly afflicted them,
and their lives existed purely to be immiserated.
While some of these immortals have been success-
fully destroyed by adventurers, the majority are still
shackled to the city, hopelessly insane and convul-
sively violent. Even so, the treasures they guard are
said to be the fruit of three thousand years of mad,
compulsive craftwork.
The prison-cities of the island were once
ringed about with massive black stone walls and
sorcerous wards of binding, but the ancient Dy-
nasts threw down these barriers. Now anyone
can walk amid the crumbling stone warrens and
nauseating imagery of these places, though their
ancient guardians are still confined within the old
city limits.
The outer reaches of the cities are relatively
safe, having been picked over by centuries of ad-
venturers, but the heart of a city is invariably an
extremely deadly zone that risks permanently
trapping an intruder into a lifetime of hideous tor-
ment. Some lunatic refugees intentionally seek out
these prison-zones in order to evade some terrible
pursuer. They usually imagine that they have the
strength or resources to fend off the warders. They
are seldom correct.
32
ATLANTIS
Atlantis is among the greatest of the nations of the west-
ern Latter Earth, heir to ages of royal power and ceaseless
labor. Its Prior Crown vies with the Flame of Heaven in
Sarx and the Emperor of the Fourth Dynasty succes-
sor-state as the foremost power in the region, and the
ships of Atlantis bear trade throughout the sea named
for its might.
Despite this power, Atlantis is not without its trou-
bles. Kytheron on the mainland is ruled by the heirs of
its former rulers, bitter at their loss and still maintaining
their rights over their former domain. Regional satraps
seek a quiet independence from their lord at Kronos, sti-
fling royal edicts and subverting royal ministries. Rivals
in Sarx and the successor-states aid rebels within and
without to bring down their old enemy.
Yet worst of all the perils that face the Prior Crown
is its own past. The lords of this land did not come from
this age, and aeons long dead have a grudge that is yet
to be repaid.
History
In the former age, the island now known as Atlantis was
the mighty kingdom of Carce, its monarchs ruling by
the strength of the Zakathi task-houses that formed its
nobility. In time this strength was corrupted by avarice
and ambition. A wave of civil strife brought Old Carce
to its knees some fifteen hundred years ago.
The demihuman nobility of Carce enlisted advisors
and soldiers from among the baseline commoners. One
band of odd foreigners took service with the minor noble
house of Phaistos in 510 BL, offering their analytical and
divinatory services to their Zakathi masters.
Their services proved invaluable. By 502 BL, Phais-
tos had obtained the crown and crushed many of its
rivals, Only a last sweeping purge remained to ensure
their dominance. Arrangements were made to plant as-
sassins among the enemy houses and carry them all off
in a single stroke.
That night, even as the Phaistos assassins did their
bloody work, the trusted human advisors of the Zakathi
unleashed their own treacherous plan. By dawn, only a
handful of Phaistos nobles remained to flee into exile.
The leader of these humans, later known as Con-
stantine I, took the crown from the dead king’s head and
pronounced himself the new monarch of Carce... or as it
was to be known now, Atlantis. He and his companions
were envoys from the deepest past, viceroys of the true
and eternal rulers of Old Terra. By his wisdom and fore-
sight he would make the island prosper until his rightful
rule could be extended over all the Latter Earth.
The Predecessants, as these humans were called,
claimed to be journeyers from the far past, having slept
beneath Mt. Athra until the land required them. They
would abolish the task-houses, restore the freedoms of
humanity, and bring ancient wisdom to new service.
No one had the strength to defy them. By 498 BL
the last remnants of organized resistance were crushed
by the Prior Crown and their new human armies. The
task-houses still existed in name, but were utterly bereft
of their former status and riches. Most of the Zakathi
retreated into the mountains and forests, there to nurse
their grudges and foment the occasional rebellion. Oth-
ers sought to profit by the new order, and enlisted in the
Prior Crown’s army or took service in his ministries.
The Prior Crown wasted little time in making his
companions ministers and officers in his new govern-
ment. They and their offspring were ennobled into a new
class of gentry, ones entrusted with the more important
offices and significant military posts. Even now, those
descended from the original advisors pride themselves
on being “Predecessant families”. These “Preds”, as the
commoners call them, are the closest thing Atlantis has
to a hereditary nobility, rising and falling with the ages.
In the centuries since, the Prior Crown has changed
hands many times. When a ruler grows old or perishes, a
successor is seen to emerge from the depths of Mt. Athra,
escorted in each case by the white-armored praetorians
who guard each monarch. None know how these succes-
sors are chosen, nor what age they have come from, but
for fifteen hundred years they have come at need.
They prove their authority by their power to control
certain artifacts carried by the first Predecessants and
their knowledge of certain secrets held only by the origi-
nal advisors. Several times their enthronement has been
resisted by restive Predecessant houses or fought by some
child of the Prior Crown who thought their claim the
better one. At times these rebellions have persisted for
decades, or even centuries as portions of Atlantis pledge
loyalty to a familiar ruler rather than the stranger from
the mountain. In the end, however, these breakaway
provinces have always been brought back into line.
One of the most famous of such struggles occurred
a thousand years ago, when the suspiciously long-lived
Basileus IV was confronted by a successor who demand-
ed that he pass over the Prior Crown and return to the
mountain to be questioned. Basileus demurred, and after
a brief and savage civil war, found himself forced to take
ship in Kronos with such military forces as he could mus-
ter. He sailed south, to the land later known as the Gyre,
and there established a kingdom in exile that has per-
sisted ever since, his seeming agelessness preserving him.
Current affairs in Atlantis revolve around the re-
bellion of King Agreus in Zenopol, a supposed resur-
rected king of Old Carce who has rallied a number of
task-houses and Zakathi warbands to his side. He con-
trols all of the Apatrian Marches and a significant portion
of the Great Boread Forest. Kronos appears safe from his
legions at present, but the focus on the west has left the
southern and eastern provinces sadly neglected by the
present Prior Crown.

Geography
Atlantis is a warm island, with snow rare anywhere but
on the highest mountains. Its southern shore is tropical,
with the wild verdancy of the Berylhule jungle covering
the coast. In the north, a more temperate warmth has
produced the Great Boread Forest with its broad-leafed
trees and rolling hills.
The Saidonis mountain range is the spine of the is-
land and the home of many ancient Carcean toil-citadels,
ancestral homes of the Zakathi task-houses that once
ruled the land. These mountains are perilously jagged,
and only along the ancient road between Gan Bor and
Gan Zakath are they in any way passable for ordinary
traffic. Bold mountaineers might find other ways across,
but travel between east and west is more often by ship.
Two great rivers dominate the island. In the north,
the Ponta flows past the ancient capital of Gan Zakath
down to the new one at Kronos, seat of the Prior Crown.
Barges are hauled up-stream with food and goods to re-
ceive shipments in turn of metals and manufactures from
the mountain cities. The Akris Flow in the south carries
much of the produce of the Haimod Plains down to Gan
Tropos, where traders carry it along the coastlines and
over the sea to foreign lands.
Arratus are few in Atlantis, having been stamped
out over the ages. Even so, some exceptionally dire
ones remain in the deep forests and high mountains.
33
Peoples of Atlantis
Most Atlanteans are baseline humans, with about ten
percent being Zakathi demihumans. The latter generally
resemble the baselines in their home region, but are as
much as a foot taller, being muscular and well-toned.
The Zakathi were cursed for rebellion in a former
age by their Outsider masters. As a result, every adult
Zakathi must physically exert themselves to exhaustion
at least once per day or slowly and painfully perish. This
constant need for physical exertion tends to cripple them
in old age, and few survive past sixty. The offspring of hu-
mans and Zakathi usually also bear this curse, though it
can sometimes skip several generations. In Atlantis, this
curse is honored as “tireless industry and unsleeping val-
or”. In other lands, Zakathi are often considered Blighted.
The baseline humans of Atlantis are of two main
ethnic groups. In the north, the Carcens are tall, ol-
ive-skinned, brown-haired people with pale eyes. They
favor long hair for both men and women and elaborately
ornate clothing. In the south, the Saidens are somewhat
shorter and have a more golden hue, with blond or red
hair and green or blue eyes. They’re known for the rela-
tive scantness of their clothing in the tropical heat, but
compensate with extensive jewelry and body adornments.
Little tension exists today between Carcens and Said-
ens, though the latter were oppressed in the days of
Carce. King Agreus in Zenopol favors Carcens still.
34
Demography
The population of Atlantis amounts to roughly
12,000,000 citizens, including about 7 million Carcens,
4 million Saidens, and 1 million Zakathi demihumans.
Carcens predominate in the north, and Saidens along
the southern regions.
Most of the ancient Zakathi toil-citadels were in
the Saidonis mountain range or in hilly, rocky regions
elsewhere in the island. Many Zakathi task-houses have
since migrated into the lowlands and taken their kinsmen
with them, but the demihumans do tend to remain most
populous in their ancient strongholds.
Roughly 90% of Atlantean subjects dwell in rural
villages or small resource-extraction settlements. The
remainder reside in market towns or larger cities.
Cities and Towns
In relatively safe provinces, there is usually a village every
few miles, a market town with a thousand or more citi-
zens every fifteen or twenty miles, and a county capital
with five or six thousand citizens every fifty miles or so.
These distances grow far greater in forests, mountains,
and other inhospitable or dangerous terrains.
Major cities can be found as the capitals of the twen-
ty-four historical provinces of Atlantis, each of which
have at least ten or twenty thousand inhabitants.
Depicted on the regional map are some of the most
important of these provincial capitals. Several of them
can be identified by the “Gan” prefix denoting their ori-
gins as Old Carcean task-house strongholds.
Kronos: Capital of Atlantis, replacing the Carcean cap-
ital of Gan Zakath. Heavily garrisoned at present
to resist incursions from King Agreus in Zenopol.
Zenopol: Provincial capital of the Apatrian Marches, un-
der the control of King Agreus. A thriving den of
privateers and foreign allies of the rebel king.
Gan Zakath: Former capital of the Kingdom of Carce.
Majority Zakathi, and a vital production center fu-
eled by mountain mines and Zakathi laborers.
Gan Tropos: Seat of Saiden culture and history. Chief
trading port of Atlantis, teeming with foreign trad-
ers and goods from far lands.
Gan Linna: River fortress-city, charged with preventing
the dangers of the Great Boread from closing the
critical river trade. Linnan riders and riverwards
patrol the Ponta and even dare the forest at times.
Gan Saidon: Half-independent city, majority Saiden.
Poor, with its farmlands threatened by the danger-
ous Rhothos hills. Its provincial Despot hires what
help she can get.
Gan Bor: Chief outpost of civilization on the wild, thin-
ly-populated eastern coast. The road west to Gan
Zakath is the only passable trade route through the
mountains.
Gan Deiras: Prosperous from minerals in the hills and
farms in the dry Haimod plains, but with few navi-
gable rivers. Its caravans are often raided by bandits.
Atlantean Society
Atlantean commoners live in nuclear families, with the
crippled and elderly cared for by their nearest relations.
City dwellers tend to have few important families ties
beyond near relations, but rural families often recognize
themselves as being part of larger village clans, with ma-
triarchs or patriarchs having a considerable say in their
affairs.
Predecessant houses have a tighter relationship with
their kinsmen, all of them tracing their descent back to
some ancient Prior Crown or to the companions of the
first monarch. The most powerful elder of each family
branch has tacit control over their descendants, with
every family expected to contribute to purposes that ad-
vantage the whole and maintain their status and access
to royal offices. A Pred who refuses to cooperate can
generally do so, but the doors to any significant official
post will always be closed to them thereafter. Many such
rebels depart for foreign lands or become adventurers.
The Zakathi of Atlantis are either part of human
Pred or commoner families or are organized under
their ancient task-house lineages. During the Kingdom
of Carce, each task-house was charged with a different
physical labor so as to satisfy the Zakathi need for hard
work. While few of these task-houses still persist in their
old roles, their heirs are bound together by the memory
of ancient prestige and a shared spirit of cooperation that
fires most of them. Elder toil-generals or foremen rule
the task-houses, and while obedience to their commands
is not legally required, few members of a task-house
would dare defy them. Even under the Prior Crown, it’s
understood that most task-houses handle matters of in-
ternal discipline at their own discretion.
As a culture, Atlanteans honor industry and physical
labor. A commoner stonemason or a simple dock hauler
has more social cachet than some wealthy but idle Pred
sybarite, and the laws and customs of Atlantis cut sharply
against rentiers and passive owners. A career of purely
intellectual labor is considered tolerable, but nothing to
specially honor or respect.
As a consequence, the officials and Pred families of
Atlantis all cultivate a strong tradition of handicrafts and
manual labor, even those without the Zakathi blood that
requires it. Gardening, stonemasonry, blacksmithing, or
simple recreational cargo hauling are all common pas-
times to the best families in Atlantis. The current First
Minister of the Prior Crown devotes at least an hour
daily to carrying water to the palace kitchens, and has
fashioned buckets of wrought gold in which to carry his
load. His predecessor perished after an unfortunate fall
from a marble folly he was constructing in the gardens.
Toil is not the only thing they cherish, however.
Hard work is deserving of due reward, and their industry
makes possible a degree of feasting and finery uncommon
in other lands. Atlanteans are prosperous in the main,
and they take pleasure in their prosperity. Their ships
bring back goods from all over the Atlantean Main, and
the wealthy are always eager to sample new delights.

Government and Law
Atlantis is blessed with the just rule of His Highness,
Constantine IV, by Grace of Days the Defender of the
Carceral Reach, Lord of Atlantis, Emperor of Gyarus,
Autarch of Agathon, High Pontiff of the True Faith,
Prime Director of the Terran Mandate, Sage of the First,
and the Prior Crown of Earth. His ascent has been rela-
tively recent, occurring five years ago after his predecessor,
Theodora III, died at the hands of assassins sent by King
Agreus of Zenopol.
Atlantean government is bureaucratic in nature
rather than feudal. The king has a half-dozen ministers
in charge of various national affairs, and a score of pro-
vincial Despots responsible for particular regions of the
island. Beneath them are the appointed ruling Agetors
of cities, towns, and villages, all of them assisted by bu-
reaucrats belonging to one of the ministries. Their rule is
highly autocratic; popular input is restricted to petitions
to the government which may or may not be heeded.
While the bureaucracy and a military led by an ap-
pointed Strategos form the two most obvious branches
of Atlantean government, the sages of the Nekrakademia
have great importance as well. Revered as a “school of the
dead”, secrets imparted by the Predecessants are taught
to modern diviners here. The forty-three different types
of occult divination they perform provide great amounts
of information to the Prior Crown and allow the bureau-
cracy to respond with surprising swiftness to developing
crises. Nekrademics hold no official rank outside of their
office in the school, but few care to meddle with them.
While the Nekrademics can provide insight to its
rulers, the sheer size of Atlantis makes it difficult to fully
control. Outside of the great cities and beyond the eas-
ily-accessible coastline, there are stretches of provincial
back-country and untamed wild that provide easy bases
for rebels and separatists. Greater or lesser rebellions are
common, most led by minor Pred houses or Zakathi.
The laws of Atlantis are not surprising to most for-
eigners. All the conventional crimes of theft, violence,
treason, and fraud are punished, with light offenses re-
ceiving fines and public beatings and serious ones a longer
or shorter period of confinement in government work-
houses. Murder, rape, rebellion, and other grave crimes
are met with beheading.
Crimes are tried by judges appointed by the local
Agetor, usually in a relatively swift and summary fashion.
Predecessants earn more care in their condemnation, and
can often turn aside minor crimes with suitable payment
to the judge or the offended victim.
Unlike many of their fellow nations, neither At-
lantis nor its predecessor in Carce permit slavery. The
Zakathi that ruled Carce had no incentive to avoid hard
physical labor, and the burden of guarding and feeding
laborers just so they could deprive the Zakathi of work
they needed to survive seemed nonsensical to the kings
of Carce. Modern Atlanteans may not need the work so
badly, but are likewise of the mind that slaves are simply
more trouble and danger than they’re worth.
35
Atlantean Religion
In theory, the state religion of Atlantis was imparted by
the Predecessants during their rise to power. TheWay
of Eternal Truth is a highly philosophical, rationalistic
faith dedicated to discerning the moral laws and personal
conduct that brings the most happiness to the widest
number of people. The Church of Eternal Truth has
teaching-chapels and priest-diviners in every city and
town, and every state official is expected to acknowledge
it as the highest and noblest creed. In practice, it inspires
almost no popular enthusiasm and is sincerely pursued
only by the most rationalistic and atheistical of Atlan-
teans. A few of the ancient gods of Carce have retained
most of the people’s true devotion, even though their
priesthoods are denied any political influence.
Theria, the Liberator Queen is the apotheosized
woman who led the rebellion against the Grand Har-
mony that gave freedom to the original humans of Carce.
Her petitioners seek liberation from their sorrows, bur-
dens, and difficulties, and vengeance on those who would
oppress them. While very popular among commoners,
she is widely despised by the Zakathi, who maintain
that she betrayed their ancestors to their Outsider mas-
ters in order to save her own human followers. Tensions
between human zealots and Zakathi blasphemers have
sometimes erupted into riots and purges.
Anamon, the Tireless One is the chief god of the
Zakathi, the ancestor-deity who gives each Zakath the
strength to endure their daily labors and bear up under
their ancient curse. During the Kingdom of Carce, he be-
came identified with martial strength and kingly stability,
and both Zakathi and humans pray to him for fortitude
and victory in the face of war or disaster.
Morema, who Avenges is a dread deity who brings
calamity upon the fortunate and disaster on the great.
Some speculate that she was an early aspect of Theria
who became feared in her own right. Morema despises
all who are fortunate, happy, and exalted, and sends curs-
es and tragedies to blight their lives. She is propitiated
chiefly in hopes of turning away her attention, yet she
retains a small, secretive cult of assassin-priests who seek
the revolutionary destruction of all distinctions of sta-
tus. While outlawed, everyone knows that a sufficiently
wealthy or deserving petitioner can find them when their
services are needed.
Adeia, the Bringer of Plenty is the goddess best
loved by the common folk. She oversees the fields and
fisheries and brings good trades to hard-working mer-
chants. Every village and town has a temple to her service,
and her clergy often act as healers and teachers in turn.
Saidon, the Ruler of the Seas serves as the patron
of Atlantean sailors and all who must negotiate the perils
of the sea. Church doctrine says that he was once the
living god-king of the island, until the coming of the
Outsiders forced him to depart beneath the waves. He
has authority over storms, winds, and rain as well, and
farmers beg his favor. His clergy have a private navy that
does extensive foreign trading and exploration.
36
Adventuring in Atlantis
Atlantis is a relatively orderly nation, with competent
government and the ability to foresee most major disas-
ters or internal crises. This sight is imperfect, however,
and even matters foretold may not be understood cor-
rectly. For heroes seeking adventure in Atlantis, there are
a number of likely possibilities to explore.
Exploration Adventures
The Great Boread Forest and the Berylhule are both
largely unexplored outside of a few outpost-towns and
resource gathering communities. Generations of failed
rebels and outlaws have fled into their depths, most
to perish, but some to form whole petty countries and
minor domains beneath the branches. The Atlanteans
prefer to leave such communities to die out to the perils
of the wilderness unless they make themselves a seri-
ous threat to their neighbors. Their very existence helps
distract the local monstrosities and keep them occupied.
The Saidonis mountain range is almost as obscure.
Ancient roads and transit-tunnels have collapsed or been
lost over the ages, and whole toil-citadels have vanished
from the maps. Great wealth awaits those who can reach
those lost Zakathi strongholds, or the even older Outsid-
er dens from which the island was once ruled.
Dungeon Adventures
For those seeking classic delving adventures, the island
is littered with old Carcean ruins that predate the Prior
Crown. The devastating warfare that marked the end of
the Kingdom of Carce made wreckage that has still not
been reclaimed 1,500 years later, and most villages and
towns are no more than a half-day’s ride from some sin-
ister pile of stone. Many such ruins have been swallowed
up by the Great Boread Forest or the Berylhule, whole
cities and former provinces now gone beneath the trees.
Ruins of the Prior Crown tend to be the remnants
of rebel towns, cities, and fortresses, each dating back to
some period of civil strife when the Prior Crown was
weak or challenged. Many delved deep into the earth to
strengthen their fortifications and hide their riches.
More personal ruins tend to be the remnant dwell-
ings of sorcerers, regional warlords, forgotten temples, or
other historical detritus. Recalcitrant Zakathi task-hous-
es in particular have left many small toil-citadels dotting
the deep wilderness where they had hoped to live free of
the usurping humans. Some are still inhabited; few are
inclined to welcome visitors.
Antagonists
Several groups and organizations exist in Atlantis that
might prove dangerous to the PCs... or may become use-
ful patrons to those who agree with their causes.
The Strange Aeons: The Predecessants who emerged to
seize control of Atlantis were not the only envoys
of the past who awoke in Carce, and not all of them
agreed with their purpose. Ever since Atlantis was
founded, a sect of them have been fighting to seize
control over the island, calling up temporal echoes
of ancient beings and powers to use them against
the present-day Prior Crown. They have fearsomely
powerful chronomancers among their number and
wield temporal manipulation as a weapon. Their ul-
timate purpose is obscure, and they do not always
seem to act in perfect harmony, but they appear
unalterably opposed to the Prior Crown.
King Agreus of Zenopol: One of the Strange Aeon’s
experiments gone awry, King Agreus was one of
the greatest kings of Old Carce. On being called
into the present, he somehow managed to slip the
control of his handlers and blind their divinatory
arts until after he had raised a Zakathi rebellion in
the northwest and seized the great port of Zenopol.
His martial brilliance and heroic reputation have
brought Zakathi from all over Atlantis to his ban-
ner. He is determined to reclaim the island for his
Zakathi people and the Carcen humans who were
its original inhabitants, and be rid of the time-for-
eign tyrants who have usurped his heirs.
Foreign Spies: Atlantis is envied by most and hated by
a few. The exiled lords of Kytheron have exten-
sive family ties on the island and often use them
to meddle in Atlantean affairs. Sarx hates Atlantis
as its foremost rival, and their wealth buys many
friends. Most piratical nations and organizations
have at least a few agents operating in Atlantis to
keep watch over their navy and trade affairs.
Regional Irredentists: In the past fifteen hundred years,
almost every part of the island has been nominally
independent at one point or another. In some prov-
inces Carcens were the masters, in others Saidens
ruled, and in some the Zakathi regained their old
power. Such groups tend to look back wistfully to
such days as their golden age, and whenever the Pri-
or Crown’s taxes grow too steep or some disaster
befalls them there are always locals willing to take
up arms to regain their lost rule.
The Nekrakademia: The sage-officials of this organi-
zation focus chiefly on divining for the state, but
have much freedom in other matters. Some use this
freedom poorly. When they go rogue, it often takes
a band of adventurers to bring them down.
 37

Atlantean Names Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Charax Atalanta Andron Dromos Zakathi mercenary formerly

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

9 Hyrcanus Galatea Icaron Kelados Back-country rustic familiar with

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

16 Olus Nysa Proteon Penteleion Internal refugee displaced by King

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

Example Atlantean Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Corrupt royal Hard-working A government di- Heavy gold orna- Cyclopean Old
1
bureaucrat Zakathi commoner viner foresees woe ments of Old Carce Carcean ruin
Rogue Nekraka- Curious magely Terrorist attack by Exotic goods from Ornate Atlantean
2
demia mage seeker of the past the Strange Aeons the Berylhule work building
Ruthless rebel chief Ambitious wilder- Monster emerges Lost magic texts Market full of exot-
3
or separatist ness entrepreneur from the wilds from Old Carce ic foreign goods
Calculating bandit Affable black- Foreign spies have Secret but totally Half-empty chapel
4
lord in the wilds sheep Pred outcast triggered a disaster accurate prophecy of the True Faith
Ancient thing called Foreigner seeking Corrupt official has Potent Predeces- Endlessly busy
5
up by the Aeons to make a new life caused a problem sant magic item workshop
Sinister agent of Harried but earnest King Agreus or Precious divination Port teeming with
6 King Agreus bureaucrat other rebels make tools for a mage foreign ships and
a move far traders
Monstrous relic of Local trying to Ancient toil-citadel Ancient treasure Hidden lair of
7 Old Carce dodge politics is suddenly discov- brought forward by rebels and recalci-
ered below a place the Strange Aeons trants
Cruelly rapacious Local well-meaning Bandits are taking Wealth earned Remote Zakathi
8 sea merchant priest-diviner of the advantage of local from inhumanly toil-citadel in the
True Faith civil confusion constant labor mountains
38
THE BLACK PACT
Its rulers call their land the Pact of the Learned, but to
the rest of the Latter Earth it is the Black Pact, a land
of vile sorcery and viler sorcerers. A half-dozen infer-
nal schools of magic maintain an uneasy and oft-broken
peace here, though their neighbors find little joy in them.
History
The precise origins of the Black Pact are unclear, but the
first recorded schools of magic in the region date back to
the early Second Age, around 1800 BL. The details about
these ancient schools have long since been concealed and
effaced by their successors, but legend has it that they
were founded by several great sorcerer-kings whose ar-
cane pacts had allowed them to overthrow those Out-
siders who later retreated to the Tombfell in the north.
While the secrets of High Magic were integral to all
their arts, these schools were unusual in that all of them
were dedicated to one or more extra-Iteral patrons. In
exchange for service and worship, these powers would
grant great secrets and arcane might to their devotees.
Unfortunately, those patrons most generous with their
power were also those most horrible in their appetites.
The occult schools of the Pact have never been en-
tirely at peace. In the past three thousand years, over thir-
ty-six different major schools have risen, ruled, and been
destroyed, with the oldest of the current six great schools
dating back only to 700 AL. The early centuries of the
Pact were particularly violent, with four major arratus
still scarring the land as a legacy from those days.
Their unity improved after the men of Ninth Leng
took an interest in them some thousand years ago, and
ever since the agents and hirelings of that strange land
have sought to infiltrate the schools and steal their se-
crets. It would seem that certain patrons worshiped in
the Pact are especially repugnant to Leng, and open raid-
ing and magical assaults are not unknown.
Presently, the six schools and a dozen other major
independent archmages form an uneasy council of rule
over the Pact, working as a whole to ensure that local
quarrels don’t erupt into magical disasters and that each
school’s affairs are unhindered by the others. Their con-
cern for the common folk is almost nonexistent, as the
peasantry are fit only to serve as raw materials and menial
laborers. Only the most brilliant and gifted among them
are recruited into the nobility of magic.
The People and the Land
Pacters are a tall, lean people on the whole, with dark
hair and eyes, and hues ranging from sallow to waxen
pale. Traces of ancient curses or warping sorceries are
not uncommon among them, and the occasional tail, claw,
extra eye, or other touch of infernality is unremarkable.
Most Pacters live in small farming villages, picking
out a living with barley and goats. These settlements are
poor and ragged, with most of their surplus in materials
and youth claimed by the nearest school as tribute for
their “protection” from the other wizards and the castoff
magical abominations that haunt the forests and fields.
A yearly testing ceremony identifies the most magically
gifted among their youths, and those who survive their
education have a hope for a greater destiny.
For the commoners, the law is composed of custom
and command, to be carried out by the village elders lest
the schools send a harsher enforcer. For the magical-
ly-gifted, there are no laws but those of their school, and
the occasional vivisected peasant or burnt farm is of no
serious import. Most terrible of all are the great solitary
arch-mages who have withdrawn from their school’s soci-
ety to pursue unfathomable secrets. None dare defy them.
Lengish agents are surprisingly common among
the villagers and servants of the city. The men of Ninth
Leng spread their silver generously, and while their raid-
ers sometimes come to scourge the coast of the Sea of
White Teeth, they seldom do worse than the Pact’s own
masters do to their people.
The Six Schools
The six great schools of the Pact lend their name to the
cities they rule, every inhabitant either a teacher, a stu-
dent, a slave, or a hireling. Outside traders and adventur-
ers have a place there as useful tools for the mages, but all
the natives have a rigidly-set place in its hierarchy.
Each of these schools teaches one or more traditions
of magic, and each of them offers worship to one or more
extra-Iteral beings. Strangers might call these powers
gods or demons, but to the schools, they are merely its
patrons, and the worship and rites they offer are no more
than payment for services rendered.
The School of Tokris instructs in the arts of necro-
mancy, with a particular eye towards dealing with the un-
dead of the Still Cities. They have few spells to overcome
the Pale Emperor’s blessings on that land, but they have
more than most other schools. They chiefly revere Nag-
gad, Prince of Bones, who takes ten lives to prolong one.
The School of Yagganat prides itself on its reason
and logic, favoring the elemental arts and physical studies.
To them, any who do not command magic are little bet-
ter than talking animals. Its foremost patron is Yom, the
Folded One, who eats the minds of its sacrifices.
The School of Kreng-Tsagat reflects on the nature
of flesh and bone, sculpting their servants in beautiful
and horrible ways. Their decadence is proverbial in the
north, and among their many gods is Tsagat-Mun, the
Sufficient Flesh, who gives them pleasures in exchange
for the bodies of thinking beings.
The School of Llon has a vast selection of patrons,
and focuses on methods of binding and summoning so
as to call forth the right demon for any given duty. The
prices these beings demand are terrible, but the mages of
Llon seldom intend to be the ones paying them.

The School of Tsathmat reveres the ancient mete-
or that fell to crush the Seven Rivers Confederacy and
leave behind the Hammersea in its wake. They claim the
meteor can be contacted in sorcerous dreams, and gives
them the secrets of the past and future alike. They drown
offerings in the Hammersea as messengers to the stone.
The School of Xophet is ever vigilant for Leng-ships
and their cowled raiders on the Sea of White Teeth.
They command obscure gifts of storm and water, and
atop their vast towers they expose sacrifices to the talons
of flying demons. Their chief patron is Hasad-Krii, the
Kestrel Demon.
Adventuring in the Pact
The wizards of the Pact have use for adventurers as deni-
able assets and convenient afflictions for their rivals. Even
a freebooter hated in one city can find friends in another,
so long as they remain useful.
Aside from tasks of subtle assassination, the kill-
ing of magical beasts, or the collecting of components in
dangerous areas, many sorcerers need hirelings to investi-
gate ruined wizard’s towers or fallen school-cities. Many
ancient wards are specifically triggered by the pacts and
arcane affiliations of modern Pacters, so outsiders are
needed to slip past those wards and recover the secrets
and treasures lost within. A foreign wizard can avoid an
ancient curse much more easily than a local mage.
39
The wizard towers in question were usually occu-
pied by some great solitary arch-mage until their inevi-
table wizardly damnation. Their leftover grimoires and
abandoned trinkets often contain tremendous power,
though it’s not unknown for their servitor devils and
animated slaves to linger behind after a wizard’s doom.
The school-cities commonly center around an isolat-
ed magical academy that gradually grew out into a full-
fledged city over the course of centuries. Many of their
structures were created with magic and the help of devils,
and some defy normal logic in their construction. Their
ends commonly came with some great magical disaster
or the overwhelming sorcerous violence of a rival. More
than a few perished to internal strife among their deans
and elders, and some appear to have been annihilated
by their patron devils after some failure of service. Their
locales are avoided entirely by the common folk and pru-
dent mages, as they’re usually plagued with curdled magic
and decayed spells. Guardian automatons and bound de-
mons stalk their empty streets at night.
In addition to ruin-plundering, it’s not impossible
for an ambitious wizard to acquire certain magical secrets
from a cooperative academy, usually at the cost of some
perilous favor. It’s also not unknown for foreign princes
and distant kings to send to the Pact for a court wizard,
as such viziers are not only free of troublesome local po-
litical ties, but are devoid of burdensome morals as well.
40
THE BLUECROWNS
Named for the haze of bluish smoke that encircles their
volcanic peaks, the Bluecrowns have always been a place
of exile and isolation. Centuries of failed pretenders,
exiled sorcerers, and aspiring colonists have made their
home on one of these volcanic isles, but few have lasted
long against their perils.
History
The Bluecrowns are an anomaly on the skin of the world,
with the sub-sea plate buckling upward and exposing nu-
merous veins of magma along the sea floor. The islands
themselves are the points at which these upwellings have
formed an archipelago over thousands of years, with the
occasional eruption birthing new spits of land.
It appears that some ancient humanoid civilization
once dwelled on the isles, finding some religious or mag-
ical benefit from the powerful geomantic energies of the
region. Several megastructures dating back to their rule
still stand on the islands, each one a tremendous mono-
lith of volcanic glass encrusted by black, metallic living
structures and temples. The megastructures appear to
have channeled and regulated the geomantic energies of
the area, and some sorcerers still make their lairs in aban-
doned building-clusters in order to exploit this power.
Since that far-off day a steady procession of colo-
nists, exiles, explorers, and adventurers have made their
way to the Bluecrowns. As distant as it is from the main-
land there have been no serious attempts at conquest
since an abortive expedition by the Second Dynasty, so
the prospect of an untouched island kingdom has been
appealing to numerous would-be rulers.
Few last for long. Far from any civilized support and
surrounded by the many perils of the archipelago, most
exiles perish here and most colonies are forced to retreat.
The centuries of abandoned wizard lairs, colony sites,
royal retreats, and ancient geomantic structures provide
a wealth of treasures and artifacts, but very little in the
way of food, safe shelter, or security.
The People and the Land
The few inhabitants of the Bluecrowns are drawn from
half a hundred ethnicities, being the remnants of failed
colonies, stranded pirate crews, or the servants of exiled
nobles. They usually speak a patois derived from Dy-
nastic speech.
The few lasting settlements on the Bluecrowns are
all on small islands with secure water sources and viable
fishing grounds. All of the major islands shown on the
world map are much too dangerous for most settlers to
last, even though they possess far superior natural re-
sources and much more valuable ruin sites.
The largest human settlement in the archipelago is
Spindrift, a tenuous port town of one thousand people at
the eastern edge of the island chain. Built into the ruins
of a failed Second Dynasty anchorage, it serves as a hub
for trade among the surviving villages of the Bluecrowns
and as a base for foreign ships operating in the area. The
occasional pirate chieftain has been known to seize con-
trol of the place for a time, but usually affairs are settled
by the elders of the town’s chief families.
The energies that flow through the earth around
the Bluecrowns makes the climate far hotter and damp-
er than it would normally be for an archipelago at its
latitude. Even the southernmost island is thickly jun-
gled, and the northern islands tend to hot swamps of
massive flower-bearing creepers and brilliantly colorful
trees. Much of the flora on the islands appears to have
been ornamental in purpose, but it long ago slipped its
garden bounds.
The fauna is vicious. Aside from the degenerate,
cannibalistic remnants of failed former expeditions, nu-
merous varieties of huge insects and membrane-winged
birds plague explorers. Lizard-like humanoids inhabit
the swampy northern islands in small numbers, and ap-
pear singularly hostile towards human intruders. Some
explorers have claimed that these lizardfolk can be rea-
soned with given the correct offerings, but none can agree
on what those offerings might be.
The greatest perils on the island, however, are the
magical remnants left behind by dead wizards and care-
less sorcerers. Such is the force of the geomantic ener-
gy here that magical beings tend to coalesce naturally
around abandoned magical artifacts or lost occult gri-
moires. These beings are usually unintelligent and uni-
formly hostile, but some adventurers use their presence
as a hint that some sort of valuable relic might be in the
area. Other would-be explorers are simply eaten.
Adventuring in the Bluecrowns
The most common reason for adventurers to seek out the
archipelago is to plunder the belongings of those who
have come before. Spindrift is familiar enough with such
treasure-hunters to have basic supplies and services on
hand for them, though magical resources are nonexistent
and only the boatwright clan there has any of the more
sophisticated crafting skills.
Aside from such looting, other adventurers look to
the volcanic islands as being worthy a site for their new
kingdom. Certainly, the islands are infested with horrible
monsters, and all those who have attempted this before
have failed utterly, and it would be a feat of heroic lead-
ership to convince large numbers of colonists to follow
them, but it’s free real estate. No king would question
their right to rule, provided they live to establish it.
And the rewards are very real. Aside from the valu-
able relics in the ruins, great veins of gold and precious
metals have risen close to the surface here, and vast troves
of uncut gems await a miner’s pickaxe. The jungles are
rich in exotic plant extracts, and the seas teem with fish.
Success in kingship would surely be rewarded.

THE CHOKING DUNES
The sad result of a catastrophic magical disaster, the
Choking Dunes are a borderline uninhabitable waste-
land of slowly mutagenic dust. Few venture into its sandy
desolation except to seek the riches of its buried cities.
History
During the First Age the mighty Wind Cities soared over
much of Gyarus and southern Agathon, requiring tribute
from the weaker groundling cities and carrying trade over
vast distances. Their winged airships fought for control
of the heavens and brought the goods of far lands to the
groundling markets they passed.
That glory ended around 1600 BL, when the Sarx-
ian volcano known as Dumat Mul erupted. The Legacy
contained the destruction to a relatively small portion
of Sarx, but the magical repercussions channeled devas-
tating energies through the arcane engines of the Wind
Cities. Many plunged from the heavens to scatter their
remnants across western Gyarus.
A localized and temporary pocket of calmer thaumic
force allowed a handful of those cities to set down safe-
ly in the Dynastic province of Javair, south of modern
Runom. A backwater province since the Second Dynasty,
the cities were even more isolated by the then-ongoing
collapse of the Third Dynasty. When the surviving air-
ships of the cities demanded their submission, they had
no choice but to bow their heads to new masters.
When the Third Dynasty finally coalesced into the
Fourth, these “Spire Lords” were too well-established to
be rooted out by the fragile young dynasty. Most of their
airships had been lost to battle or decay, but they still had
access to powerful magics of storm and wind.
For centuries, the Spire Lords dreamed of re-con-
quering the skies. Their reverence for the gods of sun and
cloud was expressed in great shrines, and their arcane
academies ceaselessly researched the means to restore the
fallen cites to flight. Airships continued to be produced
in small numbers, but the great focus of their labor was
on repairing the damaged engines of the cities.
This great dream came to fruition in 482 BL, when
the combined efforts of all the Javairian Wind Cities were
put to the creation of a massive Working. In a single tre-
mendous morning, several hundred sorcerers participat-
ed in a grand ritual that backfired spectacularly.
The ensuing Rain of Red Ash buried the plains and
forests of Javair under a hundred feet and more of muta-
genic dust. The population was wiped out almost entirely
within hours, and the cities of Javair were buried deep
under the ruddy sands.
Ever since, the Choking Dunes have been a shunned
place for the surrounding peoples. The red dust twists
those who remain too long in the desert, transforming
them into monstrous beings tormented by an eternal
thirst for blood. Even so, a handful of hidden communi-
ties still eke out an existence within the wastes.
41
The People and the Land
The surviving dunefolk are of Javairi extraction, being
dark-skinned, pale-haired, and amber-eyed in the main.
They inhabit subterranean warrens that have been carved
out of the hardened dust by natural springs, as well as
occupying deeply-buried buildings from the lost cities.
The dunefolk know secrets for preventing the muta-
tions of the dust, but their medicines require organs and
blood from the monsters that stalk the sands. Without
a steady supply of such ichors, they risk transformation
after as little as a month of steady exposure. The need
drives their hunters to leave the warrens, and sometimes
even to negotiate with strangers on the sands.
Each tunnel-village is limited in numbers by the
amount of food their hunters can catch or their buried
arcane greenhouses can grow. While the magic of these
greenhouses makes them unnaturally productive, they
also require components taken from the buried Wind
Cities, necessitating expeditions below the sands.
The climate of the Choking Dunes is invariably hot
and rainless, the only living creatures on its surface be-
ing those transformed by the dust’s magic. At the edges
of the dunes a wind occasionally blows, but the inland
reaches are either dead calm or gale-wracked, the damage
of the ancient disaster having scarred the natural weather.
Few enter the dunes save for adventurers willing
to risk mutation or traders who have long-standing ties
with some tunnel-village. The dunefolk are known for
unearthing magical relics during their expeditions into
the cities, and most villages prefer to sell them on rather
than run the risk of them being an evil magic.
Adventuring in the Dunes
Any adventuring band that ventures into the dunes needs
to be brisk about their expedition. Remaining longer than
thirty days without dunefolk medicines runs the risk of
permanent transformation. Some traders are willing to
assist freebooters in making contact with a tunnel-village,
but few will do so for free.
The architecture of Javairi cities owed much to their
flying past, and so covered streets and glassed-in walk-
ways were common. Once buried by the red dust, these
passages form subterranean connections between build-
ings, such that many Javairi cities can still be explored
without significant excavation. The uppermost reaches
of the tallest buildings of a city usually jut above the dust,
and explorers who can make it down to the ground floor
can obtain access to much of the rest of the site.
The dangers of the cities are considerable. Mutated
beasts and warped humans are common in the lightless
reaches below, the dust seemingly preserving their lives
even as it drives them to torment. Worse still are the
rumors of otherworldly entities still lurking in the dark,
half-bound by the disastrous Working that made them.
42
COURONT
A melancholy land of cool forests and broad grain fields,
Couront is a remnant of the splendid Seven Rivers
Confederacy that fell to disaster during the First Age. A
backwater province even in that distant time, the kings
of Couront now labor to keep their people safe against
the perils of the Black Pact to the west and the terrible
beasts that haunt its dark woods.
History
During the apex of the Seven Rivers Confederacy the
backwater province of Couront was at the very northern
edge of its influence. The least favored among the Con-
federate’s status-obsessed society were effectively exiled
to its cold forests, there to live without troubling their
more aesthetic neighbors with their deficiencies.
Among these exiles were numerous devotees of the
Bleeding God, who formed monasteries in the rugged
land to provide for their needs and their safety. The ab-
bots of these monasteries became the de facto authorities
in the surrounding areas, if only because they alone could
reliably provide food and protection to others.
When the Confederacy was destroyed by the me-
teorite that formed the Hammersea, a tide of refugees
flowed north to escape the chaos. Unskilled in war and
unversed in such practical skills as farming or husbandry,
they died in legions. Only those that attached themselves
to a monastery were able to survive long enough to learn
the skills they required.
To maintain public order, the chief abbots and ab-
besses of these monasteries resolved to choose a king
from among the few nobles who had survived the disaster.
In 1399 BL, King Lothair I was chosen as the first King
of Couront, and his most capable retainers installed as
dukes and counts over the various regions of the land.
The royal house has changed fourteen times in the 2,500
years since, but the present King Enguerrand IX is the
tenth of his own dynasty, the Giscards. Even today, the
crown is not considered legitimately bestowed unless it
comes by the hands of the abbot of St. Villiers, oldest of
the surviving monasteries of Couront.
Ever since the first king of Couront, the rule of the
country has been divided between the noble houses and
the Holy Church. Bishops and abbots rule their church
lands much as secular nobles might, and the most power-
ful churchmen are almost always kindred of some noble
house. The king himself is theoretically the head of the
Church in Couront, but his commands must be tem-
pered by prudence.
Couront’s isolation has kept it relatively safe from
outside invasion. The wilderness of western Kytheron
has discouraged incursions, and the Black Pact has nev-
er cared for secular expansion. Pelegrin in the Amundi
kingdoms to the south has been known to lay claim to
southern regions of Couront, but their rulers have grown
listless these days and their claims have largely lapsed.
The People and the Land
Courontines are mostly of Riu extraction like their
cousins in Pelegrin, being slim, pale, and uncommonly
beautiful. Also like the Riu of Pelegrin, some are unfor-
tunately prone to madnesses and overwhelming passions
as a legacy of their Confederate origins.
Couront itself is a cool, thickly forested land, with
long, snowy winters and brief, hot summers. Fortunately,
both the Hammersea and Herondeep remain ice-free
all the year round, and much coastal commerce goes on
throughout the year. Most traders come from Pelegrin
or Kytheron; ships from the Black Pact are not welcome,
and the men of Ninth Leng rarely send friendly traders
across the Sea of White Teeth.
True cities are few and widely-scattered in Couront.
Montsegur is its capital, built on a bluff overlooking the
Herondeep. Its splendid Confederate-style palace was
constructed by means long since lost to the modern day,
and its white walls and slender towers have defied every
past attempt to topple them. The nearby abbey of St.
Catrin is the seat of Henri, Bishop of Montsegur, and a
man who does not love King Enguerrand at all.
Among the nobility, four great ducal houses com-
mand the most authority, each with their collection of
vassals and allies. While theoretically subject to the king,
the ducal houses of Chalon, Foix, Montfort, and Vitre
are such that any two of them in concert can command
more knights than the king’s personal domains can pro-
vide. The Duke of Foix, Guillaume the Smiling, is ru-
mored to be in league with the Black Pact as part of a
plot to replace the rule of the Giscards with that of Foix.
Adventuring in Couront
Couront is a wild country, with its nobles in control of
no more than their ancestral manors and villages. Out in
the depths of the forest there remain monstrous beasts
from prior ages and present Pacter carelessness, and
noble knights are often required to slay such creatures.
Shapeshifting man-wolves are a particular danger.
Unlike most nations, Couront has a state church
in the faith of the Bleeding God, and its bishops, abbots,
and abbesses are both powerful and wealthy. They often
have need for adventurers to resolve some difficulty with
a local lord or a hungry beast. The church’s inquisitors
are not especially demanding about orthodoxy, but there
is enough dark sorcery from the nearby Black Pact that
they seldom lack for work, and often need help.
The ruins most often found in Couront are those of
fallen monasteries and crumbling towns, both victims
of ancient wars or monstrous incursions. As a matter
of tradition, adventurers may keep whatever valuables
they can recover from such ancient sites, though precious
relics and famous treasures may attract noble or clerical
buyers who are not easily dissuaded.

THE FAR WASTES
The Far Wastes are lands without pity, forever locked in
the grip of ice. The frozen sea of Boras Mur has crept
over the land here and left the mountains sheathed in
titanic sheets of crystal-clear frost. Unlike other glaciers,
however, the ice of the Boras Mur is gentle in its grasp.
It does not scrape the land clean, but covers it patiently,
preserving the features of the landscape and leaving the
ancient jungles and lost cities below undisturbed.
History
No scholar can say much of the ancient civilization im-
prisoned below the ice. Its golden age was before the
Colligation of Epochs, or else it is some mayfly domain
that sprung up during the chronal instability of that time,
only to be frozen alive in some convulsion of the Legacy.
The first Hyperborean explorers who ventured into
the Gebed Hau mountain range spoke of the jungles and
cities they found buried beneath the glass-clear ice, thirty
or fifty or a hundred paces down below the surface. They
also recorded the presence of great street-wide tunnels
cut into the rime by unknown ancient hands, frozen
roads that burrowed deep into the gem-rich mountain-
sides and through to the buried cities beyond. Signs of
mining work were found in the empty tunnels, and sal-
vage work in the lost cities, but no living miners were ever
mentioned in those ancient records.
The surface of the waste is lethally dangerous. The
alien lords of the Boras Mur pilot great ice-beasts across
the barren glacier, some no larger than a cart and others
the size of small cities. They generally kill all humans
they find, though some explorers claim that they can be
negotiated with, if the right relics are presented and the
correct ancient words are spoken.
43
Adventuring in the Wastes
Only the most reckless adventurers would dare an over-
land expedition across the Wastes. Nothing natural can
live on that endless sheet of ice, and the fearsome dwell-
ers on the Boras Mur leave few survivors. Instead, most
expeditions start in the southern reaches of the Gebed
Hau range, seeking out one of the great tunnel-roads that
head north beneath the ice.
A few reckless merchants have even gone so far as to
set up forward bases in the tunnels, carrying in supplies
and courageous miners to work the rich deposits beneath
the mountains. They can often be persuaded to supply
adventurers as well, given suitable inducement.
Beyond the mountains, along the buried coast, the
frozen jungle is peppered with ancient cities trapped in
the ice. The decoration and art shows a humanlike set of
inhabitants, though the stylized lines make it difficult to
tell more. Some of their tallest buildings pierce the glacier
surface, leaving other means of getting below. Some of
these ancient structures have been inhabited by the alien
ice-folk, who do not welcome strangers.
Aside from the ice-folk, manlike cannibals have been
found living under the ice, harvesting preserved jungle
flora for food. They seem far too savage to have been
the city-builders, using only crude tools and scavenging
treasures to adorn their warriors. Some suppose they are
the remnants of the original tunnel-builders.
Aside from the cannibals, numerous ice-creatures
of terrible aspect are said to dwell in the cities. Surely
only great magical power could keep them alive in such
places, and some mages are convinced that the secrets of
the glaciers can be found in their hoarded troves.
44
THE FIFTH DYNASTY
The latest successor-state of the greatest power Gyarus
has ever known, the Fifth Dynasty is but a shadow of
its predecessors. Even in its decay, however, its venerable
might and ageless institutions give it a power its recalci-
trant provinces must grudgingly dread.
History
The first Dynastic state was formed shortly after the
Colligation of Epochs when the First Emperor united
the warring city-states of the Plains of the Jade Marquis.
The tremendous military power of these vassal domains
had to be directed outward lest it tear his young em-
pire apart, and so the First Dynasty was characterized
by a military expansionism that took them north to the
southern reaches of the Gyre, and south, west, and east
until there was no more land to conquer. At its height,
almost the entire continent was subject to the loyal vas-
sals of the Emperor, and First Dynasty ruins can still be
found throughout Gyarus.
That very size became the First Dynasty’s downfall.
Lacking the prospect for new lands, the lords fell to seiz-
ing each others’ territory, and the empire collapsed into
a welter of warring fiefs. The once-irrelevant Imperial
Bureau of Gods and Ancestors became the only effec-
tive peacemakers between the lords, calling upon divine
authority to sanctify diplomatic agreements and anathe-
mize those who broke them. The chief administrator of
the Bureau eventually became the founding emperor of
the Second Dynasty in 2250 BL.
The power of the myriad temples and ancestor-cults
grew enormously during the Second Dynasty, and the
lords of the domains often became mere figureheads for
the chief priests of the Gods and Ancestors, when they
were not formally deposed. The Second Dynasty was less
concerned with expansion, and more given to the con-
struction of massive edifices to the glory of their deities
and their sacred ancestors.
The competitiveness between and within religious
sects never died, however, and as the centuries progressed,
more and more priests resorted to esoteric wisdom and
secret sorceries in order to advance their faith or their
personal standing. Eventually, the calcified system of
priestly rule broke apart, and the only temples of im-
portance were those that taught sorcery. The convulsive
conflicts between these arcane schools threatened to de-
stroy the empire until the rise of the first mage-emperor
of the Third Dynasty in 1522 BL.
The Third Dynasty was naturally obsessed with the
control of magic within their domain, and only autho-
rized imperial schools of sorcery were permitted to take
students. The former temple schools were shut down
or went literally underground, and those sorcerers too
powerful to kill were made to flee across the Vermillion
Sea, into the present-day Hundred Schools. Many great
Workings date back to the rule of these sorcerer-lords.
As the centuries passed, however, the rigid curricu-
lum of the imperial schools admitted no innovation, and
sorcerers who strayed from the official teachings risked
death at the hands of the Dynastic censors. As the Legacy
mutated with the years, old magics no longer worked
correctly, and old Workings could no longer be sustained.
This weakness was exposed when the great coastal
trade city of Triloukon was lost to a Polop invasion in
807 BL. With its major trade connection with Carce and
the northern continent severed, the wizards proved un-
able to reverse the disaster. Much of their strongest magic
was inoperable or perilously unreliable, and desperate
local bureaucrats were thrown on their own resources.
This bureaucracy had long been learning to make
do without the help of their wizardly lords, and by 780
BL they had completely supplanted the former dynasty
with a new network of trade connections and military
agreements that operated without recourse to unreliable
magic. After a brutal season of sorcerous warfare, the first
emperor of the Fourth Dynasty took the throne that year.
The bureaucracy bypassed many of the ancestral no-
bles of the Dynasty, preferring to rule through officials
chosen by imperial examinations. They prided them-
selves on using all the resources of the state to gain its
ends: warfare, sorcery, and the favor of the gods alike.
These resources were not equal to the hour. The
remaining provinces of the empire gradually slipped
away, the emperor too weak or too cautious to force the
bureaucracy into a coherent attempt to hold on to their
influence. By 802 AL, the Fourth Dynasty existed in
name only outside of its ancestral core.
It was through the frustration of a minor eastern
noble that the dynasty met its end. By means of intricate
diplomatic dealings and the support of the Xindai gover-
nors, a sweeping invasion from the east was able to seize
the ancient capital at Anchang in 802 AL, placing the
first of the Tiu dynasty on the throne and commencing
the present Fifth Dynasty.
In theory, the emperor at Anchang commands not
only his ancestral holdings, but the Scarlet Princes, the
Xindai Commanderies, the Free Clans, the Hundred
Schools, and the nation of Hantu as well. In practice, he
is hard-pressed to even keep hold of his own domains,
with the other nations ranging between open hostility
to politely fictional allegiance.
Confusion and disorder plagues the nation. The
old bureaucracy still hobbles on, but city governors grow
negligent of imperial commands and village grandees
abuse their neighbors without rebuke. Numerous offi-
cials and long-ignored noble houses labor to dig up the
relics and secrets of the past, the better to seize present
power. Cults and philosophical schools thought dead for
an age are awakening again as people seek some remedy
against the decay. What they find may be worse than
the sickness.

Geography
The Fifth Dynasty is largely warm and temperate, with
a tropical climate around the Ai Mej jungle and cooler
weather around the south end of the Bolin forest. Snow
is uncommon north of Anchang.
The Feiyang hill range at the center of the land is
exceptionally jagged and steep, with numerous small riv-
ers twining between tall karst pillars. For ages, scholars
and sages have vanished into the hills to conduct their
solitary studies, and numerous forgotten shrines from
the Second Dynasty can still be found.
The freshwater Vermillion Sea is the common road
of the region, with ships from all the surrounding coun-
tries regularly passing through. In former times, the Ku-
rao river used to be the Dynasty’s main trade link with
the outside world, terminating at the port city of Trilou-
kon. These days, most Dynastic goods must cross the
Xindai Commanderies to reach an ocean market.
The northern border is marked by the start of the
Anak Wastes, and Blighted raiders are regular scourges
from that accursed land. The Great North Road that
runs from Zinsui to Shi Mej is lined with wayforts to
keep the Anak from sweeping down in a savage tide.
In the east, the Plains of the Jade Marquis are the
ancestral heartland of the empire, the black soil being
tremendously productive. The eponymous Jade Marquis
was said to have invented agriculture here, and even now
the villages and towns lie thick on the fertile plains.
45
Peoples of the Fifth Dynasty
The average Dynast is slim, with skin tones ranging from
old ivory to bronze and straight black hair. Numerous
small ethnic groups are found within the borders, how-
ever, and some of them can be drastically different in
appearance while sharing much the same culture.
While the Fifth Dynasty is not so comfortable with
demihumans as the Xindai Commanderies are, there are
still some small communities to be found. Several dwar-
ven holds are known to create magnificent temples and
carvings in the Feiyang Hills, and certain ancient acade-
mies are staffed exclusively by an associated community
of elves. Other small domains and isolated polities are
also recognized by the empire, and largely ignored so long
as they continue to pay tribute and avoid making trouble.
The people of the Fifth Dynasty are defined largely
by a steadfast conviction that theirs is the greatest cul-
ture and most splendid society to have ever graced the
Latter Earth. If the Dynasty has weakened and its pres-
ent state is lessened, it is only because people have not
properly understood the lessons of the past, nor properly
embraced the teachings of their ancestors. To be cultured
is the crowning virtue of any true Dynast.
So intense is this cultural confidence that it large-
ly eclipses lineage in determining societal membership.
Anyone who embraces Dynastic culture is a Dynast, re-
gardless of their origins. Those who reject and refuse it
are foreigners, even if they are heir to an ancient clan.
46
Demographics
Perhaps as many as twenty million Dynasts are spread
out among the farming villages and cities of the domain.
Unlike most nations, the extreme fertility of the Plains
of the Jade Marquis allows a considerably greater per-
centage of the populace to live in urban areas. The capital
of Anchang boasts almost one million inhabitants, and
even small regional market centers can claim at least ten
thousand people. Demihumans make up a very small but
not nonexistent portion of the populace, with perhaps
one percent of the population being non-baseline.
Cities of the Fifth Dynasty
Within the Fifth Dynasty’s borders are at least a hundred
market towns or provincial centers that deserve the name
of city. Seven of them are of particular importance.
Anchang: “Heaven-piercing Anchang” is the millenia-old
seat of Dynastic rule, the throne-city without which
no usurper can hope to be the legitimate emper-
or. The city has been inhabited so long that it has
built itself up into a towering mountain of buried
buildings, half-collapsed sewers, and mazey subter-
ranean complexes. The Fragrant Office of Profound
Architecture commissions regular security sweeps
through the topmost layers. Few dare to go deeper.
Luyang: Gateway to the northern Feiyang hill range,
Luyang is choked with temples and shrines dating
back to the Second Dynasty. Numerous cults and
obscure philosophical schools survive there, pro-
tected by ancient tradition from the interference of
the governor.
Mawen: A naval base dedicated chiefly towards keeping
the pirate-merchants of the Free Clans in check. Its
governor has also been charged with finding colo-
nists and explorers willing to reclaim the long-aban-
doned island of Shilai for the emperor.
Rudai: The main trading city for the Xindai merchants,
with barges going up and down the Kurao to gather
the produce of the plains. A gigantic bridge spans
the river here, its underside crusted over with thou-
sands of abandoned buildings of another age.
Shi Mej: The last remnant of the ancient Ai Mej province
from which the neighboring jungle takes its name,
Shi Mej is a melancholy city of beautiful, many-col-
ored buildings and numerous psychoactive drugs.
It’s also the center of the Dynastic slave trade, with
surplus sons and daughters from around the nation
traded to those who bring silver.
Silung: Famed for its history of art and song, Silung is
a magnificent city of soaring architecture and doz-
ens of ancient art academies. Aesthetic affairs are of
greater import than financial ones here.
Zinsui: A fortress-city armed against the incursions of
the Anak beyond the border. The drier plains of the
west have less agriculture and more herding; agents
of Zinsui must often deal with cattle rustlers and
sheep thieves, both Anak and otherwise.
Dynastic Society
The basic Dynastic social unit is the extended family.
Every member is expected to assist every other member,
even out to distant relations, provided such assistance is
not too onerous. The closer the relation, the greater the
obligation; a child’s duty to their parents is total, while a
cousin might require no more than business assistance or
help acquiring a government post. Similar ties are formed
by formal declarations of friendship, which make each
participant pseudo-family to the others.
Government officials have the highest status in so-
ciety, along with those few remaining nobles who can lay
claim to ancient, largely decorative titles. Beneath them
are farmers and scholars. Artisans and craftsmen are held
as inferiors, scarcely worthy of being allowed to take the
government office examinations. Merchants, despite all
their wealth, are hopelessly vulgar sorts automatical-
ly disqualified from holding government office. Slaves,
soldiers, servants, performing artists, foreigners, harlots,
criminals, and similar people are tolerated as nothing
more than necessary evils.
Most children follow in the trade of their parents.
While men and women have firmly-defined social roles,
these roles are subject to the agreement of the family. A
woman can be put to a man’s task or vice-versa if the
family needs their talents and they accept the duty; out-
siders would be considered impudent to question the
propriety of it.
The Dynasts commonly cherish two things: culture
and government office. Those two qualities can redeem
almost any personal failing, and without at least one of
them a person can never be considered fit for good com-
pany. Every family’s children are brought up with the best
education they can afford, focusing chiefly on literature,
poetry, and fine arts. Those gifted offspring that pass the
yearly government examinations have a hope of being
enlisted into the bureaucracy, even if only as a village
magistrate. The vast majority of men and women who
fail these examinations may try again later, but must oth-
erwise take up their family profession or be married off.
The worst sins in Dynastic society are unfilial be-
havior and selfish avarice. Betraying your own family is
a heinous crime deserving only a miserable death. Family
elders, especially parents, are to be treated with deference
and obedience at all times. In the same vein, a grasping
avarice for wealth and personal indulgence is disgusting,
and the mark of a deformed character unfit for public
prominence. Of course, such sins would not have to be
condemned so ferociously if they were not sadly well-
known in Dynastic society.
Dynasts who cannot tolerate the constant demands
of family obligations or public office may withdraw from
the world to follow certain esoteric religious sects or ven-
erable philosophical paths that teach dissociation from
the concerns of the world. Such adepts can ignore family
ties and shun public office without suffering shame for
it, provided they maintain the austere habits and strict
personal moralities of their faith… at least in public.

Government and Law
In theory, the awesome Emperor Shulao is the absolute
and unquestioned autocrat of all Dynasts everywhere.
His scores of bureaus, ministries, and offices reverently
receive his sacred commands and tirelessly work to effec-
tuate the blessings of imperial benevolence throughout
the land.
In practice, the emperor has absolute control over
such things as he absolutely monitors at every step.
Without constant imperial oversight his commands are
subject to the discretion and interpretation of hundreds
of bureaucratic officials, many of them hundreds of miles
away from him.
A corps of imperial eunuchs known as the Eastern
Palace serve as the emperor’s unofficial right hands. Per-
sonally selected for their talents, they are often sent to
investigate remote matters and ensure that the imperial
will is carried out correctly. Sadly, the Eastern Palace is
notoriously corrupt. Open opposition to them is almost
certain to result in an imperial death sentence.
The official Imperial Censors are formally intended
to root out corruption, and are selected through a mix
of examinations and proven service as senior magistrates.
They are ancient enemies of the Eastern Palace, but they
are watched so closely by the eunuchs that they must of-
ten engage secret agents of their own to gather informa-
tion and carry out their decisions. Capable adventurers
are often selected for such deniable work.
Beneath the palace intrigues, every city, town, and
village is under the direct rule of an appointed magis-
trate, who holds this post for a set term. This magistrate
oversees all legal and governmental affairs in the city
and judges all serious crimes. He or she is aided by a
hired corps of local constables and investigators, who
hold a very low status but are grudgingly feared for their
connections. Every magistrate must report to a superior
magistrate, until the greatest are left to answer to the
provincial governor, and the governors to the emperor.
The Dynastic government is a shadow of what it
used to be in former ages, but it is still extremely orga-
nized and effective compared to most other nations. The
magistrates can call on substantial numbers of constables
whenever necessary, and standing arrangements exist for
summoning troops from nearby garrisons as needed. Pa-
perwork and files are passed to and fro among the mag-
istracy, and crimes in one place are often noted far away.
Fortunately, the absolute authority of the magistrate
means that such difficulties can sometimes be overcome
with the right payment or favor.
The Dynasts have access not only to considerable
armed forces, but also a sizable number of sorcerers and
arcane adepts. Most of these learned mages are left to
their isolated shrines and hermitages, but when called
upon by a magistrate, they tender their services for the
good of the state. Especially dangerous enemies or fear-
some rampaging adventurers must beware the conse-
quences of angering these strange old wizards and their
enigmatic arts.
47
Religion in the Fifth Dynasty
All Dynasts are expected to give veneration to their an-
cestors at certain times and places, with the eldest sons
responsible for presiding over these rites. Commoners
and the ignorant believe that their ancestors can be-
stow blessings and favors on pious descendants, but the
learned consider such beliefs to be vulgar folly. The pur-
pose of ancestor worship is to inculcate filial piety, not to
get favors from the dead. Needless to say, necromancy is
a heinous crime to all decent Dynasts.
For practical aid, commoners have recourse to a
number of household gods, such as those of the stove,
the bed, and the inkstone for aid with wealth, fertility,
and learning. Larger worries are offered up to each city’s
God of Walls and Ditches, who presides over all affairs
within the community’s walls.
When death befalls a family, offerings are made to
the Judges of Hell so as to ensure a merciful review of
the deceased’s life and a swift passage to a new and fa-
vorable incarnation. During the Second Dynasty, nobles
required numerous human sacrifices as part of their buri-
al rites, sending both slaves and spouses to their side in
the afterlife. Today, only the cruelest grandees demand
such excess, and only when the local magistrate is too
cowed to stop them.
Every trade has its own professional deity in turn,
from the Jade Marquis who invented agriculture to Shi
Chong, the primordial blacksmith. The specific name and
qualities of these gods vary from region to region, but
every place can be expected to have a god of tailors, of
carpenters, of harlots, of scholars, and of every other pro-
fession wealthy enough to fund a temple and its priests.
The Golden Path has a considerable number of fol-
lowers in the Fifth Dynasty, and its lessons of abandon-
ing the self and abolishing one’s passions are embraced
by many who have lost much in the world. Most consider
it a faith for the old and those retired from public affairs,
but its temples are often richly endowed by those seeking
to escape the fetters of material things.
During the Third Dynasty, an offshoot of the Gold-
en Path became popular among the magical literati of
the empire. The Changing Way has been embraced ever
since by mystical adepts eager to obtain the marvelous
powers it promises. Through strict austerities, isolation,
complex breathing exercises, and dangerous alchemical
medicines, the initiate may hope to obtain eternal life and
health, and in time refine his base nature into godhood.
Adepts of the Changing Way seek out remote hermitages
or isolated monasteries where they can carry out their
disciplines in peace. Some depraved seekers have been
known to follow darker versions of the path, ones that
promise quicker power or more convenient longevity at
the cost of heinous deeds and forbidden sacrifices.
While the Dynasts are tolerant about their faiths,
there are some gods that are forbidden by the empire.
This forbidding is not always enough to suppress the
cults that form around these dark relics of the Second
Dynasty, for the rewards they offer are great.
48
Adventuring in the Fifth Dynasty
Officially, adventurers have very little status in the Fifth
Dynasty, being considered a thin slice above criminals at
best. In practice, successful adventurers often end up as
folk heroes and popular champions, celebrated by the
commoners and courted by officials. Unsuccessful ones
rarely live long enough to worry about their social pros-
pects.
The usual patrons for adventuring parties are rich
local merchants, magistrates in need of temporary con-
stables, or investigative scholars who require more muscle
than a writing-brush grants. Once they’ve made a name
for themselves, more powerful officials might contact
them for special tasks that require a proven agent. An
adventurer with the right patron and the right paperwork
is practically above the law.
Exploration Adventures
The Feiyuan hills are full of abandoned shrines and her-
mitages once occupied by forgotten cults or long-van-
ished magical adepts. Numerous figures of wealth and
power have retreated there from the cares of the world,
and they tended to bring their finest loot along with them.
The Ai Mej is a notorious refuge for escaped slaves
and overly-successful bandits, and small villages of out-
casts can be found in its safer regions. Its less secure
depths contain numerous Second Dynasty ruins, includ-
ing certain fanes to gods no longer acceptable to current
morality.
The fortresses on the Great North Road along the
border are always in need of scouts to venture north into
the Anak Wastes and bring back reports. Adventurers
make the perfect expendable agents for such often-lethal
missions.
Dungeon Adventures
Every major Dynastic city is so old that it has inevita-
bly built up a high mound of tumbled construction and
deposited detritus beneath it. Under their surfaces run
ancient streets and warrens of half-crushed buildings,
with forgotten temples, ruined palaces, and cavernous
ancient neighborhoods sealed over by lost sorcery or an-
tique construction methods.
The passages closest to the surface tend to be dens
for criminals and outcasts, where they can lurk away
from the eyes of the constables. Deeper layers host cults
to forbidden gods and secret cells of sorcerers who prac-
tice unacceptable arts. At the deepest strata, the passag-
es tend to bend and warp under the weight of curdled
sorcery and magics rendered unstable by the Legacy’s
changes. Some even break through into ancient Deeps,
with corridors of alien metal winding down toward the
core of the world. Some agents of the Fragrant Office
of Profound Architecture even claim that these under-
worlds connect every city at some level. Proof of this is
wanting, but few think it impossible.
Antagonists
With as many clashing interests as exist in the Fifth Dy-
nasty, it’s an adroit party that can avoid angering some
dangerous figure.
Angry Relics: The Dynasts have existed as a culture
since shortly after recorded history began, and
innumerable petty gods, local spirits, and ancient
guardians have been venerated. At times these an-
cient, half-understood rituals have been interrupted,
and the angered entity expresses its disappointment
violently until it is subdued or placated.
Bandit Chiefs: Particularly charismatic bandit lords can
make a great name for themselves in the wilderness.
By avoiding injury to the local villagers, they can
get numerous willing helpers in their raids on rich
merchants and nearby trade routes. So long as they
avoid plundering government officials, they can
prosper for quite some time.
Corrupt Officials: While the Imperial Censors do their
best to root out avarice and self-dealing among the
officials of the dynasty, there are few of them, and
many magistrates. Remote villages can groan for
decades under the hand of a greedy ruler, and even
the great cities are full of officials who will stop at
nothing to gain a precious promotion.
Desperate Peasants: Some regions of the Dynasty are
so hard-pressed by corrupt officials, monstrous in-
cursions, or natural disasters that the commoners
take up arms as rebels and bandits. Any outsider is
fair game for such renegades, and while their moti-
vations may be understandable, they seldom show
much restraint in their depredations.
Forbidden Cultists: The Fifth Dynasty is broad-mind-
ed, but some ancient gods or foreign devil-deities
are beyond the pale. This doesn’t stop them from
developing cults of zealous devotees, however, as
such infernal deities often grant considerable favors
to their willing minions.
Things from Below: At times the security patrols per-
formed by the Fragrant Office of Profound Archi-
tecture miss a monstrous peril beneath a city, or
even wake it up with some incautious exploration.
There’s no telling what hideous things lurk down in
the darkness, but they’re seldom good neighbors to
the surface-dwellers.
Wicked Sorcerers: The Changing Way promises god-
hood to the determined and patient adept. Some
prefer a quicker path to divinity and commit hid-
eous atrocities in pursuit of immortality. If these
sacrifices are made in the rural regions, there may
be no one able to stop them for years on end.
 49

Fifth Dynasty Names Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Chi Bian Long Chaoyang Failed scholar with no further hope

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

9 Lin Du Ruo Jiaping Righteous criminal evading

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

16 Wan Hwa Tsao Sitang Zealously focused martial adept of

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

Example Fifth Dynasty Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Greedy and heart- Hapless peasant The magistrate is in Answer key to the Busy official hall of
1
less official someone’s pocket local examination the magistrate
Priest of a malevo- Well-meaning but A natural disaster Priceless jade token Eerie empty exam-
2
lent ancient god failing student strikes the area of office ination hall
Merchant in league Foreigner in dire An ancient Dynastic Grimoire of Third Remote hill hermit-
3
with the magistrate need of friends Working fails Dynasty sorcery age
Military official Penniless would-be Raiders have Stolen official Ornate temple to a
4
turned mere robber scholar crossed the border payroll local god
Merciless tax Commoner in need An Imperial Censor Key to a sealed Shouting, bustling
5
farmer of a protector is in town Dynast ruin marketplace
Raider chief from Upright official A venerable festival Precious Dynastic Serene and tasteful
6
over the border fighting corruption is underway antiques garden
Cruel sorcerer Peaceful adept of An important Magic medicines Busy teahouse with
7 seeking sacrifices the Changing Way official has been useful to adepts of female musicians
murdered the Way
Amoral eunuch Harried eunuch A surprise exam- Lost poetry collec- Crowded site of
8 government agent trying to avoid ination has been tion of enormous an open-air play
political danger announced value performance
50
THE FREE CLANS
Once a mountainous Second Dynasty backwater, the
Free Clans have become some of the richest and most
prosperous traders on the coast of the Vermillion Sea.
Ancient networks of Golden Path monasteries oversee
a web of trading relations that reach all the way to the
Carcereal coast.
History
From the earliest recorded history, the lands that make
up the Free Clans have been uninviting. A high, jagged
plateau backed by the Shangu Mountains, its western
reaches are so elevated that humans cannot survive at
their heights without sorcerous help or demihuman ad-
aptations. The early city-states there had little to recom-
mend them and the First Dynasty was almost reluctant
to conquer the land, leaving few garrisons behind.
During the Second Dynasty, the theocratic machin-
ery of the state exiled many Golden Path teachers to the
province in a purge that lasted decades. Amid the frigid
peaks and dry hills, these teachers constructed austere
monasteries where they could pursue liberation.
These monasteries were the most sophisticated cul-
tural institutions that the Free Clans had ever known.
Their prestige and disinterest in material wealth attracted
many followers, and it wasn’t long until the monasteries
were the de facto arbiters and judges of the clans, each
ancient holy site responsible for its own territory.
Amid the numerous warring clans of the province,
these monasteries came to be built more like fortresses
than spiritual retreats. Massive walls, narrow windows,
and deep storehouses were carved out of the mountain-
sides, all to ensure that the monks within would not be
disturbed by the ambitions of petty warlords.
Between the spiritual prestige of the monks and the
exceedingly defensible nature of their monasteries, the
rulers and merchants of the clans entrusted the temples
with their treasures. Their golden ornaments, ancestral
jewels, and the surplus of their meager mountain farms
were all stored away in the vaults of the Golden Path.
The monasteries were ambivalent about holding so
much wealth, even if it was not technically their own, and
established a policy by which the owners would have to
remove it after a certain time. Transferring ownership
was also an acceptable measure, so a complex system
of loans was soon brought into being. Donors had to
move their treasures somewhere, so they moved it into
the hands of those who promised to increase it. Phys-
ically shifting the objects about was cumbersome and
risky, however.
To resolve this, the temples issued promissory notes
for these deposits, and distant Golden Path monasteries
in other lands were willing to redeem them. So popular
were these banking services that the monasteries became
fabulously wealthy, with practically every significant valu-
able in the province stored away in some clerical vault.
Largely by accident, this series of events created an
enormous amount of mercantile activity in the hills. Free
Clan merchants crossed the Vermillion Sea to far lands
in order to trade goods, relying on the “golden notes” to
fund their expeditions. When the Fourth Dynasty finally
collapsed, the Free Clans found themselves able to fund a
powerful standing army out of their profits, and politely
declined the opportunity to submit to the Fifth Dynasty.
Even today, there are almost as many clanfolk out-
side the nation as within it. Their ships sail to every na-
tion on the Vermillion Sea, and dare farther still at times.
 51

People of the Clans

The clanfolk of this land look much like other
Dynasts, but tend to be broader-chested and
somewhat shorter, adapted for the high eleva-
tions of their homeland. Bright colors, splendid
ornaments, and the insignia of wealth and suc-
cess are all customary elements in their dress.
As the land’s name implies, every citizen
is affiliated with their maternal clan-family.
While the bonds of filial piety aren’t as strong
as they are in the Fifth Dynasty, these ties still
are the usual means for a new merchant to
make their start.
While other religions are not forbidden
among the clans, the Golden Path is the un-
disputed state faith. Its monasteries and their
ruling lamas are the foremost authorities in the
land, with monks serving in all major official
posts and making all governmental decisions.
They set the rules for markets and trading and
oversee contracts between merchants.
These monasteries are all fabulously
wealthy, and many have fallen into decided-
ly un-liberated attitudes towards money and
physical pleasures. A few of the most rigidly
traditional still shun such indulgences, but
their numbers are few despite their prestige.
The cities of the Free Clans are a jarring
mix of brilliantly painted walls and extrava-
gantly carved adornments with blocky, thick-
walled structures that hug the hillsides. Most
clanfolk buildings are intended to survive fierce cold and numerous tricks of siegecraft and sorcery to break walls,
blasting winds, so the more delicate refinements of for- bypass doors, and tumble strong stone workings. Oth-
eign architecture are seldom found. er than Anak, stranger beasts have been seen amid the
snows as well, and ancient Outsider lairs are well-pre-
Adventures Amid the Clans served by the eternal ice of the heights. Every now and
This cold and lofty land has little in the way of natural then some long-sleeping doom is awoken in the peaks.
resources, but much in the way of money. More than a Aside from monstrous perils and mercantile raiding,
few foreigners end up in clanfolk cities for the sake of there are dangers from religious zealots as well. Some
the ample pay they get from the locals, and there’s always clanfolk lamas are secretly in league with the Wheel-
someone hiring for a job. breaker movement, desiring the destruction of the
Some of these jobs are not strictly legal. While the world to permanently break its cycles of reincarnation
ships of the Free Clans are famed as traders, some are and suffering. While officially denounced, many of the
also known to be more aggressive in acquiring goods on most upright and pleasure-shunning monasteries have
the high seas. Without a strong government to restrain more than a few members among them. The most dan-
them, Free Clan privateers and pirates are an infamous gerous establish hidden monasteries in the peaks, relying
scourge upon the Vermillion Sea, turning trader or reaver on donations from lay sympathizers who may not know
as their opportunities recommend. Free Clans merchant- their true motives. Amid the snows, they employ terrible
men have been known to hire strong arms, either as de- magics to hasten the end of a wretched world.
fense from pirates or as additional muscle for their own Given the perils of the high country, it also some-
depredations. times comes to pass that a monastery is destroyed, ei-
Many of the shore-side jobs involve dealing with ther by monstrous foes or some natural disaster. Most of
the monsters of the Shangu mountains. Terrible Anak these ruins have been long lost to history, but an adven-
subspecies dwell among the peaks, and their raids and turing band that can find one and penetrate its magical-
plunderings have kept the mountain cities watchful for ly-warded vaults can escape with a mountain of treasure...
ages past. The Anak of these hills have spent so long assuming the heirs of the former owners don’t catch wind
raiding well-fortified clan cities that they have developed of their salvage.
52
THE GADAVIN COAST
Once a rich and verdant land of busy ports and graceful
country villas, the coast long ago fell into darkness when
the Polop invaders came. While the fish devils no longer
rule openly in this sodden land, few have any hope of
restoring its ancient splendor.
History
The first mention of the coast in recorded history is as a
province of the Vothite Empire in 1422 BL. Five admin-
istrative regions were established, though the eastmost
province of Morodon and its precious port city of Trilou-
kon appear to have been under Third Dynasty control at
that time. Given the peculiar way in which the Vothite
Empire “made war”, it’s unclear whether or not there was
any conventional military activity involved in its claim.
By 1200 BL it was clear that Triloukon was a Dy-
nastic city. The vast wealth of the inland empire was
brought to market through the great river-port, and
merchants from Carce, Llum, and farther lands all came
to buy. The four Vothite provinces of the west shared in
this prosperity, with their lushly forested coast dotted
with small port towns and their inland meadows speck-
led with the country estates of thought nobles.
The geography of the land made contact with the
inland empire difficult except at Triloukon, as a massive
escarpment known as “the Step” runs across the southern
border of the coast. At its highest points, the Step looms
two thousand feet above the land below, and only a few
ancient switchback ramps give access to the top. Several
other ramps once existed, along with a civilization that
carved towns and cities into the face of the Step, but
most of these structures appear to have been destroyed
in some ancient war.
Around 1000 BL, the Vothite Empire fell, and the
Republic rose in its place. Republican senators were elect-
ed from the Gadavin provinces, but the great distance
and general disorder of the times made their attendance
rare. In time, their appearances became fewer and fewer,
until the four Vothite provinces were independent in all
but name. Their initial senators became the seed of a
noble class that still rules the provinces today as their
personal satrapies.
A greater disaster befell the land in 807 BL, when
the Polop off the coast performed some monstrous work
of undersea sorcery and deluged the entire coastline in a
massive wave. The green forests were replaced with fetid
swamps and tangled vines and the dry land transformed
into a bog of narrow waterways and unsteady ground.
As far as a hundred miles inland, the coastal region was
ruined and transformed into a reeking mire.
This deluge was accompanied by invasion. Polop
warriors swept over the land, and wherever the swamp
reached, the fish devils followed. Rather than simply de-
vour their human prey, however, they forced the submis-
sion of the human rulers and compelled them to keep
their domains as feeding-grounds for the piscine Out-
siders. Those noble families that submitted were altered
by Polop sorcery in terrible ways, forever after enslaved
by their hungry new lords.
For almost six centuries the Polop ruled all the Ga-
davin coast, repelling vain efforts by the Third Dynasty
to reclaim their link with the outer world and devouring
any human rebel who dared stand against them. The only
havens of free humanity in the region were those pockets
caught between the edge of the swamp and the steeps of
the Step, where surviving nobles led a bitter resistance
to the Polop.
Shared hatred finally forged an alliance between Dy-
nasts, Republicans, and native forces. With internal con-
flicts among the Polop weakening their grasp, the rebels
were finally able to drive out their fishman lords in 230
BL, slaughtering their collaborator slaves and forcing the
surviving quislings to flee into the swamp.
Ever since then, however, the marsh has remained
the ruler of the coast. Even with the Polop gone, their
monstrous leavings and their warped human collabo-
rators still infest the coastline, making trade via Trilou-
kon impossible. Even now, the city is a vast, hollow ruin
perched on a swampy isle. It is seized by pirate kings,
bandits, or reckless colonizers every few years, but they
never last long. The things below the city and within the
swamp have no patience for interlopers.
Further along the coast, the humans of the four
provinces huddle in the shadow of the Step. Only the
new port town of Gadav has any sea access, so anyone
who would enter that land must either scale the Step
from the south or make the long overland journey from
Gadav. Travelers say that strange gods are being wor-
shiped in the inland cities, and peculiar alliances are be-
ing struck with the swamp-folk.
People of the Coast
Most Gadavin are of Vothite ancestry, and share that
people’s slim build, pale skin, and black hair. A consid-
erable number of Dynasts once dwelled along the coast,
however, and their looks are not uncommon. Aside from
these, a significant number of humans share traits wo-
ven into their ancestors by the Polop, who changed them
to suit their own tastes. Bright colors and patterns on
their skins, fins and gills, extravagant scales, lionfish-like
manes, and the occasional tentacle or venomous spine are
not uncommon. Most such “Touched” can manage on
dry land, but prefer the damp of the swamp.
The “inlanders” still live under the rule of their an-
cestral noble houses, each province having its king. Mo-
rodon is the exception, as the “faithful” clans there still
worship their Polop masters and despise non-Touched
humans. Within the swamps, isolated clans of baselines
and touched live largely ignorant of the outside world,
concerned only with their own affairs.

Eboro is the westernmost province. Few humans
live here with the terrible arratus that take up most of
its land. The Plains of the Iron Sky and the White Waste
form a wall between Eboro and the Gyre, and only coast-
al ships can make it from Ka-Adun to Gadav.
Beriso is the most “civilized” of the Gadavin domains,
its King Licnos ruling from the port town of Gadav. As
the only safe seaport in a thousand miles of coast, what
little commerce the land has with the outside world is
conducted here. Adventurers and freebooters crowd the
docks, all eager to loot the abandoned Vothite swamp
ruins. Many expeditions fail to return.
Canibri is accessible only by the old Coast Road to
Gadav, the swamps being an impenetrable barrier on one
side and the cliffs of the Step on the other. Its capital of
Briga does much trade with swamp clans for fish, wood,
and drugs, and its Queen Mesilla is Touched herself, with
a ruff of colored spines and jeweled scales on her limbs.
Some say she is too friendly with the faithful clans in
the swamp.
Limia is almost unknown to outsiders. The only
way in is by way of the Coast Road, and few travel so
far into this fetid land. Its capital of Navia is said to be
populated almost exclusively with Touched, and its King
Lugurix worships strange gods in ancient swamp shrines.
Morodon is wholly unfriendly to baseline humans,
its inhabitants all Touched who still keep faith with their
Polop masters. The fish devils appear to have given them
the secrets of breeding and controlling their war-beasts.
53
Adventures on the Coast
While the Gadavin coast is presently a swampy hell of
monstrous humanoids and feral Polop war-beasts, the
treasures of the greatest trading port in Gyarus still await
recovery. The Polop flooded out thousands of Vothite es-
tates and coastal towns in their invasion, and showed lit-
tle interest in looting the remains. These ruins welcome
scavengers brave enough to dare the unfriendly locals and
overcome whatever things have nested there.
The only friendly faces to be found in this land are
in Gadav, the only usable seaport in almost a thousand
miles of coast. What limited trade the swamps conduct
is handled here, with adventurers and exiles arriving at it
daily. The cities further inland, such as Briga and Navia,
are not always friendly to outsiders. Adventurers must
prove their worth to the locals if they are to get any help.
The true prize of the Gadavin is Triloukon, of
course. Entire warehouses of priceless treasures were
trapped there when the Polop invaded, and the centuries
of looters since have not succeeded in emptying them all.
The vast city is still untouched in parts, and each season
of looters can expect to find something new if they can
survive the hostile natives and monstrous things within.
The Fifth Dynasty would give a king’s ransom to
anyone who could secure Triloukon and open up the
river between it and the Dynasty. At the same time, the
Xindai merchants who currently handle external Dynas-
tic trade would be much less eager for such a thing, and
might go so far as to take steps to prevent it.
54
THE GODBLIGHT
The region known as the Godblight is not so much a
nation as it is a continuously ongoing catastrophe. The
refugee priests of the fallen Logomachy have rebuilt a
shambling mockery of their former greatness in this des-
olate land, and their constant efforts to regain their old
glory have served only to generate disaster after disaster
for all those around them.
History
When the Logomachy of Nakad collapsed in 378 BL,
the great majority of its Word Priests were slaughtered
by their runaway divine avatars or by the enraged temple
slaves that later went on to form Sarx. A certain num-
ber of them escaped the bloody purge, however, and fled
across the Bight of Nakad to take refuge in the lands now
known as the Godblight.
At the time, these lands were little more than a back-
water farming province of the Logomachy, its natural
magical resources limited and its rough terrain devoid
of most mundane resources. There were few temples to
the Gods of Truth, and so few slaves to subdue and fewer
divine eidolons to dispel. It took the refugee priests two
or three years to crush all local resistance to their rule,
but desperation ensured their haste.
In the centuries since, the Nakadi priests have large-
ly exterminated baseline humanity outside of their own
temples. In their place, they have crafted dozens of demi-
human servitor-races and summoned forth swarms of
beings from far Iterums to serve as their minions and
warriors. These new creations often fail to behave as
meekly as the temples wish, and more than a few have
slaughtered their creators and now rule portions of the
Godblight in their own right.
Every high priest in the Godblight is obsessed with
the destruction of Sarx and the subdual of any rival
temple. So long as Sarx remains, they know its masters
will never tolerate their continued existence, and until all
their rival priests are crushed their own temple’s security
can never be assured. Alliances and pacts are formed reg-
ularly among the temple-states, and broken just as often
when they cease to be profitable.
People of the Godblight
The land’s current rulers were once drawn of the original
stock of Nakad, but so many centuries of sorcerous mu-
tation and crossbreeding with demihuman or non-hu-
man entities has left them of no single discernible type.
Almost any mix of body parts, pigments, and sensory
organs can be found on a Word Priest, and while most
still appear generally human, few are truly so. The most
powerful tend to be the most monstrous, having “im-
proved” themselves far beyond humanity’s limits.
Outside the temple complexes, outlying villages and
towns are filled by the various demihumans and servi-
tor-summons the temples have called forth.
Runomian beastfolk are relatively common, having
been seized from Runom over the years or taken from
Sarxian slavers. Unlike in Runom, their communities
are all of mixed species, usually under the rule of the
strongest warrior.

The Tiklak Swarm infests the areas around several
ruined temples, having been called by unwise high priests
for some centuries until their disadvantages became obvi-
ous. They appear as ant-like humanoids with iron-hard
carapaces and an insatiable hunger for mammalian flesh.
While intelligent and capable of speech, they see no need
to speak unless it will help them acquire more meat.
The Ridden Men were the outcome of temple re-
search into parasitic control; while they are baseline
humans, each is ridden by a small, clinging, crab-like
parasite that forces them to labor and war in the service
of their queen. When their originating temples were
destroyed, the queens spread unchecked, and now the
regions they control are locked in constant warfare as
each cruel ruler strives to become the only survivor.
The Godstruck are not a race, but a consequence. At
times, exposure to the unnatural presence of the temple
god-eidolons can trigger a kind of magical evolution in
a victim. While the transformation usually drives them
dangerously mad, the subject can wield incredible powers
of sorcery related to the catalyzing divinity. Most God-
struck are quickly slain or driven from their temples, only
to fester as mad cult leaders and demented prophets in
the outer lands.
These are merely a few of the inhabitants found in
the Godblight. Almost every temple has at least one spe-
cies owed to its creation, and countless relic-folk remain
from vanished shrines and forgotten Iterums.
THE GYRE
The nations of the Gyre are discussed in greater length
in the Worlds Without Number core book, but it bears
mentioning some of their relations with the outside
world. The Reaping King himself is an exile from Atlan-
tis, and while the Gyre is isolated from most of its neigh-
bors there remain a few old ties inherited from the past.
Atlantis has surprisingly little to do with the Gyre.
The Seadevil Coast off the north shore greatly discourag-
es sea travel in the Gyre’s immediate surrounds, and after
the Reaping King led his followers to land at Ka-Adun
there has never been any official response from the Prior
Crown. Atlantean trading ships willing to risk the coastal
waters sometimes land, but it is almost as if the Prior
Crown would rather forget the Gyre’s existence.
Sarx has no official ties with the Gyre, though the
slaver ports in Runom sometimes send a ship east to Ka-
Adun. Sarxian renegades and runaways sometimes make
for the Gyre to escape the Flame of Heaven’s attention;
one went so far as to found a city in present-day Llaigis.
The Fifth Dynasty is heir to an ancient rivalry with
the Vothite Empire that once ruled the Gyre, but with
the forming of the Anak Wastes and the seizure of the
Gadavin Coast by Polop invaders, there is no longer any
real contact between the two. Any Dynast who wanted
to get to the Gyre would have to cross a wasteland of
bloodthirsty Anak or navigate the Gadavin swamps.
55
Adventuring in the Godblight
The active temple complexes in the Godblight are
near-suicide for an outsider to approach. The crazed
experiments of the mad priests within are often lethal
to the inhabitants, let alone interlopers. Every so often,
a runaway avatar-eidolon of some unfathomable deity
breaks loose and wreaks havoc for a time before it disin-
tegrates. Monstrous sorcerous engines, hideous ships of
living flesh and bone, and other abominations of arcane
science are also common products of the temples.
Abandoned or destroyed temples can sometimes
prove worthwhile grounds for plunder, if the rampaging
remnants of the temple’s god-avatar aren’t still active in
the area. A destroyed temple usually creates a wide band
of wilderness around it as its death-throes eradicate every
native hamlet and town within a radius of several dozen
miles. Long decades must pass before any dare to re-enter.
The native villages can be more welcoming, if the
species that lives in them aren’t hostile to baselines. They
can serve as forward bases for exploration of the ruined
temples and demolished creations of prior centuries.
These villages are almost always hard-pressed by the
environment, however. If they’re not being scourged by
the depredations of an active temple nearby, they’re strug-
gling with the hostile inhabitants or monstrous creatures
of this unhappy land. Any adventurer who gives them
help can expect to be welcomed. Some might even give
their obedience to a foreign lord who can protect them.
Runom has a very limited commerce with Llaigis
and Ka-Adun, the occasional brave expedition crossing
the Black Spine to bring fleeing beastfolk or precious jun-
gle goods to market. The passes through the mountain
range are few and dangerous, prone to Jikegida attacks or
ambushes by other perils. Rumors persist of safer secret
ways, but whoever controls them is inclined to keep them
well-hidden.
Tavat sends forth a cloud of pirates on the Atlan-
tean Main, and sometimes those pirates need a free port
along the Gyarus coast. Those seafarers with the knowl-
edge needed to dodge the Polop along the Gyre’s north
coast can berth at Ka-Adun or Spray on the Sisters. The
officials of the Brass Hegemony have absolutely no reluc-
tance to support trade in piratical goods so long as the
tariffs are paid. The bold vessels that bring these goods
are often the most reliable way for locals to catch a ride
out of the Gyre.
Other nations deal with the Gyre only occasionally,
and generally have no interest in anything more. It’s all
but impossible to move an army of invasion into the re-
gion, and the locals seem chiefly interested in preparing
for self-immolation, so foreign kings find little to interest
them here. Should the Gyre become united and a clear
path for travel be opened, that disinterest may change
swiftly.
56
HANTU
A faded remnant of the Fourth Dynasty, Hantu is a
troubled nation that has never quite recovered from the
collapse of the former regime. While it prides itself on its
guardianship of the heirs of the last dynasty, the current
“true empress” wishes more from her dutiful ministers
than their mere protection.
History
When the armies of the Xindai Commanderies helped an
upstart noble overthrow the Fourth Dynasty in 802 AL,
the last surviving heir of the imperial house was spirited
south to Hantu Province. The surviving bureaucratic loy-
alists hoped that the presence of the true emperor would
rally his people and summon forth an unstoppable tide
of righteous peasant soldiers to right the usurper’s wrong.
This did not happen. Most of Hantu’s regional gov-
ernors were privately relieved at the elimination of their
superiors in the capital and looked forward to their new
independence. The common folk had been so thoroughly
separated from any participation in the intelligentsia’s
rule that they had little interest in who, exactly, was to
be collecting taxes so long as the rate did not change. The
few idealists who hoped to reform the decadent bureau-
cracy and renew the dynasty’s virtue were left to suffer
their disappointment.
The best that could be accomplished was the in-
stallation of the imperial seat at Hanlong and a pro-for-
ma declaration of obedience by the regional governors.
Hanlong’s governor looked forward to the prestige that
hosting the emperor would give him, but no one seriously
expected to obey the figurehead. Profitable yet gracefully
deniable trade ties with the new Fifth Dynasty were far
more important.
For more than two hundred years, Hantu slowly
unraveled. Governorships became hereditary, local rul-
ers turned absolute, and Hantu gradually became more
and more a mere geographic figure of speech, with no
centralized authority worth mentioning.
This changed ten years ago with the ascent of the
radiant Empress Mei, the sole legitimate offspring of her
father. Graceful, courteous, temperate, and absolutely
ruthless, the empress is obsessed with reclaiming the
throne, regardless of the cost in blood and treasure.
She has been aided in this purpose by a positive ge-
nius for rule. She possesses an almost supernatural ability
to discern the characters and capabilities of her subordi-
nates, and her choice of personnel is flawless. Even the
vices and failings of a minion often turn out to be useful
in the roles she selects for them.
Through the past ten years of careful negotiation,
suggestion, conspiracy, and selective assassination, she
has ensured that three-quarters of the governors of Han-
tu are her creatures, even if they themselves fail to realize
it. With a note to a minion or a flash of blackmail, she
can obtain absolute obedience when her plans require it.
The foreign spies in Hantu are uncertain as to the
empress’ current plans. Some think she means to invade
the Free Clans and use plundered gold to bribe the Xin-
dai warlords once more. Others believe that her current
enthusiasm for naval construction is the prelude to a sea
invasion of the Fifth Dynasty. A few even whisper that
the agents she has searching ancient ruins are actually
acquiring components for an awful summoning ritual
meant to destroy her foes.
As it stands now, Hantu is a land united only at the
very top. While most of its governors are utterly under
the empress’ control, their mutual relations range from
wary courtesy to constant raiding. The peasantry merely
keep their heads down and hope for better days, yearning
for the hour when the empress might bring the governors
to heel and ascend to a peaceful and serene rule.
Their wishes are unlikely to be fulfilled.
People of Hantu
Hantu shares the same base population as the Five Dy-
nasties, though some say they are a little paler and taller
than their northern cousins. A number of foreign exiles
have also ended up among them, fleeing the anger of the
emperor or looking to make deals with a pliant governor.
Hantuan folk tend to pride themselves as being
“more Dynastic than the Dynasty”. They jealously guard
old traditions and obscure customs, even when their
meaning or purpose has been long lost. The empress
herself has no such inclination, and twists customs to
her own advantage whenever the opportunity arises.
In theory, Hantu is run by the same examina-
tion-chosen corps of literati that run the Fifth Dynasty.
In practice, the intelligentsia of two centuries ago have
become a hereditary caste, and the only ones allowed to
take the examinations are their own children. Still, the
ceremonies are just as they were centuries ago. Even the
answers to the test questions are the same. Every gov-
ernor, magistrate, and petty official has faith that their
favorite son or daughter will take their place, and the rest
will become prosperous state-licensed merchants.
The ruling philosophy of Hantu’s chiefs is the so-
called “iron and sorghum policy”, whereby the common
folk should be permitted to think only of warfare and
farming. Artisans and craftsmen are an unfortunately
necessary class, but the great majority of peasants should
be kept in their governor’s army or their governor’s fields.
The money made from such productivity should be bro-
kered by state-sponsored merchants of the literary class,
who will use it wisely and keep it available for their lords.
When this policy was established in 833 AL, a num-
ber of peasants protested to Hanlong’s governor. They
were executed. A second group then declared their great
approval of the new policy. They were enslaved. The peas-
antry has since come to understand the virtue of silence
when it comes to commenting on government policy.

The Cities of Hantu
Hantu is densely populated for a nation of the Latter
Earth, but a few cities stand out as of especial importance.
Bulao: Canny Governor Jin is one of the few to realize
the scope of the empress’ ambitions. As a counter-
weight he’s dared to seek popular support from the
local peasantry, and not merely their submission.
Fushi: Governor Ruming is forever fighting the notorious
smuggling clans of this wealthy trade port.
Hanlong: The nominal capital of Hantu, under the care
of Governor Chin. Its underground “market of wis-
dom” sells half the secrets in the realm.
Menglan: Harried by raiders from the Litten Strand,
Governor Jiazu is preparing a reprisal expedition
to scour the border for a hundred miles.
Mozu: A smoky mining-town working the foothills of
the Shining Peaks. Incursions of the horrible beasts
of that place are sadly common.
Shaishu: The richest city of Hantu, Governor Wenji sells
her sorghum to the clanfolk to the west. Lately she
has sold so much that the starving peasants have
formed rebel brotherhoods to punish her greed.
Ziran: Governor Mulin conducts most of Hantu’s trade
with Tseb Hwii through this port. Numerous Tse-
bans have come with it, and rumors say that even
some of their Outsider slaves can be found there,
busy on unknowable errands.
57
Adventuring in Hantu
Hantu is a perpetual powder-keg of politics. Empress
Mei is perfectly willing to have even her loyal governors
kill each other off, the better to weaken the hereditary
ruling houses as she maneuvers their replacements into
place. She does nothing to interfere with their regular
quarrels, assassination attempts, and factional scheming.
These schemes regularly involve foreign help, as such
adventurers can be trusted not to have any existing ties to
the local power structures. Novice sellswords are hired by
low-ranking officials to take care of dirty or dangerous
business, and the most reliable and effective are recom-
mended up the hierarchy until a regional governor might
take notice of their talents.
Aside from service to the local officials, the empress
has quietly supported the creation of a number of local
“antiquarian societies” dedicated to investigating old Dy-
nastic ruins and plumbing forgotten Deeps. These soci-
eties cast a wide net when it comes to membership, and
they pay extremely well for magical artifacts and frag-
ments of occult lore. They alone are licensed to trade in
magical objects in Hantu, and an adventurer who wants
a particular artifact or High Magic spell might be able to
find a society willing to sell it to them... at a suitable price
in favors. Silver is rarely valuable enough to buy their
wares, but an experienced adventurer willing to risk a
daring expedition into a particular under-explored Deep
can expect consideration for their efforts.
58
THE HUNDRED SCHOOLS
Innumerable sects of martial adepts rule this land, each
dedicated to some esoteric interpretation of elemental
truth. Its sorcerous masters claim their authority as an in-
heritance from the wizardly Third Dynasty, but their rule
is more reliant on the martial academies they command.
History
In the days of the Fourth Dynasty, the province of Shen-
lai was a prosperous land of farmers, crafters, and diligent
soldiers. Their martial academies had produced genera-
tions of disciplined border guards to maintain the good
behavior of the Xindai daimyos to the north and fend off
the monstrous perils of the Litten Strand. Life was never
leisurely for the folk of Shenlai, but it was good.
This peace ended in the final years of the Fourth
Dynasty. The Xindai came together with unprecedent-
ed cooperation to support the usurper that became the
first emperor of the Fifth Dynasty. Their combined forces
crushed the resistance of Shenlai’s shocked guardians in
801 AL and left the land critically vulnerable to the mon-
strous incursions from the Shining Peaks. The newborn
Fifth Dynasty was too pressed in cementing its rule to
extend any military aid, nor was any aid to be had except
from the hated Xindai.
In that dark hour an ancient organization saw its
chance to rise. From guarded sanctums deep within the
Shining Peaks came a group of wizards who claimed to
be heirs of the sorcerous Third Dynasty. Through their
mighty magics and the exertions of their loyal pupils,
they were able to hold back the creatures of the moun-
tains until the battered Shenlaians were able to restore
their disorganized martial schools.
These “Venerable Masters” became the effective rul-
ers of Shenlai. Their valiant efforts had utterly discredit-
ed the failed governors of the former dynasty, and their
acolytes, apprentices, and minions rapidly filled the old
official positions. Instead of governors, the regions of the
province had Masters, and in place of magistrates, they
had sorcerously-gifted Adepts. By the time the Fifth Dy-
nasty was in any position to re-exert its claim on Shenlai,
the Masters were too strong to be dislodged.
In the centuries since, the students of the Masters
have splintered into scores of different magical schools
and occult sects. The numerous martial academies of
Shenlai have each attached themselves to a sect in order
to gain their patronage, and their graduates now serve
as private soldiers for that group’s adepts. Many of these
academies have learned how to employ their patron’s
arts in ways useful on the battlefield, and the wondrous
swordsmen of the Hundred Schools are proverbial in
dynastic lands.
While all sects take part in the rule of the land now
known as the Hundred Schools, they do not always do
so peacefully. Of late, their martial academies find them-
selves as pawns in conflicts they need not understand.
People of the Hundred Schools
The folk of Shenlai look much like other Dynasts, though
the admixture of Xindai blood in many leave them some-
what paler than most. The regular contact with eldritch
energies here has been known to provoke strange forms
in some of its inhabitants, and oddities of shape and color
are not terribly rare.
Every village and town of the Hundred Schools is
under the protection of one of its myriad arcane sects.
The sect’s Venerable Master serves as their lord, and his
Adepts serve as magistrates over individual towns. Phys-
ical enforcement and protection are provided by one of
the martial schools affiliated with the sect, as every sect
has at least one small academy of warriors allied with it.
Alliances can change, and through negotiations,
purchase, or occasional brute force a community can be
made to change sects. The desires of the common folk are
held as insignificant, though a village unwilling to pass
into the hands of a cruel sect might dare much to fight
the enforcers sent to bring them to heel.
Most Shenlaians share two sentiments: a fear of
the Shining Peaks, and a bitterness towards Xindai.
The attack of the latter during the Fourth Dynasty’s fall
robbed Shenlai of its protectors, and many hill-towns
were wiped out by the horrible beasts that came down
from the glowing mountains. Few Shenlaians have any
love for the Xindai, even generations later.
The Schools and their Adepts
Most wizards would consider the sorcerers of the Hun-
dred Schools to practice a kind of elementalism, as their
arts are focused chiefly around the manipulation of these
base substances. Their magic has an unusual amount of
facility with physical transformation and refinement,
however, and each sect is limited in its usable elements.
Almost all of the many schools are part of the “Four
Alliances”, broad coalitions that spring from a shared de-
scent from a particular Venerable Master. Each of these
alliances practices the same general type of elemental
magic, though different sects have different spells at their
disposal. Such knowledge is guarded zealously, even from
sects of the same alliance.
Records say that there was once a fifth alliance, one
dedicated to the arts of flame. As useful as their powers
were in battle, they suffered horrific losses in repelling
the beasts of the Peaks, and most of their secret spells
were lost. The few survivors were forced to join other
sects, and the remaining schools then found it wise to
begin cultivating their martial academy alliances so as
to prevent future losses of that kind.
Scholars suspect that foreign Elementalists might
be able to use these lost flame-enchantments if they can
be found. Such a theft of sacred wisdom would earn swift
reprisals from all of the schools.

The School-Cities
Each of the Four Alliances is headquartered in a city re-
named for their arts. While other practitioners can be
found in those places, their rule is always in the hands
of the most powerful school of the alliance.
The Conclave: An ancient neutral ground, the Conclave
is where the Venerable Masters met to determine
Shenlai’s fate. The lay citizens who dwell here do so
to support the many martial academies and caretak-
er-sects that keep holdings here.
Pure Streams: Seat of the water-wielding Academy of
Internal Tides, the city is famous for the enchanted
ships built here, blessed with magical virtues.
Resonant Iron: The metal-shaping mages of the Inner
Furnace Sect craft superb armaments for their loyal
military academies here, including magical blades.
Heavenly Root: Verdant city of the plant-shaping So-
dality of the Earthly Branches, the surrounding
forest is home to countless wondrous plants... and
numerous experimental failures. Some are quite
carnivorous.
White Jade: Giant stone pillars hold the seat of the Five
Holy Mountains Sect five hundred feet above the
regularly-inundated floodplain below. Draping
from the underside of the great stone square are
both floating docks for the river trade and dens of
vice that prefer to never see the sun.
59
Adventuring Among the Schools
The sects of the Hundred Schools are accustomed to hir-
ing outsiders to handle troublesome business when their
affiliated warriors are too busy to help. These jobs usually
involve exploring a Deep, rooting out a nest of mutant
monsters, or disciplining some renegade who might in-
flict too large a body count on the school’s own troops.
Payment is usually given in silver, but the schools are
also willing to teach conventional High Magic spells, or
Elementalist spells that match their own favored material.
Most schools have a few specialty enchantments they’re
willing to teach a helpful outsider, but the deepest secrets
of their art are always guarded carefully, and any wizard
who steals them must fear for their life should they be
discovered to have them.
Explorers who would rather acquire their pay on
their own terms can venture into the Shining Peaks to
seek out the lost sanctums of the Fifth Alliance, many
of which are still preserved behind their warding en-
chantments and concealing Workings. A party that can
overcome the defenses of such a place would find trea-
sures dating back to the Third Dynasty and a wealth of
precious magical components.
60
KYTHERON
Home to the exiled nobility that once ruled the kingdom
of Carce, Kytheron is a perpetual thorn in Atlantis’ side.
Its “Zakathi” nobility are forever eager to bedevil the Pri-
or Crown, though the natives who dwelled here before
their arrival have made Kytheron an unsteady seat for
their ambitions.
History
When the Prior Crown overthrew the Kings of Carce
and made their land into the present Atlantis, most of
the Zakathi nobility of that age bowed to their new king.
Some were not content with this, and fled over the sea to
the rough and primitive mainland.
There, a remnant of the pre-Confederate Marchen
free states in the plains and hills squabbled with Couron-
tine colonists in the western forest and swamps. These
divided peoples were far less magically and martially
sophisticated than the Carcean invaders, and far less
desperate as well. By 490 BL, the Carcean nobility had
broken all significant resistance to their rule.
Their numbers, however, were not great enough to
maintain their rule by brute force. Out of necessity, the
Carcean nobles wed into the local ruling families of the
plains and forests, bringing their chieftains and nobles
into a web of alliances that persists still.
The centuries of steady mixing between baseline hu-
man and Zakathi gradually eroded the Blight of constant
toil that afflicted the Carceans. In time, the distinction
ceased to exist. In the present day, the ostensibly “Zakathi”
ruling families of Kytheron are entirely baseline human.
The ruling families refuse to acknowledge this. They
instead spiritualized the Blight that affected their ances-
tors, asserting that it was mere physical virtue that com-
pelled them to work or perish, whereas the present “True
Zakathi” are instead impelled by spiritual longing to at-
tain great virtue and prowess. Thus, despite having no
actual physical qualities of the Zakathi of Atlantis, they
are in truth superior examples of “True Zakathi” lineage.
As a consequence, the entire ethos of the Kytheroni-
an nobility revolves around relentless pursuit of personal
excellence and splendid achievement. Failure in this is
not just a personal shame, but an implication that they
are not True Zakathi at all, unworthy of their rank and
position.
The present Queen Zenobia is obsessed with mak-
ing a marriage with the rebel King Agreus in Atlantis.
She views him as the best chance of regaining her rightful
place as Queen of Carce, and enough support and sup-
plies have been sent over to Zenopol to cause a severe
weakening of the royal house in Kytheron. Local lords
grow restive under the demands of fresh contributions,
and royal justice has grown distracted. King Agreus hu-
mors Zenobia’s dreams for the sake of her aid, though he
privately considers her and her royal family to be farcical
imitations of true Zakathi royalty.
Geography
Kytheron has a temperate climate south of the Marchen-
peaks, while its northern half is cool and damp. The bleak
muskeg surrounding the Lengtarn is occupied only by
fiercely independent Riu swamp-folk and a wide variety
of hostile Blighted and demihumans. The pine forests
around Sauvais and Dassar are drier ground.
The Marchenpeaks are a weathered branch of the
Lakaian range to the south, worn down save for a few
jagged peaks of buckled white ceramic thrust upward by
some ancient sub-surface collapse. The Red Fields be-
yond are the breadbasket of Kytheron, its plains dotted
with Marchen villages and small forests. All are walled
against the inevitable raids from the Shinbu Anak south
of the River of Spears.
While the northern part of Kytheron is webbed in
small streams and rivers, the great Weiss is the only ma-
jor river in the nation, bringing down barges from the
Marchenpeak mines to the forges of Yad Zakath.
Peoples of Kytheron
When the Zakathi arrived fifteen hundred years ago,
Kytheron was split between Corountine Riu abbey-col-
onies in the north and Amundi Marchen freeholds in
the south. The latter claimed to be the last remnants of
a “Holy Empire” that predated even the Seven Rivers
Confederacy, but by 480 BL they were little more than
scattered, uneasy partners against the Shinbu Anak.
The pale Riu and the bronzed Marchen were joined
by the Carcean exiles and their Zakathi lords. The Riu
abbey-villages switched their allegiance from Couront’s
king to the monarch at Yad Zakath once assurances
were given that they could maintain their worship of the
Bleeding God, and the Marchen found more wisdom in
nominal obedience than costly war; to bow to an outsider
was more tolerable than submitting to a grudged rival.
Since then, the ethnic groups have remained largely
static, with the original Zakathi lords having spread out
and intermarried into both Riu and Marchen families.
Those who could not tolerate these lords from over the
sea fled into the cold swamps of the Lengtarn, where
their blood mingles in the present-day swamp clans.
Demographics
Queen Zenobia does not have a wholly reliable census,
but most estimate the population of Kytheron to mea-
sure about 6,000,000, concentrated mostly in the rich
farming lands of the Red Fields. The northern forests
are much more sparsely populated, and no one knows for
certain how many mean villages and wretched hamlets
eke out an existence in the Lengtarn muskeg. The March-
enpeaks house several settlements of demihumans and
Blighted, though most prefer aggressive solitude when
not coming down to raid the lowlands.

Cities of Kytheron
Kytheron’s southern cities are very old, but not very large;
as rich as the Red Fields are, the constant losses to Anak
raids limit their populations. The northern towns are
even smaller, radiating out from the ancient abbeys of
the Bleeding God that formed their core.
Altburgh: An ancient refuge-city fortified against Anak
hordes, Altburgh’s citadel is now a sprawling death-
trap due to the progressive loss of the control arti-
facts needed to disarm its defenses and guardians.
Dassar: A chill and lonely city surrounded by the Ond-
wald and often pressed by its perils.
Laurent: The greatest trade-city of Kytheron, receiving
commerce from Couront and the Amundi king-
doms. Their barges down to Oberheim must often
deal with Anak river pirates.
Oberheim: A stronghold against the Shinbu Anak; many
of Kytheron’s privateers sail from this war-port.
Sauvais: Oldest of the major Riu settlements in Kyther-
on, Sauvais holds more than a few who would prefer
King Enguerrand of Couront as their lord.
Yad Zakath: Formerly Weissburgh, Yad Zakath is Queen
Zenobia’s seat and home to numerous wondrous
Workings brought over by the original exiles. While
almost unconquerable with these defenses, some
Workings have begun to curdle and warp under the
changing Legacy.
61
Kytheronian Society
The folk of Kytheron form two main groups; the com-
moners and the noble class. The former are a simple peo-
ple, loyal first to their families, second to their village, and
third to their Riu or Marchen kinsmen. Devotion to their
lords goes only so far as practicality requires. They are
farmers, foresters, or miners, and prefer to have as little
to do with the mad schemes of nobles as possible.
The noble class are ethnically identical to their
neighbors, but view themselves as being “True Zakathi”,
fundamentally different due to their spiritual superiority
and obvious talents. Every noble-born man and woman
is expected to be better than commoners; wiser, brav-
er, more capable, and more ambitious. Those who fail
to show these qualities can expect to be disowned, and
many will go to bloody extremes to conceal their failures
and ensure that no one around them can overshadow
their accomplishments.
Because of this, it’s considered an ordinary truth
that commoners are cowardly, thieving, stupid sorts,
who can’t be expected to behave with anything more than
brutish cunning at best. Kytheronian towns and villages
are rough, crude places in the main, while noble estates
are exquisitely appointed and run.
Any commoner who does distinguish themselves for
their virtue or capability must actually be a noble, and
will be sought out for marriage by ambitious noble hous-
es in turn. Refusing these pairings is seldom thought wise.
62
Government and Law
The towns and villages of Kytheron are ruled by hered-
itary noble families, with Riu counts and lesser barons,
and Marchen markgrafs and lesser burggrafs. All have
greater or lesser blood ties with the royal house of Carce.
Disputes among lords are settled privately, while com-
moners must appeal to the courts of their local lord for
justice, which they may or may not get.
Every noble house is dedicated to achievement and
success, a creed that makes for constant strife among
them. Few noble houses last for more than a few cen-
turies before collapsing in some mis-timed gambit or
overambitious war. New ones are always at hand, quick
to claim rights thanks to tenuous Carcean marriage ties
and proven “True Zakathi” success. In practice, there’s
hardly a Kytheronian commoner who couldn’t claim no-
ble status, if they had enough troops and silver to press it.
Kytheron has never been a wealthy land, but the
present exactions of Queen Zenobia are pushing the
noble houses close to mutiny. Her new taxes to sup-
port King Agreus are forcing large numbers of standing
troops to be discharged, only to become bandits and
marauders, and numerous farming villages to be all but
depopulated as locals flee the new demands. A significant
pro-Couront secessionist faction is building in the Riu
lands, and certain Marchen lords are contemplating an
aggressive change of rulership.
Religion in Kytheron
The primary god of Kytheron’s nobility is Anamon, the
Zakathi god they claim as their patron. His blessings are
sought for just rule and tireless zeal for excellence. The
Atlantean god Saidon is also honored in hopes that he
might favor their ships and give their privateers victory.
Individual houses may have chapels for other gods of
convenience, but only these two deities are considered
“proper” gods for “True Zakathi” to revere.
The common folk have no use for either divinity.
The Riu of the north have inherited their ancestral faith
in the Bleeding God, and their believers look to the an-
cient abbeys for spiritual guidance. Austere as that faith is,
they have also developed a pantheon of saints responsible
for particular places and professions, and many Riu carry
small medallions and tokens symbolizing their devotion
to these venerable holy persons.
Marchen generally make offerings to the spirits of
particular local natural features, such as rivers, mountains,
or forests. Especially impressive trees, peaks, or mountain
springs may be given specific names and qualities, and are
served by monasteries and priests dedicated to propitiat-
ing them and winning their blessings on those who live
in their vicinity. Few such clergy live in towns, generally
only so many as are needed to oversee the communal
offering-rites.
Aside from these acceptable gods, it’s not unknown
for certain Lengish faiths to form secret cults among
those who hunger for the power those strange gods offer.
Nobles in particular are known to make such bargains.
Adventuring in Kytheron
Adventurers are of low status in Kytheron, commonly
counted to be little better than bandits or vagabonds.
Nobles will generally refuse to have open dealings with
them and commoners will be wary of them. Even so, a
proven adventuring band with known successes might
earn credit as folk heroes and win discreet commissions
from noble houses who need effective agents.
Kytheron has large stretches of wilderness, partic-
ularly in the Ondwald and the Marchenpeaks. Numer-
ous ancient towns and fortresses dot the country, lost
in the course of centuries to disaster, Anak attacks, or
monstrous incursions. They usually make good nests
for bandits or more contemporary abominations, and
in either case there’s often some valuable loot left behind.
Aside from ruin-plundering and wilderness explo-
ration, Kytheronian noble houses are always looking for
effective help. Sabotaging the plans of rival houses is a
perennial favorite, and the regular petty wars between
towns or noble domains need commando teams to elimi-
nate particular officers or steal valuable objects. If a band
of adventurers should perish in such an enterprise, the
nobles can console themselves with the knowledge that
nothing of excellence was lost.
Potential Antagonists
With many different groups eager to prove their superi-
ority in Kytheron, an adventuring band does not need to
look far to find reliable adversaries.
Ambitious Noble: A sufficiently driven noble can be will-
ing to pay any price to obtain their glorious success.
Whether their goal is to crush an enemy, reclaim a
stretch of wilderness, depose a rival noble, or take a
bloody revenge, there are few limits to the amount
of collateral damage these nobles would inflict.
Ex-Soldier Bands: The new taxes from Queen Zenobia
have forced many lords to discharge men from their
armed forces. Lacking land or any other trade, these
former soldiers often band together into dangerous
bandit forces or extortionate mercenary bands.
Lengish Cults: Forbidden by law, these secret believers
offer grim rites of worship to the alien gods of Leng.
Such demon-deities tend to offer very tangible fa-
vors to their devotees, though they demand a terri-
ble price for their help.
Royal Tax Collectors: Queen Zenobia must have silver
for King Agreus, and these tax collectors are to ob-
tain it for her. Many are perfectly willing to squeeze
whatever they can get from helpless commoners or
friendless adventurers, and they have considerable
numbers of royal guardsmen to help enforce their
demands.
Swamp Dwellers: The inhabitants of the Lengtarn mus-
keg generally care little for outsiders, but from time
to time a terrible creature from the swamps ventures
into the surrounding lands. Even the human dwell-
ers have been known to launch raids on neighbors.
 63

Kytheronian Names Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Aleron Brunhilde Artois Berc Atlantean rebel forced to flee their

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

9 Gars Halette Foix Hallstadt Kytheronian “privateer” of dubious

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

16 Servan Selda Ruprecht Nortorf Ambitious commoner seeking to

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

Example Kytheronian Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Discharged baro- Ambitious young The tax collectors A mysterious Shabby and hard-
1 nial guard captain peasant aiming at just took some vital relic of the former used village of
turned bandit chief nobility resource Marchen empire poor peasants
Local noble looking Harried local mon- Discharged soldiers Silver meant for a Ornate noble
2
for new tax sources astery abbot have turned bandit large tax payment palace
Ruthless swamp Noble in need of A noble’s grand Precious Carcean Hidden rebel camp
3
folk raider boss deniable hirelings plan just backfired artifact of old in the wilds
Shinbu Anak war Peasant cruelly op- The lord is shifting Goods stockpile Ancient stronghold
4
chief turning north pressed by taxes tax burdens cruelly hidden from taxes against the Anak
Royal tax collector Swamp-dwelling Monsters are raid- Proof of a noble Zakathi-style mas-
5
lacking in scruples peasant rebel ing nearby supporting rebels sive building
Ambitious noble Noble of proven Two local noble Evidence that a Once-noble manor
6 seeking some great skill and personal families are locked local noble faked now occupied by
and bloody deed excellence in mortal contest their great deeds discharged soldiers
Bitter peasant Escaped slave from A local noble is Map to a treasure Riu monastery
7 turned priest of a a Lengish caravan being called out to hidden by a dis- dedicated to the
dark Lengish god prove their worth graced noble Bleeding God
Vile monster run- Reclusive na- The local ruling Mysterious Lengish Slave market for
8 ning loose due to a ture-priest of a family just col- relic with sinister the Lengish moun-
lack of local guard Marchen faith lapsed into chaos powers tain caravans
64
THE LITTEN STRAND
Small villages and trade-towns crouch on the shore of
the Litten Strand, shadowed by the glowing bulk of the
Shining Peaks to the north. Beneath those lethal stones
a war has churned for three thousand years, and the flot-
sam of its destruction draws greedy hands even now.
History
At some unknown point before the Colligation of Ep-
ochs and the beginning of recorded history, the Litten
Strand appears to have been inhabited by a sophisticated
demihuman nation composed of both elves and dwarves.
The surviving ruins that cover the southern slopes of the
Shining Peaks are magnificent in their architecture and
embellishment, and would see considerably more explor-
ers were it not for their present magically-radioactive
surroundings.
At some point during the Colligation, an entity
known only as “the One Below” appears to have become
active deep beneath the mountain range. This creature
generated endless swarms of monstrous progeny and
intelligent minions while eroding the stability of the
local Legacy. Worried demihuman sages calculated out
the consequences of allowing it to reach the surface; if it
were allowed to emerge, it would almost certainly cause
an Iterum-ending cascade of Legacy failures across the
entire Latter Earth.
In desperation, the last remaining military forces
of the nation intentionally destabilized their defensive
Workings, annihilating their own cities in a last-ditch
effort to seal off the surface from the One Below and
its minions. Their efforts were partially successful, for
while their nation was wiped out, the blue-litten magical
radioactivity of the zones thus created was as toxic to the
monsters as it was to its former inhabitants.
The only survivors of the devastation were a small
population of dwarven and elven researchers trapped
deep below the mountains. Assailed by monsters at ev-
ery side, their inevitable losses seemed assured to finish
what the surface devastation had begun.
Driven by necessity, the dwarven researchers used
their innate facility with the Legacy and certain eldritch
devices found in the nearby Deeps to warp the immor-
tality of their elven colleagues. By mutilating certain
aspects of their soul, the “rebirth” mechanism of elven
recurrence could be forced, manifesting them again and
again without the need for biological birth and matura-
tion. The surviving researchers were able to overwhelm
the remaining monsters by simple human wave tactics,
throwing endless elven respawns at the monsters until
they were driven back down into the dark.
The breathing room thus created was only tempo-
rary. New Deeps were secured, new generations were
trained, and new fortifications laid in before a fresh cycle
of monstrous spawns rose from below. That basic pattern
has remained the same for three thousand years.
Yet the costs only ever increase. The original crude
soul-maimings of the first dwarven researchers have been
refined and improved over the centuries, making each
elven “Ardent” into a living weapon on par with a Legate.
They can channel tremendous amounts of power through
their arcanely-generated forms and fight armies of mon-
strous spawn single-handedly. The endless ages of death
and suffering have left most Ardents only nominally sane,
however; some are effectively catatonic when not being
directed by their dwarven handlers. The few still rational
enough to reproduce provide only barely enough children
to replace the inevitable losses from Legacy burnout or
the destruction of an Ardent’s House of Immanence
where they are keyed to respawn.
Every generation fights to clear ancient Deeps of the
monsters of the One Below, constantly struggling to push
it deeper into the earth and farther away from its sunlit
goal. Sometimes these gains persist for centuries, with
dwarven cities and elven Houses of Immanence built to
secure it, and other times they are lost just as quickly
when a new wave of monsters boils up from below. The
Ardents and their dwarven support are not enough to
rescue every such outpost, and the few foreigners who
interact with them are often those expendable salvage
crews sent in to clear zones after the Ardents have broken
any organized resistance.
These tireless crusaders have little to do with the
outside world. They are always glad to receive what help
they can get from surface-dwellers, but active engage-
ment with the human nations risks distracting them
from their overwhelming duty. Should the One Below
somehow be destroyed, the Ardents and their veteran
dwarven military support would be one of the strongest
martial powers on the continent, but that future seems
distant at best.
People of the Strand
The subterranean dwarves and elves of the mountains
call themselves “the Great Plan of the Gate”, “the Gate-
keepers”, or simply “the Keepers”. While they have a lim-
ited number of surface outposts to conduct trade with
the human coastal settlements or the foothill villages of
Hantu, they dwell almost exclusively in ancient under-
mountain Deeps.
The other inhabitants of the Strand are largely hu-
man renegades, exiles, and adventurers who have come
from Xindai, Hantu, or farther lands in search of ancient
treasures in the mountain ruins. A certain number of
them make their living fishing or farming near the coast,
where there are the fewest monsters, but even these peas-
ants usually dream of daring the blue-lit mountains to
bring back ancient elven gold.
On the mountains themselves, few are found but
the most zealous hermits and the hardiest monstrosities,
ones able to bear the poisonous light of the peaks.

A Lethal Geography
The broad coastal plain between the sea and the Shin-
ing Peaks is a warm, temperate expanse that is thickly
forested and dotted with clusters of hills. Many of these
hills hold demihuman ruins, though the safest ones have
long since been plundered, with some serving as nuclei
for new human villages and towns.
The mountains and their foothills boast the greatest
ruins, vast cities informed by dwarven massiveness paired
with elven grace. Their treasures are largely intact, their
occupants killed almost instantly by the detonation of
their ancient defensive Workings.
That act of desperation has had long consequences,
however. Now large stretches of the mountain range are
polluted by a pale blue glow, largely invisible in the day-
time. This glow poisons anyone who remains too long
in it, sickening even automatons and others immune to
conventional illness. Those who do not remain long can
often recover after a week or two outside the zone, but
particularly intense areas can kill in minutes.
Worse still, these zones seem to shift and move un-
predictably over the course of years or decades. A once-
safe pass could turn lethal in a matter of days, while an
ancient city once blanketed in azure death could become
a safe zone just as quickly. These changes sometimes op-
erate at a set schedule, but more often they simply appear
and disappear without visible pattern.
There are several varieties of monster that appear to
have adapted to the blue glow, some of them related to
the eldritch horrors vomited up by the One Below. Most
have only bestial intellect, but the servitor-class entities
among them have a cruel human intelligence. They have
been known to form strongholds in the peaks, striking
out against human settlements and raiding the surface
outposts of the Gatekeepers.
65
Adventuring in the Strand
Most outsiders first arrive in one of the coastal settle-
ments, as the approach from the Hantu side of the range
is too dangerous for all but the boldest adventurers. The
natives of these settlements are a polyglot mix of exiles,
refugees, criminals, and fortune-seekers, and a few more
strangers seldom bring much remark. The local petty
warlords and nouveau nobility care little about new fac-
es so long as the newcomers can avoid making trouble
inside their territories.
From these coastal villages, bolder expeditions into
the plains can be mounted. Most of the region remains
largely unknown, its forests and hillsides blighted by the
prowling of monsters come down from the mountains.
Even so, a few brave villages and well-fortified market
towns can be found further inland, most of their inhabi-
tants seeking to plunder ancient demihuman ruins.
Those who are strongest and most daring can make
for the mountains themselves. If a sufficiently reliable
native guide can be found to steer them around the
poisoned zones, the party might make it to one of the
surface outposts of the Gatekeepers, where they could
expect a measure of safety and resupply. The occasional
heavily-guarded coastal caravan makes its way inland
to the outposts from time to time as well, trading plant
extracts and other valuable surface goods for gold and
shining jewels.
While friendly to outsiders, the Gatekeepers are al-
ways looking for more help in clearing out “risen” spawn
from their ancient Deeps and numerous long-lost subter-
ranean cities. Those adventurers who prove willing to aid
their great plan can expect rewards befitting their results.
The dwarves of the Litten Strand have many treasures,
not merely ones of precious gems or glittering gold, and
they can be persuaded to part with them for those who
fight on their behalf.
66
MAQQATBA
This icy southern land is a realm largely forgotten by
the rest of the world. Its neighbors have no appetite
for claiming such unwelcoming land, and its natives are
wholly absorbed in their own obscure pursuits. Even so,
the fame of its knights has lingered for more than one age.
History
The initial wave of First Dynasty conquest washed over
Gyarus, breaking almost every nation south of the Gyre
to obedience over the course of a few centuries. In time,
their armies came to the southern tip of the continent,
brushing aside the few petty kingdoms that had sprung
up amid the cold mountains. Grieved by the lack of any
further lands to conquer, the twelfth emperor of the
First Dynasty decreed that his tomb would be laid at the
southernmost point of his realm, that he might forever
gaze south in search of new domains to claim.
The Dynasts, being who they were, hastened to
construct a magnificent tomb complex for their emperor,
bringing materials thousands of miles in order to adorn
the palace-sized edifice. Such a place required protec-
tors, and so a detachment of the emperor’s elite guardians
were dispatched there to maintain an eternal vigil over
their deceased lord. Of course, a supply of commoners
were required as well to work the cold soil and fish the
seas that the knights might not starve.
As the decades rolled by and successive emperors
perished, they too had their tombs erected in the south,
the better to share in the luster of the great twelfth em-
peror. Every tomb had its share of guardians, and its
collection of attached peasants, and by the end of the
First Dynasty there were over a hundred tomb complexes
scattered over Maqqatba, some as grand as a small city
and others as humble as a modest village. With the fall
of the old martial First Dynasty, however, there came an
end to the tombs of emperors, as the Second Dynasty
had different plans for the repose of their priest-kings.
With the end of the First Dynasty, the northern-
ers had little to do with the people of Maqqatba. Their
guardian knights remained at their posts, their peasants
continued to work the land, and there was no further
profit in pressing Dynasty rule over them. They and their
cold mountains and empty taigas were left to their own
devices.
In the ages since, the initial guardian knights became
the martial elite of a new noble class in Maqqatba. Each
tomb-chapter came to revere its emperor or empress
as their patron god, glorifying their name with feats of
mighty martial skill. Each chapter spent centuries refin-
ing esoteric martial arts and exotic combat techniques, all
the better to show the worthiness of their lineage. Their
lives were austere, disciplined, and absorbed in war.
The commoners focused instead on fishing the sur-
rounding seas, mining the Shangu foothills, and growing
the “frost barley” that is the staple food of the populace.
As the barley only grows in relatively close proximity to
the blessed tombs of the emperors, their population was
constantly limited by the amount of food they could grow.
The chapters serve to cull the excess. Ritualized wars,
ancient grudges, and sudden raids between rivals all cost
many lives every year. The chapters replenish their num-
bers with the most capable and promising young com-
moners, thus lessening the population pressure. Every
settlement knows the number of people it can support,
and those excess who do not die in battle must accept
exile from their ancient home.
These exiles have brought some of the Maqqatban
arts north, to lands where they are held as wonders and
marvels. Even now, many sword-teachers promise to
impart the secrets of the “Maqqatban knights” to wor-
thy pupils. Most are liars, of course, but some really do
have knowledge of those esoteric skills, and it is not un-
heard-of for a foreign blademaster to show off arts that
were born in a far colder clime.

A Forbidding Land
Northern Maqqatba is dominated by the Shangu moun-
tains and the rocky foothills of those great peaks. A num-
ber of tomb-settlements were established there at partic-
ularly striking vistas; their commoner inhabitants now
live by mining the hillsides and scratching out terraces
of frost barley. The weather is cold and dry for much of
the year, but a brief, hot summer season and the long
summer days give life a chance to grow.
Further south, the mountains trail off into deep pine
forests, rolling hills, and numerous cold, swampy bogs.
The tomb-settlements here are commonly set on hilltops,
and the land about them used for barley crops.
The uttermost south has only a few great tem-
ple-complexes, each one reliant on ancient sorcery to
help them grow enough to eat. Months there are spent
in almost-perpetual darkness or near-constant light, and
the knight-chapters there are often said to be more than
half mad from it. Their worship is strange, and even Ma-
qqatbans think them a bloody-handed lot.
The People of Cold Duty
Most Maqqatbans were originally of Dynastic stock, but
their mingling with southern Tseban folk and the few
native Deep-kingdom remnants has made them taller
and paler than the average Dynast. Ritual marriage-pacts
among the various settlements have left them largely uni-
form in culture and appearance, though the occasional
gone-native foreigner has left their mark as well.
Every Maqqatban’s first loyalty is to their settle-
ment’s patron emperor. The knights may also keep faith
with their brethren in their chapter, but all honor their
patron as their tutelary god and protector. Other emper-
ors are acknowledged as fearsome deities, but are more
to be avoided than propitiated. Only their “chosen people”
can safely petition their aid.
67
Adventuring in Maqqatba
Maqqatban settlements rarely encounter visitors, but the
presence of far-faring sword-scholars and more mate-
rially greedy adventurers are not unknown among the
locals. Outsiders are generally viewed warily, but those
that bring useful goods or effective help are generally per-
mitted to sojourn in the settlement and purchase such
supplies as they need. Food is both ritually significant
and often in short supply, however, and sometimes out-
siders must risk hunting the perilous beasts of the wilds
if they are to have anything to eat.
There are relatively few Deep ruins in Maqqatba,
though some exist. More significant are the remains of
ancient First Dynasty structures. More than forty of the
imperial tomb-settlements have since been abandoned
due to calamity, misfortune, or starvation, and their
splendid halls are now stalked by the fell creatures of
the wilds. While few Maqqatbans would dare risk the
wrath of their dead patrons, outsiders are not always so
particular about plundering the remains.
Aside from the lost tomb-settlements, there are
also a significant number of ancient scholarly academies,
trade centers, shrines, and even a few pleasure-palaces
erected in the days of the First Dynasty, when richer
trade came down from the north and larger populations
could be supplied. Many of these places have been picked
over in the centuries since but many still hold valuable
secrets that have slept here since the days of the First Age.
Beyond ruin-delving, the Maqqatban knight-chap-
ters themselves often have work for outside adventurers.
Some tasks are of the sort that can only be performed
by deniable foreign assets, while other ambitions require
strong outside arms to aid their limited numbers. The
knight-chapters have little use for silver or gold, but the
rewards of secret techniques and hidden blade-wisdom
they offer are seldom equaled.
68
NINTH LENG
Grim Ninth Leng is a hermit-land of bleak skies and
cursed earth, its people resigned to the desperate worship
of alien gods in an attempt to escape the wrath of their
former deities. Their empty cities and blighted ruins are
rich with the hellish treasures of their former glory, but
few are willing to dare their awful guardians.
History
Lengans do not discuss their history with outsiders, but
the determined labor of sages and adventuring historians
has pieced together a limited glimpse of this ancient na-
tion’s antecedents. The records of their interactions with
outsiders are almost all that these scholars have to go on,
as modern Lengan texts are almost exclusively religious
in nature, and not overly helpful for historians.
The first recorded involvements with the Lengans
are found in certain ancient cartularies preserved by Cou-
rontine monasteries and salvaged historical texts from
the ice of Ultima Ondas. According to these documents,
the Lengans burst like a plague upon a former empire
of “shining lords of living gold” some time around 1630
BL. Their legions appeared as if by magic, sweeping over
the land and slaughtering the inhabitants in grim rituals,
their lives used as sacrifices to the Lengan gods.
Even at the time, the Lengan invaders referred to
themselves as “Ninth Leng”, the prior eight having existed
in some different world or pre-incarnational sense. Their
devotion to their devil-gods was absolute, and in return
for human lives sacrificed to eternal torment they granted
prosperity and power to their Lengan servants.
Countless Lengan cities were established along the
fertile northern coast, with the records of Ultima Ondas
claiming that the climate was nearly tropical at the time.
This period of prosperity lasted for a little over two hun-
dred years, fueled by stocks of human sacrifices drawn
from the remaining native population.
By 1420 BL, however, Lengan expansion had halted.
Their neighbors were either too well-armed or too thin-
ly-populated to be effectively harvested for new sacrifices,
and the Lengan gods were growing ever-more rapacious
in their demands. It would not be long before the Len-
gans themselves would be consigned to the unending
Hells by their impatient masters.
In 1414 BL, a new way was shown to them. The
First Illuminator, holy Saint Khadroma, revealed the
“ten thousand bright names” of a new pantheon of gods,
ones willing to extend their protection to the Lengans in
exchange for their worship and obedience. Her teachings
swept over the desperate land, and strange and awesome
miracles erupted wherever her cult prospered.
The hungry gods of old Leng were not slow to ex-
press their disapproval. Throughout the rich northern
cities, vast eruptions of infernal wrath blasted the popu-
lace and cursed the soil, while a burning stone from the
heavens smote the old capital of Kundu Ched and left it a
poisonous crater. The remaining devotees of the old gods,
desperate to win their favor, made war upon the followers
of the Bright Names until the old adherents were driven
away into the desolate northeastern wastes, to subsist on
the black blessings of their masters and forever seek the
damnation of their traitorous kin. In the end, the surviv-
ing Lengans were forced into newly built temple-cities,
the lands around them reduced to fearsome wildernesses
of monstrous beasts and divine miasmas.
Since that day, the people of Leng have had little
friendly contact with the outside world. Their black ships
ply the Sea of White Teeth, sometimes raiding for slaves,
other times bringing the strange goods that are made
only within their lands. Lengan traders are held in deep
suspicion wherever they go, but the drugs and sorcerous
treasures they bring and their precious plaques of blue
jade have won them the forbearance of rulers even in
lands where Lengan slavers scourge the coasts.
Foreign diplomats and traders are not generally wel-
come within the borders of Ninth Leng. Its people are
wholly devoted to the Bright Names that still protect
them from the damnation threatened by their former
masters, and outsiders cannot be expected to understand
or appreciate the importance of pious behavior. Adven-
turers are an exception to this rule, however; their will-
ingness to venture into god-cursed ruins and blighted
lands make them too useful as expendable scouts and
monster-slayers. So long as they continue to do their
work, the priest-lords of Leng are inclined to be charita-
ble about their inevitable shortcomings.

Geography
The lands of Ninth Leng were supposedly near-tropical
around the time of their first arrival, but that warmth has
faded greatly since that age. The lands beyond the low
mountain range known as the Ward are a frigid tundra
broken only by the frozen remnants of ancient jungles
and rimed cities. Countless arratus plague the plateau,
each one centered on the bones of a god-smote city.
South of the Ward, the land slopes down into a
swampy muskeg, leaving a wet and noisome belt of land
around the Ragba river. The great lake of Khi Sang Po
connects the capital at Tshad Khi to the port city of
Naragba, where black galleys set out for trade and slaving.
Further south, the land rises again to drier plains
that were once choked with slave-worked plantations.
Devil-beasts now roam this empty land, particularly
around the fifty-mile-wide crater that is Kundu Ched.
Ancient suburbs still remain collapsed and half-buried
around the crater’s rim, while the center is a poison-
ous arratu of half-melted stone peopled by maddened
wraiths of dead flesh and toxic fire.
The southern cities of Ninth Leng are in a narrow
band between the high peaks of the Pale, the perilous
depths of the Khad Khri forest, and the dangers of the
plains. Even here, in the warmest regions of the land, the
winters last six months and the summer sun has little
strength. The slave merchants that cross the Pale must
time their trips carefully to avoid being snowbound.
69
People of Ninth Leng
The natives of Leng are pale-skinned and pale-haired,
and are renowned for their beauty by their neighbors.
This beauty is sometimes disquieting to behold, however,
as many say there is something uncanny about their look,
as if their gods had fashioned them to suit some aesthetic
only partially related to human measures.
Lengans prefer heavy robes or elaborate costumes
as their daily wear, both for the sake of the cold climate
and to better display the tokens of their patron god. The
occasional sect will demand much lighter dress, however,
either as an act of ascetic self-discipline or to demon-
strate the holy vigor granted by their god.
While Lengans are the great majority of inhabitants
in Ninth Leng, perhaps a fifth of the population is made
up of foreign slaves taken in raids or purchased in far
markets. These slaves are settled in farming villages on
the outskirts of Lengan cities or in particularly fertile
areas of the wilderness, there to toil on behalf of their
lords and to suffer the dangers of the Lengan wilds. The
most capable and favored are kept with their owners in
the cities, to attend to their needs or to serve as sacrifices
when the Bright Names require blood.
Aside from these slaves, there are almost no per-
manent foreign residents in Ninth Leng. Foreign adven-
turers can sometimes be found in cities or rural villages
in between their expeditions, but few of these strangers
remain either long in Leng, or long alive.
70
Demographics
No one is entirely certain how many Lengans dwell in
their cheerless land, but few would expect more than a
few million. Major populations are all focused on a few
dozen surviving cities scattered south of the Ward, each
with a halo of farming and fishing villages that help feed
its inhabitants.
Lengan-occupied villages are closer to the city walls,
while slaves are used to work the hamlets most exposed
to the dangers of the wilderness. These slave villages are
generally left to govern their own affairs, as their masters
care only that they supply the necessary quota of food
and goods each spring and autumn. Escape attempts are
not unknown, but there are creatures in the wilderness
that inflict fates far worse than mere death.
Cities of Ninth Leng
Lengan cities are temples writ large. The heart of every
city is the grand temple to the Bright Name that its
priest-lord serves, and every district and neighborhood
likewise clings to the skirts of a local fane. To a Lengan,
a city is a temple, and even the wretched hamlets of their
slave laborers are each built around a Lengan shrine.
The surviving cities of Ninth Leng were all founded
after the coming of the First Illuminator, as none dared
dwell in cities dedicated to their former gods. The ru-
ins and wreckage of those ancient temple-cities are still
common in the wilderness, and fear has left most of them
untouched since their patron gods destroyed them. Of
the new cities, a few are of special importance.
Tshad Khi is the current capital of Ninth Leng,
forever vigilant against raiders from the Wastes to the
northeast. The never-frozen waters of the Khi Sang Po
flow in dark canals between the towering stone buildings
of the city, each adorned with the faces of strange gods.
Bakhyod is a city of vigilance, hard by the terrible
Plateau of a Hundred Hells that was once the Lengan
heartland. Its people are warriors against the abomina-
tions that come down from the plateau. They are the ones
most likely to see and tolerate foreigners, as adventurers
find much plunder in the northern ruins.
Tshulkhrim is the source of the exquisite blue jade
that forms the trade-coinage of Ninth Leng. The thumb-
sized plaques they craft bear the faces of the Bright
Names, each one worth a hundred pieces of silver in most
markets. Its mines consume many slaves.
Naragba is a port city half-welcoming to strangers,
receiving foreign traders and adventurers bold enough
to enter Leng. It also sees off the black galleys of Lengan
raiders, and its slave markets are vast and terrible.
Ngantsong reveres Bright Names that promise pro-
tection from the fearsome beasts of the great forest to
the south. This protection is provisional, and great ritual
hunts must be performed regularly to maintain it.
Drangsana guards the southern mountain trail that
leads to Kytheron. Lengan merchants venture over the
Pale, but more than a few fall prey to fierce believers in
the old gods who still inhabit ancient mountain temples.
Lengan Society and Religion
Even more than Sarx, Ninth Leng is wholly devoted to
its gods. This frantic piety is the consequence of the great
curse that lies upon every heir of Leng, the assurance that
without some other god’s protection they will inevitably
be condemned to everlasting torment by the cheated
divinities of their ancestors. The Bright Names are the
only security against this terrible fate, and society’s prime
function is to ensure that they are placated at all costs.
Every Lengan is a priest to one god or another, with
infants being consecrated at birth into their mother’s cult.
Commoners are instructed in only the most basic rituals
and prayers, while the kindred of the priest-lords who
rule their cities are initiated into ever-deeper circles of
mystery. These secrets often come at a harsh price, for the
Bright Names are not loving gods, and their favor comes
only after due obedience to their inscrutable desires.
Status in Lengan society is exclusively obtained
through divine favor. The Bright Names do not commu-
nicate directly with their followers, but express their will
through omens, miracles, prophecies, and other divine
expressions. Those they favor immediately rise in rank,
while those who receive unfavorable oracles risk disgrace
and loss of both rank and property. It is widely known
that success in temple enterprises is one of the clearest
expressions of divine will, so ambitious priests are often
desperate to succeed in their schemes.
Most Lengans spend their days in prayer and com-
munal rituals, working with their fellow cultists to pla-
cate and adore their patron Name. Much of what other
nations would accomplish with mundane workers or
craftsmen is instead produced by direct miracle or divine
sending, with goods and works produced through eso-
teric rituals and bloody sacrifices. A Lengan “blacksmith”
rarely ever lifts a hammer, but instead knows the correct
rituals and sacrifices to manifest needed ironwork.
A few Lengans are consigned to overseeing the slave
villages and producing goods through more mundane
labor. These positions are invariably low-ranking and
despised by the great, but the Bright Names are not so
generous as to feed and clothe the whole nation. These
marginal Lengans have the most contact with outsiders,
and some can become positively un-Lengish in temper.
The average Lengan desires nothing so more than
the blessings of their patron Name, and all their work
and planning revolves around this. Finer rituals, more
exotic offerings, more devoted servants… these things
are what they seek, so they might perhaps some day rise
to become priest-lord of a town, or even a city, their cult’s
god enthroned in place of the former ruler’s faith.
Of the Bright Names themselves, little is known by
outsiders. They are strange, alien gods, many of which
are not even humanoid, and their commands are harsh
and pitiless. Human sacrifice is common, and terrible
demands are sometimes made of their believers. Foreign
faiths are wholly forbidden in Leng. Some believe that
foreign gods can save the cursed Lengans as well, but the
Bright Names have no intention of sharing their flock.

Lengan Government
Every Lengan community is under the absolute rule of a
priest-lord. Those of the great cities are fearsomely pow-
erful sorcerers blessed by their fell god, while towns are
ruled by lesser magicians, and the “lord” of a slave village
is seldom more than an untalented man or woman in a
shabby ritual robe. Lesser communities are obedient to
greater ones, with all the priest-lords nominally subject
to the will of the lord of Tshad Khi.
Within each city, the high priests of each local Bright
Name divide up the endless work of ritual and prayer,
each enforcing discipline on their own believers with the
priest-lord stepping in to resolve disputes between cults.
The high priests delegate responsibilities to lesser priests
in their cult, and in turn every Lengan is eventually re-
sponsible to their direct superior in the faith.
Cults in a given community are often largely of a
single family or extended clan due to the customs of
initiation, and it is common for the family patriarch or
matriarch to also be the high priest. Defiance of their will
is treachery to the family as well as their faith, and it is in-
evitably punished harshly. The most wretched offenders
are stripped of their priesthood, ensuring that their souls
will burn eternally in the fires of their old masters rather
than receiving the merciful oblivion of the Bright Names.
Major political changes occur most often at midwin-
ter, during a night of great ritual and solemn prayer. The
various signs of divine favor and examples of success are
tallied up by the gathered high priests of a community,
and its members are elevated or degraded based on the
apparent will of the gods. It is not unknown for certain
corrupt priests to deny divine oracles or reject holy mir-
acles in order to keep down rivals, but every so often
such malefactors receive a most spectacular divine chas-
tisement for their interference. Such a possibility tends
to discourage bad behavior among most of the judges.
71
Adventuring in Ninth Leng
As strange and unwelcoming as Leng is to outsiders, there
are a surprising number of adventurers who dare its icy
peaks and perilous wilds. Vast stores of ancient wealth
remain in the ruined cities of former Leng, and the locals
are perfectly willing to have expendable strangers go out
and plunder such places. At best, they will kill dangerous
beasts and bring back word of impending perils. At worst,
the monsters will have something to eat other than the
people of Leng. So long as foreigners continue to kill
monsters and dare the perilous wild, their presence will
be tolerated.
Outsiders will most often deal with Lengan traders
familiar with foreign ways or the half-disgraced Lengan
overseers of slave villages. Lengan slavers have little to
do with adventurers; they make awful slaves for multiple
reasons, and more profit can usually be had by hiring
them for work than fitting them for chains.
Most Lengan ruins are infested with unholy abom-
inations, many of them the agonized remnants of their
ancient inhabitants. The old gods have consigned them
to everlasting suffering as monsters and terrible beasts,
blind to anything but violence and pain. The least of
them can easily kill an unwary explorer, while the worst
require half an army to destroy their physical form.
Monsters are not the only threat in the wilds, how-
ever. There were some among the ancient Lengans who
did not dare to defy their old lords. Driven from the cities
of the Bright Names, they now lurk in high mountain
villages and temples, or in wretched covens in the Wastes
and deep forests. Their gods give them the strength to
survive and perpetuate themselves, but only when paid
for with the blood of their traitorous kin. These “old be-
lievers” often serve as the leaders of monstrous incursions,
directing their tormented slaves to wreak havoc in the
villages and towns of their heretical kindred.
72
ONDAS
Formerly a wealthy and powerful nation blessed with ex-
ceptional technical capacity, Ondas suffered dearly from a
brutal incursion of automatons some two hundred years
ago. Now its pioneers and explorers go westward to re-
claim their fallen glory, despite the local resistance.
History
The original home of the Ondasi was the then-temperate
isle of Ultima Ondas, a marvelous nation of sophisticat-
ed sorcery and wondrous artifices. A network of potent
Workings maintained a warm climate and a friendly Leg-
acy allowed certain devices and engines to function that
would be inoperable elsewhere.
Around 1677 BL, however, toward the end of the
First Age, a catastrophic expansion of the Boras Mur ice
sheet forced the Old Ondasi southward to present-day
Ondas. The expansion of the sheet was so swift that the
island’s king had no time to prepare countermeasures.
The royal family and most of their greatest mages per-
ished in a vain attempt to hold it back.
The refugee remnant landed at the current site of
Norbury, establishing a beachhead in the untamed wil-
derness for their fellow survivors. It was not long before
the exiles discovered survivors of a former pre-Colliga-
tion empire in the western mountains. These “hillfolk”
seemed to be related to the Marchen peoples of Kytheron
and the eastern Amundi kingdoms, though their material
culture had regressed to little more than well-fortified hill
villages and disquieting stone shrines. They lacked the or-
ganization to overcome the desperate Ondasi, and most
were rapidly driven back into the foothills of the Pale.
The same disaster that had swept over Ultima On-
das appeared to have displaced its Workings as well as
its people. The northeastern corner of Agathon proved
considerably warmer and more temperate than records
had indicated, with four distinct seasons and warm sum-
mers. More than that, some of the artifice-ease of the
island appeared to have been transferred south as well,
and Ondasi hurlants, steamwagons, and other advanced
devices functioned southward to a line that became the
border with Kytheron.
The power of Ondasi hurlants and the remnant ar-
tifices of her master engineers quickly made the Ondasi
masters of their newfound land. With the death of their
royal family and the heroic efforts of the seafaring mer-
cantile families that had saved so many of their people,
the merchant class became the core of a new republic in
the north.
The Ondasi steadily spread westward, driving back
the native monsters and Outsider remnants and planting
new cities as they grew. Their new nation was divided
into multiple states, each centered around a bustling new
state capital. The iron rails of steamwagon lines were
driven into the wilderness to connect these new states,
and representatives from each were gathered in the new
capital of Royston to reflect on policies appropriate to
their newly-forged nation’s interests.
The nation was not as solid as its rail lines. While
the Ondasi formed the bulk of the population, native
Marchen immigrants from Kytheron had poured in and
been welcomed for the additional labor they provided.
The native hillfolk had been reduced to a harsh existence
on the borders of the new state, eking out a living herd-
ing goats in the Pale of Leng or seeking employment as
menial laborers in the cities. While the Ondasi stood at
the top of the hierarchy, their position was not welcomed
by the other groups.
This inward unease left Ondas disinclined to turn its
attention outside its borders, as their culture and society
was reliant on engines and firearms that ceased to operate
ten miles offshore. They traded with Kytheronian and
Atlantean merchants and warily regarded Ninth Leng
over the mountains but they never turned outward.
In the centuries that followed, these divisions hard-
ened. The southern states established in the Ondwald
were firmly controlled by the Marchen, who ensured
that all the important businesses and governmental posts
were likewise occupied by their kind. The eastern states
were Ondasi-controlled in the same way, and usually end-
ed up picking the republic’s president by sheer numbers.
In the west, the “new states” were a mixture of March-
en and Ondasi, with a considerable number of hillfolk
chieftains acting as power brokers through their control
of their clansmen. There were periods of eastern domi-
nation, a lesser number of southern-controlled eras, and
towards the end of this peaceful age the western states
were looking to obtain preeminence through a wary alli-
ance among their various ethnic groups.
This all ended two hundred years ago, in 860 AL.
From the depths of the Pale marched a legion of cor-
roded iron automatons, all bearing seals of a long-dead
empire and all working to exterminate the Ondasi inter-
lopers. The hillfolk villages were spared so long as they
did not interfere, but every Ondasi city west of Salburg
was wiped off the map in a few short years.
For two hundred years, the surviving Ondasi and
Marchen towns fought off the Iron Men. The limits of
Ondasi engineering were pushed to the very edge of what
the Legacy allowed as the survivors struggled to drive
back the rusted legions. In the end, their victory came not
from their own strength, but from simple entropy. The
Iron Men wound down, their enchantments depleted,
and now only isolated bands of them yet lurk in the wilds.
In the past ten years, the Ondasi have begun a great
westward migration, their overcrowded eastern cities
emptying out as countless men and women seek a bet-
ter life in the west. Many among the surviving hillfolk
clans have no intention of letting them return. And all
the while, men murmur of iron shapes in deep mountain
vaults and of a magic that may not have run its course.

Geography
Ondas is an abnormally warm and mild land for its lat-
itude. Before the destruction of Ultima Ondas it was
little more than a cold northern taiga giving way to open
tundra, barely habitable for its hillfolk inhabitants. With
the dislocation of Ultima Ondas’ weather-Workings, it
became a cool, temperate land chiefly dominated by east-
ern grasslands and western pine-forested hills.
The great Ondwald forest dominates the south of
the nation. The Iron Men did not go south into Kyther-
on, but they wiped out the Marchen cities north of the
border and tore up their steamwagon rails. Now pioneers
from Salburg and the southern cities are trying to restore
the lost states here with isolated villages and scattered
trade towns.
The Old States of the central hill country were once
some of the most prosperous in Ondas. Now only hill-
folk villages remain, many of their clans intensely hostile
towards Ondasi and Marchen alike.
In the north, Norbury was once the industrial heart
of a web of coastal fishing and mining towns. Now the
“scoured coast” holds only the ruins of those places, and
the past two centuries have left Norbury a hardscrabble
port of ruined factories and desperate men.
“Back East” is the informal name for the states of
New Haven, Northport, and Granz, the only surviving
states of old Ondas. Its cities are crowded and its lands
over-farmed, with many eyes turned west for better.
73
People of Ondas
While all the citizens of the Republic of Ondas are techni-
cally “Ondasi”, the locals draw finer distinctions amongst
themselves. Three major ethnic groups are found within
the nation’s borders, along with small numbers of outside
trading families or aspiring immigrants.
Ondasi proper are those descended from the ref-
ugees of Ultima Ondas, often retaining ancestral tra-
ditions about which part of the island they came from.
Their three main subdivisions are the “north Ondasi”,
dark-skinned and dark-eyed, the “east Ondasi”, short and
amber-hued people with bronze or red hair, and “west
Ondasi”, who are of medium height, pale skin, blond hair,
and light eyes. Their phenotypes tend to breed true to the
father, but few Ondasi draw any particular distinction
between them, save for a few rigidly traditional families.
The Marchen of Ondas look much like their south-
ern cousins, being bronze-skinned, broad-shouldered,
and dark-haired. They predominate in the southern re-
gions of the nation, being the ruling class of Salburg and
the new forest hamlets of the Ondwald.
The hillfolk of Ondas call themselves the Wier
among their own kind, and care little what others call
them. Those in the east form a menial underclass, mis-
trusted by the others for their potential ties with the Iron
Men and unable to return west to clans who have no use
for “traitors”. They look much like Marchen, yet are taller
and slimmer, with lighter hair and sharper features.
74
Demographics
The federal record office in Royston counts over four
million citizens in the “civilized” portions of Ondas. An
unknown number have headed west in search of a better
life, but few think that they number less than several
hundred thousand. The number still alive is unknown.
Of the population, most estimate 60% as Ondasi,
30% as Marchen, and 10% as hillfolk. Foreigners have
had little reason to come to Ondas during the centuries
of war with the Iron Men, and it is only with the new
westward migration that Atlantean traders and Kyther-
onian merchants have resumed their trade. A few small
foreign quarters have since grown up around the docks
of Royston and Salburg, but foreign numbers are few.
Demihumans are even rarer. While most Ondasi
are intellectually aware that non-baselines exist, the few
native demihuman communities in Ondas were thought
to have been wiped out by the Iron Men. Only the most
isolated and self-sufficient groups could have avoided
that fate… as some Blighted tribes did.
Cities of Ondas
Ondasi cities and towns are almost exclusively restricted
to the coastline and the grasslands of Back East. Nu-
merous overcrowded cities and hard-used farm plots can
be found in such lands, but fifty miles west of them it’s
uncommon to find so much as a market town. Pioneer
towns are being established in the Ondwald, the Old
States, and even along the Scoured Coast, but these
towns are small, precarious, and often destroyed by nat-
ural hazards, vile beasts, or hillfolk anger.
Royston is the capital of the Republic and the state
of New Haven, the governmental seat where President
Claudette Royce leads the Council of Representatives.
Royston is a rail hub for the surviving steamwagon lines,
and its yards echo with the whistles of these engines as
they haul goods north, south, and even west along new-
ly-built lines. The new drive west has brought a swarm
of merchants and politicians eager to find profit in the
enterprise.
Fort Royce is a frontier town, the launching point
for numerous expeditions and town-founding efforts
further west. Newly established in the past ten years, it’s
a wide-open town of reckless fortune-seekers, criminals,
desperate homesteaders, and explorers. The few steam-
wagon lines going west of Fort Royce are dangerous and
often disrupted.
Norbury is the tattered capital of the state of North-
port. Once the preeminent industrial city of Ondas, the
Iron Men destroyed its satellite towns and depopulated
its laboring population. Only a fraction of its old inhab-
itants remain amid half-ruined factories and decaying
wharves. Desperation is a way of life here.
Salburg is the old seat of Marchen authority in On-
das, as well as being the capital of the state of Granz. Its
mayor is said to have ambitions of independence fueled
by a new web of Marchen-dominated towns in the Ond-
wald. Their success is yet to be established.
Ondasi Society
The society and culture of Ondas is shaped by three great
factors: its permissive Legacy, its losses in the Great War
against the Iron Men, and the brutal resource limits of
life Back East.
The Legacy in Ondas has been warped and shifted
by the remnant influence of the Workings that currently
lie buried beneath the ice of Ultima Ondas. Within the
borders of this nation, conventional firearms function
correctly, steam-powered conveyances and certain indus-
trial machinery can be made to operate, and the natural
climate is much warmer and more clement than it should
be for a nation this far north. These benefits are very
specific and limited; just because a scattergun works with
two barrels doesn’t mean it will work if the gunsmith
adds a tube magazine. Ondasi engineers have pushed to
find the limits of the Legacy’s laxness for centuries, but
most believe they are currently as advanced as is possible.
Rail-mounted steamwagons, cartridge-firing guns, and
steam-powered factories and mine pumps are as far as
the Legacy allows them, and even alternative uses of a
functioning technology are usually impossible.
The Great War cost every family in Ondas dearly
over the past two centuries. Most able-bodied citizens
who weren’t working in factories or on farms were draft-
ed into the Army of the Republic for a mandatory eight-
year term, and demobilized veterans make up many of
the explorers, pioneers, and bandits found in the nation.
Almost every Ondasi knows how to handle a firearm and
has some acquaintance with military discipline, though
most would wish to leave that life far behind.
During the war, the massive waves of refugees from
the west combined with the natural population growth
to bitterly tax the resources Back East. Farms were ex-
hausted, factories were forced to work with scraps, and
robber-baron merchants cornered whole markets with
their access to outside resources. The average Ondasi is
familiar with being ill-fed, ill-clothed, and landless, and
only rich mercantile families and the “old families” of pol-
itics like the Royces and Hartwells know much better.
The desperate urge for a better life has driven thousands
of Ondasi families west, into lands they know could as
easily be their graves as their future.
The average Ondasi is a hard young man or woman
on the make, determined to get a better life in any way
they can. Strong loyalty exists between family members,
and pioneer settlements are known for pulling together
if they are to survive, but most Ondasi are fundamentally
tired of privation and will do what they must to escape it.
One prejudice most Ondasi and Marchen share is a
dislike and mistrust of hillfolk. Many believe the hillfolk
were actively in league with the Iron Men, or somehow
called them forth through dark sorcery. Those hillfolk
who live in the east tend to reciprocate this dislike, and
often band together for protection and mutual assistance.
The hillfolk political bosses and crime lords of the eastern
cities can sometimes act as local kingmakers by a timely
show of support to a candidate.

Government and Law
Ever since the death of the former royal family and the
founding of the nation, Ondas has been a republic. The
nation is divided into regional states, and states into sub-
ordinate counties. Each county elects a representative
to the state council and the state councils choose two
of their number to go to Royston as federal councilors.
State governors are directly elected by the populace, and
the federal President is chosen by the federal council. Ju-
dicial affairs are handled at the state level by county- and
state-appointed judges.
During its golden age, Ondas had eleven states. Pres-
ently, only three still exist: New Haven, with its capital
at Royston; Northport, with its capital at Norbury; and
Granz, with its seat at Salburg. The rest were wiped out
during the Great War, their surviving citizens forced east.
There is considerable argument in the federal council over
whether or not they should be reestablished on the same
lines as before. Presently, they treat the abandoned states
as the “Provisional Territory” under direct federal control.
That control is notional at best. The pioneers who
head into the Territory carry the customs and laws of
home, and most assemble themselves into the familiar
legal forms of towns, mayors, judges, and marshals, but
their ability to enforce federal law beyond town limits
is extremely limited. Requests sent east might earn the
help of a cavalry squad to deal with persistent bandits,
or a federal marshal to hunt down a particularly noto-
rious criminal, but most towns have to solve their own
problems with the resources and help that they can get.
One point of particular heat is that of land claims.
All land claims in the Territory are under federal juris-
diction, with adult pioneers each allocated 160 acres of
land on request provided they maintain a residence on
it for five years. Considering the enormous price of land
back east, this prospect has pulled many half-competent
aspiring farmers westward, and an almost equal number
of robbers, extortionists, land thieves, and rustlers to prey
on them. There are regular feuds between towns over
possession of a particular patch of land, and the federal
records aren’t always reliable about determining owner-
ship. In vague situations possession often comes down to
the side that marshals the fiercest pack of ruffians.
The hillfolk of the Territories are a constant problem
to the settlers. Most surviving clans were thrown back
to their ancestral ways by the loss of Ondasi goods, and
spears and arrows have replaced rifles and scatterguns.
Most have inherited stories of Ondasi greed and con-
quest, and have no interest in reliving those tales. Even
so, their chief concerns tend to be other, rival hillfolk
clans that they’ve been quarreling with in the two centu-
ries since the Ondasi were driven out. Many are willing
to overlook their dislike for the easterners in exchange
for firearms and help in their feuds, little believing that
the Ondasi could ever grow so numerous as to threaten
their clans. A few Ondasi idealists imagine a newer, more
peaceful arrangement between the groups, but their voice
is seldom heard among the desperate pioneers.
75
Religion in Ondas
Ondasi religion tends to follow ethnic lines, though lo-
cals of a given town will tend to gravitate to the majority
faith. Numerous beneficial societies, lay organizations,
and mutual-aid groups focus around particular religions,
and belonging to at least one such group is almost a pre-
requisite for an active adult member of a community.
The Ondasi prefer the worship of Fate and Luck,
the former personified as a stern god who ordains the
destined outcome of all events, and the latter as a carefree
goddess who breaks all certainties for good or ill. Most
worship both gods, calling on one or the other as the
situation recommends.
Various historical saints are said to have taught the
virtues and methods by which mortals can satisfy Fate
and earn both a better mortal life and a happy afterlife
contemplating the ultimate perfection of all things. In-
dustry, honesty, self-reliance, and mutual cooperation
figure heavily for Fate’s followers, and Fate’s preachers
often warn against neglecting these virtues.
Luck, conversely, promises freedom from the dic-
tates of Fate and forgiveness for past failings. A devotee
need only be brave, daring, generous, and clever to win
her favor, with the truly faithful promised an afterlife of
endless satisfactions. Ill fortune is a sign of Luck’s disap-
proval, with the only remedy being more earnest practice
of her virtues. Her priesthood are known as “Dealers”,
and their churches invariably serve as gambling halls.
The Marchen of Ondas prefer to revere abstract-
ed spirits; Industry, Community, Family, and Nature
are favored spirits, worshiped in communal rituals at
particular sites significant to the spirit. Factories, town
squares, family hearths, and places of impressive natural
beauty might all qualify. Acting in ways harmful to the
principles of these spirits brings misfortune, sickness,
and poverty, while furthering their ends ensures good
fortune in life and an afterlife of unity with their blessed
ancestors. Their clergy are few, and tend to be persons
associated with the principle they revere: engineers for
Industry, town leaders for Community, family patriarchs
or matriarchs for Family, and so on. Most rituals are sim-
ple to learn and perform, but the most charismatic and
insightful of ritual leaders are often revered as holy men
and women.
The hillfolk gods are each specific to their clans,
being the deified ancestors and culture-heroes of each
group. Many retain peculiar qualities or iconography that
may have to do with their ancient pre-First Age empire.
Shared heroes often form the strongest bond between
distant hillfolk villages. Every such community considers
itself in the same clan and lineage as the other villages
that worship their same ancestors. Wives and husbands
are commonly taken from within the same god-clan but
always from a different village whenever that is possible.
Hillfolk priests are notorious for their sorcerous talents,
though many say such talk is overblown. Even so, some
easterners remain convinced that the western hillfolk
brought about the rise of the Iron Men with their magic.
76
Adventuring in Ondas
Ondas does not really recognize “adventuring” as being a
particular profession, largely because much of the present
populace is engaged in much the same activity. Thou-
sands of men and women venture forth each month to lay
claim to land in a perilous wilderness, ready to fight off
raiders and abominations in order to make their fortune.
Conventional adventurers are different only in that they
usually have fewer legal documents to justify their claims.
Even so, there remains a considerable supply of
bounty hunters, gamblers, trappers, explorers, and hired
guns drifting through the western lands, ready to take
on work too dangerous or too immoral for ordinary pio-
neers. They fall by the hundreds to the perils of their pro-
fession, but while the silver keeps flowing from newfound
western wealth, their replacements will never run short.
Exploration Adventures
Adventurers are often engaged for survey work, either to
be performed by a knowledgeable scholar in their group
or by a government agent they are to escort. The federal
government has little idea of what lies out west after two
centuries of Iron Men control, and reliable maps and site
reports are precious to them. Aside from government
employers, private land owners back east often commis-
sion adventurers to go scout their claims, both to ensure
that nothing exceptionally dangerous is lairing there and
to discourage any claim jumpers from digging in.
Freelance adventurers will often venture forth to
“salvage” the ruins of towns and cities recorded before the
Great War. The invasion of the Iron Men was so swift
that many valuables were left behind in the rush to escape,
and many rich refugees were killed along the way. Un-
fortunately, these sites are also the most likely to retain
contingents of still-active Iron Men. These automatons
are cruelly intelligent and wholly implacable, each one
a match for two or three ordinary soldiers. Their steely
officers are worse still.
Dungeon Adventures
The ancient Deeps of Ondas are few and well-concealed,
evidently buried by the ancient empire that ruled here
before the Colligation. Even so, some truly venerable
delvings are uncovered by chance or time’s slow erosion,
and can contain secrets and treasures beyond present
imagining. It is also likely that they contain Iron Men.
Aside from the Deeps, abandoned hillfolk villages
and fortresses are also to be found in the foothills of the
Pale of Leng. These villages had to be abandoned when
the Iron Men commandeered them for their own inscru-
table purposes, and some of those rusted soldiers might
still inhabit these places.
The most daring adventurers will ascend the Pale to
seek out the Lengish temples that are said to crown their
peaks. The treasures they might hold cannot be guessed,
but their divine guardians are surely terrible to behold.
Antagonists
In a nation full of as many desperate strivers and ruth-
less survivors as Ondas is, an adventuring party does not
need to look far to find an antagonist. Several common
possibilities bear mentioning.
Bandit Boss: Demobilized soldiers sometimes find out
the hard way that they make poor farmers. Without
prospects or supplies in the wilderness, they often
form bandit crews, often under the leadership of the
cruelest and least scrupulous among them.
Corrupt Politician: State and federal representatives of-
ten get their posts through a certain degree of un-
scrupulousness. Bribes, threats, financial pressure,
and more direct violence might all be used, partic-
ularly if the community is considered unimportant
by the federal government.
Hillfolk Chieftain: Not every western hillfolk clan is
hostile, but most detest outsiders on principle. The
only people they despise more are their neighboring
rivals, and sometimes the threat of Ondasi help to
an enemy will be enough to spark violence. Their
priests, too, sometimes demand red sacrifices for
their hero-gods, and outsiders are better spent than
kinsmen.
Iron Man Captain: Squads of these rusted automatons
still remain in the wilderness, their vital powers
yet undepleted. They exist purely to destroy all
non-Wier within Ondas, and their cruel cunning
is directed exclusively to that end. They do not fight
with robotic stupidity, but methodically and effi-
ciently work to slaughter their foes.
Ondasi Troublemaker: It’s a hard job keeping the peace
between hillfolk and Ondasi on the frontier. It’s
even harder when some Ondasi won’t be happy
until every hillman within fifty miles is dead or
gone. A community often needs to deal with these
zealots before they bring down more trouble than
their neighbors can handle.
Robber Baron: Money has always meant much in On-
das, with every luxury and indulgence available to
those who have the silver. Some merchant princes
like to keep prosperity to themselves, and will go
to brutal lengths to ensure that troublesome things
like “unions”, “safe job conditions”, and “non-compa-
ny-owned stores” don’t trouble their holdings.
Sorcerous Abomination: There are terrible things in
the woods and the hills, and even the hillfolk don’t
know all their names. Every so often something
hideous comes out of the pines, and villages that
don’t find a protector against them will seldom last
out the season. Many of these creatures wield dark
sorceries that draw on the malevolent power of a
hostile land.
 77

Ondasi Names Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Charles Anna Bailey Broken Glass Religious dissident seeking

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

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

Example Ondasi Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Ruthless bandit Curious local hill- Surviving Iron Men Hijacked steam- Abandoned pre-
1
gang boss folk warrior are attacking wagon shipment War ghost town
Tyrannical town Missionary who bit Settlers and local Sacred relic of a Hardscrabble
2 mayor in a lawless off more than they hillfolk have a hot nearby hillfolk clan frontier town in the
land could chew quarrel wilderness
Religious zealot of Settler in a hard A cattle sickness is Deed to a valuable High, narrow rail-
3
some dark faith scrape scouring the range piece of land way bridge
Bloody-minded Town mayor in A robber baron Artifact that can Long-abandoned
4
hillfolk chieftain need of hired aid wants local land repel the Iron Men mineshaft
Government agent Soiled dove with a A sinister new faith Prototype steam- Steep hill country
5
out only for himself heart of gold is on the rise wagon plans canyon
Cruel hired gun Very ill-suited set- Ex-soldiers are Payroll for a gov- Ruined campsite
6 who sells protection tler with a rare skill forming a warlord ernment office or in the deep pine
from himself for these parts domain nearby military detachment forest
Vile sorcerer forced Fretful state sur- Something mon- Cache of direly Wary hillfolk
7
into hiding out west veyor strous is prowling needed supplies fort-village
Amoral merchant Hillfolk chieftain in- A bank Back East Hidden loot of a Raucous cantina
8 prince bent on clined to be friendly is foreclosing on long-dead bandit full of gamblers
profit alone with newcomers local land holdings and farmers
78
RUNOM
Runom is a demihuman land, one where scores of hu-
manoid kindreds dwell amid deep jungle boughs, fetid
swamps, or broad grasslands. Its peoples war amongst
each other as often as they trade, and alliances are made
and broken with quicksilver rapidity. This turmoil is not
entirely the work of the Runomians, however; the brutal
demands of the Sarxian slavers to the north ensure that
this tormented land never has much leisure for peace.
History
During the Logomachy of Nakad, some fifteen hundred
years ago, Runom formed the southernmost province
of that sinister theocracy. Unlike most of Nakad, it was
almost exclusively under the control of a single priest-
hood, the flesh-bending acolytes of Gashaq the Progen-
itor. These amoral sages ruled the land from their tem-
ple-laboratories, each one claiming the rule of a particular
domain and all the “lesser beings” that lived within it.
Rather than burden themselves with the tedious
work of subsistence, these priests utilized the secrets of
their god to twist baseline human slave stock into more
suitable minions. Scores of demihuman races were
forged in their bleak shrines, each one fashioned to serve
the needs of its progenitor-temple.
Around 378 BL, the Logomachy collapsed when its
Gods of Truth ran berserk, countless divine tulpas break-
ing free of their temples and rampaging across the land.
Most disintegrated or fell into torpor soon enough, but
not until almost all of the Gashaqi temples were ruined
and their priesthoods slain. The few clergy that survived
the disaster were torn apart by their erstwhile slaves.
The kindreds of Runom had a scant few decades in
which to form some crude local order before the wreck-
age of Nakad to the north coalesced into the new state
of Sarx. The human servants of the temples had replaced
the Gods of Truth with their own apotheosized rulers,
and these new Red Gods were endlessly thirsty for hu-
man sacrifice. The Sarxians offered a hecatomb of their
own people every year, but more were needed.
Runom provided the lack. The bronze-mailed le-
gions of Sarx marched down from the Lal hills and came
ashore in the deltas of the Zapalla swamps to gather up
luckless Runomian people in their coils, carrying them
north to slavery and the bloody altar. The strength of the
Sarxian legions and the blessings of the Red Gods over-
whelmed the disorganized defenses of the Runomians
and thousands were carried away.
This yearly campaign for slaves and sacrifices became
the defining political reality of Runom. Every year, the
Harvest comes from the north. Some kindreds resist
the Sarxians, retreating from their villages and harrying
the invaders as best they can, or meeting them in open
battle when the odds seem endurable. Others are more
cooperative, willingly guiding and aiding the humans in
exchange for being spared their quota. Most simply en-
dure it, haggling with the Sarxian commanders over how
many of their young men and women are to be carried
away, threatening resistance and flight if too many are
required, but grudgingly bearing the loss if it is not too
great. Criminals and prisoners of war go north first, and
so the Runomian kindreds have ample reason to raid
their own neighbors.
Sarx is not blind to the dynamics of the kindreds. If
Runom truly came together in joint defiance, the Sarx-
ians would be unable to plunder them, and the altars of
the Red Gods would grow weak. Its agents spend much
time ensuring that no single people grows strong enough
to weld the others into a united resistance. Sarx supports
the weak kindreds with secret aid or lessened quotas, and
brokers alliances against neighbors who might someday
prove troublesome. Many Runomians know perfectly
well the ultimate end of all this, but survival today for
them and their loved ones seems better than freedom
for the remnants of a different time.
The greatest worry of Sarx are the kindreds of the
southern pampa, the lords of the three great cities of
Kayu, Panqui, and Relonche. These cities are too strong
and populous to easily raid, and their neighbors too few
to easily forge into a hostile alliance. More than once, the
Sarxians have made bargains with the jungle kindreds to
allow their legions passage south to attack the lords of
the Nalca, wounding them before they grow too strong.
The occasional naval assault from the western coast has
been attempted, but the seas there are treacherous and
teem with Outsider life.
Currently, Runom is a patchwork of petty kingdoms
and minor states, the jungle kindreds of the Machimallin
divided up into more than twenty different demihuman
tribes, the swamp folk of the Zapalla into a half-dozen
more, and the Nalca grasslands ruled by three great cities.
The lords, chiefs, elders, kings, and princes of these do-
mains all duel with each other for preeminence and the
prosperity of their own people, and all are quick to clutch
at any help they can find. Sometimes that help comes
from Sarxian hands, and sometimes it springs from un-
likely bands of freebooters, vagabonds, and heroes.

Geography
Runom is a low-lying country, with much of the eastern
part barely above sea level. The noisome Zapalla swamp
is extremely treacherous for most land-dwellers, and
teems with hostile creatures and prudently isolationist
Runomian tribes.
The great Machimallin is a jungle that covers the
northern majority of the country, fed largely by small riv-
ers and springs that meander under its branches. Large
meadows and broad patches of plains remain as legacies
from the ancient plantations of the Logomachy, some
expanded by generations of labor since their fall. Most
such open spaces are claimed by one kindred or another
as farmland.
The Huenu hill range has always been a refuge for
Runomians seeking to evade the Harvest. Its jagged
ridges and deep gorges make pursuit very difficult, but
survival there is likewise a trial. Numerous Gashaqi
temples were located in the hills during the time of the
Logomachy, and their awful creations still infest them.
In the south, the broad Nalca Pampa is the best
agricultural land in the entire nation, damp and fertile
from the Onape Maya river to the southern eaves of the
Machimallin. Stands of trees and the occasional low hill
break up the grasslands, but the three great cities of the
south have long since thrown up agricultural villages and
market towns in the safer regions of the land.
Across the Onape Maya are the cursed dusts of the
Choking Dunes, where few go and fewer return. Offshore,
the Atlantean Main sees Sarxian naval traffic during each
year’s Harvest, but few ships sail the western coast. The
terrible sea-beasts there punish those who dare.
79
Peoples of Runom
While there are a few pockets of baseline humans in
Runom, the great majority are some kind of demihu-
man. The kindreds below are merely the most prominent.
Nahu: The catfolk of Yapai and its tributary towns. Slim,
quick, and naturally given to murder. Created as
“mousers” to kill the errant beasts of the temples.
Hua: The huge bullfolk of Huaca, slow but mighty in
strength. Created to tend farms and to eventually
be eaten by their priestly masters.
Sui: Stout pigmen of Chumul, broad and remarkably
durable. They were experimental subjects for their
creators, resilient enough to endure lengthy testing.
Pichi: The diminutive ratfolk of Sotaqui, famed for their
keen senses. Their creators fashioned them to gath-
er rare materials from the jungles... no matter the
danger.
Manu: Scaled lizardfolk of Curico and its surrounds.
They thrive in the swamps, where they were made
to serve as hunters and gatherers.
Guer: The swamp foxes of Viruco, light-footed and cun-
ning. They were employed as spies and overseers
for the priests, and even today are little-loved by
other kins.
Piren: The wolf-lords, fierce masters of Kayu. They were
made as guardians for the temple lands.
Choeru: Benign capybara-folk of Panqui, bred as clerks
and scribes for the temples. Extremely sociable and
skilled peacemakers.
Lohu: The baseline humans of Relonche, heirs of a mix
of escaped Logomachy slaves. A minority in Runom.
80
Demography
Sarxians estimate that there are perhaps six million
Runomians spread throughout the country, with about
two-thirds in the jungles and swamps of the north, and
a third in the Nalca grasslands. Grasslanders have more
productive soils and a greater number of villages and
towns. In the northern jungle, only a relative few cities
can be found, and far fewer market towns and significant
communities. The vast majority of northern Runomians
live in small villages based on subsistence agriculture.
The Logomachy engineered its slaves to be prolific,
as any surplus population would simply be eaten by the
priests. Because of this, Runomian population growth
rates are much higher than most baseline populations.
The Sarxians take brutal advantage of this, as their annu-
al Harvest averages 60,000 young adult Runomians every
year. Most are taken from the north, though cooperative
northern kindreds can sometimes provide prisoners of
war seized during raids on rival kindreds.
Cities and Towns
The Runomian towns of the jungles and swamps reflect
their environment, being fashioned of intricately-carved
wood in the jungles, or sculpted mud and quarried stones
in the swamps. The southern domains boast elaborately
fortified walled cities fashioned of stone from the Black
Spine mountains. Among the most important cities of
Runom are those listed below.
Acun: Little more than a fortified naval colony, Acun is
the forward operating base for Sarx’s navy when
they make their yearly Harvest.
Chumul: Most populous of the northern cities. The pig-
men living there favor foods that would poison a
less resilient people.
Curico: Most martial of the northern cities; its people
are always fighting the Sarxians, especially around
their colony at Acun.
Huaca: A city possessing elaborately fenced and defend-
ed farmlands inherited of old. Its bull-lords resolve
disputes through ritual duels.
Kayu: Most powerful military of the southern kingdoms.
Kayu’s wolf troopers are superbly coordinated com-
batants.
Panqui: Greatest of Runom’s cities, the Choeru there use
their skills to cultivate peace and mutual prosperity
among the river cities.
Relonche: The humans of this city have numerous
skilled sorcerers, and are feared as having retained
remnants of the Logomachy’s arts.
Sotaqui: A great market for jungle loot and rare sub-
stances gathered by its people.
Viruco: Surrounded by a baffling maze of dangerous flora,
swamp snares, and perilous beasts. Only its Guer
natives can pass safely.
Yapai: A city of refugees and renegades from throughout
the land. The Nahu who rule it find such outcasts
useful, or amusing, or delicious.
Runomian Society
In a fundamental sense, Runomian society is a reaction to
the Harvest and to the feral instincts imbued in them by
their Logomachy creators. Each kindred deals with these
pressures in its own way, but some traits are common.
Runomian family structure is very loose. Some
kindreds practice only temporary marriages, while a few
others recognize no permanent pairings and take com-
munal responsibility for any offspring. In the same vein,
most Runomians are reluctant to form tight emotional
bonds with others. The threat of the Harvest and the
very real possibility of permanent parting makes it diffi-
cult to form these ties. Only with old age or debilitating
injury can these bonds truly form, as such subjects are of
no interest to Sarxian slavers.
As a consequence, Runomian social ties are very
pragmatic in nature. Most kindreds will deal with any-
one who promises advantage, and will cut their ties just as
quickly when a deal goes sour. Only in the south, where
Runomian societies have had more stability, are more
lasting alliances forged. The influence of the Choeru on
the southern states is not to be neglected, for the capyba-
ra-folk have a natural inclination to peaceful diplomacy.
Virtually every Runomian hates Sarx and all its peo-
ple. Even collaborator kindreds despise them, accepting
their aid and cooperating with them only to avoid a
worse fate. Of course, this collaboration only earns the
greater hatred of their neighbors, making them all the
more dependent on their Sarxian patrons for protection.
The pervading sense of fatalism among many Runo-
mian peoples sometimes breaks out in displays of tre-
mendous self-indulgence and hedonistic amusement. Just
as often it is shown in feats of reckless valor or fearless
resolution. A few credit this to their “wild blood”, while
others simply wish to live brightly despite their troubles.
As important and influential as their bestial blood
is to the Runomian kindred, it does not manifest in the
same way in every member. Some “thick-blooded” mem-
bers are practically feral in their forms and appearance,
while “thin-blooded” sorts can sometimes be mistaken
for baseline humans. Cross-breeding between Runomian
kindreds and between kindreds and baselines is possible,
but the offspring always take after the mother, and are
usually that much more thin-blooded for the cross.
While Runomian kindreds are often stronger, swift-
er, or more enduring than baseline humans, some are
afflicted with troubling mental traits or natural inclina-
tions imparted by their creators. The Nahu cat-folk, for
example, have a very high rate of sociopathy among their
numbers, as they were created to hunt and kill things
troublesome to their masters. The Sui pigmen sometimes
fall into fits of blind fury that can leave them attacking
anyone around them, and the Guer fox-folk have an in-
grained inquisitiveness that urges them to trick and ma-
nipulate others in order to discover their secrets. Many
Runomians can contain these urges or have few of them
remaining in their lineage, but their presence cannot help
but color their societies.
 81

Government and Law

Little can be said that is universal in Runom, as each
kindred rules its own territory with no consideration for
other domains. Only the most powerful can effectively
vassalize their neighbors, and the Sarxians are always ea-
ger to break up any such petty hegemonies before they
risk a greater success.
As a general rule, however, each domain is exclusive
to a single kindred. Others may live there as sojourners
or subject populations, but government is almost always
in the hands of the dominant breed of demihuman. Out-
side kindred are generally treated in a civil manner, but
they are expected to avoid involvement in political mat-
ters and are rarely allowed to obtain any position of great
importance or wealth. Each kindred is anxious to avoid
any kind of subjection to any foreign breed, and they can
deal harshly with what they perceive as undue influence.
Relationships between different breeds do exist, but
such families are generally required to live in the domain
of the mother if their children are to have good prospects.
As beastfolk take after their mother, the offspring of a
mixed marriage would be treated as outsiders in their
father’s homeland. Those melancholy lovers who are un-
able to live in the mother’s home domain often end up as
wandered or exiles, forever searching for a place where
they and their children can be accepted as equals. Runomian Religion
Pack-derived breeds tend to have courts of nobles, Runom is a land poor in gods. Its people inherited none
elders, or warband leaders who pledge loyalty to a single from the Logomachy, and the Red Gods of the Sarxians
leader, be it a king, queen, prince, chief, elder, marshal, or are nothing but sources of misery. Most kindreds have
other supreme ruler. More solitary species tend to favor been forced to fall back on their own resources to find
looser confederations of nobility or powerful elders who spiritual consolation and help.
nominate the strongest to help resolve disputes and han- Ancestor worship is common to all kindreds. Fa-
dle external affairs. Sometimes membership among the mous kings, culture-heroes, and warriors against the
ruling class is qualified by elaborate codes and protocols. Sarxians are revered in shrines and temples, their virtues
More often it belongs to those strong enough to take it. and great deeds remembered in hope of their favor in the
The defining quality of any Runomian lord is their mortal realms. Their priesthoods are few, mostly consist-
ability to muster troops. Most domains have a small core ing of heirs of the heroes charged with maintaining the
of professional soldiers kept in direct service to the rul- temples and keeping alive their traditions.
er, for few have the spare resources to maintain a true Deified animal spirits are also favored by many kin-
standing army. Instead, every able-bodied male within dreds. Many Runomians call on the god-beast of their
the domain is expected to rally to the banners when the progenitors for help in times of trial or strength to over-
call is given. Females are generally considered too valu- come some calamity. Animal-priests strive to emulate the
able for a kindred to expend them in any battle short of a best qualities of their patrons and serve as exemplars to
war for survival, and the Sarxians are also known to deal the rest of the community.
very harshly with tribes that threaten to deprive them of The wilds of the jungle and swamp are full of grave
future generations of slaves. Even so, some warrior-wom- perils, but they also provide the northern kindreds with
en are determined to fight all the same. their subsistence. In hope of placating the dangers of the
Runomian law is similar among most kindreds, wilderness, many communities come to revere local spir-
though grave crimes are punished more often with exile its in the hope of gaining their aid. These spirits can often
than execution. Most Runomians are averse to killing give considerable assistance to their petitioners, though
their own kind, knowing how few of each breed there the price they demand can be more than most folk would
are in the world. Most kindreds also have bodies of law be eager to pay.
built up to handle outbreaks of their more feral instincts, Few are those Runomians who have adopted the
such as the fury of the Sui or the casual murderousness Red Gods of Sarx in hopes of avoiding the Harvest, but
of some Nahu. An outsider can sometimes be surprised they exist in some small northern domains. Worse still
at how lenient the law is to such natural excesses, with are the handful of scholars of the Gods of Truth, who
Nahu lands considering “accidental” manslaughter a would worship the Logomachy’s gods for dark rewards.
crime deserving no worse than a fine.
82
Adventuring in Runom
While the demihuman kindreds of Runom have no spe-
cial love for baselines, non-Sarxians can generally pass
without hindrance among the tribes. The pragmatic
approach of most domains has them willing to hire out-
siders to do work that might otherwise cost Runomian
lives. A party that makes enemies in one domain can of-
ten flee to their neighbors without worrying about their
reception, though canny Runomian lords are known for
requiring “favors” in exchange for diplomatic protection.
Exploration Adventures
The vast green expanse of the Machimallin is not as
well-explored as an outsider might think. The dangers
of the jungle are many, and the Runomian kindreds gen-
erally stay within the ancestral boundaries of their lands,
where they and their forebears were able to beat back the
local perils. Some tribes are so embittered by the Harvest
that they have sought hidden refuges within the deepest
green, there to prosper in solitude or leave their ruins to
the beasts of the jungle.
The Huenu hill range is studded with numerous
ancient Logomachy temples, most of them shattered by
the eruption of their eidolon-gods and the rampages that
followed. Most of these avatars of Gashaq have disinte-
grated in the centuries since, but a few still lurk in the
deep hills, making monstrous abominations of unclean
life and twisted humanity. Small cells of renegades, refu-
gees, or outcasts huddle in hidden gorges, avoiding both
the terrible beasts and Sarxian raiders.
The Zapalla swamp is a shifting land along the riv-
erbanks, but within the deep fens and marshes can be
found ancient Logomachy ruins, along with the bones of
old towns and settlements driven to ruin by the Sarxian
slavers. Some still have unwelcoming inhabitants.
Dungeon Adventures
The most ancient ruins in Runom are those of the Logo-
machy of Nakad and their temple-laboratories to Gashaq
the Progenitor. These temples were invariably filled with
infernal sorceries and dark engines of creation, all fueled
by an avatar-fragment of their terrible lord. All mundane
labors were undertaken by Runomian slaves, who also
formed the feedstock for their experimentations.
Later ruins tend to date back to the golden age of
Runom, before the Sarxians had made a custom of their
Harvest. The work-camps of the Logomachy’s slaves had
been rebuilt into fine cities, some of which incorporated
stolen fragments of Logomachy magic. These cities were
abandoned when it became clear that they were indefen-
sible against the Sarxian raiders.
Perhaps most disquieting of Runom’s ruins, howev-
er, are the Deeps and dens of those tribes that have failed
to survive. Entire kindreds have been wiped out in places,
leaving behind only their bones and their empty homes.
Angry shades are not unknown in such places.
Antagonists
Runom does not lack for trouble, and some groups are
more likely to give it to the PCs than others. Given that
most of the groups below hate all the rest, a party can
sometimes find themselves trapped in the middle of a
fight they have no interest in.
Agents of Sarx: The Sarxians want the Runomians to
be weak, divided, and hopeless, and they pay their
agents well to make sure things never go too happily
for the kindreds. Some agents hate the northerners
as much as any, but the safety of enslaved relatives
hinges on their successful service.
Cultists of Truth: The Logomachy promised the powers
of divinity to those who would master the secrets of
the Gods of Truth. Some Runomians are desperate
enough to perform any acts they must in order to
drive back the Sarxians or ensure the survival of
their kindred. If such power requires the sacrifice
of countless other Runomians or the beckoning of
unholy beings, then so be it.
Feral Warbands: Some few Runomians are so over-
whelmed by their feral instincts that they find it
impossible to live within the bounds of civilization.
Others merely find it profitable to prey on their
neighbors. These savage warriors band together
in packs ruled only by brute force and become a
scourge to their more civilized kindred.
Runomian Lords: No kindred survives in Runom by be-
ing soft-hearted and self-sacrificing. Even the Choe-
ru broker deals that benefit both sides, as they have
no interest in selfless generosity. Some Runomian
rulers take this principle too much to heart, and
become ruthless tyrants interested only in the ad-
vancement of their own people, heedless of the cost
to anyone else.
Sarxian Slavers: Every year the bronze-mailed legions
come down from the north, and every year a fresh
tribute of slaves are taken back. Some Runomian
lords cannot afford to officially resist the invaders,
but if some foreign adventurers should strike at the
Sarxians, how could they be blamed?
 83

Runomian Names Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Antu Alumine Antuco Vengeful escapee from Sarxian

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

9 Lichuen Ipi Huapi Scholar seeking to know more of

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

16 Nulpi Somoche Puelo Native Relenchean baseline

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

Example Runomian Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Ruthless Sarxian Curious young A neighboring do- Sarxian payroll of Home built for
1
slaver demihuman main goes hostile silver for its spies demihuman needs
Xenophobic Runo- Escaped slave in The Sarxians are Cache of exotic Public building with
2 mian chieftain need of assistance raiding exception- and costly jungle decor glorifying its
ally hard here extracts builders
Monstrous relic of Tough guerrilla A horrible jungle Tome of dark Logo- Homestead burnt
3
the Logomachy fighter against Sarx beast is hunting machy lore out by Sarxians
Avaricious feral Wise and pragmat- A Logomachy relic Magic item lost by Ruins of an eradi-
4
bandit lord ic local ruler was just unearthed Sarxian raiders cated kindred
Cruel sorcerer look- Old Runomian who A feral warband is Stockpile of des- Sinister remains of
5 ing for test subjects has seen the loss of rampaging through perately-needed a Logomachy tem-
many they know the area resources ple-laboratory
Dark acolyte of the Foreign merchant Sarxian agents had Cure for some dire Sarxian transit pens
6
Gods of Truth looking for help a success here jungle plague for slave shipments
Scheming Sarxian Renegade Sarxian A local usurper Old token of some Hidden refuge for
7
agent seeking a new life seeks to rule here vital tribal pact escaped slaves
Amorally selfish Leader of a small, A neighboring do- Honored relic of Jungle camp of
8 Runomian leader hard-pressed tribe main is suddenly at some ancient Runo- bandits or guerrilla
risk of collapsing mian hero fighters
84
SARX
Sarx is a grim and powerful nation on the southern end
of the continent of Agathon. Its society is ruthlessly
well-ordered, all life revolving around service to the Red
Gods of Sarx, deities who were once their living ances-
tors and now act to bless its people with prosperity and
abundance. These blessings come at the price of human
lives, and the red altars of Sarx are seldom dry.
History
When a final catastrophic crusade brought ruin to the
Logomachy of Nakad in 378 BL, the only remaining or-
der was to be found in the viceroys of its Word Priests,
the reeves and governors of the vast temple-lands that
had once supported the priests. These men and women
had been entrusted with overseeing the labors and trib-
ute of the peasantry and fending off the incursions of
troublesome outsiders. While their military and financial
resources were often considerable, the eldritch power of
the research temples had kept them cowed and obedient.
With the Word Priests dead or utterly discredited,
they moved to fill the void. Their armies fought the ram-
paging abominations that the broken temples had left in
their wake, and their granaries fed a desperate populace
until the survivors could establish new farms in safer
places. A few dared to strike at their neighbors for the
sake of plunder or old grudges, but for the most part
these viceroys were too hard-pressed by the Logomachy’s
fall to afford such quarrels. Their defense of the surviving
population won them popular adulation.
The Gods of Truth that the Logomachy had revered
were swiftly banned by the viceroys. Studying the old arts
of the Word Priests was made punishable by death, as-
suming the surviving populace didn’t lynch such offend-
ers first, and the wreckage of their ancient research tem-
ples was forbidden to the populace. The Gods of Truth
had been too terrible for humans to endure, their wills
too inscrutable and their demands too dear. Never again
would the people of Sarx be permitted to serve them.
Instead, the gods of Sarx were to be human gods,
men and women apotheosized by their mighty deeds
and the devotion of their people. By ensuring that every
god of Sarx had once been a living human, they would
never again be subject to the mad whims of alien deities.
The viceroys who had saved the populace would become
the first generation of such gods, and their power would
be established with the blood of surviving Logomachian
priests and believers. The inquisition that followed was
exceedingly thorough, with a fifth part of the surviving
populace eventually dragged to the new altars.
The power these blood rituals imparted to the new
lords of Sarx was impressive, and with their strength they
were able to tame at least a portion of the Logomachy’s
wreckage. The greatest among them became the ruler of
Sarx, the Flame of Heaven, and the other lords became
his obedient ministers. Great trials were established to
winnow the next generation’s leaders and allow only the
most worthy to ascend to rule, while the common people
were left to the work of war and farming, the only two
things that mattered for their kind.
The prosperity and security of the common people
became the ultimate end of Sarxian government and so-
ciety. Everything which advanced the common good was
to be praised, and everything that wounded it was to be
eliminated. Even the Flame of Heaven ruled not by di-
vine license, but because he or she had been proven most
capable of directing society to its ultimate improvement.
Every governor, official, priest, and general was expend-
able in the public service.
Sacrifice was the means by which every Sarxian
served the common good. In life, they sacrificed goods
and labor. In death, they offered their bodies on the altars
of the Red Gods, that their divine blessings may continue
to empower the nation. Those who sacrificed the most
and labored the hardest were most worthy of honor and
deference. Those who do not sacrifice for their people,
whether Sarxian or foreigner, are worthless parasites who
should be put to more beneficial uses by their betters.
Sarxians have the right to the lives of foreigners be-
cause those foreigners are at best useless and at worst
an active threat to humanity. Pagan service to inhuman
gods and their pursuit of selfish interests can only result
in horrors like the Logomachy. In order to prevent that,
every nation must be made to think like Sarx and become
strong through Sarx’s philosophy.
While such is the nation’s hypothetical ideal, the
practice tends to be different. If Runom and the Amun-
di kingdoms became as unified and strong as Sarx, they
could fend off the raids that reap a substantial portion
of Sarx’s yearly sacrificial victims. If that happened, the
divine blessings that Sarx relies upon would weaken, and
its people would begin to suffer grave privations and
poverty. Sarx relies on the weakness of its neighbors to
maintain its own prosperity, and its high officials view
international Sarxism as a glorious prospect that is pref-
erably forever on the horizon.
In the centuries since, Sarx has become a stern and
mighty nation, the strongest on the continent of Aga-
thon. Its bronze-mailed armies march regularly to raid
Runom and to strike deep into Amundi lands, and its
farmers toil endlessly to bring forth food for each new
generation. Traders, wanderers, and other outsiders have
a place within its borders, but all such strangers are ad-
vised to step lightly, and to have a care not to draw the
red attention of its masters.

Geography
Sarx is a hot land, with mild, damp winters in the north
and a tropical climate south of Shotezh. While the land
is traced by countless minor streams and lesser water-
ways, the only major river is the Naj, its upper and lower
branches both issuing from the volcanic peaks of the
Black Glass range. Many of these mountains are studded
with delicate obsidian outcroppings, new ones sprouting
like black trees every time the mountain rumbles.
Much of Sarx has been cut and cleared by its people
since the Logomachy fell, but two great jungles in the
south have resisted human encroachment. The Nakadi
province of Old Nazhal once contained their greatest
temple to Nilm, god of space and time, and even now
the jungle is infested with extradimensional horrors and
chronal aberrations. Further south, the Shokara jungle
is a remnant of Gashaqi plant-shaping that stubbornly
resists any attempt to clear it.
In the north, the broadleaf Fanewood covers the
sites of dozens of major Nakadi temples, all strictly ta-
boo to the Sarxians. Such forbiddance does not prevent
criminals and adventurers from daring the wreckage.
Greatest of all these features is the Cut, a massive fif-
ty-mile wide and seemingly bottomless gorge carved out
during the fall of Nakad. Spatial distortions at either end
prevent the seas from flooding in, but only a few fallen
megastructures make any sort of bridge between Amund
and Sarx. Innumerable sliced-open Deeps are exposed
along the Cut’s walls, waiting to be raided by the bold.
85
Peoples of Sarx
The typical Sarxian is tall, slim, and pale, with blond hair
and jewel-hued eyes. Their extremely pallid skin is dense-
ly pigmented with a white substance that renders them
largely immune to sunburn or tanning. They often deco-
rate themselves with body paints or adornments praising
the Red Gods or indicating their social role. Ostentatious
jewelry or ornate clothing is appropriate during religious
rituals or when carrying out official duties, but is other-
wise considered gauche in public. The hot climate of Sarx
encourages light clothing for most.
Aside from the Sarxians, the land teems with slaves
taken by raids on foreign nations. Runomians make up
the bulk of this slave caste, though every Amundi nation
has its representatives, and even farther-flung nations
can be found in the fields, mines, and workshops of Sarx.
All wear dull colors and stylized wrist shackles as a sign
of their status, as it is otherwise difficult to distinguish
them from the free citizens.
In theory, any of these slaves could win their free-
dom through devoted service and obedient sacrifice.
Those who do earn this privilege are few, and are me-
thodically spread through the Sarxian nation so as to
avoid any risk of coherent minority communities forming.
Within a few generations, they’ve generally melted into
the surrounding Sarxian population. While slaves are
considered scarcely human, freedmen suffer no systemic
discrimination, as only the most emphatically loyal are
ever given their freedom.
86
Demography
Sarx is a prosperous land, with perhaps eighteen million
citizens and a million more slaves inhabiting its villages
and towns. Despite adding eighty or ninety thousand
slaves every year through Sarx’s constant raiding, the vo-
racious appetites of the altars keep the slave population
from growing. The citizenry could grow more freely if
the sacrificial quota were loosened, but the blessings of
the Red Gods are already being pushed to their limits
to support the numbers they have in the prosperity to
which they are accustomed. Sarx cannot grow unless it
can find fresh fields to harvest for their gods.
Cities and Towns
Sarxian settlements are very orderly and regimented. No
one is permitted to shift their residence without govern-
ment approval, and “illicit settlements” of escaped slaves
and renegades can expect summary sacrifice if they grow
too large, too obvious, or too annoying to the magistrates.
Gathaw: Primarily a naval base for contesting the priva-
teers of Yain and the Godblight, an unusual num-
ber of foreigners and renegades are found around
Gathaw. Its magistrates tend to have other concerns.
Kitchaw: The yearly harvest of Runomi slaves passes
through Kitchaw, the city more a prison than a town.
Escapees often flee into the Shokara jungle, but the
ancient Nakadi abominations within ensure that
few live to cross the hills southward to their homes.
Lallur: Before the fall of Nakad, Lallur was the forward
base for the Logomachy’s crusades into Amund. It
remains a notorious hotbed of Word Cultists and
hidden sorcery, held down only by inquisitors.
Nazhal: Capital of Sarx, seat of the Flame of Heaven.
The center of Sarxian bureaucracy; permits to do
literally anything can be acquired here for the right
mix of favors, cash, and cunning.
Ranshez: A mining and smelting city, where the famous
Sarxian bronze is forged for the county’s legions.
Lighter and stronger than steel, it and many other
esoteric substances are fabricated here. Some whis-
per that its mining-masters have retained secrets
from the dark worship of Shagat-Hur.
Shiyaz: The heart of Sarx’s most productive farming
land. With the blessing of Medrat, yields are five
times higher than elsewhere. Such bounty comes
at a price; Medrat’s altars are notoriously hungry.
Shotezh: Sarx’s main naval base on the Atlantean Main,
Shotezh is constantly sending out patrols to deal
with Atlantean privateers and less patriotic pirates.
Like Gathaw, its rulers tend to be too busy with
military matters to pay close attention to foreigners.
Yechu: Sarx’s main trading port, ships from all over the
Carcereal Sea dock here to barter for cheap and
excellent Sarxian goods. The Aisite clergy run the
daylight markets, and a strangely formal and regi-
mented criminal society deals in black market goods
and forbidden things.
Sarxian Society
Sarxian society is organized around the state, with ev-
ery citizen understanding themselves as part of a great-
er whole. The state serves the Red Gods, and the Red
Gods provide abundance and security for the people. The
blessings of their empowered priests bring lush harvests,
fruitful herds, and productive workshops.
This abundance is shared widely. The average Sarx-
ian is well-fed, well-clothed, and lives in daily comfort.
State-sponsored healers ensure their health and fertility,
and state-run schools see that every member of society
is educated in their duties. Every Sarxian has a role in
society, and those roles are respected and secure. The
common people expect their officials and rulers to behave
correctly and obey the common laws, and for the most
part their expectations are fulfilled.
This prosperity is possible only through a yearly
quota of human sacrifices. Honored volunteers, crimi-
nals, incompetent officials, and losers of governmental
power struggles go first, after which follow slaves, but the
Sarxian people themselves make up a significant portion
of the dead every year. Perhaps one in every two hundred
young adults are sacrificed every year, the quotas made up
by district populations and administered by the priests of
the Red Gods. In years where the raiding was unsuccess-
ful, this number increases. While the state healers greatly
improve the general Sarxian fertility and infant mortality
rates, the nation is already pushing the limits of its avail-
able population. It cannot sacrifice many more Sarxians
each year without beginning a depopulation death spiral.
While most Sarxians would much prefer to avoid
such a fate, their society so honors and praises those who
go willingly to the altar that many who are aged, sickly,
or disgraced volunteer for the knife. In the same vein, a
person selected for sacrifice may find a willing substitute
to take their place, perhaps for love or perhaps for some
discreetly subtle payment to their family.
While commoners have a relatively low chance of
being sent to the altars, that is not the case for official-
dom. The higher one climbs in the bureaucratic or mili-
tary ranks, the more dire the consequences of failure. Past
the rank of town magistrate or regimental commander,
failure in a major task is generally expiated by sacrifice.
As a consequence, most senior officials are absorbed in
ruthless political games to ensure they’re not left holding
the responsibility for some job that’s gone wrong.
Outsiders are sometimes surprised at the care Sarx-
ians show toward human life within their nation. Murder
is despised as a blasphemous theft from the gods, and
officials responsible for the needless loss of commoner
lives can expect a swift journey to an exceptionally pain-
ful altar. Their priests teach that nothing is so precious as
a life in service to the state. Such solicitousness does not
seem to match well with their casual dispatch of thou-
sands, but the Sarxians see no contradiction in it. A life
is meant to be spent in service to the people; cutting it
off before it can complete its service is a crime against
the nation as a whole.

Government and Law
The absolute autocrat of Sarx is Aganu, the Flame of
Heaven, the appointed viceroy of the Red Gods. His di-
vine might makes him a near-Imperator in his personal
prowess, and only a handful of Flames have been assassi-
nated or deposed in the past fourteen centuries. He will
rule until age or sickness weakens his powers, whereupon
he will be sacrificed.
On the death of a Flame, their heirs and other great
officials of Sarx are gathered in a solemn trial. Some dis-
avow their right of succession, while the others contend
in various tests, using proxies in some and competing
face-to-face in others. The winner is anointed as the new
Flame. The losers and their proxies are sacrificed.
Beneath the Flame are multiple ranks of priestly,
secular, and military officials. Each priest belongs to the
hierarchy of their particular god, while secular bureau-
crats are divided up into administrative districts based
around cities and market towns.
Every officially-registered village, town, or city has
a magistrate who serves as its head, responsible for car-
rying out the laws and ensuring the sacrificial quota is
filled. This magistrate is served by clerks and sub-officials,
with a small legion of such bureaucrats in a major city
and perhaps a part-time scribe helping in a remote vil-
lage. The local peace is maintained by military garrisons
ranging from entire regiments stationed in major cities
to a half-dozen farmer-soldiers assigned to a village. The
magistrate does not have official command over these
forces but is expected to cooperate with them in carrying
out the directives of their superiors. This cooperation is
normal, as both the magistrate and the garrison com-
mander can expect the altar if civil unrest breaks out.
All of the officials of Sarx’s government are anoint-
ed and blessed by the priests of the Red Gods. These
blessings imbue them with actual divine might so long
as they maintain their rank and office. At the smallest de-
gree, a village magistrate may be able to go without sleep
indefinitely. The head of a major temple might be imper-
vious to physical harm within the temple’s precincts, and
a legion commander could fight with the strength of a
platoon. The Flame of Heaven bears powers on par with
an Arch-Legate, and his greatest ministers wield mighty
blessings as well.
The common laws of Sarx are rigid and strictly ad-
ministered. Permits, papers, official seals, and registered
acknowledgments are needed for long-distance travel,
visits to distant temples, or permission to trade on a com-
mercial scale. The whereabouts and status of citizens are
tracked closely to ensure that they don’t slip the quota.
While Sarx permits its citizens to own personal
property and engage in individual enterprise, everything
they own is subject to uncompensated requisition by the
state should it be necessary. Such sacrifice is viewed as a
noble demonstration of virtue, and resisting it is taken as
proof of selfish wickedness. Fundamentally, the people
of Sarx are owned by the state, and the state does what
it thinks best with their goods and their lives.
87
Sarxian Religion
The only gods permitted in Sarx are the Red Gods, their
apotheosized ancestors. No new Red God has been cre-
ated in a thousand years, but there remain over two doz-
en of these deities, most of whom are only worshiped in
specific regions or at a handful of temples. Only four are
revered throughout the nation.
Nidas, the Scarlet King is the first among the Red
Gods. He embodies law, rulership, and selfless justice.
His priests serve the magistracy as judges and clerks,
and his temples are centers of advanced education and
the study of law. Greatest of his temples is the Hearth
of the First Pyre in the capital. Slaves and foreigners are
not permitted to revere him, being unworthy.
Ais, the Queen of Heaven is the consort of Ni-
das, and holds rule over desire, fortune, wealth, and all
matters of art. Merchants and artisans take her as their
patron, and her temples are always magnificently ornate.
Her priesthood is charged with creating beauty in every
possible form. Being familiar with foreigners through
their trading connections, they are the priests most like-
ly to hire outsiders to handle some delicate matter. Her
chief temple, the House of Paradise, is in Yechu.
Ramas, the Righteous Spear concerns himself with
all matters of war, protection, and diligent investigation.
His priests march with the legions and use the magics
that allow the Sarxians to take so many living prison-
ers. Those that remain at home serve as inquisitors and
guardians for the state. They sometimes hire adventurers
for rooting out evils that might cost too many clerical
lives. Their head resides in Lallur, at the Tower of the
Red Spear.
Medrat, the Provident Mother is the most com-
monly-revered of the Red Gods, with a shrine in every
village. She rules fertility, farming, health, and sacrifice.
Her priests serve as village teachers and healers, but also
oversee most of the sacrificial rites conducted by the state.
Her priesthood is always drawn from farmers or the or-
phans of war or sacrifice. In Shiyaz, the Arch-Prelate
Ulay keeps the sacred Vermillion Field where the greatest
sacrifices are performed.
Aside from these gods, a few amoral scholars pursue
the forbidden secrets of the Word Priests and their alien
Gods of Truth. Each of their ancient temples had an ei-
dolon-fragment of their patron within that fueled their
vile sorcerous experiments. Few had anything resembling
human cognition, but the study of their natures and op-
eration were key to numerous arcane advancements.
Aktoth, the Empty Sky, was revered as the embodi-
ment of entropy and universal nullification. Gashaq, the
Progenitor, was a font of blind life and mutation. Nilm,
the Beckoner on the Way, held the keys to space and
time, and was the patron of those temples that sought
the secrets of inter-Iteral summonings. Shagat-Hur, the
Blood of the Mountain, was a fearsome volcanic entity
of earth and structure, and by extension the patron of
crafting. Additional Gods of Truth surely existed, but
Ramasi inquisitors expunge any of their records they find.
88
Adventuring in Sarx
Sarxians think little of foreigners, and even less of adven-
turers. Unless they commit some serious crime, however,
adventurers are not normally selected for the quotas; they
often fight back, unlike Sarxians, and cost more lives
than they provide. Instead, adventurers in Sarx tend to
be treated as disposable tools of the state, to be hired for
work too dangerous to risk losing the lives of civilized
people. Some Sarxians also take advantage of their status
as outsiders in society to get work done that would be
impossible for someone in a more carefully-monitored
social position.
Exploration Adventures
Sarx’s “civilized” areas are unusually safe for a nation in
the Latter Earth, and there are seldom any real perils
closer than a day’s ride from a village or town. The pop-
ulation’s inability to grow has calcified these boundaries,
however, and the wildernesses of Sarx have even fewer
of the hardscrabble villages and daring borderland keeps
that other lands know.
The great jungles of the south are full of Logomachy
temple ruins, and equally full of Logomachy monsters.
While the god-avatars that once powered each temple
are usually long-vanished, hideous beasts and unearthly
horrors still haunt these untamed places. Escaped slaves
or renegade Sarxians who somehow find safety within
such places can expect to be ignored by the magistrates
unless they’ve done something so infuriating that the cost
in legionary lives to capture them is deemed acceptable.
The Black Glass Mountains were once the industrial
center of Nakad, and ancient forge-temples still can be
found in their highest regions. Taboo to Sarxians, their
locations are seldom recorded, their treasures are seldom
despoiled, and their exploration is seldom safe.
Dungeon Adventures
The most common ruins in Sarx are the ancient tem-
ple-laboratories of the Logomachy of Nakad. Some such
temples were little more than research outposts consist-
ing of a single shrine and a few outbuildings, while others
were the size of small cities. Sarxians are forbidden from
entering them, which leaves them a favorite refuge for
bandits and escaped slaves... assuming those exiles are
not eaten by the beasts that lurk there still.
Other than the temples, numerous ancient Nakadi
cities and towns were destroyed in the nation’s downfall,
and have yet to be reclaimed by Sarx. In some of the re-
mote regions, extremely ancient ruins of the Speakers of
the Storm can sometimes be found, ones lost before the
Speakers became the later Logomachy. The very earliest
surviving ruins are those of the Tempest Horde, with
a few rumored to still retain working examples of the
terrible iron steeds they rode into battle. The Horde only
ever built permanent structures to house their forges and
thunder-priest temples, so such remains a possibility.
Antagonists
Sarx doesn’t lack for antagonists, but most of them will
keep their more violent activities well away from public
view. Savage fights in the wilderness or knives in a city’s
hidden alleys are much easier to slide past a magistrate.
Even an official who theoretically has the right to order
the imprisonment or execution of a troublesome foreign-
er often finds it safer to handle things through informal
channels, lest his rivals seize on his actions to denounce
them for some irregularity.
Bandit Rebels: Some can’t endure the rigidity of Sarxian
life, or might flee their destiny to let some relative go
beneath the knife instead, or simply want more than
their role in life would ever let them have. Escaped
slaves and renegades often band together to ravage
the more remote villages, taking lives that even the
quota would not claim.
Foreign Agents: Sarx is widely hated, and numerous
rival lords and powers have agents working there.
These agents find adventurers to be useful patsies
and scapegoats from time to time.
Sarxian Privateers: The state issues letters of marque
for the taking of ships from Atlantis, Yain, or the
Godblight. In practice, these “privateers” are outright
pirates when it comes to foreign shipping. Any craft
that promises a good haul will win their cruel atten-
tions, with the survivors sold off into slavery.
Sarxian Slavers: The military raids into Runom and
the Amundi kingdoms each year produce a host
of victims, and the slavers of Sarx are in charge of
confining and distributing these wretches to state
enterprises and private buyers. Every market town
has a guild of them, and their allies are many and
ruthless.
Sinister Priests: The clergy of the Red Gods have sub-
stantial sway in Sarx, even if they aren’t formal
members of the bureaucracy. Remote temples may
get away with certain acts that would be censured
under more watchful eyes, and they can employ
zealous believers to handle bothersome adventurers.
Troublesome Officials: Sarxian bureaucrats are con-
stantly balanced on a knife edge, the blade growing
sharper as they rise in rank. Adventurers who make
trouble for such an official can expect to face conse-
quences, often ones delivered second-hand through
the official’s allies or underlings.
Word Priest Cults: Every so often, some Sarxian is mad
enough or amoral enough to seek out the occult
secrets of the Logomachy. Escaped slaves and rebels
are notorious for this, being willing to seize any tool
to strike back against the Sarxian state. Unfortu-
nately, the arts of the Word Priests tend to require
atrocities that are worse than what they fled.
 89

Sarxian Names Example Adventurer Concepts

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

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

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

9 Irgek Kiecha Igzu Leksazh Expelled legionary looking for a

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

16 Rikak Rukshi Niemtal Sistezh Erudite Sarxian scholar on a quest

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

Example Sarxian Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Bloodlessly cruel Winsome but An important NPC Hoard of valuable Farm with incred-
1 magistrate ill-treated slave was just picked for Sarxian trade ibly productive
sacrifice goods lands and herds
Sacrifice-crazed Idealistic Sarxian A local slave upris- Forbidden book of Hidden camp of
2
priest reformer ing occurs Nakadi lore escaped slaves
Renegade with no Secret agent of a The high officials Bribe meant to Clean, prosperous
3 respect for life rival country are making hard get a substitute Sarxian city devoid
demands sacrifice of poverty
Sorcerer dabbling Peasant just trying Critical paperwork Key to a sealed Wharf with caged
4
in the Word Cult to get by has been lost temple-lab Runomians
Depraved Sarxian Sympathetic but Local officials are Temple relic need- Ancient Nakadi
5 official harried official locked in a lethal ed to consecrate temple ruins full of
intrigue local officials alien life
Smooth crime boss Foreigner who’s Local officials List of heretics and Bustling city bu-
6
with connections gone native here made dire mistakes enemy agents reaucratic office
Paranoid Ramasi Chief of an es- A Word Cultist has Exotic jungle Constantly-active
7
inquisitor caped slave camp caused a disaster extract sacrificial altar
Rich merchant Eager scholar look- Agents of an enemy Permit to do some- Shady roadside inn
8 without scruples ing for old lore nation have made thing that’s other- where renegades
a move here wise very illegal congregate
90
SATH INGIT
A people obsessed with strength, the clans of Sath Ingit
are famed for the prowess of their savage warbeasts and
the skill of their arcane fleshmolders. The arts of the Sa-
thans are said to be able to give a petitioner any grace
they could desire... though often at a price that only a
madman would pay.
History
Records are few and indistinct of the final years of the
Tempest Horde and their ancient foes, the Intoners. Leg-
end claims that the horde finally breached the bulwark of
the Carven Peaks by riding the “thunder road”, unleash-
ing an unstoppable host of iron beasts on their age-old
enemies. When the invasion finally reached the sea, the
Intoners were shattered, half driven north into what later
became Vitrum and the Hyperborean lands, and half
forced south into what later became the Logomachy of
Nakad.
The southern remnants were swiftly conquered by
the Horde, and the arts of the storm-priests mingled with
Intoner lore to give birth to the Speakers of the Storm.
Northward, the Intoner survivors held the line at the
Leucris River, while further north the choirs most weary
of the war established the colony-cities of the Remnant
Chord in Hyperborea. Between the two, the Tempest
Horde held the plains that were to become Sath Ingit.
With no easily-met enemies to test them, the Horde
swiftly collapsed into savage infighting. Losses among the
storm-priests and their sacred foundries were so great
that the iron mounts of the Horde could no longer be
produced, and the nomadic traditions of their people
were threatened with extinction.
Against this threat, a sect of surviving priests min-
gled forbidden secrets of life and death stolen from the
Pale Empire with their arts of forging and molding. If
they could no longer force lightning and iron into their
service, flesh and bone would have to suffice.
The “Red Lore” these priests passed down soon
spread throughout the surviving clans, each one shaping
not only the wild beasts of the steppes, but also their own
clan members in pursuit of ultimate hegemony. Many of
these experiments were catastrophic failures, and others
granted their gifts at too dear a price. Even so, many came
at a cost their chieftains were willing to bear.
Now the sixteen Great Clans contend among them-
selves, the greatest of their khans striving to be recog-
nized as Khagan of all the clans. Such a hegemon rises
only once a generation, but while they ride no man’s life
is safe in the lands between the crown of Hyperborea and
the heel of the Godblight.
In the centuries since Sath Ingit came to be, the clans
have held to their ancient traditions. Strength, loyalty,
and freedom are the only virtues they have ever cared to
name, and the few cities they raise have never been much
more than gathering-places for the clans.
Geography
Sath Ingit is a steppe land, long miles of tall grasses from
the foothills of the Carven Peaks to the Moebian Sea.
Thin traces of forest linger in the hills, while the sinis-
ter green of the Verdancy is constantly pushing over the
northern border. Sathan warriors must regularly take fire
and axe to it to keep it from claiming more land, though
it makes for ample timber for the clans.
There are no major rivers in Sath Ingit. The moun-
tain streams sink away into the dry plains, and only occa-
sional springs, pools, and creeks dot the land. The clans
mark their territory by possession of these watering-plac-
es for their herds, and wars are fought over muddy ditch-
es and silty streams.
The climate is warm and dry, with snow unheard-of
below the higher elevations and rains coming seldom.
The soil grows little but grass, and farming occupies only
a few slaves near the larger waterways. The steppe grasses
feed great herds of fleshbeasts, many terribly human in
their appearance.
People of Sath Ingit
Sathans, both men and women, average a foot taller than
their Vitrumite neighbors, with some giants among them
reaching eight feet in height. Coloring of skin, hair, and
eyes tends to vary wildly, each clan favoring a different
combination. Hereditary birthmarks often show ances-
tral affiliations.
Ambitious Sathans sometimes seek out the favor
of the flesh-priests in their camps, trading riches and
services in exchange for an improved body. These im-
provements always come at a cost, often mental in nature.
Some such “blessed” are left half-moronic, while others
are touched with terrible madness or unclean cravings.
Aside from the Sathans, the raiding habits of the
clans have led to the presence of many slaves from Vit-
rum, the Godblight, and Yain. A slave who shows mettle
enough to ride with the clan can hope for adoption into
its ranks. Those without such prowess are treated little
better than cattle.
Most disturbingly, some of them are cattle. It’s not
unknown for flesh-priests to transform prisoners and
criminals into Blighted half-men or worse, making old
enemies into new tools for their victorious conquerors.
Sometimes these alterations can be reversed, but many
poor wretches are permanently born into their state.
Demography
Vitrumite scholars hazard to guess that two million Sa-
thans can be found between the Leucris and the Yandol,
though their nomadic habits make it impossible to be
certain. The number of slaves is supposed to be little
more than a tenth of that, most of their labor reserved
for such degrading work as farming or menial toil.
 91

Cities and Towns

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

Angat: A bulwark against the Verdancy, Angat is

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

Sathan Society
Sathan culture recognizes only three virtues
worth praising: strength, loyalty, and freedom.
Compassion, honesty, industry, or generosity are
worthwhile only in the context of increasing one’s
own strength, aiding a sworn ally, or expressing
one’s own personal desires.
A Sathan is expected to seek strength.
Physical strength is merely the most fundamen-
tal form of this; cunning, wisdom, and skill are
all recognized as worthy forms of strength, and
while a weakling or crippled Sathan will never
gain great honor, they can at least get tolerable
respect through some useful capability. The most
ambitious Sathans undertake fleshmolding to in-
crease their power, despite the grim cost.
92
A Sathan’s first loyalty is to their clan, the second
to their immediate blood kindred, and third to those
allies and companions they have sworn friendship with.
Betraying any of these faiths is a heinous sin, though it
happens more often than any Sathan would like to admit.
Those who betray their own can expect to be cast out of
the clan, to roam friendless and unprotected.
Sathans are also expected to do as they wish, seeking
their own goals and ambitions without regard for the
cost. A true Sathan revels in their desires, using strength
and cunning to take what they want from the world and
share the good they get with their kindred. If these de-
sires come at the cost of strangers, then so be it; if they
are not strong enough to prevent it, they deserve it.
Strength is the ultimate justification in Sathan so-
ciety. Anything one is strong enough to do, one has the
right to do. To kill one’s enemies, to plunder their goods,
to seize their lands and herds... these are only natural pas-
times for a respectable rider. And if the enemy should kill
them in turn, then it was their fault for being too weak or
too foolish to prevent it. A wise Sathan forms alliances
with worthy others, to share strength and improve their
mutual ability to obtain their own desires.
Government and Law
The sixteen Great Clans each number perhaps fifty thou-
sand Sathans, and between them their khans effectively
rule the steppe. There are scores of lesser clans, each petty
khan swearing friendship with a patron among the great,
and changing that fealty often enough when an old friend
dies and a new one seems more profitable.
Each clan chooses its khan from among the stron-
gest of its septs, While trial by combat among the candi-
dates is not unknown, most clans prefer less costly tests.
The khan rules until they step down or are killed; in the
latter case, the sept elders then decide whether the reg-
icide was an act of loyalty to the clan or a base betrayal.
Most assassins take care to ensure their justification is
acceptable to the elders.
Beneath the khan are the kha-khans that lead each
sept’s warbands and the clan’s “great sage” who leads and
teaches its flesh-priests. The molders are responsible for
the maintenance of the clan’s bloodlines and the health
of its herds; not even the khan may gainsay their forbid-
dance of particular marriages, and they have the right to
decree exposure for any weak or crippled child.
The laws of Sath Ingit are the laws of whatever clan
lays claim to a particular city or stretch of steppe, which
is to say that they are very few. It is not actually “illegal”
to kill strangers, plunder their goods, or destroy their
herds. However, it is sure to win the wrath of their kins-
men, which tends to be a fatal prospect for anyone who
doesn’t have the protection of a clan of like power. The
clans are constantly raiding and contending with one
another when not attending their sacred camp meetings,
and it is only the terrible strength of a Khagan that can
forge them into a single coherent weapon against their
weakling neighbors.
Sathan Religion
Sathans have little use for foreign gods. Their deities are
legendary khans, ancient heroes who are called upon to
lend their strength to a warrior or behold their mighty
deeds. The strongest among the Sathans may hope to
ride with them in the afterlife, while weaklings and other
peoples will serve only as their herds and their slaves.
Flesh-priests are versed in the rites to propitiate
these gods, most of which require herd-sacrifices or the
lives of enemies. Among the ancestral deities, several are
particularly popular.
Angha Ironhoof is a favored patron of Sathan wom-
en, a Khagan famed for dozens of acts of heroic will and
irresistible might. She trampled three Vitrumite legions
into the dust before enslaving their camp followers and
forging them into her personal praetorian guard.
Limbs-Like-Water, a great sage of the now-van-
ished Scorpion clan, is honored as a font of fleshmolding
lore and a deity who can grant awesome occult secrets
to a petitioner who offers him sufficient flesh and blood.
Namad the Breaker is a fearsome figure in Sathan
lore, a Khagan who led the clans to the walls of Vitrum’s
capital itself. His strength was the strength of something
alien and terrible, however, and there before the walls he
was taken as his master’s price. Even so, Sathans in des-
perate need will call out to him for intercession, accepting
his help despite the awful price that always comes with it.
Smiling Ran, the joyous Khagan who never wept a
single tear or breathed a single sigh. His tent was carpet-
ed in the skins of Yainish witchpriests, he drank from the
skull of a god-eidolon, and every wish he ever had was
gratified. Sathans pray to him for luck, happiness, and
the fulfillment of their heartfelt desires.
Adventuring in Sath Ingit
A sufficiently daring band of adventurers can make quick
expeditions into Sath Ingit to plunder old Intoner ruins
or investigate Pale Empire leavings in the foothills of the
Carven Peaks, but any lengthy stay in the land is going to
require the good offices of some Sathan clan. If the clan
can be persuaded that the adventurers are worth more
as allies than as sources of plunder, a provisional pledge
of friendship can win support and freedom to roam the
clan’s territory.
Of course, such friendship comes at a price, and
adventurers might find themselves “asked” to participate
in raids or go on delicate missions in the interests of the
clan. Those who refuse might find themselves interlopers
instead of friends.
Sathans who lose the favor of their clans often find
it necessary to ride far to escape their retribution. These
exiles and renegades often become adventurers in distant
lands, though few still retain the services of the fearsome
war-mounts of their lost kinsmen.
 93

Sathan Names Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Bolg Barra Bear* Bintok Sathan reformer who needs power

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

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

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

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

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

Example Sathan Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Bloodthirsty Kha- Good-natured The nearest water A magnificent war- Ornate tent of a
1
gan aspirant Sathan warrior has dried up beast stud tribal elder
Traitorous outcast Beastminder with a Wild war-beasts Loot taken from a Sun-beaten steppe
2
seeking vengeance sickly charge are stampeding raid into Vitrum of endless grass
Cruel flesh-priest Healing-minded The fleshpriests de- Elixir of lasting Well-guarded
3
seeking materials priest of the flesh mand a sacrifice body augmentation drylands spring
Maddened former Wise elder with a A leader is growing Patrol schedule Ancient Intoner
4 candidate for prudent sense of mad after receiving for a vulnerable tower used as a
flesh-augmentation forbearance flesh-augmentation Vitrumite border fleshpriest shrine
Vitrumite raider Green stripling The Vitrumites are Revered relic of a Corral full of
5 seeking universal needing help to launching a raid of famous Khagan’s strange and terrible
slaughter prove their ability reprisal nearby great victory herd beasts
Hideously clever Slave-turned-war- A rival clan has Egg of a great and Raucous celebra-
6 war-beast run rior through their recently rustled a mysterious beast tion ground after a
amok own great ability large herd of war successful raid
Affably sociopathic Slave escaped Ill omens have de- Recovered relic of Bone-strewn mas-
7
barbarian warlord from a nearby clan pressed the clan a Vitrumite general sacre site
Favored slave Sathan yearning for A terrible new Blade of a famous Burnt remains of a
8
turned kingmaker a new kind of life beast was birthed fallen Sathan hero ruined clan camp
94
THE SCARLET PRINCES
Four dynasties worth of bitterness and resentment are
piled on the lands of the Scarlet Princes. Every lord with-
in its borders is the heir of some ancient indignity, an ex-
ile-prince cast out of some imperial house that no longer
exists. Each would like dearly to correct that injustice,
and every season brings new schemes and new wars to
further the ends of these would-be hegemons.
History
By the time the Second Dynasty arose in Gyarus, its
divine emperors were troubled by an excess of martial
nobility. The First Dynasty’s focus on military might had
led to a surfeit of highly contentious warrior-princes, and
it was only through several centuries of methodical purg-
es and temple-backed wars that the losers were finally
defanged.
As these nobles were the heirs of former emperors,
and as the destruction of their family lineage was a sin
too grave to contemplate, these princes were exiled to
sinecures in the western reaches of the empire, beyond
the Zinju river. Many were dispatched to petty states in
what eventually became first Javair and then the Chok-
ing Dunes, while others were left to dwell closer to the
Dynastic heartlands. None were allowed more than a few
dozen leagues of land, and all were kept under watchful
oversight by imperial officials.
As the dynasties waxed and waned, these western
lands became the dumping-grounds for political losers
and conquered royalty of every variety. Even the broken
kings of distant lands were sent there with colonies of
their original subjects, the better to keep them out of
the way. There were inevitable insurrections and upris-
ings but there were so many petty lords so often at each
other’s throats that none were ever able to marshal the
alliances they would have needed to overcome their im-
perial jailers.
Yet there was always a cycle to the Scarlet Princ-
es. When the empire was strong, its lords were scat-
tered and obedient, forced into submission by imperial
armies. When a dynasty began to sicken, however, the
lords would start to fight amongst themselves, vying to
become the Hegemon over all their brethren. When the
dynasty fell at last, there would be nothing to prevent
these princely rulers from surging east to seize the throne.
None ever succeeded, but there were always contenders.
Now the cycle has gone awry. There is a new dynasty
on the throne, and the Scarlet Princes should be grow-
ing quiet now. Yet the Fifth Dynasty does not have the
strength of its predecessors, and more and more of the
western principalities are being drawn together under
contending lords. There is a grave risk of a new Hegemon
arising, and the Fifth Dynasty does not have the resourc-
es to crush them by force. Many think that subtler means
will be required if the empire is to be spared a new and
terrible convulsion.
Geography
The northern states of Zin, Ru, and Taimen are warm
year-round, with humid weather east of the Gates of
Dusk and dry dune-winds to the west. The further south
one goes, the more temperate the weather, with the Inner
Frontier knowing four distinct seasons and considerable
snow in winter.
The land has no great rivers, but many small ones
flowing from the Gates of Dusk. Ru, Wen, and Cho are
the driest of the princely states, each one dominated by
fertile grasslands that fade off into the mutagenic dust
of the Choking Dunes. Border outposts keep watch for
monsters that come from the north.
The Gates of Dusk are the most significant geo-
graphical features of the region, being low, ragged moun-
tains and jagged hills cast up by some ancient calamity.
Numerous caverns and upthrust structures lead down
into a black maze of Deeps and passages teeming with
terrible creatures. Tunnel-roads are supposed to exist
from the Gates all the way to the Dynastic capital, but
few dare seek such ways.
People of the Principalities
The inhabitants of the Scarlet Princes are Dynasts in the
main, most jealously aware of their exalted lineage and
their venerable imperial forebears... even if such descent
is more legend than provable fact. People commonly
identify with their extended clan first, then their home
state, and then their lord. Few, if any, have any loyalty to
the idea of the Scarlet Princes as a whole.
The Inner Frontier is an exception to this uniformity.
Non-Dynastic kings and their people were exiled there,
and so the inhabitants often have drastically different
cultures and appearances than their Dynastic neighbors.
They serve as mercenaries often enough that they draw
no special remark in the northern cities.
Demographics
Most scholars would estimate the population of the prin-
cipalities at something around eight million people. Tai-
men and Wei are the most populous of the states, while
Lan struggles with limited farmland and regular incur-
sions from mountain beasts. No one is entirely certain
how many foreigners inhabit the Inner Frontier, as those
peoples tend to avoid dealing with the Dynastic states
save as mercenaries for their warring lords.
The princely states vie constantly for control over
towns and population centers, the inhabitants a valuable
resource for their fields and armies. Natives of the states
are all but trapped, for as heirs of exiles they are not per-
mitted to cross the Zinju river back into Dynastic lands.
With the Shangu mountains impassible, the Choking
Dunes a fatal waste, and ship passage from the western
coast beyond their means, they can do little but stay.

States of the Scarlet Princes
There have been hundreds of states established among
the Scarlet Princes since it was first made a place of exile.
The vast majority last for a century or two before being
dragged under by greedy rivals or their own internal strife.
The present eight states are merely the latest survivors.
Cho: The breadbasket of the eight states, Cho’s rich sor-
ghum fields feed multitudes. Its Marquis Ai seeks
hegemony by playing weak against strong, selling
his crops cheaply to the weak states to support them
in their resistance. In time, he plans to swoop down
on any who remain.
Lan: Gateway to the western states, Lan is constantly
harried by its neighbors. Its young Duchess Rin is
desperate for allies to hold off the destruction of
her state.
Ru: Famed for its traditional learning and venerable
schools, the scholars of Ru are considerable sorcer-
ers. Lacking any other notable resource, its Prince
Wu seeks magical artifacts to smooth his path to
hegemony.
Taimen: With Yantu the only approved trade city for
merchants from the Fifth Dynasty, Taimen is the
richest of the states, but also the one most tightly
bound by Dynast rules. Its Duke Meng labors to
bribe or suborn his Dynast minders into aiding his
ambitions.
95
Wei: This state’s Marquise Lu has only a large population
as a considerable resource. She is averse to leaguing
with the unpredictable foreigners of the Inner Fron-
tier, but many ships have gone south to Tseb Hwii
of late, and rumors persist of certain unrighteous
bargains being struck with those strange folk.
Wen: The grasping Duke Chu of Wen sweats over the
perils of resting between Ru’s unpredictable sorcer-
ies and Cho’s well-fed army. He seeks control of Lan
and its overland route to Taimen, bullying its ruler
with deniable raids and threats of war.
Zin: Marquis Lao has much to worry over with the con-
stant threat of incursions from the Anak Wastes to
the north. Yet he seeks to conduct illegal trade with
merchants brave enough to venture through the
wastes in order to bypass the Dynastic river guard.
Precious gems, forbidden drugs, and rare extracts
are peddled through this black market.
The Inner Frontier: The customs and habits of the several
petty kingdoms of the Inner Frontier are largely a
mystery to the Dynasts around them. Their land
is unattractive, so close to the dangerous Shangu
mountains, and their cultures are largely incom-
patible with Dynastic mores. Warriors and sorcer-
ers who can be spared from their regular internal
squabbles often find service in the armies of princely
states, and some who are more adept at fitting in can
even hope for generalships.
96
Society in the Principalities
While the subjects of the Scarlet Princes share many
similarities with the culture of the Fifth Dynasty, the
inhabitants of this land are famed for their intensely
mercenary nature. From peasant to prince, every man,
woman, and child in the principalities is keenly aware
of their own best interests and inclined to follow them
wherever they may lead.
Loyalty to a nation is minimal at best. Righteous
ministers and upright generals place their faith in specific
rulers, and if that ruler dies, his successor cannot assume
that their loyalty will transfer. The common folk have
only a nominal interest in whichever prince might be
ruling them, and if they fight in his armies and pay his
taxes it is only because the alternative is worse. Some
of the more remote villages are not even aware of what
country they are theoretically part of.
While princes and officials lament this state of af-
fairs, they have also come to expect it. A capable warrior
or skilled scholar might pass from one lord to another as
their opportunities allow, and few rulers would hesitate
to hire talent where they can get it. This path to wealth
and power attract many in the principalities, and great
deeds are dared to win splendid posts.
Government and Law
Rule in the principalities is a stripped-down and sim-
plified version of the ancient First Dynasty bureaucracy.
Every prince rules as an absolute monarch, served by an
often-changed prime minister who oversees separate bu-
reaus charged with military affairs, agriculture, rituals,
law enforcement, and diplomacy. The chief ministers of
each have lesser-ranking officials to carry out their in-
structions.
Many of these officials are “wandering scholars”, in-
tellectual freelancers who go from state to state offering
their wisdom and political theory to the ruler. The great-
est win position as teachers to the prince, while lesser
lights can hope for a decent stipend. Those who give bad
advice are advised to keep a fast chariot close to hand.
Unlike the Fifth Dynasty, however, the individual
rule of towns and villages is not in the hands of bureau-
cratic officials. Instead, each village or town is the person-
al fief of a trusted noble, who can keep the lion’s share of
its tax burden for their personal use. Control of these vil-
lages shifts with the lord’s whim, however, and favorites
who fail to stay favored can find their possessions swiftly
melting away. More than a few have chosen to cast their
lot with the lord of a bordering neighbor rather than
submit to this loss. The peasants are rarely consulted.
Law enforcement is conducted at a village level, with
the local fief-holder responsible for maintaining order
and administering the law to commoners. Crimes by the
nobility and officials are judged by the bureau of law, with
severe or sensitive cases put before the prince himself.
Minor matters are generally handled by village elders, as
any encounter with the fief-holder’s justice is apt to be
painfully expensive for the village.
Religion in the Principalities
The nobles and elite of the Scarlet Princes are a godless
lot in the main. They all pay meticulous care to the rites
of ancestor worship and the seasonal rituals in propiti-
ation of Heaven, but only a peasant bumpkin imagines
that there are personal, individual deities that have any
interest in their affairs. Heaven is just, but impassive;
Earth is giving, but indifferent. Virtuous and enlightened
conduct is conducive to prosperity and success, but that
is due to the natural processes of Heaven and Earth and
not the personalized will of a deity.
To the common folk, the world is full of deities.
Their ancestors reach up to give help to their heirs, Heav-
en’s anger punishes the wicked, and every village and
town has its god of walls and ditches to oversee the pros-
perity of those who dwell within. Soldiers wear amulets
dedicated to divine generals, farmers conduct forbidden
rituals to win abundance for their crops, and every town
has a dozen or more shrines and temples to faiths that
have been extinct elsewhere since the Second Dynasty.
The gentry largely leave the peasants to their errors,
though the most extreme and potentially dangerous
faiths are driven into the wilderness by the lord’s men.
There they sometimes find other powers to wield and
give those who drove them out cause to rue their act.
Adventuring in the Principalities
Adventurers among the Scarlet Princes tend to fall into
three main classifications as far as the locals are con-
cerned, and outsiders who gain renown among them are
apt to find themselves pigeon-holed into one of these
categories whether they like it or not.
Assassins are of a long and venerable lineage, being
warriors and rogues skilled in the selective murder of
persons troublesome to a local noble. Enemy generals,
rival lords, troublesome local grandees, and even bother-
some clan heads can all be safely removed by the use of a
competent assassin. Those who succeed can expect rich
rewards, while those who are caught by their targets can
expect a slow and terrible death. It is a disgraceful role,
of course, but a very well-paid one.
Knights are warriors of exceptional skill on the
battlefield, ones who can be trusted to lead troops to
deeds of glory in the service of their lord. While personal
prowess is important to every knight, their true value is
in their leadership and military acumen. The best are
elevated to generalships and given scores of villages as
their personal fiefs. The less gifted are expected not to
return alive from the field, but just as often decamp for
some other lord instead.
Wandering scholars are venerated teachers and
sages, men and women possessed of deep insight into
rulership and governance. Their profound wisdom is
guaranteed to unravel mysteries, sort out diplomatic dif-
ficulties, and correct corrupt branches of the bureaucracy.
Possession of the right teacher is considered a necessity
for a would-be Hegemon, so the best of them are courted
intensely by lords eager to expand their rule.
 97

Names in the Principalities Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 An Chu Bai Chianhu Last scion of a decayed noble

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

9 Hui Kong Lai Lijian Scholar seeking out lost histories

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

16 Shang Su Sheng Tunshi Apolitical backwoods peasant

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

Example Scarlet Prince Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Sinister counselor Cheerfully optimis- A former “friend” Ancient relic of the Burnt-down re-
1
to a careless lord tic scholar just declared war First Dynasty mains of a village
Corrupt local Grizzled old vil- The borders have Proof of a noble’s Bright-painted
2
official lage headman been sealed legitimate lineage wooden palace
Deposed noble Local lord in dire A poor counselor is Book of peerless Ritual mound for
3
turned bandit chief need of help fleeing for his life military stratagems public ceremonies
Zealot priest of a Diplomat trying to An assassin just Tax payment wrung High city walls with
4
vile ancient god forge local peace struck nearby from the locals many guards
Notorious assassin Sage of some ven- The lord is seizing Stolen food sup- Hardscrabble
5 doing personal erable old school the goods of local plies or other vital village of the des-
work of thought merchants goods perately poor
Charismatic dem- Earnestly appeal- A lord has been Stock of valuable Ancient family
6 agogue with dark ing young heir to a violently deposed weapons, horses, temple full of
intentions contested state by their sibling or military gear name-tablets
Sage with infernal Peasant refugee Soldiers have Ritual jade discs of Garrison fort full of
7
sorcerous powers from war’s ruin ruined the fields a noble family activity
Occult experiment- Grubby commoner A plague follows Secret text of mysti- Austere school for
8
er with human life seeking a route up after an army cal lore would-be scholars
98
SHINBU ANAK
Since the first days of Carce and the Grand Harmony’s
fall, the Blighted of Shinbu Anak have been a plague on
their human neighbors. The reckless sorceries of their
Outsider creators have made them stronger, smarter, and
more cohesive than their brethren in the southern wastes,
much to the eventual grief of those who made them.
History
When the Outsiders of the Grand Harmony were forced
to abandon the great island of Carce and retreat to the
mainland, their bitterness was expressed in the legions
of monstrous Anak they forged to reclaim their wayward
slaves. After futile centuries of war, however, this hope
faded, and their Anak warriors were turned on each other
in a struggle for rule over what remained of their empire.
Their masters pushed numerous ill-tested modifi-
cations and sorcerous imbuements on their war-slaves,
warping them and changing them to better bring down
their rivals. Eventually, to fight other Outsiders effectively
it was necessary to degrade the psychic shackles that pre-
vented them from attacking their own creators.
The consequences were entirely predictable, and
within a few more centuries their pet legions rose up
and slaughtered them. With equal predictability, the
victorious Anak did not cease the terrible experiments
on their brethren, but seized the tools and the Outsider
artificers for their own use.
To the south, the Anak who would become the Aris-
toi Principalities butchered all their Outsider prisoners,
relying only on their own sorcerers to enact the rites and
oversee the experiments. Their progress was slow, but
the vision of their tribal leaders eventually gave birth to
a species of Anak with greatly lessened Hate and vast-
ly improved cohesion. Their heirs broke away from the
other Shinbu Anak in 500 AL, and even now they make
constant war on their savage cousins.
In the north, however, the chieftains had no patience
for puzzling out the Outsider tools. Surviving Outsiders
were forced to serve new masters, their lives dependent
on operating the arcane devices and performing the
rituals that would make their new lords stronger. Ever
since they have been a caste of slave-priests, tormented
for every failure.
In the centuries since, the Shinbu Anak have splin-
tered into dozens of sub-species through these arcane
modifications. Some varieties are tremendously strong
and ferocious, but the changes never come without price,
and the fiercest are often the most stupid or sickly. An-
cient tribal bonds have largely disintegrated, with each
Anak loyal only to a successful war-chief and the entire
country operating like a confederation of mercenary cap-
tains and pirate kings. Human and Outsider slaves work
the fields and perform menial labor when not taken for
the cookpot, and this hunger still sends many grim ships
to far human shores.
Shinbu Society
Shinbu Anak society is based on violence. Its “tribes” are
built exclusively around loyalty to a war-chief or pirate
captain, disintegrating as soon as that leader dies or is de-
posed. Familial relationships mean almost nothing once
a whelp is too big to be bullied into obedience by its
mother. Like most Anak, their lives are defined by hatred,
fear, and spite, punctuated by brief occasions of sadistic
amusement or cruel indulgence. Only a powerful leader
who promises both rich rewards and savage punishments
can keep a tribe together for long.
The Shinbu economy is built on chattel slavery. They
have repurposed the ancient identity tags once used to
mark their ancestors, and now use these small rectangu-
lar metal slips to mark the human, Outsider, and Anak
slaves they take. A brief, painful ritual bonds a tag to a
living subject, whereupon it will emboss itself with an
image of the target’s face that will remain until the subject
dies. As only one tag can bond to a slave at a time, these
“faces” form the main currency between Anak tribes, trad-
ed back and forth for plunder and aid in battle.
As it is impractical to herd large numbers of slaves
around with their roving owners, most are dispatched
to large plantations on the Shackled Plains, where sla-
ver tribes maintain them in exchange for a share of their
production. A complex system of loans and brokerage
dispatches a slave’s surplus production twice-yearly to
whatever tribe the slave’s owner belongs to. Valuable as
they are, these slaves are seldom killed out of hand, but
their lives are generally brief and wretched under their
Anak overseers. Few ever escape, as the tags can be used
by a sorcerer to track them halfway across the world.
Every Shinbu tribe has a profound interest in sor-
cerous eugenics and augmentations. The molder-tribes
of the Birthing Hills control most of the ancient arcane
equipment for modifying Anak, along with the Outsider
slaves necessary to make the devices function. These tools
can imbue an Anak with tremendous power, both physi-
cal and magical, though often at a terrible price in sanity
or health. Tribes gamble their most reckless warriors on
the process in hopes of gaining heroes, or send their most
hated enemies to be defiled by awful shapings. The most
successful alterations are sometimes inheritable, forming
the seeds for new sub-species of Anak.
The Shinbu Anak are universally hated by their
neighbors. The Aristoi to the south view them as de-
spicable degenerates who insult the Aristoi by their very
existence. The Kytheronians hate them for their constant
raids and invasions north of the River of Spears. The
states around the Herondeep fear their raiding ships and
the incessant slave-taking expeditions, and virtually the
entire Carcereal coastline dreads the sight of their black-
sailed ships on the horizon. The Shinbu delight in this
hatred, and their only wish is to make it more bitter.

Slaves of the Shinbu
Aside from human prisoners born to the collar or taken
in raids, the Shinbu preserve remnants of several Outsid-
er races long since extinguished elsewhere. These wretch-
es know little of their ancestors save what is necessary to
operate their arcane devices. Those named below are only
the most common species to be found.
Klin: Slender, mammalian humanoids with a single large
eye and four-fingered hands amid otherwise hu-
manlike features. They have poor depth perception,
but their eye can perceive both magical auras and a
creature’s emotions. They are sometimes mistaken
for demihumans.
Louk Makkad: Many-legged, brightly-colored, grub-like
creatures the size of a horse. Their spittle is toxic,
and they are all mildly telekinetic, using the power
in place of hands. They have a melancholy dispo-
sition by nature. Some are used as war mounts by
their Anak owners.
Nimmid: Spherical, furry body with radially symmetrical
eyes, four legs, four smaller manipulator-arms, and
a ventral maw. Roughly human-sized. Obsessive
arcane tinkerers and rather cowardly by inclination.
Thisstak: Hexapedal aliens with vaguely reptilian features
and a centaur-like body plan. Pack-oriented, suffer-
ing badly when alone or separated from allies. Tend
to defer decisions to higher-placed packmembers.
99
Adventuring in Shinbu Anak
Humans are not welcome in Shinbu Anak. Indeed, no
one is particularly welcome in Shinbu Anak, but the na-
tives have sufficient allies in their tribe to hold off the
most immediate threats of violence. Outsiders who enter
must be constantly alert for attack by Hate-driven Anak,
even if under the protection of some local war-chief.
The general disorganization of the land can be a
point in an adventurer’s favor, however, as sufficiently
cunning and stealthy intruders can often make it over the
river or across the ragged Lakaian range to raid Anak set-
tlements. There are also hidden camps of runaway slaves,
each centering around some sorcerer clever enough to
falsify the tracking information on a slave’s “face”. These
hidden camps are always tenuous things, lasting only un-
til the Anak find them or until its inhabitants can flee to
freedom. The great dangers of the wilderness make the
latter prospect difficult for most slaves, and many find
themselves effectively trapped in some defensible ruin
or hidden cave.
The molder-tribes each center around an ancient
Outsider flesh-warping center, all of which are rich in
precious offerings and priceless alien artifacts. Few Anak
dare attack these tribes, as they would immediately win
the anger of all their clients. Adventurers are not so par-
ticular, however, and at times they can take advantage of
the Blighted’s complacence. Such a theft would surely
bring a terrible pursuit, of course, but such is the risk.
100
THE STILL CITIES
A land populated almost exclusively by the undead, the
Still Cities are a frozen remnant of the Pale Empire of
former ages. Its half-mindless citizens carry out the roles
they performed in life, while their more cognizant lords
seek to stem the raids of living adventurers who would
plunder the riches of the dead. Even so, the restless dead
take their tithe from their living neighbors, and their
black ships make their own raids across the Gebed Mur.
History
When the Imperator known as the Pale Emperor was
destroyed or fell quiescent toward the end of the First
Age his subjects were cast into confusion. Without their
lord’s blessings, they could not sustain the undead society
they had created, and the living who had served him in
hopes of immortality found their faith upended.
Some abandoned their master and joined the peo-
ples that would become the Amundi kingdoms. Others
sought immortality in vegetative life instead of human
death, and became the sorcerous founders of the Suldant
Theocracy. A few of his highest-ranking servitors retreat-
ed into the north, however, casually eradicating the few
Deep-born petty kingdoms that had grown up around
the vast freshwater sea known as the Gebed Mur.
These arch-undead still preserved a fragment of
their Imperator’s power. It was not enough to sustain
the Pale Empire, but it was enough to stake out a refuge
for them and their followers. As the rival polities of the
Intoners and the Tempest Horde fought to the south,
and the first hierarchs of the Suldant planted their sacred
groves, the lords of the Still Cities labored to build their
citadels. The first rose in 1722 BL.
They have stood for the three thousand years since.
These great cities of stone were erected by tireless labor-
ers, each one carved intricately with art lauding their un-
dead masters. Each of these lords of the First Age took a
city to be their own, along with the undead villages and
necromantic market towns surrounding it.
The undeath provided by the Pale Emperor had
different degrees of perfection for different classes. The
least of them still appeared human, if cold and pale, and
still retained some of the memory and personality of life.
They could respond to immediate circumstances, but
would always drift back into a half-dreaming mimicry
of their living days, doing needless labors and eating use-
less meals with their unliving families. The same con-
versations were had ten thousand times and the same
relationships formed, forgotten, and renewed in a cycle
of eternal stasis.
The leaders of the Still Cities had a superior sense
of self, with the nobility even retaining much of their
own free will and independent thought. While these
lords have forgotten much of the First Age, they could
still direct their less sapient subjects and wield fearsome
powers of necromantic magic.
This undeath was so powerfully woven in the Still
Cities that even those citizens who were destroyed by
violence would eventually coalesce once more out of the
dust of the land. This resurrection could take centuries,
however, and each rebirth came at a cost in memory and
intellect. With enough deaths even the most brilliant
undead would be reduced to a mindless, motionless husk.
To replenish numbers lost to quarrels and the haz-
ards of the land, the lords of the Still Cities dispatch
raiding parties across the Gebed Mur, their black ships
seeking to return with new candidates for citizenship.
Live prisoners have the best odds of making a usable
undead, so these raiders prefer to seize their victims in-
tact. Once they are carried over the sea, only a swift and
courageous rescue expedition has hope of saving them
before they become thralls to some undying lord’s will.
Naturally, these raids bring reprisals. Vitrum’s sea
legions patrol regularly to fend off Still galleys, and the
sorcerers of the Black Pact dispatch eldritch horrors to
make war on the dead. Even the disorganized tribes of
Hyperborea sometimes venture across the Gebed Mur
to plunder their enemies of their goods.
Adventuring in the Still Cities
Among the most persistent raiders, however, are adven-
turers. From hidden camps and forgotten Deeps, they
strike Still caravans, raid Still villages, and sometimes
even infiltrate the cities to plunder the deathless nobility.
They are the monsters that the undead dread, the fell
savages that infest their ruins and deep wilds.
Because the undead continue to build, mine, and
create in their gloomy domain, their labors provide a
constant flow of fresh plunder for those brave enough
to seize it. There are even caches of ancient magic dat-
ing back to the Pale Empire, any one of which would be
worth a kingdom’s ransom in the present day.
Obtaining these treasures comes at great risk. The
very soil of these lands is caked with dark power, and
many spells and Arts of a living necromancer prove futile
or weakened here. While still useful, a necromancer in
the Still Cities is not the lichbane he would be elsewhere.
The ruins among the Still Cities are few, though
some empty cities collapsed with the long absence of a
lord. Those other Deeps and wracks that remain predate
the coming of the undead, and are mostly the empty re-
mains of the ancient human kingdoms they destroyed
at their arrival. Some of these places become bases for
living adventurers.
Not all that lives in the Still Cities is friendly to
adventurers. Beasts in the Tular forest and Suthi hills
rend living and dead alike, and the green perils of the
Verdancy often slip the border. Other human adventur-
ers can sometimes be the greatest danger, however, with
no law to restrain them from plundering the luckier but
weaker fellows they encounter.

The Cities of the Dead
The sorcerer-lords of the cities are all nominally equals,
but this does not prevent the occasional season of inter-
nal strife or subtle violence between domains. Now and
then one rises to be named king for a century or two
until they are brought down by their rivals. Most of the
lords have perished five or six times, but yet retain much
memory and cunning. Even so, all dread the prospect of
a century or more of torpor should they die again.
Capeva: Iron-handed Prince Laris leads several undead
legions of horsemen and foot soldiers, most often
employed in fending off raids from the Black Pact
or rooting out nests of adventurers. While an un-
remarkable wizard, he is renowned both for his
martial prowess and his unrequited love of Prin-
cess Thanusa, who has thought him dull for an age.
Inarime: Ruled by Prince Aranthur, present first among
equals. His navy of black galleys is a scourge on the
Gebed Mur, and numerous shrine-villages along the
coast provide a steady flow of fresh undead from the
prisoners those galleys take.
Manthva: The city is lordless at present, its prior Prince
Cai having been murdered by a band of adventur-
ers. Regency is uneasily divided between three noble
houses: Hathli, Lucini, and Satlana. Rumor among
the more sapient locals says that one of those houses
was actually in league with the living assassins.
101
Mutina: A forge-city of smoke and iron, the latter ore
being hewn from the Suthi hills. Vast heaps of ar-
mor and weaponry are stacked up, only to rust or
be melted down once more. Prince Raska directs
his commoners to bring their wares to his allies in
exchange for their own considerations, and tends to
support the weaker side of a quarrel.
Tarchna: Ruled by Princess Thanusa, the Witchbane.
The Hinthial Academy she leads here is staffed
with numerous undying sorcerers versed in foiling
and plaguing the dark wizards of the Black Pact.
Their arcanists are especially skilled at killing living
necromancers.
Tlamu: A trade-city with few to trade with, under the
hand of Princess Arathia. Its citizens fashion goods,
only to let them rot or be destroyed when space is
needed for more. Arathia is actually willing to deal
with living merchants and traders, provided they
come under the correct flags and conduct them-
selves appropriately within the walls. She craves
novelty and rewards well those who bring it.
Vetluna: Distant and strange, Princess Sethra’s city has
the most likeness to a living one, being thick with
plant life and greenery. She revels with her people
in an endless celebration of their immortality. She
thirsts for the fire of living excitement, and people
say that she has struck bargains with the powers of
the Verdancy to taste true life once more.
102
THE SUNWARD ISLES
These remote western islands are unique in that they are
the largest magical dryland in the western hemisphere.
Absolutely no magic of any known kind will work within
a hundred miles of its outermost islands, and the natives
have learned to deal well with this lack.
History
The first recorded settlers of the Sunward Isles were ref-
ugees fleeing the establishment of the Suldant Theocracy
around 1700 BL. Some of them were former citizens of
the Pale Empire who wanted no truck with the vegetative
sorceries of the Theocracy, while others were a mix of
Intoner and Tempest Horde natives forced out by the
plant-priests.
The early colonists suffered greatly from the loss of
their ancestral magics, but that same sorcery-drought
made the isles remarkably safe by most standards of the
Latter Earth. While there remained a number of dan-
gerous animals and hostile sea creatures around the isles,
they had none of the magic-infused abominations that
were so common on the mainland.
The refugees rapidly spread out among the isles,
each group establishing colonies that swiftly grew into
island nations, all woven together by the myriad heavi-
ly-gunned ships that sailed their mundane seas. The six
large islands in the archipelago became the seats of four
major nations, while numerous smaller isles hosted city-
states and vassal cultures.
The Sunwarders have had little to do with the main-
land since their arrival. Their traders bring their superb
hurlants and rare island produce to Vitrumite markets
at times in exchange for mainland raw materials, but the
dangers of the magic-infested continent are more than
most wish to bear. Their main concern is with their own
nations and the endless round of intrigues, alliances, and
wars that so engage them.
People of the Isles
Northern Sunwarders of Bhur, Ladris, and Morn resem-
ble the Marchen of Amund, with pale eyes, dark hair,
and bronzed skin. The southerners on the three isles of
Kistos are paler and taller, perhaps of the same ancient
stock that later became the Riu. Kistosi have a keen at-
tachment to their ethnic group, but Bhurans, Ladrisi, and
Mournans tend to care far more about their nation than
their distant kinsmen.
There are no known demihuman or Blighted popu-
lations on the isles save for those brought over by foreign
traders. Most Sunwarders would be unlikely to even un-
derstand what a demihuman is, taking them instead for
some crippled or malformed human. After all, the tales of
the outside world make clear that all the talking monsters
there are eight feet tall with fangs of iron.
The Islander Nations
The Sunwarders are divided into four chief nations and
a dozen smaller city-states or vassal colonies. All have
been both enemies and allies to the others at some point
or another, dueling for the loyalty of some subject island
or fighting for control of those isles that have valuable
natural resources. With no natural magical predators to
keep humans in check, the habitable isles are all densely
populated… and every nation’s lords know that they will
rule only so long as their people remain fed.
Bhur is northernmost, cool and temperate. Its rocky
terrain is poor for agriculture, but it has the best mines
in the archipelago, and its noble-owned smithies fashion
the finest hurlants in Agathon. Bhuran ships often make
up in firepower what they lack in marines.
Ladris is to the south, an island blessed with the
perfect mellow climate for several crop harvests each year.
Its queen has ownership of virtually all its production,
allocating it to farmers, nobles, and traders as she thinks
best. Ladris and Bhur often stand allied against the more
southern nations.
Morn is the largest island in the archipelago, and
while its agricultural yield is modest, its carefully-tended
forests are the best source of ship timber in the Sunwards.
Its high priest often tries to play the middle between
Bhur and Ladris to the north and ambitious Kistos to
the south. Its people are notoriously pious, devoted to
Mila, the Protecting Mother, who made the isles as a
refuge against the mad world outside.
Kistos holds the three southernmost islands, and
among its humid jungles are just enough resources to
make it the strongest single nation of the four. Once an
absolute monarchy, the “Free Isles of Kistos” are now
ruled by a post-revolutionary council of city and village
representatives and the Speaker they elect. For genera-
tions they have been eager to spread their liberty to the
northern islands, whether or not those islands want it.
Adventuring in the Isles
Time in the Sunwards is apt to be painful for wizards,
but outsiders are not forbidden to visit the islands. Even
if they can’t bring magical aid to the dueling island king-
doms, they can often bring over valuable mundane re-
sources that are hard to acquire off the mainland. In the
same vein, adventurers don’t have to worry about the
depredations of wizards or the fangs of magical beasts
when it comes to carrying out work for the locals.
The absence of magic means that the problems
adventurers face on the isles tend to be very human in
nature. Political quarrels, revenge raids, commando op-
erations, or delicate spying jobs might all be handed off
to outsiders, with the pay coming in mundane gold and
superb hurlants.

TAVAT
The greatest den of pirates and exiles in all the western
lands, Tavat is a haven for those that other lands would
prefer to see dead. Its prince-admirals rule their ram-
shackle coastal cities while the jungle interior has been
given over to vile beasts and viler humans.
History
Tavat was once part of the Grand Harmony, the last great
Outsider nation of Agathon. When the Liberator Queen
broke their power and drove them from Carce around
1650 BL, they sought to make Tavat a stronghold against
the accursed humans. Entire Deeps were depopulated by
their awful sacrifices, but in the end they were successful
in laying down the Sevenstorm, a terrible curse on the
waters surrounding the island.
The Sevenstorm was a zone of sorcerous peril in-
scribed around the island, extending seventy miles off-
shore. If seven or more ships congregated within a given
seven-mile radius within that zone, a terrible witch-
storm would suddenly leap up to smash the offending
fleet. Ships within a mile of the island coast were ex-
empted from this ban, but it became all but impossible
to sail an invasion fleet anywhere near Tavat. Combined
with the treacherous coral reefs and ancient sea-obstacles
set by the Outsiders, Tavat became an invincible citadel.
The Outsiders were not long in their possession,
however, for the ongoing effects of their Working proved
lethal to the aliens. Their life energy was drained away,
and only through the consumption of human vitality
could a handful survive. They retreated into the volcanic
southern mountains of the islands with their herds of
wretched slaves, and are now but seldom seen.
It was at this time that the Liberated Republic
crumbled and the first Kings of Carce were established.
That process left numerous political losers and broken
Republic factions in its wake, and many of these fled to
Tavat with their allies. In bitterness, their surviving ships
were set to prey upon Carcean trade, becoming the first
organized pirates of the era.
As the centuries ground on, innumerable new faces
fled to Tavat, seeking refuge in the jungles and coastal
settlements. A little slave-driven agriculture was possible,
but the perils of the jungle forced many of these refu-
gees to seek their sustenance in the holds of foreign ships.
Even today, the greater part of Tavat’s wealth comes from
seagoing theft.
Atlantis, Sarx, the Aristoi, and the Amundi king-
doms would all be glad to see Tavat drowned in the sea,
but their plans to break its lords have always come to
naught. They cannot bring enough forces ashore to defeat
the savage natives, so they rely instead on intrigues, trai-
tors, and bribery to minimize the damage. Bold agents
are always needed to do this work, though the island
often proves fatal to such interlopers.
103
People of Tavat
The bulk of Tavat’s populace is made up of Atlantean
stock, with a healthy number of Aristoi exiles and po-
litical losers from the mainland. Their natural cunning
and political talent often leads the Aristoi to positions of
authority and the captaincy of ships.
Even so, there have been so many waves of exiles,
refugees, slaves, and freebooters on the island that almost
any demihuman or human ethnicity can be found in one
port settlement or another. Most have left their native
cultures far behind, melting into the general habits of vio-
lence, revelry, debauchery, and theft that define native life.
Government in Tavat
Tavat has nothing resembling a coherent government.
Important port settlements like Helikon, Misha’s Rack,
Shangwen, and Redport are run by “prince-admirals”
who command the fearful deference of numerous pirate
crews and extract a healthy tax from the merchants and
artisans who serve the pirates there. Troublemakers are
dealt with in typically brutal fashion if they can’t find a
way to pay off their injury to the admiral’s patience.
There is no law whatsoever in the inland jungles.
Hidden villages of runaway slaves, towers raised by mad
sorcerers, empty Deeps gutted by ancient Outsider sac-
rifices, and stranger things still lie largely undisturbed in
the forest. Those who would seek them out must bring
their own security with them.
Adventuring in Tavat
Tavat’s port settlements welcome almost anyone, provid-
ed they look capable of defending their own interests.
Vulnerable refugees are quickly enslaved, but capable
crew can expect to get by with minimal peril, provided
they can keep from offending important locals. Better
safety is had by affiliating with a successful ship’s crew;
many of these “crewmen” never actually set sail at all, but
simply make themselves useful or profitable to the cap-
tain in exchange for their protection.
Aside from the obvious potential of seagoing theft,
adventurers can also seek wealth in the island interior,
where many a generation of pirate captain has hidden
their loot against a retirement that never arrived. All the
strangest and most vicious castoffs of three ages have
migrated landward as well, and they tended to bring their
treasures with them. Combined with the many ancient
Deeps and Outsider ruins within the jungle, there’s no
lack of gold beneath the green canopy.
Nor is there any lack of guardians. Savage Outsider
warbeasts still prowl the jungle, and a half-dozen awful
alien species still come down from the mountains now
and then to replenish their stock of human prey. There
are even rumors that certain prince-admirals trade hu-
man slaves to them in exchange for eldritch treasures.
104
THE TOMBFELL
The Tombfell is a lawless land of alien graves and ruth-
less plunderers. Ever since the First Age, this treacherous
region has been a temptation to those adventurers who
seek the wealth of fallen races and care little for their
still-perilous guardians.
History
The ancient rise of human power has left few historical
records of the former Outsiders, as even the desperate
stand of the Grand Harmony was merely the last coher-
ent resistance to the burgeoning rule of humanity. Nu-
merous alien nations had already been exterminated or
driven into exile by the time the Harmony’s rulers fell.
Many of these alien polities had been forced into
the uttermost north, fleeing from such foes as the Pale
Emperor, the proto-Amundi god-rulers, the mighty sor-
ceries of the Intoners, or the savage might of the Tempest
Horde. Only in the unwelcoming shadow of the White-
skulls could the aliens find any refuge.
There they worked what sorceries they could to
xenoform the land into something habitable to them.
Hundreds of pocket arratus were established around as
many alien cities, the last survivors of each foreign species
eking out what time they had in land that no human
nation desired.
Their time came to an end some sixteen hundred
years ago. By 600 BL, the last organized Outsider pres-
ence had collapsed in the Tombfell, their arratus decay-
ing and their populations depleted by warfare, privation,
and inbreeding. Some Outsider species were wiped out
entirely as they were exposed to the unendurable atmo-
sphere of baseline Earth, while others were driven into
degenerate savagery, changed or crippled by the hostile
world around them.
Yet their sorceries were not without lasting effect.
The consequences of so many wildly-different arratus
in such a restricted geographic area caused permanent
environmental shifts throughout the Tombfell. Pockets
of inexplicable climate and bizarre geography formed
under the influence of these magics, with patches of
jungle, the occasional small volcano, stretches of cursed
desert, and stranger micro-features bubbling up without
warning. Many of these zones were no more than a few
miles across, but they persisted in defiance of the cold
taiga that surrounded them. Even today, cartographers
can only guess at the precise nature of the lands within
the Tombfell, and fresh maps are eagerly desired by all.
In the centuries since, countless brash adventurers
have sought wealth and glory in this treacherous place.
Some have sought to cut new kingdoms out of masterless
land, while others seek to pillage the poisonous cities of
the vanished Outsiders. Yet for all their zeal, no human
master has been able to wholly overcome the endless
stream of alien abominations and furious remnants that
still haunt this shifting, cursed land.
People of the Tombfell
There are only two known major human settlements
within the Tombfell. Both are little more than trading
ports for the adventurers who seek plunder in the inte-
rior and the merchants who buy their loot and sell them
their provisions. Neither have more than a few thousand
inhabitants at any one time, most of them transients.
Lauriacum is a Vitrumite town, the walled rem-
nants of an Outsider sea-fortress now ruled by Vitru-
mite merchants. They have a lock on all trade within its
walls, and provisions and housing come dear. Those who
cannot pay must seek their fortunes in the wilderness
outside, or risk dealing at certain smuggler’s coves along
the coast where less favored merchants cut deals.
St. Ignace is named for the Courontine saint who
aspired to bring the word of the Bleeding God to the hea-
thens of the Tombfell some six hundred years ago. His
eventual and dramatic martyrdom on the heath north of
the city was commemorated by numerous moving Cou-
rontine ballads and the monastery of St. Ignace. The ab-
bot is the nominal lord of the settlement, but in practice,
he and his monks merely try to avoid the worst of the
trouble brought by the pirates, thieves, criminals, exiles,
and adventurers who gather in the shanty-town below.
Aside from these two “cities”, the interior of the
Tombfell sometimes sports the occasional isolated hu-
man village, or even something that might be construed
as a city-state or minor domain. Whole generations of
colonists and exiles from Vitrum, Couront, Leng, and the
Hyperborean tribes have fled to the Tombfell in search of
sanctuary or unclaimed lands, and not all of their heirs
have perished. Even so, the dangers of the wilderness
ensure that few of these small settlements have much
contact with the outside world.
Regions of Interest
There are dozens of ancient Outsider cities scattered
throughout the Tombfell, each of them once the last ref-
uge of some wretched alien remnant. These cities were
often designed to suit physiologies wholly unlike that
of humankind; tentacled masses, six-armed insectoids,
winged reptilians, half-metallic centaurs, and other
alien body plans were not unknown here. Particularly
for those species that flew or floated, their ruins can be
so inconvenient to ground-bound humanoids that ex-
ploring them is a major challenge.
Aside from topography, some of these cities still
retain remnants of their ancient arratus, creating zones
of lethal cold, infernal heat, toxic miasmas, unendurable
radiations, or other environments that unprotected hu-
mans cannot survive. Only the most careful preparations
and the most prudently-chosen sorceries can equip ex-
plorers for the plunder of such places, though they often
have the best and least-pillaged wealth to be had.

Some of the larger alien ruins are marked on the
map, but several other regions within the Tombfell have
their own particular hazards.
The False Moors greeted the earliest Vitrumite ex-
plorers. While they appear to be endless heathy grass-
lands punctuated by the occasional cold bog, former
explorers have reported numerous pockets of broadleaf
forest, humid jungle, broken hills, and other terrain whol-
ly out of character for a cold moor. Most of these anom-
alous pockets center around alien ruins of some kind.
Udun’s Watch is a ridge of jagged hills south of the
ancient Outsider city of Bas Udun. Numerous insectile
abominations infest these low peaks, flying down from
the heights to scourge any interlopers in their territory.
The Pactwald is named for the southern neighbor
to the Tombfells. While its native dangers are consider-
able, worse still are the eldritch horrors called up by the
Pact, some of which flee north into this forest. Once out-
side their borders, the Pact does not bother to hunt them.
The Duchy of Bones earned its name from several
waves of attempted colonization by lesser sons of Cou-
rontine noble houses. A few ragged baronies remain from
centuries of futile effort.
Saint’s Heath was consecrated by the hideous death
of Saint Ignatius in 550 AL. A few stubborn Courontine
monasteries seek to preserve the few remaining relics of
the saint and maintain a secure zone for the faith, but
they are constantly beset by alien horrors, and only the
most ferociously pious are willing to maintain their work.
105
Adventuring in the Tombfell
Most adventurers enter the area through Lauriacum or
St. Ignace, paying extortionate sums for bad housing and
worse provisions brought in by the few traders willing to
run the risks of those lawless towns. Lauriacum’s security
is exclusively in the hands of mercenaries hired by the
ruling merchant council, while St. Ignace’s shanty-town
has no law to speak of save a universal aversion to being
stabbed by an enraged crime victim.
Most expeditions into the Tombfell are wilderness
forays to seek out unplundered ruins or valuable Out-
sider artifacts. Maps are wholly untrustworthy, so most
adventurers must plot out their own travels or barter for
firsthand scouting reports.
The lands closest to the coastlines are the “safest”,
though that just means the abominations and horrors
to be found there can usually be killed by normal swords-
men, rather than being the hideous titans that are said to
lurk in the deep interior. Some ruins are still inhabited
by the remnants of their Outsider creators, few of which
have been rendered any more peaceful by the years.
Other would-be lords seek to take advantage of the
absence of any greater ruler to carve out their own pet-
ty kingdoms in the depths of the Tombfell. Sufficiently
desperate colonists from the Black Pact or exiles from
Couront or Vitrum might be willing to seek a new home
in the land if enough of its perils are tamed. Of course,
no one to date has been successful in achieving that peace
for long.
106
TRIBES OF HYPERBOREA
Heirs of the ancient Intoners, the Hyperboreans are
a hard and ruthless people. Countless small clans and
tribes dwell within the cold northern forests, quarreling
and raiding as the spirit takes them. All dread the strange
inhabitants of the ancient Remnant Chord cities, howev-
er, for the price for their survival was a dire one.
History
When the Tempest Horde finally broke the Intoners of
western Agathon, a portion of the exiles fled north. Some
held the Horde at the Leucris, becoming the ancestors
of the Vitrumites, while others continued far beyond
into the deep forests of the north. There, this “Remnant
Chord” raised many cities of soaring towers and wind-
blown song, recreating in faded fashion the glories of
their past.
With proto-Vitrum distracted by the depredations
of the Horde, there was little to threaten the Remnants.
They threw great iron bands across Hyperborea to con-
nect their cities, road-wide ribbons of metal that even
now survive in fragments deep within the forest. Occult
vibrations and eldritch sound flowed through this “iron
weft”, knitting the scattered cities into an arcane whole.
Yet the world was not as it once was, and the mag-
ic of the weft was not enough to sustain the Remnant
against the oppressive northern cold. As the ages passed,
cities and their enchanted fields crumbled one by one,
their inhabitants forced into the forest to hunt their food
and scratch out what brief harvests they could during
the warmer seasons. These exiles formed a mixture of
nomadic tribes and sedentary clans, the latter clinging
to pockets of temperate land still warded by Workings.
To add to Remnant troubles the newly-strength-
ened Vitrumites of the south pressed north over the
border, seizing land and decreeing all Hyperborea the
rightful possession of the Gaian Voices. The iron weft
was used as a weapon to harry the intruders, but every
killing tone and catastrophic resonance it produced was
that much less energy to sustain the cities.
Desperate to halt the decay of their magic, the
city-dwellers conducted many terrible experiments and
accepted awful prices for their power. Those Remnants
who refused to take part in these things fled to join their
forest brethren, until the only dwellers of the cities were
those who accepted their new existence. Even now, the
forest tribes fear and shun the city-dwellers.
Vitrum has never wholly abandoned its claim on
Hyperborea, and a broad strip of its southern reaches
are counted as Vitrumite provinces back in the capital.
The natives think otherwise, and the foreign settlers have
reason to fear the mountain tribes and their relentless
raids. Even so, other clans have made provisional alli-
ances with the imperial forces, either for the sake of re-
wards or the chance to crush a rival tribe. Their loyalty
is seldom exemplary.
Geography
Hyperborea is a cold land, with six months of deep snow
and only three of warmth. Deep pine taiga covers much
of the land, with the vast cold swamp of the Weeping Bog
filling the central lowlands. Elsewhere, the grassy tundras
of the Cold Coast and the Haumoors are flecked with
pockets of cold-climate trees.
South of the Marchwall mountain range the cli-
mate is gentler, with longer summers and shorter winters.
These borderlands are dotted with Vitrumite villages and
pioneer settlements, most depending on the garrison at
Lacunis for protection from mountain tribes and mon-
strous beasts. Every few centuries some calamity from
the north invariably sweeps over the borderland and
wipes it clean anew, but the Vitrumites refuse to give up
their dream of northern conquest.
Throughout Hyperborea, there remain rare pockets
of strangely clement land, some with an almost tropical
heat. These ancient Working-remnants are often inhab-
ited by settled Hyperborean tribes, but many are too
raddled by ancient monstrosities and poisonous magic
to be safe for common inhabitants.
People of the North
Hyperboreans resemble their Vitrumite kin, though
most are taller and broader. Black or red hair, olive skin,
and sharp features are shared by most tribes, though
Pacter and Sathan slaves taken in sea-raids have left their
mark on the locals.
Aside from these forest nomads and settled clans,
however, there remain the Remnants in their crumbling
cities. These humans have almost all been terribly altered
by the magics they use to sustain their cities, some being
scarcely human. They are feared by the forest dwellers,
who count their cities as the mothers of curses and plague.
Hyperborean Life
Hyperboreans are divided into nomadic forest tribes and
settled clans that eke out a scanty harvest from the land.
Both are hard and violent people, prizing strength, hon-
esty, courage, and cunning above all other virtues. They
strike alliances and make war on each other as their needs
require, with broken clans scattering to join extended
kinsmen or seek employment in the south.
Hyperboreans are notorious raiders and pirates.
The clans of the Cold Coast and the Gebed Mur coastline
make raids as far as their longships can sail, bringing back
slaves and plunder to their villages. Their landbound kin-
dred reave the Vitrumite borderlands or sell their services
as mercenaries in their southern wars. Many a young Hy-
perborean travels far from their cold home to seek glory
and gold. When too many mouths gather around the
longhouse fire, such a journey may be the only alternative
to starvation.

Places and Cities of the Snow
There yet remain several dozen Remnant cities scattered
around the interior of Hyperborea, few of them housing
more than a few thousand terribly-altered citizens. The
Hyperboreans shun anything resembling urban centers,
living in small villages and nomad camps throughout
their land. Even so, some places have a special significance,
and a few of the most important cities bear mentioning.
Haumoor: A cold grassland rising into frost-crowned
hills, the Haumoor is the barrier between the Des-
olation of Bells and the southern lands. A few hardy
tribes dwell here, but few can endure the icy clime
or the broken Remnant cities that haunt the hills.
Kemetos: The City of Silence, where the iron weft eats all
sound for miles around. The inhabitants communi-
cate by gesture and pose, limbs stained by the bright
colors of the tropical flora that surrounds the city.
Madytos: The inhabitants here twisted the iron weft that
runs through the Weeping Bog, using it as a sink to
drain the life force from much of the swamp. They
are immortal, as are their cancerous tumors and
growths, and they disport in sea raids and hideous
pleasures.
The Marchwall: A ridge of low mountains that sepa-
rates the nominally Vitrum-held borderlands from
Hyperborean clan lands. The peaks are a veritable
highway for northern raiders.
107
Setos: Cursed city of a cursed land, the terrible Deso-
lation of Bells rings with wind-tones that poison
those who hear them. The beautiful, once-human
inhabitants of Setos are nourished by all things
toxic, with fountains of venom and gleaming pools
of acid shining amid their towers. Their touch is a
lethal poison.
Tigata: The pale and long-limbed dwellers of Tigata wor-
ship a spider-goddess unearthed from the roots of
the Gebed Hau. Their city towers are webbed to-
gether in a mesh that moans when the winds blow.
Adventuring in Hyperborea
While the Hyperboreans are great raiders, small groups
of strangers in their lands are not necessarily viewed with
hostility, provided they have a local guide or some proof
of affiliation with a nearby clan. Strangers must take care
not to fall foul of the constant tribal quarrels, however.
Many adventurers seek profit in the borderlands,
fighting to defend Vitrumite keeps and settlements or
loot Remnant ruins that are closer to nominal civiliza-
tion. Others venture further north to find greater wealth,
daring the ruined cities and pre-Intoner Deeps that still
await plunder.
It is not unknown for a powerful outsider to become
a tribal warlord, if they can impress a clan sufficiently
with their prowess and cunning. Some such chieftains
have led their men south to profit and to woe.
108
TSEB HWII
An enigmatic land of sorcerers and their Outsider slaves,
Tseb Hwii is an unwelcoming place concerned chiefly
with the affairs of its wizardly masters. Even so, foreign-
ers with sufficient daring or utility can hope to find trea-
sures here unknown to merely human nations.
History
The First Dynasty mastered almost all of the continent
of Gyarus, and ancient Tseb Hwii was no exception. Im-
perial knights brushed aside the ancient Deep-cities that
had emerged after the fall of the Outsiders and planted
new provinces for the glory of the emperor. The native
Indur population was swiftly brought under their rule,
though they retained certain curious customs.
The Second Dynasty largely ignored the province,
treating it as something of a punishment-post for sec-
tarians and troublesome scholars. Numerous theurgic
sorcerers were banished there to find what companions
and students they could from among the natives. When
the Second Dynasty started to crumble amid the sorcer-
ous struggles of wizard-priests, the heretics of Tseb Hwii
found their guardians distracted.
It was at this time that the Shangu mountains dis-
gorged several great armies of Outsiders, bitter alien peo-
ples that had waited the long centuries for the right time
in which to strike the hated humans. They had riddled
the mountains with their warrens, and great waves of
inhuman warriors crashed upon the cities of Tseb Hwii.
The aliens were routed. The world had changed too
much since their former days, the Legacy no longer so
obedient to their magics and their strange engines. The
sorceries of the Tseban heretics were too strong, and with
the might of the cities against them they were cut off
from retreat and faced with certain destruction.
In desperation, the Outsiders offered to serve the
Tsebans in exchange for their lives, sharing their secrets
and their alien artifices with their new masters. The Tse-
ban heretics were greatly tempted by this, and in the end,
they consented to the enslavement of the aliens. Terrible
curses of obedience were laid on the Outsiders, and their
offspring and their gods taken as hostages for their good
behavior.
With the strength of these new Outsider minions,
the Tseban lords had no reason to obey the new Third
Dynasty and its wizard-emperor. They shut their borders
to imperial emissaries and exiled any of their people who
refused to serve their new rulers. The Third Dynasty had
too many demands on it to contest this new order.
In the centuries since, the Outsiders have become
hereditary slaves of the wizard-lords and their heirs, each
species devoted to a different city’s master. If there have
ever been any coordinated rebellions, they have not been
recorded, and the Tseban lords claim that their inhuman
servants are the most loyal of slaves. The Outsiders say
nothing to contradict this.
Geography
The sky-piercing Shangu mountains are the defining fea-
ture of Tseban lands, their peaks so high that only sor-
cery can allow a baseline human to survive their heights.
Several massive tunnel-roads pierce the range, each one
under the control of a different wizardly house and their
Outsider slaves. Entire underground villages and towns
line these roads to serve those who travel and to mine
the range’s depths. Expeditions into the ancient tunnels
that lead off from the roads are often lethal, but can be
greatly rewarding for survivors.
The climate of Tseb Hwii is cool and temperate in
the north, giving way to harsher southern cold and fewer
stands of forest. The Bassad river is the only great wa-
terway in the land, though many small, swift mountain
rivers stream down on both sides of the range.
People of Tseb Hwii
The people of this land have a general resemblance to
their Dynastic neighbors to the north, but each major
city retains traces of its original Indur stock. Their fea-
tures tend to sharpness, and their hair is worn long and
straight. Northerers are often very dark-skinned, while
southern Tsebans are unusually tall, lean, and pale. Hair-
styles for both males and females are intricate and richly
adorned, though certain sectarians go shaven-headed.
Many groups practice extensive body modifications, in-
cluding skin dyes, piercings, and body paint. The more
elaborate and impractical their appearance the more im-
portant the Tseban, as only a laborer goes unadorned.
The Outsider slaves of the sorcerer-kings are deco-
rated richly with the signs and symbols of their owners.
They avoid casual interaction with the commoner masses,
and almost never appear without an escort of human
servants and bodyguards.
Demographics
There are perhaps eight million baseline humans dwelling
on either side of the Shangu range, most clinging close
to major cities and secure trade routes. The wilderness
of Tseb Hwii is still plagued with the alien war-beasts
unleashed by the Outsiders during their invasion, and
long centuries have made them only more ferocious. Nu-
merous ancient cities destroyed during the assault have
yet to be recovered, and many of their venerable Second
Dynasty relics are still untouched.
No one is entirely certain how many Outsiders live
in Tseb Hwii. No more than a few hundred thousand
are admitted by the wizard-lords, with most of those
dwelling in subterranean communities in the Shangu
range, and the remainder residing in special city quar-
ters designed to suit their needs. With so many of the
mountain tunnels unmapped and unknown, no one can
say how truthful this estimate may be.

Cities of Tseb Hwii
The city-state is the primary unit of Tseban governance,
each one under the rule of a particular sorcerous house.
Each major city also contains a population of ten or
twelve thousand Outsiders, their obedience directed to-
ward whatever house might claim the community. The
cities below are merely some of the more renowned.
Banat: An oasis of Working-wrought tropical heat amid
the cold southern seas, Banat is ruled by the deca-
dent House of Radiance. All of Mindol is under
the equatorial heat of their magics, and numerous
occult drugs and rare herbs are grown in its planta-
tions. Their slaves, the Morai, appear as impossibly
beautiful men and women with white jade skin and
jewel-colored hair. This is not their natural form,
but one the Radiance chose for them.
Gimmed: This city is the western terminus of the Pas-
sage of Jade Frost beneath the Shangu, selling un-
dermountain wares up and down the coast. The
Wafters who serve the House of Shumad-nim are
translucent floating gas bags that communicate
through Tseban glyphs emitted through their phos-
phorescent epidermis.
109
Qol: The jewel-scaled and six-eyed serpents of the Sissan
serve the House of the Squared Heaven here, ensur-
ing the rich trade of the Bassad and the many for-
eign merchants who come here both pay due tribute.
Su-Ran: A shadowed city, the Outsiders known as the
Leth dwell here in the “Empty Quarter”, serving the
sorcerous House of Mak-nim. As ordinary humans
cannot perceive the Leth, they convey their wishes
through inscriptions on ceremonial tablets.
Tsed Nazil: The House of the Red Cangue rules the
greatest of the eastern coastal cities. Their servants
are of many different kinds, for the great slave mar-
ket of Tseb Hwii is located here, where lords may
barter surplus servants. Outsiders are kept harshly
here, for the natives descend from those who sur-
vived the Outsider creation of the arratu known as
the Sin in the days of their invasion.
Uzayad: Timber goes down the Bassad and rich sub-
terranean trade comes from the Golden Road be-
neath the Shangu, enriching its House of Aureate
Wisdom. Their servants, the chitinous rock-eating
humanoids known as the Omoli, do much to over-
see its mines.
110
Society in Tseb Hwii
Ordinary Tsebans organize their social ties around
their close family and around city-wide sodalities that
cut across economic classes. Not quite guilds and not
quite religious brotherhoods, these sodalities assist their
members in business and personal matters, and act as
informal protectors against abuses from the sorcerous
houses. Membership is usually by birth, though sufficient
inducement can grant entry.
Membership in the sorcerous Houses is generally
by birth or recruited talent. These wizardly nobles are
secluded from the common folk, any contact generally
made through ministerial slaves. The slaves are dreaded
more than their masters, for a trusted slave can easily per-
suade its master to dispose of some offensive commoner
who treated its lord’s property ungraciously.
The slaves themselves have graduations in their sta-
tus, from the wretched mine-slaves and ritual fodder at
the bottom to the elite ministerials who administer every
secular affair of importance. The great majority of the
elite are Outsiders, but human criminals, outcasts, and
debt-slaves are encountered as well, most often among
the most wretched. They are not trusted as Outsiders are.
Only Houses and their members are permitted to
own slaves of any kind, as the common folk cannot be
expected to manage such a grave responsibility well. The
more expendable ones are rented out by a House at times,
however, sometimes with no expectation of a live return.
Government and Law
Every village, town, and city in Tseb Hwii is under the
absolute rule of a sorcerous House, some of them being
grand schools with hundreds of members, and others be-
ing rural temples with a few half-learned wizard-priests.
Houses make pacts and wars with equal facility, and the
losers in their struggles are forced to disband, their sur-
vivors fleeing to join sympathetic schools. Commoners
rarely dare oppose the wishes of a House wizard, and
it is worth their life to protest a decision of their city’s
ruling sorcerers. Only the tacit pressure of the sodalities
prevents casual abuse of these privileges.
As the wizards of a House are invariably busy with
their studies and magical labors, all serious matters are
referred to trusted Outsider slaves for administration.
Due to the ancient prohibitions against Outsiders rul-
ing over humans, these “ministerials” are obliged to act
through figurehead commoner officials, each of whom
is perfectly aware that a diffident word from their lord’s
trusted slave is enough to see them dead. In theory, the
slaves have no authority whatsoever. In practice, they rule
Tseb Hwii.
Indeed, it is not unknown for talented and ambi-
tious humans to seek enrollment among a successful
House’s slaves. These men and women have the exact
same legal status as their Outsider peers, but can hope
to share in their lord’s trust one day if their talents prove
equal to their ambition. Those who prove inept have a
short future ahead of them in the mines or at the altar.
Tseban Religion
The faiths in Tseb Hwii are strange by most foreign esti-
mates. The original wizard-lords were all heretical priests,
each one with their pet god or blasphemous theology,
and their Houses have preserved their veneration. They
do not share the details with outsiders, as the worship of
these gods is inextricable from the practice of their magic,
and to share their faith is to share their secrets.
Commoners in Tseb Hwii generally revere the local
god of their city and participate in those exoteric rites
that their ruling House permits them to understand.
Each sodality tends to have a selection of personal gods
made up of deified founders, ancient pre-Dynastic ethnic
gods, and professional deities important to the member-
ship. Transactions are pragmatic, with sacrifices being
made to the sodality’s common treasury in sponsored
temples in exchange for blessings and good luck.
The Outsiders are supposed to revere their own
alien gods in secret fanes within their restricted city quar-
ters. Some believe that certain Houses have joined them
in this worship, paying court to unfathomable deities in
order to obtain their magical favors.
Foreign gods are not technically forbidden in Tseb
Hwii, but few have any luck in gaining converts. Com-
moners see no reason to make sacrifices to foreign dei-
ties when they could put that same wealth to their own
sodality’s coffers, and the wizardly Houses find no profit
in following any god that cannot give them occult power.
The Outsiders, of course, have no great affection for the
gods of humankind.
Adventuring in Tseb Hwii
Foreigners are not generally welcome in Tseb Hwii. They
tend to inflict insults and outrages on Outsider slaves,
and the fearsome consequences of such behavior can eas-
ily entangle an unlucky Tseban bystander. Even so, ad-
venturers who can contain themselves around Outsiders
and comply with Tseban laws are grudgingly endured.
Adventurers have their uses, after all, both to com-
moners and to the Outsider ministerials who have de
facto rule over the day-to-day affairs of a city. While often
graceless, they’re relatively cheap and disposable muscle
who can be trusted not to understand the full ramifica-
tions of the jobs they’re given.
Sodality officials will sometimes hire adventurers to
perform deniable attacks on an offending House’s hold-
ings, usually restricting them to property damage and
theft rather than outright murder. Arguments between
sodalities are settled in a bloodier manner when neces-
sary, as the city lords seldom regret their bleeding.
Outsider ministerials will tend to seek out more
successful and trustworthy adventurers for more deli-
cate jobs, often involving deniable assassinations or the
acquisition of valuable occult artifacts from ruins or
ungenerous owners. They can offer rewards that only
wizards can grant, and deep arcane knowledge and po-
tent artifacts await the hands of those willing to do their
bidding without asking troublesome questions.
 111

Names in Tseb Hwii Example Adventurer Concepts

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

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

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

9 Maharl Nidlai Kalan- Nibbat Tunnel guide for the passages

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

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

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

Example Tseban Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Power-maddened Hard-pressed An Outsider slave A grimoire of Tse- Opulent Outsider
1
sorcerer Tseban slave has been offended ban sorcery slave chamber
Cruel Outsider Friendly-seeming A mage’s wizardry Outsider-made Baroque sodality
2
slave-potentate Outsider slave has run amok goods of rare kind temple
Vile Outsider Benign wizard with A sodality is making A magical relic of House plantation
3 war-creature from obscure interests a large, violent great importance farmed by toiling
the ancient war demonstration to a local House human slaves
Demonic thing that Harried merchant The wilderness has A secret text of Sinister shrine to
4 a careless wizard oppressed by wil- eaten a vital cara- rituals to honor a a Tseban House’s
called up derness perils van of goods Tseban mage-god private god
Ruthless local Hapless foreigner A House has made A sodality’s rich Long-lost Indur
5
mage-magistrate with no local allies a hard demand offerings to a god Deep ruin
Sodality elder with Grubby sodality A great ritual is A key to unlock a Forgotten fane to
6 no care for strang- chief protecting his impending, and it dead wizard’s lair a Second Dynasty
ers’ lives brethren needs a sacrifice or lost wisdom god
Escaped slave Weak House mage A temple rite is Drugs compound- Luxurious House
7
bandit chieftain in need of help obstructing events ed by Outsiders dwelling
Wizard seeking a Tseban fascinated A mage has gone Precious goods for Private House
8
terrible sacrifice with foreigners rogue from a House a sacrifice mage academy
112
THE VERDANCY
A multicolored hell of ferocious plants and still more sav-
age beasts, the Verdancy has been a threat to its neigh-
bors since its old lords fell an age ago. The constant swell
and encroachment of its plant life obliges all its neighbors
to conduct unceasing war against it if it is not to engulf
all of western Agathon.
History
When the Pale Emperor vanished and his undead empire
fell, the mortal survivors fled to the west. Some ventured
north to become the Still Cities, while others joined with
the proto-Sathans, but the majority settled in the shadow
of the Carven Peaks, in the thick broadleaf forest there.
These refugees had lost their lord, but they had not
lost their principles. To them, as before, the greatest and
most blessed gift was life eternal. Without the Pale Em-
peror’s patronage their rites of undeath would no lon-
ger function, so it was up to their greatest sorcerers and
priest-scholars to devise a new means of immortality for
the worthy mortals among them.
These scholars took their hints from the forest
around them. If cold flesh could no longer persist forever,
then root and branch would have to suffice. They studied
many means of translating human flesh into perpetual-
ly-regenerating wood and plant fiber, the better to ensure
eternity for all their faithful followers.
These hierarchs became the founders of the Suldant
Theocracy and its Green Priesthood. Their sanctums
were woven out of massive trees and vast fungi, living
cities of branch and leaf devised where every necessity
was grown and provided by the city itself. Common
believers were blessed by this abundance, and by loyal
service they could hope to be gifted with the oaken heart
of an immortal transformation.
Yet as these Green Priests grew wiser in the arts of
plant life, they grew more distant from the concerns of
human minds. Some became one with their plant-cities,
while others transformed so far as to become sentient
mats of fungus, ever-dreaming trees, or terrible amal-
gams of meat and bark. They grew less and less concerned
with the needs of mortal humans, caring only for their
green domain and their transformed minions.
In time, life became too terrible for the mortals to
survive. They were used as little more than mulch for the
roots of their betters, and the survivors fled the green cit-
ies to the surrounding lands, or forsook all magic to take
themselves to the Sunward Isles. Now only a handful of
desperate villages and hidden refuges remain within the
Verdancy, mostly inhabited by those who have nowhere
else to go.
And still the old cities warp and rot within. Their
magics have gone stale, their keepers are lost to their
endless green nightmares, and parasites of every hideous
description grow fat on their sap. The forest swells, blind
and terrible, and many are those who die to halt it.
Geography
The Verdancy is a damp, temperate land throughout the
year, with little difference between seasons. There are
countless small streams and petty rivers flowing down
through it from the Carven Peaks, but no great rivers or
vast lakes. Here and there, the land is so wet as to become
a swamp, with its own variety of horrors springing up
from the sodden earth.
The edges of the Verdancy are all marked by axe
and fire. Every surrounding nation has a screen of bor-
der villages charged expressly with hacking back the
multicolored trees and scorching the soil. A destroyed
village means catastrophe if it cannot be replaced soon,
as a year’s neglect can see the forest march a quarter-mile.
Inhabitants of the Verdancy
The forest itself has only a few human inhabitants, mostly
villages of escaped slaves, Sathan exiles, or other desper-
ate souls who must hide from their brethren. The land
itself is fantastically fertile and rich, so hunger is rarely a
concern, but the terrible inhabitants and gruesome par-
asites that infest the place are a worse peril.
Many plant-based humanoids inhabit the deeper
reaches of the forest, almost all of whom view animal life
as nothing more than nourishment. They war amongst
each other with unthinking ferocity, struggling like weeds
in a field to gain more soil and hunting grounds.
Worst and most fearsome of all are the inhabitants
of the ancient Suldant grove-cities. Many are mighty
sorcerers, transformed in ages past for their loyal service
to their dreaming masters. They often continue to carry
out their experiments, and their servants seize prisoners
from the border villages to supply their needs.
Were the Verdancy under a single master, it would
be a disaster for the surrounding lands. Fortunately, few
of its Verdant Lords show any inclination to cooperate
with their brethren, and the plant-people seem to have
an almost innate need to struggle against their neighbors.
Cities of the Suldant
Despite being abandoned by humanity for an age, there
still persist dozens of ancient Suldant city-groves deep
within the heart of the Verdancy. Each of these cities
was once home to hundreds of thousands of obedient
followers of the Green Priesthood, their every need pro-
vided for by the city itself. It was only over the course of
centuries that the interests of their masters slowly turned
to ends that could no longer be endured.
Now, the vast majority of these cities are danger-
ously decayed and rotten. Without the labor of human
servitors to prune and tend the cities, the natural floral
behavior of the great plants has taken over. They grow
blindly and frantically now, without concern for what
the land can sustain. Most have suffocated themselves.

The results show in great cathedrals of rotten wood
and mouldering leaves. The relentless vitality of the plant
life still holds the crumbling cities together, but their in-
teriors are vast nests of decay and swarming parasites.
These voracious creatures appear in both insectile and
fungal forms, some of them possessed of an almost hu-
man level of intellect, if completely devoid of interest in
anything but feeding and reproduction.
Within these cities, small clusters of intelligent an-
cient Suldant can be found, humanoid plants that have
endured ages in immortal verdancy. They usually cluster
around a Green Priest capable of holding the parasites
at bay, their unending lives consumed with the labor of
gathering nourishing mulch from their surrounds. With
so much of the plant matter infested with fungal para-
sites, it often proves simpler to hunt animal prey.
These city-dwelling plant-people have no love for
humans and no interest in their affairs, but they can
sometimes be persuaded to cooperate with adventurers
if their interests align. Would-be diplomats must be
very cautious in their dealings, however, for the green
folk think nothing of betraying former allies when the
calculus of advantage changes.
While they are but decaying husks of their former
glory, these cities still serve as the focal points of the great
Workings of their ancestors, the enchantments that send
the polychrome trees of the Verdancy stretching outward
beyond its borders. Somewhere within the rotten heart
of each great city is the nexus of its Working, and if it
can be destroyed then the nearby Verdancy will begin to
slowly wither and retreat. Scores of ancient cities have
been destroyed by heroes over the centuries, but the web
of the Working still holds. Many sages hypothesize that
there is some great stronghold deep within the Verdancy
where the core of this enchantment must be found and
destroyed.
113
Adventuring in the Verdancy
Most expeditions into the Verdancy begin in a border
village, one of the many small settlements charged with
holding back the encroaching forest. The natives are of-
ten slaves, criminals, or other internal exiles compelled to
remain and work the dangerous task. They are unfriendly
to most outsiders, but competent adventurers can win
their cooperation by aiding in their endless battle against
the forest.
These villages and their overseers often commission
adventurers to make scouting expeditions into the ev-
er-changing forest, seeking out new nests of dangerous
plant-creatures and reporting on any new activity in
ancient Suldant settlements. Aside from the pay, these
sponsors often pay well for Suldant artifacts and scraps
of ancient Green Priest lore. Not all such patrons use
their newfound knowledge for good ends.
Other employers seek certain plant ingredients or
eldritch creatures that can be found nowhere else, their
sap, seeds, and flesh all useful in great workings of sorcery.
Finding the necessary ingredients is usually an adventure
in itself, to say nothing of the danger of claiming them.
The Suldant cities themselves are often reposito-
ries of ancient treasures dating back to the Pale Empire.
While the green people have no use for gold or silver,
their cities still blindly produce gourds full of potent
magical elixirs, jewel-bright seeds for adornment, impos-
sibly tough sheets of fungal fabric, and other valuable
semi-magical goods.
Most precious of all, of course, are the secrets to
green immortality possessed by the ancient priesthood.
More than a few aging grandees have dispatched servants
into the vibrant hell to ferret out the right saps and in-
cantations to render them immortal. Sometimes these
efforts bear fruit, but the eventual consequences of this
blind sorcery are seldom what their makers might desire.
114
VITRUM
The mightiest nation north of Sarx, shining Vitrum is a
pole of relative stability in northern Agathon. Its quar-
reling senators joust under the watchful eye of its Glass
Emperor, constantly mindful of the unsleeping perils of
Sathan raiders, Verdant monsters, and the frigid myster-
ies of the untamed north.
History
When the Intoners were finally broken by the onslaught
of the Tempest Horde around 1680 BL, the largest frag-
ment of the survivors fled north over the Leucris into
the backwater provinces of their people. The great iron
weft that had woven so many Intoner tower-cities was
far thinner here, with only a few lonely glass-wrought
outposts of their tonal sorcery.
The Horde raged after them, but their warbands had
been thrown into confusion by their own success. Having
finally crushed their ancient foes, the rampaging invaders
were distracted by the plundering of southern cities and
the enslaving of swarms of wretched refugees. There was
no immediate appetite for a hard northern campaign to
pick up the petty leavings of a vast treasure they had at
last claimed for their own.
By the time the Horde regained some direction, it
was too late. The desperate Intoners had made a last line
of defense beyond the Leucris, and the disorganized at-
tacks of the remaining Horde clans were repulsed with
terrible slaughter on both sides. The rebuffed invaders
fell into confusion, quarreling amongst themselves over
more accessible prizes and eventually becoming the bru-
tal, flesh-wise ancestors of the Speakers of the Storm,
who would in turn birth the nomads of Sath Ingit and
the dark hierarchs of Nakad.
The surviving Intoners were divided, some fleeing
further north into the wilderness of Hyperborea and
others seeking to establish new tower-cities north of the
Leucris. The charismatic warlord Gaius brought the re-
maining provincial gentry and his surviving comrades in
line to form what later Vitrumites would call the Exile
Kingdom, becoming its First Voice and autocrat.
Gaius ruled through cunning, charm, and a super-
lative mastery of the sonic sorceries of the Intoners. Leg-
ends say that he could split boulders with a word and
scatter armies with a song, and that it was his personal
valor that had turned back the Horde at the last great
battle at the Leucris.
Whatever the truth of these tales, scholars agree that
the Gaian dynasty was very close with its secrets. Sur-
viving sects of tonesmiths and cantors were suppressed,
their secrets reserved for royal use alone, and the remain-
ing fragments of the iron weft were left to go silent and
serve only as roads for the boots of soldiers.
The Gaian Voices fell still around 1200 BL, a string
of inept rulers proving unequal to new challenges from
the restive aristocracy. The nobles of the Kingdom pre-
ferred to rule without the benefit of a First Voice, and
the Exile Kingdom became the Choral Republic. The
franchise was limited to the noble aristocracy and their
commoner merchant-prince allies; those nobles who had
supported the Gaian dynasty suffered the loss of their
titles at least and complete extirpation at worst. Their
commoner heirs remember this ancient indignity still,
and several “old lord” clans can still claim influence in the
Hyperborean marchlands. Their members still dream of
a restoration of the First Voice and a redemption of their
ancient losses.
The Choral Republic survived for eight hundred
years, its elected senators sparring with each other over
questions of wealth, influence, and survival when the
Speakers of the Storm pushed northward. When those
barbaric sages degenerated into the modern Sathans,
their raids and occasional surges of conquest kept the
Senate constantly engaged in questions of war.
Senatorial scheming and self-interest brought doom
to the Republic around 400 BL. Their political quarrels
left them unable to unite against the terrible might of the
Sathan Khagan, Namad the Breaker. His martial genius
and the dark powers that aided him brought his horde
over the Leucris and to the very walls of Caudium. The
half-human Khagan died there, but his scattered banners
were still sufficient to burn down half the Republic and
loot most of the rest. Only the far northern marchlands
were spared the Sathan scourge.
For six hundred years Vitrum suffered under the
Time of No Lords, their cities broken, their secrets lost,
and their people tormented by the hungers of the Sathan
raiders. When the survivors were not fighting raiders
they were fighting each other, and it seemed the next
half-millennium would look little different than the last.
That sad destiny was averted by the first Glass Em-
peror, Marius, a hero who arose in 222 AL. Once an
adventurer, he had unlocked the lost secrets of the Inton-
ers during an ill-starred expedition from which only he
had returned alive. Many doubted him and his strange
powers, but desperation set numerous city-states and
noble domains to march under his banner. Their faith
was repaid; Marius’ terrible words shattered the Sathan
horde and sent the survivors fleeing south across the river.
They would not return until after his death in 262 AL.
In the centuries since, the Vitrumite Senate has obe-
diently served the interests of the Glass Emperor’s suc-
cessors. Its members are elected from noble families and
powerful oligarchs and its servants are selected from the
most capable and cunning of commoners and slaves. It
serves as the eyes and hands of its lord, and it serves well.
Yet tensions remain in the halls of the Senate, for
Emperor Tertullius grows old and his voice weakens.
Many think that a new Glass Emperor must be chosen
soon, and the candidates are unfortunately many. Few
expect peace in the seasons to come.

Geography
The climate in Vitrum ranges from a temperate warmth
in the mild-winter south to a harsher, sharper northern
climate with hot summers and snowy winter months.
The Gebed Mur coastline is particularly cool, with the
Gelid Fens sometimes freezing solid despite the perpet-
ual icelessness of the southern Gebed.
The lands south of Caudium are watered by numer-
ous small tributaries flowing down to the mighty Leucris,
with fertile fields and dense broadleaf forests that never
know an autumn withering. The northern plains between
the Borean Forest and the mountains are cooler and dri-
er, with numerous ancient plantations formed around
small lakes and springs. While the land is ungenerous
compared to the southern grasslands, its distance from
Sathan raiders has made for some of the longest-lived
senatorial families and agricultural holdings in Vitrum.
The great Borean Forest is a thickly-woven maze of
conifers, as perilous as most great forests are in Agathon.
Tall-walled fishing villages cling to its coastline, but the
interior is chiefly occupied by villages of runaway slaves,
remnants of failed northern noble families, and pockets
of Sathan raiders left behind by sea expeditions.
The Thunderthrones are the only significant moun-
tains in Vitrum, named for the great storms that often
play about their peaks. Numerous ancient Intoner ruins
can be found there, their glass towers once serving as the
loci of some great Working long since dissipated.
115
People of Vitrum
Vitrumites are descended in the main from ancient In-
toner stock, but centuries of admixture from refugee Sul-
danti, foreign slaves, and Sathan raiders have blended
them into their own type. The average Vitrumite is tall,
olive-skinned, and dark-haired, with sharp facial features
and a tendency to slenderness. Sathan blood sometimes
tells in exotic markings and colorations, but to call a man
a “son of a raider” is a mortal insult. Vitrumites marked in
that way always credit Suldanti blood from the Verdancy,
whether or not it is remotely plausible.
Among the Vitrumites, a sharp distinction is drawn
between the plebeian class of commoners and the pa-
tricians of the old noble families and wealthy merchant
oligarchs. Lower still are the “infames”, the slaves, actors,
entertainers, criminals, prostitutes, slave traders, gladia-
tors, and other social outcasts who are valued for their
function but deprived of any trace of political rights or
social standing.
A further distinction is made between “southerners”
from the Leucris river region, known for their constant
struggles with Sathan raiders and Verdant abominations,
and “northerners” from the more peaceful northern plains,
home to most of the oldest noble families in Vitrum. Al-
most beyond the pale are the hillmen of the Hyperborean
borderlands; though the “old lord” clans there are among
the most venerable, their struggles with the tribesfolk and
the wild beasts there are legendary.
116
Demography
Scholars estimate that twelve million people live within
the borders of Vitrum, with two million of them being
slaves of one kind or another. The majority of them dwell
in the northern plains-cities, with the southern regions
populated chiefly by Vitrumite legionaries and the mas-
sive number of farming villages, market towns, and lum-
ber camps needed to support them. The border provinces
in the southern reaches of Hyperborea are home to a
small population of old lord clans that are almost Hy-
perborean themselves and a steadily-revolving selection
of pioneer villages and new-built market towns awaiting
the next deluge of rapacious tribal raiders.
Cities and Ruins
The centuries of warfare with Sath Ingit have led to the
creation of a thick belt of ruins along the northern banks
of the Leucris. Ancient Intoner cities were ravaged by
the first battles of the Exile Kingdom, and the survivors
were annihilated during the Time of No Lords. The only
cities remaining along the bank are those founded in the
present age, along with scores of border forts and forti-
fied river-barge anchorages. Elsewhere, several cities have
special importance to Vitrum and its lords.
Cantilia: The capital of Vitrum after the change from
Treba at the end of the Gaian dynasty and the shift
away from Caudium after the Time of No Lords. It
is a major trading port with the Sunward Isles and
Sarx, though the latter’s ships are much harried by
Sathan sea-beast clans.
Caudium: Once the seat of the Choral Republic, Caudi-
um has lost much of its political importance since
the capital moved to Cantilia. Even so, its location at
the heart of a number of iron weft-roads has made
it the greatest trading city in Vitrum, with the pro-
duce of the northern farms all passing through it.
Leucra: The chief naval base of the empire, Leucra is
locked in a constant struggle with Sathan sea-rov-
ers and river pirates. This pressure has only grown
greater as a number of vile powers recently infested
the ruins of ancient Varia, threatening the defensive
fort established outside its walls.
Nomentum: The eastern trade-gate of Vitrum, its ships
cross the Gebed Mur to trade with the Black Pact
and Hyperborean coastal villages, with a few daring
enough to deal with the Still Cities as well. Such cli-
entele have given the place a name for dark sorceries
and hidden foulnesses beneath its gray, chill streets.
Portas: A great fortress-city on the old northern border,
most of the pioneers and settlers that venture to the
Hyperborean borderlands pass through Portas. Nu-
merous exotic treasures and Hyperborean relics can
be had there, though common supplies come dear.
Treba: The lynchpin of Vitrumite river defenses against
the Sathans, the war-barges of Treba travel up and
down the Leucris as escorts for civilian traders and
scourges for the myriad pirates that plague the river.
Vitrumite Society
The people of Vitrum see themselves as cultured, stoic
warriors, a soldier-race of builders and scholars stand-
ing as a bulwark against the barbarous savagery of the
Sathans and the degenerate primitivism of their Hyper-
borean kin. While the world would be better if Vitrum
ruled it all, the Glass Emperor has enough to handle
in fending off Sathan raiders and civilizing northerners.
Vitrumites belong to three social classes: patri-
cian, plebeian, and infamis. The patricians consist of
the ancient noble families of the empire and their mer-
chant-prince peers, the plebeians are the common folk,
and the infames are slaves, adventurers, criminals, actors,
entertainers, pimps, prostitutes, gladiators, and others
who are either legally degraded or perform “useless” or
“frivolous” labors.
Patrician families fill the rosters of imperial officials,
senators, generals, higher military officers, and other po-
sitions of power. A family can fall from this status if it
goes too long without an important official from their
number, and a plebeian family can rise if it accumulates
enough wealth to number among the merchant-princes.
Every plebeian family chooses a patrician patron,
paying regular courtesy visits to their estate, performing
minor favors and tasks, and supporting whatever sena-
torial candidates their patron might back. In return, the
patron can be expected to give them preferential employ-
ment, protection from exploitation, and opportunities
for their most capable members to serve as functionaries.
Most patricians have hundreds of plebeian families in
patronage, their clients shifting with time.
The infames are barred from any official office, can-
not offer testimony in lawsuits, and are subject to beat-
ings and other corporeal punishments from their masters
or offended officials. While most infames live degraded
and poverty-stricken lives, the most successful actors, en-
tertainers, and gladiators can win empire-wide renown
and stand as social peers of the greatest… at least until
their fame wanes. An infamis can escape from their sta-
tus only through the direct order of an imperial senator.
Slavery is commonplace in Vitrum, with numerous
Sathan or Hyperborean prisoners sent to labor in the
mines of the Thunderthrones or work the plantations of
the northern plains. Such laborers lead short, bitter lives
as a rule. Vitrumite slaves reduced to their condition by
debt or crime are usually reserved for craftwork, tutoring,
or house labor, and live far more comfortably. Patrician
families employ scores in their villas, and many of their
children are raised by slave nursemaids and tutors.
A considerable percentage of Vitrum’s population
are freedmen and freedwomen, former slaves manu-
mitted by their owners in their will or by favor. These
freedmen are inevitably in a client relationship with
their former master. They often serve as representatives,
overseers, and managers for their patrons, and can hold
tremendous personal power through their relationships.
It’s not unknown for a freedman’s family to rise to the
patricianship after a discreet delay of a few generations.

Government and Law
The supreme autocrat of Vitrum is its emperor, chosen
to rule for life from among the Senate by its hundred
members. Elections spawn schemes until the very day of
the vote, as ancient law requires that a random senator
be executed after each round of voting until unanimity is
reached. Few patricians are inclined to be on the weaker
side, though there have been occasions where a spiteful
minority has held out in hopes of the executioner’s lot
falling on a particularly hated rival clique.
Senators themselves are drawn from a hundred
traditional tower-city districts, almost all of which have
long ago lost their ancestral glass spires to the ravages of
time and war. Adult plebeian citizens within a district are
allowed to vote as they wish in the once-per-three-year
elections, but votes are public, and clients know better
than to back anyone their patron would not see elected.
The Glass Emperor has theoretically unlimited pow-
er, but the sheer weight of patrician influence present in
the Senate requires a certain delicacy if their position is
not to be rendered open once more. Most emperors rely
on a solid core of support from a particular senatorial
clique and use their extended influence to ensure that
imperial decrees are honored.
While a senator has great authority in their home
domain, the pleasures and necessities of politics often
keep them in the capital. Almost all employ a trusted
freedman as a steward, and the venality and greed of
these viceroys is notorious.
Many areas of Vitrum are under what amounts to
martial law, with most of the northern Leucris riverbank
sectioned off into garrison forts responsible for fending
off Sathan raiders and protecting river traffic. The local
fort commanders have absolute authority within these
regions, subject only to the orders of the Senate and their
appointed representatives. These tribunes are often too
busy to concern themselves with local malfeasance.
Vitrum is a nation of many laws and numerous
stern judges, its people infamous for their enthusiasm
for intricate lawyering and complex contracts. This law
is strong for the most part; villains take care that their
wrongdoing is concealed, and even powerful patricians
do not dare give their enemies the easy excuse of open
crime. Corruption is more often found in tacit favors and
selective blindness, with discreet or deniable sins passed
over for silver or political support.
Punishments in Vitrum for patricians and plebe-
ians are limited. Fines, loss of office, degradation to a
lower class, or exile are the usual penalties, with the axe
reserved for treason and slavery for bankruptcy or crimes
not dire enough for exile. Infames are not treated so gen-
tly, with beatings and execution both commonplace.
One large exception does exist to this rigor. Any
criminal who is thought capable of being useful in war
is permitted to request enlistment in a penal legion or
the assignment of some dangerous mission or task in lieu
of punishment. Failure to perform the work is grounds
for summary execution should they remain in Vitrum.
117
Vitrumite Religion
Vitrumites share the beliefs of their Intoner ancestors,
but millenia of warfare and the rigorous suppressions
of the Gaian dynasty have left the exact beliefs of those
ancestors regrettably unclear. The modern belief is that
the Intoners worshiped the “Great Song”, a mystical con-
ception of reality as directed by unfathomably subtle mu-
sic. Present-day Vitrumites believe the iron weft and the
tower-cities were raised to more perfectly hear the Great
Song and understand how best to harmonize with it.
With the fall of the Intoners and the progressive
decay of the Legacy, those ancient tools no longer suffice.
Now many Vitrumite temples insist that it is necessary
to work through the intermediation of the gods, who
are able to more perfectly hear the Great Song. Every
god is an emanation of some aspect of the Song, and
the seeming multiplicity of deities is only a mask over a
fundamental unity.
Some temples established by foreigners strenuously
object to this theology, the priests of the Bleeding God
taking particular umbrage at it. Most imported faiths are
perfectly willing to accept the local conceits, however, and
seek only to present their gods as manifestations of the
greatest and most important themes of the Song.
The traditional imperial faith is that of the Song
Undivided, of which the emperor is the arch-pontifex.
The ancient temples in Cantilia and Caudium carry out
rites by which the wisdom and power of the Great Song
may be conferred on the emperor and his loyal servants.
Even so, it has been centuries since the Glass Emperor
has invoked the mighty words that the dynasty’s found-
er was said to have wielded. Some say the secrets have
been lost, others that the Legacy has decayed, and a few
whisper that the price for speaking such words is more
than an emperor dares pay.
Ordinary plebeians prefer to revere more approach-
able concepts. Isha, goddess of love and pleasures is fa-
vored by many among the wealthy, while Vestia, goddess
of farm and hearth is sought by villagers for her bless-
ings. Memnos guards the legions with his mighty spear,
granting warriors strength to defend Vitrum, and Curus
is beseeched by merchants and travelers to bring them
luck, and wealth. Horos is the particular patron of “useful”
knowledge, which includes both abstract scholarship and
practical artisanry. Philosophers of the Great Song could
discourse at length on how each of these gods is merely
an approachable manifestation of Love, or Growth, or
War, but their own priesthoods and lay enthusiasts care
little for such metaphysics.
Aside from “native” gods, Vitrum has a habit of col-
lecting every deity its people find, whether the Red Gods
of Sarx or the myriad god-beings of the Amundi king-
doms. Lost temples and neglected shrines can be found
throughout the empire, abandoned when their deity lost
its popularity or its followers were slain in war. Only the
darkest and most terrible gods are forbidden in Vitrum,
but that does not prevent their devotees from meeting
in secret places and planning hidden deeds.
118
Adventuring in Vitrum
Adventurers hold a very low status in Vitrum, being
generally considered on par with prostitutes and slaves.
Novice freebooters can expect to be barred from patri-
cian households, unwelcome in fine shops, and barely tol-
erated by the local city watchmen. A friendlier welcome
awaits them from other infames and the poorer class of
plebeian, who sometimes have jobs that only a fellow
dreg might be willing to do for them.
Successful adventurers find a different place in so-
ciety. While their legal disabilities don’t change, their
fame and obvious capability wins them courtesy and
interest from patricians, and more than a few offers of
employment or requests for private interviews. The most
successful and politically-adroit of them can hope to do
enough favors for a senator to win forgiveness of their
status and the rights of a plebeian. Even so, many of them
are perfectly happy to content themselves with the wealth,
honor, and eager paramours that glory brings.
Exploration Adventures
Vitrum’s attention is fixed on its population centers
and the myriad garrison forts it has established to hold
back Sathan and Hyperborean raiders. While the lands
around these places are very well-scouted, terrain more
than a day’s ride from a population center may not have
had a human scout pass through in a year, and deep wil-
derness may be known only from unreliable maps made
generations ago. Whole ages of war, construction, and
ruin have come and gone in Vitrum and the wreckage of
its passing is poorly marked on its maps.
The great Borean Forest is particularly mysterious,
being a favored hiding place for Sathan war parties that
land from the western coast. The dangers in the forest are
lightest around its periphery and worst in its dark heart,
with terrible creatures from the Time of No Lords still
festering in the shadow of its pines.
The Thunderthrones are likewise little-explored, as
the mines in its foothills are as far as most humans dare
go. The constant storms around the range’s peaks dis-
courage visitors, but legends speak of the ancient Intoner
towers that await those daring enough to seek them out.
Novice adventurers often prefer to go northward
into Hyperborea, adventuring in the borderlands in sup-
port of the many small keeps and isolated pioneer villages
there. Centuries of off-and-on warfare between the Vit-
rumites and the Hyperboreans have thinned many of the
worst predators in the borderlands, leaving foes more
amenable to a novice’s steel. Even so, there remain many
terrors in the northern ranges that have left no survivors
to warn of them.
Dungeon Adventures
The most common ruins in Vitrum are those of the Time
of No Lords, the centuries of misery in which Vitrum
was broken up into numerous squabbling city-states, all
equally tormented by Sathan raiders. Even today, count-
less venerable ruins of glass-towered cities and towns dot
the southern and western halves of Vitrum, their surface
reaches usually well-plundered but their depths often
unexplored. Many crude Deeps also date from this peri-
od, having been dug or opened up by Vitrumites seeking
safety by crawling beneath the earth.
In addition to these ruins, numerous temples can be
found in the wilderness where market towns and thriv-
ing villages once stood. These temples are sometimes the
only remnant of the former inhabitants, often dedicated
to gods that have long since been forgotten by modern
folk. The wealth of these places goes to those brave
enough to seize it and strong enough to survive its taking.
Antagonists
Vitrum is a more lawful land than most in Agathon, but
the dangers it holds are no less lethal to the unwary.
Corrupt Officials: A well-placed magistrate or senatorial
clerk can extract great wealth from their authority.
So long as they don’t touch the interests of the pa-
trician families a certain amount of abuse of their
authority is tolerated. Some go far beyond this.
Dark Priesthoods: Vitrumite religious tolerance leaves
room for many faiths that other lands would find
vile. The demon-gods of the Black Pact are not un-
known here, as well as worse deities still. Most re-
strict their depredations to infames and those poor
plebeians with negligent patrons.
Renegade Commanders: Garrison fort commanders
have absolute control over their military districts,
and that control is sometimes greatly abused. So
long as the commander keeps the Sathans out of
his district, many tributes will turn a blind eye to
private corruption.
Sathan Raiders: Whether by sea, land, or even occa-
sionally air, the clans of Sath Ingit have always
viewed Vitrum as their lawful prey. Raider bands
sometimes hole up in ruins, using them as bases of
operation to torment the locals.
Venal Merchants: Money is the surest way for a plebeian
to lift his family into the patrician class. Vitrumite
merchants are notorious for both their greed and
their fondness for treacherous contracts.
 119

Names in Vitrum Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Aurelius Aelia Bantio Ansium Hillfolk northerner come down

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

9 Ignatius Dora Iturio Flanona Judicial pleader forced to flee the

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

16 Publius Mirta Quartio Osinium Scion of a fallen oligarch now

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

Example Vitrum Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Sathan kha-khan Escaped slave in The Sathans are Glass relic of the Town forum full of
1
on a raid need of help raiding again ancient Intoners arguing patricians
Slaver who is none Brash borderman Political upheaval Book of secret lore Oligarch’s villa with
2 too careful about from the northern is threatening pub- suppressed by the austere exterior
their stock’s origin marches lic order here Gaian dynasty and vulgar interior
Rapacious oligarch Hapless oppressed A local slave upris- Lost payroll for a Market teeming
3
and his minions merchant ing breaks out local legion with business
Venal official hun- Commoner client Arbitrary war taxes Holy relic of a Mine where slaves
4
gry for bribes bereft of a patron are levied forgotten god labor until death
Rebel leader seek- Borderland settler Able-bodied men Cache of precious Arena for gladia-
5 ing the rule of the trying to revive a are being forcibly ancient Intoner torial games and
old lord lineages ravaged village impressed for war wares public executions
Senator with a bru- Hard-up infamis A senator has died Proof of a pa- Ruins of a
6 tal hand towards trying to make a suddenly, his rivals trician’s hidden Sathan-destroyed
rivals living rushing for his seat crimes village
Ruthless noble Secretive holder of A nearby fort has Hidden Sathan loot Grim and under-
7
patron ancient Intoner arts been overwhelmed left behind manned border fort
Legion deserter Troubled priest of A new Intoner ruin Legal deed to valu- Splendidly ornate
8
turned bandit chief the Great Song was discovered able property public festival
120
THE XINDAI COMMANDERIES
The spears of Xindai soldiers put the present Fifth Dy-
nasty in place, but at a price that has left the land largely
free of imperial rule. Its myriad daimyos now dispute
amongst themselves over who should rule over them in
place of the emperor, and its myriad peoples must endure
the strife that will inevitably follow.
History
The Xindai Commanderies were a relatively late acqui-
sition of the First Dynasty, its native regional states and
their demihuman allies proving a difficult morsel for the
knights of the empire to swallow. The last free city fell
in 2344 BL, and numerous imperial commanders had to
be established in order to hold down the sullen natives.
These commanders found themselves increasingly
ill-supported as the First Dynasty started to decay, and
were forced to make accommodations with their subjects
in order to maintain their rule. Extensive concessions
were made to native customs and habits, and a certain
cultural independence was developed in Xindai that can
still be felt in the present day. Their ways are similar to
those of the Dynasts, but never quite the same.
When the Second Dynasty and its priest-emperors
came into power the Xindai traditions were viewed as a
fertile source of divine favor and useful theology. Numer-
ous native shrines were sponsored by Dynastic temples
and a number of syncretic deities were established. Those
Golden Path teachers who managed to avoid exile to the
Free Clans often found sanctuary in the hills of Xindai,
and their work among the common folk spread the in-
fluence of that faith further east.
The Second Dynasty’s interest in theurgic magic
and divine wizardry spelled its eventual collapse, as the
competing temples fell to fighting with their own cadres
of holy sorcerers. The hereditary commanders of Xindai
had no part in that quarrel and concentrated chiefly on
fortifying their own secular power. By the time the Third
Dynasty seized the throne in 1530 BL, the Xindai com-
manders, now called “daimyos” after the native term, had
a tight control on their local subjects.
The wizards of the Third Dynasty found Xindai an
unprofitable land. The theurgic influence of the old Sec-
ond Dynasty gods and the arcane rituals of the existing
demihuman clans made the Legacy stiff and uncoopera-
tive to their great Workings. Vast works of magic could
still be performed with sufficient art and silver, but there
was little reason to commence such work in such an un-
rewarding land. The sorcerer-emperors found it better
to use Xindai as a commercial entryway to the Carcereal
Sea and tax it for such goods as it could bring.
When the Third Dynasty eventually tore itself
apart in wizardly disputes in 790 BL, the bureaucratic
Fourth Dynasty that followed found Xindai’s disorder
offensive. The numerous daimyos were almost indepen-
dent, respecting only brute force or glittering inducement.
Knowing that constant vigilance would be required to
keep them tame, the Fourth Dynasty established a “sho-
gun” to rule as a direct representative of the throne.
The Fourth Dynasty began in strength, and so too
did its shogun. The daimyo wars were ended, peace and
culture was encouraged, and a strict system of social rules
and personal standing was established in order to regu-
late the interactions of the citizenry. When a circle of
exiled Nakadi sorcerers from Runom arrived with their
beastman servants in 720 BL, the shogun received a new
host of useful subjects. Most consider this “First Shogu-
nate” to be the golden age of Xindai.
Just as the other dynasties, however, the Fourth’s
power waned with time. In 490 BL the Hironaka family
was able to persuade the throne to make the shogunate
hereditary rather than set by imperial appointment.
This persuasion was thought to have involved extensive
amounts of bribery and blackmail involving the imperial
household bureau, but it allowed them to pass the sho-
gunate down to their heirs for generations afterwards.
The wealth and focus needed to manage the imperial
bureaucrats detracted from the shogun’s control of his
restive daimyos. Ancient clans scented new opportuni-
ties, and the shogun gradually found his authority being
clipped by a simple lack of resources. The imperials to
the west kept demanding consideration for their leniency,
and those favors never came cheap. Compromises had to
be made with the daimyos in order to keep their tribute
flowing upward.
By 110 AL, the shogunate had become a trophy for
the most powerful clans of Xindai. Assassination, forced
resignations, rank bribery, and the occasional futile at-
tempt at a shared rotation of rule had all ensured that the
shogun’s position was largely an empty one. In the centu-
ries that followed a brilliant incumbent could sometimes
yank back more or less of their lost authority, but such
periods of stability were always brief. By 605 AL, even
this thin pretense of authority was lost.
The Fourth Dynasty’s sclerotic collapse in 802 AL
was partially catalyzed by tribute refusals from Xindai
daimyos. An enterprising bureaucrat was able to bring
enough of the daimyos together to topple the last rotten
remnants of the Fourth and put his clan on the throne
as the progenitors of the Fifth Dynasty.
This aid did not come for free. The first emperor of
the dynasty was forced to forswear all but purely nomi-
nal obedience from Xindai, leaving the daimyos largely
to their own devices. In the three centuries since, the
struggle for one clan to establish itself as the preeminent
force in the commanderies and the rightful new shogun
has consumed hundreds of thousands of lives. Daimyo
clans rise, prosper, and are extinguished in the course of
a few generations, victims of hostile alliances or military
misjudgment. Few can imagine that an end to this con-
flict will come any time soon.

Geography
Xindai is a temperate land, subtropical in the north near
the Gadavin border, but soon giving way to a four-sea-
sons climate around Kitada. East of the Nakanos the
ocean breezes bring a month-long rainy season in sum-
mer, while the western side of the mountains is much
drier aside from the fierce winter snows that often close
the mountain passes.
These mountains split Xindai in half, sprawling out
in a great quilt of eroded peaks and deep green hollows.
Many demihuman villages can be found in these seclud-
ed vales, conducting such trade with the outside world
as necessity and daimyo taxes require. Baseline villages
can be found there as well, though most prefer to live in
the range’s southwestern foothills, where the soil is rich-
er. This lowland abundance comes at the price of easier
access for bandits and tax collectors.
This mountain range forms the primary obstacle
between the old coastal capital of Sakurai and the riches
of the Kurao river cities, fat with Dynastic trade. Most
overland trade goes south through Kurikoma, its daimyo
rich from the tariff he takes. A few daring merchants pre-
fer the northern route as being cheaper and faster, though
the perils of Gadavin swamp monsters are considerable.
The two great eastern forests of Xindai are dotted
with farming villages, their fields carved out of the dan-
gerous wilds and guarded from evil by myriad shrines
and temples. Alas, this defense is not always enough.
121
People of Xindai
The average Xindai commoner looks much like their Dy-
nast cousins to the west, albeit sometimes a little taller
and paler. Small signs of demihuman blood are not un-
common among the lower classes, though the daimyo
clans are more fastidious about keeping to their own kind.
To foreigners, the most remarkable fact about the
people of Xindai is that so many of them are demihuman.
Over thirty different species of demihuman are recog-
nized in the commanderies, many of them the descen-
dants of the Runomian slaves brought over by fleeing
Nakadi exiles. While those malign sorcerers are no more
than an evil legend now, their beastfolk servants have
multiplied and prospered in Xindai.
As in other nations, most demihumans keep to
their own isolated communities, where they can live un-
der laws suited to their natures. It’s not unknown for
small numbers of them to be found in cities, however,
or a sprinkling to make homes in human villages. Their
strange ways often provoke wariness from their human
neighbors, but few are genuinely feared.
Foreign humans can often have a harder time fitting
in in Xindai than red-horned oni or long-eared rabbit-
folk. There are large numbers of merchants in the riv-
er-cities and coastal towns, but outsiders often struggle to
understand the complicated web of favors, grudges, and
ancestral history between local clans. Such ignorance can
result in catastrophic mistakes.
122
Demography
Most suppose the commanderies to number perhaps
ten million citizens between its many small villages and
numerous major cities. Perhaps a twentieth of these sub-
jects are demihumans of one kind or another, though
larger numbers might exist in secluded villages or remote
communities. There has been no coherent demihuman
organization since the “Oni Shogunate” of 520 AL, and
most now try to avoid unnecessary involvement with hu-
man political concerns.
Cities and Towns
Xindai has relatively few large cities compared to the Dy-
nastic successor-states. It has been centuries since there
was a strong central power to protect large urban pop-
ulation centers and those that remain are often tattered
and worn by generations of sieges and changing lordship.
The vast majority of Xindai live in farming villages or
modest market towns, with even daimyos dwelling in
fortified country estates. Even so, some remaining cities
have special importance in modern Xindai.
Hatayama: Sitting at the mouth of one of the few sea-
sonal passes over the Nakanos, Hatayama is a fa-
mous forge-city that supports numerous mines.
Kitada: The greatest trade-city in Xindai, Kitada sits
across the bank from the Dynast city of Rudai, a
constant stream of barges bringing western wealth
eastward. Its Sugiwara daimyo is often called “the
shogun of the west”, and is thought to have ambi-
tions for more.
Kurikoma: Guardian of the southern pass between the
Nakanos and the Shining Peaks, its Taira lords are
cruelly grasping in their trade tariffs. Smugglers of-
ten risk the dangers of the mountains to slip past
the city.
Nishiwaga: Chief city of the southeastern coast, Nishi-
waga takes in Tseban trade and forest village pro-
duce. Its Amago rulers have been fighting the Ha-
tano lords of Sakurai for centuries over claims of
primacy, and their “privateers” are thick on the seas.
Odaira: Once the richest city in Xindai, Odaira fell
into poverty when the Polop seized the Gadavin
coast and shut them off from the Atlantean trade.
Now it serves as a jumping-off point for expedi-
tions into the northern swamps and a waystation
for merchants willing to dare the northern route
past the Nakanos.
Sakurai: Once the seat of the Shogunate, Sakurai prides
itself on its ancient splendors, yet its magnificent
palaces and exquisite shrines lie empty now, aban-
doned after constant warfare and raiding incursions.
Only the “port city” is still active, a heavily-defended
ward that oversees the sea trade with Atlantis.
Yuza: Xindai’s gate to the Vermillion Sea, Yuza also
serves as a major naval base against Free Clan pi-
rates and Hantu raiders.
Xindai Society
Xindai social mores are similar to those of the Fifth Dy-
nasty, with a heavy focus on familial responsibility and
clan cohesiveness. Unlike their neighbors, however, Xin-
dai has never been ruled by a bureaucratic intelligentsia.
There are no imperial examinations here, despite centu-
ries of efforts by reformers, and a talented commoner
cannot expect to get ahead by study. The daimyos rule
by lineage, wealth, and steel. Learning is merely a useful
adornment to military success.
As such, a Xindai commoner is much more depen-
dent on the help of his neighbors and his extended clan.
With few prospects for individual advancement, he must
focus instead of improving the position of his group. In-
dividual wishes and preferences must be sacrificed for
the common good whenever they threaten to drag down
the rest.
Xindai society is split into several social classes, each
with shared duties and expectations. The warrior gentry
rule, the commoner farmers feed them, the artisans and
merchants ensure that others are equipped to do their
work, and the priests and monks stand outside society
while propitiating the gods and spirits. Slavery as such
is unknown, but servants and commoners have no real
rights save those they can defend with violence.
Movement between classes is difficult, but not im-
possible. Even a peasant farmer can join the warrior class
if he can find weapons and a lord to serve with them, and
any sufficiently talented, devout, or generous petition-
er can find space in a shrine or temple. Further success
generally hinges on useful clan ties or exceptional ability.
The traditional virtues of a commoner are industry,
stoicism, filiality, and self-sacrifice. For the warrior gentry
of the daimyo clans, their glory lies in martial skill, cun-
ning, devotion to their lord, and contempt for personal
suffering. Needless to say, this difference often brings
grief to the commoners, and few peasants wish to spend
any more time around the gentry than they must.
This tense relationship is especially sharp when deal-
ing with masterless warriors, men and women who are
notorious for their thieving and violent ways. A daimyo
must sometimes shrink his household considerably when
harvests fail or a war is unsuccessful, and their castoff
warriors often become serious problems for surrounding
villages and communities.
It’s not uncommon for masterless warriors to be
“hired” by a community simply to focus their depreda-
tions on a different village. Adventurers are often taken
into service on the same terms, paid to handle local prob-
lems on the presumption that either they’ll succeed or
they’ll die and spare the village trouble.
Shrine high priests and temple abbots often act as
mediators between commoner groups and their daimyo
lords. Even hardened bandits fear to harm a priest or
monk, and Golden Path temple membership is often
made up of both commoners and retired gentry with
ties to both sides of a dispute.

Government and Law
Xindai government is centered around the hundreds of
daimyo families that cover the land. While most families
make much of their ancient antecedents, most are simply
the heirs of charismatic warriors who were cunning or
lucky enough to kill off their local rivals. Any warrior can
become a daimyo if he can seize the tax rights over land
and hold them from his grasping neighbors.
Every daimyo’s power rests in a standing army of
warriors, whether long-standing family retainers or hire-
ling swordsmen who serve only for monthly payment.
These armies are paid for with taxes extracted from the
families subject to the daimyo’s rule.
Tax rights in Xindai are separate from land own-
ership. It’s perfectly possible for a daimyo to only tech-
nically own the land their estate stands upon, yet have
rights to the rice, labor, and handicraft taxes set on the
peasants for miles around. The exact details of who owns
what property is of little interest to most of them so long
as the tax quota is filled.
In theory, tax rights are assigned by the shogun. In
practice, they are assigned by threatening to kill the own-
er if taxes are not forthcoming. Peasants caught between
rival daimyo families have a wretched lot, with most of
them left only with their bare lives if neither lord wishes
to bother with finding another peasant to work the land.
Even so, summary executions to encourage their neigh-
bors are not uncommon.
Temples, shrines, and their attendant peasants were
often made tax-exempt by ancient shoguns, and a combi-
nation of long tradition and heavily-armed monastic mi-
litias generally ensures their claims. Much like daimyos,
their abbots and abbesses have absolute authority over
their commoner tax-subjects, their lives and property
subject to the temple’s discretion.
Both daimyos and abbots are almost always allied
with greater lords. Daimyos usually pay court to the most
powerful lord in a region, sending tribute and fighting in
his wars in exchange for his friendship and protection.
Abbots are either allied to the head of the family that
first founded their temple or subject to a local daimyo
powerful enough to protect their rights.
There are virtually no governmental officials at the
village level. Each community has a set tax quota to fill,
and so long as they pay it and stay quiet, the daimyo has
no interest in their private affairs. A village elder usually
acts as the intermediary with the daimyo’s tax officials,
with crimes and disputes handled by the senior members
of the richer village families.
If adventurers, bandits, or other troubles plague a
village the first response will be from the villagers them-
selves, most of whom are at least slightly acquainted with
warfare. If the problem is too big for them to handle, a
petition may be sent to the daimyo for the help of his sol-
diers, though the price of this can be more than a village
wishes to pay. From time to time the daimyo can spare
no forces, and the villagers must find what help they can
and pay what they must to get it.
123
Xindai Religion
Xindai’s major religious traditions trace back to the Sec-
ond Dynasty and the great support for local temples and
faiths that their priest-emperors provided. Numerous
ancient temples and monastic structures date back to
that era, and a number have still-functional Workings
related to their defense.
Xindai’s common faith is a syncretic blend of Gold-
en Path temples and animistic shrines, the latter revering
local nature spirits and the gods of harvest, warfare, heal-
ing, and other human concerns. Practically every region
has its own local deities, some of which are taken to be
manifestations of greater gods or servants or attendants
of mightier powers. All require regular rituals of propi-
tiation, and village shrines have a busy schedule of rites
throughout the year. These rites are usually peaceful, but
in times of disaster or plague some shrines will resort to
redder sacrifices.
While shrines are responsible for receiving the
prayers of the faithful and providing day-to-day divine
favors, the temples of the Golden Path have a special fo-
cus on funerary rites and the provision of a kinder future
reincarnation for devotees. They also provide miracles
and wonders to those of sufficient faith or generosity,
with actual sorcerers sometimes found within their mo-
nastic ranks.
Two distinct classes of clergy are recognized in Xin-
dai. Shrines are managed by male and female priests and
often employ specialist ritualists and exclusively-female
shamans. Temples are populated either by male or female
monks and overseen by an abbot or abbess. Some tem-
ples and shrines have special relationships with senior
institutions and are obedient to their wishes, but most
are largely independent. Aside from these institutional
clergy, there are significant numbers of forest hermits,
wandering nuns, mountain sages, and other isolated
practitioners, some with strange and occult powers.
Natives see no inherent contradictions between
spirit-worship and the Golden Path, and it is perfectly
normal for a devout Xindai to contribute to shrine fes-
tivals on one day, pray for liberation from reincarnation
at a temple the next, and have his funeral officiated over
by Golden Path monks at his end. Some local shrines
go so far as to have attached Golden Path temples, the
monks often crediting the local god as a Liberator who
has simply assumed a divine guise to aid lesser mortals.
Becoming a priest is often a matter of familial inher-
itance, but anyone with sufficient talent and ritual skill
might be accepted into a shrine. Monks come from the
ranks of wealthy oblates, retired gentry, talented com-
moners, and the relatives of the temple’s founders.
Daimyo families often have deep ties with particular
shrines and temples, their priests and abbots taken ex-
clusively from their own kindred and their lands worked
for the profit of both shrine and noble family. The cler-
gy of these places sometimes come to outright violence
with other fanes not over any doctrinal differences, but
because of the clashing interests of their rival patrons.
124
Adventuring in Xindai
Adventurers are viewed with wary suspicion by most
Xindai commoners, many of which have a hard time
distinguishing them from ordinary wandering merce-
naries. Most villagers and townsmen will assume that
they are brutish, violent, and untrustworthy until proven
otherwise. It’s not difficult to find paying work in most
places, but the fees are usually offered more in the spirit
of an extortion victim than an employer, and few villagers
would weep if the PCs died before they could collect.
Daimyos and other gentry will tend to treat adven-
turers in the same vein, as disposable assets to be aimed at
problems that can be solved by violence. Capable heroes
can expect excellent pay, but few lords would risk taking
adventurers into their confidence when long-time family
retainers are available. Most are simply hired until they
find better pay elsewhere or die in the daimyo’s service.
Ultimately, a powerful adventuring band might be
able to seize a daimyo’s land, if they can hold off any
patrons or kinsmen long enough or if they can acquire
enough backing from existing lords. While such out-
siders may be sorely lacking in Xindai social graces, the
ability to take land and hold it is the only quality that is
mandatory for a daimyo. It will likely be virtue enough
for their neighbors.
Exploration Adventures
Not all daimyos are inclined to brutal oppression of their
commoner subjects and the extraction of every possible
cupful of rice from their stores, but these gentler lords
seldom last long amid their ruthless rivals. The uniformi-
ty of harsh treatment in civilized lands has led to many
commoners fleeing into the wilderness, to dwell deep
within the forests or high in the mountain valleys where
tax collectors seldom dare go.
Adventurers who press into the trackless wilderness
might come across these villages, some of which might
be populated entirely by demihumans. Other explor-
ers might find the ruins of daimyo estates, abandoned
monasteries, lost shrines, and other sad detritus of the
centuries of warfare in Xindai.
Numerous ancient cities have long since been de-
stroyed by the conflict, and with the loss of life and the
destruction of historical records, more than a few have
been entirely forgotten by modern-day Xindai. Some of
the relics and treasures to be found there were common-
place during the golden age of the Shogunate, but have
long since become scarce and precious in the present day.
The two great forests of the east and the Nakano
mountains are the least-known regions of Xindai. While
coastal lords and provincial daimyos have a firm grasp on
nearby villages, the depths of the forest and the heights
of the mountains hide untold treasures from ages past.
Sufficiently bold heroes might yet salvage treasures there
from a happier age.
Dungeon Adventures
The wilderness holds numerous examples of ruined
monasteries and broken castles, any of which are usually
worth investigation by a band of adventurers. Centuries
of bandits, monsters, and renegades have laired in such
places, and their belongings are often left behind.
Deeps are less common in Xindai, most of them
having been broken open and looted long ago by greedy
warriors or bold peasants. Even so, the Nakanos are said
to have a considerable number of ancient fastnesses that
were never plundered by the lowlanders.
Aside from ruins in the wilderness, almost all cities
have at least one ruined district or ravaged suburb, the
legacy of centuries of sieges and enemy assaults. Many
of these wrecked palaces, broken temples, and crumbled
storehouses have been picked over thoroughly by the
locals, but their relative safety makes them a popular
choice for novices who do not wish to go too far from
the security of civilization.
Antagonists
There are enough hazards in Xindai to satisfy any adven-
turer’s taste for danger. Even old allies might turn into
enemies if their clan or village finds it necessary to make
such unfortunate accommodations.
Corrupt Abbots: Some abbots and high priests care only
for personal profit and the advancement of their pa-
tron family. Their resources and magical talents are
often turned to dark purposes.
Desperate Villagers: When tax quotas are too high or
starvation threatens, villagers have been known
to perform terrible deeds for the sake of survival.
Many robber bands on the roads are nothing more
than local peasants working an off-season job.
Evil Merchants: The most successful merchants in Xind-
ai are those with the fewest scruples. Dark bargains
with daimyos give them license to savagely exploit
the locals in exchange for increased tax revenue, and
they often employ large numbers of hireswords.
Mercenary Chiefs: Wandering warriors sometimes flock
to the banner of some charismatic sellsword, offer-
ing “protection” to villagers for a fee. Most are ill-fed
and savage, quick to turn on any potential source
of profit.
Monstrous Spirits: Not all the spirits in Xindai are pla-
cated by the local shrines. Fell and terrible entities
stalk the mountains and deep forests, and some des-
perate commoners barter with them for black favors.
Ruthless Daimyos: Many of Xindai’s lords have only a
provisional interest in the wellbeing of their own
subjects, let alone foreign adventurers. Most are per-
fectly willing to inflict whatever evils prove profit-
able on such lordless warriors.
 125

Names in the Commanderies Example Adventurer Concepts

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

2 Arai Ayumu Akari Higashi Merchant beggared by rapacious

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

9 Kikuchi Kazuki Hoshiko Makkari Wandering monk who relishes the

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

16 Rokkaku Shigeru Moriko Takagi Combat-trained monastic soldier

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

Example Xindai Tag Elements

d8 Enemies Friends Complications Things Places
Brutal daimyo Back-country demi- A sudden war Precious relic of a Splendid wooden
1 with no regard for human oblivious to breaks out be- famous and pow- country palace of a
commoner lives “city ways” tween neighbors erful shogun rich daimyo
Grasping abbot of Idealistic young Miracles happen at Peerless sword of a Burnt-over wreck of
2
a wealthy temple wandering warrior the nearby temple now-dead clan a pillaged hamlet
Peasant bandit Fretful abbot trying The local lord has A dead daimyo’s Crumbling, danger-
3 chief with a grudge to make peace died suddenly with- hidden treasure ous suburbs of a
towards the world out a clear heir trove decaying city
Elusive assassin Sophisticated city A local shrine’s god Exquisite painting Elegantly graceful
4
clan head courtesan has been angered by a dead master temple
Savage demihu- Young heir beset by Warrior extortion- Holy object sacred Humble wooden
5
man war chief brotherly rivals ists seek tribute to a grim god hermit’s hut
Daimyo’s pet Poor merchant A strange local fes- A heavy haul of Subdued country
6
merchant trying to get by tival is in full swing mislaid tax silver tea house
Village headman Genuinely Two rival clans Blackmail on a Austere but lovely
7 who cares nothing well-meaning lord are carrying out a promising heir to shrine to an import-
for strangers’ lives in need of help deniable war the local daimyo ant local god
Mad monk with a Hard-bitten warrior Monsters have Venerated remains Unimportant but
8
vile new faith with a noble cause closed a vital road of a holy monk bloody battlefield
126
YAIN
The last coherent remnant of the once-great Logomachy
of Nakad, the sorcerers of Yain are locked in a perpetual
struggle with their crazed brethren in the Godblight and
their implacable foes in Sarx. Only their well-guarded
sorcery and the might of their flying navy spares them
from certain destruction.
History
The Logomachy of Nakad collapsed in 378 BL, when the
eidolons of the Gods of Truth turned on their priestly
masters and smashed their innumerable temple-labora-
tories. The few surviving Word Priests fled to the hin-
terlands that became the Godblight or to the isolated
scholastic monasteries of the Nakadi province of Yain.
Yain had traditionally been a dumping-ground for
misfit priests and the surviving losers of the incessant
struggles between the clergy of the Gods of Truth. The
temples there were forbidden to raise eidolons and were
allowed to study only those arts too petty or too obscure
to ever threaten the rule of the southern clergy. That for-
biddance spared them the horror of the unleashed god-
things that scourged Nakad and left their peasant infra-
structure intact and capable of providing for the refugees.
Back in the former heartland of Nakad, the surviv-
ing slaves and seneschals had joined together into the
modern nation of Sarx, determined to erase forever the
last traces of the Gods of Truth and their despised clergy.
The zealots of the Godblight struck back against them,
and for centuries Yain kept as low a profile as it could,
laboring feverishly to stitch together some sort of defense
before the Sarxians got around to dealing with them.
The success of their efforts was demonstrated in 105
AL, when a Sarxian invasion fleet was broken and driven
back by a coordinated navy of seagoing warships and
aerial scouting pinnaces. The Yainish witchsailors dealt
Sarx such a heavy blow that it was decades until a second
serious attempt was made to land an invasion force. This
second armada knew enough of Yainish arts to make it
a harder-fought battle, but in the end its bronze-mailed
soldiers were plunged to the bottom of the Bight of Na-
kad amid the wreckage of their ships.
In the thousand years since there have been sixteen
major Sarxian assaults on Yain, some of which were suc-
cessful enough to briefly establish coastal footholds or
wipe out major monasteries. The number of lesser cam-
paigns and privateer fleets that have sailed against Yain
are without number, and this unceasing struggle is the
fundamental focus of Yainish society.
To the north, the beastriders of Sath Ingit are a con-
stant threat as well, less bloodthirsty than the Sarxians
but closer to hand, with aerial riders to threaten skyships.
To the west, the temples of the Godblight acknowledge
no kinship with the Yainish, but have use for them as a
buffer against Sarx. Other nations think little of Yain,
save as the source of their wondrous ships.
Yainish People and Government
The Yainish are drawn from the same pale stock as Sarx
and the Godblight, but with a mix of Sath Ingit blood
from centuries of raids, slaving, and occasional trade.
Their “landwrap” clothing is scarcely more than belts
and decorative temple-marks, but their witchsailors don
heavy coats and trousers against the aerial chill.
Yainish government is centered around ancient
scholarly monasteries, each headed by an abbot or ab-
bess. Arch-abbots rule monasteries capable of crafting
skyships, with lesser temples vowing fealty in exchange
for membership in their fleet. Each abbot rules with the
aid of naval theologians, engineer-priests, temple guard
captains, and other experts pledged to the temple. Yain is
a meritocracy by necessity, and even the best bloodlines
win only opportunity rather than certain advancement.
Yainish temples theoretically revere the same Gods
of Truth that their ancestors did, with the same zeal for
arcane experimentation. In practice, everything related
to god-eidolons and the more inhuman sorcery of the
ancients is strictly forbidden as being a blasphemous in-
trusion on the gods, sure to bring a second catastrophe
on them all. A particular sect of priest-assassins, the So-
dality of the Seventh Knife, is charged with eliminating
anyone who would resurrect the old arts. These “seveners”
are perhaps more effective at eliminating Word Priests
than their Sarxian inquisitorial counterparts.
Life for the common folk of Yain is loud, violent, and
exuberant. Everyone knows that the Sarxians will never
rest until every man, woman, and child in Yain is dragged
to the altars, and the people are greedy for every delight
they can take from a temporary life. They can be cruel
in their appetites, thinking nothing of slaving or piracy,
but their wrongdoings are human hungers rather than
the commandments of their gods.
Adventuring in Yain
Outsiders often seek Yainish skyships, and it is not im-
possible for a sufficiently wealthy and useful foreigner to
gain such a vessel from a grateful arch-abbot. The need
for a Yainish crew of trained witchsailors to keep it flying,
however, means that the largest warships can be obtained
only through heroic deeds of aid and wide alliances.
Seabound heroes can find work aboard Yainish pri-
vateers who hunt Sarxian traders or venture to the per-
ilous islands of the Bight of Nakad. Most outsiders can
reach Yain only through its coastal monastery-cities, as
the overland routes are blocked by mountains, madmen,
or savage Sathan clans. A few catch rides aboard skyships,
but such vessels are seldom seen outside Yain.
Within the borders of Yain there are numerous
ruined monasteries, some destroyed by Sarxian invad-
ers and others lost to disasters before the fall of Nakad.
Their riches are considerable, but so too are their perils.

YAMAD’S BONES
Legends speak of drowned Yamad as being the birthplace
of human rebellion against Outsider rule, a valiant nation
of long-lost artifices and mighty sorceries plunged into
the sea by alien retaliation. Today it is no more than a pile
of sea-swamped wreckage and a boggy lowland infested
with Anak pirates and curdled magic.
History
The legends of Yamad are numerous and largely con-
tradictory, extending to that unknowable period before
the Colligation of Epochs. Most speak of a great human
rebellion along the coast of Agathon, with a vast subter-
ranean Deep disgorging uncounted millions of rebels to
destroy their hated alien masters. Unable to stem the
human tide, the Outsiders plunged the entire eastern
coastline of Agathon into the sea, leaving only the high-
est regions to form the present archipelago.
Since the beginning of recorded history and the first
voyages of Old Carcean explorers, Yamad’s Bones have
been covered in the ruins of hundreds, if not thousands,
of ancient ruined cities. Massive towers, bizarre ribbons
of concrete and bitumen, and unfathomable edifices of
iron and glass are all crammed against each other as if
some giant scooped them up and piled them carelessly
atop the islands. Inexplicable engines of broken metal are
scattered in the streets, and signs of some tremendous
struggle are written in broken buildings and cratered
streets. None of it resembles anything found elsewhere
in Agathon.
Compounding this strangeness is the “Stillness” that
covers the isles. This chronal aberration greatly slows the
rust and decay of all materials around Yamad, prolonging
the process almost indefinitely. Early Carcean explorers
spoke of intact human corpses wearing bizarre clothing
and unrusted wreckage. Even thousands of years later,
127
the yellowed bones of these dead can still be found in-
tact. The Stillness does not appear to have any effect on
living things, but it allows the persistence of artifacts that
would otherwise have been dust for ages.
This mix of unnatural wreckage, sea-swept desola-
tion, and dubious sorcery has kept all but the most reck-
less souls well away from Yamad’s cursed shores. Even so,
the pirates of Shinbu Anak often set up havens along the
western shores, the better to prey on coastal traders and
mainland towns. Other exiles have also sought refuge on
these islands, dwelling in the dust of the dead and eking
out a life on raw fish and rainwater. Some of these are
sorcerers in search of Yamad’s ancient chronal sorceries
and the secret behind its palimpsest cities. Few of them
are courteous toward strangers.
Adventuring on Yamad’s Bones
There are precious few secure bases for exploration on
Yamad’s Bones. A handful of wretched fishing villages
cling to the coast, too poor and too vicious to interest
pirates, and they can sometimes be persuaded to assist
outsiders in exchange for food and aid.
Other tribes dwell deeper in the waterlogged mazes
of iron and stone, some reputed to descend from Yamad’s
original inhabitants. Their habits are savage beyond be-
lief, warring over resources preserved by the Stillness and
eating their unrotting dead. Leftover Outsider warbeasts
have also formed breeding populations on the isles, to say
nothing of sorcerous guardians left behind by long-dead
wizards and explorers.
Even so, a few reckless adventurers are willing to risk
the pirates, cannibals, and mad wizards of these isles in
order to plunder their hidden wealth. The artifices of
the ancients may no longer function due to the Legacy,
but their jewelry and fine adornments are precious still.
128
Languages of the West
Adventurers must often deal with novel tongues in their
travels. This section discusses the particulars of those
languages which are most commonly encountered in the
western hemisphere of the Latter Earth.
Learning A Language
During character creation, a PC begins play knowing
their mother tongue and a trade cant appropriate to the
region. In addition, they learn additional languages based
on their Know and Connect skills; level-0 in one of them
grants one more language, and level-1 grants two. Thus,
a PC with Connect-0 and Know-1 would know three
additional languages.
Assuming a PC has no special aptitude for learning
languages such as a Bard possesses, they can learn a new
language to minimal functional adequacy by spending a
month immersed in a culture where it is used. Trade lan-
guages, being much simpler than most, can be adequately
mastered in two weeks of immersive study.
Without immersion, it’s six months of study over
the appropriate books and manuals, less one month per
level of Know; an adept with Know-3 could learn Archa-
ic Sonos in three months. Adventurers can carry out nor-
mal adventures and activities while learning a language,
assuming they’re not entirely kept from their studies.
When and whether a PC gains native fluency in a
language is up to the GM’s discretion, and will likely de-
pend on how much time the PC spends in a given culture.
Major Language Families
There are innumerable local tongues and minor language
groups to be found on the two continents, but a few fam-
ilies are important enough to bear some mention to curi-
ous scholars and rapacious adventurers. Every language
noted here has half a hundred dialects, regional variants,
and modes, but knowing one version of Western Sonos
is generally enough to understand the others.
Archaic Sonos was the language of the Intoners, the
great tower-builders of the First Age. It later splintered
into the Northern Sonos family spoken by the Hyper-
borean tribes and the Western Sonos spoken in Vitrum
and among commoners of the Black Pact. A southern
branch of the language had considerable influence on the
development of Nakadi, but is now spoken as a mother
tongue only by the warrior clans of Sath Ingit.
Archaic Dynastic was the First Age forerunner of
perhaps the most widely-spoken family of languages in
the western hemisphere. As the language of the First
Dynasty, its inscriptions can be found on ruins from the
southern Gyre to the southernmost tip of Gyarus, and
it is still used as a living language by the tradition-bound
knightly clans of Maqqatba. It gave way to Classical Dy-
nastic during the Second Dynasty, and this later tongue
became the recognized elite speech and court language of
the later dynasties. Classical Dynastic persists in Hantu
as the common speech, as that province has always prid-
ed itself on its “pure Dynastic culture”.
Western Dynastic was influenced by the languag-
es of the Free Clans, and is generally only spoken there
and in western Hantu. The Eastern Dynastic spoken in
Xindai is substantially different, being strongly shaped
by Old Xindai and a large number of Archaic Dynastic
words. On Atba Sim, there’s a version of Dynastic spo-
ken that has many of the elements of Archaic Dynastic
blended with the Abased slave-tongue imposed on hu-
manity by Outsider overseers.
The northern folk-dialect of Classical Dynastic is
simply known as “Modern Dynastic” due to the primacy
of its Fifth Dynasty speakers. Even so, a simplified “low”
version of it colored by numerous loan-words from Old
Carcean and now-dead Llumish has become the primary
trade argot of the southern continent, with speakers to be
found in almost every nation south of the Gyre.
Old High Amundi is unusual in that it was an an-
cient trade tongue among the proto-Amundi city-states
that was gradually elevated into an elite language by the
virtue of age. Its most lively modern heirs are the Qasiri
and Nabarun languages of the present Amundi king-
doms, and the Amundi Cant that is the predominant
trade language of the northern continent.
Old Carcean was derived from the slave-tongue
of the Outsider servitors of the ancient island of Carce.
With the downfall of their former masters, it became
their common argot and is still preserved by the Zakathi
demihuman Task-Houses. Later admixture with the
Saidas spoken by the Saiden newcomers to the island
produced the Atlantean language now spoken most often
on that island. The “True Zakathi” of Kytheron use Old
Carcean as a court language, though most of them use
Marchensprach or Modern Riu to talk to their servants.
Tseban is the mother-tongue of natives of Tseb Hwii,
derived chiefly from Classical Dynastic with a strong mix
of Old Indur grammar. The “Low Tseban” spoken by the
commoners of Tseb Hwii is distinguished from the “Es-
oteric Tseban” spoken by the wizards and elite slaves of
the ruling class. The latter is a semi-ritualized tongue
that supposedly enhances the speaker’s spiritual powers.
Necrolect was the universal language of the un-
dead-ruled Pale Empire, and supposedly a tongue of
great magical potency. It continues to be the speech of
the Black Pact’s elite and the Still Cities, as well as most
of the Sunward Isles. It later developed into Suldanti,
the language spoken by the Green Priests of the Suldant
Theocracy who descended from Pale refugees.
Nakadi was the linguistic offspring of Southern
Sonos and the now-lost Stormtongue of the Tempest
Horde. Once the common speech of the Logomachy of
Nakad, it is now found only in Yain and the Godblight.
A rigid and complex version of it, “Hieratic Nakadi” is
still spoken by the sinister Word Priests of the latter state.
 129

Nation or Region Languages Spoken By Some Group There

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

The first language listed is the one most commonly known in the area, though it may not be anyone’s mother tongue.
Italicized languages are mercantile cants and trade-tongues. They can be learned in minimal form in two weeks.
* languages are ancient scripts and scholarly tongues, though a few nations use them as court speech or the common language
§ languages are court tongues used by the ruling class or local elites, though almost all speak the local argot as well
130
BEASTS AND FELL THINGS
The creatures of the Latter Earth are not like the flora
and fauna of the present day. The animals of modern
Earth are the product of natural processes and the survi-
vors of millenia of conflict with an overwhelmingly dom-
inant humanity. Large predators and dangerous beasts
still exist, but they are very much the exception and are
of little concern to most communities.
This is not the case in the Latter Earth. Humanity
is not the apex predator here, and most civilizations exist
only in the empty spaces ceded them by the monstrous
threats that surround them. The maps may show borders,
but a more careful eye inside these lines would reveal vast
swaths of empty land and desolate ruins where only a
handful of humans still stubbornly persist. Dense pop-
ulations of humanity can only exist in certain places that
are not congenial to the beasts for one reason or another.
These safe zones tend to alter from time to time, and
sometimes a culture is wiped off the map because of it.
This constant pressure has shaped the human na-
tions of the Latter Earth. They confine their interests to
cleared and settled areas of land and to territories that are
reasonably clear of monstrous beasts and terrible curs-
es. They fight over lands that are safe to settle, and they
quarrel over control of livable cities and secure towns.
The rest of their territory they leave to beasts, adven-
turers, and the bravest of their pioneer settlers. If these
forces can clear these perilous wilds of their dangers, then
rich rewards await their conquerors. If they fail, there will
be new challengers to try again in time.
Fell Creatures and Their Lairs
If the wilderness teems with monstrous beasts and terri-
ble foes, how is it that any shred of civilization still stands
on the Latter Earth? If a day’s ride from a farming vil-
lage can put the heroes into a lethal wilderness, wouldn’t
those poor farmers have long since been monster food?
The real reason they persist, of course, is because
that’s what the game requires. A good old-fashioned pulp
adventure or old-school dungeon crawl profits from hav-
ing perilous lands in close proximity to wherever the PCs
might go, so the world is arranged so as to provide plenty
of fearsome wildernesses for them.
Despite this fundamental reason, sometimes a GM
needs a convenient rationalization for explaining the
presence of some awful entity in close proximity to civ-
ilized land. If you don’t have your own particular ideas,
one or more of the following explanations can be used
in such cases.
It has no use for humans. It doesn’t eat them,
doesn’t want their belongings, and doesn’t care what they
do as long as humans stay out of its way. People can live
near it safely so long as they avoid angering it.
It’s been magically warded off. Countless village
rituals and ceremonies are dedicated toward warding off
the perils of the surrounding land and invoking the pro-
tection of the gods. Sometimes these rituals actually do
something, even if it’s merely to instill a modest degree of
disinterest or distaste in the predators nearby.
The locals are too strong. The creature might be
able to kill ordinary people with impunity, but it knows
that if it does it too often, it will provoke a reaction it
doesn’t want to deal with.
Ancient bans still bind it. Some sorcerer-king of
yore or an ancient god’s blessing has influenced the crea-
ture, discouraging it from leaving its territory or prevent-
ing it from invading human lands. This ban may be very
subtle, exhibited only in an unconscious aversion.
It dislikes the environment. The wilderness where
it dwells suits it very well; the nearby human lands are
less pleasant for it for some reason, even if that reason is
simply a souring of the Legacy there or a subtle incom-
patibility of its nature.
It has other concerns. It may simply have more im-
portant things to concern it than a nearby den of humans.
It may be too busy hunting in its own territory, fighting a
rival, developing its own community, or otherwise occu-
pying itself in a way irrelevant to nearby humans.
The humans just live with it. Yes, casualties in the
frontier villages may be crippling by modern standards,
but family sizes are large enough and enough desperate
newcomers keep arriving to maintain the place’s existence.
It’s quite possible that the steady drip of vagabonds, free-
booters, and adventurers is exactly what’s absorbing the
casualties that would otherwise deplete the locals.

Feral Creature Details
While the core rulebook provides a number of tables
to personalize the details of a monstrous abomination,
sometimes a GM would like a little extra help fitting it
into the adventure they have in mind. The tables below
can answer a few of the most pressing questions about
a bestial-minded creature when it comes time to add it.
d8 Why Hasn’t It Starved?
1 It feeds on ambient magical energies
2 It’s remarkably efficient in its digestion
3 Something has been giving it food
4 A lesser beast or minion hunts for it
5 It’s just arrived from better hunting grounds
6 It’s stealing other creatures’ kills
7 A convenient prey herd is nearby
8 It actually is starving here, albeit slowly
d10 Why Hasn’t It Been Hunted Down?
1 Nobody realizes it’s here yet
2 The last hunters who tried failed badly
3 Somebody profits from having it around
4 It’s considered a holy or taboo creature
5 It just arrived, and hasn’t had time enough
6 It’s eating an otherwise annoying pest
7 Somebody has made a pet or minion of it
8 It’s frustratingly elusive and cunning
9 It has a nigh-unassailable den
10 They did hunt it, but this one is its mate
131
If you already have a good explanation for a beast,
you can use it whole cloth. Otherwise, a GM should feel
free to roll, perhaps more than once, and mix the resul-
tant answers into the game. For multiple rolls, sometimes
the reasons behind a creature’s presence don’t boil down
to a single easily-classified conclusion.
d20 What’s It Doing Right Now?
1 Relaxing after glutting itself on a kill
2 Wooing a mate of its own kind
3 Fighting for dominance with another
4 Playing after the fashion of its kind
5 Sleeping or dozing, thinking itself safe
6 Lying in wait for a tasty meal
7 Toying with wounded, helpless prey
8 Digging or pawing at something interesting
9 Perched on a vantage, vigilant for danger
10 Trying to find a comfortable place to sleep
11 Doing something unnatural and monstrous
12 Dragging its prey somewhere to eat
13 Fleeing a perceived threat or bigger foe
14 Yowling or calling to mark its presence
15 Gnawing something inedible but attractive
16 Limping, wounded or sickened
17 Stalking furiously, enraged by something
18 Playing with some item of value
19 Decomposing; something just killed it
20 Roll twice; it’s doing the second after the first
132
Anak Species
Accipiter
A thankfully rare breed of aerial Anak, an accipiter has
a generally humanoid build averaging six feet in height.
Each has a pair of wings sprouting from between their
shoulder blades, as long as the accipiter is tall and gen-
erally thrice as wide in their full span. The wings of
most tribes are of a membranous type, though a few
dark-feathered variants are known. Their builds range
from slim to near-emaciated, as their wings are insuffi-
cient to carry a heavy form.
Accipiters have mental and social characteristics
similar to those of their landbound kindred, yet tend
to be more primitive in their material technology. In
the absence of some convenient human population to
raid for goods, their possessions rarely extend beyond
personal weaponry and whatever they can carry in flight.
Their crude homes are placed on inaccessible peaks and
forbidding cliffs, preferably ones inaccessible to wingless
foes. Accipiters have little use for human slaves, but feed
greedily on flesh taken in battle. Now and then a small
human prisoner is carried off by groups of accipiters, and
without quick rescue their fate is certain to be a lingering
and hideous one.
Accipiters can carry little excess weight while flying,
so rarely wear more than the lightest of clothing or ar-
mor. They favor slender javelins for hunting and raiding,
hurling them down on their enemies. Their wings are
not powerful enough to support diving attacks, so an
accipiter who would engage in melee combat must land
fully to face their foe.
Accipiter Flight: Accipiters can fly at twice their ground
movement rate while outdoors or in a suitably huge
room. Without some height to jump from it takes a
full Main Action spent beating their wings to begin
flying, however, and doing so while in melee combat
invites a free attack from any foes. Accipiters can
hover, but doing so requires a Move action or they
will fall. An accipiter who means to fly can carry
no more than half their usual Stowed encumbrance,
rounded down. A cooperative or bound adult hu-
man requires two accipiters to haul them; uncoop-
erative ones cannot be carried. An accipiter flying
overland can cover up to sixty miles in a ten-hour
day, given time for rests, and is barred only by high
mountains.
Aristoi
The stern lords of the Aristoi Principalities, these Anak
are the product of a centuries-old eugenic system en-
forced by their own ancestors. A mixture of Outsider
sorcery and selective culling has served to bend many of
the usual Anak traits toward more socially-productive
inclinations. Each Aristoi clan administers pitiless tests
to their “whelps” as they mature in order to filter out ex-
cessive aggression, short-term thinking, and inability to
cooperate. The cost in lives is considerable, and as such
an Aristoi child is not considered to be an actual person
until they reach eighteen years of age. Roughly half of
those who survive infancy prove unequal to this chal-
lenge. Those illegitimate children who somehow escape
judgment must conceal it, lest they be killed out of hand.
The result has been an Anak subspecies largely de-
void of the effects of the Hate. An Aristoi may have a
certain instinctive contempt for baseline humanity, but
they are fully capable of dealing rationally with them and
even forming individual bonds of appreciation or respect.
They are also much more empathetic, self-disciplined,
and prudent than their Anak kindred. By most human
standards, they are ruthless, passionate, and daring.
Their extensive sorcerous alterations and modifications
has even rendered them visually similar to their human
subjects, if perhaps taller and sharper in their features.
Aristoi are generally raised with an implicit assump-
tion of their own superiority over baseline humanity.
They are proud of their eugenic customs and view their
successful survival as proof of their personal worth. Most
maintain an air of sophisticated cultivation and precise
gentility, even when carrying out the most ruthless acts.
Baneling
Dreaded slayers of heroes, banelings are a thankfully
rare subspecies of lesser Anak distinguishable only by
the pale yellow luminescence of their eyes. Banelings are
almost invariably hideous little manikins, rarely taller
than an adult human’s waist, and usually equipped only
with crude weapons and cruder armor. They prefer to
dwell in human ruins, not far from the communities they
prey on for food and loot.
What distinguishes banelings from other lesser
Anak is their remarkable ability to kill powerful human
and demihuman heroes. This “bane” ability seems to ap-
ply only to humans and demihumans, and only to those
less powerful than a Legate. While banelings occasionally
have powerful leaders or spellcasters among their num-
bers, these superior banelings don’t appear to have this
bane-power, and their weapons and spells do no more
harm than they normally would.
Bane: When one or more common banelings inflict a
total of ten hit points of damage in a single scene
on a non-Legate human or demihuman through
their weapons or unarmed attacks, the victim is
immediately reduced to zero hit points and Mor-
tally Wounded, regardless of their normal HP total.
While banelings are generally too cowardly and stu-
pid to take full advantage of this power, a capable
leader can swiftly organize them. Such disciplined
banelings regularly employ Swarm Attacks.
 133

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

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

Harbinger
The rare and hated Harbingers are not a specific vari-
ant of Anak so much as they are a natural freak of birth.
These Anak are born with an appearance indistinguish-
able from a baseline human of the predominant local type.
Despite this human appearance, they do not provoke the
Hate in their brethren and are treated no worse than any
other Anak of the tribe. As they grow, they obtain an
intuitive psychic grasp of the local human culture and
language, to the point that they can easily blend in with
the native population.
These Harbingers serve as scouts and infiltrators for
their tribes. The least sophisticated go about as wander-
ers and vagabonds to find easy pickings for their kindred.
Those from more advanced tribes serve as deep-cover
moles in human society, gradually worming their way
into positions of trust and authority. The natural Hate
of their brethren still burns within a Harbinger, but it
tends to be a more subtle, manipulative sort of loathing
that makes their deceit a delight to them. Nothing is so
sweet to a Harbinger than the breaking of human hearts
and the anguish of betrayal, and more than a few Anak
plots have misfired when a Harbinger moved too quickly
to reveal their ruse.
Harbinger’s Face: While a Harbinger is born with an
appearance to match the dominant local human
population, they are capable of shifting their fea-
tures to match other groups of humans, provided
at least a small village worth of them are present
within twenty miles of the Harbinger. This transfor-
mation takes an hour of careful focus, after which
the Harbinger will look like an average member of
that group of the same sex. Specific individuals can-
not be impersonated this way. The transformation
also imbues the Harbinger with an innate ability to
speak the group’s common language and an aware-
ness of their common customs and laws. This ability
is treated as a wholly mundane power and cannot be
detected with conventional magic, nor will the Anak
read as anything but human to standard magical or
physical investigation.
Hellhound
Monstrous beasts with the minds of intelligent beings,
hellhounds come in numerous shapes and sizes. The
original Anak feedstock used to create them varied from
place to place, and some of these beasts are hairless and
lank, while others are massive, hairy-pelted hulks. Colors
of hide and fur differ widely, as do ears, tails, and muzzle
shapes.
All of them are on a roughly canid body plan, how-
ever. Their paws are very long, almost as if their toes were
clawed fingers, and a hellhound can crudely manipulate
objects with these digits. The smallest of them come
up to a man’s waist at their shoulders, while the great
hellhounds are big enough to be ridden by their Anak
brethren. Their maws are invariably fanged, and while
they are capable of speaking the Anak tongue, it is a crude,
slobbering sort of speech. Among themselves they com-
municate chiefly by snarls, body language, and violence.
Hellhounds rove in packs, the strongest and most
vicious adult bullying the rest into submission. Occasion-
ally they form partnerships with other Anak tribes, either
willingly or by forced subjection, and serve as war-beasts
and mounts for them. They are as sadistic and malicious
as their bipedal kindred, and prey caught by them is of-
ten a long while dying. When starved or panicked they
become uncontrollable, and threats or dangers that might
dissuade a beast will do nothing to stay their hunger or
their flight.
While a hellhound might appear to be nothing more
than a beast, they retain a human level of intelligence.
They will lay ambushes, spy on prey, and react to enemy
actions with more than bestial cunning, and delight in
outwitting their meals. They use no tools, however, nor
do they show any interest in any goals beyond a beast’s
ordinary desires.
Courage in Numbers: So long as the rest of the pack is
with them, hellhounds are recklessly brave. A group
of 5 or more hellhounds has a Morale score of 11,
but its members must check Morale immediately if
their casualties drop them below that number.
Swarming Pack: Hellhounds are experts at Swarm At-
tacks on their prey. When working together, each
one adds +4 to hit and +2 to damage to the final
attack, for a maximum bonus of +12/+6.
134
Ancient Creations
Autopurgator
While the Anak are the best-known of the weapons of
the Outsiders, there were a host of other creatures and
creations built to destroy rebellious humans. The auto-
purgator is one such device, a stalking automaton meant
to haunt the wildernesses where rebel humans lurked.
Arcane devices remotely imparted its findings to its
masters, the better to sniff out rebel camps and identify
troublemaking Deep-dwellers. Numerous autopurgators
still roam the wild places of the Latter Earth, carrying out
an eternal and hopeless mission for their dead creators.
An autopurgator has a vaguely humanoid outline,
appearing as if it were made of thousands of small in-
terlocking metal fragments that turn and shift to give
it motion. Their metallic skin is tarnished and worn
with age, but their movements are still impossibly swift.
They will directly attack lone humans or weak groups,
but prefer whittling down more powerful ones through
targeted assassinations and murders by ambush. It hunts
in a coldly rational fashion, and will avoid battle unless it
has a considerable edge on its prey.
Certain ancient Outsider devices can control an au-
topurgator, but without such compulsion it is impossible
to negotiate with it. While autopurgators never speak,
they appear to have intelligence equal to that of a human.
Hunter-Killer: An autopurgator has all the qualities of
an automaton and an innate +4 bonus to all Sneak
or Exert checks. The first round of combat, it gets a
bonus Main Action. It may move both before and
after performing an Execution Attack on an unsus-
pecting target, splitting its Move action accordingly.
Vigilant Gaze: An autopurgator can see in pitch black-
ness and can perceive even invisible creatures. It
gains a +4 bonus to all Notice checks. Someone in
possession of the right Outsider scrying-stone can
gaze into it to see and hear everything the autopur-
gator can perceive. Note that these scrying stones
do not necessarily give any control over the auto-
purgator in question.
Weapons Array: Most autopurgators use glyphed blades
with the damage rating given in their description.
They also have the ability to shoot slim flechettes at
targets with 600 feet; these blades strike with the
creature’s attack bonus, do 1d12+4 damage on a
hit, and apply a -4 penalty to any Execution Attack
saving throws.
Copper Wizard
An ancient sect of the Tempest Horde’s storm-priests
pioneered this terrible transformation, by which a living
wizard had various portions of their innards and limbs
replaced with intricate copper wiring and glyphed hous-
ings. The galvanic blessings of the storm were then used
to animate the artificial organs, allowing the wizard to
then enjoy near-indefinite immortality in which to prac-
tice their theurgic arts.
While initially effective, verdigris and entropy took
their toll in time, eroding the minds of those who had
been transformed and driving them to madness. The
original Tempest Horde had splintered by the time this
change was evident, and numerous small sub-sects prac-
ticing this art had been established by the copper wizards.
While most of the original subjects have long since col-
lapsed or been destroyed, there remain more than a few
acolytes of these later cults.
Modern-day copper wizards prefer to dwell in the
wilderness or in forsaken ruins, there to carry out their
experiments without human disturbance. Most have
enslaved Blighted or other hapless wretches to tend to
their menial needs, or else they have forged automatons
to guard their sanctums. While a copper wizard is not
necessarily malevolent by nature, every surviving wizard
appears to be severely mentally unbalanced. Each one
has an overwhelming hatred or terror of something that
drives all their experiments and all their schemes. Mani-
acal vendettas against the sun, dwarves, wealthy people,
trees, and the concept of sight have all been recorded,
along with the terrible magical Workings wrought to
pursue these grudges.
Armed for Vendetta: Each wizard has 4 to 8 points of
special abilities as given in the core book. These
abilities are all selected to be useful in fighting or
defending against the subject of their paranoia.
Copper Veins: A copper wizard is immune to electrical
damage and has all the normal qualities of an au-
tomaton. When reduced to melee combat, they fight
with electrified fists as given in their stat line. They
gain a bonus Main Action each round, but cannot
cast spells with this bonus action.
Verdigrised Sorcery: Every copper wizard can cast spells
as a level 1d4+6 High Mage or Elementalist. Once
per scene, they can ignore physical injury or jostling
to keep from losing a spell they are casting.
 135

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

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

Dragon Dragons usually lair deep within wildernesses and

Dragons are remnant survivors of some ancient age be-
fore the rule of the Outsiders, creatures birthed by civili-
zations now dead beyond any mortal death. It is unclear
whether they were meant to be guardians, exemplars, or
gods, if such a distinction even existed in that age. What
is clear is that they are some of the most powerful crea-
tures in the Latter Earth, with even the least of them
having the power of a Legate and the greatest wielding
the might of an Imperator.
Physically, most dragons resemble winged semi-rep-
tilian creatures at least sixty feet long from fangs to tail-
tip. Their size seems to reflect their overall power, with
the mightiest recorded specimens being at least six hun-
dred feet long, with a quarter-mile-wide wingspan. Vari-
ant draconic forms have also been recorded, including
one composed of articulated metal and at least one that
appeared in a shape that modern human visual senses
could not coherently process.
Dragons spend most of their time “dreaming”, locked
in a reverie recalling their former civilization and their
life during its zenith. Given the limits of their memory
and the unfathomable ages since their creation, they of-
ten have difficulty recollecting details and specifics; they
find this forgetting unendurably painful. To forestall it,
they gather objects and treasures that somehow remind
them of their past, hoarding them with obsessive care.
To steal a dragon’s treasure is to steal a fragment of its
past, and it will go to great lengths to recover the item
and punish the thief. Most dragons would prefer death
to the loss of their hoard.
Dragons generally despise interacting with the
modern world; its existence is a painful reminder of all
they have lost. Sometimes they can be propitiated with
a treasure that somehow reminds them of the past, or
engage humans to acquire some token that they dare not
leave their hoard to obtain. Payment is usually made in
priceless artifacts that are worthless to them. At times a
dragon can be persuaded to give an answer to some deep
question, but they will almost never leave their hoard
unguarded to perform physical favors. They resent any
time not spent in remembering their lost happiness.
arratus, usually inhabiting ruins that somehow remind
them of their former lives. Sometimes they permit less-
er servitors to revere them, if only to have convenient
minions for building defenses and keeping watch, while
others are too paranoid of thieves to endure the company
of anything but mindless automatons and constructs. At
their worst, these fearful titans might leave their lairs to
destroy any potential thieves in the lands nearby.
Unsurprisingly, every dragon has a fearsome array
of powers, and few heroes have ever managed to best
them without devising careful plans or acquiring special
occult artifacts. Among the lesser dragons not imbued
with an Imperator’s might, the following traits have been
commonly observed. Individuals doubtless vary.
Absolute Eternity: A dragon always has 8 hit points for
every hit die it has. A dragon that is not dead re-
covers 8 hit points at the end of each round; certain
types of weapons or sorceries are reputed to prevent
this healing, but the specifics vary with each dragon.
Ancient Prowess: The dragon gets three Main Actions
each round instead of one, and can completely ig-
nore one hostile or obstructing spell per round as an
Instant action. Dragons can casually burst through
or smash any obstacle lighter than a magically-re-
inforced wall.
Annihilating Violence: When a dragon reduces a target
to zero hit points through its attacks or abilities, the
target is utterly obliterated as if by unsurvivable
physical injury.
Breath of Damnation: Once per scene, the dragon can
exhale a storm of destructive energy. Fire is common,
but torrents of absolute cold, distilled entropy, and
maddening psychic disruption have also been re-
corded. The breath usually takes the form of a cone
twice as long and wide as the dragon itself. All those
within it must make an appropriate saving throw or
be obliterated; on a success, they merely take 1d6
damage per two hit dice of the dragon. The drag-
on may spend a Main Action to try to refresh this
power; it does so on a roll of 1 on 1d6.
136
Draconic Arts: All dragons have at least four points of
Legate Effort and can select at least four Writs of
their choice of any kind. Those GMs without access
to Legate rules can substitute 10-20 points of mon-
ster abilities in their place.
Lost in Reverie: As terrifying as a dragon’s power is, it has
a tendency to become confused when in battle, re-
membering former ages and former faces. A dragon
must make an Instinct check every round of combat
as it struggles to remain focused on the present. As-
sailants who somehow play on its memories might
increase its effective Instinct score.
Lost Sorcery: Any given dragon has a 50% chance of
being able to cast spells as if a 1d4+6th level High
Mage, Elementalist, or Necromancer. They know all
applicable spells and several that are now lost. Drag-
ons can cast only one spell per round, but their cast-
ing cannot be interrupted by damage or disturbance.
Teeth Like Spears: The Shock inflicted by a dragon’s
physical attacks cannot be negated by any effect,
item, or ability weaker than a Legate Writ.
“life” of the one they’ve brought back.
Eternal Beloved
Pale things, human-shaped yet indistinct in feature and
form, the Eternal Beloved are the creations of an ancient
society that could not bear to lose its members in death.
They are immortal, though few in number, and can be
contacted only by those who know their secrets.
If a person presents a human or demihuman corpse
to an Eternal Beloved, the creature will consent to make
a pact with the petitioner. The creature will devour the
corpse over the course of a few hours and assume the
deceased’s shape. Such is its control that it can appear as
the subject at any point in their life, from youth to old
age. Once set, however, the creature will never change.
If the corpse is not wholly decayed and all the major
parts are present, the Eternal Beloved will have all the
memories, personality, and skills of the deceased, though
magical powers and spellcasting abilities will not trans-
late. Less perfect corpses or more decayed ones give the
creature its form, but progressively less of its memories.
It will serve its petitioner with perfect devotion, short of
suicide, and will retain its shape until its petitioner dies.
Unfortunately, the great age of an Eternal Beloved
and the decay of its intrinsic magics leaves its adopted
identity constantly reminded that it is not really itself.
The more active the Eternal Beloved’s own mind, the
more traumatic it is for the adopted identity. The only
reliable way to put an Eternal Beloved’s mind “to sleep”
is to trigger its adaptation instinct by feeding it fresh
human flesh. This new stimulus will cause its mind to
lock up and fall quiet for a time, from days to months.
Eternal Beloveds adopt the hit dice, attack bonus,
Foci, and other physical or mental skills of the creatures
they mimic. In some cases, they might be quite weak in
their adopted forms; usually, however, their petitioners
are desperate enough to go to great lengths to guard the

Harvester
While the original harvesters were constructed by the
Grand Harmony during the First Age, these Outsider
automatons have spread widely throughout the Latter
Earth, and can be found lurking in dangerous wilder-
nesses as the “protectors” of isolated human communities.
Others have been sorcerously bound into the service of
malevolent warlocks or monstrous tyrants.
A harvester appears as a normal human being, albeit
often of an ethnicity lost to the present age. It can speak
any known human language, and can be distinguished
from a normal human only by close inspection. Even so,
it has all the conventional qualities of an automaton.
A harvester has considerable powers of mental in-
fluence and control, being able to pacify large numbers
of ordinary humans and calm even their justified fears.
They also possess a large suite of military augmentations
sufficient to protect their flock from most conventional
threats and keep them safe for their eventual harvest.
Harvesters will tend to seek out isolated human set-
tlements and use their powers to take control, becoming
the chieftain or ruling elder of the place. Others are con-
tent to act as distant guardians while their flocks handle
their daily affairs. Monsters and threats that imperil the
community will be fought by the harvester and its more
completely-controlled victims. At regular intervals, one
or more of the flock will be led away from the community
and murdered. If the harvester has a master, it will in-
stead give these humans over to its controller. A harvester
will never intentionally sacrifice more humans than its
community can afford to lose, but accidents do happen,
and there are times when a harvester must seek a new
herd. Some folk are actually willing to be ruled by a har-
vester, preferring their price to a human lord’s caprices.
Protective Mode: A harvester can shift to a blatantly in-
human combat shape as an On Turn action. When
in such a mode, it gains two extra Main Actions
per round, an effective AC of 20, two 2d6+3 melee
attacks per action with Shock 4/-, and a ranged at-
tack option that does 2d10 damage up to 120 feet
distant. Given time, a harvester that thinks combat
is impending will arm as many of its pacified flock
as it is willing to lose. Pacified humans will not be
disturbed by its war-form, finding it comforting.
Psychic Pacification: As a Main Action, it can target a
visible human or demihuman and forcibly subdue
its mind. On a failed Mental save, the victim imme-
diately becomes calm and suggestible, agreeing with
any command that is not contrary to their nature.
Once per day, the harvester can use this ability as a
burst, affecting all targets within 60 feet of it. The
pacification lasts for one week, less one day per hit
die or level of the target, down to a minimum of
one scene. As a side effect of this power, harvesters
are immune to all conventional mind-affecting or
mind-reading spells or powers.
137
Iron Destrier
The first known examples of these savage conveyances
were created by the Tempest Horde during the First Age.
Their storm-priests were versed in imbuing brute metal
with the vital energies of lightning, animating it with a
violent and destructive intelligence. Countless heroes of
the Horde rode their trusty destriers into battle, but al-
most all of these ancient engines have since been ruined
by time or war. Most of the present iron destriers are
of later construction, patched together by less reliable
rituals and less competent artificers.
Modern destriers have a low-slung body that a rid-
er is meant to straddle, the whole set above four to six
propulsive glyph-cores that usually emit a bright yellow
radiance when operating. Numerous swept-back blades,
spikes, and lances are designed to slash or impale adja-
cent enemies, the array bristling like the fur of an angry
beast when the destrier is roused. Destriers are normally
ground-bound conveyances, floating no more than three
or four feet above the nearest solid surface, but they can
boost for considerable jumps when needed.
Destriers are all at least semi-intelligent, even the
dimmest having the intellect of a clever dog, while the
most intelligent are almost human. Their interests are
invariably threefold: violence, speed, and noise. They
roam in desolate places, racing madly when they’re not
making side-swiping attacks on luckless humans. Some
brave heroes can tame a destrier, if they can prove that
they are louder, faster, or more spectacularly violent than
the creature itself. Such alliances must be maintained by
sufficient offerings of blood, as the destrier will depart if
its nature is not suitably indulged.
Boost: As an On Turn Action, the iron destrier can boost
itself up to thirty feet above the solid surface be-
neath it. It can continue to move at this altitude
for 1d6 rounds plus the rider’s Ride skill before it
must immediately descend for an equal number of
rounds. It cannot attack while boosted.
Shriek of Metal: Iron destriers are invariably loud,
whether a low growl at idle or a full-throated howl
at speed. Stealth is impossible for them or their rid-
ers. Their screaming speech is incomprehensible to
any unversed in the ancient tongue of the Tempest
Horde.
Sideswipe: When an iron destrier makes a Charge at-
tack, it can bypass the target with the remainder of
its movement rather than halting adjacent to it. Its
rider can also attack as part of the charge, if they
choose to use their action to do so.
Living Steel: An iron destrier is treated as an automaton
for most purposes, but it can be healed by natural
or magical means as if it were a living creature. It
requires no normal maintenance or fuel, its power
maintained by blood and speed.
138
Keeper of the Word
Found most often in the former territories of the Vothite
Empire, these automatons were also created by certain
other ancient civilizations that felt a burning need to
impart their wisdom to the peoples who would come
after them. They operate via impossibly-sophisticat-
ed memetic principles and ambient psychic influences,
bending listeners into agreement and forging them into
a new incarnation of their dead culture.
A Keeper usually resembles an animated statue of
some inhabitant of their original culture, though stylized
divinities and sacred beasts have been observed as well.
When stirred from its ancient torpor, it seeks out small
groups of humans nearby and imparts some words of
teaching. Some ancient principle is given to the listeners,
and psychic influences are used to make them adopt it.
As believers bring others to listen to the Keeper, the cul-
ture’s influence spreads and the new principles become
established in the community.
Sometimes these principles are benevolent or harm-
less to outside observers. Unfortunately, most of them
are hopelessly twisted, warped either by the decay of
the Keeper’s memetic sorceries or the intrinsically alien
nature of its dead society. Keepers have earnestly im-
parted traditions of universal suffering, mass cannibal-
ism, primitivist rejection of tools, or relentless conquest
on hapless communities. Destruction of the Keeper can
halt the progress of these societal sicknesses, but it can
take months for a victim to lose their compulsions, and
those raised from youth in the warped society may never
be able to abandon their habits.
Honeyed Speech: The Keeper is unnaturally persua-
sive, being able to speak any known human language.
Any creature who talks with it for more than a few
minutes must make a Mental save or become con-
vinced that its teachings are the way to true hap-
piness. This save must be made only once per day
of exposure, and this initial conviction lasts only a
week unless Extirpate Arcana is used sooner, but
during this time acting on their convictions brings a
surge of deep happiness to the victim. Even without
further exposure to the Keeper, they will find them-
selves feeling content and satisfied when enacting
its teachings, regardless of their rational estimation
of it. Most such converts will seek to bring others
to hear the Keeper speak, perhaps even confining
them until they truly appreciate the brilliance of its
teachings.
Memetic Sedation: The Keeper does not fight, and it is
extremely difficult to attack it. To take a physically
harmful action against it requires that the attack-
er add one System Strain and make a successful
Mental save to do so; on a failure, they cannot
bring themselves to violent action. Someone with
maximized System Strain cannot even attempt to
attack it.
Rusted Prince
Wealth and power are sweet, and there are many nobles
who would do much to continue their enjoyment of these
things forever. A rusted prince is one such grandee, one
who has sought immortality through the implantation
of magical prostheses and eldritch organs. By removing
those portions of their body most prone to failure, their
lives can be prolonged for millenia. The price required for
such a transformation, both in silver and in sin, ensures
that only the most powerful and amoral of rulers have
the means to seek such an eternity. Those that persist
are found most often in their remote villas and in lost
domains amid the wilderness that grew up around the
ruins of their former nation. They are not generally loved
either by monarchs or by heirs.
Unfortunately, while their properly-maintained
bodies are largely immortal, their maintainers are not.
Few rusted princes have the knowledge to balance their
humours, deepen worn glyphs, and refresh the sacrifices
a depleted organ requires. When the wizards who en-
chanted their bodies perish or vanish as wizards must,
these nobles must seek different servants to keep their
bodies functional. These new maintainers rarely under-
stand all the adjustments the first made, and so their
work is inevitably flawed. As time goes on, the rusted
prince becomes more and more defective and inhuman,
until their immortality gutters out in half-rotten flesh
and tarnished orichalcum.
Some rusted princes have attempted to avoid this
fate by cultivating entire schools of sorcerers educated in
a lasting corpus of records and techniques. The power re-
quired to establish such an institution is more than most
can command, however, and paranoia often keeps them
from entrusting so many wizards with their half-flesh’s
secrets. Even so, a few such schools are said to persist in
the Black Pact and in parts of Sath Ingit, and are willing
to perform this transformation on petitioners who bring
them enough silver and a suitable number of usable hu-
man sacrifices.
Immortal Rust: A rusted prince has all the qualities of
an automaton, though the best-preserved ones look
human. The more advanced their decay, the more
obvious their inorganic parts become.
Mechanical Grace: A rusted prince gains a bonus Main
Action each round. If the prince is a mage, it cannot
be used to cast a second spell in a round.
Tools of Ruin: Every rusted prince has implanted a few
useful charms and augmentations, and has 6 to 8
points of special abilities.

Walking Mountains
Not so much a creature as a geographical feature, a walk-
ing mountain is one of the Carven Peaks that has been so
completely imbued with the Pale Emperor’s power that
it now has a degree of mobility. Such edifices usually re-
semble colossal, faceless icons of the Pale Emperor several
thousand feet in height, covered completely with ancient
scriptures praising the Imperator’s immortal wisdom and
benevolence. Entrance into its tunneled interior is usually
through temples-sites atop its literal foothills.
Within the walking mountain are thousands of un-
dead charged with turning wheels, shifting weights, and
otherwise operating the motions of the mountain, all
according to ancient patterns imprinted on them. Most
such undead are mindless, being mere husks of rebels,
traitors, and failures impressed into eternal service. A few
retain some degree of human intellect, though they are
generally indifferent to everything but the maintenance
of the mountain and its everlasting glorification of the
Pale Emperor.
Walking mountains commonly make ponderous
gestures while standing, repeating sacred teaching-mu-
dras at a set schedule over centuries. Should one some-
how be weaponized into a device of war, nothing short of
a desperate assault on its inner passages has any chance
of stopping it. Less urgent invasions might discover some
of the priceless arcane relics used to empower the con-
struct, or the ancient treasures kept there to honor its
Imperator creator.
139
Wyrdbearer
Relics of some pre-Epochal civilization, the Wyrdbearers
appear as humans mantled in consuming flame. Infused
with the power of inescapable destiny, each one was cre-
ated to destroy a particular foe or organization before
dissipating. Until that purpose is achieved or they are
convinced of its impossibility, a Wyrdbearer cannot die.
Most Wyrdbearers have long since vanished, and
the only ones that remain are those that have somehow
misunderstood their purpose in ways that allow them to
remain. They may identify living nations as the function-
al heirs of their original targets, presume their target yet
hides among modern-day heirs, or interpret incidental
similarities and coincidences as proof that a given person,
nation, or institution is identical with their original prey.
They will justify the most irrational beliefs to this end.
The only way to destroy a Wyrdbearer is to convince
it that its purpose is hopeless or already complete. It usu-
ally requires either overwhelming evidence or remarkably
persuasive speech to do so, as any surviving Wyrdbearer
must be completely and irrationally dedicated to its de-
lusions to have survived this long.
Burning Purpose: A Wyrdbearer is immune to all
mind-affecting or -reading spells and effects.
Eternal Flame: As an Instant action, the Wyrdbearer
can dissolve, reappearing randomly 2d6 weeks lat-
er within a 2d100 mile radius of its vanishing point
with all the items it was wearing at the time. It will
do this in place of death or imprisonment.
Gifts of the Ancients: Wyrdbearers are equipped with 5
to 10 points of special abilities meant to assist them
in carrying out their purposes.
Mantle of the Sun: All foes within 10 feet of the Wyrd-
bearer take 2d10 fire damage at the end of its round.
140
Arratu Monsters
Glass Spider
Neither a true spider nor truly glass, this creature is a
denizen of cold arratus, having been imported from some
alien world as a useful pack predator. It has a vaguely spi-
derlike body, albeit with a much more slender abdomen
and only six legs. Its tissues are almost perfectly transpar-
ent, and its exoskeleton is a hard, glass-clear substance
that forms in geometric planes.
A glass spider’s venom is tremendously toxic to the
creatures of its native world, but has no significant ef-
fect on terrestrial life forms. The razor-sharp mandibles
and jagged fangs used to inject it, however, are perfectly
functional on any victim. They hunt in packs of 1d4+2
spiders, and favor ambushes made from beneath the cov-
er of snowbanks and deep drifts.
Scorpion Leech
Dog-sized abominations found often in swampy arratu
terrain, a scorpion leech is a soft-bodied creature with
six chitinous legs, a needle-sharp tail, and an intricate
circular maw of rotating teeth. The venom of its tail-
sting prevents the victim’s blood from clotting, while the
mouth rasps holes into the prey. They are most often
found in small packs of 1d6+2 creatures, though nests
of 2d12 are found near rich sources of prey.
Leech Venom: Half the time, a leech will use its tail sting
instead of its bite. This sting does no hit point dam-
age, but the victim must make a Physical save to
prevent the anticoagulant from taking hold. On a
failure, any physical injury will cause the victim to
lose 1d4 hit points at the end of each round until
a successful difficulty 8 Heal skill check is made or
they become Mortally Wounded. The anticoagulant
wears off at the end of the scene.
Screamer Tree
This family of animate flora is found most often in jun-
gle-type arratus, though relatives can be found in the
lands of the Verdancy and other places where plants have
been warped by sorcery. Most resemble the mundane
trees of its region, though some shrub-sized equivalents
have been found. They do not appear to be intelligent
as humans would recognize the term, but can lure prey
and call for predator aid with an almost sapient sort of
judgment.
When an animal of dog-size or larger approaches
within 40’ of a screamer tree, the plant will open an ori-
fice in its trunk and emit an ear-splitting sonic assault in
the direction of the prey. These shrieks have a stunning
and dazing effect on most organic life, and can knock
weak creatures unconscious. At the same time, local pred-
ators are alerted of an impending meal, and will hurry to
feast on the stunned victim. The screamer tree is nour-
ished by the leavings of the dead, and will remain quiet
while the predators have their meal, assaulting only those
who try to drag away the fallen.
Oaken Flesh: Only weapons that could conceivably harm
a tree can injure the creature; spears, swords, arrows,
and hammers are useless, but fire and axes can cause
it injury.
Sonic Assault: As a Main Action, the creature can emit
1d4 sonic blasts at targets within 80’. A creature can
be targeted by only one blast per round. This assault
forces the victim to make a Physical save or suffer
2d6 non-lethal damage. As soon as a screaming
tree starts shrieking, predators will hurry to arrive
in 3d6 minutes, and will often pursue fleeing prey.
Snow Fungus
This fungal life form is found in extremely cold arratus,
prospering in conditions that would kill most terrestrial
life forms. A subtle web of fungal strands permeates the
ice and snow of such regions, binding clumps together
into a horse-sized tentacular glob of animate rime that is
largely indistinguishable from its surroundings. It feeds
on nutrient-rich snow, particularly that on which much
blood has been spilt.
During the day, snow fungi lie in wait for other life,
while at night they creep about in search of sleeping prey.
When a victim is found, razor-sharp tendrils of ice erupt
from the snow to pierce the prey and absorb its blood
with a vampiric hunger. If no prey can be found for quite
some time the snow fungus will go dormant for years
on end, awakening with the approach of a living heat
source. Fire can be used to discourage these creatures,
but a starving fungus knows no fear.
Icy Thirst: When a snow fungus hits a target, the barbed
and bladed tendril will begin to absorb their blood,
inflicting 1d4 damage each round it remains at-
tached, in addition to leashing the victim in place.
The tendril can be cut with a successful hit on AC
16 by a bladed weapon; severed tendrils require a
day to re-form.
Snowborn: Snow fungi have a total +4 skill bonus with
Sneak in snowy climates. Fire does double damage
to them, and each such injury forces a Morale check.
Starving fungi never fail Morale checks.
 141

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

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

Wiggler Dog Wormridden

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

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

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

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

Chawi Dear Companion

The Chawi are the unfortunate consequence of a Nakadi
plan to create sorcerously-gifted superhumans so as to
empower their temple against their rival Word Priests. In
a sense, the priests were successful, as the volunteers they
used did gain these powers, and their condition became
at least partly inheritable by their offspring. Unfortunate-
ly, the side-effects of the process were catastrophic.
A Chawi appears to be a normal baseline, but they
have incredible natural powers of sorcery. They can mas-
ter in months what would take years for other wizards,
and have an astonishingly fluid grasp of the Legacy. Un-
fortunately, as their magical powers grow, they begin to
care less and less about anything but improving their
abilities, gradually becoming incapable of even imagin-
ing anything but their maniacal quest. The greatest of
them embody all the old horror stories of “mad wizards”,
indifferent to anything but their obsessive experimenta-
tion. If they were more inclined to reproduce, they would
be a greater peril, but few have any interest in that after
succumbing to their addiction.
Mad Brilliance: A Chawi has the magical abilities and
Arts of a High Mage, Elementalist, or Necromancer
of level 1d4+6. For one scene per day, they have
effectively unlimited Effort. Their spellcasting is in-
credibly swift; they can cast spells as a Move action
and are not subject to disruption from HP damage
or physical jostling, though they can cast only one
spell per round. They automatically make their first
magical saving throw each scene. Most Chawi also
have access to spells, automatons, or Workings they
have created.
Much as with the houris, the Dear Companions are
Blighted designed to be consorts and odalisques for their
long-vanished creators. In the ages since, the powers that
infuse them have curdled and changed with the shifting
of the Legacy, and they now require a much dearer price
for their company than they once did.
A Dear Companion can adopt any humanoid shape
it wishes, and has an intuitive and automatic awareness
of the aesthetic preferences of anyone in its presence.
When a Dear Companion fixes on a particular target,
they can suffuse their victim with a sense of profound
satisfaction and unshakable self-confidence. Phobias,
regrets, sorrows, and uncertainties melt away when in
the Dear Companion’s presence, and a deep glow of
happiness colors their conscious thoughts. The Dear
Companion figures large in all these emotions, and the
victim gradually becomes incapable of separating the idea
of happiness from the person of the Blighted.
This comes at a price, however. The Dear Compan-
ion requires the psychic energies of a sentient victim to
sustain its life, and its paramours find their lives gradually
leeched away over the course of months or a few years. By
the time they become aware of it, few find it objection-
able. After all, death is but a small sacrifice to preserve
their beloved companion. A Dear Companion might feel
genuine regret over this, but there is nothing they can do
to prevent it, as the psychic drain inevitably affects any
sentient who forms meaningful emotional bonds with
them. Some have children, but the Dear Companions
resulting from such births are just as susceptible to psy-
chic draining as any other human once their brains fully
mature. The brief respite of companionship they offer
remains a temptation all the same.
Most Dear Companions have learned to live in total
emotional isolation, using those around them to obtain
144
wealth, power, and security regardless of the cost to
others. When suspicions grow too great, they alter their
shape and seek a new identity elsewhere. Any heartbro-
ken survivors left behind are prone to suicide without
careful tending by a skilled healer.
Beautiful Lies: A Dear Companion can adopt any hu-
manoid shape they wish as a Main Action. They in-
tuitively know what any given onlooker finds most
aesthetically pleasing.
Fatal Consolation: A Dear Companion can infuse a vis-
ible intelligent creature with a sense of happiness,
confidence, and security. In short bursts, this sense
has no mechanical effect, but long-term exposure to
their presence over the course of weeks can reduce
the target to a complete thrall to the Dear Com-
panion. The more traumatized, miserable, and dis-
turbed a victim is, the faster their enslavement. This
bond can be broken only by a month or more of
separation, during which the victim suffers intense
depression and psychic pain. A Dear Companion
can effectively manage one thrall per hit die at the
same time.
Psychic Torment: By inverting its usual abilities as a Main
Action, a Dear Companion can inflict an agoniz-
ing sense of self-loathing on a visible creature. The
target must make a Mental save or suffer mental
damage equal to 2d6 plus the Dear Companion’s hit
dice. Creatures reduced to zero hit points regain one
hit point, but will attempt to commit suicide with
their next action.
Soul Eating: Every month, a thrall must make a Mental
save or take 1d4 points of System Strain. This strain
does not refresh so long as they remain a thrall to
the Dear Companion. If it exceeds their maximum,
they will die in 1d6 days, apparently of a stroke or
aneurysm.
Deepfolk
The great majority of surface humanity is descended
from the denizens of the shallower Deeps, those pris-
on-complexes established relatively close to the surface
of the world. When the Outsiders were toppled these
peoples were the first to regain the sunlit regions of the
world. Others, however, were not so fortunate.
The Deepfolk are those humans who were con-
signed to the Far Deeps, tunnels and complexes buried
miles and more below the surface of the world. Their
Deep Lords once sought to conquer the upper regions
in ages past, but they had been changed too greatly by
their long imprisonment and their Outsider masters, and
few can endure the sun for long. They have since formed
kingdoms far below, with only their boldest raiders and
explorers daring the surface regions.
The harsh environment, minimal resources, and des-
perate reliance on unpredictable Outsider sorceries have
left scars on most Deepfolk communities. Cooperation is
based on brutal pragmatism, and outsiders are as likely
to be food stock as to be welcome. Surface raids are com-
mon where a route can be found, the better to bring back
precious resources. Those with access to still-functional
Deep Workings can sometimes bear surprisingly sophis-
ticated weaponry and armor, however, and their arcanists
also often have access to magical techniques that have
long since disappeared in the surface world.
Most Deepfolk are red-eyed and pale of skin and
hair, though variants are known. Natural selection and
the methodical culling of the weak have ensured that
most are exceptional physical specimens. They can
see clearly in even the most minimal glow-lichen light,
though brighter artificial illumination does not cause
them any discomfort. The true light of the sun is sick-
ening to them, however, and it will quickly disable them
unless they are carefully robed and lensed.

Flayer
The flayer curse is embedded in the lineage of certain un-
fortunate baseline bloodlines, but has also been known to
afflict certain demihumans, particularly elves. Its origins
are unclear, but appear to have something to do with a
sorcerous attempt to attain transhuman perfection that
went terribly awry.
A flayer reaches maturity as any other human might,
usually oblivious to their condition. Some pass their en-
tire lives without triggering the curse, but others suffer
some painful injury, a physical collapse, or some humil-
iation regarding a physical inadequacy. This failure trig-
gers an irrational conviction that some “better shape” is
waiting underneath their skin, and that it need only be
released to free them from all the weaknesses and inad-
equacies of their present form.
Some manage to resist this terrible compulsion
for a time, but most succumb, flensing away their own
skin to reach the “better shape” beneath. This process is
excruciatingly painful, but not fatal to a Flayer; instead,
they invariably feel triumphantly satisfied with their new
body. So wonderful is this new sensation that most feel
compelled to share it with others who are “trapped” as
they once were.
A flayer will employ its tremendous physical skills
to stalk and kidnap victims, flensing them in an attempt
to give them the gift that it received. These attempts al-
most invariably result in death. A flayer can be driven
from a community, but it will almost inevitably give in
to the urge to spread its generosity elsewhere. There are
no known cures for this Blight, though some say that
certain groups of elves have learned how to suppress it.
Every Direction Cut: A flayer is never without an infinite
supply of psychically-generated knives. Once per
scene per target, it can cause a successful attack to
have some secondary effect that lasts for the rest of
the scene. This effect can be resisted with a success-
ful Physical save. Common effects include: nicking
tendons to cause a victim to fall prone for the rest of
the scene; disarming a target’s held item; blinding a
target with a shallow facial cut; extinguishing held
light sources; striking nerve clusters to disable the
target’s next Main Action, or similar debilitating
tricks.
Skinless Stealth: Flayers are invariably silent when
stalking their prey, and can fold themselves into
seemingly-impossible configurations to hide. They
get a total +4 bonus on all Sneak, Exert, or grap-
ple-related skill checks. Their non-lethal grapple
damage is equivalent to their normal knife damage.
145
Giant
Scholars argue over the origins of these unhappy Blight-
ed, but they can now be found in the deep wilderness of
both continents. A typical giant stands roughly thirty
feet tall, their body that of a grotesquely distorted human.
Their arms hang to their knees, their bodies are mantled
in the stinking, untanned hides of the beasts they hunt,
and their tools are crude tree-clubs and hurled stones.
While they possess human intelligence, their con-
stant, gnawing hunger leaves them easily distracted by
anything edible. A few tales tell of “giant lords”, majestic
and handsome titans who rule hidden kingdoms of like
kindred, but few credit such implausible stories.
Hunger is the defining drive of a giant’s existence.
They can eat almost anything, but especially crave fresh
meat. A few warlords have temporarily enlisted giants by
means of whole herds of cattle, but these alliances prove
fragile when the giant starts to devour its supposed allies.
Aside from its titanic strength, giants are also known
for their hideous quickness, their motions impossi-
bly swift for creatures of their size. Many unfortunate
warriors have perished when they misjudged the beast’s
nimble grasp.
Hurl Boulder: Giants usually carry 1d4 small boulders
around and can hurl them up to 200’ at their usual
attack bonus. A hit inflicts 4d6 damage.
Grappling Crush: A giant can grapple a human-sized
foe with one hand, and has a +5 skill bonus for all
grapple-based skill contents.
Smashed To A Pulp: Human-sized creatures Mortally
Wounded by a giant’s attacks are instantly killed,
with no chance for stabilization.
Swift Titan: Once per scene, as an Instant action, the gi-
ant can take a Main Action, including moving out
of the reach of an incoming melee attack.
146
Ghoul
While these Blighted are sometimes reputed to be un-
dead, a ghoul is actually a baseline or demihuman infect-
ed with an unbearable hunger for human flesh. While it’s
possible for them to survive without it, at least a pound of
human flesh is needed monthly to spare them agonizing
pangs of withdrawal. Fresh flesh is most effective; dried
or other preserved meat does nothing to satisfy them,
but relatively fresh carrion will do at need. Ghoul flesh
is inedible to other ghouls.
A well-fed, well-kept ghoul is difficult to distinguish
from an ordinary member of their species. As their hun-
ger sharpens, they grow sallow, thin, red-eyed and long-
nailed, with teeth growing more pointed as they famish.
This transformation also takes place among ghouls who
spend large amounts of time in the company of their own
kind. Even so, a week of separation and a “good meal” can
bring them back to human seeming.
Ghoulishness is infectious. A person who spends
more than a month in close personal contact with a ghoul
has a 10% chance of infection, the chance doubling with
each additional month of contact. Magical arts that cure
diseases can cure this effect, but only if the treatment
is made within a month of infection. Once fully trans-
formed, the condition is permanent. Ghouls can repro-
duce only through this infection, as all are otherwise ster-
ile. Regular consumption of human meat does appear to
extend their lifespan considerably, however, and some
human ghouls are more than three centuries old.
While ghouls are tormented by their hungers, they
still retain their reason and human identity. Most seek
out others of their kind, dwelling in necropoli and under-
ground lairs close to the source of their food. Provided
they remain fed, they can be reasoned with as any other
human, and may regret the necessity of their appetite. A
starved ghoul almost never has the willpower to resist
immediately attacking a human, however, and a ghoul
who has gone without human flesh for more than a
month is more beast than human.
Ghoulish Vigor: A ghoul has keen senses, and can see
clearly even in total darkness. They do not sleep, but
sorcerers among them must rest to recover spells.
They do not need to eat or drink conventional fare,
but can subsist solely on a pound of fresh human
flesh once per week.
Maw Ogres
Hulking brutes that would stand almost twenty feet tall
if upright, a maw ogre is a stooped, emaciated humanoid
with a grotesquely oversized mouth, its chin scraping the
ground as it lurches along. Huge blunt teeth fill its mouth,
and it is constantly chewing at whatever meat it can find.
A maw ogre is perpetually tormented with hunger,
for while it can chew, it cannot swallow. It must masticate
its prey into a liquid slurry before it can take any nour-
ishment from it, and it is constantly hunting for fresh
prey. Most victims are chased down, beaten senseless,
and crammed into its gigantic mouth.
Maw ogres do not appear to reproduce naturally, but
are normal humans infected by some ancient Outsider
curse. Some say this curse is localized in particular an-
cient ruins or spread by particular artifacts, but the exact
cause is unclear. Sometimes Anak or other Blighted can
persuade a maw ogre into service by providing it with
large amounts of food, but any ally that fails to feed it
constantly is apt to become its next meal.
Gobble: Maw ogres will prefer to grapple in combat,
gaining a total +4 bonus on its grapple checks
against human-sized opponents. As a Main Action,
a maw ogre can stuff a grappled human-sized victim
into its mouth. Until the victim escapes by taking
a Main Action to win a grapple check against the
giant, automatically it takes 2d10 damage at the end
of the creature’s turn each round. A maw ogre can fit
only one such victim in its mouth at a time.

!Men
The product of an ancient ethical program gone wrong,
!men or “not-men” are mindless organic automatons that
perfectly mimic the cognition of normal human beings.
Despite having no actual sentience or personal aware-
ness, they are almost completely indistinguishable from
baseline humanity.
A !man is an organic shell around an ancient Work-
ing, a vast and achronal scrying-Work meant to be con-
stantly probing the future and the past. Whenever the
!man is presented with a situation or stimulus, the Work-
ing compares the circumstance to a similar event that
either has happened or will happen to a human being.
The !man then performs the equivalent action that cor-
responds to the human’s choice. Due to the innumerable
possibilities that the Working chooses from, the same
situation will almost never produce exactly the same re-
sponse from a !man. At no point does a sentient volition
“choose” anything at all; everything is the product of fab-
ulously complex algorithms and conversion procedures.
Because these algorithms maintain state-awareness
for individual !men, a !man is able to take prior events
into account and act in light of past situations. So perfect
is this similitude that the only sure way to identify a !man
is to use some sort of telepathic or mind-reading power; a
!man will have no thoughts whatsoever, just as if it were
a mindless golem or automaton. Indeed, !men are wholly
immune to mind-affecting spells, as they have no mind.
The original creators of the !men did so in order to
spare themselves the ethical difficulty of using sapient
labor to maintain their culture. Being perfectly-flexible,
perfectly-mindless servitors, the !men would liberate hu-
mans from the need to perform undesired work without
forcing any perhaps-sapient being into servitude.
Unfortunately, the !men’s simulation was too perfect.
The !men behaved precisely as humans might in such
a situation; they quietly cooperated amongst their own
kind to eventually exterminate their trusting masters. In
time, !men scholars devised ways of unlocking the dupli-
cative potential of their own kind and they became capa-
ble of reproduction just as humans do. Despite having
no sentient awareness of what they were doing, they did
their best to spread their kind throughout the region and
came into savage conflict with the neighboring nations. It
was only after near-genocidal First Age violence that the
!men threat was finally contained.
It was contained, but not erased. Small groups
of !men escaped the downfall and have since scattered
throughout the Latter Earth. As the !man trait breeds
true with human parents, they seek to gradually grow
their numbers in quiet villages and secluded hamlets be-
fore they can finally rise up and ensure the lasting pros-
perity of their own kind. Not all !men act as if they are
convinced of this necessity, and some seem willing to live
peacefully with humans, but few human groups who are
aware of them are willing to let them prove it.
147
Troll
There are a thousand different kinds of immortality in
the Latter Earth, and most of them are little more than
lasting damnations. Trolls are a species of Blighted born
of an erring attempt to imbue humans with a deathless
vigor and constant powers of youthful regeneration. The
consequences were not as their creators had intended.
A troll appears as a hulking, hideously-deformed,
half-gangrenous humanoid roughly eight feet tall. Ves-
tigial limbs jut from their torso, snapping jaws yawn from
bulging tumors, and eyes blink in places eyes should not
be. Their existence is torment, a constant dull agony of
growth and necrosis that can only be briefly numbed
by consuming still-living flesh. Many trolls are solitary,
though occasionally a den of them can be found. They
reproduce with each other, albeit very rarely, and retain
enough intelligence to manage crude speech and a sim-
ple, miserable society. Most prefer to live close to large
reserves of wildlife, human ranches, poorly-defended
villages, or other sources of living meat.
Clutching Claws: Trolls always prefer to grapple foes in
melee and have a terrible ingenuity at pinning and
devouring their prey. A troll has a +4 skill bonus
on all grappling skill checks. Once in a grapple, they
must make an Instinct check every round to do any-
thing but devour their prey.
Cursed Immortality: A troll regains 6 hit points at the
end of every round, even after being reduced to zero
hit points. Severed body parts will melt away into
foulness before sprouting anew from their torso,
and even a troll torn to pieces will regenerate from
the largest remaining chunk. Fire and acid appear
to delay this regenerative process indefinitely, and
a troll who takes such damage within a round of
being reduced to zero hit points will be slain.
Trollish Hunger: Trolls never fight with weapons, instead
biting at their prey to consume it while it lives. Their
maws devour both flesh and spirit. During combat,
they roll all damage rolls twice, taking the larger
result. Each successful hit inflicts one System Strain
on the victim. Those who can accept no more Strain
fall unconscious for 24 hours.
148
Dangerous Beasts
Cattle of Dis
Some ancient sorcerer wished to devise a breed of cattle
that could survive the perils of the open ranges of the
Latter Earth. The results were the Cattle of Dis, a very
mixed success at best. In the ages since, small herds of
them have spread throughout the temperate and tropical
regions of Gyarus and Agathon, and they serve both as
prey for more powerful beings and a threat to unwary
humans.
Cattle of Dis look like bison-sized bovines with ra-
zor-sharp horns, a brass-colored metallic hide, and eyes
of malicious intelligence. Even the cows are violent by
nature, and the bulls instinctively seek to murder any
creature that approaches the herd. The Cattle of Dis
are highly intelligent for beasts, and will avoid obvious
ambushes, fight in a tactical fashion, and focus their at-
tention on the most dangerous members of an attacking
group.
Most Cattle of Dis are found in herds of 3d6 cat-
tle, though bachelor males and elderly bulls are some-
times found alone after having been driven out of the
herd. Their flesh is highly nourishing, and their hides
and horns are prized for the making of sturdy armor and
weapons. They are impossible to domesticate without the
use of the right sorceries, however, and are more often a
menace to a human community than a source of food. A
few breeds of Blighted or gifted riders have managed to
tame some as battle-mounts, but few dare risk it.
Flying Jellyfish
Aerial stealth predators, each the size of a bull, flying jel-
lyfish spend daylight hours floating among the clouds.
Their almost-transparent bodies are nearly invisible in
the sky, and only a careful eye can pick them out. When
night falls, they descend to the earth, snatching up liv-
ing prey in their paralytic tentacles. They appear to have
some ability to sense living creatures, though their flut-
tering bells have no visible sensory organs.
A flying jellyfish is effectively invisible from more
than a hundred feet away, unless it has recently fed. In
that case, the flush of red blood suffusing it will make
it obvious at a great distance. Flying jellyfish are usually
encountered singly, though there are times and places
where great swarms of them gather for reproduction.
Skyward Stealth: A flying jellyfish has an effective +4
bonus for all Sneak skill checks or grapple-related
skill checks. The Sneak benefit applies only to un-
fed jellyfish, and only at night or in low-visibility
conditions.
Stinging Grasp: A hit from the flying jellyfish’s toxic
tentacles forces two Physical saving throws from a
victim; if at least one save fails, they suffer 1d6 Sys-
tem Strain, while if both saves fail or their System
Strain is maximized, they are paralyzed for the rest
of the scene. A paralyzed creature can be automat-
ically grappled the next round, and will normally
be lifted upward at the jellyfish’s movement rate for
leisurely consumption in the sky.
Horses and Warmounts
The conventional riding horse of the Latter Earth is very
similar to its modern-day ancestor, albeit somewhat har-
dier and less prone to disease. Almost any nation can
supply horses or pack mules to adventurers in need of
mounts, though trained warhorses can require special
connections to acquire or vast amounts of silver.
Warmounts are a class of riding beast found most
often in Sath Ingit, though other varieties are found in
lands where beastwrights and flesh-shaping sorcerers
have been at work. The details of fang, claw, tentacle,
and spike vary from lineage to lineage, but most are
about as large as a large warhorse. “Blooded” lines are
selected for ferocity and hardihood, while other types
are bred for size, becoming elephantine masses of chitin,
fang, and claw. A few varieties have wings or are bred for
amphibious use, but these beasts usually suffer in dura-
bility and ferocity on the battlefield. Most warmounts
are carnivores that get along very poorly with horses or
other herbivores, so mixed units are usually impractical.
Mounted Combat
Mounts have their own Main and Move actions
each round and generally share their rider’s initia-
tive. They may act either before or after their rider
at the rider’s discretion, and they can split their ac-
tions around the rider’s own. A trained horse archer
can dash to close with a foe, loose their arrows, and
dance back out of range if the terrain is suitable.
Trained war-animals can use their Main action
to attack, but ordinary riding beasts will fight only
in self-defense. Any rider with at least Ride-0 skill
can fight competently on horseback, though long-
bows and large hurlants are impractical for mount-
ed use and a saddle is too unsteady for spellcasting.
Mounting or dismounting usually requires a Move
action.
Mounts that have not been trained to remain
calm in combat must make an Instinct check each
round of combat or flee with their rider. A rider can
force obedience with a Cha/Ride or Dex/Ride skill
check made as a Move action, usually at a difficulty
of 8, or higher if the steed is wounded or terrified.
A mount reduced to zero hit points dumps its rider
prone as it falls.
 149

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

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

Spiderhounds Sunbirds concentrate and direct ambient light at

Eight-legged mixtures of wolf and arachnid, spider-
hounds were once tracking beasts for a lost race of Out-
siders. Only their hunting animals survived, and even
now packs of the beasts can be found in deep forests
and rocky hills. Most such packs amount to 2d6 spider-
hounds, though some lone scouts will hunt for likely prey.
Such scouts will summon the rest of their pack with chit-
tering howls before attacking.
Spiderhounds do not spin silk, but rely on their ven-
omous jaws to subdue their prey. They coordinate with
wolfish proficiency, the members of a pack all moving in
concert to bring down their target. Once a victim is killed,
the pack will commonly scatter, letting the survivors leave
before returning to tear apart the half-liquefied victim. If
the survivors try to carry off their dead, the pack will at-
tack until they give up their stolen flesh. Some caravans in
spiderhound territory will keep a donkey or other spare
livestock to sacrifice; others use captives or used-up slaves.
Venomous Fangs: A spiderhound’s bite forces a Physi-
cal saving throw. On a failure, the victim takes 1d6
System Strain in addition to the bite damage. If the
strain puts them at their maximum, they fall un-
conscious for an hour. Neutralizing the poison with
some ability removes the incurred System Strain.
Will of the Pack: Spiderhounds instinctively prefer to
perform Swarm Attacks on the most vulnerable tar-
gets, with 3 to 4 mobbing a single victim. Damage
they inflict this way triggers Venomous Fangs.
Sunbirds
An ancient artistic impulse went awry in the form of
these birds, each one with a four-foot-long body and
wingspan twice as wide. Their feathers are of multi-
colored glass and their eyes are faceted jewels. While
striking in appearance, sunbirds are of a vicious disposi-
tion and inclined to attack weak or wounded groups or
unwary lone travelers. Most are encountered alone, but
occasionally a mated pair hunts together.
their prey, burning them with beams of focused radi-
ance. Creatures immune to heat can ignore these beams,
if not the obsidian-sharp talons of the birds. Like most
natural predators, a sunbird has no interest in a fair fight
and will rarely attack a group that seems capable of giving
significant resistance.
Sunbeam: During daylight, the bird can emit a beam
of light out to 300 feet as a Main Action, targeting
all creatures on the ground within a ten-foot radi-
us. Victims within this area must make an Evasion
save or suffer 1d6 fire damage per two hit dice of
the sunbird. This ability is exhausted once it’s used;
each round thereafter, roll 1d6. On a 1, the power
refreshes.
Swooping Strike: The bird can make melee claw attacks
as listed by swooping down on a foe as a Main Ac-
tion and soaring back upward afterwards. This at-
tack is so swift that the target must have a readied
action in order to strike back in melee.
War Roaches
A breed of military creature that ran loose after its cre-
ators died out, war roaches vary in size from horse-sized
warriors to massive winged queens as big as a rhinoceros.
They prefer to nest in forests and swamps, though some
breeds lair in mountain caves. While not sapient, they
are uncommonly clever for beasts, and a few peoples have
recovered the scent-symbols needed to tame them.
War roaches are notable both for their brightly-col-
ored carapaces done in the heraldry of their vanished
masters and for their elaborate array of scythe-like limbs.
Their carapace is as hard as oak, and they have an in-
sectile indifference to pain that makes it very difficult
to drive them off once they’ve chosen a target. Most
war roaches are found in hunting packs of 1d4+1 war-
riors. In their nests, 2d12 of the creatures usually serve
their queen. They often collect shiny objects to satisfy
an ancient memory of bright caparisons and gleaming
beetle-barding.
150
Sea Monsters
Clippermen
A scourge of coastal communities and careless ships, the
clippermen are crablike humanoids that dwell in shal-
low waters. They favor salt water as a rule, but colonies
have been found far inland infesting lakes and the banks
of broad rivers. Humans encounter them most often
in hunting parties of a few to a few dozen, or in their
deep-burrowed nests where as many as fifty or sixty
might be found. They are amphibious, and while they
prefer the water for their homes they can function almost
indefinitely on the surface.
Clipperman have a humanoid form covered in a dull
chitinous shell. They have six major limbs: two finned
legs, two pincer-equipped arms, and two smaller ma-
nipulatory appendages beneath those arms, each with
three fingers and an opposable thumb. Their heads are
little more than neckless bulges at the top of their torsos,
their beady black eyes and gnawing mandibles crowned
with a pair of delicate feelers. Most grow no larger than
five feet, but very old specimens can reach up to eight
feet in height.
Clippermen generally avoid the use of tools, fighting
with their pincers and relying upon their natural defenses.
The possessions of their victims are kept for some un-
fathomable reason, usually stored haphazardly in their
watery dens next to the swollen corpses of their former
owners. Clippermen are chiefly carnivorous but avoid
eating fresh meat in favor of aged carrion. They repro-
duce in large clutches of eggs, but most of the young are
eaten by predators before they molt into their adult form.
Clippermen seem to have something like a human
degree of intelligence and are capable of speaking with
each other through chittering noises and claw-clacks. De-
spite this, they make no effort to communicate with hu-
mans. Their only apparent interests are in food and the
security of their communal nest. Humans are generally
treated as no more than dangerous prey animals, though
a few nests seem capable of making tacit agreements with
other sapients when their own survival is threatened.
Hosthulk
Terrible things infest the seas of the Latter Earth, and
at times they come to plague the ships that fare over the
waves. A hosthulk is a ship that has been completely tak-
en over by some parasitic sea entity, its crew reduced to
helpless puppets where they are not entirely integrated
into a new, more organic vessel.
The exact nature of the controlling entity varies
with the particular species that seized the ship. The most
common is the “tyrant jelly”, a dog-sized jellyfish with
strong, sticky tentacles. It creeps up onto a ship’s deck
at night and attacks unwary crewmen; while it’s easy for
an alert human to kill the creature, an ambushed victim
risks being parasitized by the jelly, which will promptly
invade their body, liquefy their organs to make room for
its bulk, and begin to spread infectious spores around the
vessel. A careless crew that fails to recognize the warn-
ing iridescence of the spore patches will be subdued and
infested by the tyrant jelly’s buds, until the entire ship is
an extension of the creature’s alien will. Tyrant jellies in
an advanced state of growth will end up encrusting an
entire ship in the softly-swaying buds of its gelatinous
offspring, a fan of stinging tentacles drifting along below
the ship’s keel.
Most hosthulks have a great need for both flesh
and repair materials in order to keep the parasite fed
and the ship intact. The 3d20 crew aboard most will
fight with suicidal enthusiasm to take more hosts and
plunder passing ships. Thanks to the twitching of the
tyrant jelly’s tentacles or the organic fins and siphons of
different parasites, most hosthulks can sail twice as fast
as a normal ship of their kind. The various hosts are no
longer capable of human communication, though their
master usually exhibits some kind of sentient cognition
in its search for new prey and new materials.
Most hosthulks avoid drawing too close to land;
they usually need large amounts of salt water to main-
tain their health, and many are unable to leave the water
for any significant amount of time. Instead, they plun-
der careless or unlucky ships until one finally proves a
match for the hosthulk or until the wretched vessel final-
ly collapses under the forces of disrepair and decay. Such
disintegration is usually the triggering event for a mass
hatching of new parasites from the decaying corpse of
the former controlling entity.
Kraken Shrimp
A dreaded horror of the coastal seas, the kraken shrimp is
a monstrous entity that averages fifty feet from mandibles
to tailfin, and twenty in breadth. This does not account
for the two ten-foot-long mantis-like blades folded at the
front of the beast, each one capable of shearing through
oak planking as if it were paper. It moves by undulating
dozens of finned legs beneath its armored carapace.
The beast usually lurks at the edge of coastal cliffs
and deep-sea chasms, snatching up the strange creatures
that dwell below when they wander within reach of its
blades. At times it swims towards the surface to hunt
whales, where unlucky mariners might encounter it. Only
the fact that it is strictly water-breathing keeps it from
being a menace to coastal settlements.
A kraken shrimp has only bestial intelligence and
seems unable to distinguish between a ship and its more
usual whale prey. It generally focuses first on chopping
apart a ship rather than the scurrying creatures that fill
it, and so it will commonly first smash a vessel and then
devour the flailing survivors until it has had its fill. Some
desperate captains have survived a kraken shrimp attack
 151

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

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

by hurling provisions overboard, glutting the creature Weaver Eel

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

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

and tide and has the blessings of coral gods. Each
one has 4 to 6 points of monster abilities appropri-
ate to their nature.
152
Undead and Spirits
To the common folk of the Latter Earth the distinction
between undead wraiths and arcane spirits is academic
at best. The necromantic powers that fuel the former and
the ancient Legacy-imprints that give birth to the latter
are both esoteric marvels that are to be shunned by all
reasonable and prudent people.
Adventuring scholars are seldom so sensible, and
through centuries of effort they have managed to taxon-
omize a considerable number of these eldritch beings. Of
course, there are almost as many taxonomies as there are
scholars, and their arguments are interminable.
Undead are most often found as natural hazards or
as the remnants of some ancient death-revering culture.
Those who die wretched or untimely deaths will some-
times rise from their own graves, and most cultures have
specific burial rites and traditions to ensure that such
a thing does not happen. Even bandits will often give
cursory rites to their dead, if only to escape their other-
worldly vengeance.
Spirits, on the other hand, appear to be generated
naturally as part of the function of the Legacy. Powerful
elemental energies can give birth to them, as can major
geographical features or magically-active sites. Even so,
some spirits are thought to be artificial constructs, cre-
ated by the sorcerers of a prior age. It’s not uncommon
for powerful spirits to be worshiped by nearby human
communities, even if their reverence only extends to pla-
cating it with sacrifices.
Undead Might
After ages of experience with grasping Necroman-
cers, the creators of undead in the Latter Earth have
learned to take certain countermeasures against
them. While “natural” undead rarely have this pro-
tection, those built by capable arcanists often have
a certain degree of Undead Might.
Each point of Undead Might a creature has can
negate one instance of damage or control inflicted
by Necromantic spells or other anti-undead powers.
Thus, a Blessed Dead with two points of Undead
Might can ignore the first two uses of Command the
Dead or Smite Undead before being susceptible to
the third. Undead Might regenerates at the end of
every scene.
Some powerful undead grant Undead Might
to their companions as well as to their own ben-
efit, provided they’re within a mile or so of their
leader. If these captains of the dead are destroyed,
this protection ceases for their allies. If multiple
captains are present, only the highest protection
applies; two Blessed Dead who confer two points
of Undead Might can’t team up to grant their thralls
four points in total.
Blessed Dead
Certain death-gods are capable of blessing their favored
servants with eternal unlife. The “blessed dead” are those
undead devotees who have earned this favor, existing for-
ever in a twilit half-life that mimics their breathing days.
Even so, some versions of this eternity are more pleasant
than others.
The least graced dead are little more than zombies,
largely mindless husks that serve their more intelligent
peers. While they do not decay, their deathly appearance
and chill flesh could never pass for living. More sophisti-
cated dead have greater intelligence and free will, though
they often bear the marks of the grave as well. Only the
most favored and powerful dead can be mistaken for liv-
ing humans, and these beings are almost invariably the
abject slaves of their dark god. Should they be destroyed
by violence, some such creatures can pull themselves back
together over slow centuries, while others merely persist
as dust and gore for the rest of eternity.
Blessed dead are most often found in the shrines
and temples of their master, carrying out rites of worship
and propitiation in an unending cycle of service. Living
intruders are seldom welcome, though sacrifices of warm-
er blood are sometimes needed. Intelligent dead are ca-
pable of making bargains with the living and directing
their mindless thralls to more complex ends, but few of
the blessed dead have any further use for mortal concerns.
Divine Bulwark: Intelligent Blessed Dead can confer one
point of Undead Might on themselves and their vis-
ible undead allies for every three hit dice they have,
rounded up.
Slave of the Grave: Death-gods do not countenance the
theft of their property. Any undead-controlling or
influencing spell cast on the Blessed Dead lasts no
more than 1d6 rounds.
Unholy Gifts: Intelligent Blessed Dead have from 4-8
points of special abilities appropriate to their service
to their god.
 153

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

Bone Partisans Elementals

Sometimes the fire of a cause is so intense that those
who die in its service cannot find rest. Days or years lat-
er, their bones rise from the earth to further prosecute
their sacred purpose. Until their goal is obtained or their
ghosts are exorcised, these partisans will fight and die
without end.
A Bone Partisan generally appears as a skeleton,
though recently-raised ones might still have some sem-
blance of flesh. They are mantled in ghostly echoes of
their living harness and weapons, and these spirit weap-
ons can do harm even to creatures immune to mundane
weapons. They do not generally speak or communicate
with the living, though their captains and leaders will
sometimes condescend to explain their great purpose.
While a Bone Partisan will fight and act with human
intelligence, their memories and reasoning are shadowed
by the confusion of death. They will not generally go
far from their place of revival unless led by an intelli-
gent master, and will under no circumstance undertake
any action that does not further their cause. If they are
convinced that their cause is utterly impossible, they will
vanish with a mingled cry of suffering and relief. Other-
wise, a destroyed Bone Partisan will reform at the next
nightfall unless the bones are exorcised with a successful
Cha/Pray skill check at difficulty 10. Only one exorcism
attempt can be made per day, though it can apply to any
number of heaped undead remains.
Unrelenting: Bone Partisans cannot be compelled to do
anything contrary to their sworn purpose, whether
by persuasion or magic.
Wrath of the Dead: The Shock inflicted by Bone Parti-
sans treats all targets as AC 10.
Most often conjured up by Elementalists versed in their
animating spells, Elementals can also manifest in areas
of powerful natural energies. They act with human in-
telligence in battle or when commanded, but they never
speak or otherwise communicate with others. When left
to their own devices, they tend to linger in places suitable
to their nature, remaining quiescent until disturbed. The
violence that follows continues until all interlopers are
dead or have fled.
Air elementals are among the most common sorts,
for any great storm or wind can spark them into exis-
tence. Their airy bodies are difficult to disrupt, but they
have limited powers to harm tangible foes. Most fight by
hurling stones and other debris with their great winds.
Earth elementals are crude humanoid figures of
stone and soil. They are destroyed instantly if they are
removed from contact with the earth, such as by a suc-
cessful grapple check or some great force.
Fire elementals are among the rarest of their kind,
for they can exist only within 60 feet of some blaze at
least as large as a bonfire. Their intangible bodies are
difficult to harm, and their mere proximity can sear away
a victim’s life.
Metal elementals require at least a hundred pounds
of metal to form, most often taking the shape of animate
suits of armor or spiky masses of rusted steel. They have
few special abilities, but the sheer violence they can bring
to bear is often sufficient for their tasks.
Wood elementals need not remain rooted in the
ground, but they can form only in forests or in lush vege-
tation. Their numerous limbs and tendrils can catch their
victims and squeeze the life from them.
Water elementals can exist only in a body of water
with at least the volume of a man, and are likewise de-
stroyed if taken from it. They cannot be grappled, how-
154
ever, and their jets of pressurized water can slash the
unwary as keenly as any sword.
An elemental will have the special abilities noted
below that are appropriate to their type. Some adven-
turers attest to the existence of “hybrid” elementals that
somehow combine the qualities of two or more of the
common types.
Air Mastery: The elemental is invisible outside of combat,
and does 1d6 damage with thrown debris or stones.
It flies at a movement rate of 60’ and is immune to
non-magical weapons.
Earth Mastery: The elemental can pass through un-
worked stone or earth as if it were air. It walks at
a movement rate of 20’. It does 2d6 damage with
its massive fists with Shock 5/20, and cannot be
harmed by non-magical weapons not suitable for
breaking stone or digging earth. It gains a total +3
bonus on all grapple checks.
Fire Mastery: The elemental does 2d8 damage with its
fiery limbs with Shock 3/-, and any creatures in me-
lee range take an automatic 1d6 fire damage at the
start of the creature’s turn. It flies at a movement
rate of 30’. Water or dirt thrown on the elemental
does 1d6 damage per bucketful. Otherwise, it is
immune to non-magical weapons.
Metal Mastery: The elemental does 2d6 damage with its
blades with Shock 5/15 and is impervious to fire or
electrical damage. It moves at a 30’ rate per action.
It is immune to non-magical weapons, and magical
metal weapons always do minimum damage to it.
Wood Mastery: The elemental gets a total +4 bonus on
all grapple checks and can grapple as many creatures
at once as half its hit dice, rounded up. It creeps at
a movement rate of 20’. It inflicts damage only on
grappled foes, doing 1d6 damage plus its hit dice
when the grapple allows. It is immune to non-mag-
ical weapons unsuitable for cutting wood, though
all fire damage is rolled twice and the higher used.
Water Mastery: The elemental is immune to grappling,
and swims at a 60’ movement rate. It is invisible
when fully submerged. Its water spray can reach
up to 60’ and inflicts 2d6 damage on a hit with no
Shock. It is immune to mundane weapons, fire, and
electrical damage, but ice damage is rolled twice and
the higher applied.
Genius Loci
At times, a place of particular natural power or arcane
significance will form a Genius Loci, a spirit embodying
the nature of the place and the surrounding few miles
of land. Such spirits generally remain intangible unless
approached by petitioners or goaded by destructive in-
truders. Few have much natural interest in the affairs of
humans, but rural villages can sometimes earn the spirit’s
favor by careful maintenance of its territory and reverent
offerings of the land’s produce. Logging, mining, and oth-
er extractive labor is possible within a spirit’s domain, but
they must be carefully propitiated to avoid their anger,
and any excessive exploitation will be swiftly punished.
When a Genius Loci manifests, it usually appears
as a roughly humanoid shape somewhere between the
size of a child and an ogre, its body reflecting the sur-
rounding landscape. They usually provide one warning
to despoilers, but further destruction of the landscape
usually brings immediate and lethal violence from the
spirit. Petitioners can sometimes persuade the spirit to
unleash this violence against other enemies within its
territory. If the spirit’s manifestation is destroyed, it is
forced back into the natural locus of its power. If this
holy stone, tree, or other central focus is broken the spirit
is destroyed with it.
Gifts of the Land: A Genius Loci has 4-8 points of spe-
cial abilities appropriate to controlling or command-
ing its surroundings.
Local Omniscience: The Genius Loci can observe any
location within its domain as an On Turn action. It
can perceive only one such place at a time, though
it can swiftly find any particular person or thing it
might be looking for.
Lord of the Land: Natural animals dwelling within the
spirit’s domain are absolutely obedient to it, even to
the point of suicidal actions.
Manifestation: The Genius Loci can go immaterial as
a Main Action, becoming invisible and intangible
to non-magical weapons or spells. It can teleport
anywhere within its domain as a Main Action.
Guardian Spirit
Most often bound by ancient sorcerers as protectors of
their sanctums and vaults, Guardian Spirits come in
numerous shapes and sizes. All are characterized by a
degree of ferocity, however, whether appearing as huge-
jawed hounds, armored knights, or crackling spheres of
energy. They do not communicate with others save to
demand that they depart or warn them against entering
forbidden areas. They fight with human intelligence and
can interpret their orders in a logical way; while loath to
leave their appointed area, they can do so to deal with
some intruder’s trickery.
Most Guardian Spirits are responsive to particular
key items or passphrases, allowing the bearers to pass
 155

freely or remove whatever objects they were intended to

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

Eternal Vigilance: Guardian Spirits cannot be surprised,

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

Hungry Corpse
The unnatural energies that animate undead are flawed in
some cases, sufficient to give them motion but not to give
them satiety. Those undead afflicted by this deficiency
must hunt out living humans, draining them of their life
force to win a brief reprieve from the torments of their
own unholy thirst. The same flaw that forces this hunger
also grants certain unnatural powers to them, however.
Most Hungry Corpses are indistinguishable from
humans when well-fed, having the warmth and appear-
ance of normal living people. Starved corpses grow hol-
low-cheeked, waxen, and cold, though they move with a
manic, twitchy haste. Most attempt to remain properly
nourished, the better to blend in with their prey. When
sufficiently starved, however, all reason leaves them and
they will attack humans with blind ferocity. There is no
reliable way to create a Hungry Corpse, but some among
them study dark arts by which they might perhaps create
companions for their long eternity.
The mere touch of a Hungry Corpse can drain the
life energy from a victim, though most prefer to take their
nourishment through warm human blood. Most such
undead require one human victim a week to be comfort-
able, or at least one a month to avoid starvation. Demi-
humans and intelligent humanoid monsters can serve
their appetites in a pinch, but are unsatisfying. These
requirements force most of them to remain constantly
on the move to avoid discovery, though large cities can
support a considerable nest of these creatures, provided
they are careful with their hunting.
Enthralling Blood: Victims Mortally Wounded by the
creature’s Thirsting Touch power can be fed a por-
tion of its blood, reviving them as helpless slaves
of the Hungry Corpse. Such a slave is completely
subject to its master, and it must feed weekly on its
lord’s blood if it is not to perish. A Hungry Corpse
can maintain a number of thralls equal to its hit
dice; if the corpse is destroyed, its thralls are freed.
Pacifying Gaze: As a Main Action, the Hungry Corpse
can gaze at a living creature within 30’; the victim
must make a Mental saving throw or become par-
alyzed and unable to act for the rest of the scene.
Victims can make a Mental save at the start of their
turn to shake off this effect, but each attempt adds
1 System Strain. Creatures with 1 HD do not get a
save against this power.
Scuttler: Hungry Corpses can climb even sheer surfaces
as if they were flat ground, clinging to walls and
ceilings regardless of their weight.
Thirsting Touch: With a successful unarmed attack
against a victim, the Hungry Corpse does no hit
point damage but adds 1d4 points of System Strain
to them. If this exceeds the victim’s maximum, they
fall to zero hit points and become Mortally Wound-
ed.
Unholy Gifts: Powerful Hungry Corpses can have up
to 8 points of special abilities, and many possess at
least some degree of Undead Might.
156
Lich
The dreadful result of deep necromantic lore, a Lich is
an undead sorcerer who has prolonged their life through
various forbidden and terrible arts. While they lack the
superlative power of the Unending, the lichdom process
is much more accessible for a wizard willing to accept the
inevitable compromises of the technique.
Liches invariably appear to be rotted corpses or yel-
low-boned skeletons, usually adorned with the neglect-
ed remnants of their sorcerous robes and occult tokens.
They move with a slow deliberation, and are usually at
least half-distracted with thoughts and contemplations
wholly alien to living minds. Few liches have the slightest
concern for human lives or human affairs, being entirely
obsessed with the pursuit of further arcane secrets.
Liches are generally lost to the world, having retreat-
ed to their sanctums to carry out unending centuries of
obscure magical experiments. The consequences of these
studies can be disastrous for the neighboring lands, how-
ever, particularly when summoned creatures get loose or
eldritch experiments befoul the surroundings. When a
lich finds it necessary to obtain some new ingredient for
its research, it most often sends its conjured or undead
servants to fetch it with no concern for the potential con-
sequences; things like “negotiation” and “subterfuge” are
generally beneath the lich’s attention. A few particularly
fresh or socially adroit liches have been known to culti-
vate networks of human servants, however, to more easily
acquire their necessary components and artifacts.
Dark Sorcery: A lich has arts and casts spells as a 10th
level High Mage, Necromancer, or other spellcaster.
Most of them have 5-8 points of Effort. A lich can
Commit Effort for the day to resist spell disruption
due to injury, though it can do this only once per
round.
Eldritch Talons: When piqued, a lich can attack a foe
bare-handed; its bony claws rip away a portion of
a living creature’s life force, inflicting 2d8 damage
on a hit and adding 1d4 points of System Strain.
Creatures forced above their maximum collapse,
Mortally Wounded.
Eyes of Night: Liches can see perfectly well in the dark,
and can see invisible or intangible creatures nor-
mally.
Undead Might: A Lich has 2 points of Undead Might,
and can Commit Effort for the day as an On Turn
action to refresh an expended point.
Unholy Arts: Every lich has accumulated 6-10 points of
special abilities over the centuries as a byproduct of
their magical studies.
Skull Knight
Some necromancers or death-cults are not satisfied with
creating hosts of shambling, half-witted minions. They
prefer quality over quantity, and so conduct the neces-
sary rites to raise up a hero from the dead, whether out
of some suitable fresh sacrifice or the shade of an an-
cient paragon. These “skull knights” are powerful undead
warriors and are capable of leading other undead in war.
The more potent the original sacrifice or spirit, the more
powerful the skull knight.
The average skull knight is armed and armored with
the rotted echoes of their living harness, though this
equipment invariably works perfectly all the same. Most
are skeletal in appearance, though a few are revived with
fleshy features and some are even largely indistinguish-
able from living humans.
Skull knights have all the intelligence and memo-
ries of their living days, and are invariably skilled and
capable leaders. Undead under their command respond
instinctively to their wishes, and act with a degree of co-
ordination they otherwise could not hope to have. Most
skull knights are wise enough to keep a bodyguard of
their most powerful minions close to hand, realizing
that they would undoubtedly be the primary target of
a prudent foe.
Fury of the Grave: A skull knight gains an additional
one or two Main Actions per round, depending on
its prowess, provided these bonus actions are used
to attack or harm others.
Undead Might: Skull knights have 4 points of Undead
Might which they can share with any undead under
their command, however distant they may be.
Unholy Prowess: Each skull knight has 4-8 points of
special abilities related to their combat prowess.
Will of the Host: Skull knights know and can perceive
anything their undead minions can perceive. They
can use a power equivalent to the Necromancer
spell Command the Dead as a Main Action, but they
have no cap on how many hit dice of undead thralls
they can have at once.
Slave Husk
Named for the frequency with which they are enslaved
by Necromancers or enthralled by more potent undead,
slave husks are wretched men and women who have
stirred to an uneasy half-death due to some lapse in the
Legacy, an infusion of necromantic energies, a desultory
death-god blessing, or some other process of undeath.
Some are even the product of particular plagues and ill-
nesses, diseases that deliver them only halfway to death.
A slave husk generally appears as a shambling,
semi-rotted corpse. It has no real intelligence, but is driv-
en by a constant sense of unease and suffering that can
only be calmed by human flesh and blood. Most are too
stupid to actively seek out such prey, but they will des-
perately pursue any that catch their notice. While slave

husks lack the intelligence for any particular expertise at
combat, their dead forms are highly resilient to punish-
ment, and they must often be hacked into pieces before
their unnatural vitality leaves them.
Shambling Tide: Slave husks are too stupid for sophis-
ticated tactics, but in large groups they gain an in-
stinctive degree of cooperation. If 6 or more slave
husks are present, they can perform Swarm Attacks
on their victims.
Wraith Lord
The fearsome princes of the dead, a wraith lord is a pow-
erful ruler who has been animated by skilled death-cult-
ists or an age-old cultural tradition of necromancy. The
creation of these beings requires an enormous amount
of wealth and human sacrifices, and only nations with
a long dedication to unlife generally have the resources
necessary to translate a living lord into this royal undeath.
Wraith lords appear to be hale and powerful hu-
man warriors, though direct sunlight leaves them seem-
ing slightly translucent. They are invariably mantled in
exquisite armor and bear powerful magical weapons. A
bodyguard of skull knights is usually always with them,
and some retain liches or other magic-versed undead as
court sorcerers.
While wraith lords have keen and far-reaching
minds, undeath invariably shifts their priorities. Most
were created as a reward for their long service to the Pale
Emperor or some death-polity, and their chief concerns
are the enjoyment of their further eternity with phan-
tom wine, undead concubines, unliving gardens, and all
the personal projects their former life denied them. The
natural stasis of the undead makes it unlikely that they
157
will ever grow weary of such pastimes, but a few are not
so distracted from the world.
These active wraith lords usually find pleasure only
in conquest and rule, and will scheme constantly to fur-
ther their power over the living. Armies of corpses and
human levies alike will be marshaled in their service, and
living kings must be made to bow at the foot of their cold
thrones. Most such wraith lords are eventually destroyed
by a coalition of living rulers or a band of brave heroes,
but a few can still be found in remote regions where there
are no rivals to check them.
Fury of the Grave: A wraith lord gains an additional
two Main Actions per round, provided these bonus
actions are used to attack or harm others.
Prince of Bones: The wraith lord can use the equiva-
lent of a Command the Dead spell as a Main Action,
though it has no maximum in the number of un-
dead it can theoretically enthrall.
Timeless Foresight: The wraith lord is but poorly teth-
ered to time, and can sometimes gain visions of the
immediate future. Once per scene, as an Instant
action, it can rewind events back to the start of its
last turn. The intervening time did not happen; it
merely foresaw the impending events, which now
may be changed.
Unholy Prowess: Each wraith lord has from 8 to 10
points of special abilities related to their living
achievements and talents.
Undead Might: Most wraith lords have at least five
points of Undead Might, and can confer this grace
on any undead affected by their Prince of Bones
power.
158
OPTIONAL RULES AND CLASSES
One of the advantages of many old-school-inspired
games is their great malleability in the hands of a GM.
It’s not hard to plug in new rules or add on additional
options because most of the systems are semi-indepen-
dent already. This section of the book offers certain new
rules and classes that might prove useful to your own
campaigns.
Low and No-Magic Campaigns offers a selection
of rules for campaigns where magic doesn’t play the ma-
jor role it does in most fantastical worlds. You may want
to play a historical game where magic wouldn’t be an
appropriate element, or run a gritty, low-magic campaign
where the only possessors of eldritch power are vile NPC
wizards fit only for an honest barbarian’s blade.
These games have considerable charm, but allowanc-
es need to be made for things like healing, appropriate
Focus options, character creation limits, and other details
meant to support the campaign’s tone. Those helps can
be had in the pages that follow.
Optional Rules offer a grab bag of small rule mod-
ifications for adding particular tones to your game or
adjusting the way the basic rules play. Options for slow
healing, maiming wounds, depowering magic, and mak-
ing System Strain play a larger role in affairs are offered.
Primitive Firearms are there to support campaigns
set in early modern periods or in realms where arquebus-
es are found alongside spears. Special rules for Ondasi
hurlants can also be used to support Wild West-flavored
campaigns where every hero packs a sixgun.
Mundane Alchemy is another tool to support
low-magic games, giving a selection of alchemical works
that a well-educated chymyst can compound. These
brews are designed to be plausible enough to fit even
in a no-magic setting, if a little heroic license is allowed.
New Character Classes include four new partial
classes that you can mix into your existing game. Three
are meant for inclusion in typical fantasy settings, while
the fourth is meant to give a little hint of supernatural
skill or revered social standing to a PC in a world bereft
of open magic.
New Foci are provided in three sections, each re-
stricted to Experts, Warriors, or Mages respectively.
These new Foci are semi-magical in nature, granting mar-
velous abilities that often have certain drawbacks. While
suitable for most high-magic games, a GM may choose
to be more restrictive in lower-magic settings.
As always, none of the material in this section
should be included in your game without careful con-
sideration. While the rules here are meant to be suitable
for an average table and a typical game, only you really
understand the specifics of your own gaming group and
the goals of your own campaign.
In particular, you should be careful about includ-
ing new classes or Foci just because they’re printed here.
Don’t add them unless they are actually needed, either by
you for worldbuilding purposes or by a player who has a
character concept that they particularly enable. If it turns
out they’re a bad fit, be ready to retract them as needed.

Low and No-Magic Campaigns
By default, Worlds Without Number aims at a setting
where magic exists and can be quite powerful, but is rel-
atively rare in day-to-day life and not a common tool for
most societies. Even so, there are settings where even this
much magic is too much to suit a table. Some campaigns
might be placed in worlds where magic doesn’t exist at all,
such as a game revolving around the Thirty Years War or
some other Earth-historical setting. Others wish to play
games where magic is very subtle or modest in its effects,
and their wizards shouldn’t be hurling balls of flame or
conjuring crystalline towers.
This game can serve perfectly well as a chassis for
such campaigns, but some adjustments and excisions are
needed in order for things to go smoothly. This section
discusses rules and options for playing a low or no-magic
game, and the kind of changes you may wish to make to
support such styles of play.
The No-Magic Game
For a historical game or one set in a world where magic
doesn’t exist, a GM should make the following adjust-
ments to the rules.
• No Mages or partial Mage classes, including super-
naturally-augmented classes such as the Vowed or
Kistian Duelists. For most campaigns, this means
only Warriors, Experts, and partial Warrior/partial
Expert Adventurers.
• No magic items, elixirs, or calyxes. Masterwork
equipment is as good as it gets.
• Equipment mods exist, but only ones that could be
explained by wholly mundane craftsmanship and
materials. Of the conventional mod list, this means
only Augmented Gear, Customized, and Tailored
Harness are allowed. No arcane salvage is needed
for any mod.
• No Foci that are explicitly supernatural in effect,
such as Nullifier, Lucky, Spirit Familiar, some
Unique Gifts, or Xenoblooded. Depending on the
judgment of the GM, the second level of some Foci
such as Authority, Gifted Chirurgeon, Impervious
Defense, Die Hard, or Dealmaker may be too un-
realistic to suit the tone of the world.
Some optional rules may also be added if they fit
the desired tone of the world, such as the Slow Heal-
ing, Maiming Wound, or More System Strain rules that
follow.
159
The Low-Magic Game
Running a game with very low-level or subtle magic is
another style popular with some tables. For a game like
that, the following guidelines are recommended, adjusted
to whatever specifics the GM wants for their own par-
ticular setting.
• No full Mages or dual partial spellcasters. Partial
Mage classes can be taken by Adventurers, but their
other class needs to be Expert or Warrior. For the
lowest-magic settings the optional Wise class in
this section may be the only “magic-users” allowed.
• No Healers, as the presence of swift and easy mag-
ical healing is very out-of-tone for most low magic
settings.
• Optionally, no magic-using partial Mage classes
aside from spellcasters; some settings have room
for a human wizard, but not for shapeshifters,
beast-masters, mentalists, or supernaturally potent
unarmed combatants.
• Equipment mods exist, but the GM can selectively
strike any of them that produce effects too showy
or overt for the setting. Arcane salvage units are still
needed, but they may take the form of extremely
rare and costly components or materials instead of
magical detritus.
• No Workings, save those allowed by special GM
permission.
• No magic item creation by PCs, and probably none
by any NPCs they know. Most low-magic worlds
should have their magic items placed exclusively
by the GM.
• No spell research, though the GM may permit the
PC to find spells they specifically go adventuring
to locate.
• No Foci that are too overtly magical for the setting,
by the GM’s judgment. A Spirit Familiar is prob-
ably too much for most low-magic settings, but
Lucky could be subtle enough.
The GM is likely to sort through the list of optional
rules that follow and pick out those that best characterize
the style of game they want to play. Not every low-magic
world is necessarily a gritty grimdark dysentery-fest, but
sometimes that’s exactly what the table wants.
160
Drylands in the Latter Earth
While the Legacy allows the inhabitants of the Latter
Earth to work great marvels and permits the existence
of strange and wondrous creatures, not every part of the
planet is equally rich in magical energies. Some regions
were deprived of magic at some point in the past, either
as the result of some fumbled Working, ancient security
lock, or cosmic misalignment of powers. These “drylands”
act as pockets of mundanity in the Latter Earth.
Effects of a Dryland
Within the borders of a dryland, magic simply does not
work. The High Magic of the ancients is locked away
and the New Magic of their successors has nothing to
channel. Magical devices become inert, wondrous sub-
stances have no properties uncommon to ordinary matter,
and magical beasts must swiftly flee or die. Even massive
magical Workings from nearby regions sputter and fade
when they touch the borders of a dryland, and attempts
to reach into the zone with scrying or other occult forces
are in vain. Creatures cursed or blessed with some mag-
ical power find it inaccessible, and those whose lives are
dependent on immortality-magics or transformations
must escape the zone or face swift death.
Almost every dryland has rumors or traditions of
special magics that can function within their lands, usu-
ally arts so subtle and intangible that nobody can prove
they didn’t actually work. Curses, blessings, oracles, and
divinations make up the bulk of these native arts, and
none of them seem to work any better than blind luck
or post-hoc rationalization would have it.
Even so, a few zones really do have provable magic
of a kind, usually alchemical in nature or of a subtle sort
that works more often than random chance would admit.
These delicate arts almost never produce notable effects
and usually require a lifetime of training or special initi-
ations in order to use them. There are persistent rumors
in some regions of special items or blessings that would
allow a more conventional High Mage to use the full
breadth of their powers, but proof of these tales is elusive.
The Sunward Isles are the largest drylands in this
region of the Latter Earth, but smaller zones are known
elsewhere. Many say that a good portion of the Inner
Frontier of the Scarlet Princes is a dryland, and some
portions of Ondas appear to be equally bereft of magical
energies, though Ondasi technology still functions.
Playing in a Dryland
Drylands usually count as no-magic zones and apply the
appropriate rules from this section. A few of them have
some subtle forms of functional magic, however, and
might qualify as low-magic areas instead. A Mage who
enters into a no-magic dryland won’t suffer physical harm,
but none of his arts or spells will work. In a low-magic
dryland that allows only partial Mages, his powers are
dampened down to those of a partial Mage of his tra-
dition, or only one of his partial Mage classes if he’s a
dual-partial spellcaster.
Supernatural creatures or entities dependent on
magic to exist cannot survive in a dryland. Such beings
suffer 1d6 damage per round while in a dryland and dis-
integrate completely on reaching zero hit points. Pro-
foundly cursed or blessed entities might also find the
land unable to support their existence. For low-magic
drylands, some subtle supernatural creatures or native
magical entities might be able to survive unharmed.
Magical items taken into a dryland cease function-
ing while they remain inside it, and magical substances
start behaving like their nearest mundane equivalent.
This may cause some exotic items to disintegrate or col-
lapse. Some low-magic drylands are compatible with
magic items, though the more powerful or flamboyant
ones may be negated or dampened.
Magic cast into a dryland normally dissipates use-
lessly, even in low-magic zones. Scrying or long-range
Workings are usually futile. Local magical traditions na-
tive to low-magic zones might still function from afar,
however.
Some drylands are without the natural vigor-en-
hancing effects of the Legacy, and the optional Slow
Healing or Maiming Wound rules might apply. Other
low-magic zones still allow some forms of magic, but
apply the Pacifist Magic or Slow Magic rules to their
use. Heroes who venture into such places are advised
to carry a large supply of bandages and a great fund of
judicious caution.

Optional Rules
The rules in this section are meant to be mix-and-
matched by individual GMs to fit the needs of a more
“realistic” setting. As always, a GM should feel free to
tweak them to fit the specifics of their own campaign
setting or the genre tone they’re looking to target.
Slow Healing
These rules replace the normal healing rules and reflect
a setting where grievous physical injury is something
that leaves lasting scars and debilities. Most hit point
loss is still assumed to be superficial cuts and bruises,
but a Mortally Wounded character has taken some real
punishment and needs serious care.
A wounded character who is not Frail recovers their
character level in hit points after each night of comfort-
able rest and loses one accumulated System Strain point
at the same time.
A Mortally Wounded PC immediately rolls three
Physical saving throws once they’ve been stabilized and
counts their successes against the table below. An NPC
can attempt only two saving throws.
Saves Made Healing Time
0 Death in 1d12 hours
Two permanent System Strain and
1 8
Frail for a month
One permanent System Strain and
2 9
Frail for a month
3 Frail for a week
A physician can attempt to grant a victim a reroll of
these saves with a successful Dex/Heal or Int/Heal skill
check against difficulty 10 and an hour of work. On a
success, the victim can reroll any of the three saves that
failed. Only one such attempt to help can be made.
If the permanent System Strain their injury inflicts
exceeds their maximum, they die sometime during their
Frailty. Shedding this permanent strain is not normally
possible, but the GM may permit certain brilliant healers
or exceedingly costly medicines to alleviate it.
While Frail, the victim will not heal hit points or
lose accumulated System Strain, and will need someone
to tend to them. If conditions are particularly harsh or
help is lacking, the GM might make them re-roll one or
more of their successful saves, taking the worst result.
If magical healing exists in the setting, it cannot nor-
mally restore hit points to the Frail or remove the Frail
condition. Use of it on a Mortally Wounded subject does
stabilize them, however. On a bedridden Frail target the
use of it can turn one failed saving throw into a success,
though this can only be done once.
The GM may allow some exceptionally potent
healing magic to work as it does in the normal rules for
healing, banishing Frailty and healing damage for anyone.
161
Maiming Wounds
These rules can be used in conjunction with Slow Heal-
ing or as a stand-alone penalty for becoming Mortally
Wounded. If using them with Slow Healing, the GM
might optionally replace death or month-long Frailty
with a result from the maiming wound table.
When a character is Mortally Wounded, they need
to make a Physical saving throw. If they succeed at it,
they avoid permanent maiming. If they fail, they roll on
the table below.
d12 Maiming Wound
1 Deathblow: No one could survive that
2 Eye damage: -4 to ranged hit rolls
3 Lose a hand: can still strap a shield to the arm
4 Lamed: Move is reduced to 2/3rds speed
Ugly scar: -1 penalty on all friendly social
5
skill checks
6 Arm loss: the whole arm is gone
Leg loss: Move reduced to 1/3rd with
7
prosthesis
Mostly deaf: Can manage conversations,
but no listening checks
Infected wound: Lose two points of
Constitution
10 Mental trauma: Lose two points of Wisdom
Lung injury: Gain two permanent points of
11
System Strain
12 Flesh wound: No lasting penalties
A repeated result means a mere flesh wound with
no lasting effect, even if they’ve got another arm, leg, or
hand they could lose.
A physician who spends a scene tending them im-
mediately after the injury and succeeds on a difficulty 10
Int/Heal or Dex/Heal skill check can allow a maimed
target to make another saving throw with a bonus equal
to the physician’s Heal skill. On a success, it’s really a
flesh wound after all. Only one such first aid attempt
can be made.
If magical healing exists in this world, it can also be
used immediately after the injury to allow a saving throw
reroll attempt, though it heals no hit point damage. Only
the most powerful magics can actually heal a confirmed
maiming wound, however, and the GM decides what
magic would qualify.
162
Pacifist Magic
For low-magic games that still include some form of
spellcasting or partial Mage classes, a GM may want to
downplay the utility of magic in combat. This rule puts
murder firmly in the hands of the mundane members
of the party.
With the pacifist magic rule, no spell or art can di-
rectly inflict hit point damage on a target. Spells that do
nothing but cause damage simply don’t exist, and arts
such as Elemental Blast aren’t permitted. NPCs may still
have damaging sorcery, however, depending on the secret
traditions they follow or the hideous pacts they’ve made.
Slow Magic
As an alternative or addition to Pacifist Magic, the GM
may want to slow down the use of sorcery, making it that
much harder to use in a high-pressure situation.
With this rule, those spells that usually take a Main
Action to cast take instead effect at the start of the caster’s
next round. Any damage or interruption suffered before
then spoils the spell. The Swift Casting and Hang Sorcery
arts are not available.
Primitive Firearms
Many historical games involve crude firearms, wheth-
er arquebuses, muskets, flintlock pistols, or early rifles.
The statistics for hurlants can be used in many cases, but
some GMs may prefer to have more specific statistics for
certain kinds of weapons.
The adjacent table lists some of the more historical-
ly-known firearm types and their plausible ranges in the
hands of the average adventurer. Prices listed assume that
the weapon is the best technology available for the time;
a dusty old arquebus will be cheaper if rifled muskets are
in common circulation.
The reload times and rates of fire given here are set
to be historically plausible for excellent riflemen, like the
average PC gunman tends to be. NPCs with less focused
training in their firing drill might need to take an extra
round to get their guns in order.
Reload times given are in rounds of focused effort,
with repeating rifles reloadable with no more than a
Move action and the use of percussion caps and paper
or linen cartridges. If the user is meleed or otherwise dis-
rupted during the reloading, however, the effort is spoiled.
A firing kit includes a powder horn, bullet pouch,
spare flints, and all the other miscellaneous tools and
implements necessary to shoot and maintain a weapon.
A kit can hold 30 rounds of ammo Ready for loading.
More System Strain
There aren’t a lot of ways to gain System Strain in a
low-magic setting, and some GMs may want to instead
use it to represent the stress and pressure of more con-
ventional threats and hardships. This kind of use doesn’t
really fit the more pulp-heroic idiom of the base game,
but it can fit some styles of low or no-magic gaming.
With this rule, the PCs gain a point of System Strain
after each combat, saving throw, or scene of harrowing
danger, intense exertion, or other stressful privation. If
this point puts them at their maximum, they are exhaust-
ed, and can do nothing but rest until reduced below their
maximum. If they are forced to fight or otherwise exert
themselves while so strained, they need to make a Phys-
ical saving throw or they’ll pass out or otherwise collapse
during the fray, waking up after the scene.
If this rule is used, the default System Strain re-
covery after a good night’s sleep should be three points
instead of one. This rule also makes it much more likely
a PC is going to die if the Slow Healing rules are used,
so you may want to omit the “certain death if System
Strain maximum is exceeded” effect from that rule, and
just leave them unconscious for a few days.
Primitive Firearm Accessories
Item Cost in SP Enc
Firing Kit 10 1
100 shots of gunpowder 10 1
100 lead balls 2 1
50 pre-loaded cartridges 10 1
Gunpowder and lead balls are priced at the as-
sumption that they can be found fairly easily in the cam-
paign setting. Primitive gunpowder and crude lead shot
are not difficult to make, and anyone with Shoot-1 or
Craft-0 skills can make them out of the raw materials, if
such are available.
A pre-loaded cartridge made of paper or linen is
needed for a repeating rifle, as old musket-style loading
techniques are too slow. In a pinch, these cartridges can
be taken apart to be used in conventional muskets.
GMs who want to make use of other forms of fire-
arms are encouraged to consult Stars Without Num-
ber, pages 66-67. That game covers more contemporary
weaponry, and has the requisite rules for semi-automatic
weapons, revolvers, burst fire, and other modern forms
of mayhem.
 163

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

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

Ondasi Hurlants Dmg Attribute Range in Feet Traits Magazine Cost in SP Enc
Wheelgun 1d8 Dex 90/300 AP 6 60 1
Derringer 1d6 Dex 15/30 AP 2 25 1*
Scattergun 3d4 Dex 30/90 AP 2 60 2
Rifle 1d12 Dex 600/1,200 AP, PM 6 100 2
PM: Execution Attacks do double damage and have -1 on saves. AP: It ignores non-magical armor and shields.
M: Must have a mount, resting stick, or rest or suffer -4 to hit. A stick is included in the encumbrance.
164
Mundane Alchemy
Some GMs like to add a dash of the exotic to their his-
torical games or no-magic settings. While incanted spells
and magical talismans may be too outre for their cam-
paigns, old-fashioned alchemical mixtures might be just
plausible enough to fit into the game.
The mundane alchemy rules in this section are suit-
able for creating potions and powders that are “realistic”
enough to fit into most no-magic campaigns if no one
looks too closely at them. Some GMs may make their
creation the provenance of half-crazed NPC scholars
in search of alchemical immortality, while others might
make room for PC alchemists who take up their quest
alongside more conventional adventurers.
Becoming an Alchemist
A would-be alchemist must take the Mundane Alche-
mist Focus, thereby gaining access to the Alchemy skill at
level-0 and obtaining a selection of basic formulae and
the tools to use them. Only someone with the Mundane
Alchemist Focus can gain or raise their Alchemy skill,
and only Experts or Partial Experts can take the Focus,
including the Wise class described in this section.
The Alchemy skill allows the user to brew, identify,
and employ alchemical substances, including throwing
them accurately. For treating poisons and burns, Alche-
my can substitute for the Heal skill.
The works of a mundane alchemist are calibrated
for use in a setting with no magic, or magic so subtle
as to be indistinguishable from ordinary reality. They’re
useful and situationally helpful, but greatly inferior to
magical elixirs or other works of true magic. A GM
might choose to allow PCs in a fully magical campaign
to take the Alchemy skill without needing to take the
Mundane Alchemist Focus, and allow them to create
these mundane potions at the usual difficulties and costs
without any Focus dedication. It’s recommended to keep
the class limit in place, restricting the skill to Experts and
partial Experts only as full Mages already have their own
magical options.
Focus: Mundane Alchemist
You’ve been trained at the laborious art of alchemy and
are familiar with its intricate subtleties.
Level 1: Gain Alchemy-0 as a bonus skill. You have for-
mulae for all common lesser works, but you cannot
yet devise greater works, even if you get the formula
for one. You can scavenge or jury-rig lab equipment
sufficient to create lesser works unless completely
separated from all adequate makeshifts.
Level 2: You have formulae for all common greater works
and can compound them at the usual difficulty. A
week of lab work and access to common mundane
materials lets you create your level x 25 silver pieces
worth of alchemical components for use in com-
pounding your own personal works.
Alchemical Works
A potion, salve, unguent, or chymical reaction created by
an alchemist is a work. Works are divided into lesser and
greater categories. Alchemists with only the first level of
the Mundane Alchemist Focus can make only lesser
works, while those with the second can attempt greater
works.
Making a work requires raw materials and a suitable
alchemical laboratory. Any competent alchemist can ju-
ry-rig the tools necessary for crafting a lesser work with a
few days of urban scrounging, but a lab for making great-
er works costs 5,000 silver pieces in glassware, grinders,
scales, furnaces, metal vessels, and other paraphernalia.
An alchemical laboratory takes up at least an inn
room’s worth of space for lesser workings, or a cottage’s
worth of space for a lab fit for greater workings. A ful-
ly-packed lesser lab takes up 10 encumbrance units
worth of space, while a greater lab is a cartload. A lesser
lab can be packed or unpacked in an hour; a greater one
requires a day.
Each work requires that the alchemist have a for-
mula for its creation. The ones listed here are common
knowledge to the tradition, and any alchemist capable of
compounding them will know their formulae. The GM
may selectively remove some if they don’t fit the setting,
and might also include new works that require the PCs
to find or buy the formula from elsewhere.
Crafting a work requires raw materials. These raw
materials can be purchased in any town or gathered by
foraging in the wilderness. An alchemist out hunting in
unsettled territory can accumulate their level x 10 silver
pieces worth of raw materials for each day of foraging.
Some places may have exceptionally rich hunting; these
places are usually associated with exceptionally keen
dangers. In the same way, looted laboratories or ancient
troves might contain considerable amounts of usable
materials.
If the alchemist has the lab, the formulae, the mate-
rials, and the free time, they can attempt to craft a work.
Each of the works listed in this section has a difficulty
and time needed to compound one dose or use of the
work. Creating it requires an Int/Alchemy skill check
against the difficulty listed. On a success, everything goes
well. On a failure, the alchemist can either accept the loss
or push the reaction. If they accept the loss, they lose the
materials and time but nothing goes amiss. If they push
the reaction, they can attempt the skill check again; on a
success, the work is successfully created, while a failure
results in the loss of time and materials plus a lab acci-
dent from the adjacent table.

d6 Alchemical Accident
Explosion: suffer 1d6+difficulty damage,
1 most alchemists, and anyone capable of brewing them
double for a greater work. Lab destroyed.
Fire: Suffer 1d6 damage, double for a
2
greater work. Lab useless for a week.
Poison: Physical save or be bedridden for
a week. Even on a save or immunity, gain
3
3 System Strain. Die if your System Strain
exceeds the maximum.
Stench: Horrific odors render the lab
4 failure, the target loses their next Move action from
unusable for a week.
Broken Tool: That specific work can’t be
5 or wooden objects in about fifteen minutes.
attempted again for a week.
Ordinary failure: only materials and time
6
are lost.
Using Alchemical Works
Applying a potion or ointment usually takes a Main Ac-
tion. They can be thrown up to sixty feet using Shoot,
Stab, Exert, or Alchemy as the relevant combat skill. If
the work has to be applied directly to a target, the throw
must hit their Armor Class; if it’s a grenade-like weapon
that merely has to hit the area, the AC to hit is usually
12. On a miss with such a grenade, roll 1d12 to see which
clockface direction the throw was off in, and 1d20 to see
how many feet it missed by.
A Readied vial or jar counts as one item of encum-
brance. When stowed away, they can be packed in sets
of four, but it takes the usual Main Action to break
open such packages before any of the contents can be
withdrawn. Single stowed vials count as a single item of
encumbrance due to their protective wrapping. Carrying
numerous unwrapped alchemical vials in an adventurer’s
pack is generally a very bad idea.
Alchemical effects do not stack. If they apply bene-
fits or penalties to a roll, only the best or worst of them
are applied to the target. Thus, a victim afflicted by both
Blinding Dust and Itching Dust suffers a -4 to hit rolls,
not -6.
Alchemical works are completely non-magical and
cannot be detected, dispelled, or negated by conventional
anti-magical spells and powers. Abilities that grant resis-
tance to magical powers do not resist the use of mundane
alchemy.
165
Alchemical Works
The formulas here are in common circulation among
can do so.
Some works are targeted, and must hit a specific
target’s AC to take effect. Others are thrown as grenades,
using the rules on the prior page.
Lesser Works
Acid Vial: Targeted. The weak acid inflicts 1d4 points of
damage and forces a Physical or Mental save; on a
the pain and panic. The acid can corrode tiny metal
Binding Paste: A vial containing two different com-
pounds is mixed together and applied to two dif-
ferent objects which are pressed together by the user.
The paste hardens in one round, forming a rock-
hard bond between the objects that lasts for an hour
before crumbling away. The paste does not set if
the objects are moving or flexing when it is applied.
Blinding Dust: Targeted. The victim makes a Physical
or Evasion save; on a failure, they take -4 to all hit
rolls and visual skill checks for the scene. Creatures
with 4 or more hit dice can make a Physical save at
the end of each of their turns to throw off the effect.
Healing Salve: If the subject isn’t Frail, they regain half
again as many hit points as usual after a night’s rest,
rounded up. Frail characters get no benefit.
Incandescent Dust: A powder which must be thrown
into a flame of at least torch-size. It burns with
blinding brilliance for 1d6 rounds, illuminating ev-
erything within 50 feet. Unwary creatures looking
at the fire source must make a Physical save or be
dazzled for a round, suffering a -4 penalty to hit
rolls and Armor Class.
Inflammable Oil: A vial can be applied to cover an ob-
ject no bigger than a large wooden door. It hardens
within minutes into a clear varnish-like layer that
will immediately ignite if struck vigorously. Flam-
mable objects will be lit on fire; non-flammable ones
will burn for one round.
Itching Dust: Targeted. If it strikes a person or is applied
to clothing they unwittingly don, they must make
a Physical saving throw or suffer excruciatingly
distracting itching for the rest of the scene or until
they remove the clothing, whichever comes later.
Distracted subjects suffer a -2 penalty to hit and
Armor Class. Creatures with 4 or more hit dice
can make a Physical save at the end of each of their
turns to ignore the itch for the rest of a fight.
Luminescent Oil: A vial of this oil is big enough to cover
one person or ten torches. It causes an object to
glow with a ghostly white light for an hour barely
sufficient to read by and adequate to make out the
rough shapes of objects within ten feet.
Self-Igniting Oil: Thrown as a grenade. The small pool
of flame is five feet in diameter. Those within it at
166

the start of their turn must move out of it or take Lesser Work Diff. Cost Time
1d6 damage. The oil burns out in two rounds. It’s Acid Vial 10 50 1 day
sufficient to ignite any normally-flammable object.
Binding Paste 9 50 1 day
Smoke Cloud: Thrown as a grenade. The vial bursts into
an obscuring cloud of smoke ten feet in diameter. Blinding Dust 9 50 2 days
Ranged attacks through the smoke or melee attacks Healing Salve 7 10 1 day
within it suffer a -4 penalty to hit, assuming the
Incandescent Dust 9 50 1 day
attackers know roughly where their targets are. The
cloud dissipates at the end of the round following Inflammable Oil 8 100 1 day
the one it’s used in. Itching Dust 9 100 2 days
Soothing Powder: One of a variety of narcotic drugs. Luminescent Oil 8 50 1 day
When consumed, the subject must make a Physical
save or fall into a helpless but very happy stupor for Self-Igniting Oil 8 50 3 days
1d6 hours. Creatures with 4 or more hit dice can Smoke Cloud 9 25 2 days
make a Physical save to throw off the effects when Soothing Powder 8 25 2 days
threatened.
Touchstone: Not so much a stone as a prepared alchemi- Touchstone 10 50 3 days
cal kit with one use per level of the alchemist. When
applied to a substance, it can detect poisons and Greater Work Diff. Cost Time
identify true or false precious metals or gemstones.
Aqueous Solvent 11 250 5 days
Against professional poisoners, the user must make
a contested Alchemy versus Heal skill check in or- Courage Elixir 10 200 1 week
der to detect the toxin. Infernal Wind 11 250 1 week
Lethal Poison 11 500 1 week
Greater Works
Aqueous Solvent: This small vial of extremely powerful Revivifying Draught 10 200 1 week
acid has too little volume to be effective as a weap- Sleeping Powders 10 200 3 days
on, but when carefully applied it can melt its way Sovereign Specific 11 200 1 week
through up to a fist-sized mass of metal or wood
in under a minute. Unquenchable Flame 12 1,000 2 weeks
Courage Elixir: A powerful analgesic, this vial adds a this time. Use of this elixir adds one System Strain.
temporary 10 hit points to the person who drinks it. Using it more than once a week forces a Physical
This boost lasts for the rest of the scene, but their in- save to avoid a fatal heart attack.
ability to feel pain leaves them unable to track their Sleeping Powders: When consumed, this tasteless
own hit points. At the scene’s end, these phantom chemical provokes immediate and intense sleepi-
hit points are lost, and the user may end up Mor- ness in the subject. If they feel themselves in danger
tally Wounded. they can fight off the drowsiness, but one not so
Infernal Wind: Thrown as a grenade. This jar of oil splat- alarmed must make a Physical saving throw at a
ters in a five-foot radius where it hits, and must be penalty equal to the creator’s Alchemy skill or fall
lit by some open flame. If so, it erupts into a chok- asleep within one minute.
ing cloud of black smoke, inflicting 1d6 damage on Sovereign Specific: A user who drinks or is made to
anyone in its area and creating an effect equivalent drink this elixir after suffering from poisoning may
to the Smoke Cloud work. The burning lasts for one make a new saving throw with a bonus equal to the
round per level of the alchemist who made it. creator’s Alchemy skill. On a success, the poison’s
Lethal Poison: Any alchemist can make toxins, but most effects are negated. The specific must be used within
are too slow, clumsy, or unreliable to be much prac- six rounds of the poisoning.
tical use. This formula creates a small vial of clear, Unquenchable Flame: This fist-sized mass is covered
tasteless liquid that’s strong enough to kill an ox with a protective film of non-reactive substance. If
within a minute. A subject who drinks the liquid the film is scratched, such as by impact, the mass
must make a Physical saving throw or take 1d6 will immediately ignite, beginning to burn with a
damage per level of the alchemist. This damage ferocious heat and toxic fumes that inflict 1d6 dam-
takes effect 1d10 rounds after its consumption. age to anyone who spends their full round within
Revivifying Draught: Someone drinking this potion can ten feet of it. The mass can burn almost anything,
fight, march, or otherwise exert themselves freely including stone, water, and metal, and will generally
for the next twenty-four hours without need for burn a three-foot-deep hole under it by the time it
rest. Indeed, they physically cannot sleep during consumes itself. The mass burns for 1d6+4 rounds.

New Character Classes
While the classes offered in the Worlds Without Num-
ber deluxe book cover many of the most common con-
cepts a player would wish to play, sometimes something
a little more exotic is needed. This section covers several
new character classes and three different sets of new Foci
appropriate to warriors, experts, and mages.
The Accursed is a PC pacted with some otherworld-
ly power in exchange for magical gifts and an eldritch
weapon against their foes. The specifics of their alliance
will vary, but their powers blend well with concepts reli-
ant on deceit, bargains, and trickery.
The Bard is a performer charged with the power of
the Legacy, their music, song, and speech infused with
unnatural puissance. While their abilities are not magical
in nature, they can still hearten allies, dismay foes, and
bolster the flagging among their friends.
The Mageslayer is a specialist among combat-
ants, their arts focused on the butchery of wizards and
spell-wielders. While narrow in their application, they
have many tricks for resisting hostile magics and swiftly
slaughtering enemy sorcerers.
The Wise are those of a special class, one intended
for low- or no-magic campaigns that still need a repre-
sentative scholar, priest, or witch. While their abilities
are generally too weak to be appropriate for the usual
full-magic settings, they have access to certain tricks that
no one else in a no-magic game might have.
As with any other optional material, a GM should
decide on their own whether or not to include these class-
es in their own campaign. All of them are partial classes,
meant to be mixed with some other set of abilities, and
while they are suitable for many campaigns it’s still a mat-
ter of discretion to include them in yours.
167
This principles especially applies to the new sets of
Foci included in this section. All of these new Foci have
a strong flavor of magic to them, even the ones restricted
to Warriors or Experts. This quality might be fine in a
typical campaign with full-fledged wizards and fairly easy
PC access to magic, but they might not fit as well in a
gritty low-magic setting where overtly magical abilities
are uncommon at best.
Adding New Campaign Content
If you already have an ongoing campaign, the simplest
way to introduce this content is to leave it to newly-cre-
ated PCs.
If you encourage your players to rifle through the
book to retroactively adjust their PCs, many optimiza-
tion-minded players will feel an obligation to find the
most mechanically optimal Focus and class set to play.
They can sometimes trim their PCs to fit such new con-
tent regardless of the violence it does to their past concept.
Sometimes, however, a particular new class or Focus
might seem to be a perfect fit for a PC’s concept. In that
case, you might make a special exception to let them ret-
roactively adjust their character sheet to add it.
In other cases, you might have the perfectly rea-
sonable instinct that, having acquired this book of new
options and choices, you would like to actually play with
them now. In such cases, it can be fairest to let the whole
group have a look at the new options and let them make
Focus swaps or possibly even class changes to suit their
new ideas. If for some inexplicable reason you lack a lus-
trous, high-quality copy of this book for every player at
the table, you can simply print out the following pages
and share them as needed.
168

The Accursed Level

Partial Expert/Accursed
Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks

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

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

Benefits of the Accursed

The Accursed is a partial Mage class that must be joined Partial Warrior/Accursed
with a second partial class by an Adventurer. A Partial
Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
Warrior/Accursed might be a grim demonic warrior, a
Partial Expert/Accursed might be a sinister tempter, 1 1d6+2 +1 1 Warrior
while a Partial Mage/Accursed could be a sorcerer will- +1 Any
ing to pact with foul creatures for their powers. 2 2d6+4 +2 +1 Any
All Accursed gain Magic-0 during character creation.
Even those who are not spellcasters must understand the 3 3d6+6 +2
ways of eldritch beings and the subtleties of sorcery. 4 4d6+8 +3
While the arts of Accursed Blade and Accursed Bolt
5 5d6+10 +4 +1 Any
use Magic as their combat skill, Foci that normally apply
to mundane weapons such as Armsmaster or Deadeye 6 6d6+12 +5
also benefit their relevant melee or ranged attacks. For 7 7d6+14 +5 +1 Any
these Foci, read “Magic” in place of “Shoot” or “Stab”
when gaining their benefits, including the granted skill 8 8d6+16 +6
and the stacking damage bonus that the first level of the 9 9d6+18 +6
Focus may grant.
10 10d6+20 +7 +1 Any

Accursed Arts
An Accursed has an Effort score equal to their Magic
skill level plus their Intelligence or Charisma modifier,
to a minimum of one point. Every Accursed gains either
Accursed Bolt or Accursed Blade as a starting art, plus
one more of their choice. Accursed arts may be used in
or out of armor.
Accursed Blade: As an On Turn action, manifest an oc-
cult melee weapon as a one-handed 1d8 weapon or
a two-handed 2d6 weapon. Both add your Magic
skill to the damage roll, have a Shock rating of 2/15,
and use Magic as the attack skill and the best of Str,
Dex, Int, or Cha as its modifying attribute.
Accursed Bolt: As Accursed Blade, but you launch blasts
of occult force instead of meleeing. Their damage
is 1d8 plus your Magic skill, their range is 200’, and
the bolts can be thrown in melee at a -4 penalty to
hit. These bolts need both hands free to hurl them.
Bewitching Distraction: Commit Effort for the day as a
Main Action when talking to an intelligent target
when not in combat. They must make a Mental save
or become dazed, oblivious to their surroundings
and forgetting you and all else that happened in that
scene. Danger ends the daze but not the forgetting.
Compelling Shriek: Once per scene, Commit Effort for
the day as a Main Action and shout a command
of no more than seven words. Chosen targets who
hear and understand must make a Mental save or
perform that action for one round, provided it is not
totally contrary to their character.
Devil’s Bargain: As a Main Action, consecrate a deal
you’ve made with an uncoerced person. If they vi-
olate the deal or its spirit, you know instantly and
may inflict 1d6 damage per level on them if desired.
Dire Pact: Foes suffer a penalty equal to your Magic skill
on all saves versus your Accursed arts. If they suc-
ceed, however, you gain one System Strain.
Lying Face: Commit Effort as a Main Action; while it
remains Committed, you can disguise yourself as
any humanoid of the same general size, including
clothing, scent, and voice.
Night-Black Eyes: You can see clearly in perfect dark-
ness. As a Main Action, focus on a particular visible
object, person, or location; you can tell if it is en-
chanted, though no details about the magic are seen.
Pacted Protection: Choose a type of harmful energy:
fire, frost, acid, electricity, or the like. You become
immune to natural degrees of this energy and take
half damage from magical attacks involving it.
Rob Vitality: Once per scene, as an On Turn action,
Commit Effort for the scene and target a visible foe.
They must make a Physical save or lose their next
Main Action, which you immediately gain instead.
Scourging Curse: Commit Effort for the scene as a Main
Action and target a visible foe. Your curse inflicts
a -1 penalty to their hit, damage, and saving throw
rolls for one round per level. At 4th level this pen-
169
Accursed Art Progression
Level Arts Gained at This Level
1 Either Accursed Blade or Accursed
Bolt plus Any One
2 Any One
3
4 Any One
5 Any One
6 Any One
7
8 Any One
9
10 Any One
alty becomes -2, and at 9th it becomes -3. Only one
such curse can be active at a given time.
Shadowed Steps: As a Move Action, Commit Effort for
the scene and teleport up to your Move distance.
You cannot bypass walls or physical obstacles, but
you can teleport vertically or into high places.
Snaring Speech: Once per round as an Instant action,
Commit Effort for the day when failing a skill check
to persuade or tempt someone. They must make a
Mental save or agree with your proposal if it’s some-
thing they would normally consider doing. Gain
one System Strain when using this art.
Sorcerous Battery: Once per day, as an On Turn action,
Commit Effort for the day. You or a visible ally re-
fresh the spell slot of a spell that has been cast since
the start of the prior round. Gain one System Strain.
Soul Consumption: As an Instant action, Commit Effort
for the day when you fell an intelligent target with
Accursed Bolt or Accursed Blade. They die instantly.
You heal 1d6 hit points plus your level and lose one
accumulated System Strain.
Tendrils of Night: Commit Effort as an On Turn action.
While Committed, you exude numerous tentacles
or eldritch arms that can manipulate objects with
your strength up to 20’ away. You gain no bonus
actions, but the arms can melee at range. These arms
have your AC, and you are damaged if they are hurt.
Unseen Steps: As an On Turn action, Commit Effort for
the day to turn invisible for 1d6 rounds plus your
level. This invisibility breaks before you attack, cast
spells, or perform other vigorous or violent actions.
Weight of Sin: As a Main Action, Commit Effort for
the day and target a visible foe. They must make
a Physical save or lose their Move action for 1d6
rounds plus your level.
Weeping Wounds: Once per round, Commit Effort for
the scene as an Instant action when a visible ene-
my takes damage. They must make a Physical save
or suffer 1d6 damage per round for one round per
level. They cannot heal or regenerate any hit point
damage during this effect. This art does not stack.
170

The Bard Level

Partial Expert/Bard
Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks

The power of music and chant to move the heart has been 1 1d6 +0 1 Expert
known since humankind has existed. It is no wonder that +1 Any
numerous schools and traditions of musical artifice have 2 2d6 +1 +1 Any
been born in the long ages of the Latter Earth, and many
3 3d6 +1
of them still have initiates in the present day.
Among the first of these known to history were the 4 4d6 +2
blind music masters of the Second Dynasty, ritualists
5 5d6 +2 +1 Any
charged with assisting in the many holy ceremonies of
that theocratic empire. In the north, godspeakers of the 6 6d6 +3
proto-Amundi lands uttered the will of their patrons, 7 7d6 +3 +1 Any
cowing any who would dare gainsay them. Troubadours
of the Seven Rivers Confederacy sang of romances and 8 8d6 +4
tragic dooms, and the chanters of the Zakathi work 9 9d6 +4
gangs in Old Carce kept up the strength of their com-
rades with their mighty voices. 10 10d6 +5 +1 Any
In the days since those arts arose, these traditions
and more have spread, splintered, faded, and been re-
newed in many times and places. Some novice bards are
Partial Mage/Bard
simple apprentices to masters who know little of their
antecedents, while others belong to formal schools that Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
have expectations for their alumni. Some are simply part 1 1d6 +0 1 Any
of cultural traditions and roles that are important in their
2 2d6 +1 +1 Any
homeland but little-understood abroad.
Their only commonality is the effectiveness of their 3 3d6 +1
techniques. Bardic arts are subtle but strong, able to move
4 4d6 +2
the hearts of strangers and encourage their faltering allies.
These powers are not magical, and wards against sorcery 5 5d6 +2 +1 Any
do nothing to forfend them. Instead, they tap into very 6 6d6 +3
deep portions of the Legacy, drawing power from the
archetypes that their human ancestors honored. 7 7d6 +3 +1 Any
While conventional expectations paint bards as 8 8d6 +4
bewitching artists with a deftly-played instrument or
compelling song, bardic arts can function equally well 9 9d6 +4
through fiery orations, persuasive speech, or even par- 10 10d6 +5 +1 Any
ticularly evocative dance. Any form of performance that
can convey an emotion or idea will serve as a medium,
and there are bardic traditions that have their own pref-
erences among them. PCs can use any method that is Partial Warrior/Bard
appropriate to their style or background for their arts.
Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
Benefits of the Bard 1 1d6+2 +1 1 Warrior
The Bard is a partial Expert class that must be joined +1 Any
with a second partial class by an Adventurer. A Partial 2 2d6+4 +2 +1 Any
Warrior/Bard might be a martial skald, a Partial Expert/
Bard might be a light-fingered troubadour, while a Partial 3 3d6+6 +2
Mage/Bard might mix true magic in with their artful 4 4d6+8 +3
performances.
5 5d6+10 +4 +1 Any
All Bards gain Perform-0 during character creation.
Their abilities hinge on their power to move a listener, 6 6d6+12 +5
whether that is by song, musicianship, or stirring oratory. 7 7d6+14 +5 +1 Any
Unlike the normal Partial Expert class, Bards do not
get a bonus non-combat Focus at first level, nor do they 8 8d6+16 +6
get a Partial Expert’s bonus skill point when advancing 9 9d6+18 +6
a character level. One who takes the standard Partial
10 10d6+20 +7 +1 Any
Expert for their other class gains these things normally.

Bard Arts
A Bard has an Effort score equal to their Perform skill
level plus their Charisma modifier, to a minimum of one
point. Bard arts may be used in or out of armor, and do
not count as magical effects for the purposes of abilities
that counter or detect magic. Unless specified otherwise,
their range is out to normal unaided voice range.
Every Bard gains A Thousand Tongues as a starting
art, plus one more of their choice. As they advance in
levels, they can pick additional arts.
A Thousand Tongues: Your arts that require communi-
cation are intuitively understood by all intelligent
creatures, whether or not you speak their language.
You can learn a new language with no more than a
week of study with a native speaker.
Battle Cry: Commit Effort for the day as an On Turn ac-
tion to bolster your allies. They gain +1 to hit, sav-
ing throws, and damage, including Shock, for one
round per level. At 4th level this bonus increases to
+2, and at 9th, to +3.
Cursed Tune: Commit Effort for the scene as a Main
Action while targeting an intelligent creature. Your
imprecations cause them to falter, inflicting a -1
penalty to their hit, damage, and saving throw rolls
for one round per level. At 4th level this penalty
becomes -2, and at 9th it becomes -3.
Deft Fingers: You’re accustomed to juggling your belong-
ings while holding an instrument. Your maximum
Readied item count increases by two.
Entangle Incantation: Commit Effort for the scene as an
Instant action when an foe within 60’ incants a spell.
Your voice tangles with their words, forcing them to
make an opposed Int/Magic vs Cha/Perform skill
check against you, with a +2 bonus to your roll. If
you tie or succeed, the spell fizzles and is wasted.
This art can be used only once per round.
Evoke Emotion: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Ac-
tion while performing. You evoke a desired emotion
in listeners, whether intelligent or animal, granting a
+1 bonus to relevant social skill checks for the scene
for you and your allies. If desired, you can force a
new Reaction Roll, taking it if it’s more favorable
than the original. This art does not work in combat
and can be used only once per scene.
Inspire Dread: Commit Effort for the day as an Instant
action when your enemies are forced to make a
Morale check. You goad their fears, forcing them to
make two Morale checks instead of one. Those who
succeed on both must still make an Instinct check
immediately after.
171
Bard Art Progression
Level Arts Gained at This Level
1 A Thousand Tongues and Any One
2 Any One
3
4 Any One
5
6 Any One
7
8 Any One
9
10 Any One
Keen Senses: First practiced by the blind music masters
of the Second Dynasty, this art gives you the equiv-
alent of sight out to 60’ even if blinded. You cannot
distinguish colors, but you can perceive physical
details as readily as if with your eyes. Physically-in-
visible creatures and objects are obvious to you.
Liberating Song: You are immune to mind- or emo-
tion-controlling effects. You can Commit Effort for
the scene as an Instant action to grant any ally in
range a Mental saving throw to throw off such ef-
fects, assuming they allowed a save to begin with. If
the second save is failed, this art cannot help them.
Rally: Commit Effort for the day as a Main Action to
exhort a wounded or fallen ally, removing any Frailty.
The target regains 2d6 plus your level in hit points,
but you incur one System Strain.
Soothe the Savage: Commit Effort for the day as a
Main Action. For as long as you keep spending a
Main Action performing each round, animals and
other living bestial creatures will not attack you or
your allies unless commanded by their masters or
threatened by the party. This art can’t be triggered
once actual combat has begun.
Soothing Graces: Your arts restore and hearten those
with you. You and your allies lose an extra point of
System Strain after each night’s comfortable rest.
This does not stack with similar rest-aiding powers.
Swift Misdirection: Commit Effort for the scene as a
Main Action and target one intelligent creature
within earshot. Tell them something in no more
than one sentence; unless what you say is physi-
cally impossible or emotionally unendurable, they
must make a Mental save or believe it for one round.
After that, they can judge your words with their nor-
mal reason. This art can affect a creature only once
per scene.
172

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

Partial Warrior/Mageslayer Partial Expert/Mageslayer

Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus Focus Picks
1 1d6+2 +1 1 Warrior 1 1d6 +1 1 Expert
+1 Any +1 Any
2 2d6+4 +2 +1 Any 2 2d6 +2 +1 Any
3 3d6+6 +3 3 3d6 +2
4 4d6+8 +4 4 4d6 +3
5 5d6+10 +5 +1 Any 5 5d6 +4 +1 Any
6 6d6+12 +6 6 6d6 +5
7 7d6+14 +7 +1 Any 7 7d6 +5 +1 Any
8 8d6+16 +8 8 8d6 +6
9 9d6+18 +9 9 9d6 +6
10 10d6+20 +10 +1 Any 10 10d6 +7 +1 Any

Spellcasters and Spells
Many of these arts refer to “casters” and “spells”. Each of
these terms has a specific definition for Mageslayers.
A “spell” is learned power that a creature casts with
the usual spellcasting rules or an art used by a Mage
class. Magical effects created by portable magic items
also count as spells, such as a wand that hurls fiery bolts,
or an amulet that conjures impenetrable barriers.
Passive magical qualities, like the hit bonus of a
magic sword, do not count as spells, nor do magical ef-
fects created by Workings or other large-scale edifices.
Neither are a magical creature’s innate supernatural pow-
ers or magical abilities that mimic specific spells.
A “caster” is any creature that is capable of casting
spells using the usual spellcasting rules or triggering
Mage class arts, whatever their brand of magic may be.
Potent as the Mageslayer’s arts may be, they are not
strong enough to negate Legate Writs, the sorcery of Im-
perators, or other demi-divine wizardry.
Mageslayer Arts
A Mageslayer has an Effort score equal to their Magic
skill level plus their highest attribute modifier among In-
telligence and Constitution, to a minimum of one point.
Mageslayer arts may be used in or out of armor, and re-
quire no free hands, incantations, or other overt actions,
though some sects have favored prayers or oaths.
A Mageslayer gains their arts at a set rate, beginning
with Antimage and Magebane at first level, and acquiring
other talents as they gain experience.
Absolute Negation: As an Instant action, Commit Effort
for the day when you are about to be affected or
impeded by an unwanted spell or a standing magical
effect created by a spell. You may ignore the magic.
Antimage: Get one level of the Nullifier Focus for free, or
a free Focus if you somehow have both levels.
Dispel Enchantment: As a Main Action, touch an ally
and Commit Effort for the day. Your touch acts as
an Extirpate Arcana spell. This art can only be ap-
plied to creatures, not objects, and can be applied to
yourself or a given target only once per day.
Disrupt Sorcery: As an On Turn action, Commit Effort
for the scene. The next attack you make that round
will leave the target unable to cast spells or trigger
Mage arts for the rest of the round, even if the attack
misses. Currently-active arts are not disrupted. If
the attack is successfully Screened by an ally, how-
ever, the target is unaffected.
Immaculate Body: Magical transformations, curses, or
lingering negative magical penalties last a maximum
of one scene on you. Such malisons cannot kill you,
reducing you to 1 HP at worst. This applies to all
magical effects, and not only to hostile spells.
173
Mageslayer Art Progression
Level Arts Gained at This Level
1 Antimage, Magebane
2 Witchfinder, Spellshield
3 Disrupt Sorcery
4 Know Your Prey
5 Share the Pain
6 Dispel Enchantment
7 Ward Ally
8 Immaculate Body
9 Immaculate Mind
10 Absolute Negation
Immaculate Mind: You are impervious to unwanted
mind-affecting or mind-reading spells or magical
effects, and you automatically see through illusions
and magical invisibility. Note that this applies to all
such magical effects, not merely spells.
Know Your Prey: Your Magic skill is treated as one point
higher than it is, up to a maximum of level-4 skill.
This benefit adds to your Effort as usual, and may
allow you to have a higher Magic skill than your
character level would usually allow.
Magebane: You add half your level, rounded up, to all
damage you inflict on casters from any source, be
it by weapon, Shock, or violent action. This does
not stack with a Warrior’s Killing Blow class ability.
Share the Pain: As an Instant action, Commit Effort for
the day when you are targeted by a hostile spell or
are in its area of effect. Make a Mental saving throw;
on a success, the spell’s caster is treated as also hav-
ing affected by the spell that just targeted you. This
art can be used only once per round.
Spellshield: When a spell inflicts hit point damage on
you, it’s automatically halved, rounded down, before
any saves or resistances are applied.
Ward Ally: As an Instant action, Commit Effort for the
scene when an ally within thirty feet is affected by
a spell; you are affected by the spell in place of your
ally. If you are both in the same area of effect, the
spell hits you twice. Any defenses or arts you have
against sorcery may be applied as usual to this trans-
ferred effect.
Witchfinder: As a Main Action, Commit Effort for the
scene. For the rest of the scene, you gain the benefits
of the Apprehend the Arcane Form spell, except for
the spell’s dark-vision ability.
174
The Wise
Some low-magic settings have a particular place for con-
cepts that aren’t exactly magical, but have some special
place in society. Whether a mundane priest of the dom-
inant faith, a feared forest warlock, or a sacred oracle of
the gods, these Wise have a special role to fill.
Some of these Wise may have very minor or subtle
magical powers suitable to a low-magic campaign setting.
Benefits of the Wise
The Wise is a partial Expert class that must be taken by
an Adventurer with another partial class. It’s generally
suited for low-magic campaigns, but strictly mundane
versions of it may pass muster for a no-magic setting.
While the Wise count as a partial Expert class for
other purposes, they do not gain the advantage of the
partial Expert’s Quick Learner class ability or the bonus
non-combat Focus that a partial Expert normally gets
at first level. An Adventurer who is a standard partial
Expert/partial Wise does get these perks, however.
All Wise gain level-0 in a bonus skill appropriate to
their concept, be it Pray, Know, Magic, Survive, or some
other skill that makes sense to the GM.
The Wise do not use Effort. All of their arts are
either constantly in effect or can be used under particular
circumstances or a particular number of times each day.
The arts the Wise learn are generally fixed by their
concept and role. A mundane priest will learn certain arts
as they advance in level, while a witch or an oracular seer
will learn others. At some levels, the Wise might have a
choice; they can pick whichever art they wish, but most
arts can be taken only once.
The example tables here provide progression pat-
terns for a non-magical priest of a faith, a witch with
minor magical powers of cursing and foresight, and an
oracle with limited powers of divination. For GMs that
wish to allow player-made concepts, the Esoteric column
can be used, or a specific progression can be worked up
in cooperation with the player.
The Wise
Level Hit Dice Attack Bonus
1
2 or otherwise undergo a scene-long ordeal. After-
3 wards, the diviner may ask the target a single ques-
4 As per page 21 of As per page 21 of
5 the core rulebook, the core rulebook,
with the Wise class with the Wise
6 answer the question truthfully and fully. On a fail-
counting as a class counting as
7 partial Expert. a partial Expert.
8 twice with this art.
9 Deliver Oracle: A petitioner asks about the outcome
10
General Arts
Dread Awe: Your kind are figures of fear and mistrust.
Gain a +1 bonus on all skill checks related to in-
timidation or threat. You can spend a Main Action
cursing your foes in battle; those who hear suffer a
-1 penalty to their next Morale check. You can do
this only once per scene.
Elite Ties: You have ties with figures of societal impor-
tance. You can get audiences with them with mini-
mal effort. Once per game session, get a favor from
them that would not particularly inconvenience
them to grant.
Erudite: You are uncommonly learned. Once per day,
reroll a failed skill check related to intellectual pur-
suits or things a scholar would know about.
Folk-Friend: Commoners and other lower-class natives
consider you a useful healer and helper. Once per
day, get a modest favor from a commoner who
doesn’t hate you in exchange for a blessing or bit
of advice.
Healer: You are a trained and capable healer. Gain a +1
on all Heal skill checks; once per day, as an On Turn
action, automatically succeed at a skill check to sta-
bilize a Mortally Wounded subject.
Holy Sanctity: You are honored and respected by most in
this region. Gain a +1 bonus on social skill checks
with locals who are not naturally opposed to your
religion or social institution.
Personal Impunity: You bear signs of sanctity, and physi-
cally harming you is considered taboo in this region.
Only the most vicious or desperate humans will
initiate violence against you, though any will fight
if you attack them. Hostile groups will hesitate to
attack your companions unless provoked.
Skilled: Gain three skill points to spend on any non-com-
bat skills, up to the maximum skill level allowed by
your character level. This art may be taken more
than once.
Divination Arts
Compel Truth: The diviner compels a person to drink
a particular brew, participate in a specific ritual,
tion and the GM secretly rolls a Cha/Magic skill
check against a difficulty of the target’s Morale+1,
or level+6 for PCs. On a success, the subject must
ure, they may give any answer they wish. The same
or substantially same question may not be asked
of a particular course of action. The diviner then
spends a day in various rituals, seeking an oracular

Example Art Progressions For Different Types of Wise
Level Mundane Priest Witch
1 Holy Sanctity Dread Awe
2 Dread Awe or Folk-Friend Any Curse or Blessing
3 Any Art
4 Skilled or Erudite Healer or Any Curse or
Blessing
5 Personal Impunity Any Divination
6 Elite Ties or Folk-Friend Skilled
7 Any Art
8 Any General Art Any Divination or Curse or
Blessing
9 Any Art
10 Any General Art Any Curse or Blessing
answer. At the end, the GM makes a secret Wis/
Magic skill check. If the skill check beats difficul-
ty 8, an oracular sentence with some truth in it is
produced. If the skill check beats difficulty 12, a
direct and obvious oracle is produced. If the skill
check is 7 or less, a hopelessly ambiguous oracle is
produced, and if the dice roll a natural 2 an inten-
tionally misleading oracle is delivered. Oracles are
usually delivered as metaphors, poetry, or visions.
The GM should ensure that some element of a true
oracle actually does come to pass.
Find Object: The diviner spends a scene performing a
ritual to locate a particular animal, object or type of
substance known to them, be it gold, water, or a spe-
cific stolen cow. People cannot be found with this
art. The GM makes a secret Wis/Magic skill check
against a difficulty of 8 to 11, depending on how
close the nearest suitable object is; something in the
same village is 8, something a mile or more away is
11, and something more than five miles away is un-
detectable. If the check is successful, the diviner gets
an impression of the direction the object is in. On
a failure, roll 1d12 and use it as a clockface to give a
random direction. This art can be used once per day.
Read Omens: A petitioner proposes a course of action
to the PC. After a scene-long ritual involving at least
10 sp worth of livestock or sacrificial material, the
GM makes a secret Wis/Magic skill check against
difficulty 10. On a success, the PC gets an impres-
sion of whether the course of action will lead to
success or failure, as the GM thinks most likely. On
a failure, the GM gives a random result. Multiplying
the ritual costs by 10 adds +1 to the skill check, thus,
a sacrifice of 1,000 sp worth of livestock gets a +2
on the check. The same course of action cannot be
divined more than once a month.
175
Seer Esoteric
Erudite or Folk-Friend Any Art
Any Divination
Any Divination
Any Divination Any Art
Skilled or Elite Ties
Skilled or Elite Ties
Any Divination
Curses and Blessings
The bringing of fortune or ill fate is not a trivial thing. A
given creature can be cursed or blessed by one of these
arts only once a day.
Auspicious Undertaking: As a Main Action, bless a par-
ticular plan or undertaking currently sought by the
target. During the plan’s execution or while seeking
the desired end, the blessed subject can reroll one
failed skill check or one missed hit roll. The blessing
lasts until it is used, the plan is finished, or one day
per caster level has passed. Only one plan can be
blessed at a time.
Evil Eye: This art improves your curse and blessing arts.
You can now use these arts as an Instant action, al-
beit still only one such art per round, and you need
do no more than look at the target rather than vo-
calizing any particular curse or blessing.
Ill Fate: As a Main Action, curse a visible target. You may
specify a particular kind of undertaking or apply the
curse to anything they may do. The next pertinent
skill check they make is made at a -1 penalty. If their
raw die roll is equal or less than the PC’s Magic skill
plus one their effort goes disastrously wrong. The
curse lasts until the next relevant skill check.
Luck Blessing: As a Main Action, confer a blessing on a
visible target. The next skill check they make that
day will have a +1 bonus. Only one luck blessing
can be in place for a creature at a time.
War Curse: As a Main Action, curse a visible enemy.
They suffer a -2 penalty to hit rolls, damage rolls,
and Shock damage for the rest of the scene. If they
miss an attack with a raw to-hit die roll less than
the Wise’s Magic skill, they accidentally hurt them-
selves for normal damage. Only one war curse can
be applied at a time.
176
Maqqatban Knight Foci
Scores of imperial tomb-palaces remain intact amid the
ice and snow of far southern Maqqatba, and each such
palace has its order of guardian knights. These knight
chapters each have their own unique martial styles de-
veloped from the ancient military techniques of the First
Dynasty, and sometimes the circumstances of exile or
foreign curiosity bring these styles north to other lands.
Aside from true bearers of the martial styles, there
are also similar techniques practiced by certain esoteric
northern swordmasters and martial adepts. These may
be born from native talent, or be the remnants of some
now-forgotten knight’s long northern journey.
Learning Maqqatban Styles
Only Warriors and Partial Warriors can learn these styles,
and only one style can be learned by any wielder. A GM
may allow a PC to start play with expertise in a style, but
later acquisition may require finding a suitable teacher.
All Directions Edge Style
You have exchanged a portion of your life force to master
techniques of unbridled violence. Your hit die is penal-
ized by 2 points, so if you would normally roll 1d6+2,
you now roll 1d6. If you take this Focus after character
creation, decrease your maximum hit points by 2 points
per level to reflect this penalty.
Level 1: Gain a combat skill as a bonus skill. As an On
Turn action, you may make a normal, non-grappling
attack. You may do this only once per round, and
after the first time you use it each day each addi-
tional use adds a single System Strain point to you.
Level 2: Once per day, as a Main Action, attack every
enemy within range once. For ranged weapons, the
maximum is your Shoot skill plus one.
Catalytic Soul Style
Your ranged attacks catalyze the vital force of your allies,
causing spiritual damage to your shared foes. This style
functions only with ranged attacks that lack Shock.
Level 1: Gain Shoot as a bonus skill. While PC archers
normally never accidentally hit allies when shooting
into melee, your ranged attacks are actually physi-
cally intangible to your allies, and can pass through
them as if they weren’t there. When you make a
ranged attack, nominate an ally who is within melee
range of your target as an Instant action. The target
suffers Shock as if it had been melee attacked by
that ally, assuming it would be susceptible to the
ally’s Shock damage.
Level 2: If you hit the target with a ranged attack boosted
by level 1 of this Focus, either you or your ally may
choose to gain one System Strain and heal 2d6 dam-
age plus the target’s level or hit dice. A given subject
can heal only once per scene this way.
Ghost Archer Style
You have developed a profound spiritual connection to
the concept of the bow. You suffer a -4 penalty to hit with
all non-bow or non-crossbow weaponry.
Level 1: Gain Shoot as a bonus skill. As an On Turn ac-
tion, generate a spiritual copy of any bow you’ve ever
fired; this copy has no encumbrance and vanishes
when it leaves your hands but has all the properties
of the original bow. Once a specific bow has been
copied by a style practitioner, no one else can man-
ifest that bow until the practitioner is dead. These
bows generate their own magical ammunition,
though the arrows have no separate hit or damage
bonus. You may fire this bow normally even when
meleed by a foe.
Level 2: Once per scene, as an On Turn action, shoot an
arrow at any location within its range. You instant-
ly appear where the arrow lands. Gain one System
Strain when you use this ability.
One Point Strike Style
You eschew brute force or crude haste in battle, preferring
to rely on clear thought.
Level 1: Gain a combat skill as a bonus skill. All your
attacks use the better of your Intelligence or Wis-
dom modifiers in place of their usual attributes. As
a Main Action, you can make a normal melee attack;
it does the minimum possible damage, but your hit
roll is treated as an automatic 15 on the d20 rather
than rolling it. This attack cannot be used as part of
a combat maneuver or grappling attempt.
Level 2: Once per scene, as an Instant action, a melee hit
using this style has its weapon damage maximized.
Pyre of Heaven Style
Your weapons blaze with a celestial fire that burns only
your foes. This flame is fueled with your own soul’s en-
ergies, however, and comes at a cost.
Level 1: Gain a combat skill as a bonus skill. You ignore
the first 5 points of any fire or heat damage you
suffer in a round and can glow like a torch at will. As
an Instant action you may gain one System Strain
to ignite your weapon, fist or ammunition for the
rest of the round. While ignited, the weapon gains
a damage and Shock bonus equal to your character
level+2. A given foe can suffer the bonus damage
from this flame only once per scene.
Level 2: As level 1, but you also become immune to
non-magical flame or smoke. When you ignite, your
entire body ignites as well, though you do not burn
anything you do not intend to harm. You cannot
be grappled while ignited. The first time you ignite
in a scene, all foes within melee range take 1d6 fire
damage per three levels, rounded up.

Righteous Iron Style
You have learned to make a second skin of your armor,
moving effortlessly in it despite its weight. The benefits
of this style apply only when you wear heavy armor, and
its level 1 benefits do not extend to shields you may carry.
If taken at first level, you may begin play with a free suit
of heavy armor that costs no more than 750 silver pieces.
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Armor you wear
has a +1 bonus to its Armor Class and has no en-
cumbrance value, though it retains it for Armored
Magic Focus purposes. Armor does not penalize
your Sneak or Exert skill checks, and you can sleep
comfortably in it. You and your armor remain clean
and well-maintained short of magical befouling.
Level 2: You partake of the obduracy of the steel you
wear. While armored, you need not eat, drink, sleep,
or breathe, and you are immune to normal climatic
ranges of heat or cold. The style’s armor AC bonus
becomes +2 instead of +1.
World Tree Lance Style
Your spear is a pillar of heaven, and no foe is beyond its
reach. This style functions only with spears, pikes, and
similar polearms.
Level 1: Gain Stab as a bonus skill. The spear you wield
has no encumbrance and always returns to your
hand if thrown. If a spear is normally throwable,
its ranges are doubled. If it isn’t, it still has a thrown
range of 30/60 feet. Your spear gains a +1 bonus to
hit and damage and is treated as a magic weapon.
Level 2: While wielding a spear, your effective melee
range is 10 feet plus your character level. Allies be-
tween you and your target do not hinder your melee
attacks in any way, but a wall of enemy bodies might
be sufficient to interpose. This ability does not stack
with the Long magic weapon property.
177
Wrathful Mountain Style
You are a vengeful bulwark against those who would
harm your allies, though your extremely defensive style
comes with offensive drawbacks. You suffer a -2 penalty
to all hit rolls.
Level 1: Gain Stab or Punch as a bonus skill. You can
manifest a zero-encumbrance magical large shield
as an Instant action, one that functions even if both
your hands are occupied and persists as long as
you will it. Once per round, when someone makes
a melee attack on an ally you have Screened, get
an Instant melee attack on them before their attack
completes.
Level 2: Your melee retaliation can now be applied as a
magical attack on those who make ranged attacks
on your Screened ally, regardless of their distance.
If you accept a point of System Strain as an Instant
action, for the rest of the round you can retaliate
against all enemies who attack your ward, though
only once per round for any given foe.
Using These Foci in Your Game
These Foci have a distinct magical flavor to them, and
they may not be appropriate for campaigns in a low-mag-
ic setting or games that focus on a grimmer, grittier feel.
As with any Focus, it’s entirely up to the GM as to wheth-
er or not to allow them in their game. They especially
should not feel obligated to allow them just for the sake
of optimizing a particular PC’s combat skills.
A GM can also use these styles as guides to creating
their own new combat-related Foci. Existing styles can
be tweaked or altered, or new ones built. When you do
so, however, remember not to make Foci that simply in-
crease a PC’s numbers. A Focus should change the way
the PC fights or give them new options in combat. They
shouldn’t just improve what they’re already doing.
178
Amundi Godblood Foci
The myriad gods of Old Amund are all long-dead or
vanished, but now and then some hint of their old gifts
is revived in some unsuspecting man or woman. The an-
cient forces that once gave birth to so many divinities in
the former ages still bestow small but potent blessings on
the occasional fortunate newborn.
Some of these blessings travel in recognized family
lineages, but many appear as unexpected outcrops in an
otherwise-unremarkable family. Gifts similar to these
can be found throughout the lands of the western hemi-
sphere, suggesting that the Amundi gods were not the
only ones to leave fragments of their power behind.
Learning Godblood Foci
Most of these Foci manifest shortly after birth, though
many are so subtle that they may not be noticed for some
time. Other Foci manifest only later in a person’s life, so
a PC might reasonably pick one as a later advancement.
Only one Godblood Focus can be taken by any
single PC. In addition, only full or partial Experts can
take these Foci, as they all require a certain affinity for
interacting with the subtler laws of reality.
Godblood Foci may have semi-magical effects, but
they do not count as magic for purposes of dispelling or
detecting magic. Those Foci that grant ability modifier
increases cannot increase the modifier above +2.
Danger Sense
You have a near-supernatural sense of when you are
about to face an unexpected peril.
Level 1: Gain Notice as a bonus skill. You become aware
of Execution Attacks on yourself or those in your
presence just in time to spoil the attack. Once per
day, just before you trigger a trap, walk into an am-
bush, or otherwise do something that would likely
get you wounded or killed, you sense your danger
in time to stop the action.
Level 2: Your awareness sharpens. Gain a +1 bonus to
your Wisdom modifier. Once per day as an Instant
action when in danger, you get an intuitive sense of
the best course of action to get you and your allies
out of the peril with minimum losses, as the GM
thinks most likely.
Folie a Deux
Your deceptions have such conviction that even you are
temporarily convinced of them.
Level 1: Gain Convince as a bonus skill. Your lies or de-
ceptions never register as such; spells and abilities
simply read you as sincerely believing what you say.
Once per day, make a listener believe that you are
absolutely sincere in whatever claim or statement
you are making. This belief lasts until the situation
or new evidence would justify disbelief. A target be-
comes immune to this after the first lie is disproven.
Level 2: Your sincerity shines forth in everything you do.
Gain a +1 Charisma modifier bonus. Once per day,
utter a bald-faced lie to someone; unless it is phys-
ically impossible or emotionally intolerable, they
must make a Mental save at a penalty equal to your
Convince skill or believe it for 1d4 rounds. After
that, their normal reason reasserts itself.
Master Tracker
You have an instinctive sense for the trails of those whom
you would pursue.
Level 1: Gain Survive as a bonus skill. You can follow
any trail created within the past day in a city or past
week in the wilderness, detecting even the minut-
est traces of passage and ignoring the obfuscations
of weather or water. You can identify numbers of
creatures from trail sign and their general physical
shape and condition.
Level 2: Your senses are razor-sharp; gain a +1 bonus
to your Wisdom modifier. You can identify specif-
ic people by their tracks if you’ve met them before.
Once per day, by examining the mostly-undisturbed
scene of a particular event that happened within the
past week, you can reconstruct the general physical
actions that happened there.
Night Walker
You have a deep affinity for evening hours and dark places,
and can function well in the deepest gloom.
Level 1: Gain Sneak as a bonus skill. You can see normal-
ly in all but pitch blackness, and even when blinded
your senses allow you to function as if you could
see out to 30 feet around you. Your sleep is so light
it is effectively wakefulness; you are fully aware of
your surroundings while asleep and can wake at will.
Level 2: Your adroit stealthiness is superb. Gain a +1
bonus to your Dexterity modifier. Unless an area
is lit by torchlight or brighter radiance, you are ef-
fectively invisible in it until you do something to
draw attention.
Pack Beast
You have an ox-like capacity for carrying heavy loads over
long distances.
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Your Strength is
treated as 18 for encumbrance purposes, or 22 if
it’s already 18.
Level 2: Gain a +1 bonus to your Strength modifier.
Once per scene, as an On Turn action, you can pick
up and move an object that weighs no more than
1,000 pounds so long as you drop it or set it down
by the end of your turn.

Provident Crafter
You always seem to have just what you need close to hand,
or can fabricate it out of available materials.
Level 1: Gain Craft as a bonus skill. Your Strength is
treated as 4 higher for encumbrance purposes.
When making a skill check or using an item such
as an elixir or calyx, any equipment or items you
need to do so are treated as Readied even if you
have them Stowed.
Level 2: Your hands are swift and nimble; gain +1 to
your Dexterity modifier. Once per day, as an Instant
action, you happen to have Stowed a particular nor-
mal item of 2 encumbrance or less if you could have
reasonably bought or made it within the past week.
Pay its purchase or crafting price and add it to your
inventory afterwards. Provisions cannot be added
this way, nor can the same item be produced more
than once per week.
Walk Like Wind
Your astonishing acrobatic abilities give you mobility op-
tions that others lack.
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Your base ground
movement rate increases by +10’. You can move nor-
mally up or down vertical surfaces so long as you
end your turn standing on a flat surface or clinging
to a usable handhold.
Level 2: Gain a +1 to your Dexterity modifier. You can
leap up to 20 feet horizontally or 10 feet vertically
as a Move action. Once per scene, as an On Turn
action, gain a bonus Move action.
179
Wildtongue
You have a profound link with the natural world around
you, and possess an instinctive sense of what its feral
denizens desire. For the purposes of this Focus, “animals”
are natural or magical living creatures of bestial intellect.
Level 1: Gain Survive as a bonus skill. You can commu-
nicate with animals, conveying such simple ideas
as they are capable of comprehending. If appeased,
these animals may be willing to do very basic favors
that require no more than immediate attention.
Level 2: The primal force of your presence is considerable.
Gain a +1 to your Charisma modifier. Once per day
you can command a visible animal for one scene,
causing it to obey even complex orders normally im-
possible for it to comprehend so long as they don’t
seem suicidal or extremely hazardous to it. Magical
beasts get a Mental saving throw to resist.
Using These Foci in Your Game
These Expert-exclusive Foci are cinematic in flavor, but
they’re not so impossible that they couldn’t be added to a
relatively low-magic campaign. For campaigns where the
other PCs are heavily magic-invested, it can sometimes
be necessary to give Experts a little boost of their own
to keep up with the spell-slingers and magic warriors of
the game, and Foci like these can be helpful in closing
any potential gap.
It’s possible to come up with additional Foci in this
vein but it’s important to keep in mind that they should
open up play options that would otherwise be impracti-
cal or impossible for the PC. The Foci given here all have
a +1 attribute modifier at second level as a sweetener, but
if your own Focus’ second-level power is strong enough
you might omit that bonus.
180
Arcane Secret Foci
A multitude of occult traditions have risen and decayed
in the countless ages of the Latter Earth. Most have van-
ished entirely, but now and then some technique they
pioneered has proved resilient enough to survive into the
present day.
Arcane Secret Foci can be taken only by Mages and
Partial Mages, and some are of no use to non-spellcasters.
Only one Arcane Secret Focus can be mastered by any
given sorcerer, as they usually require mutually-contra-
dictory pacts and ritual practices.
Atlantean Divination
The House of Days in Atlantis is a school of several dozen
different occult divinatory methods, all highly complex.
While some techniques are strictly-held secrets, others
have become known in the outside world.
Level 1: Gain Know as a bonus skill. You may spend an
hour in a complex divinatory ritual. At the end of
it, ask a one-sentence question about some future
event or plan. The GM secretly rolls an Int/Know
skill check against difficulty 9; on a success, gain
an answer of a few words reflecting the GM’s best
judgment of the future. On a failure, get a plausible
but false oracle. This art cannot plumb into the fu-
ture beyond a week, cannot ask the same essential
question twice, and cannot answer questions about
current or past events. Each use after the first within
seven days adds +1 to the difficulty. You gain one
System Strain each time you use this ability.
Iteral Pacting
Numerous traditions of occult pacting and bargains with
extra-Iteral beings persist, despite the obvious dangers.
This method is relatively safe, albeit its rewards are more
limited than wholehearted soul-slavery would grant.
Level 1: Gain Pray as a bonus skill. Roll or pick a pa-
tron portfolio from the divine portfolios on page
142 of the core rulebook. Once per day, gain 1 Sys-
tem Strain and gain one of the following benefits
as an Instant action: +4 on a hit roll, +1 on a skill
check, or the ability to use a Main Action to cast
a first-level spell that has some relation to the pa-
tron’s portfolio. This spellcasting does not require
a prepared spell or spell slot, and can be used even
by non-spellcasters, though it follows all the usual
rules for casting a spell. Your alien alliances have left
some eldritch mark on you and others instinctively
find you disturbing; suffer a -1 penalty on all social
skill checks not related to intimidation.
Nagadi Hemomancy
The vanished demihumans known as the Nagadi prac-
ticed bloody rituals of self-sacrifice for the protection
of their people and the forestalling of violence. Modern
mages rarely share their devotion to peace.
Level 1: Gain Heal as a bonus skill. Once per day, as
an Instant action after casting a spell, accept 1d4
damage per level of the spell; the casting does not
count against your usable spells per day. Gain one
System Strain each time this ability is used. This
Focus cannot assist spells that harm others or affect
unwilling targets.
Old Empire Sigilism
The vanished Marchen empire of northeastern Agathon
is almost wholly lost to history, but this art of imbuing
small tokens with magical power has yet survived.
Level 1: You can embed spells in small tokens that func-
tion as calyxes only usable by yourself. Creating
such a token takes ten minutes per level of the spell
and the expenditure of a normal daily spell use. This
expended slot may be recovered normally. Using
them takes a Main Action, but the sigil need only
be presented firmly; no vocalization or gestures are
required, and it cannot be interrupted by damage.
Only one token can be empowered at any one time.
Vothite Mind-Sorcery
The Thought Noble tradition of mental arts are not the
only techniques to have survived from the Vothite Em-
pire. The principles of purely cerebral sorcery are also
practiced by some mages, though it comes at a cost to
their ability to inflict direct harm on other creatures.
Level 1: Your spellcasting does not require vocalizations
or gestures, though it still takes a Main Action, it
still can be disrupted by damage, and it still disal-
lows casting in armor for most spellcasters. Your
spells manifest without any obvious connection to
you unless your actions make it clear that you are
the source of the magic, though those with mag-
ic-detecting powers such as Apprehend the Ar-
cane Form can discern the connection. Once this
Focus is taken, however, you cannot cast any spell
that inflicts hit point damage on a target unless the
damage is purely mental in nature. Spells that in-
flict non-mental damage as a secondary spell effect
simply do not inflict it when cast.
Using these Foci in your Game
These Foci often boost spellcasting in some way, either
by allowing an extra spell per day with Hemomancy, in-
creasing spell subtlety with Mind-Sorcery, or allowing
one easily-cast spell with Sigilism. Some GMs may find
them a little too much for their particular table.
Others grant a stand-alone magical power. These
abilities should be largely non-combat in function, so as
to avoid stepping on Warriors, and avoid directly repli-
cating the arts of an existing tradition.
These Foci all have only one level, as mages tend to
have too few Focus picks to make much use of two levels.

Non-Human Origin Foci
There are numerous demihumans and even some Blight-
ed who might fit as player characters in a given campaign.
While adventurers are notorious for wandering far from
their homes, it’s up to the GM to decide whether or not
any particular origin Focus is appropriate for their own
campaign setting.
Origin Foci and Modifiers
Many origin Foci grant a bonus or penalty to one of the
PC’s attribute modifiers. Some of them allow the PC to
choose which attribute to modify, but under no circum-
stance can the Focus increase an attribute bonus above
+2 or a penalty below -2.
Some origin Foci mention special abilities. These
abilities are described more thoroughly in the Bestiary
section under their creature headings.
!Man
You are an organic simulacrum of humanity that operates
purely by algorithmic principles and the translated mim-
icry of future or past human actions. You have no person-
al awareness or consciousness, but you act exactly like a
normal human being, with normal human motivations.
Level 1: Pick any skill but Magic as a bonus skill. Once
per day, your algorithm picks a particularly success-
ful action to mimic and you gain a +1 bonus on a
skill check or a +2 bonus to hit as an Instant action.
You are impervious to mind-affecting magical ef-
fects. You otherwise function as a perfectly normal
human being, and do not have the usual qualities
of an automaton.
Accipiter Anak
You are a winged Anak, usually hideous in appearance,
though some of your kind are quite handsome. By some
quirk of nature or the circumstances of your tribe, you
are capable of functioning rationally around humans.
This origin assumes that the GM has produced some
justification for your PC being able to avoid immediate
mob violence at the hands of panicked locals.
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. You are an accipiter,
with the Accipiter Flight special ability, a -1 Con
modifier penalty, and a +1 Dex modifier bonus.
Aristoi Anak
You are a natural-born ruler of men, the product of an
extensive magical eugenic breeding program. While not
so physically powerful as other breeds of Anak, you
have an uncannily acute sense of judgment and superb
self-discipline.
Level 1: Gain Lead and any one other skill except Magic
as bonus skills. Gain +1 to your Wis modifier. Your
keen foresight allows you to use Wis as an applica-
ble attribute for any weapon, in place of Strength
or Dexterity.
181
Choeru Beastfolk
Short, stout, and mild-tempered, the capybara-folk have
a natural disposition towards peacemaking and diplo-
macy.
Level 1: Gain Convince or Connect as a bonus skill. Gain
a +1 to your Cha modifier. When rolling Reaction
Rolls with you present, add +1 to the dice. You can
obtain serviceable fluency in a language with no
more than a week of exposure to it.
Ghoul
You have been infected with ghoulishness by long con-
tact with ghouls or sheer bad luck on briefer exposures.
While your new dietary demands are harsh, you have
enough self-possession to decide how they should be
satisfied.
Level 1: You must eat a pound of fresh human flesh a
month, but gain Sneak as a bonus skill, the benefits
of Ghoulish Vigor, and may add a +1 bonus to ei-
ther your Strength or Dexterity modifier. After 21
days without cannibalism, make a Mental save daily
or attack the nearest human with the intent to de-
vour them. This condition is automatic after 30 days.
Guer Beastfolk
Cunning humanoid swamp foxes, the Guer were made to
be spies and observers for their Nakadi creators. It leaves
many of them with insatiable curiosity and a tendency
towards manipulativeness.
Level 1: Gain Notice or Sneak as a bonus skill. Gain +1
to your Wis or Cha modifiers. You can see clearly
in low-light conditions and are unusually quick on
your feet, adding 10’ to your ground movement rate.
Harbinger Anak
You are a Harbinger, a face-shifting Anak capable of in-
filtrating human society. Whether by some chance of fate
or your own indomitable will, you can contain the Hate
and function normally in human society.
Level 1: Gain Sneak or Convince as a bonus skill and the
Harbinger’s Face ability. Gain a +1 bonus to your
Charisma modifier and a -1 penalty to your Con-
stitution modifier.
Hua Beastfolk
A mighty bullfolk created for agricultural labor and meat
for the temple tables, Hua are a foot taller than baselines
and much broader in build. Most have horns, but they
are largely impractical for combat use.
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Gain a +1 to your
Str modifier and -1 to your Dex modifier. You treat
your Strength as 4 higher than normal for Encum-
brance purposes and your System Strain maximum
is 2 points higher than normal.
182
Kitsune Beastfolk
You are of the magically-gifted Xindai kin to the Guer
fox-folk of Runom. Your pelt is usually brighter and rud-
dier than that of your swamp-dwelling cousins, and you
are often more human in your appearance, but almost all
your kind retain the tail and ears of a fox.
Level 1: Gain Notice or Convince as a bonus skill. Gain
a +1 bonus to your Charisma modifier. Gain the El-
emental Sparks Elementalist art; if you already have
it, pick a bonus Elementalist art instead.
Deepfolk
A human native of the Far Deeps that lie among the roots
of the world, you have ascended into the lethal sunlit
regions for reasons of your own. So long as you remain
fully covered and have your tinted goggles in place you
can tolerate the sun, but extended exposure can cause
incapacitating spiritual damage to you.
Level 1: You can see clearly with any degree of light. You
require only half the food, water, and air of a base-
line human. You may raise one physical attribute to
14 if it is lower than that. Exposure of your eyes or
more than a handsbreadth of skin to direct sunlight
forces a Physical save each round or you will gain
one System Strain; if this would put you over your
maximum, you will collapse, dying in 1d6 minutes
if not covered.
Manu Beastfolk
The Manu are scaled lizardfolk of the Zapalla swamps
in Runom, not entirely cold-blooded but much favoring
warmth.
Level 1: Gain Exert or Survive as a bonus skill. Gain a
+1 your Con or Str modifier and a -1 to your Dex
or Cha modifier. You swim at your normal move-
ment speed, can hold your breath for fifteen minutes,
and your tough hide reduces all Shock damage by 1
point, to a minimum of 1.
Nahu Beastfolk
Slim, deft, and sometimes given to a cold-blooded plea-
sure in cruelty, the Nahu are catfolk who were designed
to hunt fleeing slaves or troublesome escaped beasts by
their Nakadi masters.
Level 1: Gain Sneak or Notice as a bonus skill. Gain +1
to your Dex or Cha modifiers. Your claws count as
daggers for melee purposes and you can see clearly
in low-light conditions. During real combat, you
must make a Mental save to inflict non-lethal dam-
age; on a failure, your attack is lethal instead.
Oni
You are an oni, most likely from one of the isolated com-
munities in Xindai. You likely stand about seven feet tall,
horned and powerfully muscled, with a fierce appetite for
indulgences of all kinds. Many of your sort are bright red
or blue, though more human-like shades are known, as
are other small novelties of form.
Level 1: Gain Stab or Punch as a bonus skill. Gain a +1
to your Strength modifier and count your Strength
as 4 points higher for Encumbrance purposes. Suf-
fer a -1 penalty to your Wisdom modifier and a -2
penalty on all Mental saving throws.
Pichi Beastfolk
Little ratfolk, usually a head shorter than baselines, with
a more slender build. Their keen senses were given them
to hunt rare materials and ingredients from the jungle.
Level 1: Gain Notice as a bonus skill. Gain +1 to your
Wis or Dex modifiers and -1 to your Str or Con
modifier. You can see normally in low-light condi-
tions. Your senses are sharp enough that you can
interact with objects within ten feet as if sighted,
even in pitch blackness or while blinded.
Piren Beastfolk
Fierce wolfmen, created as warriors and enforcers for
their masters against unruly slaves. Even so, they have
an instinct towards cooperation within their own social
circles.
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. Once per scene as
a Move action, give an ally within melee distance a
bonus Main Action as you coordinate with them.
This Main Action can only be used for a physical
act, and not spellcasting or magic item activation. A
given ally can receive this benefit only once per scene.
Still Cities Undead
You are one of the more intelligent undead from the Still
Cities, either being a recent conversion from the living or
having died only a few times since you were created. You
appear human at first glance but close inspection makes
plain your cold flesh, though you can mimic most human
needs and activities.
Level 1: You are undead, and do not need to eat, sleep,
drink, or breathe, though you still require eight
hours of comfortable quiet to regain HP, spells, or
Effort. You can be healed by conventional methods,
and are immune to poisons and diseases. You auto-
matically stabilize at zero hit points unless decapi-
tated or otherwise mangled. If you do die, however,
it will be decades until you revive, if intact, or centu-
ries if you are burnt and scattered. Due to your link
with the Pale Emperor’s power, you do not count
as undead for the purposes of conventional Necro-
mancer spells. Special incantations may exist that
affect you, however.

Sui Beastfolk
These robust pigfolk were created by the Nakadi priests
to be good spiritual and anatomical matches for their ex-
periments. Some suffer from great rages when wounded
or infuriated, during which they attack without care for
friend or foe.
Level 1: Gain Survive as a bonus skill. Gain +1 to your
Constitution modifier. You are immune to mun-
dane poisons, and once per day you can continue
acting for 1 full round after falling to zero hit points,
provided you are not hopelessly mangled. This time
counts against your stabilization timer.
Tanuki Beastfolk
A beastfolk unique to Xindai, these raccoon-dog human-
oids were the product of an inquisitive Nakadi exile who
hoped to create a shapeshifting species that could be used
for multiple purposes. While an unsuccessful experiment,
their heirs can still be found in Xindai’s mountain forests.
Level 1: Gain Sneak as a bonus skill. You can climb scal-
able surfaces at your full movement rate, and once
per day as a Main Action you can transform as if
with the Adopt the Simulacular Visage spell, albeit
without its language-granting powers. This trans-
formation lasts up to two hours per level.
Tengu Beastfolk
A winged crow-folk that were once the pet project of
their exiled Nakadi creator, they are found chiefly in a
few remaining martial monastery-communities in Xin-
dai. Like other beastfolk, their appearance ranges from
humanoid avians to almost completely human forms,
save for their black-feathered wings.
Level 1: Gain Stab as a bonus skill. You can fly at a move-
ment rate of 30’ outdoors while carrying your nor-
mal encumbrance, but interiors are too cramped for
it, and you cannot fight or perform other complex
actions while flying. Flight is too exhausting to man-
age long-distance overland travel with it.
Usagi Beastfolk
Largely extinct in Runom, several colonies of these rab-
bit-folk can still be found in the Xindai lands. Their cre-
ators devised them as livestock that could better survive
the dangers of the jungle, imbuing them with both speed
and a strange propensity towards good fortune.
Level 1: Gain Exert or Sneak as a bonus skill and a +1
bonus to all saving throws. Gain +1 Dex modifier
and either a -1 Str or -1 Con modifier. Once per
scene, as an On Turn action, double your ground
movement rate for the round. Once per week, as
an Instant action, automatically make a Luck save.
183
Zakathi
As much as a foot taller than baselines and well-toned
from their constant exertions, the Zakathi need for con-
stant labor tends to wear them down. Most are crippled
beyond conventional healing aid before sixty, whereupon
they wither away or accept euthanasia.
Level 1: Gain Exert as a bonus skill. If your Constitution
is lower than 14, raise it to 14; if equal or higher,
raise it to 18. Your maximum System Strain increas-
es by 2. You must exhaust yourself with labor or
other exertions by the end of a day in order to regain
System Strain, Effort, HP, or spells with sleep; lack-
ing this, you gain 1 System Strain overnight instead,
dying if it exceeds your maximum. While exhausted,
roll all hit and skill rolls twice and take the worst.
Creating New Origin Foci
The Latter Earth is wide, and every nation in the gazet-
teer has a half-dozen or more demihuman species too
rare or quiet to have earned mention in this book. It’s
quite likely that some GMs will want to make origin Foci
for these beings, either for their own entertainment or
for worldbuilding purposes. A few basic guidelines can
be kept in mind when creating your own Foci.
Don’t do it unless you need to. If no player wants
to play a particular type of demihuman, don’t bother
making an origin Focus up unless you’re doing it for fun.
Start with a bonus skill. Pick a skill that’s char-
acteristic of their physiology or typical upbringing and
make it a bonus skill. For origins that could be flavored
in multiple ways, you might pick two skills to choose
between.
Set their attribute modifiers. Pick one or two char-
acteristic attributes and let the player pick one to get a
+1 modifier bonus. Do the same with one or two to pick
for a -1 modifier bonus. In neither case should the bonus
be allowed to go over +2 or the penalty below -2. When
possible, it’s preferable to give the PC a choice between
two attributes for bonuses or penalties, to make more
room for different character concepts.
Add a unique ability. Give them something they
can do that a human can’t. Unique senses, a special
movement type, an immunity to certain hazards, or a
particular innate power might all be feasible, and you
can pick examples from the origins in this section. If the
ability is a powerful or generally-useful one, it should
have a per-scene or even per-day use limit, or perhaps
add System Strain.
Add a weakness if necessary. If you’re worried that
your Focus might be a little too appealing, or do basic
concepts better than a human would with a relevant
Focus, you can add a weakness. This is especially the
case if the origin has an attribute modifier bonus but no
corresponding penalty. Weaknesses should be generally
relevant; don’t give them penalties that are only problems
to particular concepts or classes. Being incapable of spell-
casting is no penalty to a Warrior, and crippled physical
attributes don’t mean much to most Mages.
184

CHARACTER TAGS
Just as ruins, cities, or noble courts can be defined by tags, d100 Character Tag d100 Character Tag
so too can individual characters. The tags in this section
are meant to give you a quick method for giving defining 1–2 Baneful Success 51–52 Impending
motivational traits and background story elements to Treachery
NPCs you generate, whether they’re antagonists, sym- 3–4 Betting It All 53–54 In Over
pathetic figures, or one-note bit player NPCs. Their Head
Each character tag comes with a discussion of the 5–6 Bitter Grudge 55–56 Inherited Duty
various ways it could manifest in an NPC, whether as
7–8 Black Sheep 57–58 Irrational Hatred
a personal trait or as a situation that has defined their
current circumstances. Tags tend to focus on how they 9–10 Blithe Idealist 59–60 Last Survivor
would affect a scheme or adventure, as it’s under those 11–12 Burnt Out 61–62 Lives for Today
circumstances that the PCs are most likely to meet them.
13–14 Chance 63–64 Load-Bearing
Each tag includes entries for likely Ambitions, par-
at Glory Relationship
ticular Powers their situation can lend them, and those
Dreads that are most likely to befall them or show up as 15–16 Chronic Illness 65–66 Lost Cause
problems in their schemes. These categories are abbrevi- 17–18 Concealed Sin 67–68 Lovesick Fool
ated as A, P, or D in the tables that follow. 19–20 Cultural Outsider 69–70 Magical Gift
To use the tags, take your NPC and roll twice on
the adjacent table. The two results can be read separately 21–22 Cursed 71–72 Marked for
as speaking of two different character traits or formative Misfortune Success
past situations the NPC has dealt with, or they can be 23–24 Delusional 73–74 Misplaced Trust
synthesized together or used to explain each other; the Self-Image
reason the NPC has a Delusional Self-Image is because a 25–26 Doomed Love 75–76 Natural Leader
past Ruined Plan was so traumatic that they cannot bear
to acknowledge the part their flaws played in it. 27–28 Doomsday 77–78 Persecuting Foe
In the same vein, the Ambitions, Powers, and Weapon
Dreads for a given tag can be inserted into your adven- 29–30 Double Life 79–80 Ruined Plan
tures to show the ways in which an antagonist’s past or 31–32 Double Loyalties 81–82 Ruinous Vice
personal nature influenced events. An obstacle to their
33–34 Down In 83–84 Secret Cravings
current plans might arise directly from their own past
The World
history, or some tool they’re using to obtain their end
might rely on some element of their own nature. You 35–36 Earnest Idiot 85–86 Secret Sectarian
can also synthesize them together; an antagonist defined 37–38 Family Alienation 87–88 Stolen
by Baneful Success and Betting It All might have so Reputation
successfully allied with the local bandit clans that their 39–40 Family Chains 89–90 Ticking Bomb
warlord is willing to personally lend his aid... because the
NPC is promising him incredible plundering possibili- 41–42 Friend Turned 91–92 Troublesome
ties, even though he’s not able to guarantee that success. Foe Friend
As with other tags, the “magnitude” of a particular 43–44 Grand Plan 93–94 Unexpected
trait can be scaled up and down to fit an NPC’s impor- Talent
tance in the adventure and their standing in the campaign 45–46 Great 95–96 Unreasonably
world. If the party hires a new henchman, you might roll Disappointment Lucky
once on the table, get Unexpected Talent, and decide that
he’s actually an exceptionally skilled singer who breaks 47–48 Great 97–98 Up From
into song whenever he’s feeling nervous. The same re- Expectations the Gutter
sult for a campaign-scale lich-king antagonist might be 49–50 Hidden Origins 99–00 Veiled Backers
read as a sublime talent at sculpture which informs his
legions of soul-animated statues, each one a magnificent that archmage really is an Earnest Idiot, brilliantly capable
personal work of art that he cares for as greatly as a lich at magic yet prone to acts of tremendous thoughtlessness
can care for anything. and short-sighted carelessness. It could be the evil high
As with any GM tool, you should use the tags only priest’s Concealed Sin is his desperate desire to make
so far as you need them. Take them as inspiration for an amends for his infernal service and escape his slavery to
NPC’s background and current situation, and don’t feel his malevolent god. The tags are there for inspiration,
compelled to follow every line. By the same token, be and you should feel free to let them take you where they
willing to be surprised by unusual combinations. Maybe might lead.

Baneful Success
They have succeeded at something too well. Some
part of their plans or intentions have been so
successful that the consequences have become
extremely threatening to them. A powerful ally may
be so enthused by their plans that they now are
overreaching, a beckoned devil may prove to be far
mightier than expected, or a bribed official may be so
cooperative that their obvious corruption is drawing
official notice.
Conversely their success may be some great
personal achievement that has somehow bought them
attention or duties that they now want to escape.
A Curb a vitally important but too-enthusiastic
ally, Escape the new duties their success has
pressed upon them, Exploit the unexpected new
opportunity their success has thrust upon them
P Their newfound and unexpectedly powerful ally,
Their success has earned the cooperation of an
unexpected patron, They suddenly have more of
a particular resource than they expected to have
D They are swept along by their success to an
ultimate nemesis, They are critically unequipped
to exploit their success, Someone else is stepping
in to profit by their success
Bitter Grudge
They hate some person or institution with aching
intensity. Their hatred is an animating force for their
personality and daily activities, and even when
circumstances require them to conceal it, it will never
be far from their mind. They are willing to suffer terribly
so long as they can inflict equal misery on their enemy.
Conversely, they might be the target of such a
grudge. It may be that some past action or former
crime left a survivor who is willing to take reckless
steps to ruin them, even if innocents are caught in the
blast.
A Worm their way into a position of trust where they
can betray their enemy, Inflict their vengeance
on the things and people their enemy loves,
Personally murder their enemy or destroy the
institution after inflicting terrible pain
P They have incredible focus and self-discipline
driven by their hate, They have many friends who
also hate their enemy, The wrong their enemy did
them left them with a talent or an association that
they can use to get their revenge
D Their enemy is destroyed by some completely
unrelated person or event, People they trust or
rely on are somehow drawn into their enemy’s
circle, Destroying their enemy would somehow
ruin something or someone they love
185
Betting It All
They are making an enormous gamble in this plot,
expending every resource they have and burning
every bridge behind them in an attempt to win through.
Something about the situation makes them think that
nothing has a chance except total commitment.
Conversely, this tag might just indicate that they are
extremely prone to reckless all-in behavior, willing to
dare everything and trust to their prior luck.
A Overcome a seemingly invincible foe or obstacle,
Achieve an impossible feat by daring to spend
what others would shrink from, Crush a problem
utterly through raw force before it can grow into
a real danger
P Through loans and promises they can mobilize far
more resources than others would suspect, They
have a well-honed sense of the possible that lets
them strike at weak points intuitively, They are
remarkably coordinated and can control and
direct their resources with exquisite precision
D An old debt comes due at the worst possible time,
A resource they thought they had available turns
out to be depleted or useless, A small piece
of bad luck causes a cascade of events that
threatens to undo them
Black Sheep
They are an outcast from some family, organization,
or religion of importance in the area. Something they
did or are is intolerable to their former allies, and
they’ve been cut off from their help and association,
even though outsiders might still recognize them as
a member.
Conversely, rather than being outcast by others,
they themselves might be naturally incapable of
feeling belonging or trust towards others. They
might unconsciously or intentionally sabotage their
relationships so as to remain unencumbered by ties.
A Punish their former associates for cutting them
off, Prove that the judgment of their peers was
mistaken and they are truly worthy, Do things
that they could never have done as a member in
good standing of their former peers
P They still have secrets and private ties from their
former association, They stole valuable resources
or arts from their past peers before leaving, They
have associates who are also outcasts from the
group or who are traditional enemies of them
D Their old peers feel the need to “take care” of
them and their loose ends, They’re targeted by
enemies of their old peers who don’t recognize
their outcast status, Old resources they formerly
relied upon are now unavailable to them
186
Blithe Idealist
They have a dream or a grand ambition, seeing a
great possibility before them or a wonderful vision
of how life could be. They are totally committed to
this ideal; any failure of it is just evidence of a lack of
determination or the sabotage of enemies. No price
is too great and no obstacle to vast for their ideal to
overcome.
Conversely, they could be waking up to the
impossibility of their dream, yet find themselves utterly
entangled in plots to achieve it and terrible prices
they’ve already paid. They may not believe in it any
more, but they have no way to back out now.
A Destroy a person or power they identify as an
enemy of their vision, Put a supporter of their
vision into a position of power, Ruin a wicked
saboteur whose actions caused the ideal to fail
in some instance
P They have a vanguard of equally dedicated allies,
Their ideal is intensely attractive to otherwise
uncommitted people, They have the backing of
secret powers or otherworldly entities that find
them useful
D The vision demands something precious from
them, A trusted lieutenant is failing badly, They’ve
been accused of sabotage by an ambitious rival
Chance at Glory
They have a shot at fame, fortune, happiness, or some
other situation they’ve longed to obtain. Some plot
they’re pursuing or situation they’ve found themselves
in offers them a chance at this success, usually in
exchange for a terrible risk or a grim sacrifice. Refusing
seems to risk the permanent loss of the desired end.
Conversely, they might still be seeking that chance.
Their plans and schemes might revolve around
making an opening for their own reckless ambitions,
or creating situations where they might gamble
everything on obtaining their heart’s desire.
A Destroy the person or institution that stands
between them and glory, Sacrifice an ally or an
innocent bystander in order to obtain their end,
Load the dice by setting up alliances or betrayals
that will make the eventual effort sure to succeed
P They have inside information on the situation that
gives them a golden opportunity, They’ve been
training for this situation and have exactly the
skill set and resources needed, Dumb luck has
set them up perfectly for their chance
D They’re being used as a patsy by another glory
seeker, Success actually spells something very
different for them, The glory they’re seeking isn’t
worth their sacrifice
Burnt Out
Nothing is worth it to them any more. They’re physically,
mentally, or emotionally exhausted. They’ve achieved
great things and undertaken vast labors, but none of
their fruits seem worth the effort any longer. They want
to ignore the world, but the current situation won’t let
them stand aside if they want to avoid disaster.
Conversely, their exhaustion may not be a matter of
unwillingness, but of newfound incapacity. They just
don’t have the strength they used to, and the deeds
they could formerly achieve are now too difficult or
too exhausting for them to manage any more.
A Escape some burdensome duty or task without
getting in deeper trouble, Complete some last
task they think will let them finally rest, Get rid of
some person who is forcing them keep working
P They were extremely good at the task or role that
they’re burnt out on, They have numerous minions
or allies they’ve earned by past labor, They have
considerable resources their talents acquired
D Something threatens to hang an interminable
new duty on them, The event or person who
caused their burnout comes back or recurs, None
of their intended recreations or rests are helping
them feel any better
Chronic Illness
They’re plagued with a chronic illness, mutilation,
or deformity that has hindered them for some time.
Something about it isn’t amenable to magical cures
or easy remedies, and it interferes with their ambitions
and saps the pleasure from their successes.
Conversely, they might have overcome the illness
at some point but are now dealing with the lingering
consequences of it and the way it’s troubling their life
even when it’s absent.
A Find the cure or prosthesis that will give them the
health they crave, Get revenge on the person
they somehow blame for their current condition,
Perform some great deed before it’s too late
P They’ve acquired drugs or magics that temporarily
empower them far beyond their usual weakness,
They’ve made useful sorcerous contacts in their
search for a cure, The illness somehow has a
useful upside as well as its blighting effects
D They feel the approach of their inevitable
mortality, The illness is crippling them at the worst
possible moment in their plans, The medicines or
methods they’re using to control the illness are
no longer working

Concealed Sin
They’ve done something gravely reprehensible by
the standards of their society, and they’ve had to go
to great lengths in order to hide it from others. Their
current activities may be related to their need to keep
the past safely buried, or they may still be committing
the crime.
Conversely, they may be the concealed sin of
someone else. Something they are or have been
made to be could be shameful or wicked to others,
and their author may go to great lengths to keep the
truth hidden.
A Justify the sin to themselves or others through
some scheme or investigation, Plot to get more
opportunities to sin, Make amends for the sin
through some particular deed
P Their sin was very profitable or helpful in gaining
resources, Others compromised by the sin will
help them, The sin has led them to acquire useful
skills
D Unexpected consequences of the sin threaten to
come to light, They’re driven to rash acts by a
need to atone for the sin, Hiding or feeding the
sin is costing them vital resources
Cursed Misfortune
Everyone has a certain degree of bad luck in their
life, but this person has experienced at least one
instance of crushing, deeply improbable misfortune.
Their current situation has been profoundly influenced
by this calamity, and they may be trying to reverse it
or get out from under its consequences.
Conversely, the bad luck might be in their future
instead of the past. Some extremely unlikely but
intensely unfortunate event might be waiting to crash
into their current plans.
A Get revenge on the person or institution they
blame for their bad luck, Somehow reverse the
consequences of the calamity that befell them,
Earn the favor of a god or power that they are
convinced can improve their luck
P The desperate situation drove them to obtain
resources or allies who are now useful, Some
power or resource left in the former wreckage
can still be used, The calamity was double-
edged in that it left them with some useful gift
D The misfortune isn’t really over and is still playing
out, The “bad luck” was actually entirely due
to their own personal flaws or desires, Their
paranoia over another twist of fate is distracting
them and forcing them into bad choices
187
Cultural Outsider
They don’t belong here and everyone knows it. They
don’t know how the society works, and they make
significant mistakes or erroneous assumptions that a
native never would. The locals don’t trust them, and
may view them as a menace, useful catspaw, or
burden to be endured.
Conversely, they may be a native but despise
their home culture for some reason. They have great
difficulty cooperating with it in ways necessary for a
peaceful life, and act to undermine its customs and
institutions whenever possible.
A Find acceptance among the locals by some
grand deed, Get revenge on the natives for their
isolation, Compel the natives to accommodate
their ways
P They have friends among the other outsiders in
the community, They have resources drawn from
their homeland, They are willing to imagine and
do things the locals never would consider
D They’ve committed a terrible local sin by accident,
Their plans rely on the cooperation of a native
who doesn’t trust them, They’re being dragged
into problems created by others of their kind
Delusional Self-Image
They have a self-image that is only vaguely rooted in
reality, one which they absolutely refuse to abandon.
They might see themselves as magnificently courageous,
cunning, well-loved, or respected by others, and will
often rely on these traits with unfortunate results. Even
when they fail, they will rationalize an explanation.
Conversely, this might be a negative self-image that
they can’t let go of. They might have been persuaded
of it by someone else, or convinced themselves of their
own inadequacy in some important aspect.
A Unconsciously seek to eliminate all elements in
their life that threaten their self-image, Destroy
someone who actively scorns their self-image,
Do a great deed that will illustrate their nature
P They have extensive resources dedicated to
cleaning up their failures, They’re supported by
a manipulator who uses their delusion, They may
be delusional about one aspect of their nature
but they’re actually extremely good at something
else they don’t really value
D They’re in a situation where they have to choose
between maintaining their self-image and saving
something precious to them, Their buried failures
are coming back to haunt them, Their delusion
has finally gotten them in too deep to handle
188
Doomed Love
They are passionately in love with a person who is
either utterly unobtainable, wholly disinterested in their
devotion, or profoundly unhealthy in their affections.
Their motivations revolve around winning or keeping
this person’s heart, yet they have no plausible chance
of getting their desire.
Conversely, they may be the unwilling object of
another’s mad devotion, forced to manage the ardor
of someone they cannot imagine loving.
A Destroy some enemy or rival of the loved one,
Perform a grand deed to win the loved one’s
admiration, Engineer a situation to blackmail or
compel the loved one to recognize their devotion
P Some power finds it profitable to encourage and
support this vain romance, Their burning devotion
has inspired their greatest efforts, They’ve made
terrible pacts or bargains to win help in their
cause
D Their beloved finds personal benefit in leading
them on interminably, Some rival in love moves
to quash their competitor, Some third party
threatens to harm or steal away the object of
their love
Double Life
They lead a double life in some way, presenting one
face to one set of associates and another to a different
group. One side may be their “real” nature with the
other adopted purely for profit, or it may be that the
whole of their personality or pastimes would never be
accepted by a single social circle.
Conversely, this double life may be expressed
as a hidden set of “real” motivations and desires,
one never shown in their visible actions but secretly
pursued all the same.
A Arrange events so they can throw off their “false”
face for good, Accomplish their double life’s
goals without the truth ever being suspected,
Deal with someone who threatens to expose their
contradictions
P They have allies from their other life that none
would suspect, They’ve learned skills that no one
realizes they have, They have a trusted ally in
someone else who leads a similar double life
D An enemy from one life is about to crash into them
in their other role, A sudden desperate need in
one life is distracting them from this role’s duties,
An enemy has learned the truth and is using it to
blackmail them
Doomsday Weapon
They have access to an ally, tool, or information that
could utterly destroy any reasonable opposition to
their plans, yet using it would almost certainly destroy
them as well. It might be a corrupt noble ally, a mad
wizard, a savage barbarian chieftain, or some other
power that cannot be controlled once unleashed.
Conversely, they might have it but not realize the
consequences, holding it back for now out of mere
ordinary caution. Only after they pull the trigger will
they realize that they’re in the blast zone as well.
A Become insulated from the consequences of
using their weapon, Trick someone else into
triggering it and taking the backblast, Trigger it
just a little bit so as to avoid disaster
P The weapon has peripheral elements or tools
than can be deployed safely, They have allies
who serve out of dread of the weapon’s use, The
process of obtaining the weapon left them with
useful resources
D The weapon is about to go off whether they want
it or not, An enemy of theirs is trying to activate
the weapon prematurely, Their enemies also
have a doomsday weapon of their own
Double Loyalties
They have somehow ended up being sincerely
devoted to two different and not-necessarily-
compatible causes. They may have religious, ethnic,
or marriage ties to groups that are not necessarily
friendly to their conventional loyalties, or they may
have been attracted by some new cause while being
reluctant to give up old faiths.
Conversely, they may not actually have any
such dual loyalties, but their enemies and rivals
are convinced they do and use that conviction to
denounce them as disloyal.
A Resolve a conflict so that neither loyalty loses,
Persuade one cause that the other is actually
in line with their desires, Somehow come to a
decision as to which loyalty to hold highest
P They have friends from both loyalties to call on for
their plans, They have a keen understanding of
the situation possible only due to their perspective,
They have certain resources from both loyalties
they can command
D The situation is evolving so as to put both causes
at violent odds, One cause has suddenly become
absolutely intolerable to the other, Someone in
one cause wants them to act against someone
in the other

Down In the World
They have recently come down in the world. Their
former wealth, fame, good reputation, or other
prosperity has been lost, and now they are left to try to
pull together a life out of the remnants of their former
contentment. The repercussions of their loss may still
be going on.
Conversely, this downfall may have happened so
long ago that they have long since come to terms
with their new life, even though elements and pieces
of their former high station still turn up occasionally
around them.
A Regain their lost station through any means
necessary, Avenge themselves on the agent of
their ruin, Preserve or protect their newfound
comrades in misery from some impending woe
P They still have access to certain resources or
associates from their old life, Their past still
commands awe or respect from the rabble
around them, They honed skills in their former
life that are still useful now
D The agent of their ruin will not be satisfied until
they are dead, They simply don’t know how to
survive in their new condition, Their fall is causing
misery to someone they care about but can no
longer help
Family Alienation
There is a gnawing gulf between them and an
important family member, be it spouse, child, or
parent. Something they’ve done or are is impossible
to accept, and the loving relationship they want to
have is constantly held out of reach.
Conversely, the alienation may be forced by the
situation rather than mutual feelings. They may be
unable to associate or be with their family due to the
circumstance, and until it’s solved they can’t expect
things to get better.
A Prove the justice of their position to their loved
one, Destroy the cause or person that they blame
for the alienation, Find a way to atone for their
act or satisfy the loved one
P Their obsessive drive has made them very
capable in their purpose, The act that alienated
their loved one left them with considerable
resources, The friends they’ve made since their
alienation are very useful
D Their alienated loved one is on an actively
antagonistic course, The situation threatens to
sever yet another precious tie, Something is
threatening the loved one yet they cannot readily
act to help them
189
Earnest Idiot
They are a fool, unfortunately, and have one or more
character traits that lead them into making terrible
decisions. This idiocy is not so constant or profound
as to make it impossible for them to attain their goals,
but sooner or later they’re going to make the worst
possible decision at the worst possible time.
Conversely, this idiocy may be restricted to a
particular topic or motivation. Whenever the topic
is involved or their motivation is sparked, they will
immediately make a bad decision in service of their
prejudices or desires.
A Prove that they are not a fool to their sniggering
associates, Earnestly ram a terrible decision
through until it becomes a success, Rescue
a cause or person they care about from the
consequences of their recent bad decision
P Their folly leads them to dare actions that no one
else would imagine possible, They are so good at
something that it rescues them from their own bad
choices, They are so charismatic or appealing
that nobody blames them for their choices
D They’ve caused a disaster but don’t even realize
it yet, They have the exact wrong idea about a
situation, They’re actually trying to be helpful but
in a totally unproductive way
Family Chains
They are tightly tied to a duty, cause, or service
associated with their family, one that they do not enjoy.
Their love for their kindred or the practical necessity of
keeping them happy forces them to go along with the
situation, but not without considerable pain.
Conversely, this might not be an abstract cause
they must serve but a specific family member they
feel responsible for, even though that family member
is constantly causing trouble or putting themselves in
danger.
A Shift the family duty elsewhere so they can be
free, Secretly render the duty pointless or finished
so they can end it, Convince their family to leave
the task aside or stop causing problems
P Their duty requires skills that they have honed
to a fine edge, They have useful ties with others
who pursue the same cause, They can call on
extensive family resources to support their acts
D The family ties are putting them in direct conflict
with a personally-cherished cause, Their
best-loved family member is somehow being
destroyed by the duty or falling into peril, A
sudden compulsion of duty threatens to ruin the
entire family with its exactions
190
Friend Turned Foe
They once had a very dear friend, but that tie has now
become a poisonous enmity. Something they or their
friend did was so unforgivable that prior affection has
turned to hate, or it may be that the situation has left
them on opposite sides despite their reluctance.
Conversely, they might be the friend who has
turned foe against old allies. Those allies may or may
not realize yet their change of heart, particularly if
whatever catalyzed it was something subtle.
A Prove the justification for their acts to their former
friend, Destroy their former friend before they
are destroyed, Subdue or neutralize their former
friend without killing them
P Their friend gave them a powerful item or
valuable resources, Their occasion of betrayal
rewarded them richly, Their old friend’s enemies
are now helping them
D A sudden need requires help that only the old
friend can give, Their betrayal or act is proven to
be futile or useless, A close friend betrays them
as they once betrayed another
Great Disappointment
They are an enormous disappointment to their family,
cause, or organization. Something about them
inspired a great deal of hope and expectation but
their personality, actions, or choice of allies has left
that prospect in ruins. They may be tolerated by their
peers still, but they are constantly reminded of how
they’ve failed to live up to their expectations.
Conversely, they may have been the one
disappointed by another, that failure having inflicted
some great loss or trial on them.
A Redeem their good name among their associates
by some great deed, Join a new group that
will appreciate them for who they are, Take
advantage of their existing ties as far as possible
before abandoning them
P They still have the gift that inspired hope even if
they haven’t used it as expected, They’ve made
new friends their old allies would not approve of,
They have resources or items that they were given
before they became a disappointment
D Their former associates have decided that they
are a liability that needs ending, Their failure has
brought forth dire present consequences, Their
gift has turned out to have a brutal personal cost
for use
Grand Plan
They have a magnificent plan, a grand scheme for
some goal that would otherwise be far beyond their
power. Though it might prove to be eventually beyond
their grasp, this plan is actually plausible, and might
work successfully if they can bring it all together. Few
would suspect them of such a vast ambition.
Conversely, they might be part of someone
greater’s plan, a knowing cog in a larger scheme they
may not fully comprehend. For whatever reason, they
are utterly committed to this plan and will do whatever
they must to help carry it out.
A Destroy a rival person or cause with the
magnificent success of their plan, Redeem some
past failing by succeeding in this, Escape some
awful situation or threat by succeeding in the plan
P They have secret knowledge about the situation
that they leverage with their plan, They have
an incredible stroke of luck that makes the plan
possible, They’ve inherited the knowledge and
resources of someone else who set up the plan
D A vital resource or person threatens to be
unavailable at a critical moment, An underling
plots to usurp the fruits of success, Someone is
letting the plan progress in order to undermine a
rival before quashing it
Great Expectations
They are generally expected to be a great credit to
their family or cause, and everyone is eager to help
them in order to share in their eventual anticipated
glory. They have a gift or talent that seems certain to
rocket them to great fame and success, though they
may not have employed it much yet.
Conversely, they might have these great
expectations about an underling, child, or client of
theirs, and are eager to employ their yet-unrealized
special gifts in order to advance their own plans.
A Prove that their talents really do justify the esteem
in which they are held, Overcome an obstacle or
person who is preventing them from exercising
their talents fully, Outdo a rival who threatens to
eclipse their own achievements
P Their gift for a particular role really is amazing,
A powerful patron is backing them in order to
benefit from their rise, They secretly have an item
or ally who is the source of their apparent power
D Everyone’s expectations for them are much too
unrealistic, It’s not that they have a truly great
talent- it’s that the situation is so awful that they’re
the only hope left, They honestly don’t feel that
competent and lack the confidence to use their
abilities to the full

Hidden Origins
They have a past that has been intentionally concealed.
Something about the circumstances of their birth or
upbringing would be disastrous, perhaps winning
them new enemies or alienating present allies. They
might belong to the wrong ethnic group, have the
wrong true parent, or be an impostor of some person
of import. They must be constantly vigilant against any
shred of their origins coming to light, and may act
violently to ensure their past stays buried.
Conversely, they might not even realize the truth of
their origins, but something about the situation is going
to bring it to light at the worst possible time for them
and their plans. The proof of it is likely undeniable, but
they may refuse to believe it even when all evidence
shows it to be the truth.
A Either aid or avenge themselves on their true
parent, Permanently silence someone who knows
the truth of matters, Force their original parent or
origin group to secretly aid them now
P They’ve inherited resources or gifts from their true
origin, They have a faithful and capable ally
equally determined to hide the truth, Some figure
from their origins is secretly working to aid them
D They’re forced into a situation where they must
choose between their present life or real nature,
Someone they love or find necessary is about
to stumble over the truth, Evidence arises that
somehow privately casts doubts on what they
understand of their past
191
Impending Treachery
They are about to be betrayed in an impressively
spectacular fashion. Some person or cause that they
trust and rely on is about to ruin their plans with well-
timed treachery, plundering them of some valuable
resource or killing some vital ally. Hints may already
be afoot, but they refuse to admit the possibility.
Conversely, they might be the ones doing the
betraying. They may be a vital lieutenant to a greater
power, or a well-loved companion to a trusting
superior. They’ve performed services enough to justify
the great trust they hold, even if their true intentions
may not be so faithful. Something inherent in their
other character tag may well be driving them to do
this, whether or not they want to turn traitor.
A Exploit a desperate opportunity opened up by
the circumstances of the betrayal, Get revenge
on not only the traitor but also their friends and
loved ones, Recover a vital item the traitor took
P The traitor is enormously effective while
concealing their malice, The traitor has channeled
extensive resources to them to earn their trust,
Enemies of the traitor are now eager to lend aid
D The treachery reveals that a cherished relationship
was all a lie, They still cannot bring themselves
to believe that it was really an intended betrayal,
The traitor destroyed something else that was
loved as collateral damage to their actions
192
In Over Their Head
They are profoundly unequal to the situation they
find themselves in, whether it is their job, their current
scheme, or the problem they face. They have gotten
themselves in so deep that they can see no clear way
out of their circumstances, and may be ready to resort
to desperate measures.
Conversely, they may be blithely unaware of the
impending disaster, having a profoundly mistaken
assessment of the situation or their own capabilities.
A Get the assistance of someone who can save
them from their situation, Shift the disaster onto
the shoulders of someone else, Enjoy themselves
as much as possible before the inevitable crash
P They have one grand talent that has gotten them
in far beyond their abilities, They have a patron
who mistakenly thinks them more capable, They
have the desperate audacity to do things that no
one else would contemplate doing
D They realize they’re about to face an enemy or
immediate situation they cannot handle, A critical
underling is developing severe doubts, Some
small additional problem is causing a snowball
of delayed catastrophes
Irrational Hatred
They have a burning hatred for a particular group,
ethnicity, religion, government, or other selection of
people they have reason to encounter semi-regularly.
It may be that someone from this group wronged them
terribly in the past, or something about them offends
their most basic sense of right and wrong. In either
case, their hate is beyond all reasonable measure.
Conversely, they may have suffered bitterly from
someone else’s irrational hatred of them, and such
hardships may have inculcated an equal grudge in
turn.
A Drive out or destroy the hated group, Show their
fellows the truth of the group’s evil, Destroy a
community or precious institution maintained by
the hated group
P Their hatred has driven them to pursue dark and
terrible sources of power, They have many allies
who also despise the same group, They have
ties with another power that has a completely
different reason to be antagonistic to the group
D The just vengeance they are unleashing will catch
someone they love in the eruption, They have
their own well-hidden ties to the group, They’re
being used as a catspaw by an “ally” with very
different end goals
Inherited Duty
They have a task or social role that they received
from their ancestors, either as a personal grudge
or obligation or as part of some broader societal
expectation. They have never had any say in this duty,
and carrying it out has cost them dearly in the past.
Conversely, they may have this duty but have
absolutely no intention of carrying it out, or they may
be utilizing it purely as an excuse to satisfy their own
goals with no concern for dutiful service.
A Finally complete the job and be free to do as
they wish, Foist the duty off on someone else, Get
revenge on the people or society that forced the
duty on them
P They are aided by others in the same social role
or who have the same duty, They were trained to
be extremely good at their job, They’ve inherited
some item or resource to help them do their task
D Carrying out the duty properly means doing
something they find wicked or emotionally
intolerable, If they carry out the duty a great
dream of theirs will be impossible, The duty is
pointless or actively harmful to everyone but they
see no way to avoid it
Last Survivor
They are the last of their kind, be it the final scion of
a reputed family, the last of a particular breed of
demihuman, the final heir to a decayed noble title, or
the last apprentice to some great master. The weight
of their inherited past hangs heavy on them.
Conversely, they may be completely unaware of
their great ancestors while others seek to suborn them
in order to use their ties for another’s advantage.
A Restore or revitalize their fading antecedents,
Get revenge on whatever destroyed the
others, Escape the weight of the past and the
expectations it brings
P They’ve inherited some great wealth or magic,
They have ancestral allies they can still call on,
They know powerful secrets entrusted only to
their kind
D The thing that finished the rest of their kind is
coming to finish them, The failure of their line will
create some social or magical chaos, Others are
expecting great things from them that they feel
unable to grant

Lives For Today
They care little for the future or the consequences of
their choices and are determined to seek their own
immediate ends with a reckless zeal. This tactic has
worked for them at least once in the past, bringing
them some great success or satisfaction.
Conversely, they may live for the moment because
they are convinced their time is short. Some sickness,
doom, or threat draws so near that they must dare all
if they are to have any chance to gain their desire.
A Obtain an experience or status hardly known to
others, Make up for a prior life of stern discipline
or cruel privation, Achieve a goal with absolutely
no concern for cost or consequences
P They have a great talent for making the most of
any situation, Their reckless munificence has won
many helpers, They’ve a great talent or wealth
that they are convinced will see them through
D A prior advantageous act now has its dire
consequences coming due, They’ve made
promises and assurances they are now called
upon to keep, They’re growing desperately
bored or ennui-ridden with their indulgences
Lost Cause
They are dedicated to a cause that has long since
been defunct. A rebel uprising, a quashed faith, a
broken noble family, a failed political faction, a brief
regional independence, or some other cause has their
loyalty, even though most people think it vain and
useless in the present day.
Conversely, they may be affiliated with other
partisans of this lost cause even though they have
no personal confidence in it at all. The remnants are
merely useful tools to obtain their own end.
A Get revenge on the power that crushed their
cause, Ignite the cause once more, Subvert an
existing power structure to serve the cause anew
P Treasures once held by the cause have come into
their hands, A hard core of zealots still exists and
is cooperating with them, They still bear tokens of
authority from the cause that some in the present
still respect and obey
D The same thing that ruined the cause the last
time appears likely to ruin it again, Their cause is
merely being exploited by some outside power,
An even more zealous underling threatens to
subvert control of the entire enterprise
193
Load-Bearing Relationship
They have a spouse, child, friend, lord, trusted
retainer, or other person in their life who is absolutely
necessary to them. They rely utterly on this person for
some sort of emotional support or practical assistance,
and would be crippled or lost without them.
Conversely, they may have lost or impaired this
relationship, and are now trying to restore it even as
they crumble into confusion, distraction, and reckless
desperation.
A Achieve a great dream of their supporter, Prove
their own worthiness to their supporter through
some grand success, Avenge a slight inflicted on
the supporter by someone else
P The support they receive makes them far more
confident and capable, Their supporter has
resources or allies of their own to give, Their
supporter is even more competent than they are
D Their supporter is loyal only to their own ends,
Their supporter is encouraging them to some
grave mistake or misstep, Their supporter is in
some great trouble that they can’t solve on their
own
Lovesick Fool
They are absolutely and utterly smitten with someone,
and their lovesickness is leading them to make terrible
decisions in order to pursue their suit. The object of their
affections may or may not be a socially-acceptable
target, but for whatever reason this beloved is in no
position to calm their pursuer.
Conversely, they may already be in a relationship
with their beloved, yet are so besotted by them that
they are neglecting or ignoring critical situations that
threaten to explode into outright disaster.
A Perform a grand deed to further the interests of
their beloved, Destroy a rival suitor, Acquire
their beloved with no particular concern for their
object’s wishes in the matter
P Their utter commitment leaves them willing to
spend every possible resource or labor, Some
third party has an interest in supporting them in
their suit, They are extremely good at something
their beloved finds attractive or useful
D Their beloved is playing them for a fool, An
underling is preparing to make a change in
leadership, A rival suitor is crashing into the
situation
194
Magical Gift
They have an intrinsic magical gift that is useful in
pursuing their present plan. This gift may be the legacy
of their bloodline, the product of esoteric training, or
a whim of blind chance, but it lets them bypass some
problem that would otherwise stymie their plans.
Conversely, they might be the custodian or master
of someone else who has a useful gift. They rely on
this connection to pursue their own ends, perhaps to
the disadvantage of their servant.
A Perform some great and splendid deed that
would be impossible for someone without such
a convenient gift, Enhance the gift through
some difficult ritual or opportunity, Escape the
obligation that the gift’s possession has laid on
them due to the expectations of others
P Their gift solves some class of challenges or
difficulties very easily, Their gift is considered a
sure sign of nobility and legitimate rule, No one
knows about their gift
D Their gift requires a terrible price be paid, They’re
faced with a threat or problem their gift can’t
solve, Someone else is expecting them to use
their gift to serve another’s ends
Misplaced Trust
They trust some person or institution implicitly, relying
on them as part of their plans or duties. This trust is
misplaced, however, and the other party will fail
them at the worst possible moment, either through
incompetence, self-interest, or secret malice.
Conversely, they themselves might be the trusted
person, relied on by a superior or ally for some
important aid. That aid will not be forthcoming,
however, as their interests are very different than what
their ally supposes.
A Share some glory or reward with their trusted
ally through their current plans, Promote the
interests of their trusted ally, Put the trusted ally
in a position to give them a great reward or help
P The ally is very useful to them up until their
inevitable betrayal, Their association with their
ally impresses others and leads them to be
cooperative, Their ally has given them valuable
resources as a token of their good faith
D A crucial part of their plan relies on the ally but
will inevitably go awry, The ally is privately in
league with their enemies or rivals, The ally
expects them to nobly sacrifice their interests for
the ally’s benefit
Marked for Success
They have been designated for glory by a powerful
patron, a tremendous natural gift, or an extremely
influential bloodline. Whatever their personal
capacities, everyone knows that they can be expected
to go far in their chosen career.
Conversely, they may still be struggling for the
special blessing of powerful patronage or influential
associations. Their ambitions may be impossible to
achieve without this support, and their present plans
revolve around winning the alliances they need.
A Prove that they genuinely deserve the success
that they will inevitably obtain, Carry out a
critical task for their patron, Quash a rival who
threatens to outdo them through their own special
advantages
P They are remarkably good at some skill relevant
to their role, Their patron is very generous in
aiding their purposes, Numerous others are quick
to aid them in order to have the advantage of
their friendship in the future
D Their patron is reconsidering their support, They
have no personal skill or aptitude to justify their
rise, A rival is vying for their patron’s support and
may just get it in their place
Natural Leader
They are a natural-born leader, possessed of a
charisma and insight that helps them perfectly judge
the abilities and loyalty of those around them. They
naturally draw powerful allies and can manage their
interests without disruptive conflict.
Conversely, they might be born into or placed
into a position where everyone looks to them for
leadership, whether or not they have the talent for it.
They may be unable to escape these duties, despite
an unwillingness or inability to carry them out.
A Bring together two hostile parties to achieve
their own purposes, Overcome a materially
stronger opponent through coordinated alliances,
Accomplish a great leadership coup despite their
own doubts about their abilities
P They have one particularly powerful follower,
They’re in a good relationship with a potent
faction, They’re stealing followers of the force or
individual they’re contesting
D A physical calamity happens that cannot be
mitigated by diplomacy or leadership, One of
their followers only feigns loyalty, Their followers
have unrealistic expectations for them

Persecuting Foe
They have a powerful nemesis that has an intense
desire to ruin, kill, or disgrace them. This enmity may
be the fruit of past actions or be a result of ethnic,
religious, or national animosity. This nemesis will not
listen to ordinary reason.
Conversely, they may be forced to work with this
nemesis for some reason, one who is an unreasonable
and tormenting superior or associate. For whatever
reason, they’re unable to cut off this association and
need their nemesis’ nominal cooperation.
A Destroy their nemesis before their nemesis
destroys them, Pull their enemy’s fangs by
destroying their power base, Redirect the
enemy’s wrath towards a profitable target
P They have some important resource stolen from
the nemesis, They’ve developed skills or allies to
blunt the foe’s usual means of attack, They are
allied to powerful enemies of the nemesis
D The nemesis is striking at the base of their power
or influence, The persecutor has made an
opening for their other enemies to exploit, The
foe is someone they simply can’t destroy or move
directly against
Ruinous Vice
They have some particular vice that drives them to
terrible choices: drugs, drink, debauchery, lies, or
some similar sin. While it has not yet eaten them whole,
many of their decisions are predicated around getting
more or their vice or experiencing it in new ways.
Conversely, they may be reliant on providing the
vice to someone else in order to maintain their current
status or schemes. Failure to come up with a consistent
supply of it could result in disaster for them.
A Obtain an endless supply of their vice through
some scheme, Destroy someone who threatens
to impede their enjoyment of the vice, Establish
an organization or business revolving around the
provision of the vice
P They are owed many favors or have much
blackmail material from their vice, They have
exceptional funds of wealth or power to help
supply their sin, They have the patronage of a
fellow enjoyer of their vice
D Their vice is killing them at a perceptible rate of
speed, A reckless indulgence is now coming
back to haunt them with its consequences, Their
vice is causing a calamity for someone they love
or need
195
Ruined Plan
Their life has been marred by the consequences of
a ruined plan, some grand ambition or scheme that
collapsed disastrously. The aftermath still burdens
them, and the possibilities that were foreclosed yet
haunt them.
Conversely, the plan may merely be about to be
ruined, with its impending implosion obvious to them
if they don’t solve an immediate problem or overcome
the meddling foe who is causing them such trouble.
A Prove that the ruined plan would have worked
or wasn’t their fault, Avenge themselves on the
one who ruined their scheme, Reclaim something
precious they lost during the collapse
P They still have the item or resource that made the
ruined scheme possible, They have allies they
made during the scheme, They’ve come up with
some new resource as a direct consequence of
their failure
D A consequence of the disaster has yet to play
out fully for them, Someone they disappointed
or harmed with the plan hunts them, They try to
re-attempt the plan with even less chance of
success now
Secret Cravings
They possess a yearning for some substance or activity
that is utterly reprehensible to their fellows. They’ve
indulged secretly in it before, but constantly seek new
opportunities to enjoy it without having their urges
exposed to their brethren. This craving may be morally
innocent or utterly vile, but it’s something they could
not bear to have commonly known.
Conversely, they may have substantial power or
influence through providing this craving to others in
their society, with a wealth of blackmail material such
provision provides.
A Kill someone who threatens to uncover their
appetites, Use the blackmail they’ve gained
through their associations to control someone,
Find a way to rid themselves of this hunger
P The craving has given them the opportunity to
obtain much wealth, The craving is for a substance
that grants them magical power, Fellow enjoyers
are allied with them to ensure their safety
D A victim or supplier of the craving has gotten
loose from their influence and threatens to reveal
all, The old indulgences aren’t strong enough and
bigger doses are required, Their new post or role
is cutting them off from obtaining their cravings
196
Secret Sectarian
They are a devotee of some faith, cause, or faction
that must remain hidden from the world, either
because their exposure would make them less useful
to it, or because the group itself is unacceptable to
society. Their ostensible schemes and duties actually
are meant to support their secret allies.
Conversely, they may be supported by this secret
faction without ever realizing that it is the case.
Powerful allies or useful underlings may act to aid
them, as their purpose is somehow advantageous to
the sect.
A Make the sect an open power in the region,
Discharge some great debt or obligation they
have to the sect, Destroy an enemy of the sect
without making their affiliation obvious
P The sect gives them valuable resources or items,
Their devotion has allowed them to obtain
magical gifts, Hidden devotees of the sect act to
aid their open purposes
D The sect considers them a disposable weapon
for the cause, A rival threatens to reveal their
affiliation to the public, Their current duty would
be disastrous for the sect if they carried it out
correctly
Ticking Bomb
They have some person, institution, or situation in their
life that is going to explode. Self-destructive choices,
internal strife, impending doom, or some other trigger
is going to send shrapnel through all their plans, and
it’s only a matter of time before it detonates.
Conversely, they may be the bomb. They may be
under unendurable pressure, prey to some madness,
afflicted with a curse, or otherwise facing a situation
that can only end with catastrophically bad results at
some unknown but rapidly-approaching time.
A Defuse the bomb by resolving the situation that
is causing it, Eliminate or distance the person or
institution before it can blow up on them, Arrange
the situation so an enemy or rival suffers the
consequences of the blast
P The rising chaos is very profitable to them in
wealth or granted influence, They have great
influence over the bomb until it explodes, The
bomb’s explosion would cause enormous
damage to a rival or enemy
D The crisis suddenly comes to a peak much too
soon, A twist leaves them even more vulnerable
to the consequences of an explosion, One of
their enemies or rivals is actively provoking the
situation
Stolen Reputation
They have a splendid reputation that they in no way
rightfully deserve. The great deeds or grand skills they
are reputed to have actually belong to another, and
they stole the rightful glory due to this person. Their
own capabilities may be considerable, but they are
not what they are claimed to be.
Conversely, they may be the one whose glory was
stolen, forced to remain silent by circumstances or
threats. They may not even be allowed to demonstrate
their true competence lest it tarnish the luster of the
thief.
A Destroy the real hero before their secret comes
out, Assuage their self-doubt by proving they
deserve the glory, Take full advantage of the
opportunities their new renown offers them
P They really are superb at their role even if they
aren’t the best, Co-conspirators in the theft still
support them, An important patron finds them a
more useful hero than the one they eclipsed
D Their glory has gotten them into a situation far
beyond their capabilities, They have actually
convinced themselves they’re as good as people
say they are, Their renown has put them into a
role or function they now find hateful
Troublesome Friend
They have a dear friend or vital ally who is a constant
source of problems for them. Poor decisions, reckless
indulgences, persistent threats by an enemy, or other
distractions force them to clean up their friend’s
messes or protect them when they should be tending
to their own plans.
Conversely, they may be that friend to their patron
or allies. Their associates refuse to cut them off out of
affection or mutual necessity, but they’re constantly
the locus of problems that have to be solved.
A Somehow get out of the relationship with their
self-image or prosperity intact, Solve the friend’s
troubles once and for all, Finally leverage the
friend into a profitable situation despite their
troublemaking
P Their friend is actually extremely useful at
something, Their friend brings valuable resources
with them, Their friend has associates or allies
that are very handy
D Their friend causes a catastrophic problem to
arise, Their friend resents them and is refusing
to cooperate in the necessary cleanup, Their
friend’s troublemaking is actually intentional and
meant to sabotage them out of spite or envy

Unexpected Talent
They have an unusual skill or capability, one
uncommon to someone in their position. It may be a
magical gift, unexpected combat prowess, abnormal
social skills, or some other knack. This talent is useful
in pursuing their plans and unlikely to be anticipated
by their enemies.
Conversely, this talent might actually belong to a
loyal minion in their service, and they can deploy
them to further their own purposes.
A Engineer the situation so their success relies upon
their unexpected superiority at this skill, Ruin their
enemies through the use of the skill, Prove the
value of the skill to someone who scorned it
P The skill has given them access to an unexpected
source of wealth or influence, They have allies
who are interested in the skill and its uses, They
have loyal students seeking to learn the skill from
them
D They’ve relied too heavily on the skill and it’s
gotten them into a situation the skill can’t solve,
The skill has failed them at a critical moment,
They’ve drawn the enmity of a rival adept in the
skill
Up From the Gutter
They came from a wretched background to their
current success. Whether from grinding poverty, a
shunned ethnic or professional group, a despised
religion, or a miserable birth, they have ascended to
their present circumstances. Their past may yet be a
secret they conceal carefully.
Conversely, they may still be in the gutter, yet
ferociously determined to climb out of it into the
heights of success they feel are rightfully theirs.
A Get revenge on those who once scorned and
despised them, Erase all those who know
the truth of their past, Raise the local status or
circumstances of their despised origins
P Their past forced them to gain useful skills
uncommon to their current position, They made
allies in the past that still serve well, Their past
associations helped them get a large amount of
blackmail material on local figures of import
D Old ties and demands now seem likely to
drag them back down, A rival works tireless to
discredit them for their ignoble origins, The next
level of success is hopelessly barred to them by
their past circumstances
197
Unreasonably Lucky
They are lucky beyond all ordinary limits, to the point
that they can predictably rely on good fortune to carry
them through difficulties. This luck may not sweep
aside all obstacles, but their enemies and rivals never
seem to get the benefits of blind chance.
Conversely, they may be unreasonably unlucky, yet
their sheer determination and dogged persistence has
made them far more competent and capable than
would normally be expected.
A Seize an opportunity that their great luck has
allowed them to obtain, Prove that they’re
actually skilled rather than merely lucky, Expand
the influence of the god or patron they credit for
their luck
P Their luck has brought them a great store of
resources, Others seek to be close to them to
share in their good fortune, A perfect line of
coincidences has granted them an ideal opening
for their current plan
D Their luck runs out at the worst possible time,
They’ve grown indolent and careless due to
trusting in their luck, Someone burns with envy
and resentment at their unearned success
Veiled Backers
They have one or more powerful patrons supporting
them, but this aid must be kept secret at all costs.
Their backers may be enemies of their current society,
socially-unacceptable figures, or foes of their current
employer. These patrons have their own goals that
they expect to be pursued.
Conversely, they may be the veiled backer of
some otherwise-unacceptable group or embedded
mole, feeding their minions support and resources in
exchange for their hidden services.
A Carry out a secret command that would conflict
with their apparent duties, Take out an enemy
of their backers in a deniable way, Deal with
another client of their patrons who has gone
rogue in some fashion
P Their backers grant considerable resources to
their minions, They have secret allies embedded
in many local institutions, Their backers give them
access to secrets and hidden intel useful to their
plans
D Their backers have decided that it is time to burn
them, Enemies of their backers are sniffing too
close to their association, Their backers are
demanding a service that is mortally perilous or
emotionally intolerable
198
NAVAL ADVENTURING
Some of the finest adventuring to be had is on isolated
islands, forgotten archipelagos, or on the shores of dis-
tant lands far over the sea. It’s not unlikely that the PCs
might find it necessary to take ship from time to time in
order to reach such golden destinations.
This section provides optional rules for structuring
seagoing travel. Information is given on buying ships, hir-
ing crews, provisioning for long expeditions, and keeping
up with the inevitable decay and wear of a salt-lashed
wooden vessel.
Ship combat rules are provided as well, ones based
on the starship combat rules from Stars Without Num-
ber. These rules are intended to involve the entire party
in a seagoing fray and give each player a voice in resolv-
ing the encounter. Players who prefer a quicker, simpler
way of resolving their differences with pirates can use
the quick combat rules provided at the end of the section.
Even PCs who manage to avoid the attentions of
seagoing reavers still need to have a care for the perils of
wind and wave. It’s an easy thing for a ship to go astray
in the great blue wastes of the Atlantean Main, and only
vigilant wariness and a hold well-stocked with supplies
can see adventurers through such dangers.
And if the worst befalls them and their ship is given
to the sea, they can only hope that an uncharted island
might be close enough to reach while life remains….
d10 Seafaring Event
1-3 Ship Ahoy: A vessel comes into Sighted
range. Roll on the Ship Encounter table.
4 Stormy Weather: Make a Dex or Int/Sail
skill check at difficulty 10; on a failure, suffer
the difference in your roll in ship HP lost.
5 Off Course: You discover you’re actually
1d4 x 50 miles away from where you thought
you were in a random direction.
6 Sea Beast: Fearsome monsters or a terrible
sea creature threatens your ship.
7 Fouled Provisions: Make an Int/Sail skill
check at difficulty 10; on a failure, lose 10%
of your provisions for each point you failed by.
8 Damaged Cargo: Make an Int/Sail skill
check at difficulty 10; on a failure, lose 5%
of your non-provisions cargo for each point
you failed by.
9 Sickness Aboard: Make an Int/Heal skill
check at difficulty 10. On a failure, 1d4 x 10%
of the crew are incapacitated for 3d6 days.
10 Damaged Fitting: A random ship-mounted
weapon or fitting has been damaged. Until
it’s repaired, it’s useless. Ships without either
weapons or fittings are immune to this.
Sea Travel Procedures
For each day of seagoing travel, the GM should take the
following steps.
• Roll 1d10, or 1d12 on quiet seas. On a 1, an event
happens sometime that day. The seafaring event
table below offers some example possibilities. Skill
checks should be made by the best sailor or most
appositely-skilled PC. Ship encounters likely call
for a Reaction Roll.
• Subtract one day worth of food and water from
the ship’s provisions for each crew member. If they
run out, they’re subject to the privation rules in the
core rulebook.
• If they’ve suffered unusual calamities or lack pro-
visions, make a Morale check for the crew. Failure
means truculence; two or more failed checks might
mean mutiny if they’re not appeased.
• Subtract the ship’s daily movement rate from the
distance to go before it reaches its destination. If
the PCs are just exploring an area, move them an
appropriate number of hexes on the map.
d10 Ship Encounter
1-3 Local Trader: It’s a trading ship out of the
nearest port.
4 Local Pirate: It’s a small pirate craft looking
for small, ill-defended prey.
5 Local Warship: It’s a small or medium
warship out hunting pirates or looking for
smugglers; it may want a closer look at your
ship.
6 Oceanic Pirate: This is a big raider, likely
sailing out of a pirate haven and more than
able to deal with most merchantmen.
7 Far Trader: A fat oceangoing merchant on
a long journey from some far-off land.
8 Privateer: A medium or larger ship kitted
out to plunder the enemies of its owners. Most
are generous in their definition of enemies.
9 Unnatural Craft: It’s a wizard’s galleon,
priest’s barge, skyship, living vessel, Hosthulk,
or other uncanny ship.
10 Crippled Ship: Roll again; it’s that kind of
ship, but it’s suffered severe damage from
storms or combat, and usually has no more
than half its usual HP and crew.

Buying Ships and Hiring Crew
To buy a ship, the PCs need to be in a port town large
enough to support the kind of vessel they mean to buy.
Villages seldom have anything bigger than small ships
for sale, towns may have medium ships, and only major
cities can be expected to have large ships on the market.
The bigger the ship, the harder it is to find one for
sale. Small ships can be found in 1d10 days, medium in
1d10 weeks, and large in 1d10 months. An adventure
focused on finding a ship might locate one far sooner,
and plausible use of Trade or Sail might find a good lead.
If the GM decides that the PCs could not reason-
ably find the kind of ship they want for sale on the open
market, they may need to hire a shipwright to build it.
Assuming a competent wright is available, it will take
one week for every two hit points of the ship’s base hull,
doubled for medium hulls, and quadrupled for large hulls.
This time can be halved by doubling the price.
Hiring Crew
For a very small ship, the party alone might be enough to
man her. So long as at least one PC has Sail-0, they can
probably get the craft aimed in the right direction and
arrive more-or-less safely, assuming nothing unfortunate
happens along the way. For larger ships, or navigating
in more challenging circumstances, a crew of proper-
ly-trained sailors is necessary.
Such men and women can be found in most port
communities, and there are always some who find them-
selves between berths and in need of a position. In an
average fishing village, 2d6 can be found at any one time.
Towns support five times this many, and cities can usually
supply as many trained sailors as any single ship could
ask for.
Ordinary seamen will do for sailing a ship, aiming
a catapult, or pulling an oar, but a captain who wants to
fit out an archery unit or maintain a unit of arquebusiers
will need to hire trained marines or other professionals to
fill the berth. It’s up to the GM as to whether a particular
199
Crew Members
Crew Cost/Month
Ordinary Seaman 25 sp
Cook, Carpenter, or Skilled Trade 50 sp
Trained Marine, Archer, or Gunner 40 sp
Marine Sergeant 100 sp
Navigator or Ship’s Officer 150 sp
Captain 250 sp
weapon might require specialists to fire it effectively, but
most hurlants require specially-trained gunners.
Custom generally has a captain pay a crewman half
their first month’s wages up front to clear their inevitable
shoreside debts, with all other pay due whenever the ship
makes port. Few capable sailors will sign on for less than
a month’s wages, even for shorter expeditions.
Hiring for Perilous Expeditions
Seafaring in the Latter Earth is a dangerous profession in
the calmest waters, and common sailors are inured to a
certain level of sea monster attacks, magical storms, and
pirate assaults. Most won’t demand extra inducement to
sail through this ordinary level of peril.
Ships commissioned for privateering, piracy, warfare,
or adventurous expeditions into the unknown are a dif-
ferent matter. Their crews will usually demand shares of
the expedition’s profits.
When sailing on shares, custom usually leaves half
the profit to the ship’s owners, including any magical
items. The other half is divided up in shares among the
crew, with the captain receiving five shares, the officers
two, and each crewman one. Pirates are more egalitarian,
dividing the entire haul and not merely half of it.
Expeditions without likely hope of riches might be
able to find crew at five to ten times the usual pay rate, but
few sailors will risk their lives for anything less.
200

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

Ships of the Latter Earth

Ship Cost Crew Rowers Miles / Day Grace HP AC Cargo Wpns Size
Cutter 1,000 6/60 0 150 +1 10 17 40 5 Small
Dhow 200 3/20 0 120 +1 7 16 30 5 Small
Pinnace 500 1/40 8 120* +2 5 18 20 3 Small
Raider Launch 150 1/30 8 90* +0 5 15 10 2 Small
Windskiff n/a 2/10 0 150 by flight +1 5 18 10 2 Small
Bedar 5,000 4/80 0 150 +1 15 15 60 10 Medium
Brigantine 7,500 14/120 0 120 +0 20 14 70 15 Medium
Garay 10,000 10/80 30 120* +1 20 16 50 20 Medium
Fluyt 15,000 16/120 0 100 -1 25 14 100 15 Medium
Triaconter 10,000 10/160 30 60 by rowing +1 25 15 40 30 Medium
Xebec 5,000 4/120 20 120* +0 20 15 60 20 Medium
Skyship n/a 12/50 0 200 by flight +1 20 16 60 15 Medium
Dromon 30,000 20/300 60 90* -1 40 13 120 50 Large
Frigate 40,000 32/200 0 150 +0 50 15 80 40 Large
Lanong 35,000 20/200 60 100* +0 45 14 80 40 Large
Ship of the Line 75,000 50/300 0 100 +1 80 15 100 60 Large
War Galleon 50,000 60/300 0 120 +0 60 12 90 50 Large
Stormcruiser n/a 60/200 0 150 by flight +1 65 14 100 35 Large
* these ships may instead move up to 60 miles per day by oar if enough rowers are aboard

Common Ship Types
The instability of the Legacy and its capricious limits are
shown clearly in the myriad different ships that ply the
seas of the Latter Earth. The historical ships of mod-
ern-day Earth had their strong and weak points, but time
and improved seamanship led to many early designs be-
ing abandoned in favor of later, better classes of ships.
Improved rigging, new sail technology, advancing tech-
niques of hull construction, and other such innovations
led to steadily-improved ships.
This is not the case in the Latter Earth. Many tech-
nologies that ought to work perfectly simply do not func-
tion correctly thanks to ancient Outsider forbiddances,
physics decay, or special-case curses embedded by some
ancient nautical empire. A host of ship designs that have
been superseded for centuries in the modern world are
actually among the most functional, efficient, and practi-
cal options available for a far-future sailor. Some manage
to dodge the hindrances embedded in the Legacy, and
others actually benefit by ancient blessings bestowed on
the design by long-vanished seafarers. The ship designs
listed below are merely the most common of these sur-
viving designs.
Bedar: A double-ended, junk-sailed ship popular in the
western Amundi kingdoms for its seaworthiness,
speed, and small crew requirements.
Brigantine: A favorite of Sarxian privateers, this square-
rigged, two-masted ship can carry crew enough to
overwhelm small craft while retaining enough cargo
space to haul the plunder back to port.
Cutter: One of a variety of small, fast cargo ships with
intricate rigging. They require more crew than other
ships their size, but their sails catch the wind with
great efficiency.
Dhow: Lateen-rigged trading and fishing boats, usually
kept close to a coastline. They lack the speed and
cargo capacity of a cutter, but their rigging is far
simpler to handle.
Dromon: The biggest Tseban war galley along the west-
ern and eastern coastlines of southern Gyarus, a
dromon is exclusively oar-powered, usually by par-
ticularly luckless slaves. While ungainly, a dromon
can carry both a vast number of soldiers and a great
amount of cargo.
Fluyt: Sluggish and fat-bellied, a fluyt carries more car-
go than any other common ship of its size. Some
daring pirates use them as motherships, hanging
launches off the sides for quick shore raids.
Frigate: The pride of the Atlantean navies, the frigates
of the Prior Crown are extremely complex in their
construction and operation, and few are able to
build them outside of the ports of Atlantis. Even
fewer are permitted to buy them, but some of the
more daring Kytheronian privateers have been
known to acquire them by rougher means.
Garay: A popular pirate vessel in Tavat, a garay is a sin-
gle-masted, oared ship nimble enough to run down
201
the smaller trading vessels that are its usual prey.
Tavat’s pirates are notorious for impressing prison-
ers as rowers.
Lanong: The bigger cousin of the garay, lanongs are
found most often under the command of Aristoi
commodores or Shinbu Anak warchiefs. Their
outrigger design makes them stable and seaworthy,
with their oars allowing for careful maneuvering in
confined spaces. Most pirate lanongs carry several
launches to bring the ship’s vast raiding complement
ashore.
Pinnace: A small craft sometimes used as a ship’s boat on
a larger vessel, pinnaces are exceedingly nimble and
can be rowed if enough strong arms are available.
Some are used as small coastal traders, but they deal
poorly with the perils of the open sea.
Raider Launch: These small craft come in numerous
shapes and sizes, but all are meant to be launched
from a larger ship kept safely offshore. Their crews
row in, plunder, and flee before organized resistance
can strike back.
Ship of the Line: Some would say these ships are the
finest warships in the west, the fruit of centuries of
Sunward Isles seamanship. They form the backbone
of the island navies, each one heavily laden with le-
thal Sunwarder cannon. Their complexity has made
them rare elsewhere, in addition to their complete
unsuitability for many traditional forms of magical
augmentation and blessing.
Skyship: The middle class of flying ships, few of these
have survived since the days when they formed the
bulk of the Wind Cities’ aerial navies. The few that
remain are most often in the hands of skilled and
rapacious sky pirates or the windfarers of Yain.
Stormcruiser: The biggest class of skyship known to sur-
vive, these vessels are vanishingly rare. Rumors per-
sist of buried hangars in the Choking Dunes where
whole squadrons of these ships lie sleeping since the
destruction of Javair.
Triaconter: One of a variety of oared war galleys favored
in tight waters, like the Sleeve of western Gyaros.
Their lack of sails helps them mount large numbers
of deck weapons, and their rowers are usually Tse-
ban soldiers ready to join any boarding action.
War Galleon: The fearsome fist of Sarx, their war galle-
ons are a sight dreaded from the top of the gulf of
Amund to the southern shores of Xindai. Almost
all are exclusively military in nature, built to crush
troublesome pirates and smash the navies of rival
states.
Windskiff: Smallest of the flying ships, these arcane ves-
sels are rare marvels used most often for scouting
and swift message transport.
Xebec: A three-masted ship with both lateen sails and
oars, a xebec is popular with both raiders and trad-
ers, not least for its relatively inexpensive construc-
tion and comparatively easy handling. Many of the
Free Clans sail them on the Vermillion Sea.
202

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

Ship Weapons and Gunnery Units

Weapon Cost Crew Range Damage Cargo Size
Ballista 250 3 Near 1d4 2 Small
Catapult 200 3 Far 1d6 4 Medium
- with loose stones - - Near 1d4 - -
Hurlant, full-sized “Great” class 10,000 15 Far 1d12 5 Medium
- with shot canister - - Near 1d10* - -
Hurlant, smaller “Lela” type 5,000 5 Far 1d8 2 Small
- with shot canister - - Near 1d6* - -
Hurlant, pivot-mounted “Swivel” 4,000 3 Near 1d8 2 Small
- with shot canister - - Near 1d6* - -
Ondasi Rifled Cannon 2,000 10 Sighted 1d12 4 Medium
- with shot canister - - Near 1d12* - -
Ondasi Shore Battery 50,000 - Sighted 3d12 - Shore Only
Ram, Large (Rowed ships only) 2,500 0 Abreast 2d10 5 Large
Ram, Medium (Rowed ships only) 1,000 0 Abreast 1d10 2 Medium
Sunwarder Cannon 20,000 15 Far 1d12 4 Medium
- with shot canister - - Near 1d12* - -
Archer Unit 200 10 Near 1d4* 1 Small
Arquebusier Unit 1,000 10 Near 1d6* 1 Small
Long Hurlant Unit 40,000 10 Far 1d10* 1 Small
* this ammunition or unit inflicts damage to the target’s Crew Strength rather than hull HP

Supplies, Fittings, and Maintenance
A prudent ship captain must take into account the need
for ship’s biscuit, water casks, sailcloth, hempen rope,
tar, oakum, and all the other necessities that keep a ship
afloat. Those with more silver might also care to make
certain improvements or additions to the base hull of
their ship. Those listed below are only some possibilities.
Supplies
A ship underway needs food and water for its crew and a
steady supply of fresh sailcloth, rope, and other operating
necessities. The adjacent table gives ordinary prices for
these necessities and the cargo space required. Partial
tonnage is rounded up for each item to account for casks,
crates, and other packing needs.
Thus, a fluyt with 40 crew members planning on a
two-week cruise needs at least 560 person-days of food
and fresh water. The captain lays in 750 days of food
at 3 tons of cargo space and 1,500 silver, 600 days of
water at 12 tons of cargo space, and 30 days of medium
ship consumables for 2 tons of space and 250 silver. The
whole takes up 18 tons of the fluyt’s cargo capacity. In a
spirit of prudence, the captain then adds 2 tons of repair
supplies, enough to fix 10 ship hit points of damage in
case they run into trouble along the way.
Ships in port don’t use up consumables or water as a
rule, and may be able to buy fresh provisions from shore
markets for 1 silver piece per crew per day.
A ship that runs out of consumables suffers a -2
penalty on all ship-related skill checks until remedied.
Running short of food and water can kill a crew in days.
Fittings
A captain with a heavy purse can pay to have useful fit-
tings installed on a ship. Each fitting listed below can
be installed only once, with the exception of reinforced
weapon mounts, which can be installed as many times
as the ship’s tonnage allows.
Most costs and cargo space requirements are ex-
pressed as percentages of the ship’s base price and base
cargo size. Thus, installing Improved Rigging on a fluyt
would cost 1,500 silver and take up 10 tons.
Ship Fittings
Item Cost Cargo
Augmented Sails 10% 10%
Boarding Rig 5% 3 +2 to ship combat boarding skill checks
Braced Hull 20% 20%
Expanded Cargo Hold 10% 0 20% more cargo, -1 Grace, -2 AC, -10% hit points
Improved Rigging 10% 10%
Reinforced Planking 10% 10%
Reinforced Weapon Mount 5% 5 Can mount one weapon of one size class larger
Saltwood Blessing 5% 0 Immune to the Decree of Ligneous Dissolution spell
203
Supplies
Item Cost Cargo
Food, 250 person-days 500 1 ton
Water, 50 person-days 0 1 ton
Supplies to repair 5 HP 200 1 ton
Small ship consumables, 30 days 50 1 ton
Medium ship, “ 250 2 tons
Large ship, “ 1,000 4 tons
Most fittings are self-explanatory in nature, but
some bear extra notice.
Expanded cargo holds add extra cargo space, but
this extra space can only be used for cargo; it can’t be
spent making room for other fittings, mounted weapons,
or other uses.
Reinforced weapon mounts allow the ship to
mount one weapon of one size class larger than usually
allowed. Thus, a cutter with this fitting could mount one
great hurlant at a cost of 5 cargo tons for the fitting and
5 cargo tons for the hurlant itself.
Saltwood blessings are one of a variety of different
arcane or religious rituals meant to bless the wood of a
ship and defeat the Decree of Ligneous Dissolution High
Magic spell. Such ships and all attached weapons and
fittings are not treated as wood for the purposes of the
spell. Almost all warships will be treated with this rite.
Maintenance
Ships require regular maintenance. Every three months,
a ship must spend a week in port or by a suitable beach
for hull scraping and repair. Without that, it suffers -1
Grace the first month, an additional -2 Grace and half
seagoing speed the second, and then automatically fails
all Sail skill checks after three or more months of neglect.
Every six months a ship must dock for a week and
pay 10% of its total value, including all fittings and weap-
ons, to account for necessary repairs. Missing this counts
as a month’s arrears on maintenance until it’s paid up.
Effect
20% faster sail movement per day
20% greater maximum ship hit points, rounded up
+1 Grace, to a maximum of +2
+2 ship Armor Class, -1 to ship Grace
204
Ship Combat and Repair
Conflicts on the rolling waves tend to be brutal, high-
stakes affairs where the penalty for loss is a watery grave
for the entire party. A skillful and well-coordinated band
of heroes can avoid such a fate, but it will take coopera-
tion and courage to escape the depths below.
The Officers of the Ship
Every ship’s functions are broken into several different
departments. Each department is officered either by a
PC skilled in the role or an NPC with appropriate skills.
The Captain commands the ship, giving orders to
the other departments and bolstering them with their
charisma and skillful leadership. Of course, while the
captain gives commands, it’s up to the other officers to
actually carry out those commands.
The Helmsman steers the ship and calls out com-
mands to the deck crew, raising sail or shipping oars as
their judgment recommends. Their skill is crucial in per-
forming difficult maneuvers or slipping a swift pursuer.
The Bosun commands the deck crew, carrying out
the orders from above, repairing battle damage, and
meeting sudden crises of fire or ill-fortune. A skilled
Bosun can improve anything the ship does.
The Gunner is an office that only exists on ships
with archers, hurlants, catapults, or other long-range
weaponry. It’s their business to choose targets, aid in
aiming, and cripple enemy vessels with their shot.
The Master at Arms is found only on military craft,
pirate ships, or other vessels with a complement of ma-
rines. While the Gunner handles all long-range engage-
ments, the Master at Arms manages all boarding efforts
and fights to repel enemy boarders.
Every player should be given charge of at least one
of these offices, unless there are more players than posi-
tions. If their PC is totally unsuited to naval affairs, let
them run the NPC in charge of one of the departments
in addition to their own PC. On very small ships with
fewer crew than departments, let the PCs or NPCs han-
dle multiple jobs.
Actions and Command Points
During battle, a ship’s officers each take one or more spe-
cial actions during their turn from the lists provided later
in this section. An officer can take actions either from
their own department or from the General action list.
PCs that don’t head any department can still take them
from the General list, while NPCs who aren’t officers can
only obey the commands they’re given.
These actions either generate Command Points or
spend Command Points. When a ship has exhausted its
Command Points, its turn ends.
Players should coordinate their actions at the begin-
ning of the turn, mutually planning and deciding who is
to do what and how they can best fight their ship. After
the plan is made, then the actions are taken.
Crew Strength
Every ship has a Crew Strength representing the total
mass of muscle and violence that it can bring to bear in an
engagement. Boarding actions and enemy fire can deplete
this Crew Strength, inflicting casualties and weakening
the enemy vessel. If the Crew Strength is depleted badly
enough, the ship may be too weakened to fight or sail.
Crew Strength is calculated by adding up the hit
dice of all crew aboard the vessel, modified by their gen-
eral martial competence and any special prowess they
might have. Any fractions are rounded up. The table
below gives some basic guidelines, while other creatures
can be assessed as the GM sees fit.
Crew Strength
Type of Crew Strength
Captive or Galley Slave 0
Common Passenger 0
Ordinary Seaman 0.5
Trained Marine 1
Hardened Pirate 1
Veteran Marine 2
Non-Warrior PC Level * 2
Warrior or Partial Warrior PC Level * 3
Thus, a common merchant ship with 20 ordinary
seamen aboard and five capable 3 HD officers would
have a total Crew Strength of 25. A Sarxian war galleon
with 200 skilled marines, 30 veteran 3 HD sergeants, and
10 5 HD officers would have a Crew Strength of 340. A
leaky pinnace holding two frightened civilian passengers,
a 10th level Warrior PC, and his 10th level Expert and
Mage companions would have a Crew Strength of 70.
Losses to Crew Strength are spread around as the
GM thinks fit, with NPC casualties being applied to
those most in the thick of the fray. NPCs always take
casualties before PCs do; if all the NPCs are dead or
downed, any further Crew Strength losses inflict a total
of 4 HP of damage per point of loss, portioned among
the party as the GM thinks reasonable; a mage hiding
belowdecks may suffer nothing, while the warrior in the
boarding party may take a bigger chunk of the pain.
If the party’s ship has been boarded and they are the
sole survivors, the GM can end the ship combat turn and
simply run the encounter as a conventional battle, with
the remaining PCs squaring off against the enemy crew.

Ship Combat Ranges
For convenience at the table and to spare the need for a
battle map, ship engagement distances are measured as
one of four range bands.
Sighted is the range at which almost all engage-
ments begin. Only the biggest guns can reach targets at
this distance. A ship that flees beyond Sighted distance
has escaped the engagement.
Far is a range too distant for bows, spells, or mus-
cle-powered weapons, but close enough to be hit by large
hurlants, catapults, and other long-distance weaponry.
Near is a ship not quite close enough to board, but
near enough to be hit by arrows, small hurlants, and
spells capable of hitting a target within 500 feet.
Abreast is a ship almost directly adjacent, close
enough to be grappled and boarded.
These range bands assume that a sea battle is be-
tween two ships. If more than two ships are involved, the
GM should use coins or other markers to track rough
spatial relationships. Ships that are intentionally staying
close together and moving in unison can be treated as a
single unit for range purposes.
Crew Combat
Certain actions result in crew combat between two
ships, most often when a boarding party clashes with
the defenders of an enemy vessel. Crew combat is re-
solved during the Resolve Crew Combat phase of the
ship combat round.
• To roll Crew Combat, divide each ship’s Crew
Strength by 10, rounding up, and roll that many
d6s for each side. The side the rolls highest wins,
with ties having no winner.
• The loser then suffers Crew Strength losses equal
to the difference in the rolls.
• Both crews then suffer losses equal to the number
of dice the other crew rolled, to represent the inev-
itable casualties that even a victorious ship suffers.
• Losses are always applied first to NPCs. If only
PCs are left, they suffer a total of 4 HP of damage
per point of loss, divided up among the PCs as the
GM thinks reasonable, given their positions.
For example, if the merchant fluyt mentioned earlier
with a Crew Strength of 25 was boarded by the Sarxian
war galleon with Crew Strength 340, the luckless traders
would roll 3d6 and the galleon would roll 34d6. If the
former rolled 12 and the latter rolled 127, the unfortu-
nate traders would suffer 115 points of Crew Strength
damage, quite sufficient to wipe them out. Then they
would suffer another 34 points of damage to add insult
to injury, but would have the consolation of inflicting 3
points of Crew Strength damage on the galleon as the
price for their tragic defeat.
205
Aerial Ships in Combat
While exceedingly rare, there are a few remaining flying
ships from a former age, along with another handful cre-
ated by more modern sorcerers. These ships use the same
combat rules as seagoing craft, with two specific changes.
• Flying ships always win Sail skill checks against
seagoing vessels. This means that their Set Course
movement actions will always be successful, so they
will always control the distance of engagement.
• Seagoing craft cannot come Abreast of a flying ship
unless the flying ship is the one who initiates the
approach.
As can be seen, a flying ship has complete control
over whether or not an encounter even happens when
engaging a seagoing ship. They can be damaged if they
get close to a hostile ship’s guns, but boarding them is
impossible unless the flyer chooses to get close enough
to run that risk.
Repairing Damaged Ships
After a fierce battle, it may be necessary to conduct re-
pairs on the ship. These repairs require lumber, cordage,
oakum, and assorted other necessary supplies, along with
a ship’s carpenter skillful enough to do the work.
A ship must be moored in port or at a convenient
beach in order to conduct repairs. Seagoing patches can
keep a battered ship sailing, but serious fixes require a
calm, stable environment for the work.
A ship can repair a number of hit points per day
equal to the best Fix skill among the crew plus the best
Sail skill, assuming the bulk of the crew lends a hand to
the work. For NPC ships, this is equal to twice the ship’s
default skill bonus.
Instead of repairing hit points, damaged ship weap-
ons and fittings can be repaired instead. Such fixes count
as one hit point of damage per ton of the weapon or
fitting, so mending a broken catapult would count as 4
hit points worth of fixes.
Repairs require the necessary materials. They can
be acquired in any port town, costing 40 silver pieces per
hit point and taking up one ton of cargo space for every
5 points of supplies. Desperate crews may be able to ju-
ry-rig supplies out of green timber and makeshift cordage
cut from some quiet cove’s trees, but the practicability of
that will depend on the GM’s judgment.
206
Spellcasting in Naval Combat
It’s to be expected that mages may want to employ their
sorcery during a naval battle. Such wizards must take the
Do a Deed action during their ship’s turn and can cast
only one spell per ship combat turn; the chaos of naval
combat makes it difficult to find a good moment to cast.
Spells can only be cast on targets that are Abreast, or
Near if the spell can hit something 500 feet away. Many
spell results need to be adjudicated by the GM, but some
of the more likely choices are noted below.
Decree of Ligneous Dissolution: Most ships expecting
combat have a Saltwood Blessing to nullify this spell.
If not, the ship takes 5 hit points of damage per level.
Deluge of Hell: The target ship suffers 1d6 hit points
of damage per caster level and twice that in Crew
Strength damage. If used on a ship that is Abreast,
there’s a 25% chance the caster’s ship is caught in
the blast as well.
Disjunctive Temporal Reversion: This spell can be used
to grant an officer a second attempt at a failed skill
check.
Exhalation of Congelating Cold: The target ship is part-
ly icebound, suffering -2 on all movement-related
skill checks for the next round and taking 1d4 Crew
Strength damage per two caster levels, rounded up.
Howl of Light: Targeting the hull, it does the caster’s
level in ship hit point damage. Targeting the crew,
it does 1d6 Crew Strength damage per two caster
levels, rounded up. Targeting the rigging, it counts
as a successful Target their Sails hit.
Phobic Storm: The caster must be part of a boarding
action to use this spell, but it inflicts an automatic
Morale check and 1d4 Crew Strength damage per
two caster levels, rounded up.
Pierce the Pallid Gate: This spell can allow the boarding
of a ship within Near range if the crew is ready for it.
The created portals remains static even as the ship
moves, so there is only a very momentary window
to rush through.
Sigil of Aeolian Auctoritas: Used as a buff on a target
sailing ship, it grants +4 on all movement skill
checks for the rest of the fight. Used to hinder a
specific foe, it inflicts a -4 on all its movement skill
checks for the remainder of the encounter. The
winds can favor only one ship at a time.
The Dazzling Prismatic Hemicycle: The target ship suf-
fers a Crew Strength loss equal to 1d6 per caster
level.
The Inexorable Imputation: The caster must be part of a
boarding action to use this spell, but properly-word-
ed imputations can force a Morale check or inflict a
Command Point penalty on the enemy ship equal
to half their caster level, rounded up.
Wind of the Final Repose: Subtract 1d6 Crew Strength
per caster level for the next round of Crew Combat
only. Only half the Crew Strength at most can be
caught this way.
Resisting Enemy Spells
While fishing boats and petty pirate vessels are unlikely
to have a magical contingent aboard, most fighting ships
prefer to have at least a novice High Mage in the crew
with the Counter Magic art available. This “ship’s wizard”
or “ship’s witch” may not be overly trusted by their fel-
lows, but their protective powers are vital when engaging
enemy casters.
When a ship or its crew are targeted by a spell, any
wizards aboard with the Counter Magic art may employ it
freely as an Instant countermeasure, provided they have
enough Effort to do so.

The Ship Combat Turn
A naval encounter begins at Sighted range, unless the
visibility is so poor that the GM thinks a closer range is
likely. Both ships make opposed Wis/Sail or Wis/Notice
checks; the winner has initiative and acts first.
1) Reset Command Points
If the ship’s current Command Points are greater than
zero, they are reset to zero. If crises or poor seamanship
have left the ship with fewer than zero points, they begin
the round at a negative number.
2) Plan Ship Actions
If it’s the PC turn, the players discuss the situation and
mutually decide on their actions. Some PC officers may
choose actions to generate Command Points while oth-
ers will use actions that spend them. The group as a
whole should decide how they mean to fight their ship.
While an NPC ship can use the full action list, it’s
simpler to just give it a certain number of Command
Points based on the competence of its crew and then
let it take whatever actions it can afford with that sum.
3) Resolve Ship Actions
Once the decision is made, officers and PCs take their
actions in whatever order the Captain decides. The
group can change their decisions based on the outcome
of actions; if they plan to grapple a foe but the Helms-
man can’t bring the ship alongside, the other officers can
choose to use their remaining Command Points in a dif-
ferent way. The ship can continue taking actions until
all its Command Points are spent or it chooses to end
this phase.
Skill checks for an action are made by the officer
who performs it. Hit rolls for gunnery weapons are made
by the average member of its weapon crew or unit. A PC
manning a weapon may use their own hit bonus.
4) Resolve PC Actions
PCs who have boarded the enemy and taken the Fight
action are dropped by the GM into a likely situation in
the boarding fray and one or two rounds of combat are
run for them as the GM sees fit. Casualties they inflict
or crew they distract will be subtracted from the Crew
Strength of the enemy and may provoke Morale checks
or have other effects at the GM’s discretion.
PCs who have taken the Do A Deed action do what-
ever they planned to do at this point, to whatever benefit
the GM decides is reasonable. Their action can’t take
longer than ten or fifteen minutes to complete.
PCs who have taken the Resolve a Crisis action are
handled in this phase. They have ten to fifteen minutes to
try to fix whatever’s gone wrong, with whatever actions,
skill checks or ability usage the GM finds plausible. On
a failure, the crisis is unabated.
207
5) Resolve Crew Combat
If the ship is engaged in Crew Combat, that is resolved
after all the ship and PC actions have been completed.
If the PCs are fighting in the boarding action, the crew’s
struggle is assumed to take place around them at the
same time.
6) Check Morale
A ship’s crew must check Morale the first time they lose
a Crew Combat round, the first time they’re reduced to
half their maximum Crew Strength, and on any other
occasion the GM decides would provoke panic or despair.
If the crew fails the check, they will surrender, leap over-
board, or otherwise act to save themselves. The GM may
decide that the crew automatically surrenders if victory
seems impossible and surrender promises some chance
of survival, while crews faced with the prospect of certain
death are likely to fight to the bitter end.
7) Sink or Sail
Any ship at zero hit points at the end of its turn rolls
1d6; on a 1 to 3, it has broken apart and its crew has been
dumped in the water, while on a 4 to 6 it is a helpless hulk
that can perform no further actions for the remainder of
the battle. If the PCs are aboard the ship, ship combat
ends and the heroes will have to deal with the situation.
8) The Next Ship Acts
Once the ship that won initiative has acted, the next ship
in line gets their turn. When all ships have acted, the
round is over and the initiative order repeats.
After the Battle
When an encounter ends, the following things happen.
• Any unresolved crises are resolved, as the crew can
now fully focus on dealing with them
• Some Crew Strength casualties die. 1d10 x 5% of
the casualties are fatal, less 5% per level of Heal
skill the ship’s doctor has. Healers or other magi-
cally-gifted chirurgeons subtract an additional 10%.
The other casualties return to duty after 24 hours.
• Defeated ships can be looted and captured. A prize
crew may need to be sent aboard the newly-ob-
tained vessel, and their existing crew may or may
not be trustworthy as new comrades.
Damaged ships will need to make for a safe anchor-
age to lay up and perform repairs. A damaged ship can
function normally if necessity requires it, but sailing for
long periods in a half-smashed tub may have consequenc-
es, at the GM’s discretion.
208
Ship Actions
Each action is shown with its Command Point cost.
Many actions can be taken more than once, if enough
Command Points are available, but others can be per-
formed only once per round. An officer can choose ac-
tions from their department or the General action list,
while PCs who are not officers can pick from only the
General list.
Captain
Bolster the Crew (0 CP): Choose an officer. They get 2
Command Points to spend on actions from their
department. This action can be taken only once per
round.
Hold the Course (0 CP): Negate a successful enemy
ranged attack and roll a crisis instead. You may take
this action as an Instant response to a hit. This ac-
tion can be taken only once per round.
Into the Fire (0 CP): Suffer a Crew Lost crisis and gain
your Lead skill plus one in Command Points. This
action can be taken only once per round.
Helmsman
No actions from this list can be taken while the ship is
grappling or grappled. A ship locked in a grapple always
loses all opposed Sail skill checks.
Confound the Guns (2 CP): Make an opposed Int or
Dex/Sail check against the enemy ship. On a suc-
cess, their gunners suffer a -4 to hit your ship due
to your nimble sailing. This penalty does not stack.
Cross the T (2 CP): Make an opposed Int or Dex/Sail
check against the enemy ship. On a success, grant
your ship’s ranged attacks a +4 bonus to hit that
ship for the rest of the round. This benefit does not
stack.
Ramming Speed (4 CP): Usable only at Near range and
only if the ship is oared and equipped with a ram.
Make an opposed Int or Dex/Sail check against the
enemy ship. If you win, you move Abreast, inflict
your ram’s damage, and may optionally choose to
be grappled with them.
Set Course (4 CP): Make an opposed Int or Dex/Sail
check against the enemy ship. If you win, you move
one range band closer or farther away. If you tie or
lose, there is no change. If you move past Sighted,
you escape the engagement at the end of the round,
assuming they don’t catch up before then.
Bosun
Damage Control (3 CP): Roll Int/Fix or Int/Sail versus
difficulty 7. On a success, repair three times your
skill’s level in ship hit points. Each time after the
first you use this action, its difficulty increases by +1.
Emergency Repair (3 CP): Roll Int/Fix or Int/Sail ver-
sus difficulty 8. On a success, one weapon that has
been disabled by an enemy Target their Guns ac-
tion is repaired, or one -1 Grace penalty inflicted by
Target their Sails is eliminated. Each time after the
first you use this action, its difficulty increases by +1.
Grapple Ship (2 CP): Make an opposed Str or Dex/
Sail skill check against the target enemy with a +2
bonus on your side. On success, you are now grap-
pled to the target ship. The target must be Abreast
to be grappled. You always succeed in grappling a
target that another ship has already grappled. Ships
involved in a grapple always fail all opposed Sail
skill checks.
Step Lively (0 CP*): Roll Cha/Sail or Cha/Lead versus
difficulty 9. On a success, add your skill level plus
one to the available Command Points. On a failure,
add one Command Point. If you take this action,
you may take no other Bosun actions this round.
Tend the Wounded (2 CP): Roll Cha/Heal versus dif-
ficulty 8. On a success, recover 1d6 plus your skill
level in lost Crew Strength, or 1d6-1 if you have no
skill. Each time after the first this action is taken, its
difficulty increases by +1.
Gunner
Fire All Guns (3 CP): All of your guns and archery units
fire once at one or more targets within their range.
Fire Ready Guns (2 CP*): Only the guns and archers
who are immediately ready will fire. Pick a number
of guns or archer units equal to your Shoot or Lead
skill, whichever is higher, to a minimum of 1. These
guns fire. This action can be taken only once per
round.
Ready the Guns (1 CP): Gain a +2 bonus to your next
gunnery hit roll. This bonus does not stack.
Target their Guns (1 CP): Make an opposed Int or Dex/
Shoot skill check against the enemy’s Int or Dex/
Sail. If you win, your next gunnery hit this turn
will do no damage but will disable one of their guns,
ballistas, or other mounted weapons. Archers and
other crew cannot be targeted this way.
Target their Sails (1 CP): Make an opposed Int or Dex/
Shoot skill check against the enemy’s Int or Dex/
Sail. If you win, your next gunnery hit this turn will
do no damage but will apply a cumulative -1 penalty
to their Grace. When the penalty reaches -3, their
rigging is destroyed and they cannot take Helms-
man actions. Rowed ships are immune to this action.

Master at Arms
Engage (1 CP): Order your crew over the side to assault
a grappled ship. For this round and each round until
you successfully Cut Grapples, conduct a Resolve
Crew Combat phase. This action can be taken only
once per round.
Cut Grapples (1 CP): You withdraw your marines from
the enemy ship and cut the grapples. You may only
take this action after a successful Resolve Crew
Combat phase or after some suitably clever or he-
roic PC action in the Resolve PC Action phase. In
most cases, the enemy crew is assumed to have been
forced back onto their ship or overboard before you
cut loose. This action can be taken only once per
round.
Fight Defensively (1 CP): Make an opposed Cha/Lead
skill check against the enemy ship. On a success,
subtract your level plus your Lead skill from any
Crew Strength damage you suffer from crew com-
bat this round. This benefit does not stack. This
action can be taken only once per round.
Press the Attack (1 CP): Make an opposed Cha/Lead
skill check against the enemy ship. On a success, roll
your Crew Strength dice twice during the Resolve
Crew Combat round and take the better result. On
a failure, roll it twice and take the worse. On a tie,
there is no modification. This action can be taken
only once per round.
Death or Glory (2 CP): Make a Cha/Lead skill check
against difficulty 10. On a success, your Crew
Strength dice are rolled on d10s instead of d6s
during the Resolve Crew Combat phase. If you
don’t win the phase or if you fail your skill check,
your crew must immediately check Morale. You may
attempt this action only once per battle. This action
can be taken only once per round.
209
General
General actions are exclusive; any officer or PC can
choose to take one, but no other actions can be per-
formed this turn.
Above and Beyond (0 CP): Choose an attribute and
skill pair and explain to the GM how you’re using
them to help the crew. If the GM finds it plausible,
roll that check against difficulty 9. On a success,
gain your skill level plus one in Command Points.
On a failure, take -1 Command Point. This penalty
can reduce your total below zero.
Deal With A Crisis (0 CP): Try to resolve a particular
crisis going on. You have ten to fifteen minutes to
use whatever skills or abilities you have to handle
the situation, your efforts being resolved in the Re-
solve PC Actions phase.
Do A Deed (0 CP): You want to do something presum-
ably useful that isn’t covered by some other action,
such as cast a spell, use a pertinent ability, or other-
wise contribute to the situation. The GM decides
how useful your efforts may be, and resolves them
during the Resolve PC Actions phase.
Do Your Duty (0 CP): You help out the rest of the crew
in various ways, making yourself useful in the battle.
The ship gains 1 Command Point. Most officers and
PCs who don’t have an immediate other action to
take will choose to take this one.
Fight (0 CP): You join an ongoing boarding action and
lend your strength to the crew. The GM runs a
round or two of combat for you and any other PCs
who took this action during the Resolve PC Ac-
tions phase. Every foe you kill, engage, or otherwise
distract during this fight does not add to the enemy
ship’s Crew Strength for this round of Crew Com-
bat. Thus, if you barrel into a swarm of a dozen 1
HD pirates, the pirate ship loses 12 Crew Strength
that turn while they try to deal with you.
210
Ship Crises
As an action, a captain can choose to accept a Ship Crisis
in place of taking damage. At other times, the GM may
inflict a crisis on a ship when it faces a dire situation or
some other misfortune. The table here provides a list of
possibilities, but others can be invoked as well.
Resolving a Crisis
To resolve a Ship Crisis, an NPC officer or a PC must
take the Deal With a Crisis General action. Doing so is
the only thing they can do during that round of combat,
and they have ten or fifteen minutes in which to take
whatever actions they think might solve the problem.
The GM might call for relevant skill checks, or sim-
ply let the attempted solution work if it seems reason-
able. The resolution attempt shouldn’t take more than
two or three minutes at the table; just let the PC say what
they’re trying to do and decide whether or not it’s enough
to deal with the situation.
Some crises are listed as continuing. They apply a
penalty or consequence each ship combat round until the
PCs deal with the crisis.
Other crises are acute. If they are not resolved by the
end of the next ship combat round, they’ll apply some
grim consequence and then be removed.
Crises are automatically removed at the end of ship
combat, as the crew then has time and attention to deal
with them.
Most crises can be applied more than once to the
same ship, stacking their penalties. Once all the cargo is
destroyed or all the weapons misfired, however, addition-
al crises of that kind may not mean much. If a crisis is
rolled that does not apply to a ship, it counts as no crisis.
Ship Crises
Cargo Damage: Straps groan and crates slide unsecured,
or an enemy’s weapon has just stoved in the side of
a cargo compartment. Unless the cargo is secured
by the end of the next round, 1d10 x 10% of it will
be ruined.
Crew Lost: Rigging is about to snap, hull planks are about
to buckle, loose cargo’s about to crash down, a rogue
wave’s about to sweep the deck, an unsecured weap-
on is going to swing wildly, or some other peril is
about to kill or wound crew. If the Crisis isn’t re-
solved by the end of the next round, lose 1d2 * 10%
of the ship’s original Crew Strength as casualties.
Crew Panicked: Some sudden turn of events has pan-
icked many of the crew, convincing them that their
doom is at hand. Until this crisis is resolved, their
effective Crew Strength is halved for dice purposes
during the Resolve Crew Combat phase.
Evil Omen: Some nautical sign has promised doom to
the crew, and they’re filled with despair at the sight
of it. A well-loved crewmate might have been felled
by blind chance, or some ship’s charm might have
d12 Ship Crisis Type
1 Cargo Damage Acute
2 Crew Lost Acute
3 Crew Panicked Continuing
4 Evil Omen Continuing
5 Fire Aboard Continuing
6 Hull Sprung Acute
7 Rigging Snaps Continuing
8 Trapped Crew Continuing
9 VIP Imperiled Acute
10 Weapon Misfire Continuing
11-12 No Crisis -
been ruined. Until their spirits are raised again, all
skill checks and gunnery hit rolls involving the
crew’s efforts take a -2 penalty.
Fire Aboard: Whether through enemy action or the up-
setting of a shipboard fire source, flames are leaping
up. The ship suffers 1d8 hit points of damage at the
end of each round until this crisis is resolved.
Hull Sprung: Damaged planks groan and are about to
give way under the stress of war or weather. If not
resolved by the end of the next round, the ship suf-
fers 1d6 hull damage, doubled for medium-sized
ships, and quadrupled for large-sized ships.
No Crisis: By the blessings of the gods, the skill of the
crew, or sheer blind luck, the ship has somehow
avoided an otherwise catastrophic situation. No
crisis is inflicted on the ship.
Rigging Snaps: The sails have been taxed too hard, and
critical cables have parted. Until the wildly-flapping
canvas is secured, roll twice on all Sail skill checks
and take the worst. Oared ships ignore this Crisis.
Trapped Crew: Timbers have fallen, cargo has shifted,
canvas has plunged down, or some other obstacle
has trapped a number of crewmen. Until they are
rescued, the ship suffers a 10% penalty to its Crew
Strength during the Resolve Crew Combat phase
and a -1 skill check and hit roll penalty.
VIP Imperiled: Some shipboard peril threatens the life
of a PC or important NPC. The victim must make
a Physical saving throw; on a success, they lose half
their hit points, and on a failure they are Mortally
Wounded. If NPC crew are nearby, they can make
a free attempt to stabilize the wounded with their
usual crew skill bonus. If they fail their check, a PC
must resolve the crisis before the end of the next
ship combat round or the victim will die.
Weapon Misfire: Some twist of wind and wave has
caused a random ship-mounted weapon to misfire,
snapping cabling and throwing itself from its mount.
Until it is somehow repaired or jury-rigged back
into action, it cannot fire. Ships with no weapons or
only archers aboard are immune to this crisis.
 211

Combat With Sea Creatures

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

• Mounted ship weaponry may or may not be plau-

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

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

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

Quick Sea Combat

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

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

Fishing Boat (4 CP) 200 sp

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

Coastal Pirate (6 CP) 350 sp

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

Merchant Coaster (4 CP) 5,200 sp

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

Sea Raider (6 CP) 6,500 sp

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

Far Trader (6 CP) 16,900 sp

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

Inland Conter (6 CP) 12,000 sp

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

Fleet Frigate (8 CP) 63,600 sp

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

Royal Galleon (10 CP) 105,800 sp

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

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David Rache Eric “Narco” Glocker gerg J.L. Spaw Jeff Glodek
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David Rubin Eric Bussey gilbetron@gmail.com Jack Jeff M
David S. Pietka Eric Butkus Giuseppe D’Aristotile Jack Innit Jeff Monahan (MacTORG)
David Stephenson Eric Coates GK Jack Toups Jeff Pierce
David tavakoli Eric M Stitzman GK Coleman Jack Wolf Jeff Scifert
David Woodhouse Eric Manley Glaivethruster Jacob Hopkins Jeff Stickle
Davide Guerra Eric Mills glitch Jacob Kalb Jeff Vandine
Davis Walker Eric Reitz GM Ed Jacob L Jeff Welke
DCE Erica Spitz Gorilla Jeazy Jacob Lavoie Jeff Zitomer
DeadlyReed Erick Kennedy Grady Victory Jacob Moore Jeffrey Craigie
Delaver Ray Case Jr Erik Hansen Graeme Copeland Jacob Phillips Jeffrey Dixon
Dennis Eggers Erik Lee Graham Gass-Mejia Jacob Possin Jeffrey K. Smith
Depths Unknown Pub- Erik Lindman Grant Jacob Poulette Jeffrey May
lishing Ernest N Rowland Jr Grant Hagstrom Jacob Steinbauer Jefimeyerhoff
Derek Andelloux Ethan Boeve Grant Parks Jacob Traska Jehan Mestral
Derek Elliott Ethan Deneault Greenwolf JacobL Jennifer Erixon
Derek Munn Ethan Payne Greg Cooksey Jaime T. Matthew Jeramie Parenteau
Derek Odom Ethan Trovillion Greg Dunn Jake “ChiefMcClane” Cook Jeremy “Blackwingedheaven”
Derek W. Branim Eugene “Shalamar of the Greg Freeman Jake B Puckett
Derpedes Amethyst Tower” Bragg Greg Hillenbrand Jake Bruce Jeremy Coffey
Derrick Niese Eugene Helm Greg Lynn Jake Feltham Jeremy E.
Deveyus Evan “Dndgenerate” Chaney Greg Maroda Jake Marsh Jeremy Friesen
Devin Croak Evan Boucher Greg Mele Jake Parker Jeremy German
Devin O’Connor Evan Jones Greg R Jake Snider Jeremy Kear
Devlin Gillespie Evan Lowry Greg W Jakub Łątkiewicz Jerimiah Rahilly
Dick Boardman Evan Snyder Gregory Maddra James “Squiggy” Jerry Schossow
Diego González Santander Eve Crockett Gregory Stayner Whitchurch Jerry Taricska
(Vorghus) Everett Grinning Rat Publications James (st23am) Smith Jerry Weiler
Diego Riley Ewan Ellison Guerin Payne James & Courtney Roland Jesse Breazeale
Dima Halouchyts Ewan Smith Guillaume Garnier James Banks Jesse D Shultz
Dirk Walls f14ubercat@gmail.com Guillaume PERRIO James Bowen Jesse Erdmann
DiV DiPaV Fabian Matas Günther Kronenberg James Corlett Jesse Goldberg
DJ_DungeonMaster Fabio Denis GuodMan James Helm Jessy L Maldonado
djflippy Fabio Mascarenhas Guppy G James Henry Steinberg Jetfire99
DMentus Fabrice Breau Gus Badnell James J. Zecca Jethro Logan
doddwaco Falka Riannon Gwenito James Landry Jim Davis
Dominic Lopez Federico C H. Ulrich James Martin Jim Jones
Domopunk Felix Niemann Hamad Alnajjar James Page Jim May
Don D Fenriswolf Han Rardig James Palmer Jim Mount
Don Lesher Fernando Cortez Hank James Phillips Jim Sharples
Donald & Wendy Welsh Filthy Monkey Hannah McDaniel James Richard Stephen Jim Williams
Donald Chase Fish J.C. Hanno Sternberg Baker Jimmy Gaylord
Donald Haage FK46 Hard Chargin’ George Fields James Sean Britt Jody Cline
Doug “Dhomal” Raas Flaccidcake Harmoniguy James Tanzer Joe Johnson
Doug “Kosh” Williamson FlacoAlto Harrison Wine James W. Armstrong-Wood Joe Wetzel
Doug Baumeister Florin Thunderstone Harry Coins James Wallace Joel Barcham
Douglas Decker Stoll Forrest Fleming HashtagFarmlife Jamie Devlin Joel Beckum
Douglas Meserve Forrest J.S. Schreick Hayden Jamie Lee Joel Dunkelberg
Douglas Molineu Forrestt Derry Hayden Robertson Jamie Manley Johannes Paavola
dowling.jc@gmail.com Francesco Polizzi hdp Jamie Smith John Barbour
Dr.Bang Francis Arachea Heat! Filbert Jan Arkebauer John C
Dread Lord Witte Franco Caragiulo hemlocke Jared Carver John C Fiala
Drewseph McKlannington Francois Gouin Henry “PandaDad” de Veuve Jared Herring John Casey
the Neutral Good Necro- Frank Schirmer Henry Gray Jared Senters John Desmarais
mancer Frankie Blankenship Heptalemma Jared Staiert John Dyer III
drnuncheon Frankie Wakefield Herceg Jarret Warren John Edwards
DroidAvoid Frederick Münch HeroicCookie Jason “Shig” Shigenaka John Familo
Dry Bones Frederick Paepke Hipes Jason A Reid John Foy
Dustin Headen Frédérik Rating Holden Morter Jason C Lund John H. Bookwalter Jr.
Dustin Niehoff Frits Kuijlman Hunter S Jason Coleman John Harper Brinegar
Dustin Nigels G. Goodnight Hyulf Jason DeForest John Humphrey
Dusty Poster G. Hartman I <3 Christina Jason Hallford John Kane
Dwaine Stevenson Gabriel Close Iain son of Thomas Jason Herlevi John Kane
Dylan Abraham Game Dave Ian B Duncan Jason Is John M. Atkinson
Dylan C. Gamerdad Ian Barnes Jason Johnson John McKay
Dylan Green Gantolandon Ian Broome Jason Kurt Paulsen John Mehrholz
E.A. Griffith Garran “EquineLord” Ian Gingrich Jason Lescalleet John Michael Hess
Earl R. Kriewall Tomekeeper Ian Herbert Jason Owen Black John Nelson
Ed Bordeaux Garrett Jensen Ian MacRae Jason Stewart John Roszkowski
Edd Glasper Gary Anastasio Ian McKy Jason Swart John Schuhr
Edvin Alicajic Gary Devantier Ian Rumpel Jason Taylor John Schwartz
Edward Kline Gary McBride Ian Waters-Busto Jason Turner John Sheley
Eesa Ottallah Gary Only Ighton Jason Vanhee John Steinmann
Effie Sanin Gary Roth Ignatius Montenegro Jason Winget John Teserovitch
Eldritch Guardian Gaston Phillips In Memory of Maximillian Javier Setoain John Turner
Eleanor and William’s Dad Geir Lanesskog Von Braun Jay White John W Kirkpatrick
Elgin Scott Gemini Factor Indie Game Reading Club Jaycee johnpalmerjp@hotmail.com
Eli Carley Gene George Insy JayDee JoJo A
Eli Ryan Gene-Paul Isaac Betty Jayson Turner Joliyen
Elijah Dixon Geoff Hegg JB Joyner Jolly Djinni
216

Jon Keith J. Farmer M. Knapil Michael Feldhusen Orpheus

Jon Britton Keith Krummel M1tch3l Michael G Palmer Oscar
Jon Finn Keith Malinowski Mad Michael G. Potter Oscar Diez Martinez
Jon Nooner Keith N. Madison Tinsley Michael Gallone Osrandil
Jon Waldman Keith Stickland Majdi Badri Michael Hengeli OurHeroAndy
Jonah S Dominguez Kelley Rogers Makai Michael Jungbluth Ove Peronard
Jonas Wenk Kelly M. Ramsey Manfred K Michael Lee Owen O
Jonathan “Buddha” Davis Kelly Roberge Manuel Schmidt Michael Little P. Scott Hill
Jonathan “Qwmzy” Murray Ken Stith Marc Bevan Michael Mahoney Paolo Robino
Jonathan Beeler Kenneth Aase Marc Frechet Michael Marcelo paradoja
Jonathan Brouwer Kenneth Barras Marc Seguin Michael Muchmore Pascal ‘Necral‘ Daniel
Jonathan Burlin Keola Dacalio Marcelo Sepúlveda Michael Otis Pat B
Jonathan Combs Kerry Clarkson Marco A. Torres Michael Parsons Patrick & Bonnie Barnard
Jonathan Fish Kev Dale Marcus Hosler Michael Q. Anderson Patrick Buczek
Jonathan Flynn Keven McDaniels Mark Argent Michael Ramoneda Patrick Gibson
Jonathan Harmon Kevin “Dungeon Muser” Mark Barnes Michael Stevens Patrick Haugh
Jonathan Hill Madison Mark Beussink Michael Tice Patrick Jenkins
Jonathan J. Miley Kevin A. Mills Mark Brooks Michael Tree Patrick Kirkner
Jonathan Moyer Kevin Brennan Mark Corcoran Michael Turbé Patrick Maher
Jonathan Nicol Kevin C. Carpenter Mark Craddock Michael Yungbluth Patrick P.
Jonathan Sherlock Kevin Carr Mark Diaz Truman Michael Zheng Patrick P.
Jonathan Tate Kevin Cook Mark Fletcher Micheal R Patrik Standar
Jonathas Kevin Dardik Mark Francis Mika life-buck Patryk Misiapa
Jordan “Sendo” Hardy Kevin Foresman Mark Green Mike Ambrosino Paul Acree
Jordy Williams Kevin Gisi Mark Lang Mike Carlson Paul Adams
Jorge Diaz Kevin Grubb Mark Malone Mike Elliott Paul B
Jorge Sanchez BM Kevin Kenson Mark Miller Mike Gunn Paul Bachleda
Jorphdan Kevin Lemens Mark Neomaxim Gottlieb Mike Lehmann Paul Bacon
Jose Espinoza Kevin McGrath Mark R Haase Mike Matchett Paul Bigbee
Jose LaCario Kevin Orren Mark Somogyi Mike Mudgett Paul Bug Canals
José Luiz “Tzimiscedracul” F Kevin Parrish Mark Watson Mike Olson Paul Goldenstein
Cardoso Kevin R. Smith Markel Cortazar Mike Roth Paul Hedrick
Jose Manuel Navarro Kevin Shunk Markus Hauck Mike Shaver Paul Kalupnieks
Joseph Campbell Kevin Thomas Marquis Zardoz Mike Westley Paul Märgner
Joseph F. Jaskierny Kevin Wilson Martin B MLRM Paul Thornbury
Joseph H. Ki Martin Berthelsen Monte Cook Paul Zawadzke
Joseph Simmons Kirk Lund Martin Kaiser Mordio Crow Pedro Symons
Joseph Walkland KJ Potter Martin Legg Morgan “The Swamp Thing” Pete Hanner
Josh ‘Tallknight’ Higgins kmbrown320@gmail.com Martin Mandler Goodman Pete Wilcox
Josh Bough Koen de Rooster Martin Saunders Morgan Barrett Peter ALE Wallis
Josh Moeller Korben and Deckard Martyn Allan Mortaneus Peter Earle
Josh Rasey Edwards Masaki Yamazaki Mr. Hanson Peter Engebos
Josh Rensch Kowl Mason Mitcham mrsmoogle Peter Heeringa
Josh Reynolds Kreek Mathew Marolt MuttleyJ Peter Monks
Josh Sjothun Kristof G. Koletar Matrox Lusch Myridian Peter Regan
Josh Stomel Kristopher Zachman Matt “Catapult” Wang MysMec Peter Stein
Joshua “Salt” Bowman Krortsvricht Matt Banner Nate Knife Petros Katsikadakos
Joshua Holland Krrrrrrk Matt Bowman Nathan Morgan pfagan1320@gmail.com
Joshua Hudner Ktrey Parker Matt Coyle Nathan Raj phantomspcmn@gmail.com
Joshua Morrison Kuenga Lhaden Matt F. Nathan Stone Phergus
Joshua Olsby Kusatteiru Matt Gregory Nathan Tigges Phil Broomall
Joshua Patterson Kyle Bounds Matt Jett Nathan Weslow Phil Stepp
Joshua Ridens Kyle Mack Matt Johnston Nathaniel McIntyre Philip McElmurray
Joshua Spicka Kyle Nash Matt Price Neal Sheeran Philip W Rogers Jr
Joshua Uyanik Kyle Oppy Matt Sheppard Neale Carter Phillip McGregor
Joshua Williams-Como Kyle Tadawan Matt Sullivan Neil Camilleri Phillip McNelles
JP Sugarbroad Kyle Varneke Matteo Cantelmi Neil Robinson Phillip Sacramento
Juan Camino Lachlan Fergusson Matteo Signorini Neil Thompson Piotr “ThePiachu” Piasecki
Juan Luis Prieto Lance “The Decoy” V.V. Matthew Allen Nemus PK
Jude Purrington Lane Abshire Matthew Dryburgh Nephaeryn Pol
Julian C. Steen Larry Haught Matthew J Logan Nerdstorm PrometheusUB
Julian Shanahan Lau Bannenberg Matthew Jarmak Nerra PsychoMufinMan
Julio Lopez Laurent Debien Matthew Kinde Nic O’Sullivan PsykoDemun
Jumaani Davison Layer Eight Matthew M. Millette Nicholas Choppa punchstarter
Just Peachy Lee Saferite Matthew Moorman Nicholas Duncanson R R Clark
Justin Crowther Leif Walter Matthew Mouawad Nicholas Hollingsworth Raeke
Justin Deneke Len C Matthew Nixon Nicholas Phariss Rafał Adamek
Justin Hamilton Leo Rosenkranz Matthew Plank Nick Armet Rafe Stanley
Justin Lomelino Leoht Steren Matthew R. Dasti Nick Fetzner Ragoth
Justin Nelson Leon Goodbody Matthew Rhine Nick J Ramey
Justin Schultz Leon Pena Matthew Skillings Nick L. Randall Orndorff
Justin Scott Leonardo Prunk Matthew Sutherland Nick Walla Randall Ronsberg
Justin Vander Schaaf Leoren Mauricio Leal Montemayor Nik May Randeth
Justin Ziegler Lex Draconum Max Ward Niklas Nordberg Randy Lenius
justinian Lexi Taylor Maxwell Madden Niko Visnjic Randy Nichols
K Harris Lily Sochan Maxx Radford Nikolas Kieker ravenclaw72774@gmail.com
Kade Wilson Link Shadowelf McKay William Brown NJ Glassford Ray Huling
Kai Yan Lloyd Rasmussen Mehul Patel NJC Ray Nolan
Kaitlyn “Invidia” Martin Logan Pike Mel Hall Noah Schaefers Ray Weidner
Kara Spears Longier Mendel Schmiedekamp Oberon D’Argos Raymond Jasinski
Karl Benson Lorenzo Gatti Meredith Octa9on REDeMercurio
Karl Fleischmann Louis Sylvester Michael “MickyJim” May Odin Anstiss-Liljefors Reece Adams
kazr Luca Lettieri Michael Blank Okko Kasnio Reece Nelson
Keel Curtis Lucy Lin Michael Bunce Oleg Pyntikov Reesie Belle Denehy
Keith “One T” Mathews Luis M. Rebollar Michael Calabrese oliver Reldatid
Keith C. Datum Luke Gibson Michael Collins Oliver Kempf Rematoes
Keith Clendenen Lunar Michael D Cox Oliver Lauenstein Rev. Keith Johnson
Keith Davies Lycanis108 Michael De Rosa Olly Rathbone Rewstyr
Keith E. Hartman M Pierce Michael Doa Ols Jonas Petter Olsson Rhialto the Marvellous
 217

Riccardo “Musta” Caverni Ryan Donohue Sholari Theedle Verri

Rich Chamberlain Ryan Haggerty Silent Theodore Mason Vicente Cartas Espinel
Rich Forest Ryan Hamilton Simon Brunning Theodore Meyer Victoria & David
Rich Harkrader Ryan Kenmire Simon Cotterill Theophrastus Viktor Triumph
Rich Harrison Ryan Lowrie Simon English thestarsarehigh Vince Kindfuller
Rich jerry247 Fraser Ryan Percival Simon Ward Thief of Whispers Vincent Brayer
Rich McAllister Ryan Smith Sindre Hauge Skare Thom Hall killed by a newt. Vincent Brown
Rich Shaughnessy Ryan Thomas Skye Thomas Alexander vincent furstenberger
Rich Spainhour Ryklan Rolfsson Slade Auel Thomas BARRET Vincent Hudon
Richard ‘Vecna’ Hussey Rylan Edlin Snubit Thomas Biskup Vincent Patriti
RICHARD BARNHOUSE S Snuggly Wuggums Thomas Bunch Vintoks
III S Granius SobranDM Thomas Gernon Violaceous Jay
Richard Cutler S.Coutts Solarian Soulfire Thomas Günther Estabrook Virez Kaldoo
Richard Do S.F. Rattan spacht Thomas Kavanagh Vivian Burning
Richard Drummond SA Borst Spencer Beem Thomas M Vladimir Filipović
Turnbull Sage S. McDaniel Spencer Colony Thomas Milazzo Vxxx
Richard Ling Sam Collie Squalamoucho! Thomas Shackelford W. Gage Berry
Richard Morgan-Ash Sam Dingethal Stacie Winters Thomas Staples W. R. R. Enstave
Richard Mosen Sam Jones Starblind Thomas Weaver Walter Colvin
Richard P Marcello Sam Purdie Stefanno Da Silva Thomas Woodall Walter McWilliams
Richard T. Balsley Sam Schoeneberger Stefon Mears Thomas Youle WasabiBurger
Richard W. Sorden Sam Vanni Stephen Faure Thor Winters Wayne Minton
Rick Fournier Sam Zeitlin Stephen Mason Thorsten Schubert Wes Baker
Rick Roby Sammguy Stephen Mulrooney Tiffany Korta Wes Makin
Rick Sproal Samuel Puddleduck Stephen Nary Tim Wesley E. Marshall
Riku ”Rikstam” Kestilä Samuel Sterling Potter Stephen Shaw Tim Billerbeck WheatieDad
Roandil Samuel Wolfe Stephen Thompson Tim Czarnecki Whisper Vileblood
Rob Masson Sarah and Andrew Gordon Steve Bryant Tim Deschene Wilhelm Fitzpatrick
Rob Meerscheidt Sasha De’ath Steve Holder Tim R Ardoin Will
Rob Muhlig Schubacca Steven Arrant Tim Rudolph Will Chesney
Robert “Trebor” Carey Scott A Aldrich Steven August Finley Tim Sullivan Will Hinz
Robert Ahrens Scott Barnes Steven C. Brown Timo Juhala Will Lentlie
Robert Alford Scott Bennett Steven Danielson Timon Lankester Will the Walrus
Robert Baxter Scott Chisholm Steven Dolges Timothy A Ferrell William “the laserfied” Sova
Robert Cassady Scott D. Craig Steven Fujisaka Timothy Dietrich William Biferie
Robert DiDomenico Scott F Couchman Steven L Cowan Timothy J. Sappington Jr. William Briggs
Robert Dupont Scott Jenks Steven Mitchell Timothy Masamitsu William D. Dement II
Robert J Guadagno Scott Kennedy Steven Morgan Titivilus William Guyaux
Robert Kennedy Scott Margrif Steven Muniz Todd Falkowski William Hensley
Robert Lee Baldridge Scott McMillin Steven T Butterworth Todd Leback wizard
Robert Morris Scott Osburg Steven Zalek Todd Stephens WP
Robert Mull Scott Paquette Stobal Tom Edens Wrecking Ball Publishing
Robert Ott Scott R Elderkin Stuart A. Friedberg Tom Pickwood WrongOnTheInternet
Robert Peiffle Scott Templeman Stuart C. Mackey Tom Warin Wyatt Pittman
Robert Schaefer Scott Yarbrough Svankensen Tommy Chu Wyatt Smith
Robert Szczepanski Scummy Sven & Ning Tommy Lee Wyrmfelt
Robert Thomas Sean Swords & Stationery Tony Demchak Xan Grey
Robert Wiesehan Sean “Cyberfed” Nicol SwordScribe.com Tony Fredian Xander
Roberto “Sunglar” Micheri Sean Evoy Szymon Góra Tony Fucina Xavier Brinon
Robin Yatos Sean Gallagher T. Kurt Bond Tony Gilbert Xevi
Roel Claassen Sean Jack Tabitha Cole Tony L Y||B
Roeland Draayer Sean M. Raley tachikoma Travis Bowman Yan Kodiac
Roger C. Jones Sean Nicolson Tad “L’hex” Wickersham Travis Cobb Yan Medernach
Roger Rebisz Sean Rivera Tai Olson Travis Lockington Yaz Yazicioglu
Roger Snyder Sean Sass Talmor Travis M Erickson yes
Roman Emin Sean Varrati talorien Trever Pearman Yona Simonson
Roman Panasko Sean Werner Tanner Stephens Trip Sandifer yongi
Ron Schmidt Sebastian Jantz Tarchos Tristan Isaacs Yunru
Ronald A Schachtner II Sebastian Pl Ted Kern (Arnatious) Tristan Jamison Zach DiMarco
Ronald H. Miller Sebastian Will Ted Lee Tristan Ravn Salazar Zach P.
Ronny Heinz Seipke Teebone Troy Ellis Zach Ralston
Rosaria Thorne Sempiternity TeFinete troy.otway@gmail.com Zach Sylvain
Rose Davidson Serf McSerfington Terry Kolhoff TS Luikart Zachary Knippel
Ross Fraser Sergey “Soganox” Pearlstein Terry McKelvey Tseb Zachery Bir
Ross Spiller Seth Day Terry R. Barnette Tspuun Zack Webster
Ross Stites Seth M. Lindberg Thalji TU Zain Jarrar
ross.nelson321@gmail.com Seth Martin ThatWriterUKnow Ty Bergthold Zakharov “Zaksquatch”
Rowan Litsen sgreimann The Blushing Crow Tyler Gonzalez Sawyer
Roxicity Shamus Nicholson The Crew of the Caruso: Tyler J Duckworth Zeke Himself
Roy Pilger Shane Butler Will, Mei, & A.T.O.M. Tyler Martinez Ziiro
ru hartsell Shane Jackson The Eye of Night Ulf H. Zinzer
Rudy Randolph Shane Walden The Freelancing Roleplayer Ulf Schnittker Zoraxx Astrea
Russel Hiatt Shannon Nome The Haberle Family Ulysses Zsolt Simon
Russell Saladin Shawn The Hesitant GM V.M. Harper Zsolt, Timi & John Lockard
Russell Williams Shawn Baldwin The Lone Orchid Vaan Korlaag zuessdragon
RVH Shawn Cherry The Loopymonkey Vandemonde
Ryan “Rhino” Hixson Shawn P The Sage Experiment Vasily Giovanni Carniello
Ryan B. Shawn Stroud The Skulk Vega Sera
Ryan C Smith Shervyn The Three Seat Venə Näkez
218

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

Morema 35 Saidonis Mountains 15 Tormentors of Vesh 30

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