Become a Vasall in Awaken, join the world

of battles against the darkness, political

struggles and discover the price of
retaining humanity in the ruthless world!

The Alliance of the Great Cities is teetering on the brink of collapse. The
world is on the edge and it’s slipping away into chaos, permanent political
struggles, accompanied by creeping terror from underground; a Vargan
race set on the vengeance against humankind. The last guardians called
Colossi are slowly fading away or turning against their masters.

In such desperate times, the only possible torchbearers are the Vasalli,
gifted people spoken of by the old mythologies. But can they bear the
burden of being the protectors of humanity, or will they allow themselves
to be corrupted by power and succumb to the darkness that delves in every
heart?

Inside the Awaken rulebook you’ll find:

hh A dark, war-ravaged fantasy universe influenced by Slavic and
Mediterranean folklore.
hh A complete game system with intuitive and light rules, which help
you tell a story rather than burden you down.
hh Streamlined rules for Character creation and guidelines for
Narrators, including examples of antagonists.
hh A Story with pre-generated Characters suitable for venturing into
the world of Awaken.

w w w.awakenrp g.ne t
Copyright © 2017 The Games Collective.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other
electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,
places or events is purely coincidental.

S2P32100

Dark Fantasy RolePlaying Game

$19.99
Produced under license by Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. The Studio2 logo is a trademark of Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.
 Lead Designer Marko M. Sekul
Writer Zoltan Lečei
Rule Development Marko M. Sekul
Editing Joshua Yearsley, John Adamus,
Jason Pitre
Lead Artist Kristina Toxicpanda
Cover Art Kiau Ping Choo
Interior Art Kristina Toxicpanda, Mihael Vežnaver,
Dalibor Dax Starčević, Daniel Tyka,
Dino Tumpa, Ramon Santiago Macairap,
Kyllian Guillart, Mateusz Michalski,
Matt Bulahao, Miguel Bruecker,
Tommaso Tagliabue, Slawomir Wolicki
Cartography Kristina Toxicpanda, Tomek Zarucki
Layout&Design Ivan hlušička (www.hysteria.hr)

Playtesters
Aco Kuridža, Marko Purišić, Iljko Zlatar, Marko Žilić, Danijel Božić, Lukas Letica, Sara Miani,
Sara Peček, Ivana Baričević, Kristijan Faust, Nikola Juretić, Nika Pavlović, Nikola Novoselac,
Wanda Mitrović, Božo Vatroslav Lopižić, Zrinka Znidarčić, Maja Škvorc, Jasin Zujović, Zvonimir
Barać and Danijel Štriga

w w w.awakenrp g.ne t

COPYRIGHT © 2017 THE GAMES COLLECTIVE.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING,
RECORDING, OR OTHER ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL METHODS, WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. THIS PRODUCT IS A WORK OF FICTION. ANY
SIMILARITY TO ACTUAL PEOPLE, ORGANIZATIONS, PLACES OR EVENTS IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.
PRODUCED UNDER LICENSE BY STUDIO 2 PUBLISHING, INC. THE STUDIO2 LOGO IS A TRADEMARK OF STUDIO 2 PUBLISHING, INC. COPYRIGHT 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 Contents
CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 6:
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 MECHANICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Life in the Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Brief Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Formation of the Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 How does the system work? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Citizens of the Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Actualizing the Drama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Using Virtues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
The Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Endurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Travel and Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Corruption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Essential Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Use of Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 CHAPTER 7:
COMBAT SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
CHAPTER 2: Drama and Narration in Combat . . . . . . . . . . . 124
THE GREAT CITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Mechanics of Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Jarillo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Additional Rules and Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Liboria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Combat Maneuvers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Rinean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Complications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Famous Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Equipment and Surroundings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

CHAPTER 3: CHAPTER 8: GIFTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

VASALLI AND THE AWAKENING . . . . . . . . . . .49 Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Uncovering the Myth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
The Awakened Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Illusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
The Unwanted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Colossi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Advancing and learning new Gifts . . . . . . . . 149

CHAPTER 4: CHAPTER 9:
THE ORDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 NARRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
The Soul of the Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
The Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Zorya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 CHAPTER 10:
Order of Siebog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 THE VARGAN CODEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Morana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Sons of Sirin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 CHAPTER 11: ANTAGONISTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Outside the Orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Folk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
The Cults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Vasalli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Vargans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
CHAPTER 5: Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
CHARACTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 The Unknown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Characters and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Building Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 CHAPTER 12:
MISTS OF KRING VALLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
 Chapter 1:
Introduction

I
n the beginning, when seas were kissing the skies, and when light and darkness existed as
one, two weary beings from far away visited our world.

They had been searching for a resting place. After some time they found it in a new
world, which was to their liking. Together with their race of servants called the First ones,
they split the seas from the skies and divided light from darkness. In the middle of those
elements, they first created the soil, and then put the seeds of life in it. Through the eons,
the seeds of life thrived in our world, giving birth to birds in the skies, fish in the waters, and—finally—to
mankind on the earth. The two travelers, Azimoth and Zimitra, watched with great interest the life force
streaming through the world. But alas, the First ones began to slowly fade and wither. Life on the new
world was growing and their lifespan was nearly as long as their masters’.

As the last of the First were laid peacefully into the ground, a terrible sadness and emptiness filled Az-
imoth’s heart. Caring as he is, he wished for the new children to remember him and his blessings. Choosing
the best and the wisest in the whole world, he blessed them—he gave them some of his own blood to run
through their veins. That’s how the Second ones were created.

Zimitra also wanted new servants. Unlike Azimoth, he insisted that they should be mindless workers
with no free will. This clash of ideals caused a great strife between them. Soon it escalated into open war,
called the War of Dawn. That terrible war shook the world to its very core, for it was as horrendous as
it was short. The mountains and seas boiled. Darkness ruled over the earth as giant shadows fought in
the darkened skies. Eventually, Azimoth prevailed. He banished Zimitra, cowed and wounded, into the
world’s core to spend his days caged there, unable to return.

The time that followed was the time of recuperation. Decimated by the war, humanity tried to survive
the chaotic aftermath. Led by the Second ones, mankind grasped the nature of those shadows fighting
over them, understood Azimoth for what he was, and finally began to celebrate him as their god. New
generations rose and fell. The Second ones mixed with common people such that, eventually, all their pow-
ers disappeared. With the fading of the Second ones, Azimoth once again felt lonely, empty, and—above
all—tired. For the last time, he addressed mankind and declared his intentions to sleep. He promised he
would return in the time of their direst need, and then retreated to his resting place in the Great Pyramid
in Jarillo.

The world held its breath after the god went to sleep. For the first time, we understood Azimoth’s
loneliness, as we felt the same way without him. This time, the darkness the world was plunged into was
of a different nature...

Anyell Draina “Of Creation and Division”

 C hapter  1 : Introduction

A
long, long time ago, the gods came from the stars. Az- A race was created indeed, but Azimoth defied Zimitra and
imoth and Zimitra had fought in a terrible war on their imbued them with free will. Azimoth saw the new race as indepen-
homeworld. They fought, long and hard, but in the end dent, creative and persistent. Zimitra was furious, seeing these new
they chose exile to survive. Along with their servants, the proud creatures as disobedient, messy, and stubborn failures.
race of titans known as the First Ones, the pair fled to our young
world. They longed for peace, for safety, and for rest in this empty Azimoth withdrew to the mountains to be surrounded by the
world. They decided to build themselves an oasis where they could stones which were once his loyal servants. Some of the more loyal
enjoy the peaceful times, far away from a home world that was de- members of the new race followed him there and made the moun-
stroyed by forces of darkness. tains their home. This new race, known as humans, were a proud
and passionate people. They learned and evolved from day to day
Azimoth and Zimitra saw the potential of our world. These seeking new experiences, creating with joy, and roaming the beau-
servants worked with the two great powers to form the world ac- tiful world. Azimoth was happy to see them so spirited and full of
cording to their tastes. They brought the seed of life to this hard and life.
barren land. This seed grew relentlessly over the millennia, with
developing in countless forms. All the forms we know of evolved Where Azimoth was joyful, Zimitra was filled with a rage that
under their care, with the travelers watching in approval over the boiled until he finally exploded. He stormed out and sought to con-
world they tended. The life in this paradise was varied and beauti- vince Azimoth to remove the poisonous free will from humanity. A
ful, filled with creatures of the sea, air, water and soil. great battle of divine violence ensued between Azimoth and Zimi-
tra over the human question.
Nothing lasted forever, though. After the passing of eons, the
First Ones began to wither away. Unlike their immortal masters, This time of strife was a long and terrible time known as the
the servant race was blessed only with long life. One by one, they War of Dawn, of which many stories have been told. Some say the
lay down never to get up again. Their bodies wove into the soil, battle was over in mere of minutes. In the blink of an eye, the sky
creating massive mountains we now call The Great Divide. turned from a calm blue to a dark horizon lit only by fire. Some say
that people were consumed with a sudden urge to fight for ven-
In long years which followed, Azimoth and Zimitra were left geance, with righteous wrath, with the need to fight and spill blood.
alone. The world teemed with life, but it was all simple and igno- They say that it ended in swift bloodshed.
rant. The life they created, all the animals and plants lived ignorant
of their creators’ presence. Even if these new beings recognized the Others say that the War lasted for ages; that people were born,
travelers, they only lived for the blink of the eye for the two old lived and died in the shadow of war and under the signs of two
souls. combating deities. They say that the very same people fought over
principles and ideas they couldn’t truly comprehend.
That was when the idea of creating a new kind of life was born.
Azimoth wanted to create something new to acknowledge their Regardless of who is correct, everyone knows that the land was
existence. Zimitra longed that they become a new servant race, ravaged during the battle of the gods. The people were decimated,
bound to their will. the mountains crumbled and islands sank into the sea. The legends
speak of the world turning upside down, lightning that crushed the

8
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

stones and vaporized the seas, of two entities fighting on the sky, and less often. Perhaps our greed was why Azimoth turned his back
ripping each other apart, while falling flesh formed the new islands on us. Perhaps we were to blame for the catastrophe which ensued?
in the sea. These islands were volcanic places; restless, eruptive and
The stories tell us of the volcanos erupting from the soil, of the
violent like just like the gods they were once parts of.
rising tides, of the burned sky and blackened sun. The ashes of the
Eventually, Azimoth wounded Zimitra and stole all his old world poisoned the wells, filled our food and mouth, and made
strength, banishing him and his followers deep into the hot furnace the air pungent.
in the bowels of the world. It is said that he still waits and schemes
The nations fell on their knees, but Azimoth was silent. Some
there, waiting for the right moment for his return and a final fight
believe it was his vengeance, a chastisement by an angry god. Oth-
with his nemesis.
ers thought it was his sadness which manifested in Nature. What-
After the war, the world was slowly rebuilt and healed. Az- ever it was, it marked the end of an era: blissful at the beginning,
imoth ruled over the prosperous victor’s people, guiding them soaked by blood in the end.
through the mysteries of the faith. Humanity formed his cult, and
We survived, and slowly recovered from the cataclysm. The
eventually the religion which glorified him as their god. Azimoth
great purge was over, but people didn’t forget it. One by one, they
benevolently watched over his children, seeing them thrive, build
dropped the teachings of Azimoth. They turned to appease the nat-
cities and forge the civilizations. Rarely would he halt and steer his
ural world which had punished them. They left their great cities
people, leaving them instead to learn from their mistakes without
and turned to nomadic life.
divine explanation.
Generation after generation, fewer and fewer people were born
In those mythic days, the connection to Azimoth was real in
with Gifts. This was kind of a confirmation that Azimoth wasn’t on
the form of abilities people had, which differentiated them from
our side anymore or that he didn’t care. People accepted this divine
the rest of the divine creation surrounding them. Those abilities,
rejection as a fact, and abandoned the trappings of their faith.
known as Gifts, were commonly wielded by the people walking this
soil in the old days. It is said that people took the Gifts for granted, They say that time is circular, or that history repeats itself. Af-
using them more and more, one against each other. The free willed ter a long period of nomadic life, warring tribes and wandering
people, brothers once, became greedy and hungered for power. through the world, people once again began to settle. They built
new cities of stone and clay, without leaving a place for Azimoth,
As the centuries and millennia went on, Azimoth spoke with
the forgotten god. Only the old shamans carried the forgotten
them less and less. No matter how much faith and faith in him was
knowledge through the generations, telling the stories to the young
still a large part of the peoples’ lives, but he talked with them less
spiritualists.

9
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

Time blurred the line between the faith and mythology, be- final words to a servant who brought him a meal. In those final
tween past and legends. The Gifts of the ancient god were seen only words, he revealed what Zois told him many years ago; “He said I
as the stuff of legend and mythology. No one could ever be sure that was chosen. And that very moment, all of the world’s history flew
there once was a time when some god spoke to us, or that humanity in front of my eyes and all of the moments which are yet to come. “
could wield supernatural power.
With those words, Yuri let out his final breath. On the other
No one really knows where Zois the Silent came from; it is said side of the city, the Great Pyramid was being put in the place in the
that he just wandered through the world until one day he stood in same moment the old leader closed his eyes for the last time. With
front of the settlement which would later be known as the Great that great event, the loss of the leader and gain of the monument,
City of Jarillo. Thirteen days and thirteen nights he waited patient- Zois the Silent was nowhere to be found, and we entered the new
ly, sitting on a stone in front of the gates, not moving. He didn’t eat, era. From then on, the time was counted in regard to that day.
he didn’t sleep and he never said a word.
Today, after all the adversity, we stand in front of the symbol
People of the city all reacted differently. Some were curious, of the better times. We stand in front of the gates of Jarillo, with
some were concerned and some were just furious at the old man, the hordes of the new adversary in front of us, preparing to storm
sitting and refusing to speak with anybody. On the thirteenth day, our walls.
they tried to chase him away with arrows. As soon as some arrow
Yesen murmured to himself and turned toward the mighty
would come close to him, it would somehow fall short, stopped in
gates of the Great City of Jarillo. The raindrops were clattering on
its flight like it was snatched by an invisible hand. Many gasps and
the hard oak wood, darkened by time. He slowly turned and stared
screams could be heard from the people witnessing the scene from
into the distance. The rain blurred his vision, but he could clearly
the walls. No one seemed to know what to do and what to think of
hear the racket of the hordes running toward them.
an old and silent man no arrow could come close to.
The skies were gray, but they had an orange gleam, a reflec-
Yuri Vulk, the leader of the city, went out to meet the myste-
tion of the great fires they started to smoke the bastards out of the
rious stranger, and as soon as he came close to him, Zois stood
woods. Yesen smiled sourly as he thought of how this Vargan War
up. Everyone watched in silence as Zois slowly raised his elderly
was akin to the ancient stories about the War of Dawn. Once again,
hand and caressed Yuri’s cheek. After that simple gesture, he leaned
he turned toward the city, trying to catch a glimpse of the Pyramid’s
and whispered in his ear. Yuri was seen hugging the stranger and
top over the city walls. Although it was raining, he could’ve sworn
turning toward the city while holding the hand on his shoulder
he could discern the contours of the shining building that was a
with tears in his eyes. They both walked back into the city together,
monumental symbol of Jarillo.
where they started spreading the faith of the forgotten god once
again. He turned toward the battlefield, sour smile not leaving his
face. As the horde which devoured once proud city of Sirin rushed
Zois never said a word to anyone else except Yuri, but still
toward them, Yesen waved to his Windchasers, gripped his spear
they worked on spreading the Azimoth’s religion in the city where
tightly and clenched his teeth.
they’ve started building a monument to Azimoth in a form of a
great Pyramid of Jarillo, where Zois allegedly buried the copy of the After the Great Battle of Jarillo, we know of the Yesen’s contem-
book he dragged around with him, which would later be discov- plations only because he confided to his surviving fellow combat-
ered and proclaimed the Holy Scripture of Azimoth. ants. He rose to become an exemplary leader and comrade, who
refused the mantle of political power despite his virtue.
Many years have passed and it is said that Yuri died of old age
with Zois by his deathbed, looking same as ever. He uttered his That battle, almost 300 years ago, was the biggest clash between
our race and Vargans. We pray to Azimoth it was a last one.

10
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

Life in the Alliance

east beyond the massive mountain range called the Great Divide.
Alliance Territories Frozen Wastes, an icy, harsh land of continuous winter is home to
The Alliance territories are on a great peninsula named Salvo- barbaric tribes, while and peculiar kingdoms are rumored to be
ra, surrounded by seas to the west and south. The land north of the beyond the Great Divide.
peninsula is shackled in ice, while the massive eastern mountains
There too are tales of even more distant territories—beyond
separate them from the rest of the continent. Some denizens of
the ocean south of the Bay of Isles, lands of dust and sand where
the peninsula believe that the world stops there, while some claim
no man lives—and of other continents and hidden isles, but these
there are territories beyond imagination there. The territories of
are considered figments of the imagination. Many sailors spin tales
the peninsula are still vast, with Great Cities of the Alliance rule
that these territories are uninhabitable, and that the sun scorches
over the territories they hold.
people alive.
These city states have appointed borders of their domains, pa-
trolled by frontiersmen placed in border outposts, controlling the
border traffic and maintaining safety. Those regions that have had
the chance to expand into the outside territories are slowly doing
Nature of Salvora
so by proposing trade benefits and protection of the villages and The natural world is quite diverse, and the Alliance holds many
towns beyond the former borders. natural resources—forests, rivers, mines with varied minerals and
metals. The mild climate of the peninsula’s center and southern
parts allows for natural life to grow and sustain itself, covering
these regions in a rich multitude of vegetal specimens of all shades
Outside Territories of green. Such abundant vegetation also supports countless beasts,
Territories outside the borders and not yet assimilated into do- great and small, who roam throughout woods and the plains.
mains are commonly called the outside territories. They are usu-
Never forget that Alliance Territory is vast and that some parts
ally devoid of common resources, but sometimes a new source of
struggle with a chilly climate even during the summer months. De-
minerals or metals is discovered there, which naturally attracts the
spite this, these areas aren’t as desolate as one would think. These
attention of the closest Great City which then offers the assimila-
are lands full of mountains and hills, ripe for mining, so people
tion into its domain. By entering the region, the newly assimilated
stay, living rewarding, albeit hard-working, lives.
territory is usually given every benefit of the territory in a Great
City domain, in exchange for the rights to participate in exploiting Although the peninsula can sustain life, it can also be harsh and
the resources. unforgiving for unprepared wanderers, from its terrible northern
winds—which can shred the flesh off a bone during the windy sea-
sons—to its swamps that devour anything ignorant enough to cross
Uncharted Territories them. Without an escort of hunters and rangers, caravans traveling
some of the lesser-used roads risk being attacked by a plethora of
The area beyond Alliance borders, separated by natural obsta- predators roaming in packs, looking for an easy meal, or solitary
cles and not yet of interest to the Alliance, is called the Uncharted beasts protective of their territory. The wilderness also hides a host
Territories. The most famous part of the Uncharted Territories are of creatures only mentioned around campfires and fireplaces; be-
the Frozen Wastes to the north of the peninsula, and lands on the ings out of nightmares, just waiting for the unwary traveler.

11
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

Formation of the Alliance

I
n the beginning, the nomadic, indigenous tribes of the Sal- During the rise of the Curch of Azimoth the bishops of the
vora founded various habitats, which slowly expanded into Church understood that conflicts only delayed their growth.
cities and their according territories. Many lords, kings, and Through pleading and persuasion, they convinced the domain
princes ruled over their domains, championing expensive poli- leaders to sign treaties that allowed for the peaceful distribution
cies that caused frequent conflicts. Throughout many rebellions, of the territories and undisturbed passage through the cities. The
wars, and secession, the five greatest sovereign domains emerged: political leaders realized that if they were to gain the favor of
City-State of Jarillo, Kayla Principality, Sovereign Region of Sirin, the growing Church, they would have to allow it to expand, so
Duchy of Bit’wa, and Free State Liboria. they decided to form a loose alliance that would benefit both
These five were the largest and strongest territories, centers the Church and State. While some domains were reluctant, in
of power, trade, and military might. In the long era preceding the end most territories joined the Alliance, seeing its bene-
the Alliance, these regions warred constantly for borders, re- fits. Along the way, many autonomous domains and regions
sources, and trade routes. pulled into the Alliance, gaining the status and common
name of the Great Cities of the Alliance.

Alliance Of The Great Cities

12
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

Vasalli Orders
There is the name that triggers mixed emotions among the The importance of the Vasalli was recognized throughout all
common folk. Sometime between the era of city-states and the for- the Alliance, and various positions and powerful offices were of-
mation of the Alliance, there came the phenomena of the Vasalli. fered to these new and powerful people. Their special abilities like
unnatural strength, speed, mastery of mind, matter and illusions
It began with rumors of strange phenomena: Reality twisting,
singled them out as someone to look up to, possible leaders which
minds revealed, or strange strength discovered. The stories went
could inspire people. But just like everyone else, the Vasalli shar-
on, about ordinary people performing heroic feats under dire cir-
ing a heritage didn’t mean that they all shared the same ideas and
cumstances, about people bedridden for weeks with mysterious
visions.
delusions and illnesses, only to get up one day, changed somehow.
There were stories about people altering their appearance, from eye After the first signs of the Awakening of the Vasalli, many orga-
color to the traceries of scars on their skin. nizations sprouted up throughout the world to draft these powerful
people. From clerical to political groups, everyone wanted to have
After over the course of years, it became evident that some-
the Vasalli on their side.
thing was happening throughout Salvora. More and more people
began to undergo these changes, with suspicion swiftly followed But not every organization endured the tides of change that
by chastisement or exile. Sometimes they would be revered and engulfed the new world and the Alliance. Some crumbled by them-
accepted by their whole community, but there were always those selves, some were disbanded, and some stayed under the radar. But
who would hold grudges against them, no matter their demeanor. the strongest organizations slowly became recognized as official
Orders, forming the fabric of the Alliance and its Great Tribunal.
After a great deal of theosophic debate, the Church of Azimoth
recognized these people as something out of their Holy Scriptures, There are five official Orders recognized by the Alliance; Cir-
an echo of times long past, and began surrounding itself with them. cle, Zorya, Order of Siebog, Morana and Sons of Sirin.
By studying the Vasalli and the Holy Scriptures, the Church con-
The Orders had a clear vision of what they wanted, from a focus
cluded that the Vasalli were reincarnations of the legendary Second
on their philosophies to political influence in the Alliance. As the
Ones, and they decided that this was a sign of the promised return
Orders grew, many more Vasalli decided to join them—for poten-
of Azimoth.
tial fame and power, over a sense of belonging, or to keep con-
Following this, the Church drafted the Vasalli, who started sistency with their personal beliefs which would share similarities
their own organizations and finally found their place among the with the Order’s philosophy.
building blocks of the new world.

13
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

Citizens of the Alliance

L
ife in the territories of the Alliance is diverse, ever-chang-
ing, and full of strange happenings. People still talk about
Rural Communities
the legends from the Primordial Era, often taking them as The folk make up most of the population in rural areas, where
fact, despite the growth of science and industry. After the wars of the Orders and Vasalli are rarely involved. Rural life is hard and
City States, people welcomed the peace brought by Alliance Pact, taxing, full of perilous struggle. Peasants live off the land they work
although many strange events kept happening. Awakening of Va- for themselves, for local merchants, or in the name of the aristoc-
salli, discovery of Colossi, rise of the religious and political groups racy. They hunt in the forests, fish in the rivers or on the open sea.
and wars against invading barbarian tribes, it all left a mark on the They herd the cattle and dabble in trading to better their lives.
people, creating a rift between the poor and isolated and the rich
and protected. In spite of the tough life they live, they usually don’t have to
worry about the politics, decrees, and power-plays that take their
The Great Cities flourished from trade—when they weren’t course in larger cities. They work throughout the day so that their
waging a war among themselves or uniting against a greater op- evenings are free for with their lovers, their children, and their sib-
ponent like barbarians or Vargans, a terrible adversary lurking un- lings. They spend the dark nights, recounting telling tales of mythic
derground. deeds and ancient wars. When they feel the need to socialize, they
visit the taverns, enjoying games of cards over a drink with their
Amidst all of this, the ordinary people try to survive, coping
friends, away from their daily worries. But the downside of this
with their problems, struggling with the changes. These people, the
free life is isolation, which shows its ugly face when dangers arise—
simple peasants and non-Vasalli citizens uninvolved in politics, are
when the dark night comes, and there are no city guards or high
often known simply as folk.
walls between them and the restless shapes in the night.
There are many tales heard over tavern tables and fireplaces,
tales of horrors lurking in the dark woods, of various creatures and
shady characters. In addition to supernatural horrors, people living
in rural areas sometimes fall prey to cults or mercenary organiza-
tions promising protection in exchange for resources, money, or
sometimes even darker tributes.

14
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

The city folk would be right to trust in the wisdom of the rural
The Great Cities peasantry. There are more and more barbarian incursions from the
The inhabitants of the towns and cities are generally marked as cit- Uncharted Territories, opponents of the Alliance politics are be-
izens of the Great City that rules the area. Those who search for coming more common while relationships between Great Cities of
the security and protection of the Alliance can find many oppor- Alliance are getting more strained every day.
tunities and careers in urban areas. The jobs there are as diverse as Whatever their background, all people feel insecure and
the people: artisans and crafters, traders and merchants, soldiers threatened, coping with it in any way they can. Some put their
and city guards. These people contribute to their society and their hopes in religion, turning to the clergy and praying intensely for
society protects them. the safety of their families. While the Church is strong, there has
The common folk in cities usually search for jobs they can do never been a greater gap as now among the folk in faith and reli-
for most of their life and stick to it. Manual labor as dock workers, gion. Many folk are discouraged, claiming that Azimoth will never
weavers, carpenters, tailors, blacksmiths, stonemasons, butchers, return, since the dark times already came and he did not deliver
millers, and bakers are often sought after by people with less edu- their salvation as promised.
cation who struggle to get by. Then there are jobs for people who Then there are some who turn their hopes to the Orders and
find themselves better at social aspects—the brewers, bartenders, the Vasalli, seeing them as manifestations of Azimoth’s power. Ac-
tavern owners, the merchants, and traders. cording to these folk, the Vasalli—high and mighty as they are—
Careers in education, politics, and various organizations and will lead the folk out of the darkness. The Vasalli, they say, are the
guilds are almost exclusively reserved for citizens with higher so- folk’s connection to Azimoth, especially those folk born into ordi-
cial status. Those with the right connections are able to rise to the nary and lowly families: a true sign of equality in the eyes of their
professions of a tutor, bailiff, scribe, intercessor, guild master, or god.
inhabit one of the many political posts. At the top of the social or- But not everybody supports the Vasalli; some see them as the
der are those in the upper echelons—the nobles, the clergy, and sign of the end times. They fear that the ongoing conflicts between
the Vasalli. the Orders and Vasalli will destroy civilization and throw them
City inhabitants often find amusement in taverns and bars, further into chaos and into the hands of their fears. Their deep-
which remain social hubs even in urban areas. There, citizens can est fear about the Vasalli is that one day they—being lost in pow-
relax with games of cards, dice, and wits. Those who enjoy quiet er-playing, greed, and corruption—will start an open war between
forms of amusement are welcomed into the many libraries and mu- Orders. Such a war would destroy the Alliance and devastate the
seums, which open their doors to everyone hungry for knowledge. lives of ordinary folk.
There are various theaters where actors reenact the old stories, new If that wasn’t enough, there is the threat
dramas, or compelling musicles. When walking through the town of the ancient Vargan menace. These
square, it isn’t uncommon to find poetry recitals, teams of acrobats, monstrous beings had disappeared for
or lone musicians to entertain you. During the various summer for centuries, only to re-emerge in
and winter festivals—especially those marking the solstice, or ones nightmarish fashion in recent years.
held in Azimoth’s glory—the whole town or city revels in fun and
leisure, celebrating life away from worry. These creatures have trans-
formed from simple stories, gossip,
Besides the taverns, the marketplaces are the next most im- and whispers into an undeniably
portant social hubs in urban areas. Offering good trade, interesting real threat to humanity. No one
wares, and social connections, they attract a fair share of citizens is really sure why Vargans attack
from all levels of society. human settlements, though some
assert that humanity’s insatia-
ble exploitation of Resin some-
Folk and Their Views how brought it all down upon
themselves. The folk generally
The ordinary people living all over the peninsula have diverse believe that the Vargans are
attitudes toward their urban or rural counterparts. It isn’t uncom- servants of the fallen god
mon to hear villagers and peasants openly speaking against the Zimitra, who coordinates
cities and their inhabitants. They believe urban dwellers have lost their attacks and gives them
their connection to nature and their sense of humanity, and have orders from his prison deep
forgotten about the old traditions of hospitality and devotedness to beneath the earth, pre-
faith, family, and community. paring for the ultimate
Rural folk view city folk as self-centered and egotistical, always confrontation with Az-
in a rush to fulfill selfish needs and always in search of leisure—safe imoth when the final
in their cities and always hunting for money, they have forgotten days come.
their true selves.
On the other side, urban dwellers often look down on the ru-
ral folk as dirty and uncivilized rabble. The rural folk are thought
as unsophisticated, unable to appreciate the fine arts and refined
pleasures of city life. Those outside of the glorious Great Cities are
clearly superstitious simpletons, who see imaginary horrors in ev-
ery shadowy corner of the forest.

15
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

Lately, there are more and more folk whom—dissatisfied with

Citizenship Alliance—peel off their marks, leave the cities, and join the isolated
The folk in cities naturally have more career possibilities than communities formed outside of Alliance territory. These commu-
those outside the city walls. It’s not that everything is perfect when nities, beyond Alliance political power, will accept any disgruntled
you live in urban centers, of course, but there is a better chance for individual or angry family choosing to retreat from the urban cen-
a good life. To have this chance, you need to be marked as a citizen. ters.
The mark is a brand, usually received when one is very young.
It is circular, with symbols showing the time of branding, the re-
gion of the Great City in which the mark was given, and the city Religion
where the citizen lives. When someone has this mark, they gain Until the Vasalli phenomenon, many of the ancient faiths had
full rights as citizens of the Alliance, including the permission to been fading into obscurity. The religious traditions of like animism,
reside permanently in a Great City, the right to conduct business, ancestor worship, and the various pantheons were abandoned by
and even to enter certain places. the broader society, relegated to a matter of perspective and per-
The branding is often done in the city hall, in the presence sonal choice. Most domains upheld one or two prevailing religions
of the scribe, an Alliance authority such as members of a ruling as formalities, but the religious leaders weren’t part of greater pol-
council known as Tribunal, and sometimes clergy. The representa- itics.
tive of the authority is present as a witness and to give consent for When rumors of people with divine Gifts began to spread, the
the marking; the scribe registers the new citizen in the city books, Church of Azimoth—then a small religious faction—was surpris-
and the clergy formally blesses them. The person then receives ingly fast to react. The clerics of the Church discovered connections
the brand, officially marking them as an alliance citizen. After between the rumors and the very core of their faith: their god, Az-
the branding, the new citizen receives citizenship papers showing imoth, and the myth of creation. Reading over the Holy Scriptures,
where the mark is inscribed, confirming his identity. they noticed that the Vasalli resembled the mythological Second
Citizenship can be acquired in various ways, though it is most Ones, a race created to serve their god.
often by birth into a family of citizens. If a person is lucky enough Hastily they organized and went searching for the people who
to be born into such a family, he is unofficially accepted as a citi- seemed to be the incarnation of the mythological servants of Azim-
zen until the age of eight to ten, when they must participate in the oth. The Church, in their grandiosity, gave them the name “Vasalli”,
citizenship ceremony held annually in the great city of his region, a word used to describe servants of Azimoth in their mythology.
accompanied by one parent with legal citizenship to confirm his The name signified their duty to serve Azimoth and to act as medi-
birthright. Another way to acquire citizenship is marriage, with the ators between Him and the ordinary people.
unmarked acquiring citizenship if the spouse is marked.
The Church drafted the Vasalli into its ranks. Many accepted,
For the unmarked without any ties to citizens, the easiest way confused by their newfound powers and hoping to understand
to gain a mark is through military service. Joining the army to pro- their meaning. The doctrine claims that Vasalli are old and pow-
tect the Great Cities of the Alliance is a noble deed, allowing the erful souls reborn in new bodies. Most of the Vasalli, more com-
unmarked allowed to receive citizenship after a period of two years monly known as the Awakened, found that to be reason enough to
in service. join the flock. Soon enough, the Church swelled its ranks, empow-
There are, of course, other means of gaining the mark, but they ered by its newest members wielding the Gifts, as their powers were
are usually beyond reach for the common folk. Only those who called by the Church. The Church insisted that the Vasalli were
have done a great service to the alliance are normally given this direct proof of Azimoth’s existence, inspiring the common folk to
honor. Newly awakened Vasalli, as well as Vasalli who never before turn toward religion. The Church also attracted prominent leaders,
had any need for citizenship, have the right to apply for the mark at but mostly did so to cultivate a potential alliance with this powerful
any point in life by virtue of their strange, and perhaps divine, gifts. new servants of Azimoth.
With the rise of the Orders and the spread of secular ideas,
the the Church was losing their political power and influence. The
The Unmarked power of the clergy subsided, while new generations turned to
more mundane beliefs, abandoning the religion of their ancestors.
There are many people who remain unmarked. Some of these
folk can lead long and normal lives, outside of the Great Cities for- That is why the Church leaders now try to adapt the religion
bidden to them. Others try for military service but are found un- to fit modern times, offering spiritual support in the face of the
suitable in the eyes of the military recruiters. Still, others lost their peninsula’s troubles. The citizens of today hold varying levels of pi-
mark as an act of legal punishment or personal rebellion. ety, from absolute devotion, token gestures, to active scorn. Most
people still visit church on special occasions such as weddings and
For those unmarked folk who need tho access the cities, there funerals, but deep faith is weak.
is a solution in the form of daily passes for traders or intercessors.
Intercessors are traders who specialize in cargo transport, arbitra- Apart from the traditionalists who still uphold the honest faith,
tion, negotiating, trading, and conducting business in the name of there are new movements in the Church, along with separatist
the unmarked with towns’ traders, authorities, and law enforce- doomsday cults, who prophesied the upcoming return of Azimoth.
ment. Usually they have backgrounds as scribes, clerks, or traders, Though no one today can prove the existence of Azimoth, these
and most are wealthy, since they demand a cut of the trade as pay- people truly believe that the end is nigh and that Azimoth will rise
ment, and because there are many unmarked traders who wish to soon. They corroborate this opinion by pointing to the Vargan
sell their goods in cities.

16
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

threat and the decreasing number of awakening Vasalli, among

various other theories.
Azimoth’s Pilgrimage
The most devout believers often undertake a special pilgrimage
On the other side, there are theories that Azimoth never ex-
in honor of Azimoth. Pilgrims must start their pilgrimage in the
isted, that it was all a scam from the start. Proponents of similar
city of their residence and end it in Jarillo, traveling only on foot
theories believe that the clergy began as a ruse as a way to control
throughout the entire journey, with nothing but clothes on their
the population. They explain the existence of the Vasalli as a new
back, consuming only bread and water.
kind of race that unleashed their own potential or that they are
connected to something else entirely beyond any god. There are It’s not uncommon to see groups or caravans of pilgrims on
even some groups that consider the Awakened to be tools of the roads throughout the Alliance, often accompanied by some
Zimitra instead. soldiers or mercenaries for protection from dangers such as
bandits or creatures of the wild.
To somewhat lessen the dangers of such a perilous
Structure of the task, inns and roadhouses are kindly invited by the
Church Curch to offer them free shelter. Very few innkeep-
ers dare to displease the Church of Azimoth, though
The Church of Azimoth has expanded beyond even fewer are pleased about the burden placed on
the borders of the Great Cities. It unites every temple their shoulders.
and all of its clergy under the Holy Office stationed in
Great City of Jarillo—one reason why Jarillo is a political
hub of the Alliance. The Church of Azimoth has its divi-
sions, known as eparchies, for the domains of the Great Cities,
but they all answer to the Holy Office.
The head of the Holy Office and the Church of Azimoth is
the Hierophant, the High Priest of Jarillo. Each other division
of the Church has its own High Priest or High Priestess, whose
mission is to lead the Church in their appointed region, while still
answering to the Hierophant.
The eparchies of the Church are named according to their re-
gion—the Eparchy of Kayla, the Eparchy of Sarach, and the Ep-
archy of Bit’wa—while every eparchy can have several churches
stationed in smaller cities or villages, where a common priest holds
mass for the believers.
Although the Church is officially separated from Alliance poli-
tics and its city councils, Church representatives still have the right
to be a part of the city councils called Tribunals, in the name of the
interests of the Church.

The Circle and the

Church
The history of the Circle is intertwined with the history of the
clergy and the Church of Azimoth. When the Vasalli started ap-
pearing, it was the Church of Azimoth that claimed they are the
descendants of Azimoth’s servants. The Church of Azimoth then
began finding and drafting Vasalli, counting on the power it would
gain from having Vasalli in its ranks. Clergy organized a special di-
vision inside the Church of Azimoth to deal with the newly awak-
ened Vasalli, helping them to understand and train their powers.
Slowly, though, the Vasalli decided to separate from the clergy,
not wishing to spend their time in monasteries, but rather to use
their Gifts actively in the name of Azimoth. The division which was
created to help Vasalli separated themselves from the clergy and
named themselves “the Circle”. Soon Vasalli took over the leader-
ship of the Circle, and so the first Order was born. Today, the Circle
is still closely connected to the Church, but strive to maintain inde-
pendence from the clergy.

17
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

The Resin However, the visibility of Resin is a drawback, especially if one

wishes to remain unseen. As such, Resin weapons are the least fa-
The world has changed since the Resin was discovered. This vored type for shady characters with ulterior motives.
substance led to a scientific revolution and may change the world,
The rise of the technology divided the more informed folk and
as countless tinkerers and chemists have turned to explore its won-
the Vasalli into proponents, who advocated for its use in everyday
drous capabilities.
life, and its detractors, who openly shunned the usage of Resin. The
Resin has many unimaginable applications in life and science. detractors say that Resin technology is not in accordance with Az-
It was first only used as illumination, which is how it was discov- imoth’s ways, demanding that it be abandoned, and are suspicious
ered. In the deep woods of the north, hunters finding themselves in that it is tightly connected to Vargan attacks.
the dark forests discovered this green resinous substance on trees
The idea that Resin and Vargans are connected has spawned
and stones. Illuminating the darkness, it helped them to find their
many cults and criminal bands. These people try to sabotage the
way home, showing them the light. Alchemists found out that Res-
use of Resin wherever they can, severely slowing the progress of
in collected the light during the day and became luminescent at
technology and making Resin rarer and more expensive. They
night.
claim that the first Vargan attacks coincide with the discovery and
Very soon, people started using the Resin to illuminate dark exploitation of the new material, and the connection between the
streets, since it offered more light than lanterns burning oil. It two is undeniable. In further defense of this theory, the opponents
shone with green light, though sometimes in other colors depend- of Resin claim that the first of the larger cities to fall were those
ing on its original properties or the chemical processes alchemists most illuminated, not skimping on Resin.
would use. The most common color changing process produced
The fact stands that the first cities attacked were those who
an orange color, as in this way the light would be most familiar
first used Resin, but since these places were usually near to Resin
and natural to the folk, reminding them of candles and torches.
collecting places, the proponents of Resin dismiss the connection
Nevertheless, aristocrats sometimes wish to single themselves out,
between Resin and the Vargan attacks, explaining that these places
and ask for Resin with some new color and glow to show their un-
were simply the most visible in the night, the usual time of the
questionably distinct taste.
attacks.
Further research revealed that Resin had even more properties
Nevertheless, the general
and capabilities than first thought. People began using it in medi-
opinion is that Resin means
cine for its healing and anesthetic properties, and in craft because
something to the Vargans,
coating steel with Resin makes it easier to work during hammering.
since it was found in their
After a while, some blacksmiths discovered how to work with the
tunnels by those who first
new material through experimentation, creating weapons, armor,
entered the underground
and shields made out of Resin and steel alloy. These new weapons
network.
were lighter than steel but more durable, and flexible enough not
to break under tremendous pressure, making them a weapon of
choice of the most elite military forces.

18
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

Organizations
In the Alliance, there are organizations who hold influence The City Father is usually chosen among the Firsts, through
over matters political and religious. Some of these organizations are the elections held every five years among the other members. Most
legislative in nature, some are committed to a specific task, while often, the City Father is a representative of an Order, effectively al-
others are simple institutions that gather people with common in- locating most of the power in hands of his own Order. In those rare
terests. Each of these has power, though, and their own needs. occasions when a representative from the Chamber, the Church, or
the citizens is chosen, it is only for a short time, usually for a year,
since the pressure involved in leading the city while not being part
of an Order is great, leading this responsibility often to be delegated
to the next candidate.
After the First is chosen for the City Father, the Second rep-
resentative is promoted to First, and another Second is chosen to
take his place; thus, it’s understandable why these votes often favor
the Father’s Order.

The Great Tribunal

The Great Tribunal deals with matters relating to the Alliance
as a whole. The members of the Great Tribunal are the Firsts and
the City Fathers from every Great City in the Alliance, protecting
the interests of their regions, as well as the leading representatives
of the Chamber of Merchants, Church and citizens. The location of
the Great Tribunal changes every ten years, as to give the oppor-
tunity to every Great City to host this powerful government body.

Masks in the Great

Tribunal
After a couple of assassination attempts in the Great Tribunal,
it was decided that every representative of the Order should wear
a mask while in session, to protect the identities of the members.
Only the highest-ranking officers of the Orders know which mem-
ber is their representative or whose face is under their mask.

Tribunals
The Tribunals are the legislative, executive, and judicial organi-
zations that govern the Great Cities and their regions. Every Great
City has a Tribunal, which functions separately from the Alliance.
A Tribunal is responsible for the common good of its Great
City and surrounding region, deciding on local laws and decrees,
more or less according to Alliance decrees. The members of the
Tribunal vote for the passes any other member can suggest, and a
law or decree effectively passes by majority.
The members of the Tribunal are elected inside the organi-
zation they represent, and accordingly, every organization sends
two of its representatives to Tribunal meetings called the First and
Second. The structure of the members in Tribunal consists of two
representatives of the major Orders—ten of them altogether, two
representatives of the Chamber of Merchants, two representatives
of the Church of Azimoth, two citizen representatives, and the City
Father, who is the executive leader of the Great City.

19
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

The Orders

T
he Orders are the moving forces in the world, formed in the Every Order is represented in the Great Tribunal, the main ju-
period after Azimoth went to sleep and during the unrest diciary and legislative body of the Alliance. The representatives are
that struck the world afterward. They have various motives chosen from the Orders, and they attend the Tribunal meetings in
and plans, as well as different methods for gaining what they want. their cities, where they represent the goals of their Order. There are
They started as a method to differentiate from the common folk, also the other Tribunal members who represent the interests of the
by collecting the Vasalli and their supporters in an organization common folk. Although one doesn’t need to be a Vasall to partici-
which would defend the interests of the gifted people. The Vasalli pate in politics, the Vasalli have become the de facto main political
didn’t want to be manipulated and used by clergy or politicians, so force, because of their numbers in Orders.
the Orders were created. Eventually, they wound up as political or
When the Vasalli first appeared, normal folk were both in-
economical organizations, because of the potential betterment of
trigued by and scared of them. These mysterious people held su-
their goals and standing of Vasalli in the world.
pernatural powers and were shunned by the superstitious. Most
folk soon they realized that the Vasalli aren’t much different than
ordinary people. They were normal people, with all of the human
flaws and virtues, set apart only be their Gifts. Depending on their
upbringing and character, they could be noble or greedy, though
their short tempers and extreme moods were legendary.

20
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

CIRCLE is the oldest known Order, formed after the Vasalli THE ORDER OF SIEBOG was formed during the feud
appeared. The core of this mighty Order was a clerical organiza- between Zorya and the Circle. Sick of the strife, a Vasall named
tion created to search for Vasalli, bring them to Jarillo, and train Siebog decided to leave Zorya, not accepting their mostly ascetic
them and help them to get accustomed to their powers. Very soon, life. He didn’t want to join the Circle either, fed up with their cleri-
the organization evolved into an Order, gaining the name “Circle”. cal views and constant prayers. He just wanted to enjoy life and his
Part of the Order was tasked with keeping the peace throughout status as a Vasall. His philosophy gained followers among Vasalli
the lands, while the less militant part of the Order devoted itself to who felt that it was their right as Vasalli to hold a better position
searching for religious truth and to studying the Holy Scriptures. than the commoners, without following any religion or joining
Although people are sometimes afraid of them and their martial some ascetic cult.
appearance, their preaching inspires people since they represent
This order is almost exclusively made up of Vasalli, although they
the champions of Azimoth.
do have common people among them who believe that the Vasalli
should lead humanity without referring to religion. Then there are
many followers who simply want to be in a favorable position with
secular Vasalli.
Usually, people see the members of this order as hedonists, enjoy-
ing their gifts as much as possible. They tend to be loud, flamboy-
ant, and egotistical. But people like them for their candor and their
morale. They don’t remind people of the harsh rules of the Circle
or Zorya, but instead they champion relaxation and giving in to
one’s needs and nature. On the other side of the coin, the members
of this order believe that they are above the common folk, both
socially and spiritually. They proclaim themselves as a higher level
of being, and they look down on the rest of the people, sometimes
treating them like sheep or material to be manipulated.
ZORYA is the Order formed during the unrest that spread
throughout the world, after people realized that the clergy was
gaining power through the numerous Vasalli joining the Circle.
Not everybody was happy with the rise of the first order, especially
if it meant that the clergy could not be opposed, even if they were
wrong.
Soon, people began to ask themselves what’s the real goal of the
Circle, and are they really just peacekeepers. An underground col-
lective of skeptics formed a cult, which turned to mysticism and
constant questioning of the clerical motives. Soon they evolved
into a full-fledged Order, when the Vasalli started joining, fresh
ones and those that left the Circle, who didn’t want to trust them
unquestionably. They called themselves Zorya, meaning dawn,
thus appointing themselves as the new dawn of human views.
MORANA evolved from a mysterious organization created by
These mystics constantly question everyone’s motives, search- Morana Veya, an outcast of the Circle. Morana left her order, un-
ing for the truth behind the Great Pyramid, Azimoth, and divine able to accept their prohibition of using Gifts for personal gain.
words. They don’t want to accept the current belief system, and After the initial fallout, Morana rounded up a couple of Vasalli,
they are usually the second option for those who do not trust the building the idea of a mercenary team that would work for the
Circle. Zorya is constantly challenging the Circle and its clergy, but highest bidder. Their mercenary organization attracted other Va-
their peaceful ways and numerous followers mean that they are tol- salli who wanted to live off their Gifts, and so formed the root of
erated. The Circle does not dare to openly attack them, but try to the order which will later be named after her; The Morana. Gossip
debase and discredit Zorya at every opportunity. of the mercenary Vasalli spread among the cities, and soon similar
organizations appeared. The Circle started worrying and tried to

21
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

trace them, but Morana reacted quickly, contacting the other or-
ganizations and persuading them to merge and conceal their ex-
istence. The organizations merged and appointed Morana as their Sirin
leader, who wrote her “Morana’s Code,” a set of rules for the organi-
zation, which defines its hierarchy and etiquette. After a while, they
Destruction of Sirin
emerged as an organization of traders and merchants, and lobbied
to be accepted as an Order of trade-focused Vasalli.
During the time of city-states, Sirin was almost as
Although they took over the duties of the normal merchants, and
organizing trade routes, the Morana use these duties only as a prosperous, rich and powerful as Jarillo, dominating
front, since their mercenary philosophy prevailed. Under the mask over the western part of the peninsula. When the Al-
of traders, they have become a powerful organization dealing in liance was formed, Sirin was one of the five founding
shady business. Cities which created the Alliance Pact and as such, it’s
influence only grew.

But after the humankind encountered Vargans and

the Vargan War began, one of the biggest casualties was
Sirin. In the last days of the war, Sirin was overrun and
devastated.

Other Cities tried to help, but they were too far and
cut off from the Sirin to reach it in time, so the proud
City fell to Vargan forces.
SONS OF SIRIN are the youngest Order, starting after the
terrible consequences of the destruction of Sirin in the Vargan War.
Assured that other orders and cities were responsible for Sirin’s be- Some of the theories are that the fall of Sirin hap-
trayal, Vasalli from Sirin cut ties with them and roamed the wilder- pened because the Alliance officials and politicians of
ness hunting for leftover Vargans. Jarillo wanted to buy some time to prepare their defens-
After New Sirin was built, these Vasalli joined the survivors of the
es, allowing Sirin to be destroyed.
destruction, helping them to rebuild Sirin, defending them and
standing by their decision to refuse every help and offer from oth- After the war, people from all over the Alliance
ers. When the work was mostly done, these Vasalli formed their helped in building of the new city on the other side of
own rebellious order, naming it the Sons of Sirin, pledging to de- the Yadren River. This new city is also called Sirin, while
fend the interests of the survivors of the War. The only order they
the ruins of the original city bear the name Old Sirin.
maintain balanced relation with is the Morana, because of their
mercenary and merchant nature. The Sons are a proud Order, re-
fusing to submit to clerical jurisdiction, deciding to keep the peace
in their city themselves. Almost every Vasalli born in this area joins
the Sons out of a sense of duty, pride, and honor.

Although these are the main orders, there are numerous small-
er cults and unofficial orders. Not every Vasall decides to join the
Order, and some Vasalli have been kicked out of their Order or
Nomads
have chosen to leave it. Vasalli who don’t want to join any Order usually live from day
to day, from place to place. They are often loners and don’t trust
The outcasts are usually looked down upon by common folk
anyone. Their history often included shunning and avoidance,
and Vasalli alike. Rarely would anyone trust a Vasall who was
possibly because they never adjusted in normal society when their
thrown out of his Order. On very rare occasions, the outcast would
Gifts began to show. These Vasalli are known in Folk as Nomads.
join some other Order, but almost exclusively if the fallout was of a
philosophical nature. But usually, other Vasalli would shun the out- In the last era, the old part of the City of Sirin decided to extend
cast, and people would fear him, and eventually the outcast would their welcome to all Nomads who found themselves without an Or-
be forced to leave his city and try his luck in another city, or live in der, giving them the possibility to live normally, without anyone
wilderness by himself. looking down on them.
Vasalli who would leave the Order, would usually find them-
selves in another Order, or they would try to live like common folk,
adjusting to their ways. They would often help people around them,
and become a valued member of the community which disregard-
ed their desertion of the Order.

22
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

Travel and Trade

Transportation The Wire
People of all classes and backgrounds travel through Alliance Today’s method of fast communication over a distance is called
Territory. The aristocracy and upper classes traverse the cities and the Wire. Heavily used for strategic reasons, it is primarily posi-
countryside in service of diplomacy, war, and leisure. Priests trav- tioned on the city walls, allowing the guards and soldiers to quickly
el between temples and monasteries, forming emissaries to Jarillo. inform the next outpost on the walls of the city about the situation.
People of all classes choose to undergo Azimoth’s Pilgrimage or
travel to find work, trade, or opportunity. The Wire evolved from the bell rung in case of emergency; one
particularly creative guard captain suggested that a similar method
The most convenient way to travel on land is by horse. of communication could be used by putting up steel rods spanning
Good-natured and adaptable, it’s the favorite choice for those who the guard posts, and these rods could be hammered upon to warn
need to travel quickly from one place to another. A horse, or a pair of danger. After a while, this scheme was put in place, creating the
of them, can be used to pull carriages, easing travel further and forerunner to the Wire.
making it more comfortable than riding or simply walking.
The crude invention worked, but there was much room for im-
For maritime transport there are various boats, ships, and gal- provement, so the guard masons soon started developing a mech-
leys. Travel by water is preferred by traders since there are a num- anism to allow for communication over longer distances, while
ber of smaller cities along the coastline that thrive on fishing and scribes developed a series of signals with various meanings. It all
trade. It’s also the easiest method for transporting large and heavy progressed from there: slowly the alphabet evolved to perfection,
cargo. Ships are also the only way to reach the many islands and and soon every guard post had officers trained in deciphering the
towns in the Bay of Isles, as well as the big island and its city, both messages. The project then took another turn, when guard officers
named Liboria. decided to install a whole new network throughout the cities. Slow-
Enabled by the discovery of Resin, Hang Rafts, a fairly new in- ly but steadily, the invention became available to the public—if they
vention, are modified barges that slide along or are pulled by cables could afford it.
strengthened with industrial Resin. Of course, since the mechani- With the coming of Resin, the masons and engineers soon sub-
cal work needed for Hang Rafts to function is complex and expen- stituted the rods with Resin coated wires, which allowed for a bet-
sive, there aren’t many Hang Rafts even in the richest cities. Gener- ter flow of vibrations and clearer sound.
ally, people use Hang Rafts as a sign of power, prestige, and status.
Now, the guards in all large cities use the Wire to communicate
The most prominent examples of Hang Rafts are in the cities with each other quickly, though they use messengers to reach in-
of Jarillo and Kayla. Jarillo’s circular, ringlike structure is easily tra- dividual recipients.
versed in this way because of the connections the Hang Raft net-
works form between and through the rings. In contrast, Kayla’s po-
sition in the mountains and its architecture hinder fast movement
between its points of interest, and the Hang Rafts make travel easier
for those who aren’t afraid of heights.

23
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

Commerce The Morana and the

Before the birth of the Alliance, trade between cities was a dan- Chamber
gerous and unenviable business, only marginally profitable since
As the Order that fronts as a merchant and trade Order, it
every Great City had established its own interior trade. But those
is natural that the Morana have strong ties with the Chamber of
devout merchants, tenacious enough to persist in the dangerous
Merchants. Some Morana officials even contributed to the rise of
job of importing goods were greeted with open hands, considering
Chamber of Commerce, lobbying for their interests in the Tribu-
that they brought desired goods of great quality.
nals.
Every region had merchant wares they were proud of—from
Although the Chamber isn’t officially involved in Order busi-
Liboria’s whale oil and Bit’wa’s steel to Kayla’s stonework and Sar-
ness, they still have connections through Morana who are mem-
achan jewelry. These were the goods sought after throughout the
bers of the Chamber. Lobbying for Chamber interests is not with-
Alliance.
out benefit for the Morana, either; if they don’t conduct their shady
When the Alliance formed, traveling and trading became eas- deals openly, the Chamber won’t stand in their way.
ier, and many ambitious traders emerged, seeing the business as a
Also, many traders feel safer if accompanied by Vasalli during
good opportunity to earn a name for themselves. With the rise of
their travels along dangerous routes, so the Morana often offer
trade, mercantile institutions emerged: The Amber Bank and The
their services through the Chamber or recruit security from other
Chamber of Merchants.
Orders.
The Amber Bank started as a private trading company, only
to realize that the Alliance needed to regulate the various coins
and currencies from individual cities. Every Great City has its own
coinage, as a mark of independence, which makes trade more diffi-
cult. After the rise of the Alliance, the Great Cities adopted similar
or identical names for their currencies, but the size, weight, and the
images stamped on the pieces still vary. The common names for
coins are the gold Ducat, silver Talar, and copper Ceta. The excep-
tion is the Great City of Bit’wa, which has great military tradition
and history. They use the steel, iron, and bronze coins respectively
named Sword, Shield, and Dagger. The Amber Bank offered their
help, including a commission fee for the Great Cities and the Al-
liance, and established a lucrative business throughout Alliance
territories.
Their services include deposits in various currencies, curren-
cy exchange, and issuance of promissory notes to traders to use in
place of cumbersome coins. The Amber Bank has offices in every
Great City and even in some smaller cities with enough trade. Its
main office is in Sirin, one of the Great Cities of Alliance.
The Chamber of Merchants covers all aspects of larger-scale
trade between the cities, helping the trading guilds get the trading
permits, decrees, and certificates they need to do business. It co-
operates with the Tribunals, major trading companies, the Amber
Bank, and even some smaller free traders, offering their services for
a nominal fee or annual membership. Their importance has grown
to the point where now in some cities, they are important mem-
bers of the Tribunal. Today, traders who are the members of the
Chamber are openly preferred over those who work on their own.
The main office of the Chamber is in Liboria, where they founded
it. The Chamber started as a trading guild in Liboria, conducting
Considering the strained relations between the Cities in the Al-
naval trade along the coast, but they soon started drafting other
liance, the brigands on the traveling routes, and the outside threat
guilds, and with the help of city officials they expanded their ser-
of barbarians and Vargans, the roads are still dangerous, although
vices into the financial and legal aspects of trade.
trade has become a little bit easier because of the Alliance, and it
remains more lucrative than interior trade. Because of this, traders
often resort to buying the services of mercenary companies or Va-
salli hired through the Orders. The main trade routes, where the
territories of the Great Cities meet, are guarded by the military, but
sometimes the regions’ interior roads are watched by bandits and
criminals who escape the notice of the army.

24
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

Essential Services
Education
Education on the peninsula varies from region to region, since Today, there is a rift between medical practitioners and the
early education isn’t mandatory. Generally, rural villages or town apothecaries who stay faithful to traditional medicine forsake the
schools offer some limited early education, under the guidances of usage of the Resin.
local priests or village elders. These small-town schools usually of-
While cities offer a range of medical help, rural areas and iso-
fer only the basics of counting and spelling, and opportunities to
lated villages often depend on the help of herbalists and traditional
learn usually depend solely on the goodwill of the local clergy or,
alchemists, usually accompanied by continual prayers to Azimoth
in some cases, local teachers, if the town or village can afford to pay
in hopes of good health and long life.
some of their expenses.

For those who but for higher learning and greater knowledge,
one must go to one of the Great Cities. The Great Cities offer bet-
ter-equipped private schools, affordable to richer merchant fami-
lies and lesser aristocracy. For those who can’t afford the tuition,
though, the only learning opportunity is to enroll into the semi-
naries under the tutelage of the Church, devoting the rest of one’s
learning and life to the clergy. The nobility, wealthy politicians, and
powerful merchants usually hire private tutors for their offspring,
to ensure instruction of the highest quality.
For those who can’t afford anything of this, sometimes the only
way of preparing one’s child for a more-or-less bearable life is to of-
fer the child as an apprentice to an artisan or trader. For those who
want more opportunities, and have the means to cover tuition, the
institutions of higher learning in the Great Cities offer wondrous
possibilities. The various academies—such as the Kayla University
of Arts, Jarillo’s Institute of Nature, Bit’wa’s Military Academy, and
Liboria’s Naval Academy—produce the finest young minds of the
Alliance.
Tuition is usually paid annually, although there are often far
more hidden costs associated with a quality education. Many
schools depend largely on rich patrons and city subsidies to keep
the doors open. Although tuition is often too costly for common
folk, exceptional students can try to find a benefactor or apply for
the scholarships paid by the Great City.

Medicine
The medicine of the Alliance has advanced rapidly in recent
history. After the discovery of Resin and its anesthetic and healing
properties, medicine evolved from the old alchemical and apoth-
ecary practices. Understanding the workings of the human body,
gained from military first aid, along with alchemical discoveries
boosted medicine to what people know it as today.
Studied in academies and institutes, medical science took roots
in society, resulting in public practices in the cities. Subsidized
partly by city income and partly by rich benefactors and patients,
clinics are available for the citizens in the Great Cities, at least for
those with enough money to pay the doctors.

25
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

Simple Pleasures
Besides socializing in inns and clubhouses, the inhabitants of Besides Ballcrush, the arenas usually host the Collision Games,
the Alliance enjoy musical and sports events and partake in varied which pits teams against each other in mock combats, using dulled
art displays. blades coated in a special paint to mark skin and clothes. The Col-
lision Games have various incarnations, such as free-for-alls, team
Ballcrush is the most popular sport in the Alliance. It’s played matches, squad matches, and capture-the-flag games.
by two teams in an arena with a standard field about 330 feet (100
meters) long and wide. Gifts are allowed, as long as they aren’t affective, while fight-
ing is often allowed until someone is knocked unconscious, but the
A team is made of ten people, with three lead players who must aggressive nature of this sport sometimes results in death, albeit
score points by passing a round ball through the other team’s gates. rarely.
Only these three attackers and the goalkeeper may hold the ball in
their hands, while the rest may only kick the ball. The victorious There are illegal variants of arena fights, mostly in Old Sirin,
team is the one who scores the most points in one hour. Fighting where the rewards are big and luxurious. Although the Alliance is
is allowed, but it must be bare-handed, and Gifts cannot be used, familiar with these illegal fights, they’ve never succeeded in break-
enforced by judges on the field. ing up the crime rings responsible.

Every domain of a Great City has a regional league, and there Art is very much appreciated everywhere. Displays in galler-
are many teams, often sponsored by one of the Great Orders or ies and academies are frequent, and famous artists are paid well
another organization. The Grand Finals are played in the Arena of through the Alliance’s culture funds and by private parties and in-
Dawai, where the eleven best teams in the Alliance compete in a dividuals.
two-week-long tournament, with its finals visited by more than a Music is a big part of cultural life in the Alliance; symphonic
hundred thousand people. orchestras are common, and their performances are popular and
anticipated events. There also are many traveling troubadours and
bards popular throughout Alliance Territory, sometimes giving
performances for up to a thousand visitors.

26
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

Use of Force
The Common Law Law and the Vasalli
Although the Great Cities are all part of the Alliance, each has Although the skills and Gifts of the Vasalli vastly outmatch the
its own laws and regulators that enforce them. The capital offenses abilities of the Folk, it doesn’t mean they are untouchable by law.
are mostly the same, from treason to murder, but the punishments Every Gift used against someone else for personal gain or in bad
differ slightly. Most folk stick to the law without any trouble, since faith is considered a criminal offense punishable by law.
they count on offenders being found and punished by the appoint-
As is the case with weapons and use of force, representatives of
ed regulators. However, criminals and crime exist, no matter the
law and army have a certain authority to use the Gifts, but they also
level of security, and some areas are scarcely regulated and more
stand accountable if needed. Using mind-control and mind-read-
lawless than others.
ing Gifts for personal gain is highly illegal, and alleged perpetrators
Naturally, the law is applied more consistently in the Great Cit- are put under investigation. Culprits of this kind usually answer
ies than in smaller communities, so the people in isolated areas in front of the Tribunal Court, and are investigated by The Eye. If
must cope with weaker security. Nonetheless, the major crimes re- such a Gift is often used, it’s likely to be discovered; the victim will
ceive considerable attention everywhere, although petty crimes are understand that she’s done something against her will or nature,
usually punished only if the offender is caught in the act. and witnesses are likely.
The Alliance has an official legal code with two chapters. The The Orders can obtain permission for their members to use
first chapter concerns the regular laws, penalties, and proposals, Gifts, though the degree of permission does vary: from limited use
and it is considered as a set of guidelines on which a Great City for the benefit of the Orders to unlimited license for the greater
should base its proposed laws. cause of the Alliance. Such permission is issued by a collaboration
of the Great Tribunal and the Collective. Using Gifts in a way that
The second chapter is reserved for crimes against the Alliance,
does not affect others is permitted as long as it doesn’t cause any
such as high treason and assassinations of high-ranking Alliance
harm, such as is the case with enhanced senses, enhanced body
officials. For such a crime, the penalties and regulations outstrip
functions, etc
the usual penalties given in the legal code of a Great City.

27
 C hapter  1 : Introduction

City Guards Military

Every city and Great City has selected its own regulators, usu- Offering shelter, food, modest wage, and citizenship after an
ally named city guards, city watch, or a name traditional for that initial period of service, the military is often a choice for poor cit-
territory. Guards come from various backgrounds, both poor and izens without any perspective. The initial time of service is three
aristocratic. To join the city guard, one must be marked as a citi- years, but most soldiers decide to stay in service longer and become
zen and usually must pass through rigorous training, physical and professional soldiers, since it offers security and likely a career.
mental alike, over a time that varies from city to city. For those with
City guards and local law enforcers are often under the pur-
a military background, the training process is considerably shorter.
view of the Tribunal of the Great City they are stationed in. The
The guards are responsible for keeping up order in cities and army is in the same situation. Every city has its own army and ap-
towns, and they are the first line of defense in case of incursions, at pointed leaders, but during invasions or in a time of great need,
least until the military mobilizes. the army falls under the authority of the Alliance and the Great
Tribunal, and the officers chosen from the Collective take over the
Although there are the differences among the cities, the hierar-
leadership. Tightly coordinated by their generals and army officers,
chy of the guards is usually the same: proficient, skilled guards who
they are stationed in every Great City, as an entity separate from
show potential progress through the ranks until they are appoint-
the city guards, responsible for defense if the city is attacked.
ed as officers. Officers undergo further training, held in military
centers, which includes the study of strategy, logistics, tactics, and There is possibility of advancement, but rarely does some en-
command structure, making them effective leaders and command- listed grunt rise above the lower ranks, although there are cases
ers. The high officers are elected by and answer to the city’s Tribu- of advancement because of excellence, especially in wartime. The
nal and mayor, or sometimes even to military officers, depending higher ranks are almost exclusively reserved for the nobility and
on the guard structure and their assigned city. for Vasalli cadets who pass through a military academy in Jaril-
lo, Sirin, or Bit’wa. In academies, they learn and study the art of
Officers can also choose to specialize in the investigation, un-
war, strategy, tactics, and leadership. After graduation, they return
dergoing special training that effectively makes them detectives
to their city of origin, where they are appointed in the army as
in service of their city or the Alliance. These officers tackle major
low-ranking officers. The highest-ranking officers are the generals,
crimes, undertaking extensive investigations.
or admirals if the city has the navy.
During the time of city-states,
Punishment before the Alliance, the art of war
evolved through the constant wars
Methods of law enforcement vary from city to city. Petty crimes and battles on the borders. After
like theft can be punished on the spot by fines, incarceration, or the Alliance formed, the times of
even by cutting off the hand, depending on the offender’s social peace lasted, without real threats
status. Punishments are divided into various categories according from the outside. But when the
to the severity of the crime, from draconic methods of physical barbarians from the North and
punishment to jailing, reimbursements, and fines. the East began invading the terri-
tories, the Alliance strengthened
Offenders are considered guilty until proven otherwise, mak-
under the pressure of these out-
ing people think twice before breaking the law. Capital offenses
side threats, and they joined the
such as murder, treason, smuggling, and burglary demand a con-
military of the Great Cities showed
vocation of the city’s Tribunal, where the charged person answers
their importance by defeating the
to their judgment.
threats.
Serious punishments often include death, peeling off the mark
and exile, lifetime incarceration, and unmarking of progeny—a
severe punishment which revokes the offender’s citizenship and
exiles their whole family, rendering whole future generations inca-
pable of receiving the mark.

28
 Chapter  1 : Introduction

From then on, the Alliance, and its military leaders understood Vargans to be his servants and army in the final attack against the
the importance of quick action and readiness in mobilizing their surface and in the war against Azimoth.
armies.
These creatures stand at over two meters high, with gray or
Even during times without outside threats, the relations among white skin, long ears, and black eyes. Their unusual mouth looks
the Great Cities sometimes frayed and escalated into bloody con- like it has straps of skin pulled over them, but they can open them
flict. Differences in mentalities among the citizens of different Cit- and bite or suck through. Their bodies, although slender, are in-
ies, disputes about borders or resources, and general animosity be- credibly strong and athletic, with long extremities finishing in ra-
cause of strained relations throughout history weren’t uncommon, zor sharp nails, making them formidable opponents. Their skin is
but all-out war was often avoided, as other Great Cities would rush extremely durable and hard to pierce even with very sharp blades.
to prevent the Alliance from destabilizing.
Although they possess eyes, it seems that they rely on their
To this day, there remain unresolved conflicts and strained re- other senses for direction and sense of location, and it’s almost
lations between Kayla and Sirin and between Bit’wa and Sarach. impossible to sneak upon them. They are rarely in groups, except
There are also disputes between Jarillo and most other Great Cities; when attacking settlements or in open combat against the army.
they resent Jarillo’s attempts to centralize governance. That said, No sane human or Vasalli would choose to fight alone against a
Jarillo is the political heart of the Alliance. The majority of the in- Vargan, since they are known to kill whole groups of capable war-
fluential politicians and functionaries live in this Great City, and riors and leave unscathed.
look upon the Great Pyramid as they debate the laws that bind.
The home of these adversaries, the underground network of
tunnels, holds many secrets to humanity. Those who have explored
some of those tunnels—the members of the Hand and the Eye—
Colossi have brought back stories about big abandoned hives, huge beasts
These enormous creatures are transformed Vasalli who was who serve the Vargans, and even more twisted, bizarre, and un-
submitted to painful and terrible transformations through the fathomable thing.
month-long Rites of Colossi. The end result is tremendous hu- The rumors found their way to the folk, where they gained a
manoids of various appearances. life of their own, carried from person to person. The stories be-
The Rites were first discovered by the Church of Azimoth and came bigger, scarier and more unbelievable, to the point where
the Order closest to it: the Circle. After months and months of fail- some people claim that there is a main hive deep under the foun-
ures, they succeeded in creating a Colossus by merging the bodies dations of Jarillo.
of live Vasalli in a horrific ritual of mass hypnosis. The Colossi were For a long time, doctors and academics
wild and unpredictable, and the only method they could use is to have tried to classify the Vargans’ ori-
sedate them until the Vasalli excelling in mind-control would suc- gins in nature, but they couldn’t agree.
ceed in twisting their minds enough to control them. Some say that they are de-
Other Orders soon began conducting the Rites of Colossi, with scendants of the
various degrees of success. Slowly, they were more and more suc- humans who re-
cessful until the number of Colossi was almost impossible to main- treated underground
tain. At some time during this race for power, a large number of long time ago, perhaps
Colossi broke the chains of mind-control and ran amok, ripping during the War of Dawn,
the flesh from their bones and attacking each other. Interestingly, while others say that they are
they didn’t attack their creators or destroyed anything intentionally, an entirely new species orig-
giving the impression that they weren’t completely stripped of their inating from fungi. Whatever he
humanity in the process of creation. true origins of the Vargans are, one of
the most creditable authors is Dr. Kar-
After the most of the Colossi ran away from the cities or de- pov, with his legendary Vargan Codex.
stroyed themselves, the Orders decided to stop producing mass
numbers of Colossi, limiting their numbers instead. Now, Colossi
aren’t as common, but are still used as warriors and laborers who
construct magnificent buildings throughout the Alliance.

Vargans
The one word that chills the blood of even the most seasoned
war veteran is “Vargan.” These creatures of the dark underground
are feared for good reason: their brutal attacks on the villages and
cities of the Alliance have taken their toll in human lives. They were
virtually unheard of until humanity discovered Resin, which has
led some to theorize that Resin is connected to the true origin of
the Vargans.
It’s widely believed that they are sensitive to sunlight, which
is why they aren’t seen during the day. The folk believes them to
be the race created by the ancient god Zimitra, who was thrown
deep under the earth by Azimoth. It’s believed that he created the

29
 Kilometers
20 10 0 20 40 60 80 100

10 5 0 10 20 30 40 50
Miles
 Chapter 2:
The Great Cities

W
anderlust. Wanderlust is that intangible part of being
that everyone is born with. Yes, it can be stronger in
some individuals, and almost imperceptible in others,
but we all feel it at some point in our life. Wanderlust
is the force that drives a man away from the security
of his home and into the unknown. It drives him toward understanding him-
self by understanding the world.

I’ve seen my share of places under Azimoth’s light. And I’ve seen what peo-
ple and nature can do. For this reason, I feel I can understand basic human
nature. I dare to say the words: “I truly got to know myself.”

—Angra Mahadi, The Way of the Trail

 CHAPT ER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Jarillo

hh Jarillo
Appearance and Locations
Even to the untrained eye, a second look reveals that Jarillo is
hh Population: 250,000
primarily a city where commerce of the whole Alliance takes place.
hh City Father: Vino It’s big main squares, wide streets, various offices and organization
headquarters all partake in the creation of a busy vibe of an im-
hh Leading Order: The Circle
portant city.
The streets in the better parts of the town are under constant

J
arillo is the largest city of Alliance and takes pride in being the surveillance and upkeep, leaving visitors with the strong impres-
richest city in the known world. The legend says that people sion of clean and safe streets. The river Jarilla springs somewhere
who built it, did so according to Azimoth’s instructions, and on the slopes of the nearby mountains, so its crystal clean water
that’s the reason for the rapid growth and prosperity it was blessed runs through the city, and most of the citizens are committed to
with. The city was founded by the ancient nomads unified under keeping it untainted.
the strongest clan. The citizens of the city are proud of the city’s Jarillo’s unique concentric design has origins in the rich history
importance, claiming it was built about ten millennia ago. While of the city. With the rapid expansions and growth, the defensive
no documents can confirm it, the legends and collected lore seem walls were built around the settlement, so today Jarillo is com-
to support that claim, prised of three districts called The Inner Ring, The Outer Ring
Jarillo lies in the fertile valley beyond the Traphes mountain and The Outskirts, which are separated by two massive walls sur-
range which presented a natural barrier during the Vargan War, rounding the districts.
thus mitigating and delaying the attack of Vargan forces until the The rings are connected with large gateways on the main street,
last moment. The same mountain range kept it secure during the leading from the central point of the Inner Ring, being the Great
rise of the City States in the past, preventing any assault from their Pyramid, to the main doors of the Outer Ring. These gateways are
rivals. wide enough for a Colossus to pass through them, allowing the
This city is the home to the Great Pyramid, one of the largest main defensive forces of the Alliance to reach the Inner Ring quick-
structures in the world, which is supposedly the resting place of ly.
Azimoth, where he dreams in a deep slumber, waiting for the prop- The massive Colossus Gateways are under heavy guard, as well
er moment to return. as the most of the walls, but there are entry points strategically lo-
In the modern times, Jarillo is best known as the most desirable cated on different parts of the circular walls, making other roads
city to start a business in, especially if one is interested in mercan- to the Inner Ring a more twisted and scattered as opposed to the
tile trading, finance, hospitality or heavy industry. main road.

34
 C HAPTER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Inhabitants of the Second Ring are the majority of the Jarillo

The Inner Ring citizens, but the poorer citizens are mostly stationed near the walls
The Inner Ring is the old core of the City, where it’s possible between this district and Outskirts. Every Citizen of the Alliance
to see old structures which survived the tides of time, as well as is allowed here, as long as they have papers and Mark to present
the buildings renovated in a massive effort to keep the history and in the case of routine checks. Noncitizens and Unmarked aren’t
culture alive. allowed to enter the Outer Ring unless they have a special daily
permit issued by the City Guard.
Today, most of the Inner Ring is full of the most important in-
stitutions; respected schools, the leading centers of medicine and
the headquarters for many guilds. The Inner Ring, besides being
the academic, legislative and religious center of the Alliance is the
home to the richest people in the City and beyond. The concentra- Daily Permit
tion of wealth has made this district an elite location full of taverns,
theaters and exclusive stores. Every luxury is available here, making To obtain a daily permit, person without Citizen-
it one of the most prized places to live in. ship Mark must have a reason valid enough for a cap-
The Great Hall in the Inner Ring is a current home to the tain of the City Guard to decide in favor of issuing the
Great Tribunal, a legislative body of the Alliance, as well as the permit. Together with that, they should be accompa-
home of the Jarillo Tribunal, a city government presiding over this nied by an official Intercessor to act on their behalf if
Great City. they aren’t able to do so.
Directly across the Great Hall stands a palace of a City Father,
where Vino, a current City Father lives.
City Fathers of Jarillo throughout history were usually heav-
ily involved with religion, so somewhere in the past, this palace
became a main Azimoth’s temple of Jarillo, staying that way until Outskirts
this day. The Outskirts are a peculiar area of Jarillo, not fully a district
No matter the importance of these structures, they are com- in an ordinary sense of the word. This territory begins where the
pletely overshadowed by Great Pyramid of Jarillo, a great mon- Outer Ring ends and it spans in every direction for at least a couple
ument to the sleeping god. Today, there are no ceremonies in the of miles. First look at the Outskirts would make someone think it’s
Pyramid, since entrance is almost exclusively allowed only to the a kind of a ghetto, with its colorful buildings, tents, carriages and
highest clerics of the Azimoth’s Church. These chosen priests are caravans.
the only who know which secrets the building holds and how to Although it looks unorganized, the Outskirts are home to both
enter the Pyramid which has no visible doors. rich and poor people alike. The reason behind it is that Jarillo, with
Inhabitants of this district have a special kind of mark, a spe- its circular architecture, can’t expand anywhere but outward, and
cific brand upon brand which marks them as the residents of the with all the newcomers and potential Jarillo inhabitants, there sim-
Inner Ring, and they are only who are allowed to stay in the Inner ply isn’t any room left in the central rings. Many ambitious souls are
Ring after sundown, while others are susceptible to the heavy fines forced to spend at least couple of years in the Outskirts, until they
and penance. get a chance to move toward the Outer Ring after someone moves
out, sells their possession or passes away.
The Outskirts isn’t formally considered to be part of the Great
The Outer Ring City of Jarillo, and there is no wall to protect Outskirts from the
outside. Recently, the foundations have been laid on the south part
The Outer Ring surrounds the Inner Ring completely and was of the district, beginning the long transition period as the area
built several centuries after the Great Pyramid was built, to supply slowly joins Jarillo proper.
the newcomers with living quarters. As such, it’s the most densely
packed district of Jarillo, filled with buildings which show the ar- While the Outskirts are poor relative to the Inner Ring, they are
chitectonic influence from all over the Alliance. still dramatically better off than places and settlements more dis-
tant from the Jarillo. The streets are less maintained, rarely cleaned
The most important part of the ring are its legendary Five or repaired and there is a multitude of various scents in the air. On
Markets, which are one of the central hubs of Alliance trading. On the other side, there are a lot of well-situated people who are wait-
these markets, you can find the people, traders, and products from ing for their chance to move in, while starting their business in the
all over the Alliance and sometimes from even farther locations. Outskirts in order to have it fully developed at the time of moving.
Most of the city accommodations is currently in the Outer Following that, there are various traders and artisans with their
Ring, so naturally, most of the business, trading and everyday life families here, as well as hunters and builders working on the build-
in general, is done here. Accordingly, this is the district with large ing of a future infrastructure. With all the people and potential au-
numbers of offices, stores, libraries, factories, hang raft stations, dience, it’s also an attractive neighborhood for various entertainers,
guard stations, as well as the places for informal gathering, such as showmen, and acting troupes.
taverns, theaters, and parks.
Since it’s the largest trading hub in this part of the continent,
almost every headquarters of the various organizations can be
found here, from Order centers to the Amber Bank and Chamber
of Commerce.

35
 CHAPT ER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Relations Red Pit

Jarillo is one of the five Great Cities signatories of the Alliance Although the prisons of the Alliance are located outside of the
Treaty and its main instigator. Because of that, most of the Alliance Great Cities, sometimes even on the borders of the domains and
officials are stationed in Jarillo, only part of them following along on the no man’s land, Jarillo retained its right to maintain its own
with the periodical moving of the Great Tribunal. It’s trading im- prison called Red Pit.
portance, security, stability, and prosperity has given tremendous Located on the border of Outer Ring and Outskirts, with the
importance to the city, incurring envy from other cities of the Al- wall circling the prison all around, except on the part where it’s
liance. adjacent to river Jarilla.
Throughout history, Jarillo was the leading city in number The name “Red Pit“ comes from the old times when the prison
of years hosting the Great Tribunal, and most of the taxes were was an actual deep pit in the ground whose bottom ended up in a
poured in the development of the city and in the pockets of the deep and freezing waters of the river.
Alliance officials.
The prisoners would spend their days in this pit, stationed on
Because of that, most of the inhabitants of Jarillo feel superior the narrow ledges positioned circularly around the inner walls of
to the other Alliance citizens, considering their city the capital of the pit. Without any guards in proximity, prisoners would often
the Alliance, and their leaders responsible for the progress of the fight, which would result in walls of the pit red with blood.
society.
Today, Red Pit is more a complex of a prison blocks and hous-
This attitude made other Great Cities of the Alliance angry ing apartments for the guards and warden, than a pit, but the cen-
with Jarillo, although they accept its power throughout the Alli- tral point is still a deep chasm where only the most hardened crim-
ance. The simple necessity for a stable trade and industry has given inals are put into.
Jarillo its sway over the rest of the Cities.
By far, Jarillo’s worst relations are with proud Sirin. The leaders
of Sirin have claimed multiple times that during the Vargan War, Drazhan’s Eye
Jarillo fronted a secret meeting of the Great Tribunal where Sirin
was excluded in order to sacrifice it to gain some time for defense. Similarly to the arena of Dawai, Drazhan’s Eye is a place where
These claims have never been confirmed, but severing the ties with many games and fighting matches take place, all for the enjoyment
Sirin, even between the same Orders, has been enough to create of the good citizens of Jarillo.
and maintain the animosity between two Cities. This magnificent arena which occupies a large portion of the
Currently, the only thing maintaining somewhat civil relations western part of Outer Ring was built as a dedication to all the he-
between Sirin and Jarillo, are the massive efforts of the heads of the roes in the history of Jarillo. Built by Drazhan the Prosperous, it
Orders to keep the connections between the members. Whatever was initially called Arena of Heroes, but it was renamed in his hon-
the situation, if the Alliance ever comes tumbling down, the heart or after his death.
of the strife will surely be a confrontation between these two Great The walls of this circular arena are almost exclusively lined with
Cities. the white marble stone brought in from the mining city of Sarach
when their mines were partially owned by Jarillo.
Circular corridors surrounding the arena plateau inside the
Sites of Interest walls are filled with the statues of legendary Jarillan heroes and af-
As the biggest city in Alliance, Jarillo has many particular loca- ter the creation of Alliance, even the recent heroes and important
tions and some of them are detailed here historical figures of the Alliance are represented.

Pyramid Pools Kalu

The Great Pyramid, allegedly built by Yuri Vulk under the Az- As opposed to other locations described here, Kalu is not part
imoth’s divine inspiration, isn’t the only religious attraction in In- of Jarillo, but it is located in Jarillo’s domain. However, what distin-
ner Ring. Surrounding the Pyramid, there are so-called Pyramid guishes Kalu from other cities under the Jarillo domain is that it
Pools, filled with crystal clear water springing from somewhere was almost entirely built by Jarillo and it is considered the part of
under the Pyramid. Jarillo with every benefit and obligation it brings.

These pools were once used in creation of Colossi; it was said In the past, Kalu was a small fishing village inhabited by com-
that the waters of the pool are a necessity for the development of mon folk trying to survive of the sea. When Jarillo began its rise
their flesh. After the practice was abandoned, the pools were used to a powerful megalopolis, the city officials decided they need an
in religious trials, for it was believed that innocent people will find access to the sea. With that in mind, they decided to offer a trea-
themselves healed and refreshed by waters, while guilty would ty to Kalu which would allow Jarillo to build on their territory in
burn. exchange for free access to sea down the river Jarilla which flows
through Kalu and into the sea.
With the development of the legal state, this practice was aban-
doned too, but the belief still prevails and people can be heard to Through the times, Kalu effectively became a part of Jarillo out-
swear their innocence “by the waters of the pools“. side of the city itself and main Jarillo’s port. Now, Kalu has expand-
ed many times it once was, becoming an important trading point
and a port for Jarillo.

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 C HAPTER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Liboria

hh Liboria
Appearance and Locations
Liboria is spread out across the multitude of islands in the bay,
hh Population: 120 000 with the high walls surrounding a couple of the biggest islands.
hh City Father: Gento These walls follow the coastline of the islands, stopping at sea, only
to continue on the next island. The passages between these walls
hh Leading Order: Morana are called Golden Gates, for the last rays of the sun give a golden
glow to the walls polished by waves.

F
These high walls are connected by the hanging bridges high
ar to the southeast, where the Yarden River touches the sea, across the Golden Gates, but only the city guards can walk these
lay the hundred islands on which the proud City of Liboria bridges, while others use their sailboats to reach other coasts swift-
stands. Its geographical position may be a somewhat more ly.
isolated, requiring a long way to reach it, but the Liborians can be
found all across the world, especially in port cities.
Liborians’ affinity for the sea is woven into all aspects of their Seawell
lives; as soon as a baby is born, they wash him in the sea water, and
The heart and soul of the city, Seawell District is the oldest part
after someone passes away, they give his body to the sea.
of Liboria, dating from the founding of Liboria. Located on the
As an island city—state, Liboria was dependent on the fickle main island of the archipelago, this territory is rich in fresh water
nature of the sea and life in it, which forced them to develop every- springs which turn into the river Atria, which flows into the sea.
thing naval to the perfection. Legend says that Liboria was founded Seawell is primarily a residential district, but the steady supply of
after the fall of legendary Antaria by the survivors of the cataclysm. fresh and moving water also makes it suitable for all the business-
es relying on the running water including tanneries, mills, metal
Brave explorers and fishermen, seafarers and traders, went off
works, etc.
with their families, found this archipelago and settled there. This
history has led them to value freedom above all other virtues. Antaria Square, named for the fabled original hometown of
They’ve had a long and hard journey to become what they are. Liborians, is the main plaza of the city, hosting a numerous taverns,
parks, and promenades, directly under the defensive walls of the
Through the centuries, Liboria became a naval and trading
Liboria.
force, dominating the routes on the sea and becoming a connec-
tion of all the cities along the coast. After the Alliance Treaty was The most respected folk of Liboria live in the Seawell, from
discussed, they decided to co-sign, not because they cared for an- politicians, rich traders, master artisans, academics, and captains.
other political body governing their territory, but rather to open up
new trade routes and gain better access to the cities across the land.

37
 CHAPT ER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

five-year school.
Sinner’s Row
Many students of Academy come from other coastal cities in
The somewhat misleading name “Sinner’s Row” is a nickname
search of knowledge and some of the students are already military
locals gave to the main port district, because it is said it was born
officers in Alliance service, sent there to hone their knowledge to
in the blood and sweat of the inmates serving their time and doing
perfection.
hard labor. Today it is a very busy district with all the boats coming
in and sailing out of the port, dock workers loading the trade goods
and sailors preparing their ships.
It’s a colorful district with a lot of people, and not all of them
Hollows
are good-natured, so there are frequent patrols on the docks and The Sinner’s Row was founded on the soft and unstable soil. It
among the numerous warehouses and cheap grog shops. started as a small wharf, but its wooden piers were often rebuilt after
harsh nature of the sea broke them down. Through the rebuilding
Although there are a lot of city watch members, the main say of the Row, constant building of the underground sewers and the
in this district have the captains, which will probably punish the infrastructure, the original docks sunk creating a vast infrastruc-
offender more severely and swiftly than any city watch would. ture together with sewers. In the same time, the swampy grounds
Being a captain in Liboria is a very respected position, but it’s near the Seawell often devoured the basements of the buildings,
most emphasized in Sinner’s Row, where captains are monarchs on sometimes even complete buildings down into the sewers of that
their boats, and almost dictate the law in the district. part of town. This network of abandoned basements, sunken piers,
sewers connected to various vaults, underground passages and
even some of the old structures are called Hollows.
Maker’s Shore Although the known entrances to the Hollows are guarded and
people rarely venture there, it is said that Hollows span over two or
This district is entirely dedicated to the shipbuilding—it bor- even three districts, with only maybe a third of the tunnels accu-
ders with the Sinner’s Row, but there is a lot less activity during rately mapped.
night, since most of the workers move to Sinner’s Row after hours.
The facts that there are definitely undiscovered entrances and
The docks here are filled with the rib-like structures of the fu- that the Hollows aren’t patrolled, were an incentive to various
ture ships, various cranes and mechanisms for building, and wood smugglers and criminals to use the tunnels under the Liboria for
used for the construction. Although Liboria is primarily trading their own purpose, creating their havens, drop locations and meet-
city and ship building comes after it, this district can be called the ing points.
heart of the Alliance ship making. A lot of coastal cities often hire
the Maker’s Shore artisans to build their ships, and it is said that at The city watch is making efforts to stop all the supposed ille-
least one new ship sails out of the docks weekly. gal activity in the Hollows, but since the sinking hasn’t stopped,
tunnels can change their directions over the course of one week,
The denizens of the Maker’s Shore are mostly ship builders, making it hard to track changes and be sure where will the smug-
dock workers, artisans, and sailors mostly involved in the work be- glers appear next.
ing done here.
This district is famous for its special laws, exempting the dis-
trict from all trade taxes when it comes to wood. Following this, Sites of Interest
there are lots of woodworkers not connected to the shipbuilding
here. The exotic archipelagos of Liboria hide a lot of interesting plac-
es, and some of them are presented here.
Most of the wood used is imported from other Alliance loca-
tion, although it is said that best materials come from the other
side of The Great Divide, a mountain range bordering Alliance
territories on the east. Sailing crews who venture east in search of Water Market
the quality wood, whisper stories about the wild and rich forests of Just outside the main walls of Liboria, there is a peculiar mar-
the east, where cutting of the trees is a dangerous job, although they ket, probably only of that kind in the Alliance, where trading is
rarely explain what happens behind the mountains. done entirely on water. The traders sell their goods exhibited on
their boats and rafts. From small vendors and their rowing boats, to
the true trade moguls on the large warships and trade ships. With
Trident the first rays of sun, the vendors come rushing out of the city, trying
to take the best position on a part of the bay marked by small wood-
This heavily patrolled district is the main military district of en piers. Visitors would then use piers to reach some of the faster
the Liboria. It’s a relatively narrow but elongated district spanning traders, while taking rafts toward slower traders, farther away.
from the north, over the west side toward the south of Liboria, over
three biggest islands, connected by the Golden Gates. The Reason for this kind of market lies in a Liboria’s legal
standpoint. Since it’s a center point of a naval trade, there are some
This is a home to the members of Liborian Navy and city watch, goods which could be considered contraband in Alliance eyes. Al-
full of barracks, military warehouses and watch posts. though the protectorate of the city stretches many miles of water,
Also, it’s a home of the Liborian Naval Academy, probably Liborians adamantly claim that only the islands are officially under
the finest navy school in the entire Alliance, where only the most Alliance, while sea around it can’t be considered so.
skilled, persistent and resourceful students succeed in finishing a

38
 C HAPTER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

This legal loophole allowed some goods of a more exotic nature After rise of the Azimoth’s Church, preachers of the faith slight-
to find its way onto the market, from poisons, slave rowers and ly modified tale of Azimoth’s sleep in a Pyramid, proclaiming he
various beasts, to the contract deeds of a sinister nature. actually went to sleep into the sea.
That way, Liborians still retained the custom to light a candle
or an incense in the Salt Temple, although claiming they do it to
Liborian Colossus honor Azimoth, although some of them never adopted this belief.
This magnificent statue is probably the biggest architectural
feat in Liboria. Standing over 200 feet (60 meters) tall, this giant
structure is a part of the Golden Gate on the entry point to the Relations
main port of Liboria.
As one of the five original co-signers of the Alliance Treaty, Li-
Although Liboria currently has no living Colossi of their own, boria is respected throughout the Alliance. As an important trade
it is said that Orders cooperated together with the finest Colossi city and its placement on one of the routes toward the east, it’s in
handlers all over the Alliance to create this statue. nearly everyone’s interest to have a good relation with Liboria.
Although it certainly doesn’t look that way, Liborian Colossus Somewhat isolated position of the city led to the Liboria’s re-
is hollow and complex set of stairs and rooms exist inside of it. Just laxed attitude toward the Alliance as the political body. While they
like with the hanging bridges over the Golden Gates, only the city do try to maintain good relations in the pact, Liborians value their
guards have access to the inside of the Colossus and it is widely freedom and they put their laws and customs in front of the Alli-
believed that Colossus is a storage for defensive weapons in a case ance regulations, as opposed to other cities in the Alliance where
of an attack on Liboria. the official Alliance legislation trumps the local laws. The Alliance
officials in the city are well aware of this, but they don’t insist on
Behind the eyes of the Colossus, there is a twin set of rooms
enforcing their demands so long as Liboria cooperates in the most
which are used as the vantage points of the watch tower where you
important tasks, allows the free passage in their waters and doesn’t
can supposedly see for hundred of miles around the Liboria.
constrict the trade with other cities.
On the other side, Alliance officials in the Great Tribunal cur-
Gazebo Park rently stationed in Jarillo, see Liboria as a stubborn child which has
to be put in order. Along with the strategic importance of the city,
One of the most recognized symbols of the Liboria throughout this is one of the reasons that the relocation of the Great Tribunal to
the Alliance are the gazebos stationed on the promenade next to Liboria has been put in motion. The idea behind this is that Libo-
the city walls. Built in the honor of the ancient gods, today they are ria will be pressed to follow the Alliance orders more closely if the
a part of the cultural heritage of Liboria. Great Tribunal presides in the city.
It is said that people who visit Liboria for the first time should Whatever the reasons, this political maneuver created two cur-
take a walk through the gazebo park invoking a good fortune upon rents in the Liboria Tribunal and among the citizens. The support-
themselves and their families. ers of the idea claim that it will bring more prosperity into the city,
enlarge the trading business and solve the problem of criminal ele-
Although this good fortune can’t exactly be proven, a tradition-
ments getting stronger, while the opposition insists on the precious
al gift for dignitaries from all around the Alliance is a replica of a
freedom, fearing they will become Jarillo’s and Alliance’s puppets.
gazebo.
When it comes to the other Great Cities, Liboria is chiefly con-
The promenade starts on the Antaria Square and it stretches
cerned with maintaining maintains good relations with Sirin. As
for two miles toward the Golden Gate adjacent to Trident, offering
their two domains are adjacent on the mainland west of Liboria
a place for peaceful and reflective walks whenever someone feels
and good relations were Sirin’s only option to access the sea, they’ve
the need to relax.
kept peace and trading relations for centuries. This was reflected
It’s strictly forbidden for traders to conduct their business there during the Vargan War, when Liboria secretly supplied Sirin with
under the premise that it’s a place of peace. defensive forces, materials and resources contrary to the Alliance
orders.
Throughout the gardens, there are a lot of plants not native to
the Liborian Archipelago, so the promenade is considered a botan- One of the most important events during the War, was Libori-
ical garden, and it is said that the dignitaries who receive a replica an aid to Sirin couple of days prior to the Sirin’s fall. Under cover
of a gazebo, reciprocate with a fine plant specimen native to their of night, fast Liborian vessels sailed the Yadren River under the
land. command of their capable captains and extracted Sirin’s civilians
to prevent a complete slaughter during the last days of siege. Both
Liboria and Sirin deny this event in front of Alliance, but it may be
Salt Temple the reason why there are a lot of Sirinian descendants in Liboria
and why their close relations continued even after a terrible War.
When Liborians are asked about their faith and religion, they
will usually answer that they follow the teachings of Azimoth, just
like most of the Alliance does. Many of them still follow the ancient
faith of their people worshiping the elemental pantheon, which is
led by Vodan, an ancient god of the seas. During those times, this
temple built from the stones from the sea depths was a first stop of
many sailors who ventured to the open sea.

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 CHAPT ER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Rinean
The City Father, known only as Jonathan is considered the high-
hh Rinean est-ranking member of the Founding Council, although he rarely
makes an appearance, except in meetings of the highest priority.
hh Population: 18,000 Instead, he uses messengers and packages containing documents in
hh City Father: Jonathan order to present his will to the rest of the Founding Council.
hh Leading Order: None Next in command to Jonathan is an Elder member of the
Founding Council called Yavor. He commands the mercenary forc-
es and is considered a Father’s right hand.

I
n the Gora Mountains, somewhat east of the Moon Peaks, se- There are three castes of Folk who are members of the Rinean;
cluded in a valley between two high sheer cliff walls, lies the the noble Vasalli aristocracy, the many mercenaries who sell their
secretive city Rinean. swords to the highest bidders, and the serfs who toil in service to
The city has formed very recently and has grown considerably their betters.
in the last couple of decades, evolving from a small village to a for- Exchanging mercenary work for trade or money is how the city
midable stronghold. Supposedly, the city evolved thanks to a group gets the majority of its trade goods and any supplies they can’t grow
of Vasalli who decided to create a safe haven for other Vasalli, thus or gather on their own.
earning the city nickname “The Experiment “
Outsiders must seek permission to enter Rinean, as well as the
Although people don’t want to talk about it, the story says that services of the local guide once they enter the city. And even then,
founders believed firmly that Vasalli are superior to regular people, they can only access the outer parts of the city.
and deserve to be a ruling class. Nobody knows the names of peo-
ple that actually founded the city, but the current group of leaders
is referred to as the Founding Council, and they govern the city.
Appearance and Locations
Orders in this city are effectively non-existent, as the Vasalli of
Rinean’s concentric walls create a complete circuit around the
the city are committed to their role as mercenaries who try not to
city, creating an imposing defense. No matter which side you enter
get involved in Alliance politics. Although the city has a small pop-
from, the city looks like a large prison complex, with high walls
ulation and a small amount of territory falling under its domain, it
and many guard towers. The hard gray stones, mined from nearby
was still invited to join Alliance as one of the Great Cities of Alli-
hills were used to build the walls which look almost monolithic.
ance because of its mercenary services. It is said that the number
Supposedly, during the building of the walls, Vasalli which was in-
of Vasalli vastly exceeds the usual ratio of Vasalli to Folk, and that
volved in masonry used their gifts to manipulate stone and fortify
their numbers grow almost on a daily basis.
the cracks between the blocks.

40
 C HAPTER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Rinean’s architecture is utilitarian and solid, obviously sub-

jected to defense and strategy, and one looks toward the heavily
Inner Court
defended city walls, teeming with guards are usually enough to dis- After the outer court, there is another layer of walls and guard
courage any possible attack on the city. towers. Beyond this is the inner court of the city, which contains
important facilities like supply storage, barracks to house the nu-
Similar to Jarillo, Rinean is separated into three concentric sec-
merous Vasalli forces, and the council district at the very center of
tions separated by thick walls in order to maximize safety of the
the city.
central districts. The walls between the district rise in height from
the outer to the inner walls, reminding of steps. This was done so The Inner Court is more densely packed with buildings than
the guards can get a clear view and clear shot to the walls in front other parts of the Rinean. It’s a core of the city, a place where a
of them. small village once stood, before the expansion. In order to gain
more space, the architects satisfied themselves with the solution of
building upward. That’s why it’s not unusual to find tall buildings
Agricultural Commons with several stories occupied by stores on the first floor, then couple
of office floors and then apartments on the top of the buildings.
The outer wall of the city is extremely thick, to the point of
housing a whole room and barracks for the guards which are on The streets of the Inner Court are rarely patrolled by Vasalli
the active duty. foot soldiers of the Rinean military, but it doesn’t mean they are un-
supervised. Tight streets and roads are closely monitored by special
Once the first wall is passed, the next area is the agricultur- shock troops of Rinean, made up of the best fighters city can offer.
al commons. The commons of the city is filled with various fields These special troops are members of the famed mercenary forces
where wheat, fruit, and vegetables are grown for additional food. Rinean offers to anyone with enough resources.
The underground springs which supply the city with water surface
here and are directed with irrigation channels around the fields. The council district is where the founding council lives and has
Besides the fields, there are livestock housing here where Folk take meetings. Visitors are not allowed into any of these restricted ar-
care of the cattle, driving them out to the fields around the hills eas, and trespassers are dealt with harshly, and sometimes are never
every day. seen again.

Closer to the second wall, there is a market area with several

stores that provide basic supplies, along with a small number of
inns and pubs for housing any visitors.
Relations
As for relations with the other cities, Rinean follows the rule
of the Alliance for the most part. The city doesn’t openly defy any
Outer Court laws or work against the other cities, but they prefer to govern
themselves, and rely on their own council and City Father to make
After passing through the fields and beyond the second wall, decisions.
the next area is the outer court. This is where the living quarters
for the Folk are kept. Each person or family only has a small area Jarillo and Bit’wa have tense relations with Rinean because of
to themselves, and kitchens, bathrooms, and other facilities are the large number of Vasalli that live there, more joining the new
shared. This labyrinthine structured part of the city especially re- city all the time. But Rinean doesn’t have a large formal military,
sembles a prison, but the residents are not treated so poorly that instead focusing mostly on small Vasalli mercenary units, so Jarillo
they have tried to rebel, at least not yet. In fact, although the folk of and Bit’wa don’t truly consider Rinean a threat at this time.
the Rinean are considered just a little more than slaves to the Va- Rinean provides protection services to every trade caravan and
salli, they are allowed to have their businesses, products, finances sometimes other cities when they need it, especially in the recent
and ambition. That very ambition even causes folk to report anyone new appearance of Vargans, so most of the other cities have a good
suspicious or marked as the traitor to Rinean for the promise of trade relationship with Rinean.
wealth and advancement.
Those serfs who please the Vassal can be rewarded with relo-
cation to the better living quarters reserved for military or even to
the Inner Court.Some of the military class Vasalli share the Outer
Court with the Folk, but their living quarters are in better condi-
tion. They enjoy the luxury of having their own houses separated
from the hives of the Folk.
Besides the Folk and military housing, Outer Court is also a
place of heavy labor business, from stone-cutting, masonry, wood-
working and similar.

41
 CHAPT ER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Sites of Interest

Rinean Citadel
The Rinean Citadel stands at the center of the Inner Court and
council district. It’s an impressive stone structure with thick stone
walls and no windows except on the upper floors, from where all
of the Rinean can be seen. This building was actually one of the
last buildings erected in Rinean and today it is the place where the
founding council meets to decide upon the Rinean politics.
The citadel is also a home to City Father Jonathan, an official
arbiter of the city when there is no need or time for the founding
council to meet. It is said that he can be seen sometimes looking
from the top window of the Citadel.

Nav Grounds
As main Rinean’s trade advantage are its mercenary forces,
Rinean focused on creating an exceptional fighting school and
military training. Through the recruitment of the keen tacticians
and combat instructors, Founding Council succeeded in creation
of Nav Grounds, a military school oriented toward small teams of
fighters.
The regime of the school is allegedly very vigorous and tough,
making the Vasalli trained in this establishment a dangerous force.

Iron Vasalli
In the Outer Court of Rinean, inhabited by non-Vasalli, there
are four statues located on the four sides of the circular district.
Each fifteen feet high, these sculptures are only constructions in
Rinean, besides the Citadel, which rise above the standard utilitar-
ian landscape of the city.
The statues represent Vasalli overlooking the city, keeping their
eyes on people even in the district whose denizens aren’t blessed
with Vasalli heritage. The sculptures look like Vasalli with bland
facial features, but with emphasized bloodscars on the face and
hands, shrouded in cloaks. Two of the sculptures positioned north
and south, have weapons in their hands, a sword and a mace. In the
hands of the eastern sculpture burns a fire, while from the hands of
the western flows a steady stream of water.

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 C HAPTER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Bit’wa Kayla

h h Bit’wa h h Kayla
h h Population: 35,000 h h Population: 64,000
h h City Father: Dragyn h h City Mother: Karyn
h h Leading Order: The Circle h h Leading Order: Zorya

T I
he northernmost Great City of Alliance, Bit’wa, is home to n the bald hills of Perran lies the Kaya, the City Academic,
most competent and hardened soldiers in the entire Alli- also known as the city of bridges. As the nickname says, it’s a
ance. Mountains north of the city mark the northern border city connected with hundreds of bridges, hanging, wooden or
of the Alliance territories and soldiers of the city take pride in their stone. Its unique position on the hilltop and hill slopes, as well as
duty as patrolmen and border guards. some parts of town built on the adjacent hilltops is one of the things
which impress visitors. The city started as series of adjacent settle-
Throughout the history, Bit’wa was unique for its social sys-
ments, which united under the name Kayla Principality.
tem and dynamics which completely focused on military training.
Since most inhabitants of the city were fascinated with military Denizens of Kayla take pride in the claim that they are the
excellence, a caste system emerged which put members of the mil- scholars of Alliance and in their academic studies and education.
itary on the top, followed by nobility, traders, and peasants on the They consider Kayla a main hub of education, welcoming each per-
bottom. Today, the caste system doesn’t exist anymore, but and the son who is trying to broaden their horizons and school themselves
Bit’wa’s Military Academy is renowned for producing the best offi- in various fields of human knowledge.
cers the Alliance has ever seen.
One of the other things which impress visitors are rival aca-
Bit’wa is situated south of the Vidor mountains, on the Zymlad demic institutions; Kayla University, Hatalen Institute of Progress
River, a position which grants them the control over the north-east- and Hillside Academy of Nature. These institutions cover various
ern part of the peninsula, but obligates them to keep their eyes to- schools and specialistic courses and it is said they encompass all of
ward the North in a case of possible barbarian tribes attack. the knowledge in the Alliance.
Asmilitary service is mandatory even for people who don’t plan Together with the title of the academic hub of the Alliance,
to pursue a military career, most of the citizens have military ex- Kayla also claims that they are the culture capital. Various muse-
perience or background. Together with the caste history and tra- ums, artist, and artisan workshops are to be found on every steep
ditions, the city has trained entire generations of laconic, resolute and cobbled street of Kayla. There is even a saying that no man
citizens. alive has seen and counted every workshop and bridge in Kayla.
Just like most of the cities situated near mountains and hills, Besides the academy, culture, and bridges, Kayla is known for
trade in Bit’wa relies on the resources dug out of the mines in the its impressive stonework. The Perran hills have layers and layers of
city domain, including various metals, minerals, and gems. The the highest quality stone, so their quarries work overtime to supply
shipments of Bit’wa iron and steel are welcome and anticipated buyers wanting to build their structures out of the whitest and most
throughout all of Alliance. durable building stones.

43
 CHAPT ER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Sirin Sarach

hh Sirin h h Sarach
hh Population: 95,000 h h Population: 82,000
hh City Father: Gavril h h City Father: Radomyr
hh Leading Order: Sons of Sirin h h Leading Order: Zorya

S S
irin is a city with tragic past, a martyr city which suffered most arach was founded on the crossing of four rivers, Sarayl, Scar-
of the blow of the Vargan horde during the Vargan War. dyn, Yadren and underground river Rani.
One of the five Alliance Pact initiators, Sirin was second Originally a small logging community, denizens of Sarach
only to Jarillo, a strong city whose riches and resources were based used their location to transport logs and wooden materials, since
on trade and hard working people. Their location on Yadren River river routes gave them access to most of the eastern part of the
and proximity of rich gold mines made them one of the most influ- continent.
ential cities in the Alliance.
With time, trade grew and their location becomes more and
Alas, the Battle of Sirin nearly reduced the city to rubble. more important. Upon the discovery of a number of rich ore de-
During the Vargan War, one of the biggest Vargan hordes was seen posits, the industrious people of Sarach expanded into mining and
advancing toward the city. Sirin sent out the pleas for aid to every ironworks. Soon enough, the abundance of fresh moving water and
city of the Alliance, begging for arms and soldiers to bear them. abundant natural materials attracted the best artisans and smiths
Only Jorgun and Liboria responded, offering ships crewed by the from throughout the Alliance.
few troops they could spare to evacuate the citizens of Sirin from
With the discovery of fissure vents somewhat outside of Sar-
the carnage.
ach, an underground extension of Sarach was founded and named
To this day, many Alliance citizens blame the officials of Jarillo Deep Sarach. The vents were ideal natural furnaces, which radi-
for the downfall of Sirin. Rumour has it that they influenced Great cally expanded the existing steel industry and smelting and Sarach
Tribunal to block every attempt of helping Sirin in order to gain quickly became the most important exporter of metal products.
more time to build their defenses.
Sarach is the first city welcomed into Alliance after the original
The Battle of Sirin lasted for three days, reducing the once great founding cities established it. The importance of its traffic and trad-
city to ruin. After the war, people from all over the Alliance tried ing potential was recognized and Sarach was invited by founders to
to help in rebuilding Sirin. The new city on the other side of the join Alliance. Newly formed Sarach Tribunal decided to invest into
Yadren River was built, while the ruins were left as they were at the development of river routes for the delivery of their metalworks,
request of the survivors. Today, the new settlement has taken the building the outposts and wharves along the rivers where Sarach
old name and depends on Alliance support to rapidly expand and guards protect the territory from the bandits, making the river traf-
rebuilding its trade network. fic safer than usual routes. Now every trader which wants to use
river routes pays a small fee to Sarach for safe passage, effectively
On the other side, the ruins, sometimes called Old Sirin, are
giving them control over the rivers.
a place where rarely anyone ventures in fear of the criminals and
bandits which took over. Denizens of the new part of the city are
trying to ignore the situation in ruins, but it is said that almost ev-
ery Order and Tribunal benefits from the anarchy in the Old Sirin,
since many usually forbidden resources can be found there.

44
 C HAPTER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Dawai Bastilla

hh Dawai h h Bastilla
hh Population: 76,000 h h Population: 27,000
hh City Mother: Sonya h h City Father: Valseus
hh Leading Order: Order of Siebog h h Leading Order: Morana

T I
he most southwest city in Alliance, Dawai, is a peculiar and n the center of the western part of the continent lies the barren
diverse city, home to peoples from throughout the Alliance. territory of Bastillan domain adjacent to the western reach of
Located in the south-western part of peninsula, its back the Velbet mountain range. Bastilla is a small city built on a
is turned to mountain ranges which touch oceans on two sides. dry land, with few vegetation patches, and it started as an outpost
Dawai is a relatively new settlement, accepted into the Alliance for traders on a no man’s land between the lush territories of other
only a couple of decades ago. Dawai always felt independent from cities. But with more and more traders stopping in Bastilla, the city
the rest of the continent, thanks to its remote location. The port city slowly grew, managed by a consortium of traders.
had lucrative business on the sea were enough to sustain the city,
Soon, the citizens of Bastilla learned the shortest and safest
without any need to surrender their sovereignty.
routes over the barren lands, and started guiding traders over the
Before the creation and installation of a necessary city tribunal, desert, with the main stop in their city.
Dawai was ruled by the council of captains and considered itself a
Over the time, Bastilla became an important station on the
free port, a place for any merchant or sanctuary seeker.
trading routes, flourishing from the business with traders, from
Today, many people still come to Dawai to try out their luck. guiding, trading to currency exchange.
With their reputation as a free port, it maintains its role as a mer-
But the trading business of Bastilla started to wane with the
cantile trading hub. Teardrop Bay makes a perfect protection from
creation of Alliance, and with the expansion of other routes, pri-
the high waves and violent storms of the open sea, and welcomes
marily with the route through the Kring Valley. Bastilla was turn-
every sea captain willing to trade.
ing back to the point where they were just a trading outpost.
The city is also visited by people in search of entertainment,
During the time of Bastilla fading, a sudden discovery of gem-
since it’s a home to the legendary Arena of Dawai, where various
stone deposits under the dry soil earned back the status of mer-
games of skill and chance are hosted, among them Ballcrush, a
chant city to Bastilla. The vast diamond deposits adjacent to where
popular team sport.
the city was built became the main excavation point and now Bas-
With all the games and sea ventures, it is understandable that tilla is a main diamond distributor in the Alliance.
people of Dawai can be a little superstitious, and one of the ex-
The citizens of Bastilla are mostly merchants, artisans, and
amples is that people favor Dolya, an old goddess of fate, over the
miners who live off the mineral trade. It is said that their work cre-
religion of Azimoth.
ates the most beautifully cut diamonds, figurines, and jewelry.

45
 CHAPT ER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Jorgun Nadya

h h Jorgun hh Nadya
h h Population: 78,000 hh Population: 64,000
h h City Father: Piotres hh City Father: Lodar
h h Leading Order: Order of Siebog hh Leading Order: Siebog

T T
he river port city of Jorgun can better be seen from the river he oldest large coastal city, Nadya is located on the south
than if approached on foot. Positioned in a natural shelter coast, between the mouths of rivers Hossa and Brua.
between two small hills, Jorgun’s colorful roofs are a wel-
Before the rise of Liboria, Nadya was the biggest port on
come sight for weary travelers.
the peninsula and most important coastal trade point. Known as
Renowned for its beauty, Jorgun is a city built of white stones “the city of Hope “it was a place where many sailors and seafarers
and marble blocks, while the streets are protected from the sun by found their home.
colored banners and sheets stretched between building roofs.
With Liboria’s expansion and formation of Alliance, Nadya
Like Sarach, Jorgun was blessed with thermal vents beneath suddenly wasn’t the most important coastal city and the only thing
the city. They capitalized on the nearby of hot springs and its posi- that kept their finances flowing was that they were closer to Jarillo,
tion to build a popular thermal spa. These luxuries attracted many although the full potential of this proximity wasn’t emphasized un-
affluent people who invested in the expansion of the city, most of- til Nadya joined the Alliance.
ten buying property in the area. Soon enough, every prosperous
The rivalry between Nadya and Liboria still exists, with Libori-
trader, a powerful politician, or a minor noble, had estate or vaca-
ans claiming that they are better in sailing and trade, while Nady-
tion home in Jorgun.
ans believe they manipulated and cheated their way toward trade
Besides leisure, Jorgun is known for their fertile farmland. The treaties and stole their trade routes.
land on the banks of the Yadren are used for fields of grain and
Citizens of Nadya are considered to be the best fishermen in
wheat, while mills were built on the sides of the river. The rocky
Alliance, their ships teeming with a fresh catch every time they
uplands, further from the waters, are used for pastures and ranch-
return to port. Nadya’s sailors don’t favour the smaller fish though,
ing. As such, city became the main exporter of grain, livestock,
specializing in the risky art of whaling instead. The Nadian whal-
meat and leather on the eastern part of the continent.
ers take pride in thir dangerous and strenuous work, searching for
Jorgun is renowned for the harmony and concord between the magnificent gigantic beasts large enough to sink a smaller ship
Orders in the city. At first, when the well-off people started buying with a whip of the tail.
the land and investing in Jorgun, among them were the members
As a natural consequence of the whaling industry, Nadya also
of the Orders, and as such, it can be said that they helped expand
has considerable expertise in shipbuilding. Despite Liboria slowly
the city and they lobbied for Jorgun to be accepted into the Al-
taking over the lead in ship construction, Nadya’s deep waters
liance.
close to the shore allow the building of large cruisers and
As the headquarters were established, members of ships, while Liboria is limited to medium-sized ships
the Orders wanted to keep political confrontations of because of shallow waters in the archipelago.
the Orders away from the peaceful atmosphere
in Jorgun, creating an apolitical place without
the usual political discussions.

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 C HAPTER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

Famous Locations

T
he Alliance is full of wondrous places, both natural and illuminating it beautifully through the night, although those who
man-made. Even beyond the Great Cities, interesting place aren’t residents of the Inner Circle may not spend the night inside
that ignites the imagination can be found throughout the the walls of the inner ring. Around the Pyramid, order is kept by
Alliance territories and outside its borders. Given here are the most the city’s elite guards, along with officers chosen from the lines of
significant and famous locations on the peninsula. the Hand.
Besides the Great Pyramid, there are other attractions, includ-
ing the statue of the Son of Jarillo, the Colossus who sacrificed
The Great Pyramid himself in defense of the holy grounds, stationed on the central
The Great Pyramid is the most popular and wondrous place square north of the building, and the Sacred Pools, once used for
known to man. Towering over the great city of Jarillo, this mas- the creation of mighty Colossi is on the south side of the Pyramid.
sive structure is the highest point in Jarillo and second only to the
Basalt Tower, the highest artificial structure in the known world.
To make sure the Great Pyramid keeps its reputation, the Alliance The Ruins of Wespes
has decreed that no structure shall be built higher than the Great
In the midwestern part of the peninsula spans the Haberchost
Pyramid.
Mountain Range. With its gray mountains and soil, steep passage-
The Pyramid’s history is somewhat unclear since no detailed ways, and glum appearance, it’s easy to imagine that people would
records of its construction have ever been found. Historians have want to bypass the range completely. The truth is, though it’s not
come to a consensus that it was miraculously created by Azimoth, even on a major trade route, Haberchost gets its share of visitors
and the masons of old times, instructed by Azimoth, later expand- and travelers, primarily because it holds the Ruins of Wespes in
ed and enlarged the building. its heart.
As the Holy Scriptures instruct, when his time for rest came, Deep in the range, the ruins rise from the hard stone, barren
Azimoth announced to the world that he would be retreating to the and unsuitable for human life. The derelict city has architecture too
Pyramid. A week-long celebration was held, and when midnight alien and distant to be habitable, from its oversized buildings to the
of the last day struck, a great light shone upon the Pyramid, its tip rooms and halls of unknown purposes. When first discovered, the
glowing with the strength of the sun. The onlookers were blinded structures were believed to be the old place where Azimoth rest-
for couple seconds, falling to the ground and praying. After their ed, but now most believe that it was the habitat of his old race of
sight returned, the light was gone, and only darkness remained. servants. The odd rooms and their strange designs never served
common functions like kitchens or bedrooms.
Positioned in the central ring of Jarillo, the Great Pyramid
and its grounds are the architectural and social center of the city. But besides the architecture and the strange buildings that
A place of pilgrimage, the Pyramid grounds are considered holy, seem to have no purpose, the ruins are most famed for the Basalt
attracting priests, monks, and believers from across the Alliance. Tower, the highest building in the known world and the only one
higher than the Great Pyramid itself. The tower is almost as tall as
Entry to the Pyramid is against the law, although this resolution
some of the peaks around it, imposing and impressive.
is strictly symbolic since the structure has no visible entrances. The
walls of the Pyramid are decorated with multicolored Resin lumps,

47
 CHAPT ER 2: T H E GRE AT CIT IE S

The passengers can still sometimes, during the ebb tide, see the
roofs of the houses that collapsed into the sea, and while diving,
they can explore the city parts that didn’t turn to dust during its
doom. Every now and then, some diver finds an unexplored house,
where he can collect the treasure left waiting in the company of
skeletons—the former citizens of Antaria.
But luckily, not all Antarians died in the great earthquake.
Those away from home—or who were aware, skillful, or lucky
enough to survive—were saved by trade ships coming home. There
is sometimes another part to the story, about a couple of trading
company ships sinking too, so some divers decide to try their luck
farther out from the coast.
Surviving Antarians became the founders of Liboria, and their
descendants will gladly tell the stories passed down by their pro-
genitors about the doom of Antaria.
Antaria, the Sunken City

I The Arena of Dawai

f you travel along the southern coast of the peninsula, you may

T
hear of the legendary Antaria, the city swallowed by the sea.
Many travelers and thrill-seekers embark on journeys to ex- his popular arena is smaller than the arena in Jarillo, but
plore the sunken city, so you will often hear the many rumors of it’s famed for its beautiful seashell structure and its position
its doom and the treasures it hides. Of course, many locals will roll near the sea, where a beautiful sunset lights up the arena’s
their eyes and give you the silent treatment if you mention your mother-of-pearl walls.
wish to explore the legend, since they don’t take kindly to nosy
The main event in the arena of Dawai is the national sport
strangers streaming in.
Ballcrush, where teams from throughout the Alliance compete for
On the west coast of the Bay of Isles lies an inlet where the city prestige. Besides this, the arena often hosts other competitions and
sank into the sea. The cliffs overlook the sea, now home to wrecks concerts of symphonic orchestras.
of seagulls and curious campers who widen their eyes while telling
the story of Antaria over and over again.
The story of Antaria’s demise tells us of the rich coastal city Colossi Garden

O
famed for its whale hunters and oil processing, as well as the main ften referred to as the Colossi Graveyard among the folk,
trade hub of the eastern part of the continent. Neatly located be- this place is officially known as the colossi garden. Near
tween the river Noecha, lake Baug, and the sea, denizens of the the city of Kayla, it is known for its multitude of petrified
area used the dams to divert the flow of the river away from the ex- colossi, sitting or lying in the great cave. No one knows why the
panding town, irrigating the fields around it, enjoying the drinking colossi feel the need to walk to this place when they feel their time
water and the sea gifts alike. of death is near. There are many temples and prayer houses near
Before the discovery of Resin, the main illumination at night the place itself, and it’s one of the more popular attractions in the
were lamps filled with whale oil, so Antaria developed into a Alliance. With its mystic background, it’s no wonder various cults
powerful trade city, small but influential and important. An- are attracted to visit it.
taria’s power grew as the alliance was established, as the need
for oil grew greater and greater.
That is, until one stormy night, when the great
earthquake shook the coast and the soil under An-
taria crumbled into the sea. The dam burst, over-
flowing the city while it slid into the sea. Some say
the people of Antaria, with their lust for power
and money had invoked the rage of the great Az-
imoth. Others say that nature itself wished to
get rid of them, for they had exploited the sea
too much. Either way, Antaria sank into the
sea, becoming a home for fish and shells.

48
 Chapter 3:
Vasalli and the
Awakening

A
nd then, and then they passed by us, all high and mighty, just ignor-
ing us. Like we don’t exist!” said Martin, anger coloring his voice.

Others were nodding thoughtfully, holding their tankards filled

with bitter ale, like it was the last thing they had in this world.

“They are nothing but a scourge!” he turned toward the rest of

the pub, cutting the air with his hand. “All the privileges, all the
admiration. And for what? They just prance around like parade ponies, thirsting for ado-
ration, like they are some damn gods!”

The heavy silence after his words was broken only with the grating of the chair on the
floor.

Everyone turned their heads toward the man who just stood up. Some of them clenched
their fists, others just watched.

The man stood up and turned toward Martin who was breathing heavily, eyes wide.

“What do you know about our life?” his voice was raspy, as he almost whispered the
words.

“What do you know about the Awakening and the pain behind it?” his voice was clear-
er and louder now.

“What do you know about the sacrifice, anger, resentment and distrust?” he spoke for
the third time, almost yelling.

Martin just stands there, not moving, pale as a sheet.

“Let me tell you something about those things.” The stranger’s voice became quieter
again. “Let me tell you what it means to be Awakened.”
 C hapter  3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

Uncovering the Myth

During the legendary War of Dawn, they led their people to
The Second Ones safety and hid them from the wrath of the warring gods after Az-

A
ccording to the Holy Scriptures of Church of Azimoth, imoth stood against mad Zimitra.
gods Azimoth and Zimitra had a nameless race of servants
For centuries, the race of Second Ones were as kings, leaders
following them when they came to this world. After centu-
and mediators between humankind and Azimoth. They were long-
ries of servitude, the race slowly withered away, and immortal gods
lived, albeit not as enduring as the original servants of Azimoth.
became lonely.
Alas, they were still partially human, and mortal, and thus their
After a while, they decided to create a new race, mixing Azim- numbers dwindled. As they died out one by one, their power also
oth’s blood with the most advanced species in the world, humans. waned. Slowly the age of Second Ones came to an end.
That’s how the Second Ones were created.
The Vasalli phenomenon is a recent one. A rare few began to
The legends and tales vividly describe the Second Ones as Awaken, transforming into beings of power, not unlike the Sec-
leaders of people, magnificent beings, able to stand against other ond Ones of legend. After the spread of the Church of Azimoth
tribes during combat on their own. They could heal others with and emerging of the Orders, Vasalli began to lead. Over time, they
their touch or they could call forth terrible powers destroying their became recognized as myths turned to flesh and the heirs to the
enemies. Second Ones.

Vasalli Heritage
No one knows what triggers the Awakening, or why certain
people are chosen. Someone does not need Vasalli ancestors in or-
der to receive Gifts. One in a five hundred is born with the destiny
to Awaken.
Through the course of history, Vasalli were born in different
environments and families. They are diverse, passionate, and just as
flawed as the ordinary folk. Their origins only guide how they view
the powers they were blessed with. Nobody is raised from child-
hood as Vasall. Various people go through Awakening, young and
old, noble and mischievous, kind and bitter.
Vasalli are born with divine Gifts locked in their souls. Philos-
ophers and scientists debate over whether the power lies dormant
in everyone, or if only some are chosen to receive the gifts. No mat-
ter what, they usually agree over the conclusion that it’s of divine
origins.
Only in rare occasions will there be the smallest signs of their
nature. Then, something strange occurs.
The future Vasall starts changing just as every child entering
their teenage years. But with bodily and mental changes, the future
Vasall experiences other changes as well.
Sometimes, changes came slowly: the discoloring of the skin,
bodily marks, eyes changing color. Sometimes they came on sud-
denly, children filled with anger and strength in dire moments.
The change is usually a traumatic experience, sometimes the
children were considered mad, because they repeatedly talked
about hearing voices in their head, or having some sort of premo-
nitions. Vasalli later describe the Awakening itself like transition
from night into a day, like exiting the dark tunnel and seeing the
world again after a long period of fog and darkness.
When the Vasall finally unlocks the powers that lie within him,
usually there is already someone around the corner, to draft them
into one of the Orders. And thus starts the intense life of a Vasall.

50
 Chapter 3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

ous life for one of solitude in the wilderness. They must maintain
The Folk and Vasalli a strict balance between their lust for power and might, and their
The Folk are torn between thinking the Vasalli are shining bea- human nature.
cons of hope and the fear that they are cold-blooded, manipulative
The relations between the Vasalli themselves are complex. In
monsters. It was only expected of people to develop differing views
lesser inhabited areas there aren’t many of them and they tend to be
regarding the powerful beings appearing human.
distrustful one toward another. On the other side, living in dense-
ly populated areas and joining some of the Orders can give them
sense of belonging, making them more open towards other Vasalli.
In Orders they learn to cooperate with other Vasalli, some even
forge strong relationships and friendships with other Vasalli who
share the same worldviews.
Animosities toward Vasalli from other Orders, even inside
the same Order aren’t a rare occurrence. Their volatile nature is
a frequent trigger leading them on the road toward enmity. Their
larger than life ego is generally what drives them to achieve the
ambitions. A well-known politician, local landlord, trading mag-
nate, high-ranking officer; those are all paths Vasalli embark on in
search of social power to match their awakened powers.
Although there are a lot of folk who distrust Vasalli, there are
Of course, there are Vasalli trying to use their powers to help
people who look toward them as saviors, higher beings.
people and do good, or at least to help in their
Some see them as potent and lustful, while others treat them as Order’s cause. It all depends on their
trophies to be bragged about. Although none of this is necessarily environment and upbringing.
true, the veil of mystique, jealousy, anger and longing is additional-
Then there are Vasalli
ly differentiating the Vasalli from the common folk.
who are real loners. Some-
Of course, the participation of Vasalli in higher echelons of so- times they’re only formal-
ciety and politics rarely leaves any reason for them to be loved. The ly a part of the Order
leaders of the Alliance and Orders are always the target of the evil but not actively par-
tongues and heated debates, especially if they are Vasalli. ticipating in their Or-
der’s politics or cause.
Their very participation in politics often pulls ambitious people
Sometimes they cut all
toward them, who try to get in their good graces anyway they can.
of the ties with their Or-
Various sycophants, schemers and followers often make a posse
der and leave for good
around more egotistical and hedonistic Vasalli, trying to find a way
becoming a so-called
to use them for their nefarious plans.
Nomad.
Considering all this, there aren’t many people that see them for
And there
what they really are: humans.
are some Vasalli
Yes, they are faster and stronger. Yes, they are passionate and which go through
temperamental. They are enshrouded in Azimoth’s blessing and all lengths to con-
gifted with extraordinary abilities. ceal their Awakened
nature, trying to lead
But they are still human. They are driven by their passions, by a normal life and avoid
their desires and by their need to survive. meddling in others’ af-
Most of the Vasalli see their Gifts for what they really are: di- fairs.
vine tools, and means to an end. They rarely succumb to overusing
of their Gifts, in fear of reprisals. Some consider themselves bless-
ed, others cursed, but all understand that are the part of human
society just as much as the lowliest of the peasants. Only their Gifts
truly set them apart.

The Struggle
The powers of Vasalli are vast and brilliant, but there are in-
trinsic dangers in their lives. Vasalli must juggle and balance their
powers, ego, and volatility of their power with their nature and hu-
manity they have. Wielding the power while staying true to one’s
nature is no easy task. That’s why the Vasalli are infamous for their
suddenly changes of heart, religious conversions, or philosophical
rebellion. There are many stories of Vasalli who discard a glamor-

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 C hapter  3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

“Without a doubt, you’re good in many things. But

the goals you reach for, aren’t reserved for low folk like
us. They are for others.“ was another thing his wife
used to say.

And that made him angry. He was as good as

anyone from higher echelons of society, even as good
as some Vasalli. But he was never accepted as equal,
whatever he tried to do. He was frustrated with the sys-
tem who was beating them into the ground.

And he fought back. Calling for changes, lead-

ing equally frustrated folk in peaceful riots, trying to
change the rules, system and class society.

He had a fire in his heart, and vision in his mind.

But his world crashed and burned when his wife died,
and he was left with cinders in his heart, which were
slowly fading out.

His love and life was lost under the wheels of that
chariot, which was probably carrying rich people to
some expensive dinner.

He had no willpower anymore, he left others to

fight for his cause, and decided to simply let go. He
was walking that night alone in his thoughts, returning
from another wasted night in a pub.

Shadows appeared behind the corner walking slow-

ly toward him. He wasn’t paying attention, but he au-
The Orders and the Vasalli tomatically tried to cross on the other side of the road.
But they decided to intercept him, obviously. His heart
started beating faster, hair on his neck started to tingle.
What did they want?

“You’re overachiever, but one day, it will cost you “Hey, you! Yeah, you!“ one of the shadows called.
your life.” Those were the words that his wife often used “You’re the troublemaker starting riots on the main
to repeat. And they were pretty true. Gamush was an square, aren’t you? “
ambitious, trying his very best to excel. He forced him-
self to give the best in everything he did, from archery,
Gamush murmured something, looking into his
to oratory. The latter was usually the source of all the
moving legs, but inside he felt more alive than he felt in
troubles he had with authority, of course. Nothing he
last couple of weeks.
ever did was technically against the law, neither of City
nor Alliance, but he had the knack for provoking the
wrong people. “Yeah, it’s him alright.“ one of them confirmed, and
then turned toward him; “So troublemaker, you like a
good trouble, don’t you?“ and he burst into laughter
Nevertheless, he went on with his passions even
while pulling the stick from the loose sleeve of his robe.
when he encountered problems and closed doors.
“Get him! “

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 Chapter 3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

Man closest to him jumped and tried to land the Gamush looked him with a mixture of surprise and
punch, but Gamush evaded him, and kicked his knee, hate.
which gave in with a loud “pop!“
“Oh yeah, I know of you. I mean, it’s not easy to
Assailant fell down to the ground, screaming, while overlook you, considering how loud you are.“ and then
Gamush prepared himself for a good ol’ fisticuffs. But his facial expression changed, “Or how loud you used
then something swept his legs from behind, and he fell to be. Come on, if you don’t need help, follow me and
directly onto the stick of the one who called him a trou- try to keep up. We’ll fix you, and then we have to talk.“
blemaker. With a corner of the eye, he saw a fifth mem- He turned toward the next alley and started to walk
ber of this small party, who was obviously creeping up slowly, looking intensely into the darkness.
on him from behind. It was an ambush!
“Why did it have to be him? Someone of his stature
They threw him on the ground, kicking him, and and blood? “ Gamush thought, and then uttered; “Why
hitting him with the sticks. Gamush already saw his you? And why do you say ‘We’? “
death there, in the dirty alley, without honor or pride.
He wryly thought to himself that at least he had tried Vasall stopped abruptly, and turned slowly, very
harder than any of these slackers. Despite the rain of slowly, with a wide grin on his face. “I heard you’re
blows upon his ribs, he managed to chuckle between good at talking. Well, we have a lot of talking to do this
two gasps for air. night. Come, you’ll see.“

Then he heard a scream above him and kicks

stopped. Then another scream was heard. He looked Orders offer many advantages to the Vasalli who decide to join
upward, and saw a shadow moving faster than his them. These organizations offer promises of power, prestige, status
and renown to any Vasall who joins them. Soon after a person’s
eye, throwing the assailants through the air. Rumbling
Awakening, often less than a month, a representative of Orders
voice was heard; “So, your hobbies consist of beating would begin drafting a new Vasalli into the ranks.
lonely people in the night? Do you feel lonely now?“
They were organizations that offered prized education, worthy
careers, and the support of their peers. They offered training, coun-
Mysterious stranger than slowed down to simple seling and mentoring in the Gifts, thus unlocking the true potential
stride and Gamush felt a sting in his heart. His savior that sleeps in every Vasall. The Orders truly took care of their own;
had yellow eyes and bloodscars on his face and arms. they gave the chance to Vasalli to rise in the society, they provided
He paced toward the last assailant, the one with the the new start for unfortunate, or boost in career to more ambitious
beating stick, who was holding it in front of himself, Vasalli.
but was obviously afraid. “Come on, give it up, and Many stories were told about Vasalli who rose to the power
walk away, I’m offering you this one chance.“ Stranger with the help of their Order, no matter which one they have cho-
extended his arm toward the bully. sen. Political, martial and worldly power was the moving force in
the promises Order gave to Vasalli.
But the attacker raised the stick and charged to- Many Vasalli were born without citizenship, on the outskirts
ward the Vasall with a scream which could wake the of the city territories and Orders saw the chance to draft them with
dead. “Fool!“ Vasall muttered through his teeth, and the promises of citizenship for their families, and easier life in cit-
in one elegant parry, he outmaneuvered the stick, dis- ies.
armed the assailant and bashed his skull with his own It doesn’t matter if the Vasalli joined because of ambitions, or
weapon. He threw the stick on the still body on the they joined simply because they were outcasts and didn’t have any-
floor and turned toward Gamush. “I warned him.“ he thing left. The point is that vast majority of Vasalli join one Order
grinned, and offered his hand. Gamush was perfectly or another. The only difference was in the philosophy behind Or-
ders.
still, his eyes full of hate for his savior. “No? You don’t
need help getting up?“ Vasall asked, “You know, I can In order to stay a part of an Order, or to rise in ranks, a Va-
almost count all the broken bones, just looking at you.“ sall must abide by its rules, and obey its hierarchy. Even Vasalli not
wholly committed to their Orders or its philosophy, answer to its
rules, and must be in touch with their Order, at least via the Order
Gamush spat blood on the dirty floor and tried to representatives and agents in the cities. For those that truly share
get up without any help. “Well, well, you can obviously the points and views of their Order, a rise in status in the Order is
do it yourself.“ Vasall looked amused. “Famous rheto- possible. Every Vasall can choose for themselves how active will
rician is a tough nut to crack, or so it seems.“ they be in the Order since they usually do not force their will on
an individual, except in rare occasions, where the Order itself is
endangered.

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 C hapter  3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

The Vasalli and the

Alliance
The formation of Alliance was greatly influenced by coming of
the Vasalli. Since both Alliance and Vasalli occurred at roughly the
same time, it was only natural that those powerful individuals were
woven into the core of the political movement and pact among the
Cities. Vasalli were incorporated into the everyday life of the new
political body, which only grew in power with their support.
Apart from participation in political life of Alliance, incorpo-
ration of Vasalli into the everyday life was also important because
of what they could offer to the progress of their settlements and
improvements of everyday life.
New jobs emerged which could only be done by Vasalli or with
their aid. Beside serving as Tactical Scouts in the military, Mes-
sengers of great mobility and Vasalli Crafters which could mend
broken stuff in a matter of seconds, the Alliance created jobs of a
great responsibility like Handlers or Upkeepers.

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 Chapter 3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

The Awakened Condition

Appearance

T
he Vasalli appearance is unique, so people can rarely mis- Scars can be covered, and even normal folk can be very muscu-
take them for a normal human. The change that consumed lar, but the main method of recognizing the Vasalli can’t be imitat-
them affected their bodies, as well as their spirit and mind. ed: their eyes. Vasalli eyes start to change in the final phase of their
Awakening. When the eyes begin to change, there is no point de-
During the adolescence and change, Vasalli metabolism speeds
nying the transformation, and sometimes that’s the moment when
up rapidly, and that affects their bodies. They develop formidable
the person realizes what is he destined to become.
muscles capable of delivering inhuman strength even without us-
ing the Gifts. Vasalli eyes are not an ordinary human color. Their irises are
yellow, golden or amber colored. There are variations of the color,
Vasalli are often very muscular, but that isn’t the exclusive rule.
but they unmistakeably show the true nature of the person. There
There are fat and plump Vasalli in the ranks of the hedonistic Sie-
are some Vasalli that can pass by for ordinary human with intense
bog or other gluttons, as well as very thin and skinny Vasalli who
brown and yellow eyes, but there are also some who have eyes so
dedicate their life to book research or sedentary life, not practicing
intense that people refuse to look them straight into them.
an athletic way of life.
Vasalli are, without exception, very charismatic. Yes, people are
Their skin is covered in scars, expanding like spider webs, fol-
usually intimidated by their martial appearance, their power and
lowing the line of their veins. Those scars are created when the Va-
influence; but they consider them to be the beings connected to the
sall uses their Gift wildly and recklessly and their blood boils and
Azimoth, partially divine, as well as humans. The stories of men
streams through the veins. Their skin burns, and the temperature
falling for the beauty of Vasalli priestesses or for the wild gleam and
leaves burn marks on the surface. After realizing how they come to
intensity of Vargan Huntress are not uncommon, as well as the sto-
be, Vasalli gave them name bloodscars. Some Vasalli wear them
ries of women yearning for Vasalli generals, strong and muscular,
proudly, showing them off during hot summer days, while some
their presence towering over the ordinary folk.
consider them a sign of weak control over the powers, and try to
hide them as much as they can.

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 C hapter  3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

Diseases and Immunity

While young or middle-aged, Vasalli are immune to virtually
every disease and infection known. Their fast metabolism shields
them and usually overwhelms every sickness even before they start
developing symptoms.
Their body also breaks down most of the poisons before the
reaction kicks in, although there are couple kinds of poison which
could kill common people almost instantly while seriously damag-
ing the Vasalli and leaving them vulnerable.
There have been reports of the strange sicknesses contained
only in the ranks of Vasalli, where common people wouldn’t show
any signs of illness, while Vasalli would usually develop the array of
symptoms including high fever, enormous pains and usually quick
death after a couple of agonizing days.
Luckily, the reports are rare, and the illness would seemingly
affect only Vasalli, spreading only among them while quarantining
them would stop it from becoming the epidemic.

Lifespan
People who’ve undergone Awakening have the same lifes-
pan as common folk, although they don’t hunch up or twist,
keeping relatively young figure with an old face.
They age gracefully, but they’re still susceptible to the
manifestations of old age, like joint pains, balding, teeth
rot, albeit on a much smaller scale.
After they cross over the age of 70–75, metab-
olism starts to slow down, they become more vul-
nerable to the common folk diseases, which some-
times claim their life. Otherwise, their body shuts
down and they simply die of old age.

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 Chapter 3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

The Unwanted
Nomads

T
hose Vasalli who don’t belong to any Order, those that were The Vasalli mind is vulnerable to Corruption too. It makes
expelled or simply refused to join an Order, are looked them unstable, paranoid, fearful or wild. Mental disorders, a focus
down upon by other Vasalli and Orders and viewed as reb- on gaining more power and disregard for human life are common
els who don’t accept their heritage. manifestations of a corrupted mind.
When they really need it, they could usually count on the shel- Sometimes, Vasall continues to hurl themselves into the abyss
ter provided by the Old Sirin, the only city they were allowed in, of Corruption, letting it overtake them, and using their powers
because of the sympathy Sons of Sirin held toward them. The ties without restraint. When they give in completely, they becomes
between Sons and Nomads were so common, that ultimately Sons what is colloquially called a Corrupted Vasall, or simply a Cor-
sometimes accepted Nomads into their ranks, if they swore to help rupted.
their cause.
Corrupted Vasalli are probably the main reason people fear
Vasalli in general. A fair number of stories tell of a once-loyal and
benevolent Vasall turning into a power corrupted beast terrorizing
Bastards everyone and leaving chaos in his wake. The Vasalli who relentless-
Between various Vasalli, stronger and weaker, sometimes a ly use their Gifts are always considered a danger and volcano just
person surfaces, who is not strong enough to be a Vasall, but has waiting to erupt.
some Vasalli features. Maybe only their eyes show the heritage, or
they can’t access the Gifts as easily as Vasalli. Whatever the case,
they aren’t true Vasalli in every sense. They don’t have any specific
name, but the people derogatorily call them Bastards. These dis- In addition, there is one more thing damaging to
gruntled individuals walk through life, sullen and angry, for they the Vasalli, and overwhelming them with Corruption,
are neither Vasalli, nor common folk. and that’s Vargan blood.

During the wars with Vargans, and the Vargan

Corrupted hunts, some people, more willing to experiment, dis-
Usually, the fear of Vasalli comes from misunderstanding of covered that Vargan blood is powerful narcotic for
who they are and their abilities. But sometimes, the fear is justified Vasalli. Ordinary folk would die in pain and agony if
in those who saw what Corruption can do to them. Corruption is they consumed it. Vasalli, on the other hand, would
the condition many Vasalli and folk are afraid of. It’s the condition experience the great stimulation and kick during the
that appears after a Vasalli overuse their gifts, constantly, and with-
time their body absorbed the specially treated Vargan
out break.
blood called Honey.
What most Vasalli understand, is that Gifts are not a toy to be
played with. They surely are a part of Vasalli existence and a great
tool to use, but it’s not something to build their life around or to use
During that period, Vasalli would be immensely
as many times someone likes. Even the easy-going hedonists in the strong, fast and powerful. The capacity of Vasalli Gifts
Order of Siebog understand the dire consequences of overexerting would be multiplied and the user would feel an inde-
the power of Gifts. scribable thrill while accessing the Gifts.
The Vasalli Gifts are great but they must be restrained. When
Vasall accesses and activates the sedentary power in them, they But soon, the Vasall would discover the devastat-
must harness the power in the right way; they must focus it, chan- ing downside of Vargan blood. This narcotic was unbe-
nel it and manifest it as a Gift. But sometimes, the power in them lievably addictive, and after the rush ended, the Vasall
is too strong to focus it, and then, the blood uncontrollably boils would be in pain, suffering withdrawal symptoms, in-
and damages the Vasalli body, mind or will. If Vasall fails to use the cluding the high Corruption, that left them weak and
power continually, they enter the state of Corruption. Most Vasalli
sick. Most cases of a Vargan blood users were among
try to refrain themselves from using the Gifts, if their Corruption
becomes too strong to bear. the Nomad ones, but that isn’t the rule.

Corruption manifests itself physically and mentally, marking

the Vasalli, deepening the marks on their bodies, discoloring the But without exception, the addiction forced them
skin. Their eyes become bloody, their unnatural color intensified, to take more blood, feeding on their willpower, and
but their stare is hollow as the irises are reduced to a thin ring that made them extremely dangerous and mad.
around the dilated pupils.

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 C hapter  3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

Fiends
Corruption is a terrible thing, bringing madness and cruelty.
That affliction can be concealed though, and the corrupted often
present themselves as functioning members of society. Society of-
ten overlooks their concerns about the Corrupted, out of fear of
the Fiends.
You can hear the stories of powerful Vasalli who gave in to
Vargan blood addiction or to overusing of the Gifts, and ended as
husks of the men they once were. Those husks are called Fiends,
and it’s an irreversible state beyond the simply Corrupted Vasalli
Fiends are completely shunned and expelled out of the so-
ciety and they often wander through the world alone or keep
to themselves in secluded shelters away from the inhabited
places.
Their appearance strikes fear into the hearts of the Folk
and Vasalli alike; dried out and scraggy, without any hair on
their scarred and hunchbacked bodies. Their eyes are com-
pletely white, without pupils, although they aren’t blind.
Their skin is leathery and they look mummified, while their
teeth look long and vicious because their gums rotted out
and pulled back.
In the end, they are, without any exception, com-
pletely and utterly mad. Their mental derangements
vary and they often have a whole array of them;
from simple claustrophobia to the psychotic
and manic disorders.
Since they are mad and in the mouths
of addiction, Fiends are extremely danger-
ous. Although they are usually weak and
dried out, they often actively use Vargan
Blood to fulfill their needs and to coun-
teract the weakness, which together
with their derangements drives them
toward horrible behavior.

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 Chapter 3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

Colossi

Our great city owns much to the noble individuals I was impressed with their magnitude, their strong
who decided to sacrifice their humanity and awake as limbs and sheer power that was radiating from them.
Colossi. That is a fact which cannot be contradicted. Their arms were lifting the slabs, while strange tenta-
There is much willpower and integrity required for that cles flailed around them, trying to hold the balance of
decision. The Colossi participated in building of Jaril- the stone being raised in the air.
lo, its defense and they partake in the upkeep of peace
throughout the realm. It’s safe to say that they are in-
deed Azimoth’s gift to humankind. In one quick moment, I realized the value of the
giant and strong humanoids that can help with the
works and defense. Imagine the power lying dormant
I remember when I was just a kid, and I looked in those arms, striking the enemies, wiping the whole
upon the world with childhood’s naivety. When I first battalions with one simple sweep.
saw a Colossus, it left a deep mark upon me.
While I imagined their martial service, Colossi
It was a rainy day, but my parents had an appoint- stopped working and looked at our chariot. I saw the
ment with the clerics, to arrange my future education gleam in their eyes as they were following the move-
in mysteries of our great Azimoth. The chariot wait- ment of our chariot. Even as a child, I understood that
ed for us in front of our house, and we hurried inside they are not dumb, as some people would like to think.
trying not to get wet all over. My father instructed the
driver where to take us, and we embarked on our short
trip. They have intelligence, they would naturally have
to, since they are the Vasalli reborn. But I think it’s an-
other kind of intelligence, something unreachable for
I remember like it was yesterday, the heavy torrent ordinary people. It’s probably some kind of martyr’s
which fell upon the world, like giant tears from clouds. understanding, vast recognition of the world, through
The chariot was moving through the empty streets, the eyes of agonized. “
while thunder roared high in the air.
Excerpt from the “Autobiography of a Father”
My mother held my hand, with a proud look upon
her face, probably thinking about the great future that
was waiting for me, while father sat pensively, looking Feranz Agais, 76th City Father of Jarillo
through the window. We entered the inner ring, and
were near the Great Pyramid, when suddenly, through
the curtains of water, I saw something really big mov-
Mighty guardians called Colossi are made during terrible ritu-
ing through the broad streets. I unconsciously squeezed
als in order to protect and help humankind.
my mother’s hand and she looked through the window
to see what troubled me. But father was the one that Holy Scriptures, the holy book of the Church of Azimoth was
spoke to me. “Don’t worry my son, they won’t do any considered to have hidden meanings behind the incantations and
rituals within. During the rise of the Circle Order, the priests start-
harm.” He waved his hand toward the big apparition,
ed with the experimentation confident they deciphered the instruc-
and then I saw that there were two of them, raising tions.
the great stone slabs on the roof of the building that
will later be known as the Jarillo Library. The mighty The rituals indicated that Vasalli strength can be additionally
builders were working tirelessly, for the betterment of fortified using the methods that included the rituals, pools of water
around the Pyramid and Pyramid itself.
our city.
After that discovery, the tests began. They searched for Vasalli
zealous enough, willing to be included in experiments described.
The Circle and Church of Azimoth kept the rituals secret, en-

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 C hapter  3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

shrouded in mystery, and with a good reason; the terrible screams turned more taxing, since no Colossus ever matured as fast as the
which reverberated throughout the Pyramid chilled the blood in Colossi from the initial experiment. The Circle was the only Order
the veins, worrying citizens, although priests tried to calm people. which continued to work with Church of Azimoth during the cre-
ation and upkeep of the Colossi.
After numerous dead ends and failures, the strongest among
the Vasalli suddenly started the strange metamorphosis. Their flesh In addition, vast majority of Vasalli found themselves stuck
started to expand, bones warped and muscles grew. But along in the form between forms, the painful and maddening middle of
these changes, their mind also started to waver. The Vasalli suffered transformation, not human and not part of the Colossus, where
enormous pain during the transformation, in spite of the help and they only try to join the forming Colossus which somehow doesn’t
care they received. Transformed Vasalli were quivering with waves want to absorb them.
of agony which surged through their bodies and darkened their
That form was soon named Mediator form.
minds. Most of the Vasalli that started the transformation died in
the process, tortured bodies simply giving up under the abysmal But years passed by, and the number of Colossi under Order
anguish. dominion grew. The Alliance authorities tried to suppress the num-
ber of Colossi, by issuing decrees and banning the transformation.
Somewhere during the experiments, the priests saw that the
These decrees slowed the creation of Colossi, but every once in a
strongest Vasalli isolated from the others during the growth phase
while, Orders would create new Colossi, sometimes even in secre-
would stop growing at one moment, showing signs of lucidity from
cy.
time to time. Most of the time, however, they were trying to reach
the other isolated Vasalli and banged aggressively on the cage bars.
When priests allowed them to confront others, morphed Vasal-
li would start attacking other Vasalli, devouring their flesh and ab-
Handlers
sorbing it in the process. After a while, priests would have a moving The upkeep of Colossi was a taxing obligation. Such large crea-
and writhing mound of flesh trying to absorb other Vasalli. tures are difficult to feed, although their needs aren’t as high as ex-
pected. One Colossus eats for approximately twenty people during
The clerics helping the transformation didn’t know what to the day. But multiplied with the number of Colossi in the city, it
do, and how to help these poor souls that gave up their sanity and was clear that whole teams of people would be necessary to work
well-being for the religious cause. They were near the decision to with them.
mercifully release them from torment, and they almost did, but af-
ter the long period of suffering, the mounds of transformed Vasalli The heart and core of those teams are the Handlers. The Han-
bodies would relax. dlers are particularly powerful Vasalli individuals, rigorously
trained in ways of mind control, who use their Gifts to connect
Vasalli specialized in mental gifts, tried to reach the minds of with Colossi on a special level. Their training usually starts before
devoured people, but were drawing blanks. They couldn’t penetrate their Awakening phase is complete if they show great potential in
the darkness inside the growing mass of flesh. They would think Mind Gifts. Carefully chosen and prepared, Handlers are given a
their minds destroyed, if they didn’t somehow feel a faint and slow task to train in subjugating the will and mind of a Colossus, and
movement in that darkness. manipulate them into series of complex jobs.
Days, weeks and months passed by, and they grew and grew, The training consists of working every day in mind control,
but their minds were still unresponsive. first on lesser creatures, and then gradually raising the bar until po-
Then the mound of flesh started to change. tential Handlers try to force their will into the mind of a Colossus.
But it’s not an easy task; many are unable to penetrate the Colossi
First, a simple giant mass relocated the morphed bodies all mind at all. The others who do succeed, are afflicted with a tempo-
over, growing limbs and giant organs. rary insanity that often leads to total madness. Since the Colossi
The skin on the mass turned hard, and the flesh started grow- mind is completely alien and so different from human mind, the
ing into the proportionate body with all the supposed anatomy, entrance can be overwhelming and break the mind of the Vasalli
only many times larger. who attempts to enter it.

Then one day in front of the baffled clerics, the body opened The small number of Vasalli who succeed and earn the title of
its eyes. Handler, are usually a brooding and sullen bunch, unwilling to talk
what lies in Colossi head.
And that was the first Rite of Colossi.
Those rare Handlers who do talk, describe the process of con-
Colossi were a valuable tool of humanity in many aspects of trolling the Colossi as painful and complex. They speak of it as an
life, from the masonry to the military advantage. They were the extremely balanced combination of force and subtlety needed to
builders and defenders of the city, responsible for the upkeep of enter the thick defense but not to damage their fragile minds.
peace and advancement of the Alliance borders.
They describe the inside of the Colossi mind like a ruin of a
But they were also a very dangerous weapon which could turn once functional city, where occasional wanderer walks, lighting
on the wielder. The Colossi are volatile and aggressive creatures and extinguishing the lamps as he passes. But the feeling they de-
while on their own. The only way to control them was to employ scribe most often is the feeling of being carefully watched and ex-
the Vasalli which were skilled in mind control. amined as they are inside; like many people at once scrutinizing
Very soon after the recognition of their value, Orders start- them, but choosing not to react.
ed investing into the creation of their own Colossi, that would be Once they penetrate the mind defenses, they are connected to
exclusively under their control. Difficult task from the start later

60
 Chapter 3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

Death of Colossi
the Colossi, without the need of entering his head for some time, Colossi are extraordinarily long-lived, they can endure an en-
feeling what he feels, and gently shaping his repressed emotions tire century, some even more. But when they fall in battle, or when
and thoughts toward the designed goals. Between Handlers, this their time simply comes, their heart stops beating, and the process
process is called Twisting the Colossus. of calcification begins. During the days after their fall, they slow-
ly turn to stone. Most of their flesh crumbles from the bones, but
After some time, the connection starts to fade, Colossi start to
some of it remains. Their skin tighten over their skulls and faces,
show the signs of aggression and Handler must enter the Colossi
turning them into the ghoulish and bizarre versions of their former
mind once again in order to establish the new connection.
image. If killed in battle, people usually employ other Colossi to
When the connection fades entirely, the Colossi is a potential carry the body of the fallen to the famous Colossi Garden, near
threat which could mean the destruction and ravaging of the city. the city of Kayla.
That’s why there is always at least one other Handler present, while
This famous graveyard is stationed in the mountains, where the
third usually waits in standby. They are bound to walk together
cave can be found, filled with withered Colossi turned to stone.
with Colossus, sleep next to him and work together with him.
The story says that the first Colossi ever made, just got up one day,
Usually when the main Handler sleeps, one substitute watches sensing his end is near and went into the mountains, not listening
over him and the Colossi. to any orders he was given, just slowly walking toward mountains.
People followed him, curious because of his behavior, and saw him
In a case of a trouble with Colossus, the Handler is able to
banging the mountain with his fist, until he opened the natural
“freeze” him down; a tremendous feat of halting the Colossi motor
walls, which were hiding the largest cave ever seen. He slowly en-
functions for a while. Although this can be handy, if the Colossi is
tered the cave, and sat down, peacefully departing from life.
frozen for more than eight or ten hours, his body starts showing
signs of dying. Considering this and the sheer magnitude of power From then on every Colossus, which sensed a natural end to
needed for freezing, it’s not recommended to use constantly. his life, followed his example like it was predestined for them. Peo-
ple never understood what makes them behave like that, but they
Because of their Colossi management, Handlers are esteemed
accepted it, and built the large doors leading to cave, and a network
and valued members of the community, despite their brooding de-
of bridges allowing the people to follow the Colossi when they de-
meanor.
cided to leave.
Lately, more and more petrified Colossi are found in front of
the mountain, but they are unknown to the Colossi handlers. The
theory is that even Wild Colossi feel the lure of the graveyard when
their time comes, and simply decide to die in front of the cave,
when they can’t enter.

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 C hapter  3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

During that time some of Colossi, who retained some sort of

Wild Colossi control, just ran away from the cities, crushing anything in their
Not thinking about the possible consequences, Orders pro- paths with their wild rage.
duced large number of Colossi, until there were about two hundred
Orders panicked, trying to separate Colossi from the rest of the
of them throughout the Alliance, under the authority of various
cities as much as possible. Nobody was able to find out the reason
Orders.
for this sudden change, but the fact was that very small number of
In every city, wherever the folk would look, they would see the Colossi was unaffected.
towering Colossi, walking between the houses, and shaking the
After the wild Colossi ran away or finished their life in horrible
ground. They began to fear the immense power of Orders and their
death, that small number didn’t show any signs of change, but no
overgrown pets, until the point they refused to leave their base-
matter what, Orders secured the leftovers making sure every Co-
ments in fear they would be crushed by mighty feet.
lossus is accompanied by at least two Handlers and kept them away
Then, something happened and it seemed that their worst fears from people and cities.
came true.
After this terrible event, Orders slowed down the creation of
It all started with one Colossus that was helping with transport Colossi, afraid that the plague of madness would continue, but ev-
of goods between two cities. Suddenly the Colossus stopped, and ery now and then, reports were heard of the new Wild One, as they
refused to move from the position where it was standing. Handlers were called now, appearing in the wilderness.
tried to twist him, but found themselves unable to breach into his
Today, the population of Colossi is limited to just a tenth it
mind. The Colossus let out a terrible wail and started to punch
once was, or about two dozen. They are carefully supervised and
himself in torso and head. People were stunned in fear, and they
located strategically throughout the Alliance. Although people are
could only watch in horror, how their Colossus began to rip its
still afraid of them, some even more than ever, they are still a valu-
own flesh from the body, shoving it down his throat, screaming
able tool to keep the city standard going. Furthermore, since the
and wailing. Their defender ripped himself to shreds in front of
Vargan incursions, they are a necessity for a strong defense.
their very own eyes.
They are constantly controlled and kept in line though, for the
This terrible news spread like wildfire throughout the Alliance,
fear of the wild madness runs strong among the people. All the
while the similar reports reached other cities. The Colossi were
same, the Colossi are universally recognized as invaluable resourc-
turning wild, all at the same time, and started ending their lives,
es and the positive aspects of having them are overwhelmingly
eating the parts of their own bodies before they died.
stronger than the potential danger.

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 Chapter 3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

Some scholars are trying to rationalize the Colossi madness Those stories tell about the wild Summits, where the Vasalli
with the theories about the influence of the Pyramid on their mind. would find each other in desolate areas, eventually becoming a part
Maybe the changes and erosion on the Pyramid influences their of the Rites and giving themselves to the creation of the Wild Co-
mind. Among those who believe Colossi share a hive mind, there is lossus.
a theory of a possible contagious disease or madness in the shared
mind. Together with fear from the Corruption, the fear of a spon-
taneous transformation it’s probably the greatest fear a Vasall can
have. They simply can’t and won’t comprehend that they could
Colossi and Vasalli somehow, by some foul ritual or disease, become a part of some-
thing so awful.
The Rites of Colossi can indeed be intimidating. There aren’t
Most of the stories involving spontaneous trance, tell that older
many Vasalli willing to sacrifice their life, identity and sane reason
Vasalli are the ones which involuntarily join the Summit. It oc-
to become a part of a Colossus. Every now and then, a hardened
curred to people that sometimes older Vasalli disappear without a
zealot commits himself to the process willingly, but most of the
trace and it led them to believe that they are instinctively attracted
Vasalli in the Rites are actually condemned to it by court of law.
to the Summit place, where the hypnotic trance takes over. This
Hardened criminals who committed atrocities are often chosen
belief even gave birth to the common joke among the folk when
to be subjugated to the Rites, although there are some felons on
an older Vasall is nowhere to be found; “Maybe he’s off to Summit.”
a death row who willingly commit in hope of saving at least some
part of them alive. Some Vasalli who choose to believe this rumor, are terrified
of the possibility of spontaneous trance and transformation. They
The Rites include drinking a large amount of water from the
don’t want to give up their Vasalli way of life, for the pain and hor-
pools around the Pyramid in a short time, so there are some spec-
rors of Mediator stage or Colossi obedience and work. So they al-
ulations about the quality of water or a myriad of substances in
ways panic when they feel or see any change on their body, that
the water.
could indicate the beginning of transformation.
Some tales even describe the using of forbidden Vargan blood
When the change starts, it can drive the Vasall mad even before
where Vasalli would become helpless after the initial rush of the
the trance kicks in. Irrational panic attacks, obsessive behavior and
drug subsides, unable to use most of their powers, when supervi-
reckless deeds sometimes bring the demise to Vasall before the in-
sors of the Rites would inject them with water directly, starting the
voluntary participation in Wild Rites.
metamorphosis into the Mediator state.
Even now, Wild Ones are sometimes found in nature, away
But the stories of the spontaneous transformation are the ones
from the cities, while they freely roam the land, striking fear into
which strike the biggest fear into the hearts of Vasalli. Stories about
everyone that crossed their path.
the spontaneous hypnotic trance which precedes the metamor-
phosis. Stories about screams and cries of involuntary participants
afflicted with spontaneous trance somewhere outside the
cities.

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 C hapter  3 : Vasalli and the Awakening

Fiends and Colossi

Besides the old Vasalli, it is widely believed that Fiends are of-
ten participants of the Summit, their troubled mind being suscep- I feel the pull. Like a silent and invisible hand
tible to the trance calling them to join the others in Wild Rites. guiding me toward my destiny. I’m fairly sure I’m far
Additionally, it’s not uncommon for aggressive and criminal away from the nearest civilized place. Wherever I look,
Fiends to be punished by forcing them to partake in the common there’s only trees and stones. I’m relatively sure I’m
Rites of Colossi to redeem themselves in service to society. close to the foothill of The Great Divide too.

I’ve lost the count how many hours have passed

since my departure. It’s as if just moments ago I was in
my study, preparing the speech for the Tribunal tomor-
row. My hand over the paper, writing the final words,
suddenly freezing. I looked in horror as my hand
dropped the quill and my legs deciding autonomously
that I should stand and walk out of the building.

My horror was producing a scream rising through

my body and stopping in the throat. I was unable to
control anything I do and I could only be a helpless
watcher of my persona striding through the empty
streets.

I can’t quite count the hours, but I know that lots

of time has passed during my mute screams and search
for an explanation through my alarmed mind.

Is it the end? Has my time come? Is this a lure

toward the wild Summit? My body has reached the
meadow and a scene which turned my screams into a
wild outpour of the helpless fear.

The meadow was filled with old Vasalli, male and

female alike. By their looks, I could tell that some of
them traveled for days and days to reach this point.
They were almost naked, strips of velvet hanging from
their bodies. They moved tiredly, dragging their bare
and wounded feet across the unforgiving soil beneath
them.

They’ve all been moving toward the center of the

meadow, where a horrible mound of flesh was moving
and twisting, writhing and throbbing with live flesh
being absorbed into it. I heard, no, I felt the screams of
the naked people in front of me, as their screams joined
into a unison nightmarish lullaby which was pulsing
through the flesh mound.

And I felt a pull.

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 Chapter 4:
The Orders

T
he doors of the Great Hall opened, and proud representatives of the Great Orders entered.
Even with the masks on, you could feel the aura of the importance and nobility the wearers
had. The first to enter were the representatives of the Circle, high and mighty, their eyes full of
confidence, movements swift and strong. They sat in their usual spot, right next to our City
Father, their white and golden robes shining under the light of fires and Resin. The next to
enter were their long-time antagonists, Zorya, wearing purple and silver robes. Slowly they
crept to their spot, opposite to the Circle, whispering between them, chuckling and throwing glances in direc-
tion of the Circle. Then enter the Siebog, their masks cut off under the nose, showing their glittering teeth, part
of the wide and confident smile. Everybody was staring in their direction since their robes were multicolored,
dazzling and shiny. With the usual ease in their step, they sat, without looking at the other tribunal members.
After a moment or two, the Morana entered, and everybody ceased with their chatting. The all black of their
robes was sucking the light all around them. Even their masks were black, unlike others which were white.
These so-called traders were dabbling in all kinds of gray economy and, as the rumors told us, various illegal
businesses. But since nobody could prove it, or was unwilling to, they were still considered the members of
the Great Tribunal. For now.

After the Morana took their seats in silence, looking all around with interest in their eyes, finally the last
Great Order entered.

The proud Sons of Sirin entered. Their masks looked as they were broken and put back together with an
adhesive. Some cracks on their masks were even large enough to show the skin underneath. But my Azim-
oth, their eyes! Their eyes were full of fire, anger, and disdain for the other members of the Tribunal.

I never understood why these anarchs were part of the Tribunal, except to veto everything they suggest-
ed. Under the premise of the caring for the Sirin cause, they were always sowing disorder in the ranks of
the Tribunal. Their clothes looked ragged and dirty, poorest of all the Orders’ tunics. Gray, brown and soil
colored, they looked as they just came from the nearest pub.

But their stride was long and proud. They neared the table, and before they sat, they took a long moment
to look at all the Tribunal members, making sure everybody saw the disdainful look in their eyes.

Thus began another meeting of the Great Tribunal.

Sarhain Rostice

Excerpt from the Report from the Annual Meeting of the Great Tribunal, year 954.
 C hapter 4: T he Orders

The Soul of the Alliance

T
he Alliance was an unstable creation, from the lords shifting
their allegiances to the unscrupulous politicians plotting for
Cults
their own benefit. Everyone wanted to get close to the Vasal- Various cults and smaller Orders also exist, but their ideas and
li, who was slowly establishing themselves in the world. actions are suppressed by the Alliance. These organizations would
often rather see the Great Cities as autonomous regions, removing
Feeling they’d been oft used for manipulative power plays, the
the Orders’ strong network of support.
Vasalli decided to form the first Order, named the Circle. Its roots
were in the Church of Azimoth and its division which supported Just like some of the Orders started out as cults initially, some
them, but the Circle soon separated as an independent body con- cults have the agenda of expanding across the Alliance, making
cerned with Vasalli benefits alone. Quickly gaining power through- themselves present in every City, hopefully enough to be recog-
out the Alliance, the Circle was partially responsible for the estab- nized as the essential resource to Alliance. Some of the Cults were
lishment of the Great Tribunal and the City Tribunals—bodies persistent enough, sharing the common ideas and goals with Or-
comprised of prominent politicians, Church members, nobility ders, to be absorbed into the Order and made a vital part. There
and Vasalli—which would decide on the politics of the Alliance are a lot of hopeful Cults which, sometimes openly but mostly
and Great Cities. secretly, cooperate with Orders toward the common cause. There
are rumors circulating that sometimes Orders actually create the
The Church of Azimoth and the Circle spread like wildfire
Cults themselves to circumvent the governance of the Alliance and
throughout the peninsula. However, some of the more active mem-
shift the attention toward them in some cases when scapegoats are
bers of Alliance society felt that too much power was being shifted
needed.
into the hands of the Circle and the Church, so they decided to
form a new Order to oppose them—one that would gather free-
thinkers, philosophers, and everybody who questioned the Circle’s
and Church’s beliefs. The young Order, famed for their acceptance Order relations
of the Vasalli and ordinary folk alike, but who differed in opinions
When the wider picture is considered, all of the Orders need
with the prevalent religious zealots, was soon named Zorya, or
to cooperate together to a certain degree so the fragile balance of
“dawn”, symbolizing the promise of a new dawn for all freethink-
the Alliance is preserved. Of course, there are differences regarding
ers. Giving a place to all who opposed the piousness of the Circle,
the Order politics among the members of various Orders and Play-
Zorya soon grew in strength and became a threat.
ers can choose to create Characters who can bicker and hold petty
After the initial strife and antagonism, Zorya decided to leave grudges against other Orders. Despite their disagreements, the or-
the underground and begin their all-out opposition of the Circle. ders generally tolerate each other and would avoid open conflicts
The following period of conflict gave birth to two new Orders: Sie- in modern times
bog and Morana. Those new Orders, with their peculiar philoso-
Finally, since Cities differ in size, history, and customs, the Or-
phies and politics, were safe havens for Vasalli defects fed up with
der relationships differ from City to City.
the Circle—Zorya clash.
Additionally, various members of the Orders may have various
The youngest Order called Sons of Sirin is maybe the most
relationships and attitudes toward other Orders, creating a vast and
controversial order in the Alliance. Initially made of outcasts after
dynamic equivalent of a modern age politics.
the terrible fallout of Sirin’s destruction, the Order quickly gained
followers who opposed to the policy of other Orders.
The Orders today are among the most important organizations
which hold the Alliance together. It could be told that they are the
Factions
soul of Alliance, holding places in Tribunals and deliberating on Orders are large organizations, their numbers are usually made
the economy and politics. But as it always happens with powerful of Vasalli and Folk alike, making them full of various people. It’s
organizations, they are often in the state of strife. only natural that there are factions inside the Order, sometimes
named sometimes not, which slightly differ from the main Order
The clashes often manifest as cloak and dagger shadow plays in ideas, but sharing the overall philosophy.
the background of the Tribunal arguments, but the past has shown
that they sometimes escalate in the outright enmity and physical
conflicts.
But despite all that, most of the time the Orders collaborate on
important cases, putting their differences aside for a time.

66
 Chapter 4: T he Orders

The Circle
Through the ages, through the adversities, the Circle stands Receptors—Well versed in politics of the Alliance, Receptors
unshaken. are named by, and second in command to Grand Inquisitors. There

T
is always at least two of them in every Great City and they some-
he Circle is the oldest known Order, formed after the Vasalli times perform similar duties to Grand Inquisitors in smaller cities
appeared throughout the world. Born under the mantle of of the Circle domains.
the Church, the core of this Order was formed by religious
Vasalli who devoted their life to their god, Azimoth. Though the They are the important link of the Circle, connecting it with
Circle is officially separate from the Church, some branches still Alliance politics, so it’s not uncommon for a Receptor to be in Tri-
have connections and consider themselves the “Champions of bunals or Great Tribunal.
Azimoth”, devoting their life to pious studying of Azimoth’s Holy Knights—Knights are the link between the Circle’s upper ech-
Scriptures or defending his cause with zeal and militancy. elons and their standard members. As officers of the Circle, they
However, not every person in this Order is a religious fanatic. are primarily the executive arm of the Circle, making sure that the
There are many cases of Circle members who joined be- Order’s politics and instructions are carried out.
cause of the possible benefits. No matter one’s personal
philosophy, the members of this Order tend to be thor-
oughly devoted to their life goals, no matter what they The Social Impact
are.
Common folk often identify the Circle with the
Church of Azimoth, so their attitude toward them
depends on their religious beliefs and attitudes. Many
Vasalli in the Circle less religious or non-religious people consider them rigid
Vasalli members of the Circle usually come from the and stiff fanatics unable to think for themselves, perceiv-
religious families or from one of the orphanages Church of ing their commitment to the Order as blind following.
Azimoth holds in various cities. These Vasalli are often connected But since the Circle is creditable for starting and forming the
to the Church even before they undergo Awakening, which ex- era of Orders in Alliance politics, people accept their importance.
plains their natural inclination toward the Circle.
The Circle also takes credit for discovering the Rites of the Co-
Although the Circle is officially separate from the Church, lossi, and the Alliance is grateful for their part in creation of their
their strong ties rooted in the history are irrefutable and as such mighty defenders.
their connections are expected. Sometimes the Vasalli joining
the Circle come directly from the ranks of the Church, like Of course, the Circle is sometimes looked down on by
priests or bishops. Other times they are just strong believ- people who distrust Vasalli. Not everybody feels thankful
ers or religious zealots joining the Order glorified by their for the shifting of power toward the Orders and Vasalli, nor
Church, wanting to join its cause. On the other side, there creation of dangerous giants that could slide out of control
are Vasalli who see the Circle as the great opportunity for at any moment.
their own advancement in power, considering their omni-
presence and influence.
Character concepts: knights, inquisitors, wealthy peo- Under Their Watch
ple, clergymen, zealots, fanatics, priests, soldiers The most important bastion of the Circle might be Jaril-
lo. It’s only natural for the Great City of Jarillo with its Great
Pyramid and seat of Church of Azimoth to be the center of
The Hierarchy the Circle’s power.
Above all, the Circle respects the hierarchy and struc- Jarillo is the prime example of the City where the Cir-
ture, claiming it gives the sense of belonging and security. cle is the strongest Order with its people devoted to religion
The strict chain of command and responsibilities is very more than anything else.
similar to the Church of Azimoth’s and it’s probably where But deep in the core of the politics, the Circle is just like
it came from. every other Order today. They vie for the power and they
Grand Inquisitors—Subsidiaries of the Circle in Great ultimately try everything to protect their interest. Every time
Cities have one Grand Inquisitor on top of the structure. there’s the possibility of another Order gaining the momen-
tum, the Circle does not shy from backstabbing or intrigues
These charismatic and powerful leaders of the Circle to keep power in their hands.
are in charge of the Circle business and are responsible for
every Circle move and action. They usually convene at least once
every couple of months to discuss the further actions of the Circle.

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 C hapter 4: T he Orders

Factions
The Circle doesn’t have many factions inside the Order, since Campaigners are a faction on the other end of the belief spec-
one of their most important aspects is the unity of philosophy. trum, advocating the complete separation of Order and Church.
Worldviews of the faction in the Circle mostly differ regarding the They believe that matters of the Circle should be left to the Order,
degree of religious stances or methods of philosophy implementa- without the meddling of the Church. They claim that Church in-
tion in the mundane life. fluences the Circle too much, using them and manipulating them
to have stronger ties with politics.
Ring Bearers are the most religious oriented faction of the Cir-
cle. They are completely focused on religion, devoting their lives to
spreading of the faith. Members of this faction are convinced that
Holy Scriptures hold the answers for everything and are to be taken Agenda
word for word. The ultimate idea of the Circle is to keep the political power
closely tied to the Church of Azimoth, preserving the religious ide-
als and traditions through the times of change. Their main objec-
tive is to keep the power where it belongs according to their beliefs.

Nomads and Outsiders

The Circle do not favor Nomads. Although every Nomad
is one less Vasall in another Order, the Circle still considers
Nomads as Vasalli who’ve lost their rights when they’ve
chosen to abandon their Order or refused joining one. In
the eyes of the Circle, they are nothing more than trou-
blemakers and cowards.
Unmarked are not Alliance citizens. Although
there are various thoughts on them, the Circle does
not consider Unmarked their problem unless they
are living specifically in the domains where the
Circle has power. In those areas, they are draft-
ing people without citizenship marks to join the
Circle or Church and gain themselves citizen-
ship rights.

The Colossi
Currently, the Circle holds most of the Colossi in the Alliance
in check. Although their numbers are not as great as they once
were, the Circle still refuses to ease on their creation, hoping to
secure the martial power.
This fact often has negative connotations, since people fear that
Colossi could get out of the control, but the Circle insists they are
able to keep them all secure.

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 Chapter 4: T he Orders

Relations with other orders

Sons Of Sirin—The Circle considers Sons a simple

Morana—The Circle refuses to openly collaborate
revolutionary group, not even worthy of being called
with Morana, since the idea of profit above everything
an Order. The populistic ideas and their style of leader-
else isn’t favored by Church conservatives. Additional-
ship is just a way to bring people to their cause which
ly, Morana were created by the Circle outcast, so that’s
is probably something else entirely. These two orders
another reason to justify disliking them, although the
sometimes cooperate in Jarillo and Sirin because of the
vast network of allies and eyes and ears often comes in
history between those two Cities and because of the
handy, so the Circle sometimes uses their services in
atrocity which has befallen Sirin. In other cities, their
secret, for which they properly finance.
relations are strained at best.

Zorya—The relations between the Circle and Zo-

Siebog—Siebog are considered a hedonistic and rya are almost non-existent, or are generally bad. Since
easy-going group by the Circle, but they are in good re- Zorya started out as the Circle’s opposition and since
lations overall. Although Siebog is too laid back for the they almost warred openly on streets in the past, it’s
formal and the traditionalistic Circle, they sometimes understandable they still have their differences. The
collaborate supporting each other’s causes. Circle considers Zorya as the contrarians to everything
they try to do and as mystics who are devoid of true
faith and religion.

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 C hapter 4: T he Orders

Zorya
Examine, experience and decide. The ability to think for our-
selves is what sets us apart from animals.
The Hierarchy

Z
Zorya’s hierarchy carries only two important positions in the
orya is the second-oldest Order, created in the time when
Order, trying to balance the sense of community with the need for
these organizations still were not known as “Orders”.
structure.
Upset with the tight relationship between the Circle and
Advisors— The highest position in this Order carries the sim-
the Church of Azimoth hoarding of the power and wealth, few in-
ple name of Advisors. To completely differentiate themselves from
dividuals stepped out of the Circle, believing that the true cause
the Circle and to reflect on the Orders modest beginnings, Zorya
and faith needed sacrifice and real piety. Many people joined this
decided to keep this office simple, contrary to the Circle’s majestic
cause and they created the opposition to the Circle, speaking loud-
names.
ly of injustice and nepotism in their relationship with Church.
Advisors are the leaders of the Zorya Order, their num-
The rebellion against the Circle’s single-mindedness
ber being at least two or three per each Great City of the
has gained momentum and escalated into the open con-
Alliance.
flict between the old conservatives and newly founded
community. During that period of unrest, they gave In order to keep the sense of brotherhood, they’ve
themselves the name “Zorya”, signifying the dawn of chosen to have a committee of trusty officers rather
free thought. than a single person in charge.
As the result of the opposition, the supporters of Zo- Tutor—Leaders of the research branches of Zorya are
rya started to move further away from the Circle with their called Tutors. They convene various councils of the Order,
worldviews. So after a while, Zorya completely turned away function as leaders of the Zorya members in smaller cities
from the Circle’s theology and they started to accept and con- where there are no Advisors and receive the executive duties of
template different ideas regarding the divine, Gifts, Vasalli and life the Order.
in general. This additionally fortified the Circle’s dislike of Zorya,
especially since some of the more powerful politicians and Vasalli
turned toward Zorya’s cause, disliking the idea of Vasalli serving
the Church.
Nomads and Outsiders
Although Nomads are officially shunned by most of the Or-
After that power shift toward Zorya, the nobility began sup-
ders, Zorya rarely makes any difference between members of other
porting Zorya at the Circle’s expense, acknowledging them as the
orders and Nomads. The simple showing of the initiative and
organization equal to the Circle.
thinking for themselves puts Nomads in Zorya’s good graces.
Some members of Zorya who follow the philosophies of
Vasalli in the Zorya the free life and non-attachment to civilized norms favor No-
mads, despite their disregard for organizations and Orders.
Vasalli joining the Zorya are often considered profound
thinkers, showing signs of leaning toward understanding One of the Zorya’s biggest initiatives is to give oppor-
philosophy from the early age. tunity to Unmarked to receive their Citizenship since they
believe everybody should have equal rights.
On the other side, there are a lot of disgruntled individ-
uals fed up with the traditionalist worldviews of the Circle The cities mainly under Zorya influence treat the un-
or the Alliance in general, hoping to make a change by join- marked no different than they do the citizens, although that
ing the Zorya cause. can be a stumbling block with other Orders.

Finally, many of the outcasts from various religious

groups find their place among Zorya mystics, confirming
the opinion of them as the Order open to anyone who has
The Colossi
the guts to be different or to oppose to the general world Zorya, besides Sons of Sirin, is probably the Order with
order. the smallest number of active Colossi at any given time.
Their stance is that people should not meddle with things
Character concepts: mystics, philosophers, librarians,
they don’t understand until it is thoroughly researched.
writers, outcasts, heretics, researchers
Although they have some Colossi under their control,
they claim that they have them primarily for research pur-
poses, with labor and protection being second to that.

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The Social Impact Agenda

The thoughts of the general public on Zorya are pretty much The ultimate vision of Zorya is a world of knowledge and a so-
divided. Their effort to be an alternative to the Circle is widely rec- ciety of progress. They value academic thought and a philosophical
ognized with the people who are inclined toward the free thought, approach above all and as such they wish to keep their influence on
science, research and humanism in general. Folk and Vasalli who a level which would allow them to focus their work toward a better
have access to good education but who do not come from a re- understanding of the world around them, stopping the influences
ligious background naturally shift toward this philosophical or- which could shake the development of thought.
der and their constant attempts to discover more about the world
around them.
The mystics are attracted toward the Zorya because of their
various philosophies. There are several schools of thought in
this Order: from mystical empiricism to skepticism of scientific
thought, but no matter the philosophy, Zorya encourages research
and thinking over the dogmatic approach the Circle offers.
On the other hand, some of the folk sees Zorya as shady fig-
ures, always mumbling something about “rationale”, “rituals” or
“facts”, which can naturally lead to suspicion on their real motives.

Under their Watch

Currently, the seat of Zorya influence is Kayla. As such, it is
the prime example of a city where this Order has the most power.
With their academies and schools, it’s no surprise that knowl-
edge-hungry individuals flock to the cities where Zorya invests in
education.

Factions
The factions within the Zorya Order are nu-
merous. Since the Order looks benevolently on
the different approaches in philosophy and rea-
soning, there are various stances between the
members.
Areteans pursue the virtue of ex-
cellence in many things, constantly
training their bodies and minds for
the sole purpose of quality,
while Acuites preach that
the mind is the single most
important aspect of human,
living the life of asceticism
so they could focus on their
mental supremacy.
Invokers examine the
mystic approach to life, trying
to discover the unseen divini-
ty in the natural order, and their
counterparts Claristics restrict them-
selves to defining the measurable.

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Relations

Sons of Sirin—Zorya officially doesn’t have any

specific outward attitude toward Sons of Sirin, al-
Morana—Zorya considers Morana dangerous. At
though they secretly sympathize with them. Zorya be-
best, Zorya considers the Morana to be peers, but the
lieves that the Circle was the main proponent of Sirin’s
Morana shady or illegal dealings keep this relationship
sacrifice in order to save Jarillo, and they believe that
cold and distant.
Sons of Sirin rebel primarily against them, and as such
are worthy of respect.

Siebog—Zorya considers Siebog too loose of an

Order to be truly worthy of having a say in Alliance
politics. With their almost lazy lifestyle and unortho- The Circle — The strict rules and theocracy the
dox approach to religion, they are a waste of potential. Circle tries to instill in Alliance politics is a barrier to-
With Zorya’s outlook on the philosophy and spiritual ward the progress of thought. Their tendency to hoard
ascension, Siebog’s hedonistic and down to earth views power is simply unforgivable. At least their stiffness
often conflict with Zorya followers, and that creates and fanaticism led to the creation of the Zorya, which
animosity between two orders. is the only decent thing they have done.

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 Chapter 4: T he Orders

Order of Siebog
The true Gift is Awakening. Our abilities are nothing more than three of them at any given time. Only other Mantles and the most
a demonstration of our heritage. trusted Siebogs actually know the identity of a Mantle, and they

T
usually know only the one with whom they directly communicate.
he Order of Siebog was formed during the Zorya-Circle
Mantles convene with each other regularly, although there are rare-
clash, when a Vasall by the name of Siebog popularized the
ly any witnesses to these meetings.
idea of Vasalli supremacy among his friends. The main idea
behind his philosophy is that Vasalli are higher beings, gifted by Mantles are the ones coordinating the Siebog agenda from the
God or they are simply evolved to be more than common humans. top.
This idea spread very fast among the Vasalli tired of folk suspicion
Whips—These high officers are tasked with coordinating the
and being exploited for their gifts.
Order of Siebog, actively traveling and carrying the Mantle orders
During the larger scale conflict between Zorya and the Circle, a with them. Whips who do know the identity of the Mantle are the
new Order was born which attracted many Vasalli. Not com- ones coordinating other Whips, who then carry the orders
mitting themselves to various religious worldviews, Siebogs to their destination.
usually merge their hedonistic and relaxed outlook on
Whips effectively act as spies, counselors and infor-
life with whichever philosophy suits them best. The
mation gatherers for Mantles who then decide what
focus of their existence is to represent the interests of
to do.
Vasalli in the Alliance, including those outside their
own Order. Helms—These Siebogs are usually on the receiving
end of a Mantle’s orders. They are the ones contacted by
Whips and are responsible for monitoring the Siebogs in a
Vasalli in the Order of City domain, or the ones passing through it.

Siebog
Since The Siebog rarely accept folk into their ranks, most of Nomads and Outsiders
members are Vasalli. These people usually feel that the supremacy
Free-minded Siebogs are partial to Nomads; the idea of free-
of Vasalli is the right granted by their Gifts, and that the higher
dom of choice and following your beliefs no matter the opposition
beings should lead the people as the Second Ones did historically.
appeals to Order of Siebog. It’s not uncommon to see a Siebog con-
They advocate liberal use of Gifts and open presentation of sorting with Nomad or even trying to draft them into the Order.
Vasalli heritage, so they naturally attract those who wish to do
The only thing standing between Siebogs fully accepting
more with their Gifts instead of suppressing them. Howev-
the Nomads into the Order are the differences people may
er, this opens the Order up to a concerningly large number
have regarding the Vasalli supremacy. The Order claims that
of Corrupted Vasalli, so the Order has recently started to
Vasalli should take care of the future of their own kind, while
instruct their members to suppress Gift use to avoid possi-
Nomads mostly don’t care about anything besides them-
bly falling to jaws of Corruption.
selves. Unmarked folk, on the other hand, are nothing but
Character concepts: hedonists, adventurers, show- rabble to the Siebogs. Since they’ve done nothing to deserve
offs, orators, artists, bohemians, entertainers. citizenship, Siebogs simply refuse to meet their needs.

The Hierarchy The Colossi

Siebogs have the strangest hierarchy among the Or- Siebogs subject prisoners and criminals for the Rites of
ders. Being hedonists, their main problem is coordinating the Colossi. The way they see it, there is no worse punish-
them to accomplish their goals. To make this easier, the ment for a Vasalli than denying them everything a Vasall is.
hierarchy of the Order is very tight at the top while being By doing this, the criminal population is kept down, and the
loose at the bottom. Colossi population is manageable. Rumors exist that the Sie-
bogs also perform the Rites on dissenters and Order opposi-
The Mantle—this position is reserved only for the
tion, though no one openly suggests it.
most powerful Siebogs in the Alliance. There are only

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The Social Impact

The social impact of the Siebogs can be felt all around. From the their views, bigotry and intolerance toward others, earning them
artists and artisans in the Great Cities, to the traveling entertainers reputation as fanatic maniacs, and sometimes even enemies of the
all around the Alliance, Siebogs definitely don’t go unnoticed. common folk.
The folk have different opinions toward them. They mostly love
the Siebogs who aren’t trying to force the supremacy beliefs on the
people around them, since they can be fun, with their wittiness, Under Their Watch
jokes, and loudness.
The real face of this Order’s prejudice comes to play when they
But when social order and politics come into play, Siebogs of- have the majority of votes in the Tribunal.
ten radiate an aura of arrogance toward the common people.
Cities under Siebog control are usually completely indifferent
The most extreme of the Siebogs often irritate people with toward the folk, giving all the benefits to the Vasalli, appointing
them to every important office and closing the gates to the un-
marked trying to participate in city life.
Other Orders mostly keep this level of intolerance in check so
there aren’t a lot of places completely in Siebog’s rule, but the po-
litical intrigues are not uncommon to the Order of Siebog so they
still succeed in sugarcoating their demands.
History has shown that when a city falls completely under the
Siebog’s rule, full-scale riots can happen, where common folk sup-
port the other Orders, trying to topple the Siebog rule. It happened
in the past with the Nadya City, where Vasalli disdain for folk grew
until it escalated to open riots on the streets.

Factions
Order of Siebog is this the smallest order, consisting
mainly of Vasalli. Within the Order, there are only two
factions.
Purists advocate for the ultimate supremacy of the
Vasalli. They are bent on tradition drawn from history,
where the leaders of the humankind were the power-
ful heroes gifted by God.
Neutrals are trying to counter the radical ideas of
the Purists and incorporate the ideas of the leader-
ship with reconciliation with the Folk.

Agenda
The ultimate vision of the Siebogs is to establish a
society where the Vasalli would be incorporated in ev-
ery aspect of society to the point where they are in
charge of everything, or at least of the more import-
ant aspects of politics and society.

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Relations

Sons of Sirin— The Siebog considers the Sons a tragic

Order with a tragic history. Even when Siebogs take Sons’
difficult past into account, they still believe Sons take ev- Morana—The Order of Siebog has no issue with how
erything too seriously now. If they could only look toward the Morana use their Gift.Though how the Gifts are used
the future and be ready to support their Vasalli brothers, may not be the nicest or safest, unless Vasalli are the vic-
maybe they could forget the differences between their tims, Siebog has no problem.
cause.

Zorya—To the Siebog, the Zorya could be doing so

much more living if they did not spend so much time de- The Circle—The Siebog see the Circle as being too
bating the nature of life. They live buried under the dusty high and mighty, too tightly wound, and too repressed,
tomes and are burdened by history and science, and in do- even if they defend Vasalli beliefs.
ing that, they’re not enjoying life.

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Morana
Everything has its price, but are you ready to pay it?
The Hierarchy
M
orana are a secretive Order evolved from the mercenary
Morana have almost business-like hierarchy, developed from
organization created by a Circle outcast named Morana.
the strict mercenary and trading structure. Presenting themselves
Fed up with the rigorous ways of the Circle, Morana re-
as a trade Order, Morana have their merchant barons on the top
nounced her ties with the Order and created a mercenary pack of
which control the trade flow and other businesses of the order with
Vasalli offering her services to the highest bidder.
their various executives lower in the structure.
There are rumors that Morana herself secretly aided Zorya,
Barons—these are the heads of the Morana Order, for every
even without their knowledge during their clash with the Circle,
domain and Great City there is at least one Baron which controls
only in spite to the Circle which dragged her name through the
the traffic in the Order and decides about and approves the busi-
mud every opportunity they had. It has led to the belief that Mo-
ness permits and contracts.
rana and her mercenaries were partially responsible for the
establishing the Orders structure. Master Merchants—proven officers of the Morana ad-
vance toward the Master Merchants with their age and
The mercenaries quickly rose to action, using the tur-
deeds on the behalf of the Order. They are the connec-
moil as the opportunity to establish trade routes so they
tion between the Morana of the domain and their Bar-
could easily protect the caravans as mercenaries and to
on, lobbying for the contracts and permits of the lesser
connect with other dissatisfied Vasalli in the Alliance,
members of the Order.
creating the network of agents throughout the peninsula.
Under the official guise of traders, they were given the op- Journeymen—not quite high-ranking officers and
tion by Alliance to become a full-fledged Order because not quite common members of the Morana, journey-
of securing the routes necessary for trade functions. men are the hopefuls in the Morana ranks. Bound to
keep the secrets of the Order, this is the first step in
Today, Morana still front as traders, although ev-
acquiring the higher position in Morana.
eryone smirks at the claim. Their services still go to
the highest bidder, but at the same time, Morana care- To be a journeyman of Morana means complete de-
fully choose to whom they offer them. Only if they can increase votion to Order’s cause and it usually implies the plethora of works
their power to secure and tighten their control of the gray economy and contracts reserved for the higher members, including most of
will they extend an offer. the shady works Morana perform. In the end, being a journeyman
means getting your hands dirty for the Order and being scruti-
nized in order to test the devotion of the individual to the Mo-
Vasalli in the Morana rana. Most of the spies and assassins of the Order come from
these ranks.
Vasalli joining the Morana usually do it to secure their
existence or further their opportunity of success, no matter
the cost.
Nomads and Outsiders
Morana actively support the using of the Gifts for the
Morana are distrustful toward the Nomads. Their own
personal gain, which has opened doors to the various Va-
attitude toward the hierarchy of the Orders clashes with
salli who are tired of other Orders trying to control their
the freedom of the Nomads that don’t devote themselves to
members. This Order claims that every talent is useful in
anything. Although Nomads can be useful for information
the business of trade and they are happy to put everyone
gathering because of their non-attachment toward any orga-
who joins them to work.
nization, Morana rarely allow themselves to be seen working
Whoever becomes part of the Morana is expected to with them openly.
completely devote themselves to the needs of the Order,
Since the Morana are traders and intercessors, they pride
putting those needs ahead of their own plans when neces-
themselves on being sensitive on the needs of the common
sary.Vasalli in this Order are free to do whatever business
folk. What they understand is that Unmarked can be a valu-
they like and they will find the support from the Order any-
able resource, since Alliance and other Orders don’t quite
time. But when the Order needs something from them, it
consider them a threat, or even worthy enough to be subtle
must be given.
in front of them. That’s why Morana try to be as open as they
Character concepts: traders, merchants, intercessors, can toward Unmarked and common folk, even putting them
thieves, assassins, spies, actors, hunters, artisans, manipu- under their protection whenever they can.
lators

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The Colossi
Morana don’t quite like the idea of towering, cumbersome and
slow creatures in their ranks. They just don’t consider them versa-
tile and elegant enough to be properly utilized for the betterment
of the Order. But still, the Colossi can be valuable and since the
other Orders use them, Morana don’t want to be the defenseless
Order without any protection of their own.
The Colossi under the Morana command are used only for
the heavy work, and rarely as the watchers of the city, since
Morana pride themselves on their vast network of scouts and
rangers outside the city walls.

The Social Impact

With their trading work, merchants and artisans, Mo-
rana are in every pore of the society. Either by working with
other Orders to supply the needs of the Alliance or with
common folk as intercessors and traders, Morana have too
vast a network to be ignored or to allow themselves to miss
anything important in Alliance.
Most of the other Orders either openly dislike them or tol-
erate them at best. Meanwhile, most of the folk see them as the
Order deeply rooted in their modest past, protecting the needs of
the common people, thus justifying their business.
Finally, Morana are considered either as common
gangsters, or as the heroes of the streets.

Under Their Watch

Cities under the Morana Order are often trading hubs where
almost anything can be bought or sold. Open to traders and
merchants, Morana use their influence to potentiate trading and
economic flows. Big markets with lots of traders are the signature
of the cities with Morana in power.
Most of the people enjoy the opportunities these cities offer,
but not everyone is happy with Morana taking their cut from al- The Union, on the other hand, is a faction which would like to
most any business in the city. The others justify it as the tax for the see Morana as politicians rather than mercenaries, which makes
peace in the City; Morana don’t like the criminals roaming their them suitable to represent the Order publicly.
areas and they actively participate in the suppression of the crim- Commissaries are the most neutral faction of the Morana,
inal element. which focus solely on the merchant business and trade, leaving the
shadow plays to other people.

Factions
Morana are a highly structured Order that doesn’t leave much Agenda
room for the rise of the fractions, but they exist nevertheless. The Morana are on a never-ending quest for more influence and
difference between other Orders and Morana is that Morana ap- power and their most important goal is the control over the trade
proach to fractions as the essential parts of the Order, almost as routes throughout the Alliance and the dominion over the trade
if different fractions have been tasked with different assignments. and merchant business. Acting in that capacity, Morana will almost
Elegists are the Morana faction which advocates that nothing always favor the possibility of growth of their reach above other
must stand between Morana and their goal, not even morals and needs of the Order.
ethics, which are flexible. Their unscrupulous stances make them
perfect candidates for the darker deeds of Morana.

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Relations

Sons of Sirin—Although Morana consider them an Siebog—Similar to Sons, Siebog is an unruly Order ac-
unruly lot, fighting for a long lost City, they look to them cording to Morana. They have an interesting structure, but
with a sense of sympathy. Their wild and unbending behav- their ideas are unsustainable. Belief that Vasalli are superi-
ior is as charismatic as it is dangerous. Morana claim Sons or to folk could be interesting, but they are forgetting that
would be more successful and efficient if they cultivated a people on top are more susceptible if unexpected things
sense of hierarchy and subtlety. happen. It’s way better to sometimes act from the shadows
instead of being exposed.

Zorya—Once allies because of the situation, Zorya The Circle— Their rigid rules, “holier-than-thou”
decided to cut all the cooperation with Morana, because attitude and moral high-ground frustrate members of
of the alleged “illegal activities”. Morana feel that Zorya Morana Order. But they are a powerful Order, at least
missed the point by retreating to their chambers and librar- because they have Church of Azimoth on their side.
ies after they succeeded in becoming a full-fledged Order, While people are still religious and believe in a widely
instead of completely overpowering the Circle. Nowadays spread sense of moral compass, this Order should be
they just read, study, and philosophize instead of acting. approached with caution.

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Sons of Sirin
Loyalty, integrity, brotherhood Divisions are constructed on a smaller scale.

T
he youngest of all Orders, Sons of Sirin are often looked Elders—Elders are the leaders of the Divisions. Democratical-
down upon by other Orders, at least officially. They were ly chosen, these members of the Sons preside over the local struc-
born from movement after the Fall of Sirin in the Vargan tures, deciding upon the future of the Divisions together with low-
War, when all the Vasalli in Sirin cut the ties with their main Or- er officers worthy enough to sit in the Division councils.
ders, convinced of their sacrifice and guilt in Sirin’s destruction.
The Elder can pass or veto the motion even if there aren’t
The movement was named Sons of Sirin and in the beggin- enough supporters for the decision, but is careful while doing it
ing they didn’t plan to become an Order. But after they banded to and doesn’t use this power that often, since the next voting for the
protect the leftovers and ruins of Sirin from further Vargan attack, Elder can go awry for him.
more and more people joined. Finally, they’ve become so strong
Adjutants— The Elder is chosen among Adjutants that
that other Orders had to give them a place in a newly built
are allowed to attend and vote on the future of the Divi-
Sirin’s Tribunal. Slowly, their influence grewand they be-
sion. Although the Elder has a final say in matters of the
came a full-fledged Order, claiming Tribunal Seats all
Sons, every Adjutant can put a motion forward to voting
over the Alliance.
and defend their reasons for doing it so.
After the presentation of the case, the motion is
put forward and the rest of the Adjutants and Elder
vote on the motion. The decision has to be supported by
Vasalli in the Sons of the majority of the voters including the Elder.
Sirin
Almost every Vasall born in the Sirin domain be-
comes a part of the Sons of Sirin out of sense of duty,
Nomads and Outsiders
pride, and honor. The few Vasalli who don’t are usually already When it comes to Nomads, Sons of Sirin don’t have any prob-
heavily influenced by other Orders before the Awakening. lem with them. They see them as the Vasalli which rebelled against
the Orders or Alliance, just like them but without any official struc-
Vasalli from other domains and Cities, usually join the Sons of
ture. With that in mind, they oppose to the anathema slapped to
Sirin because of their ideals that reflect in refusal to bow to Church
the Nomads, even actively trying to engage them to join the Sons.
of Azimoth, other Orders, organizations or nobility. They take
pride in the protection of those who can’t protect themselves, The Sons often accept citizenship marks just out of ne-
especially all the outcasts and common folk, so it’s only nat- cessity, gaining them only after an individual needs them to
ural that individuals from that ranks join Sons after they gain an access to other Cities or for political activity. In light
live through Awakening. of these viewpoints, Sons don’t believe in branding someone
as Unmarked thus stripping them of their human rights.
Character concepts: defenders, warriors, scouts, sol-
Because of that, they have no problem with unmarked peo-
diers, rebels, orators, outlaws
ple in their domains or accepting such Vasalli in their ranks.

The Hierarchy The Colossi

Unlike standard Order hierarchy, Sons of Sirin are di-
As black sheep of the Orders, Sons of Sirin don’t have a
vided into the groups called Divisions, which are almost
Colossus. They simply reject the idea of an artificially cre-
completely independent from each other and their influ-
ated giant walking among them, with his will bent to the
ence overlaps with the domains of Great Cities. Of course,
cause it doesn’t share.
members of the Tribunals try to preserve Sons’ interests
while Great Tribunals are in session, but they effectively act Sons see the Colossi as tools foremostly created by
independently in their domains. Church of Azimoth to keep all the power in the hands of
the elite, and as such, they refuse to be a part of the Rites or
While the Sons don’t have a centralized structure, their
exploiting of other Vasalli.

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The Social Impact

Just like Morana, Sons are viewed as the heroes among the
common folk, although they are believed to be fairer.
While they are loved by folk, they rarely actively and loudly
advocate the needs of the common people in the Tribunals, mostly
because they consider any official Alliance organization a travesty.
On the other hand, many folk who don’t live in Sirin domain
or where the Sons are strong enough are under the impression that
Sons are just a common gang causing ruckus and meddling in the
affairs of the Alliance.

Under Their Watch

The only City where is this Order in its full strength is Sirin
itself. Just like any other rebels, Sons always find a barrier whenever
they try to actively participate in politics of other Cities, so they
primarily focus themselves in a City they originate from.
But in all the places where they have at least a minor power,
they are trying to change the views of people toward the conven-
tional Alliance politics as subtly as they can. But with exception of
Sirin, wherever they reside, they are always considered strangers.

Factions
Sons of Sirin have only one fraction derived from the main Or-
der. Their disillusionment with other Orders, politics, and Alliance
gave birth to the movement which calls themselves Radicals, which
would like to shift the political power from Jarillo to Sirin.
They are opposed to the centralism that Jarillo would like to
achieve, but at the same time they have a vision of Sirin in the very
same position. Other members of Sons of Sirin are more apologet-
ic, but they accept the existence of Radicals which make them look
like a more stable option.

Agenda
Sons of Sirin come from the harsh background and the remains
of the once proud City. Although they are often called nostalgic,
their biggest goal is to restore Sirin to its former glory or even mak-
ing it the strongest City in all of the Alliance.

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Relations

Morana—Sons consider Morana a sleazy Order, spin- Siebog—Not only do they conform to the Alliance like
ning their web of lies and trying to manipulate the politics other Orders, but Siebogs actively advocate the supremacy
for their selfish reasons and gain. Their false championing of the Vasalli and that’s what bothers Sons. They believe
of the common people is nothing more than a populistic charismatic and merry Siebogs to be elusive bunch with ul-
falsehood in order to turn people to their side. terior motives of building a world of Vasalli masters.

The Circle—Sons consider the Circle as the ultimate

Zorya—Out of all the Orders, they are most likely to example of conservatives which conform to the rules of
cooperate with Sons of Sirin, and they prove themselves the Church and Alliance. According to Sons, the Circle
as the worthy allies every once in a while when they raise are the most accountable for the sacrificing Sirin in order
their head from their books. to protect Jarillo, their center of power. Because of that,
Sons will rarely stand even being in the same room as
the members of the Circle, not to mention cooperation.

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Outside the Orders

Following their example, the Alliance and Orders decided to
Nomads gather the best warriors and scouts among them, and form elite
I refuse to be any part of these games! shock troops that would investigate the unknown threat and fight

A
them if needed. They were the first elite military organization un-
lthough Nomads aren’t officially an Order, their numbers der the authority of the Great Tribunal until they were disbanded
are bigger than anybody would expect. Nobody knows how in order to establish the Collective.
the nickname Nomads originated, but it stuck, even be-
tween Nomads themselves. They wield their name and their status The selecting process for the Collective is very rigorous. The
proudly, while people would whisper behind their backs, distrust- candidates are taken into consideration without them knowing,
ing them and avoiding them as much as they could. and their past, status, and actions are carefully scrutinized, long
before they are approached with the offer. Although there is a pos-
Nomads are considered volatile and peevish creatures, not to sibility of applications for the consideration process through the
be trusted. It isn’t unusual that even common folk refuse to help high-ranking officers of the Orders, it’s highly unlikely that any
them when needed. They roam the world, shunned by everyone, candidate who applies themselves will be chosen.
and the longer they refused to join an Order, the possibility of final-
ly joining was smaller. No Order would take a long-time Nomad, The main reason is that candidate must be vouched for by one
out of fear and distrust. of the officers in the Collective itself, and the consequences of the
possible bad choice are grave; from demotions in ranks to the dis-
Sometimes forced to live as outcasts, Nomads travel from vil- honoring and casting out of the officer and candidate.
lage to village, banned from cities, trying to survive. Although they
are avoided, and barely surviving as outcasts, most Nomads are Furthermore, after the candidate is put through various tests,
proud caste, taking pleasure in their refusal of common ways. designed to examine their mental, physical and social abilities.
Only after every test is passed, the candidate is affiliated with one
Most of the Nomads distrust Orders, except Sons of Sirin, who of the Collective branches; the Hand, the Eye or the Mind.
are willing to help them whenever they can. So, as an extension
they are welcome to the Sirin domain, where their numbers are After the selection, the candidate is relocated into the one of
greatest. the secret facilities situated throughout the Alliance according to
the branch she is selected for. In those facilities, the initial training
Most of the Nomads have at least a little history with one of the begins; rigorous and unforgiving, without leaving of the facilities
Orders, and were probably a member of one (or sometimes even or contact with the rest of the world. Those who fail to meet the
few of them), but they decided to leave the Order because they dis- standards are mercilessly tossed out of the training program in the
agreed with their ideas or valued the freedom above the need to early stages of the training.
belong.
When the selective initial training ends, the leftover candidates
are the best, brightest and most devoted.
The Collective Those candidates are given the title of the Collective Appren-
tice, and only then are they given the valuable information regard-
We have a duty to the Alliance ing their future work. Every Apprentice receives a Mentor, who
would guide them through the rest of the training, which ends in a
final ceremony, where she becomes a part of the Collective.

Branches
Divisions in the Collective are organized by their function:
The Hand is the visible part of the Collective, elite troops
trained in combat, proficient with any weapon and schooled in
strategy, tactics and warfare. They are the sharp edge of the Alliance
weapon, unforgiving and fearless.
Their methods of combat vary depending on the situation; they
This powerful organization emerged during the struggle with are calculated and shrewd when given the opportunity, but can be
barbarian tribes and Vargans, when Orders realized they have to wild and reckless when the need arises, holding regard for no man.
work together for the survival of the every part of the Alliance.
Members of the Hand are easily recognizable, with their strong
Evolved from the Windchaser Elites, this organization gathers ex-
and light armors partially made of hardened Resin, and weapons
traordinary individuals devoted to the fight against outside threats.
made in similar fashion. But ultimately, they all have the symbol of
The Alliance formed these elite troops when the Vargans began
their branch on their armor; the handprint.
pushing into the Alliance Territory, with their guerilla-like attacks.

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 Chapter 4: T he Orders

The Eye is the invisible part of the Collective. These agents Rosaria
and informers, trained in stealth and covert operations can also be
invisible assassins if it’s required, but their missions are mostly to From shadows, we divide
gather as much information as they can.
Their advantage lies in secrecy; they do not carry any recog-
nizable symbol which would single them out as the agents of the
Alliance or members of the Collective, except when it carries some
advantage with it.
The Mind is the special branch of the Collective, comprised of
great thinkers, scientists, analysts, and inventors. Unlike the Hand
and the Eye, they aren’t the field branch, except in very rare oc-
casions. They work from offices and workshops of the Collective,
analyzing the information gathered by the Eye, or improving on the
weapons and devices used by the Collective.
The Soul—even among the members of the Collective, the
whispers about the secret branch called the Soul, are considered Speculation exists of a secretive organization trying to top-
nothing more than rumors. Some members claim that they exist, ple the Alliance. Some rumors say it is the single most dangerous
and are dealing in mysticism, conducting experiments on all of threat to the Alliance; others say it is a common criminal organiza-
them, but they are looked down upon with mocking laughter. De- tion, a terrorist party, or just a fabrication of paranoid minds.
spite all the looking down on those theories, the rumors circulate Although no one can confirm it exists and Alliance officials
that the Soul controls the politics of the entire Alliance, and every simply dismiss the issue whenever it comes up, most of the people
Great City. who’ve heard of Rosaria imagine them as the cult with widespread
network of spies and instigators, with their interests in various as-
pects of the Alliance, laws, economy and trade.
The common belief of the conspiracy theorists is that Rosaria
is a network of powerful and wealthy people and Vasalli that offer
alternative ways and methods to accomplish something outside of
the standard Alliance regulations. While working outside the law,
Rosaria slowly undermines the Alliance in order to position them-
selves as the rulers of the Great Cities when the time comes.

83
 C hapter 4: T he Orders

The Cults
The Cult of the Rat

One of the more famous cults in the Alliance, the Cult of the
Rat is a cult focused toward illegal activities such as smuggling,
burglary, illegal trading, and assassinations.The majority of the
cult’s members are stationed in cities with prominent trade flow,
where there are many possibilities for the smuggling of illegal
goods. Their name supposedly came from the Rat King, a mysteri-
ous entity looking like intertwined rats which the cultists worship,
according to some, or which reflect the tight bond of the cult, ac-
cording to others.
Local Cult in: Liboria, Sirin, Dawai

N
ot quite common organizations and not quite among offi- Shattered Blade
cial Orders, cults are usually somewhere in-between.
The simplest explanation of the Cults is that they are
organizations with an agenda that may or may not be similar to the
already existing Order philosophies. But the followers of the Cult
convene on a regular basis, actively trying to promote their views
or follow through with the ideas.
In the most instances, the main differences between Cults and
Orders are in their numbers, popularity and that Cults are not
represented in the Tribunals, although not for their lack of trying.
Usually formed around a particularly charismatic individual, cults
often begin as simple cults of personality or an organization dedi-
cated to the unorthodox beliefs or practices.
Large number of cults perish, smothered or absorbed by an Another cult involved in illegal activities is Shattered Blade.
Order, but a small number of cults succeed in differentiating them- The members of the cult are known to idolize the almost forgotten
selves enough to become a steady entity recognized but not always god of combat Hadak. Their religious views aside, they are most
approved by authorities. famous for organizing the illegal fighting arenas for the supposed
worship of their deity. Their arenas and underground fights are
Today, the strongest and best-known cults are usually part of
popular among the betting people that seek easy money.
the underground market, participating in various illegal activities,
so it’s no wonder why the majority of the people are alarmed by Local Cult in: Kayla and Sirin
mentioning of the cults.

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 Chapter 4: T he Orders

Dawn of Arrows

This populistic Cult is based on the idea of equality of the folk

and Vasalli. Derived from the section of Zorya, they became inde-
pendent, but with a lot of support from common folk. They actively
try to represent the rights of the ordinary people, and they even
have their representatives in the Bastilla Tribunal, just not in the
name of the Cult; their members are there as the representatives
of the citizens.
Local Cult in: Bastilla

The Tempest

This dangerous cult is often described as a cult with the Circle’s

zealousness, the Son’s fearlessness, and the Morana’s ruthlessness.
Their name was actually given to them by the locals when they were
a small cult who seized the power on the dangerous streets of Sirin.
From the common thugs and minor criminals, they evolved
into the full-fledged criminal cult which can hold their own against
more powerful cults and Orders. They are involved in various
criminal activities; drugs, prostitution, and theft, although they are
most notorious for their racketeering. No one knows for sure how
are they structured and organized, but it seems that they have a lot
of eyes and ears on the streets and that people living in their terri-
tories favor them because they promise security to everyone who
cooperates with them.
Local Cult in: Bit’Wa, Jarillo, Old Sirin and Liboria

85
 Chapter 5:
Characters
 C HA P T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Characters and Features

T
he players of Awaken are the single most important aspect
of the on-going game. What use would a phenomenal story
Features
be without the strong and individual characters? Therefore, The distinctiveness of the Character comes to life during the
the most important asset of the Narrator are the Players, their cre- role playing, when the Player assumes the role of their Character.
ativity, and imagination. Their attitudes, motivations and methods derive from the Player’s
imagination, and as such, they can’t be put on paper. They are in-
When they start, the Players create their Vasalli Playing Char-
tangible, but they are important part of the Character’s nature.
acters (PCs, Characters) which serve as alter egos allowing them
to dive into the game. Like all the characters in the books or mov- What is tangible are their strengths and weaknesses that can be
ies, these alter egos are the protagonists of the Story which devel- measurable up to a certain point.
ops around and because of their actions.
No system can accurately describe and evaluate the wide array
The Players create one single Character they play through the of skills and nature given strengths, but rankings in the Awaken
Story, instead of creating a new Character every session. Those al- system can give you the general idea of Character’s features.
teregos grow through the Story or Saga just as the fictional charac-
ters in books or movies would. They live through the good times, The main features are evaluated by ranking them from 1 to 5.
bad times, dangers and excitement, only to witness and participate A rank of 1 would be a little less than average. A rank of 5 would
in the intricate tales of mystery, action, horror or personal drama. be complete mastery over said features, unattainable to ordinary
humans.
Player Characters are lifelike and creative, with complex back-
grounds, motivations, views and attitudes in the world. They are The numerical rank of the feature is important when a Player
created from an idea which translates into the features of the has to roll the dice in order to accomplish the task. See “Chapter 6:
game, and this chapter serves as the guideline how to elaborate that Mechanics” on page 103.
idea and create living and breathing Characters in the game world.
The series of decisions you will
make throughout the Character
Crafting your Alter Ego.
Creation will be easier if you have Creation of a Character starts long before we start filling in a
the general idea of what kind of Character Sheet, with forming of basic Character traits. Here are
fantasy Character you want to some of the steps of the process before Character Sheet creation:
play. The process of creation will
The usual starting point of the Character Creation is the age
involve the shaping of the
and gender of the Character, along with the appearance.
features and carving of the
personality and abilities to Do remember that you’re creating the Vasalli Character, and as
suit your idea. In Awaken, such, the years of the Character aren’t such a physical burden they
you can easily tailor your would be if the Character was an ordinary human, since Vasalli are
character’s skills and abilities more vital and in shape.
to create a distinctive fantasy
character. Regarding the appearance, also bear in mind your Vasalli her-
itage which includes specific color of the eyes and bloodscars on
the body. You can choose to appear more or less human by insisting
on intensive and very unusual colors and location of the blood-
scars, but they are part of what Vasalli are.
After the basics of the current appearance, gender, and age, it’s
best to focus on the background and past of the Character.
Here are some questions regarding the Character’s history. You
don’t have to answer them all, but they can inspire you to create an
elaborate background.

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 CHAP T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Where does my character What are my post-

come from? Awakening experiences?
Your Character has lived the life of the ordinary human up to After the Awakening, every Vasall learns to cope with the new
the point of the Awakening. approach to the world he has to accept. The society in Awaken is
layered, and there are many things young Vasall can do. If they or
hh Was their family noble and wealthy or begging for scraps
their family were never connected to an Order, there is a pretty
in the public market?
good chance that some of the Order representatives will want to
hh Do their family have citizenship at all? draft a young Vasall for them.
hh Is the Character a Citizen and under which conditions Other aspects of Vasalli life are very important for their mental
was a Citizenship issued? and emotional development: this new life offers many experiences
which can make them a person with strong attitudes.
hh Where does a Character live?
There are various encounters with the layers of this life nor-
hh Which of your relatives was rumored to be a Vasall?
mally unreachable to common folk: experiences and knowledge
hh Who in your family hates the Vasalli, and why? about Colossi, Vargans, Corruption, various histories of the Or-
ders and Alliance, etc.
hh Was the Character schooled before the Awakening?
Common questions at this point would be:
hh What is their profession, and is there any?
hh What was the first thing Character did after realizing the
hh What are their motivations? change?
hh Did they have any trouble with the law? hh Which Order took them as a protégé, and did they join
hh What was their attitude toward Vasalli prior to Awaken- any Order at all?
ing? hh Is a Character’s ambition to rule the Order?
These are all questions concerning the Characters past before hh Did the Character continue to live in the same way as he
the Awakening and they can lay down the general outlines of the was before the Awakening?
Character’s upbringing and development of his personality.
hh Does the Character accept Corruption as natural part of
Vasalli life?
How did the Awakening hh How does the Corruption manifest
happen and how did it on Character?
hh Does the Character have expe-
affect my Character? rience with Colossi?
Vasalli are complex beings. Not everyone goes through the hh What is their attitude to-
same process during and after the Awakening. Some Vasalli awake ward Colossi?
violently and swiftly, as they undergo violent and troubled event in
their life. On the other hand, it happens that they change slowly, hh Have they encountered a
during the course of the years, accepting the change and coming to Vargan before?
terms with what they are.
hh Is the Character apo-
During the Awakening, their surroundings and families often litical?
bear witness to the process of change and react differently from per-
Do remember that you
son to person, and all that influences the young Vasall and builds
don’t have to answer all of
his attitude toward the society and their perception of Vasalli.
the questions, these are
Usual questions concerning this part of the life would be: guideline questions and
suggestions to think
hh How did the Character react when Awakening hap- about the Character’s
pened? history.
hh When did the Awakening happen or started happening? After the most import-
hh Under which conditions? ant questions about the history
of the Character are answered, it’s
hh Did their family hate them after Awakening? time to focus on the numerical fea-
hh Is their Awakening a curse? tures of the Character and Character
Sheet:
hh What was the first Gift ever used?
hh Did the Awakening change their mental health?

89
 C HA P T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Building Process

A
fter the careful consideration of the Character background, Some of the sample personalities are: Anti-hero, Altruist, Care-
it’s time to focus on the Character Sheet and select and taker, Conman, Creative, Competitor, Carefree, Deviant, Dark,
work on your Character’s features. The answers to the pre- Destructive, Enigma, Fearless, Forgiving, Gallant, Idealist, Judging,
vious questions can be your general guideline in filling out the val- Liberal, Loner, Martyr, Maestro, Pious, Professional, Rebel, Saint,
ues on the Sheet. The views on the world, profession, hobbies and Sinner, Tinkerer, Trickster, Vile etc.
past, they can all be seen in the ranks regarding the certain features.

Describe your Background

Step One: Naming Same as Personality, Background gives your Character the
guidelines how to role play it easier. This aspect of your Character is
about what your character is or does in the world. Although it isn’t
Name the Player necessarily the same, you can write the Character’s profession here.
You can fill this in with your name and surname, marking the Besides the Character’s profession you can list their hobby, like
sheet as yours. Amateur Archaeologist or their family background like Kayla Aris-
tocrat. Background is something your Characters identifies them-
selves with, and what others identify them as.
Name your Saga Sample Backgrounds can therefore be: Actor, Animal Trainer,
Saga is the set of two or more Stories somehow connected, and Apprentice (of a trade) Artist, Baker, Blacksmith, Carpenter, Cook,
are often one great Story consisted of shorter Stories. In case your Craftsman, Criminal, Explorer, Farmer, Gravedigger, Guide, Han-
Narrator decides to narrate one great Saga, this is where you can dler, Herbalist, Historian, Hunter, Keeper of Archives, Lecturer,
put its name, providing the Narrator names it. For instance, the Master of Arms, Merchant, Notary, Prison Guard, Robber, Story-
starting adventure on the page 197 is called “Mists of Kring Valley” teller, Tracker, Weaver, etc.
– this is an example of Saga name.

Choose your Order

Name your Character As a Player, you’re free to choose your Order (page 65) or not to
This is the name of your Character, under which he goes in the belong to any. But in the game world, it often happens that the Or-
Story. It can be anything, from nickname to the birth name, even der chooses to approach your Character, or their history and back-
the pseudonym your Character assumed during the life. The name ground influence the selection of the Order. Usually, the personal
doesn’t have to be flamboyant and flashy, but rather something you attitude and views reflect the world views of the Character’s Order,
feel comfortable with, don’t forget that other Characters or NPCs as seen among the common archetypes in the Orders: The Circle’s
will likely want to know who’re they dealing with, and they will use Zealot, Zorya’s Mystic, Siebog’s Hedonist, Morana’s Mercenary, Sons
your name often. of Sirin Revolutionary.
But, when building the complex Character and their back-
ground, don’t forget that people won’t always identify their whole
Step Two: Identity world views with the single philosophy of the group they are asso-
ciated with. The philosophies of Orders can be found on page 65.
Think of Orders as organizations which are based on various
Describe your Personality foundations, from religion to trade, and your Character chooses to
belong to them for various reasons. It’s not uncommon that Vasalli
This place on the Sheet is reserved for one word or phrase choose to join an Order just to make some of their ideas or wishes
which you feel describes your Character the best. It should be more possible.
something to reflect your Character’s opinions, acts or statements
overall. Think about the Personality feature as how your character There are cases of Vasalli who join the Circle because of its long
looks or acts, their Personality flavoring everything he does. tradition and power in some domains, while they aren’t religious
themselves. The same goes for other Orders: there are Zorya mem-
It can be anything, from Mysterious, Easy-going or Suspicious, bers who don’t dabble in any mysticism, and just want to build their
to phrases like Conniving, but loyal to true friends or Sadistic Psy- business, there are altruistic Siebog members who are philanthro-
chopath hiding under friendly demeanor. pists and fight for the betterment of the folk. There are simple Mo-
You can be very creative regarding the personality and it can rana members who don’t have anything to do with gray business
help you as the guideline how to role play your Character. and Sons of Sirin who aren’t patriots but find it easier to do things
in Sirin while members of this prominent group.
Remember nothing in the world is ever black or white.

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 CHAP T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Step Three: Attributes

of the Character and it reflects their attitude toward the society.
Now comes the part when the Players begin filling out their
Good-looking people, great manipulators, charismatic con artists
Attributes.
and politicians all have a high rank in Sociality Attribute.
Attributes are the innate abilities of every Character. They show
Sociality helps in first impressions, persuasions, bluffing, ma-
the basic potential of the living beings, and diverse natural traits
nipulation and all the other social aspects of the life, including the
people have. The potential is shown in ranks, from 1 to 5.
public performances and etiquette.
Most of the ordinary people have 1 or 2 ranks in an Attribute,
1 rank – You are a plain person of few words and almost nobody
while naturally gifted and focused individuals can have 3, and very
takes you seriously. Almost nobody looks at you twice, and you
rarely 4. Rank 5 is reserved for Vasalli and beings with above hu-
walk through the life in which probably nobody will remember
man abilities. For instance, an animal like a bear would have 5 or
you.
more points (some creatures have more than 5 points) in Physical-
ity Attribute. 2 ranks – You are an average person who doesn’t stand out from
the crowd, have one or two close friends. Sometimes, when the sit-
Vasalli are exceptional beings and they easily surpass the nat-
uation is right, you can even bluff another person.
ural capabilities of the commoners, and it’s not uncommon that
an old and experienced Vasall strengthens his natural Attributes 3 ranks – You’re an active socialite, have a lot of friends and can
beyond the limit of the ordinary people. generally make something happen with your words if you try
enough. People notice you and are often drawn to your charismatic
Attributes are divided into three categories: Sociality, Intellect
appearance.
and Physicality and Player divides 7 points among them, with 1
point being the minimum and 5 points being the maximum. Every 4 ranks – “The soul of the party.” You have a vibrant aura of social
starting point raises the Attribute for one rank. For instance: Social- animals and people are mesmerized by your words. You can have
ity 3, Intellect 2 and Physicality 2. your way with words whenever you want it, and people remember
you vividly, even if they saw you just for a second.
5 ranks – You know that the true power lies in simple words. You
Sociality Attribute can zero in on people’s insecurities and use them as the breaking
point in one quick glance. You read people’s emotion as easily as
This is the attribute which unifies all the social abilities, aspects
you can fake yours. You are aware of your tremendous influence,
and traits. How good-looking is the Character? How charming?
and you know you can bring down the entire organizations if you
Can he convince the people with words and does she radiate with
take your time.
charisma? This Attribute is the foundation of the social interaction

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 C HA P T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Intellect Attribute
The sum of all the mental abilities and potentials of the Charac- 2 ranks – Your body is of average strength and you are moderately
ter is the Intellect Attribute. It reflects the Character’s capability to healthy and dexterous.
memorize, think clearly and on their feet. The Intellect reflects the 3 ranks – You are at the peak of your physical strength. You are
Character’s ability to observe the surroundings, consciously and in- good at catching and throwing things and shrug off most of the
tuitively, as well as the understanding of the information collected punches easily.
from environment. It shows their mastery of knowledge and facts
and the quality of their memory, as well as the intellectual flexibility 4 ranks – People see you as a prime example of excellent physical
and capability of thinking outside the box. It can also show the level condition. You’re graceful and quick, and your punch can knock
of the Character’s education, formal or informal. out the warhorse. You have never been cold in life and can outrun
the most resilient and fastest runners.
The academics and professors have high Intellect Attribute, but
it isn’t reserved just for them. Strategists and analysts, as well as 5 ranks – You are a wall towering over the rest of the people you
chemists and engineers all benefit from high Intellect rank. know and nobody wants to mess with you. Your fingers could
crush bricks as well as skulls, and no one stands a chance to run
1 rank – You are generally uneducated, although it doesn’t mean away from you. Your hand-eye coordination is stuff of legends and
it was your choice. You have trouble discerning the changes in sur- you can hit a bird with the rock while doing backflips.
roundings and you usually don’t get all the jokes. And sometimes
big words can be a problem. The mentioned descriptions of the ranks aren’t necessarily the
only way to describe your Character. Your high Intellect can mean
2 ranks – You’re an average and normal person, which under- you can memorize almost everything you see but you had a terri-
stands when something is out of place. You had formal education, ble education or vice-versa. Your high Sociality can mean you are
although you didn’t enjoy it. You even read a book or two during most beautiful creature someone will ever see, but it doesn’t mean
your life. you’re not shy. Finally, high Physicality can mean you are incredibly
3 ranks – You had good education and was careful not to miss any healthy and resilient, but not stronger than the average person.
fact. Although you can’t remember everything you learned, you Imagine Attributes as collection of features falling under one of
have a good memory and are better at sighting things than most the three different categories, and that gives you freedom to choose
of the people you meet. You are often asked for advice, which you how to describe your Character.
gladly give.
4 ranks – You are an excellent thinker and people look up to you.
At some point in life you were probably asked to stay as a guest lec-
turer or regular professor at some academy. You excel in whatever
knowledge field you try to master. Your sharp wits and eyes no-
Step Four: Skills
tice the slight change in scenery and you immediately understand
what’s happening around you. The Skills are abilities Character develops during their life in
the world. Some of them are mildly intuitive, but that doesn’t mean
5 ranks – You are a genius. You can feel your mind racing in they can’t be trained, or everyone is born with them.The Skills pre-
the close proximity to madness, but you know you can’t prevent it. sented below are wide, and same as Attributes, they can represent
Your knowledge pool is immense, and you master the vast field of many things falling under one category. Some of them are pretty
facts which will probably never be known to most of the people. straightforward, but we present the explanation to help you with
The great strategists would often come to you with a request for the better understanding what they include.
help.
Every Skill has various Specializations, representing the more
You can perceive the minor changes in scenery and that same focused aspects of the Skill. Specializations are a particular subcat-
level of perception is the reason you know that you are probably egory of the Skill which a Character can choose to focus on. For
being watched and studied by some secret organization. instance, Character with Survival Skill, can choose to specialize in
Tracking or Character with Expression can specialize in Bluffing.
The Skills are loosely categorized in respect to Attributes, and
Physicality Attribute put under the corresponding Attribute on the Character Sheet.
This is the Attribute which describes the overall physical condi- When the Player decided on their Attribute points, they multiply
tion of the Character’s body. The raw strength, speed, dexterity and the points in every Attribute by 2 and that’s the starting number of
resiliency all fall under the Physicality category. Skill ranks they can distribute in the Skill tree for that Attribute.
During the Character Creation, the maximum rank on any Skill
It governs the pure power of the Character’s impact and the can be 3, higher ranks are achieved through the gameplay.
weight he can lift, as well as the nimbleness, speed, and quickness.
High Physicality can reflect the Character’s body ability to adapt For instance, if the Character decided on Sociality 3, Intellect 1
and survive the tremendous punishing before knocked out. and Physicality 3, he can distribute 6 ranks among the Social Skills,
2 ranks among Intellectual Skills and 6 ranks among Physical Skills.
High Physicality is important for the athletes, fighters, and ac-
robats, as well as for the burglars, thieves and marksmen.
1 rank – You’re not exactly a weakling, but your body isn’t accus-
tomed to high efforts and you bruise easily.

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 CHAP T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

The ranking Unranked Skills

0 ranks – You are Unranked. You never had any training Unlike Attributes, Skills don’t have minimum number
in that Skill. of 1, and can be unranked, and that means that Character
simply never had training in that Skill. However, he can
1 rank – You know the basics of that Skill and you use
still try to use it and in that case, a Player Rolls the Attribute
it every once in a while, at least as a hobby if not actively.
from the Attribute + Skill syntax. For instance, a Character
2 ranks – Some experience is already under your belt. Al- Adelaide has no ranks in Perception, but it doesn’t mean
though you started using this Skill recently, you advanced she’s not intelligent, for she has the Intellect Attribute rank-
it pretty quickly and use it on a weekly basis. ing of 4.
3 ranks – This Skill is ever-present in your life and you use Although the Character isn’t actively looking for any-
it almost daily, maybe because of your profession, or be- thing, Narrator knows something important happens that
cause you enjoy using it and try to do it as often as you can. moment and would like to test character’s passive perception
calling for the Intellect + Perception roll, and the Player suc-
4 ranks – You are a real professional, and very competent
ceeds with 2 successes on 4 dice. Adelaide’s intuition and her
in majority of the aspects this Skill covers, and you train it
passive Perception kicks in, and with the corner of her eye,
on a daily basis.
she sees the shadow peeking behind the wall.
5 ranks – Your prowess in this Skill has earned you the
In the case when the unranked Skill Roll succeeds, the
envy of the people who know you. They think of you as the
Player still crosses the box next to the Skill, and when all
master of that Skill, and often seek you out, hoping for your
5 boxes are filled, the Character receives her first rank in
help and instruction.
that Skill.

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 C HA P T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Social Skills Trade

Capability for good bartering, finance, and business.

Expression The knack for budgeting and finance can be very important
when people are trying to get the best bang for the buck. This skill
When it comes to socializing, Expression can be one of the represents the knowledge of trade, barter, and value of items. So if
most important skills a person can have. From facial expressions a person doesn’t want to get ripped off by scammers, when faced
to the tempo of the speech, everything can affect the person you with a sly trader or when wanting to get the best price, trade is the
communicate with. This skill summarizes everything connected to skill to have!
expression, whether verbal or non-verbal, including body language
and posture. It can also describe your etiquette and phrasing or Sample Specializations:
your ability to persuade. Barter, Appraising, Haggling, Finance, etc.
Sample Specializations:
Persuasion, Bluffing, Manipulation, Etiquette, etc.

Intellect Skills
Empathy

To be a successful in maintain relationships or to establish new Academics

contacts, a person is in great advantage if having a high sense of
empathy. The innate or trained capacity to recognize emotions, The level of schooling and academic knowledge. A character
motivations, and hidden opinions can always come handy when with a high Academic skill is formally educated and knowledge-
establishing rapport or meeting a new person. You can use it to dis- able, usually from the early age. This skill covers the basic facts of a
cover how someone feels or whether someone is hiding something. wide range of disciplines which a character probably went through
Sample Specializations: during education period.

Cold Reading, Body Language, Carousing, etc. Sample Specializations:

Astronomy, Religion, Geography, History, etc.

Oratory
Craft
The art of public speaking, teaching, getting attention, and mo-
tivation. If a person wants to be a public speaker, influential in pol- Characters with high Craft skill are great when they have to
itics or simply enjoy swaying people their way, this skill is a must. transform the idea into reality. From the arrow points to the beau-
Talking to single person or to a mass of people require different tiful sculptures made of ice: this skill represents knowledge of craft-
set of skills or methods of conveying the ideas. People versed in ing techniques, craftsmanship, skilled manual work, or even vari-
oratory are natural leaders and can inspire masses with a couple of ous arts. Useful when building something with your own hands.
selected words.
Sample Specializations:
Sample Specializations:
Blacksmithing, Masonry, Sculpting, Painting, etc.
Speeches, Lectures, Motivational Speeches, Demagogy, etc.

Medicine
Performance
Knowledge of bodily functions and treatment of illnesses. It re-
Public artists like dancers, actors or carnival folk all have a flects an understanding of health and recovery, as well as medical
performance skill. To master the coordination of eye and body in methods from bandaging to setting bones. Learned either through
order to perform a perfect move, dance or give a perfect show, a schooling or experience. Characters with high Medicine are versed
performer should be versed in what he does. This skill encompass- in anatomy, can discern differences when it comes to poison, sick-
es the general knowledge and practice in the arts and everything ness, etc.
related to its public performance.
Sample Specializations:
Sample Specializations:
Anatomy, Diagnosing, Apothecary, etc.
Singing, Dancing, Acting, etc.

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Knowledge Stealth

General understanding of the world. It is similar to Academics, The ability to move unseen, to pick pockets, steal, or perform
but while the first represents formal schooling, Knowledge rep- other stealthy or underhanded acts. It’s crucial for those dealing
resents your empirical knowledge of your surroundings as well as in immoral or less-than-legal activities, such as thieves, rogues or
various broad subjects and facts. For instance, characters with high burglars. But this skill comes handy for simple hunters, rangers or
Knowledge often know more about practice or lore of the world as scouts, helping them move through the woods undetected. Finally,
opposed to characters with academics who are versed in theoretical the success of simple sleight of hand acts or magic tricks are also
knowledge. dictated by this.
Sample Specializations: Sample Specializations:
Mythology, Old Tales, Hearsay, Nobility, etc. Sneaking, Lockpicking, Pickpocketing, etc.

Perception Range

Ability to understand and respond to changes in surround- Mastery of long-ranged and throwing weapons. Those trained
ings, whether analytically or intuitively. It encompasses your sens- in this skill have excellent hand-to-eye coordination and much
es, both how quickly you can use them and how acute they are. knowledge of ranged weapons. Whenever you attack with a ranged
Characters with high perception are better in research, discovery weapon, you roll Range. This makes the skill important for bow-
or analysis than those without it. High Perception is important to men or hunters, as well as the heavy ranged weapons operators.
scouts, patrols or characters who’d like to detect something.
Sample Specializations:
Sample Specializations:
Bows, crossbows, throwing, etc.
Sight, Hearing, Scrutinizing, Focusing, etc.

Survival

Knowledge of nature, traveling, wilds, tracking, hunting, and

Physical Skills orienteering. It is important for hunters and everyone dealing with
nature, because it also covers knowledge of animals and plants.
Survival also encompasses the ability to ride a horse, swim, use
Agility rope or hold a breath.
Dexterity, nimbleness, and reflexes. It describes your athletic Sample Specializations:
condition, coordination, and your overall mastery of movement.
Active characters which are often involved in acrobatic feats or Orientation, Tracking, Travel, Hunting, etc.
combat, usually have a high Agility skill. This skill helps the char-
acter in fights, running, keeping the balance and escaping the pos-
sible dangers.
Sample Specializations:
Tumbling, Jumping, Balancing, Running, etc.

Fray

The ability to wield weapons and fight bare-handed. It rep-

resents your mastery of combat, reflecting your training or intu-
itive knowledge of where to strike. Whenever you attack with a
melee weapon or no weapon, you roll Fray. This skill is important
for soldiers and fighters. The level of Fray skill defines your ability
to wield two weapons or attack more characters than one.
Sample Specializations:
Swords, Daggers, Brawl, Evasion, etc.

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Choose your Specializations

After all the starting Skill points are assigned to the Character
during the creation, a Player can choose 3 Specializations to as- Malachi is a hunter which comes from the long line
sign to any ranked Skill. There are some professions or hobbies that of the hunters, and he is an expert survivalist. During
require a specialized skill set, and that reflects on the Characters the Character Creation, the Player decided for the
Skills. Tracking Specialization, which falls under the Sur-
If a Roll is required which relates to a Specialization, a Player vival Skill.
receives one extra die on the Roll.
During the game, after a Character has reached the 5th rank in Every time Malachi had to use his tracking skills,
a specific Skill, the Player can choose to specialize that Skill further the Player received a one die bonus.
by acquiring a Specialization regarding that Skill.
At this point (after the 5th rank is attained), the Player can add After the Malachi reached the rank five on his Sur-
another Specialization in the same skill or advance the first Special- vival, and then ticked the next five boxes, the Player
ization in the same way as he used to do with the Skill: by adding had to decide will he advance his Tracking Specializa-
the ranks until the Specialization also reaches the rank 5.
tion to the rank 2, or will he choose another Specializa-
From then on, every time a Player Rolls the Roll which requires tion under the Survival Skill (for instance Orientation)
that Skill and allow for the use of Specialization, he receives a same
number of additional dice as is their Specialization rank. That
means that Roll Pool for a Specialized Skill consists of Attribute +
Skill + Specialization.
The Specializations can be advanced only to rank 5, same as Step Five: Virtues
Skills, but that doesn’t limit the Character to choose more than one
specialization. People are volatile creatures and those who went through
Awakening are more so. But everybody has virtues of the soul and
it’s a personal choice how they are used, they represent the Char-
acters blind luck, perseverance or stability of the mind. They are a
guideline for roleplaying, as well as usable pools in situations where
the existence (or absence) of those Virtues can decide on the out-
come.
The Player can divide 7 points among three Virtues on the
sheet: Luck, Willpower, and Courage, with the lowest possible
rank being 1, and highest 5.

Luck
Luck Virtue is the ranking of the Character’s luck in any given
time. Some Characters just have enormous amount of luck and it
seems that they walk through the life while everything good hap-
pens to them, and all the bad things simply bypass them. Others are
just darn unlucky, as everything turns bad for them, and they have
to depend on their sheer skills, hoping they won’t fumble some-
thing.
Unlike Attributes or Skills, Luck has points which are spend-
able to achieve automatic success or Luck Pool can be rolled, like
with standard Features to see if a luck favored the Character, de-
pending on the situation.

Will
Will is the essential willpower of the Character, their inner
strength and drive. It’s the discipline and self-control of the Char-
acter, when confronted with the unfortunate odds and situations.
It’s not unheard of that sometimes a Character succeeds in a
task, solely with their sheer will, or adding their dedication and
willpower to their skills.

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 CHAP T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Like Luck, Will Points can be spent, in this case gaining an ex-
tra success, or Will Pool can be rolled and tested, to see if the Char-
Step Seven: Combat
acter succeeded in keeping their composure in some situations. Potentials
Will points are regained when the Player achieves an Excep-
tional Success (more than 5 success dice) in any Roll.
Combat
If a point from Luck or Will are spent instead of rolled (us-
This part of the Character Sheet dedicated to the fighting abil-
ing them for automatic successes or extra die), the overall score is
ities of the Character.
lower for the used points until regained at the rate of one per good
night’s sleep. There are three main methods of fighting with the physical
means: unarmed, melee and ranged.
There are no starting points for distribution in this part: it’s
Courage about the calculation of the existing Ranks instead.
Courage is the general level of bravery Character has. It’s the The Pool calculation method is fairly simple and straightfor-
feature that can heavily be used as a guideline for roleplaying. It’s ward, the features of the Characters needed for calculation are writ-
a trait which can decide will the Character flee in terror or bravely ten on the Sheet. The combat-related features are Physicality, Fray
jump into the action when confronted with their fears or a terrible Skill, Ranged Skill, Agility Skill, Armor Bonus and Weapon Bonus,
situation. The world of Awaken is filled with strange occurrences you can find which features to use under the method of fighting on
and dark situations, but in the end, everybody has their own fears the sheet. (for Weapon Bonuses and Armor Bonuses check out the
to confront. The result of the Courage Roll can determine will the table at the page 132).
Character succumb to terror, or will he meet it head-on.
Courage has no spendable points, and it’s used just like other
features, by rolling the Courage Pool. Calculate your Unarmed Ranks
The good ol’ fashioned brawl. Not every Character relies on the
sharp edge of the blade while overcoming the opponent. Some of
them just want to get close and personal and feel the sinking of the
teeth under the bare knuckles. The unarmed fighting is more dan-
Step Six: Resistances gerous than other methods since the damage done is non-lethal,
and Character has to fight twice as hard to keep up with the armed
peers. Sometimes, though, emphasizing the point with the good
Calculate your Endurance kick or punch is indeed necessary.
Endurance is a feature which shows the Character’s life force Calculation: Physicality + Fray Skill + Agility Skill + Armor
and their general physical state. As Characters take damage in a Bonus
fight or are injured by their surroundings, they are losing their En-
durance levels and are closer to their death. As fights in Awaken
are lethal, the Player should be wary of the Character’s Endurance Calculate your Melee Ranks
level.
Favorite option of the martial Characters, melee fight is the
The maximum Endurance rank is calculated by adding 3 to most common method of combat against an opponent. The flash
the Character’s Physicality Attribute. For instance, if a Character’s of the blade, crunching of the armor under the heavy hammer and
Physicality rank is 4, their total Endurance can be 7 at most. splitting of the skulls under the edge of the axe: the combat can
be over in mere seconds. For the Characters hacking and slashing
through their life, there is nothing more exciting than squeezing
Calculate your Stamina the handle of their trustworthy weapon and the adrenaline induced
slowing of the time just before the battle.
Stamina is the measure of the Character’s ability to do physical
tasks while injured. People with lower Endurance ranks or those Calculation: Physicality + Fray Skill + Agility Skill + Armor
who were injured, simply can’t act as effectively as people in top Bonus + Weapon Bonus
physical state.
To reflect this, the table next to the Endurance ranks was cre- Calculate your Ranged Ranks
ated, on which you can see what’s the maximum Pool possible
regarding the physical tasks, such as running, jumping, climbing, Some of the Characters revel in close combat and storm of the
tumbling, attacking, etc. blades swishing furiously around them. But there are Characters
which take the cautious and strategic way of fighting, keeping them-
The Stamina doesn’t have ranks but is derived from the current selves outside of the reach of the deadly weapons, relying on their
Endurance rank instead, according to the table. keen eye and a steady hand to hit the enemies from distance. These
Characters are a worthy part of the fight, combining their tactical
approach with safe distance, focusing on one thing: making the fight
as short as possible, by keeping the advantage over opponents.
Calculation: Physicality + Ranged Skill + Armor Bonus +
Weapon Bonus

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Step Eight: Gifts

The true power of Vasalli lies in their exquisite array of special Illusion
powers they are blessed with. Those powers are called Gifts, since
they are bestowed upon the carriers of the Holy Blood, as the gift This is the Gift Tree specialized in deception and phantasms.
from Azimoth.The list of the Gifts and their respective Trees, in- It is oriented toward changing the perception of the reality of the
cluding the detailed descriptions and mechanics, can be found in Character affected. From the haunting hallucinations and invisi-
“Chapter 8: Gifts” on page 135. bility, to damaging the perception and landscapes, it’s the versatile
Gift Tree often used by sneaky and manipulative Characters.
The Gifts are divided into 4 Gift Trees: Mind, Body, Illusion,
and Reality. Each Tree deals in one of the four aspects, and are
therefore named for those aspects.
Reality

This Gift Tree is focused on the tremendous power of mind

Mind over matter and bending the reality to Vasalli will. This Tree con-
sists of the various Gifts allowing the user to change the structure
The Gifts falling under Mind Tree are powerful Gifts that give of the physical object, manipulate it from the distance or change
Character ability to connect with the unsuspecting mind of anoth- the reality around them.
er Character, and read it, bend it to their will, project into it, manip-
ulate it, etc. Although this Gift Tree isn’t combative per se, it can be
a terrifying weapon in the hands of the tacticians, making the Mind At this point in Character Creation, a Player has 4 points to
oriented Vasalli a force to be reckoned with. spend among the Trees, however, he wishes. Next to the Gift Tree
name is the box where the points are entered, signifying the total
Gift Pool, used for Gift Rolls. There are various Gifts assigned to
Body their respective Trees and every Gift has 3 ranks. Every rank corre-
sponds to one point in Gift Pool of that Tree.
This Gift Tree is oriented toward the manipulation of the bodi-
ly functions of the Characters. It consists of various Gifts which can
change the body, incapacitate it, make it more powerful or boost its
regenerative abilities. This is the Tree in which the combat oriented
Vasalli usually excel, making them unmatched on the battlefield.

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 CHAP T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Rowen specialized in the Body Tree and she has all Determine your Reputations
of the 3 starting points assigned to that Tree, and that During the Story, your choices and actions can change your
makes her Body Roll Pool 3. Next, she has to decide will reputation in certain circles such as your Vasalli peers, Orders, Cit-
she acquire 3 ranks of the same Gift, will she choose to izens, Alliance, etc. Further, the reputation can be good, neutral or
have 2 ranks of one Gift and 1 rank of another or will bad, and that can have various positive sides or repercussions.
she balance the Character and have 3 Gifts of rank 1. When starting a new character, players have 5 points to distrib-
In the end, she decided to have rank 2 of Regeneration ute in Reputation and Wealth, with the minimum being 1 on each.
Gift and rank 1 of Boiling Blood Gift. Players can distribute the points in more than one circle of Reputa-
tion. For instance, their characters can have 2 points in Reputation
with Alliance and 3 points in Reputation with their Orders. That
means Players all 5 points on reputation, and is extremely poor.
Just like everything other during the Character Creation, num- The changes of reputation will be emphasized by the Narrator:
ber of starting Gift ranks can be raised if the Narrator deems it nec- your reputation points can vary from -5 to 5, and the change can be
essary to reflect the experience of the created Characters or natural minimal in the view of one point, or more drastic with the jumps
affinity toward Gifts. But be careful and remember: Gifts are curse or falls of 3 or more points, depending on the act.
as much as they are a blessing.
In some situation, the Narrator can ask you to make a Repu-
tation Roll if it’s positive. This can help your Character to achieve
something if he has a good reputation in some circles. Building of
Calculate your Corruption a specific reputation can mean access to better and stronger con-
Corruption is the most dangerous aspect of the Vasalli and nections in the circle, and access to the high officers from another
their abilities. It signifies the level of taint present in Vasalli body connected organization, etc. Depending on the Narrator and situ-
and blood. It’s the constant threat and curse in the life of the Vasalli, ation, Reputation Points can be added or subtracted. The Narrator
hanging over their head, and casting shadows on their actions. can sometimes decide to raise or to drop a Character’s reputation,
depending on their actions.
When the Vasalli fail to harness the power of their Blood, or
their Blood boils under terror, the Corruption points are gained. For instance, if Characters are seen helping the opponents of
After a while, the accumulation of the Corruption points leads to their Order, the news can spread and reputation with their Order
penalties such as lowered maximum Endurance rank and Roll Pool will drop.
penalties on all Rolls. But the single biggest fear Vasalli have re- If the tracking is too hard, try to keep it as simple as possible,
garding the high Corruption is its influence on the Vasalli mind. since there is no need to keep a Sheet full of various Reputations.
After the enough Corruption points are accumulated, the Vasalli Reputation is just another tool helpful for role playing, and to per-
fall victim to various derangements. ceive the world as living and breathing mechanism.
Starting Corruption is calculated this way: every Player
should roll the dice in the number of points in all the Gift Trees. (4
for starting Characters) Every number one on the dice (failure) is Reputation Ranks
one starting Corruption Point.

Popularity

0 – You have neutral reputation in specific circle

Step Nine: Finishing 1 – You are known by some peers in the circle the reputation
concerns
Touches 2 - You are liked in this circle among your peers, and even
some higher standing and popular members know of you.
This part of the Character Creation is dedicated to the finishing 3 – Generally, almost everyone in the concerning circle
touches and polishing of your Character. It is important to coordi- knows of you and respects you.
nate with your Narrator regarding this part, since he’s the ultimate
authority on what will and what won’t be allowed in their sessions. 4 – You are among the outstanding members of the circle
or a higher ranking officer. You are well-known, respected
and loved.
5 – Your popularity in concerning circle is legendary.
Everyone knows of you and you are a role model and
paragon, maybe even appointed leader of that circle.

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 C HA P T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Notoriety Determine your Wealth

1 – You displeased someone in the respective circle and When starting a new character, players have 5 points to dis-
they don’t look upon you very kindly. tribute in Reputation and Wealth, with minimum being 1 on each.
Wealth on the sheet represents the simulated daily income and
2 – Open intolerance against you exists. You made mistakes
spending of a character. The points distributed in Wealth go from
in the past, and now you aren’t liked. Most of the people in
1 to 5 while the numbers represent the common levels of wealth.
this circle won’t trust you at all.
1 – Impoverished. Your character is poor and may depend on the
3 – You are hated and people avoid you as much as they
hospitality of others.
can, to the point of crossing to the other side of the street
when they see you. 2 – Struggling. Your character can afford living on day-to-day ba-
sis and keep a roof over the heads. Families with only one working
4 – You are notorious for your actions and past sins or
member are usually on this level.
strife. People can’t stand you, and hate you openly, trying
to mess with your plans on every step of the way. 3 – Stable: Your character has solid shelter and wholesome food in
abundance, though luxuries tend to be out of reach. Farmhands,
5 – You are at open war with the respective circle, and there
hand laborers and ordinary workers are represented in this bracket.
is a real possibility of an open contract for your head.
4 – Comfortable: Your income is quite reasonable and you can af-
ford the occasional item of luxury. Most of the traders, intercessors
and farmers are represented in this class.
Reputations change, grow or lower, depending on the actions 5 – Wealthy. The character lives a life of abundance and plenty,
and choices of the Playing Characters in the Story. For example if with easy access to luxuries and rare goods. Private business own-
they helped one of the Orders to achieve something, it can improve ers, richer merchants, and politicians are usually in this bracket.
the reputation regarding that Order, but lower the reputation con-
cerning another Order, especially if there is some conflict in that
specific matter. If a Player chooses to side with Folk in a conflict Every item is ranked with numbers from 1 to 5. If you’d like to
against Vasalli, it will make ordinary citizens happy, but anger the buy the item, your number should be equal to or higher from the
Vasalli. item’s ranking. For instance, if the sword is ranked 2, a character
should have wealth at least 2 to be able to buy it.
Example of reputation circles are:
The characters can usually afford the most necessary things
hh Folk
and food, no matter of position on a wealth scale.
hh Vasalli
The daily spending is simulated with the wealth scale too: it
hh Alliance means that person with a wealth ranking of 2 can’t simply cut their
spendings and save the money for 10 or so days and have a wealth
hh Order (name)
ranking of 4 or 5.
hh Sects (if any, and if in contact)
Wealth can sometimes even boost the reputation of a person
hh The Collective (if there is a connection and if they bother or vice-versa: a character who has a high reputation probably has a
with you at all) good income and character with high income is often well-known
for their wealth. There could even be situations where a character
hh City with high wealth and reputation can get something for free because
hh Black Market of it.

This is by no means a full list of possible reputations since ev- Determine your Possessions
erything depends on the Story, its setting, and flavor. You can freely
cooperate with your Narrator and decide on various reputations to The items are entirely your and Narrator’s choice. You should
keep things interesting. choose which starting equipment will you have, and ask the Nar-
rator for it, and then he will decide will he allow you to have it. Be
wary: usually the starting equipment will correspond to the Wealth
your Character has.

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 CHAP T ER 5: CH A RACT ERS

Reputation
Abilities Virtues
Advanced or & Wealth
inexperienced Characters
The Character Creation presented here assumes that starting
Characters are Vasalli which have some experience in the world Newly Awak-
and at least 5–10 years passed since their Awakening. But, if the ened Character
Narrator chooses to set a Story for newly awakened Vasalli or de- 5 points 5 points 3 points
Point Distribu-
cides to make an extensive Story which needs powerful Charac-
tion
ters, he can choose to decrease the starting points or give out extra
points after the initial creation.

Standard Point
7 points 7 points 5 points
Distribution

Experienced
Character Point 10 points 10 points 7 points
Distribution

101
Chapter 6:
Mechanics
 C hapter 6: M echanics

A
waken is a roleplaying game (often abbreviated as RPG), is a chance of failure, and where some luck can be crucial. We en-
a type of game where players assume the roles as charac- courage the Narrators and Players alike, to forfeit the dice rolls if
ters in a fictional setting and story. In this game, one of the the more creative way is used to solve the problem. Remember, the
players takes over the role of Narrator. system is only a set of guidelines, not some universal cosmic rule.
As in everyday life, there are alternative solutions to a problem,
The Narrator runs the game, presents the setting, back-
which don’t need a degree of luck or high skill.
ground and story, while Players determine the
action of their Characters based on their in- The dice help in determining the out-
terpretation of the story and assumed per- come of intense actions, such as jumping
sonalities. over the wide chasm and landing with-
out injuries; or targeting the raider on
Like all roleplaying Games, Awak-
the horse, charging toward the Char-
en presents some rules for playing the
acters.
game. The GM is in charge of interpret-
ing them and using them as guidelines In that situation, roll helps in
to help tell an interesting story. Don’t be maintaining the order through the
afraid to change some of the rules if you gameplay and Story, without the var-
find it would make for a better story at ious disputes and arguments why the
your table. So long as your game presents Character can or can’t succeed in the
the themes and ideas of Awaken, you are task.
playing it correctly.
So, if the Characters do find
Remember, the bottom line is to themselves in front of a chasm, Play-
enjoy the game, to have fun and a great er looking on the sheet won’t be
time. It’s never the Narrator’s goal to enough to decide if he actually can
punish the Players or the Players’ goal do it. There are many factors that can
to mess up the game and story prepared influence the course of an action, in-
for them. The goal of game is to develop cluding but not limited to; the wind,
the new experience and story, for Narra- distance, fatigue, speed or simple
tors, as well as for Players; they develop luck.
the story together.
In that occasion, the roll is neces-
sary to keep the Story flowing without
the need for complicated calculations
How do we play? and the Player simply rolls the dice to see
The NARRATOR is the person leading the game. The if they really succeeded in the Task.
Narrators usually design their own Story or choose the existing The combat in Awaken is deadly; every fight can mean
one, such as the Story on the end of this book. the last moments in life of Characters, and every Player must be
The rules provide the guidelines for the Narrator, but in the familiar with the capabilities of theirCharacter and their role in
end, they are the one who needs to decide the outcome if there given moment.
is no rule for the situation. Although the Players can give their This game is skill-based, and Characters progress and advance
suggestions, the Narrator is the ultimate authority if the situation as they use skills, learning new and improving old skills. When
arises. the skill is used repeatedly, it improves, and Character grows in
PLAYERS assume the role of a Player Character or PC, which strength accordingly. For instance: If a Character succeeds in craft-
is at the same time one of the main characters of the ongoing story ing of an arrow repeatedly, their craftsmanship logically improves,
presented by Narrator. Players choose the history, characteristics but other skills stagnate if not used.
and personality of their Characters, and describe their actions
through speech.
Despite the fact that Narrator is the game leader who devises
Golden Rules
the story, the main goal is to tell the story together and see where
it leads. The Players are free to improvise as creatively as they can, —Remember, don’t insist on the rolls, as either the
to solve the problems presented in the Story, and Narrator is free to Player or as Narrator. This game is more storyline ori-
interpret the actions and outcomes accordingly. ented than combat or dungeon crawling.
In the situations where Narrator can’t simply logically decide
what the result of an action is and where a combination of luck and —Don’t roll the Sociality skills if you have a general
presented features are necessary, the system uses dice. idea how to act them out

When do we use dice? —The fights are dangerous and lethal. Try to ap-
proach them strategically when there is no way to
During the course of the game, Players and Narrator use the avoid them.
dice rolls to determine the outcome of an action for which there

104
 Chapter 6: M echanics

Brief Terminology
ACTION— This is an action taken by Character, such as GIFTS— Gifts are supernatural abilities mastered by Vasalli,
movement, running from an adversary, using the Gifts, talking, in- elevating them above the rest of the humankind.
vestigation, crafting or eating, or anything that can be interpreted
TURN—This term signifies the time chunk used in combat.
as the action
It’s 5–10 seconds long, but it can be shorter than that. It’s an event
SCENE—Imagine this as the scene in a movie; as long as the when every Character decides on their action and performs it, in
activity is done in one environment, it is one Scene. A Scene can be, the same time as the other Characters and antagonists do it.
a relaxed discussionin the tavern where the characters are sharing
SUCCESS—In Awaken every five or six rolled in a roll is called
an ale or it can be a heated argument with the local Investigator on
a “success”. Accordingly, a player can generate two or more success-
a dark rooftop. It can involve the fight, cinematic action or a dream
es in a roll.
sequence.
STORY— The whole Story where Characters play a big part,
CHARACTER— Character is an alter ego of the Players, the
which Players play from the beginning to an end.
one that lives inside the story and the setting. It’s the persona the
Player assumes inside the setting introduced by Narrator. In Awak- SESSION— One meeting of Players and Narrator where a part
en, the Player is free to choose their own vision of their Character, of the Story is played. It can last from one to three hours, and it’s a
including all the virtues, flaws, history, motivations, professions, part of the Story.
and background, limited only by imagination and sometimes the
Narrator’s directive. SAGA— A collection of the Stories with the same Characters
as the main protagonists. Saga can be made of three or more Sto-
NPC—Is an acronym for Non-Playing Character. NPC is every ries, usually in the same setting. The Stories can be chronologically
character in a Story run by a Narrator and not Players. They are a and narratively connected, but that isn’t the rule. Sometimes the
vital part of the Story, since the Characters aren’t the only beings only thing connecting the Stories in Saga are the same Characters,
in a Story. but even that doesn’t have to be the case; sometimes a Saga consists
of Stories that happen at the same time, with different Characters
ROLL POOL— This is an overall number of dice being cast.
and locations, but they all share a common thread.
DICE—Awaken uses six-sided dice to play the game, often ab-
CONTESTED ROLL— Rolling which the Player actively com-
breviated as d6 in the text.
petes against another Player or against Narrator representing an
NARRATOR— The player who sets up the game with their NPC or antagonist in Story. The person with the most successes
story, and reveals the situations during the course of the game. He collected in the contested roll, wins. If the two opposing rolls are
is the rule keeper and a judge during the Story, and person who tied, the defensive roll wins.
plays all the Non-Playing Characters (NPCs) in the world. Narrator
XP POINTS— Commonly called just Points, are the points
is abbreviated with NR.
gained after a success on a skill or a Gift. When a Player collects five
PICTURE RULE— Picture rule is one of the most important successes on the same Skill or Gift, the Character advances their
rules in Awaken, which allows the Players to receive the bonus dice rank on it accordingly.
on rolls, depending on the creativity in the description of an action
RANK— Level of the Skill, Attribute, Gift, Virtue, etc. Rank
or decisions.
signifies the level of mastery over something, or the strength of an
ATTRIBUTES— Three basic attributes of a Character, Physi- Attribute.
cality (Phy) Intellect (Int) and Sociality (Soc) which are given the
TASK— Something Character is trying to do which calls for a
numerical values which describe the level of their innate attributes.
roll, like lock picking a lock or jumping over the fence.
SKILLS— These are the competencies the Character has,
which define their knowledge in various sectors. Any numerical
values given to their skills are the measurement of their progress
in the mastery of diverse abilities such as their academic knowl-
edge, perception, empathy, athletics, etc. Unlike Attributes, they
are constantly growing with practice, evolving together with the
Character.

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How does the system work?

When the Player makes a roll, every die showing numbers 5 or
6 counts as a success. The primary goal is to have enough successes
to pass the Task. Usually, it’s enough to have one success to pass, but
for some more complicated Tasks Narrator can appoint the higher
number of successes needed.
For example, for the task of jumping over the sharp fence without
any injury it’s enough to have one success on the roll.
But, depending on the situation, Narrator can modify the dif-
ficulty to reflect the challenge; if a Character wants to jump over
the fence without making any noise, the Narrator can decide that
Player needs at least two successes to perform the Task the way he
wanted. In this situation, one success would mean he jumped over
the fence but not as silently as she wanted.
In the same manner, a difficulty of 3 should be reserved for the
challenging situations, such as jumping over the fence without mak-
ing the noise, while carrying items which could make noise.
When modifying the number of roll successes needed, the Nar-
rator should rate the Tasks accordingly to the complexity of the
actions. Here are some examples of a number of successes needed
to pass the Task.
hh 1 success—to climb up the wall which has holes to put
the feet and hands into (Average)
hh 2 successes—to break a wooden chair with one punch
The system used in Awaken is designed for a fluid story and (Good)
narrating experience without needing to grab the dice every min-
ute. The rules and guidelines presented below are here to help with hh 3 successes—to pick a lock in darkness under the pres-
the interpretation of consequences of actions. sure (Very Good)

In the end, the Story is what matters the most, while rules are hh 4 successes—to jump on a horse in a full gallop (Excel-
here just to help in its creation. The main goal for the Story is to lent)
present exciting events, to create drama around the table and lead hh 5 successes—to hit the thin rope over the distance of 30
to excitement and fun around the table. The best moments in games meters (Superb)
are when people stand up around the table, hoping for a good roll,
which would lead their Characters through the dangers safely. That is a table to understand the ranking of the successes need-
ed for some Tasks, but, of course, it depends on the Narrator and
When the roll is made, it usually means the combining of an the situation.
Attribute with an according Skill. For instance; if the Character
wants to climb up the cliff, the Player must combine their Physi- When the Task difficulty is set, the Player rolls the dice and
cality Attribute (because of a physical effort) with their Agility Skill count their successes. In case he has more successes than needed
(everything connected to the coordination and physical abilities) If to accomplish the Task, they determine the efficiency of the success
the Characters statistic numbers are 2 in Physicality and 2 in Agil- and the amount of the effort.
ity, their roll has 4 dice (2+2) Then, the Player rolls four dice and
counts their successes.
For instance:

Let’s Roll Some Dice + 1 success—the Character succeeded the simple Task eas-
ier than normally
Determining the success of a roll is one of the more important
tasks of a Narrator. When the need arises, it’s the Narrator’s job to + 2 successes—the Task was done without any problem
decide if the Character succeeded in a task. To make the things + 3 successes—the Task was done instantly with great ef-
easier, the game system uses simple methods of determining the ficiency
success.
+ 4 successes—the Character succeeded in a Task phe-
The system uses classic six-sided dice, one of the oldest but nomenally, with inhuman speed and efficiency, dazzling
most popular dice. The rules for the roll are very simple. the others with their skill and yielding better results than
expected

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Exceptional Success and Dramatic An Example of Failure

Failure
Johnathan was running from the mysterious figure
To additionally add on the drama and excitement, there are the who was chasing him in the darkness. He felt his heart
rules of Exceptional Success and Dramatic Failure. pounding and it felt like it was trying to climb up his
windpipe. All the running kept him breathless, and the
rain didn’t help. He ran into one of a dark blind al-
Exceptional Success ley ending with a wall. He turned back, and he saw
When a Character is confronted with average Task, one success a figure emerging from behind of the building. Jona-
on the roll is usually enough, although sometimes two are neces- than held his breath as the figure stopped and took a
sary. But if a player generates five or more successes on the roll, it look around, not realizing where he went. Johnathan
means that he performed the Task with Exceptional Success. This turned toward the wall and realized he could try and
kind of success means not only the Character succeeded in Task climb over it.
effortlessly, but it also means he performed so well, that some un-
expected positive effect occurred.
The Player took a couple of seconds and declared,
For instance, the Player generated five successes on a Trade roll, “I would like to climb over the wall.” Narrator gave a
and not only had he sold their goods for far better price than in- nod and said “OK, roll me the Physicality and Agility,
tended, but he also made a lucrative deal regarding all the future please” Player looked on his sheet and realized Johna-
dealings with that customer. than’s Physicality is 2, while Agility is 3. He took a deep
breath and rolled 5 dice. Luck wasn’t on his side, and
the results were 4, 3, 3, 3 and 2. “Sorry, you failed a
Dramatic Failure roll.” Said the Narrator morosely. “You tried to get up
Sometimes, a Player fails the roll and doesn’t have any success- the wall…”
es on their dice. Accordingly, it means he didn’t succeed in action
he intended to do. Johnathan ran toward the wall and tried to jump
But sometimes, a luck plays a cruel joke on the Character and and grab the wall’s ledge. He succeeded in grabbing the
he dramatically fails the Task given. In situations when Player gen- ledge, but it was still slippery from the rain. He landed
erates at least one success, the remaining dice don’t mean anything. back on his feet, and looked behind him.
But if the Player has zero successes and has at least one number one
(1) in the roll, that situation is called a Dramatic Failure. The figure obviously realized where he was, and
Dramatic Failure means that a negative effect on the Charac-
started running toward him.
ter or Story occurs. For instance; the Character wounded themself
trying to jump over a flight of stairs, he jammed a padlock while
picking the lock on it, he sneezed while trying to sneak or dropped
a weapon during a fight sequence.
Dramatic Failure shouldn’t mean that Players die, receive the
horrible wounds or finds themselves in immense danger, but it
should give them terrible results of the attempted Task. An Example of Success
Of course, it’s the Narrator’s job to decide on the results of a “Wait!” Said the Player, “How narrow is the alley?
Dramatic Failure, but he shouldn’t use it to overly complicate the I would like to evade him” Narrator looked at him and
Character’s situation and punish the Players. Sometimes it’s even
described the alley; “It’s very narrow, one of the many
advisable to lessen the severity of the situation, to keep the Story
flowing.
narrow alleys in the city and you see that there is not
enough space to evade your pursuer.”

The Player stopped for a second and thought about

it. “Are you ready to continue?” Asked the Narrator.

“OK, let me try something. Look, Johnathan is an

athletic person, who has experience in tumbling. Can I
try running toward him, and in the last moment jump
sideways and try to run a few steps on the wall itself?”

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Other players looked at him with surprise and An Example of Dramatic Failure
turned toward the Narrator. Narrator frowned, “You
want to walk on the wall?” “I’d like to run into my house.” Declared a player.

“Not to walk on the surface of the wall, but I’d like “OK, but your house is probably locked.” Said the
to try to elevate myself somehow, and avoid the pur- Narrator.
suer.”
“Yes, it is, and I find the keys in my pocket and take
Narrator looked at him and sighed, “You do realize a few breaths to relax, and try to unlock the doors.”
the walls are wet from the rain and the Task difficulty Said the player.
is higher?”
“Good call, you took a few moments to regain com-
“Yes, but I’d like to try.” posure, otherwise you’d have to roll to succeed under
the stress.”
The Narrator nodded, while other Players were
looking at him with anticipation. “OK then, roll me Johnathan took a couple of seconds to regain his
Physicality and Agility again, but this time, the diffi- breath, and found the right key without any difficul-
culty is 2. But because of your creativity, I’ll give you a ty. He unlocked the doors and entered his house. As
bonus of two dice.” he closed the door, he heard the loud running paces in
front of his house. He tried to be as silent as he can.
“Yes!” exclaimed the Player excitedly and grabbed
the dice. “OK, here goes nothing!” “Fine, roll me a Physicality and Stealth roll. You are
in darkness and the pursuer probably didn’t see where
This time, the luck favored him, and the result of you went. But it’s a silent night, you are still breath-
the seven dice roll was 6, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. ing heavily, and you can’t know how well he hears, so
the difficulty is two.” Player rolled his Stealth roll com-
“Great! Well done!” commented the Narrator while posed of 2 dice gained from Physicality and 1 die from
laughing. “You exceeded the necessary successes by Stealth, and after one look on the dice, slammed his
one, meaning you did it even better than you planned, hand into the table “Nooo!”
and what happened is…”
Narrator took a look on his dice and saw that the
Johnathan watched his pursuer and breathed heav- result was 3, 3 and 1.
ily. He felt the adrenaline rising, his heart pounding.
Then he tried a crazy stunt. “Sorry, you experienced a Dramatic Failure.”
While Player looked at the Narrator anxiously, Nar-
He ran toward the pursuer and in the last moment, rator sighed, assessed the situation and continued the
while the figure reached for him, jumped right and story…
tried to run on the surface of the wall. He felt the solid
surface of a brick sticking slightly out of the wall and He tried to be as silent as he can, walking slowly
pushed himself in the air over the figure chasing him. backwards in the darkness. But alas, he forgot about
the new vase he put on the table this morning and he
His muscles tightened and he was suddenly aware accidentally knocked it over on the floor, stepped on the
of the cold raindrops stinging his face. He succeeded in shards and felt the sharp pain in his ankle. Johnathan
his maneuver and landed on his feet. Without looking couldn’t help himself and he cursed loudly, after which
back, Johnathan continued running. he immediately covered his mouth while his eyes wid-
ened while looking toward the doors.
He ran through the streets to home
A Dramatic Failure on a Task involving Gifts
should result in the inability to use any Gift falling un-
der the Gift Tree of the attempted one, until the Char-
acter rests.

Some of the Gifts have additional rules concerning

the Dramatic Failure.

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An Example of Exceptional
Sucess
Narrator rolled a die behind the screen after he
counted the dice, he put his hand on the face and
sighed.

“What? What happened?” Asked the player ner-

vously.

The Narrator smiled and raised the Narrator’s

Screen while muttering, “Sorry.”

The dice were showing 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 2, and 3.

“I received an Exceptional Success on the Physical-

ity and Fray roll.” He said.

“Why did you roll it? What happened?” whispered

the Player.

As he held his hand across his mouth, standing

motionless, Johnathan heard a loud groan behind the
doors, and right after it, the loud crash, when the pur-
suer kicked in the doors and sent them flying through
the air.

The moonlight was intense, and the light was

shining directly onto the pursuers teeth which shown
themselves in his wide grin. “Finally, I trapped you!”
he muttered through his teeth.

The Picture Rule

The Awaken system was designed to help Players to actively turesque (hence the name Picture) but they shouldn’t be long and
engage in the Story and to ignite the collective imagination of both boring. They should reflect the Art of Narration mentioned before
Players and Narrator, and stimulate them to narrate the story to- and show that even Players can participate in the narration of the
gether. Story.
Everyone is an important part of the story, and can actively par- In the end, the Narrator’s job is to decide on the quantity of the
ticipate, and with that in mind, the Picture Rule is very important. bonus dice. It should be between 1 and 3, depending on the cre-
ativity, role playing and even the reactions of the other Players and
The system encourages the Players to vividly describe any Ac-
the excitement they cause. In the situation when Player uses the
tion taken. If the description is reasonable, fits the mood and style
Picture Rule, he should emphasize that, and if Narrator allows for
of the Story, especially if it’s creative, Players can receive a bonus
the automatic success because of that, the Player should be awarded
dice in their roll Pool. The descriptions should be creative and pic-
with an XP point in the appropriate Skill.

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Picture rule as a Bridge

Picture rule for Players The Picture Rule serves as the bridge between the Narrator and
Players, and as such it’s the most important core rule of the Collec-
If the Player approaches the Task creatively, logically and with
tive Game System.
the specific intent, visually describing their intentions, Narrators
are encouraged to allow for Automatic Success. Picture Rule bonuses can seem like a good way of getting the
edge in the battle, using creativity and environment to come out
on top, but it is primarily designed to allow the Players to join the
narration together with the Narrator, adding their own pieces to
the Story.
For example
Narrator: After long hours of pitch-black uncon-
sciousness, you feel the sun upon your cheeks, and hear The group comes across series of politically induced murders and
everything points toward the contracted hitman. One of the group
the faint tweets of the birds. You open your eyes, and
members belongs to the Morana Order.
understand that you wake up in a forest, without any
clothes or possessions. Although it wasn’t defined during the Character creation, the
Player controlling the Character can use the Picture Rule to explain
Player: Do I recognize the location? that there are existing ties of the Morana and the hitmen and con-
cludes that there are only 3 assassins who could’ve done the deed.
Narrator: Sorry, no. This is one of the many forests The Narrator evaluates this and decides it wouldn’t spoil the
in the area, not exceptional by any means. All you can story, and allows the unexpected twist to take a turn and develop
see are trees and bushes. the storyline as well as the Character’s Background.

Player: Can I use my Survival Skill, to grasp my

sense of direction? Picture rule for the Narrator
So, throughout the parts of the book tied to the mechanics and
Narrator: Of course, you can try. role play, we’ve mentioned Picture rule as the most important rule
in the game.
Player: I take a good look around and carefully ex-
Now, let’s look at it from the standpoint of the Narrator. Of
amine the trees, to see if there is any moss.
course, if the Players add to the narration and fill in the possible
blanks in the story or fast forward their game, it could sometimes
Narrator: Yes, there is a moss on the trees, as you feel like a cheat code.
approach the nearest trees, you can see it clearly.
But that’s why it’s your responsibility to balance the game and
Player: Great! Moss grows facing north, so I know story. You should be a little restrictive if the Characters don’t have
appropriate background for the idea they got. But if Characters are
in which direction is north. Can I try and pinpoint my
facing swamps and a Player says “I had a friend on Academy who
approximate location using the position of the Sun and was really into the geography and swamps and he explained this to
moss? me …“, feel free to allow this for the sake of the story flow.

Narrator: Clever thinking, you’re quick on your Finally, if it could disrupt the balance of the story and suspense
and if you’d like to be a little more restrictive, allow the Player an
feet. You can try and roll an Intellect and Survival roll,
Intellect+Academics roll (with or without the Picture Rule bonus)
with the 2 dice bonus because of your creativity and just to see if the “story checks out “ then continue however you
Picture rule. wish.

Player: Thanks! (Player rolls and gains 4 successes) On the other side, the Picture Rule can make the Players feel
valuable for their input in the terms of the game flow and creativity.
Narrator: Looking at the position of the Sun, you For instance, Characters hear the gallop of the hooves. Adriana
noticed a mountain rising in the north, and with your decides on her feet: “I’d like my Character to hide behind the rock,
good Survival roll, you realize it is The Great Divide, but to watch carefully. When I see the horseman gets right next to a
and that you’re five to ten kilometers north from the tree, I’ll use a Shift Gift to transport behind the tree and to attack the
Great City of Bit’wa. horseman from behind in the same moment he passes the tree.”
The described situation is a complicated action which could go
terribly awry if any of the rolls are failed. But since it’s a great idea,
descriptive, creative and cinematic, the Narrator agrees to let her
roll all of the rolls with a Picture Rule bonus of 2–3 dice.

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Special Rolls The Combat System is also based on the contested rolls, as you
will see below.

Contested Roll
The majority of the rolls involving other NPCs are contested. If Chance Roll
a player wants to somehow affect or influence the NPC, this calls There are some situations, where the roll Pool equals to zero
for a contested roll. (it can never be less than zero, no matter the penalties) of dice. In
It means that the number of successes Player generates while those situations, the Player is still allowed to roll at least one die,
trying the Task of affecting must be higher than a number of suc- and that is called a Chance roll.
cesses NPC generates while trying to resist.
Although the preferred way of resolving the conflicts in Story is
through the roleplaying and creativity, in some cases when Players For instance:
don’t have a clue how to approach the situation or they use a Gift,
The Character Perar found himself in a precarious situation, he
the contested roll is a good method to resolve something.
is confronted with the incoming enemy and his Corruption score
is high (-2 penalty). He has a shortbow and decides to keep out of
the melee range in an attempt to survive.
His Physicality Attribute score is 1, Ranged Skill is 0, and a bow
gives him +1 die bonus.
The Player is left with zero dice, since the combined penalty of
-2 negates his roll Pool of 2. But, even in that situation, he is allowed
the Chance roll of one die. The Player casts a die and acquires one
success.
One success in a combat is minimal, and not a real threat, but
it’s still better than nothing, hoping for a chance of antagonists fail-
ing his Defense roll
The rule of the Chance roll is applicable outside the combat as
well.

Helping with the Skill

If Characters would like to help another Character during the
task, it can be done if they’re trained in the necessary skill. For ev-
ery helping Character with the Skill one bonus die is added to the
roll.
For instance, if a Character wants to barter with a trader (So-
ciality+ Trade) and has a roll pool of 4, 2 Characters with Trade
skill helping her will allow a 2 bonus dice for the final roll of 6 dice.
For instance:

A Player’s Character wants to use a powerful Mind Gift called

Mind Carver, to read the NPC’s mind. In this case, a Mind roll is Automatic Success
required, while the antagonist, also a Vasall, can try to resist with Often, you don’t need to roll the dice.
their Mind roll.
For instance, if you want to persuade an NPC in a game, try not
The Player’s Character has a Mind roll of 3, while their oppo- to resort to the dice, but act like a Character in the Story instead. Be
nent has a Mind roll of 4. an actor, try acting out the dialogue between your Character and
Although the Character doesn’t know that person in front of NPC. It will significantly increase the immersion, and if acted out
them is more trained in Mind Gifts, he still tries to overcome the well, the Narrator can grant you Automatic Success.
person’s mental barriers. Characters have specific skill set, but Players should be creative
On a roll, he acquires a total of 2 successes. The Narrator, on as well, not burdening the Narrator with the job of delivering su-
the other hand, rolls only 1 success. The Player succeeded in their perfluous descriptions. If you are looking for a clue in an aban-
mind reading while NPC didn’t notice nor realized what happened. doned building, don’t just say, “I’m looking around.” Instead, try to
be more accurate and say, “I’m lighting up a torch, and look on the
Had the Narrator had 2 or more successes, the mind reading walls, ceiling, under the rubble, all in hope of finding some valuable
attempt would fail, and the Character wouldn’t have access to the clue.” For that kind of immersion, improvisation, and commitment
NPC’s mind. to the Story, instead of dice bonuses, the Narrator can reward you
with the Automatic Success as an extension of the Picture rule.

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months, every single one of you thought, at least twice

a day; this can’t go on!” I make a dramatic pause, and
Let’s see how this could play out in the next example:
continue after it: “Once thriving and successful village
of Rockfell is now lamenting and writhing under the
oppressive boot of a madman!”
Narrator: So, as you assess the situation, you un-
derstand that Rockfell Village is on the brink of extinc- Narrator: While you talk, you see the people gath-
tion. The power-mad Village Elder Dradhal hoards all ering around the well, and nodding in agreement.
the income under the pretenses of tax collection, and
squeezes last drops of life from the tortured folk. Player: I continue — “Do you remember the times
when you enjoyed the life, worked with a song on your
Player: Hmmm, I feel obliged to do something lips and passion in your hearts?”
about that, I’m a fearless idealist.
Narrator: You hear a couple of faint “Yeah!”
Narrator: Of course. Tell me, what would you like
to do? Player: “Do you remember when the future was
bright, and you believed in better tomorrow and a
Player: My character approaches the main square. good life for your children?”

Narrator: And? Narrator: As you talk, more and more people are
gathering, looking at you with eyes wide open, in which
Player: I try to impress the idle people I see. you see the various emotions, anger, sadness, passion,
overwhelming them with your every word, like a tidal
Narrator: OK, give me a Sociality and Oratory roll. wave.

Player: Wait, let’s see how this plays out. Player: “You are the soul and body of this village,
your ancestors built it, and you contributed to it during
Narrator: Yes? your lifetime! You deserve to be a crucial part of your
community and once again rebuild it into the strong
Player: *I* approach the main square, walking and proud community it once was!”
with a great dose of self-confidence. Do I see any ele-
vated surface in the village square? Narrator: The mutters evolve into loud agreements,
while the villagers raise their hands toward the sky,
Narrator: Yes, you see an old well, but it’s covered and you see their eyes filled with hope. You understand
with a metal plate. It probably wasn’t used in decades, that only one spark divides them from dormancy and
considering all the rust on the plate. full-scale riot.

Player: I carefully climb on the well. Player: I start with lower voice this time, and build
the volume as I continue, “I maybe am an outsider, but
Narrator: OK, and? I can recognize the people who don’t deserve to suffer.
I believe in your passion, I believe in your capability, I
Player: I put my hands around my mouth to make believe in your children’s future!”
everybody hear me better and I start with the shout:
“Hear ye, hear ye, the good folk of Rockfell!” Narrator: Great job! Considering the great perfor-
mance, your role playing, and Picture rule, I think you
Narrator: The idle villagers and the ones who were don’t need a roll, you succeed in the attempt to ignite
walking in the vicinity of the square stopped whatever the people with your passionate speech. The villagers
they were doing and turned their heads in wonder. started shouting and helped you climb down. From all
around you hear the exclamations of agreement while
Player: Great! I lower my hands and continue they started to move toward the Dradhal’s house. Con-
talking, but loudly and clearly, accentuating the im- gratulations, you started a riot!
portant points. “Now that I have your attention, please
listen to me carefully! I believe that in the last few

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In this example, we can see that action, if carefully laid out and If a Player wants to intimidate the NPC by demonstrating the
approached, can yield the Automatic Success. brute force and strength, he can combine Physicality with Fray,
thus breaking the wooden plank with their fist. If he wants to use
Also, Narrator should discern the mundane tasks like simple
careful words to demonstrate the danger he poses, he can use Soci-
running, where no roll is necessary and to be considered an Au-
ality combined with Expression. But, if he wants to use the knowl-
tomatic Success, from those tasks where a roll is needed, like for
edge about the NPC retained from before, he can use Intellect and
instance, running fast enough to outrun someone.
Expression.
And, of course, don’t forget the Luck bonus, it grants you an
The system allows for the diversity of means to succeed in a
Automatic Success in a Task, but try not to overspend it since it can
Task, and gives the free hands to Narrators to interpret, analyze
be very valuable in a crisis. (See below for Luck rules.)
and decide the outcome of an Action or Task difficulty.

Retrying After Failure

If the Character fails at the action, in some cases a Narrator
can allow the Player to try and roll again. But in those cases, Nar-
rators are encouraged to raise the difficulty due to the frustration
and stress as part of the failure. Of course, not every action can be
retried.
It is simple … just out of the box!
The rules presented above are enough to explain the
die-casting mechanics and everything else is a part of your
imagination and intuition. We don’t want to put too much
pressure with the details, we encourage the Narrators to
use simple logic and decide on the logical combination
of Attributes and Skills for Task in given situation.

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Actualizing the Drama

T
he rules presented in the former part of the chapter con- wilds in search of prey, the Player rolls Physicality + Survival.
centrate on the system and mechanics of the roll process,
Sometimes the situation and Narrators can allow for the Intel-
successes, and their calculations.
lect + Survival roll, just to simulate the wits and fast thinking of a
This part will focus on the mechanics of the activities role- hunter or gatherer.
played in the Story and some additional guidelines concerning
The number of successes acquired should reflect the gathered
Characters and their capabilities.
food and the success of the hunt.

Actions Jumping—Physicality + Agility

Action is the process in which the task is getting done, and as
such, there are numerous possibilities of the actions the Characters Jumping across the gap or over an obstacle requires the Phys-
can attempt during the Story.Using of the action in the game is usu- icality + Agility roll from the Player. The standard jumps under
ally done by combining an Attribute with the Skill. 6 feet of distance or 4 feet of height should rarely be rolled, and
should be role-played and described via Picture Rule instead. But
Sometimes it is absolutely clear which Attribute should be if the situation is complicated, and the result of a multiple actions
combined with which Skill, since the Skills bear the name of some depends on the outcome of the jump, Narrator is free to give it as a
possible Actions (Craft, Performance, Trade etc.), but not all of the task to Player, while modifying the difficulty or giving the bonuses
actions are explicably named in the Skills. And in that situation, the according to Picture Rule.
Players and Narrators should use logic to determine which Skills
and Attributes should be combined for the appointed action, ac-
cording to the logical Skill needed for that action.
Lifting—Physicality + Agility
For instance; Jumping is not explicably listed in the Skills, but
the logic suggests that a person’s jump would require their Physi- Same as jumping, Lifting shouldn’t be rolled if it’s close to the
cality Attribute and their Agility Skill. half of character’s weight. But when the situation demands a quick
feat of strength, the Physicality + Agility roll can be rolled. The
The same kind of logic applies to all the other possible actions
Narrator can decide if he wants to exclude the Agility element from
and combinations, and, since it would be impossible to cover every
the roll, simulating the situations where pure brute force is needed.
possible action, we decided to put some of the usual combinations
on the list below, to give you an approximate insight to the combi-
nation logic.
Larceny—Physicality + Stealth

The acts of Larceny such as pick pocketing and lockpicking de-

Physicality Actions mand a Physicality + Stealth roll, simulating the stealth and quick-
ness of a Character.
This is one of the most circumstantial actions since its difficulty
Climbing— Physicality + Agility
can vary from task to task. To reflect this, we urge the Narrator to
When the Character needs to climb an angled surface (wall, assess the situation and decide on the number of successes need-
slope, building) or rope, the Player rolls the Physicality Attribute ed accordingly; the simple picking of the lock without distractions
combined with Agility Skill. and with proper tools isn’t as remotely difficult as pickpocketing an
alarmed city guard for the jail key.
For an uninterrupted climb up the rope or surface with hand-
helds or cracks, the difficulty should be normal and one success
should be enough.
Riding—Physicality + Survival/Agility
If the climb is more difficult, or the pressure exists and drives
the Character toward quick climbing, the Narrator is free to adjust The Riding roll should be rolled when the Character doesn’t
the difficulty and number of the successes needed to perform the have prior experience in riding and in that case, the Player should
action well. roll Physicality + Survival roll, to see if he succeeds in controlling
the animal.
In cases when the Character knows how to ride, the roll should
Hunting—Physicality + Survival be avoided except in situations when they have to do something
else while riding, or make an acrobatic stunt during the ride (such
Travels through the wilderness demands food, especially if the as jumping from one horse to another, riding sideways etc.)
voyage is long and taxing. When a Character wants to hunt the

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Running/Pursuit—Physicality + Agility Interrogation—Sociality + Empathy/

Expression
In situations when a Character has to outrun an event, such as
run away from the avalanche, the Player should simply roll a Phys- Interrogation, especially if it’s peaceful, usually consists of ask-
icality + Agility roll, to see if the action succeeds. ing strategic questions aimed to extract the information or truth
But during the pursuit, the Narrator can decide to appoint from other characters. If used in that manner, the Player rolls So-
a contested roll between the Characters, or Character and NPC, cial + Empathy roll, to see the slight changes in person’s behavior,
while the success depends on the outcome of the Roll. and leading the conversation toward the desired points.
If the interrogation is violent but doesn’t resort to physical
abuse, the Interrogation roll is consisted of Sociality + Expression,
Sneaking—Physicality + Stealth while Character tries to intimidate the prisoner for instance.

Trying to pass undetected or hiding in the shadows, demands a

Physicality + Stealth Roll, where the fail indicates detection. Intimidation—Sociality + Expression/
In some situations, Sneaking can call for a contested Roll, Physicality + Expression
where Intellect + Perception can be rolled against the Stealth Roll,
or Narrator can decide to simply set the difficulty appointing the Intimidation has a wide range of possible applications and
required number of dice successes to achieve the action. combinations which can be used for it. The most usual way of in-
timidation is through subtle threats, in which the victim perceives
the threat Character speaks about, in which situation Player rolls
Sociality + Expression roll. That way Character threatens the vic-
Swimming—Physicality + Survival/Agility tim only by words.
Similar as riding, swimming should be Physicality + Survival The second, more direct use of intimidation is through physi-
if the Character doesn’t know how to swim, results simulating how cal posture and aggressive intimidation. The Character bares their
long he manages to stay above the water, or how far did he move teeth, crack their knuckles and physical intimidates other Charac-
underwater or toward the firm ground. ters, and Player rolls Physicality + Expression roll, to adjust their
physical posture and actions with their words, where he promises
For the Characters who do know how to swim, the Physicality
the world of hurt victim will find themself in.
+ Agility roll is needed in situations when they carry a heavy bur-
den, such as armor, or are pulled by the current. This roll is also
needed when they have to hold their breath and swim underwater
for some time. Manipulation—Sociality + Expression

The acts of manipulation are a subtle way to sway the person to

your goal, change their perception or behavior or make someone
Social Actions do your bidding. It’s usually consisted of (false) promises, playing
with people’s insecurities, and influencing the deepest fears and
hopes they harbor.
Calming—Sociality + Expression To manipulate someone, the Player must roll Sociality + Ex-
pression roll.
When a Character tries to influence someone to calm down
and relax., a Player Rolls the Sociality + Expression Roll. Depend-
ing on the situation, Character influences others to loosen up and
relax in their presence. Performance—Sociality/Intellect/
Physicality + Performance

Performance is usually of public nature and may refer to sing-

Fast Talk—Sociality + Expression
ing, acting, dancing or any other action considered a public perfor-
When Character finds themself in an awkward situation where mance of an artistic skill.
she’s caught red-handed, or she needs crucial information without The usual roll for Performance is Sociality + Performance, but
all the subtle manipulation, she can resort to Fast Talk, overwhelm- in some cases Intellect instead of Sociality can be used, especially
ing the other Character with rapid fire witty remarks, half-truths, if it’s a public display of an intellectual skill (for example, solving
wiggling between the understatements and trying to pull through the riddles)
the situation.
In some situations, if the Performance is the showing off of the
physical skills like performance tumbling or juggling, the Physical-
ity can be used in conjunction with Performance.

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 C hapter 6: M echanics

Intellect Actions

Public Speech—Sociality + Oratory Crafting—Intellect/Physicality + Craft

The general can lead their army and boost their morale with Crafting is a method of creation and repairing of something of
passionate speech, the leaders can start the riots an overthrow the Character’s choice. It can vary, from repairs of the broken wheel on
government. The last hopes of a survivor can be ignited if someone the chariot, to the armor-smithing or even sculpting.
appeals to their sense of self-perseverance.
When a Character wants to craft something, Players and Nar-
To act this way, Player may roll Sociality + Oratory roll, to see rators should assess the situation and see does the crafting of a
if he can sway the people in front of them, and inspire them to do specific item require mostly physical or mostly intellectual work.
their bidding. According to the assessment, the Player rolls Intellect + Craft or
Physicality + Craft, depending on the work done. For instance, In-
tellect would be used while painting or repairing smaller things,
Seduction—Sociality + Expression/Empathy while Physicality would be used in chiseling or blacksmithing.

Seduction mostly comes naturally to Vasalli, since they are

usually revered and glorified as leaders and heroes. But in situa- Diagnosing—Intellect + Medicine
tions when a Character needs that extra influence over someone,
or just wants some intimacy with a Character in Story, the Player If a Character has medical background, he can try to diagnose
rolls Sociality + Expression to see if a Character succeeds in sweet the sickness which struck another Character. Player rolls an Intel-
talking the other. Thus, the initial interest starts, but the Narrator lect + Medicine roll, and in case he succeeds, he diagnoses the sick-
could ask for a Sociality + Empathy roll, to see if the Character ness in question. With two or more successes on a roll, a Character
“clicks” with their romantic interest, and further strengthens the knows how to treat the sickness, and can begin to do so.
relationship.
If a Character trying to diagnose the sickness doesn’t have
medicine skill, a simple Intellect roll should be made. In a case of
success, he vaguely knows the sickness, but doesn’t know the name
Teaching—Sociality + Oratory or its progression. He can maybe remember the folk remedy for the
sickness, or their common sense can refer them how to treat the
When the time for passing of knowledge comes, a Character sick, at least until he finds professional help.
can try to teach others in their ways. The Teaching consist of pass-
ing the knowledge from one person to other, but it’s considered a
social act. The teacher must be interesting, dynamic and confident
enough to pass their teaching to scholars. First Aid—Intellect + Medicine

When Player want’s their Character to teach someone some- Similar to diagnosing, if a Character wants to help another one
thing, he rolls a Sociality + Oratory roll, to see if he succeeds. with injury, he can try and roll Intellect + Medicine, to bandage the
wounds or stop bleeding. In a case of success, the Character can
stop people from dying, and with medical background, even help
Trade—Sociality + Trade them regain some of the lost Endurance points.
The rule of thumb regarding the healing should be—number
If a Character wants to sell something, barter or trade for an of successes on the Intellect + Medicine roll should be the number
item, their trading skills are of great importance. To conclude the of Non-Lethal endurance points regained. So, for every 2 successes,
trade with the best possible result the Player must roll a Sociality one full Endurance point returns.
+ Trade roll, to see if their Character succeeded in estimating the
value of an item, understood the possibility of a good trade, and if This method of healing can be used only once per day, and al-
he completed a lucrative bargain. most exclusively on Vasalli; common folk simply aren’t strong or
vital enough to heal this rapidly.
Narrators can decide to avoid this rule altogether, making the
wounds even more lethal than they are.

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Investigation – Intellect + Perception Research—Intellect + Academics

When searching for clues, evidence or items, a Player rolls the Doing academic research, library research or deciphering of
Intellect + Perception roll, which simulates Character trying to find the coded messages, a Player rolls the Intellect + Academics roll, to
something, or extensively searching for clues. Depending on is he see if he succeeded in the action.
specific in their search, or just examines the location for nothing
in general, the success can lead them to different conclusions and Like many other Intellect actions, this isn’t win or lose action,
results. but more of an action with ranked successes depending on the
number of the successes accumulated and every success counts for
Also, Narrator can choose to rank the success depending on additional information
the success dice, and give more chunks of information in relation
to successes accumulated.
Tracking—Intellect + Survival

Memorizing—Intellect + Perception If a Character wants to track an animal or person, the Player

should roll Intellect + Survival roll, to see how well he does it. The
When a Character wants to memorize something quickly, Play- difficulty of the roll can be adjusted depending on the terrain, situ-
er must roll Intellect + Perception roll, to see if he had enough time ation or time of the day.
and was focused enough to memorize all the details of a map, letter
or page from books. If the roll succeeds, the Character indeed can follow the tracks
but the overall success of the tracking and finding of the person
Since people with photographic memory are rare, depending or animal tracked can depend on the number of the successes ac-
on the successes accumulated, Narrator can choose to rank the suc- quired.
cess of the memorizing.

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 C hapter 6: M echanics

Using Virtues

L
UCK consists of the spendable points assigned during the Haefer manage to hold his breath for a longer duration, the Player
Character creation. Luck is the pool from which the Charac- decides to spend one Will point, to have the starting advantage. Then
ters can spend points to acquire an Automatic Success. he rolls the Physicality + Survival roll and acquires 2 more successes.
With the starting success gained by spending the Will point, he has 3
During the play, without using Luck, Automatic Success is the
successes, which was more than enough to safely emerge on the other
domain of the Narrator and their interpretation of creative ap-
side.
proach, or a task mundane enough.
Will points are regained when the Player achieves an excep-
But sometimes when the true need arises, Players can use a
tional success in some roll. After that dazzling display of skill, the
point of Luck from its pool, to automatically succeed in a Task. It
Character is self-confident enough to retain their natural willpow-
should be used cautiously and sparingly; the Luck points are re-
er, and he regenerates one point of Will.
gained at the rate of one per good night’s sleep.
Aside from the spending of the Will points, there is also anoth-
The main difference between the normal success and one
er important dimension of the Will Virtue, but it’s connected with
gained by spending a Luck point is that the normal success is a
the number of the Will points left in the pool.
result of the skill put to test; the success achieved by using the Luck
feature is just a result of a blind, dumb luck. Sometimes the Character has to keep their self-control, expe-
riences a terrible event, or starts to slip into madness, especially if
In a critical moment, Sonya wants to pass by the guard unseen,
their Corruption is high, and he needs to retain or keep their com-
but the guard is very alert and he scrutinizes the corridor closely.
posure, otherwise he would suffer the temporal disorders.
Additional problem is that the space is very well lit, and there is
almost no possibility of sneaking by. In order to achieve that Narrator can ask them to make a Will
roll. When Player rolls a Will roll, he counts the leftover Will points
The Player, left with no other way, decides to use a point of
in their pool, and rolls the same number of dice. If he succeeds, he
Luck.
kept their composure or shrugged off the creeping insanity.
Aryenne entered the House of Delight, the part of the secret Un-
Narrator: “What happened is this; while the Sonya derground in the Old Town. The floral and spicy scent of opium filled
was standing and trying to think of something, a com- her nostrils. Since she’s a former opium addict, Narrator asks the
mon bee appeared and flew right into the guard’s eye. Player to roll the Will roll, to keep Aryenne thinking clearly. The Play-
While the guard closed both eyes and put his hands on er counts the remaining points in Will Pool, and rolls 2 dice. She ac-
quires one success, and that is enough to keep Aryenne clear-minded.
his face wailing in pain, you had just enough time to
slip by him undetected.” COURAGE is different from other Virtues in terms of me-
chanics since its rank is the roll Pool not the number of spendable
points. Its number determines the amount of courage Character
Sometimes, a Narrator can suggest rolling the Luck Pool, in- can work up in any given moment.
stead of using the points, if the dire situation arises, when every- When the horrible and dreadful situation arises, the Narrator
thing is at stake. It’s the last resort for the Players who have a streak can ask the Player to roll the Courage roll, to keep the Character
of bad luck during the game. When the bad situation is happening, from freezing in fear, or flee in horror.
sometimes the only thing which can help Character to survive or
save someone is a little bit of Luck. Jorun enters the cave and sees a horrible sight: The bodies of the
missing villagers were hung all around, and displayed in a dreadful
For instance, if a Player failed the roll needed to jump over the manner. Hanging from the hooks stuck in the ceilings, they were posi-
chasm, Narrator can allow the Player to roll his Luck roll (instead of tioned upside down with their intestines dangling in the draft.
using the points) to see if the Character lands on the rocks below, or
he luckily missed them and fell into the sea. In the middle of the cave, a crazed mediator was digging in the
bowels of the unlucky man. He turned his red eyes toward Jorun and
Also, the Luck rolls can be used for the dice or card games in grins with blood spattered teeth.
the Story, simulating the good cards dealt to Character during the
gamble. The Narrator asks the Player to roll the Courage roll. The Player
rolled his three dice, since his Courage score is 3.
WILL is the measure of a Character’s willpower and inner
strength, and like other Virtues, it is measured in points. But he didn’t acquire any success and in addition to that, he
rolled a 1 on one of his dice resulting in a dramatic failure.
Similar to Luck points, Will points can be spent to help Players
achieve something, but unlike Luck, spent Will points only provide The Narrator decides that Jorun froze in fear while in the same
the Player with one starting success added to the roll result. time dropping his weapon on the floor.
Haefer is given a difficult task of diving through the complete-
ly flooded tunnel. Not being sure how long is the tunnel or will his

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 Chapter 6: M echanics

Endurance
The Character’s Endurance simulates their vitality and amount Character has 3 points on Physicality, he won’t die unless he reach-
of energy they have left. Although Vasalli are harder to kill than es -3. No matter the height of Physicality, every Character dies after
typical humans, and they can receive more physical punishment, dropping under -4.
they are not immortal.
If Characters fall under 0 with Endurance points, they are los-
The main difference between the Vasalli and common Folk re- ing 1 point every 2 rounds because of the bleeding.
garding their endurance, are that Vasalli are more vital, can shrug
It can be stabilized with a First Aid roll but they are still in a
off more damage than ordinary humans and that they have faster
terrible state until healed. Dying Characters are lying helpless on
metabolism.
the floor and they can be executed without any need for a roll.
The Endurance Chart on Character Sheet, helps to keep track
of your Character’s Endurance and condition. As the Character
takes damage, their life force declines until he finally becomes in-
capacitated and dies.
Healing
That same fast metabolism that differentiates them from Folk
Every Character has four Endurance levels marked with the helps Vasalli to regain one point of Endurance back with a good
appropriate physical state + one level marked with “Dying” state. night’s sleep of at least 8 hours. When taken care of, and bandaged,
As the Character receives damage points, the boxes on the they can regenerate even more—up to 3 points per night.
chart are ticked from left to right, stepping down as the physical Other methods of healing include using of the Regeneration
state becomes worse. (See “Applying Damage” on page 129). Gift (only on self) and using of the First Aid

Physical State Stamina

Superb condition— Your Character is in supreme physical Positioned next of the Endurance Chart, is the measurement
condition, or barely scratched and can still endure more. of Character’s Stamina. The rolls of physical nature can’t use more
Normal — Your Character has normal Endurance points and is dice than it’s written next to the Endurance level, no matter the size
as healthy as other average Vasalli. He’s maybe somewhat bruised, of the Dice Pool.
but can still function better than the best of the ordinary humans. The reason for this is that Character is wounded, tired and un-
Wounded — The Character is now damaged to the point where sure of themself, and that affects the probability of success regard-
he is as vital as an ordinary human, but that means he’s in worse ing the physical actions.
shape than normal Vasalli, and it could mean he will soon be seri- The Characters with lower Physicality score have the normal
ously wounded if he can’t find the way out of the fight. level of Endurance (just like common Folk) and they simply can’t
Heavily wounded—State on the brink of unconsciousness, se- have more dice in their Pool. It reflects the situation when Vasalli
rious for Vasalli and ordinary humans alike. The Character is seri- are closer to common folk regarding their physical abilities. But it
ously mauled and suffers greatly. Unless he instantly saves themself usually means they are well above the ordinary Vasalli regarding
from further beating, the fight could mean the end of them. their mental power or social prowess.
Dying/Death—This is the where Character will die if someone During the “Normal” physical state, while at 5 Endurance
doesn’t help them as soon as possible. Depending on the Physi- points, the maximum roll in physical actions (like jumping or at-
cality Attribute, the Character can go into the “minus points”; but tacking) can be 12. But if a Character receives one point of damage,
only to the negative number of their Physicality. For instance, if a lowering them to 4 Endurance Points, he can use only 11 dice.

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 C hapter 6: M echanics

Corruption

C
orruption is the one of the main reasons ordinary Folk fear During the psychotic events, a Character Virtue rolls, Intellec-
the Vasalli. No Vasall is safe from the grip of Corruption, tuality rolls and Sociality rolls can have a maximum pool of 2 dice.
especially if she overuses the Gifts.
Vasalli see the Corruption as punishment and retribution
when they fail to subdue the explosive power of Gift, or simply fail Multiple personality disorder
at channeling it. The volatile power, once awakened, must be chan- A deeply traumatic experience can lead to the splitting of the
neled properly, or it will corrode the Vasalli unfortunate enough to personality, inducing the multiple personality disorder and frac-
misuse the Gifts. Since its power can’t be released, it stays within turing the personality into the two or more personas, often demon-
the Vasalli body, burning through their veins and distorting the strating extreme behavior.
features.
The personas can be completely different one from another,
Corruption can easily be recognized; black bloodscars, blood- following the different ideals and philosophies, to the point of pre-
shot eyes and dilated pupils, almost to the extent of blackening of senting themselves as members of different Orders.
the distinctive iris colors.
The Player should cooperate with the Narrator in defining how
The advanced Corruption state manifests itself in cracks on the many personas should the Character exhibit and what should trig-
skin and scars replacing the usual bloodscars, involuntary convul- ger the change of personas of the Character.
sions, and rapid mood swings.
To resist the trigger, Player should roll the Will roll, stopping
One of the most terrible features of the advanced Corruption the change of personas with the success.
state is the degeneration of the Vasalli mind, and the illness of their
psyche.

Impulsive disorders (kleptomania,

Mental Illness pyromania)
These disorders are a set of impulse control disorders which
can manifest in different ways. A Character with one of the im-
Phobia pulsive disorders will have a tough time restraining herself from
committing the deed in question. Whenever a chance occurs, a
A type of anxiety disorder, usually manifested as irrational fear
Character should roll the Will roll to restrain herself from lighting
of an object or situation. Characters who develop Phobias, should
a fire, stealing, etc.
consult with their Narrator to see what should be the appropriate
fear for the situation.
When the Character is confronted with the object of a phobia,
she should roll the Courage roll. If failed, the Character is stunned
Paranoia
or runs away in fear. If a roll is passed, the Character succeeds in This disorder manifests itself with Characters believing they’re
restraining herself. always being watched and followed, with mistrust and suspicion to
the point of having a persecution complex.
The victims of this disorder will always feel they’re being
Psychotic disorders watched and will take great lengths to evade “them” and anyone
connected to “them”.
(schizophrenia, delusional
No matter the Sociality score, Characters suffering from Para-
disorder, bipolar disorder) noia are always considered to have a Sociality score of 1. The skills
This is a broad category of disorders which are characterized as can add to the Sociality action rolls, but to counter the penalty, a
someone’s “loss of contact with reality”. Player should roll the Will roll to allow the Character’s sociality
score be greater than 1 for this occasion.
These disorders are generally the ones which make a Character
lose a sense of reality, talking to a wall, developing strange identi-
ties (King of the World) or hallucinate.
Player choosing a psychotic disorder should predetermine
The length of disorder episodes can be anywhere between one
a general set of behaviors triggered by an event connected to the
hour or one day, with the Narrator’s decision being final, while the
cause of the disorder.
ongoing disorders (Paranoia, Phobia) are always present with the
The Character should roleplay this set of behaviors (hallucina- varying degree of intensity.
tions, delusions, etc.) whenever triggered by a determined event.

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Fiends
Fiends are the Vasalli who succumbed to Corruption by over- To get rid of the Corruption points, the Character must have
using the Gifts or Vargan Blood, which drives them mad and dan- undisturbed sleep of at least 8 hours, and he mustn’t use any Gift
gerous. next day. Only in the morning after the day he restrained themself
from using of the Gifts, he can erase one Corruption point.
Although becoming a Fiend is a long process which takes time
and frequent entering into state of Corruption, there is a possibility Alternative to the sleep is that a character spends one hour
for a Character in the game to become a Fiend if he survives the meditating without disturbance. In order to maintain the focus, the
jaws of addiction and Corruption many times. character has to roll one Intellect roll (using only points in Intellect
as the dice number) and succeed. This can be done only once a
But be aware; Fiends are notoriously mad and devastating,
day.
since overuse of Gifts and using of Vargan blood comes with the
price. When a Character cumulates Corruption points without rest-
ing or disregarding their safety, the Player fills out the Corruption
table on a Character Sheet.
Mechanics of Corruption When the Corruption level reaches 7, the Character begins suf-
No matter the extent of Gift usage, as Vasalli grow old, they are fering a penalty to their maximum Endurance level, which drops
more and more susceptible to Corruption, to the point of having at with every Corruption point accumulated from then onwards.
least some of the Corruption ever-present in their bodies. On the 10th Corruption level, 3 things happen: A character be-
The mechanics of the Corruption are simple, if the Character gins suffering roll penalty on every physical action, he gets a new
fails to channel the Gift, he receives the points of Corruption equal permanent bloodscar and finally, he suffers from a temporary il-
to the number of the level of the Gift. For instance, if Player fails the ness, usually lasting one to couple of days.
roll for the Concealer Gift of the second level, he receives 2 points On the 13th Corruption level, their mind illness becomes per-
of Corruption. manent.
It doesn’t matter if the Player simply fails the roll, or other The transformation of Character into a Fiend is a process
Character succeeds in contested roll and resists the Gift; the Char- which is calculated like this; after a Character goes beyond the 10th
acter who doesn’t succeed in channeling the Gift receives the Cor- Corruption level and back for 10 times, he is considered a Fiend, no
ruption points. matter their mental state or mind illness.
Their new bloodscars deform their body and after a while the
hair of a Character falls out where the scar tissue was formed.

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 Chapter 7:
Combat System

A
lthough Awaken is developed and designed with the focus being primarily on
roleplaying and art of Narration, the Characters will end up in a situation
that calls for arms and violent conflict.

As the history shows, sometimes the combat is unavoidable, and as such,

it found its way into this game.

Fights in real life are messy, chaotic and brutal, unlike elegant feats of skill
and endurance we are accustomed to while watching movies. They are dangerous and they usually
end seconds after they begin. The combat in Awaken is designed to reflect the drama and chaos that
arise during the violent encounters.

Quick and lethal, the combat in the game is a dangerous feat, where Characters risk their lives
in a clash of skills, wits and brute force in a messy, down and dirty way, trying to survive. Everybody
acts in the same time, and there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

The combat system in the game tries to retain the fluidity and pacing of the story even during
vicious fights, while allowing for the extraordinary stunts and creative deeds, especially considering
the Vasalli elements like their superior fitness and Gifts.
 Chapter 7 : Combat System

Drama and Narration

in Combat

A
s in the rest of the story and roleplaying, the only thing The Picture Rule mentioned (page 109) is especially important
limiting your Character’s actions, are the levels of devel- when used in combat. If the Player creatively describes their attack
opment of their skills and your creativity and imagination. and uses unconventional or original methods, Narrator should re-
ward them with extra dice in the attack, thus simulating the edge
When we look at the basics of a combat, it simplifies to two
produced by creativity in a real fight.
objectives: to affect the opponent and to stop them from affecting
you. Everything else during the combat is the direct result of Nar- The end results of this creative approach are the active partic-
rator’s or Player’s creativity in pursuing those two tasks, depending ipation of the Players in narration, better chance of success and
on the Roll results. most important; the greater fun and joy in sessions.
To simplify the number crunching statistics of the combat, we We understand that inexperienced players sometimes have
devised a simple yet lethal system, whose core is used for the sole trouble imagining the flow of the combat, and they won’t be able
purpose of fulfilling those two objectives, but allowing for the great to approach it as creatively as experienced players would, but we
variations and heroic acts arising from the creative narration of urge the Narrators to explain the potential of the Picture Rule and
both Players and Narrator. to help them with description until they get a hold of it themselves.
To elaborate it, we’ll put it in the terms of a street fight. The combat system is very intuitive and open, allowing for in-
tuitive resolutions and interpretations, enabling the Narrators to
Imagine two fighters, just trying to hit the opponent and to
appropriately award the players for their approach, without the
defend against their punches. In the terms of the game, that would
rules set in stone for every single maneuver or complicated action.
be simple combat, without any creativity and tactics.
There are examples of the common actions in games, but Narrator
If one opponent in the match uses their creativity, tactics, and Players should see them as guidelines, not definitive rules.
chooses the right approach, feints, evades, dances around the
Narrators should be adaptable while interpreting the various
opponent, it would give them the edge needed to subdue even a
actions, since no rule can reflect the real life complexity of the
stronger opponent, since he can’t predict their next moves.
actions, so if some rule becomes a stumbling block in the way of
That’s why we urge the Players to contribute to fight not achieving something, don’t hesitate to skip it or change it.
only with their statistics and rolls, but primarily with their cre-
If both Narrator and Player agree on the slightly modified
ativity
rules, to keep the better flow and enjoy the game more, feel free
to modify them; the statistics and rules should never get in the
way of roleplaying and art of narration.

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 C hapter 7 : Combat System

Mechanics of Combat

A
s we have said before, Combat System and mechanics are
very simple and intuitive, focusing on the flow and narra- Narrator: OK now, you find yourselves in a dark
tion, rather than statistics and number crunching.
alley. The rain is pouring from the sky like nature de-
The round in fight itself is comprised of four Phases: Declara- cided to drown every living being in the world. The
tion Phase, Maneuver Phase, Engagement Phase and Resolution only light you see are the distant Resin lamps on a far
Phase. main street. The dark figure you followed is nowhere to
be seen, and you feel he escaped your pursuit. But sud-
denly, as you look around, you feel the gaze upon you.
Declaration Phase When you turn toward the street you came from, you
This is the Phase when the players decide and declare what two robed figures looking like the one you were chasing.
they want their Character to do during the Maneuver and/or En-
gagement Phase. The actions can vary; from taking cover, running,
“We thought you were smarter than this.” Said one
jumping on the opponent and attacking, to using Gifts.
with the mockery dripping from his words. “Oh how
The Players should describe their intentions as accurately as the mighty have fallen.” Said another with the same
possible and, of course, if they want to benefit from Picture Rule, dose of mockery.
they should describe it as best they can, in the theme and mood
of the Story, in accordance with the possibilities of the Character.
You see them drawing their weapons and tension
Since Characters act at the same time, or with couple of sec-
onds of delay between the actions, the order of declaration isn’t
under the robes and you sense the battle is upon you.
particularly important, but every Narrator should find a way to or- What do you do?
ganize it for the sake of simplicity; alphabetical, from left to right
or any simple system. Mark: My Character Kairan is suffering from the
Be aware that there are actions that can be done prior to the at- wounds he received in the past fight, so I’d like to acti-
tack such as instant actions and Gifts, while some actions are more vate the Regeneration Gift and attack the nearest op-
complicated and demand the longer amount of time, and can’t be ponent, but I’ll do it from the safe distance, with my
used in the same turn as the attack. longbow.
If a Player wants to do multiple actions (if it’s possible, of
course), he must state that in this phase; activating the reflexive
Lily: I’ll draw my dagger and I’ll use Telekinesis to
Gifts, movement, etc., as well as he has to state if he spends Luck or
Will points for the action.
attack one of them with the dagger. Vestes is a master
of Reality Gifts.
Additionally, a Character can attack up to that number of tar-
gets as is the rank number of the key Skill in the attack. If a Charac-
ter has 3 in Fray, he can attack up to 3 different targets in the same Luke: My Character Gartan will attack them with
round using close combat attacks. If he has 2 in Ranged, he can his axe. But tell me, is there anything slightly elevated
attack up to 2 targets in Ranged attack. in the alley? Something I could climb on?

Narrator: Well, you see a stone block right next to

one of the walls, you assume it’s used as a bench.

Luke: OK, I’ll run toward it, and try to hop on it

and jump on the opponent from it, to gain a momen-
tum and try to hit with my axe as hard as I can.

Narrator: Great maneuver, let’s see what happens

next…

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 Chapter 7 : Combat System

Maneuver Phase Engagement Phase

This is the pre-engagement phase. What it means is that all ac- This is the moment when the Players who are able to attack,
tions which aren’t considered a direct attack are done in this phase. Roll their Attack and Defense Rolls, and here is how they do it:
If a Player uses Gift, he activates it in this phase, if he decides to In the Declaration Phase, the Players described what would
move, he does it in this phase, if he attempts some other maneuver, they like to do, and if they attack, they had to declare if they will
he attempts it in this phase. perform Unarmed, Melee or Ranged Attack.
Gifts which are used to directly attack an opponent, are acti- In Engagement Phase, the Rolls are conducted in this manner:
vated in this phase, while the roll and attack itself occur in the En-
1. According to the type of attack declared in a Declaration
gagement phase.
Phase, Player counts all the dice in their pool
There are some circumstances, when a Player attempts an ac-
2. The Player then adds the bonus dice (if given because of
tion which affects the opponent but isn’t a normal attack. In those
the Picture rule) or subtracts the penalties
circumstances, the Contested Rolls are made in this phase.
3. Then, he divides the dice between Attack and Defense in
the way he wants and which closely describes a manner
of their attack.
For example: A Character wants to use a Mind-
carver Gift to read the opponent’s mind, and in this 4. After all that, he Rolls the dice
phase, he Rolls the Mind Roll, while the opponents
Rolls his Mind Roll, to try and resist the Gift.
Melee and Unarmed attacks
The same Contested Roll happens if a Character There is no strict rule how many dice should be put in Attack,
decides for a Combat Maneuver like tripping the oppo- but there must be at least as many dice left in the Defense, as is the
nent; he rolls his Physicality and Fray Roll, while their number of the dice given by armor if there is any.
opponent does the same.
For instance; A Character has Physicality 3, Fray 2, Agility 2,
and carries a sword which gives them 2 dice and leather armor
Narrator: So Mark, give me a simple Body Roll, to
which gives them 2 dice.
activate the Regeneration Gift.
The total in Melee pool is 11, and Player can divide the dice,
Mark: OK. I’ll use the second level of Regeneration. however, he wants, provided he leaves at least 2 dice reserved for
(Rolls) I succeeded! defense, because their armor rating is 2.
The Character can attack furiously and fearlessly, and the Play-
Narrator: Nice, you activate the Regeneration and er reserves 9 dice for attack, except those 2 which belong in the
you feel your blood boiling with the divine fire. In front defense.
of your eyes, the wounds become covered with scabs
In the other situation, he can choose to be very careful and
and you swear you can feel the tissue growing rapidly. defensive, attacking only if he sees the opportunity, so the Player
You can erase 2 lethal damages from your Endurance. decides to put 9 dice in the defense, and only 2 in the attack.

Mark: Encouraged by this, I nock the arrow on the The Player can decide he doesn’t want risk at all, letting other,
string of the bow calmly and confidently. more skilled fighters to do their work, and he can put all the dice in
defense. In that situation, he accumulates 11 dice for their Defense
Narrator: Lilly, you draw the dagger, but in this sit- Roll.
uation, your Telekinesis is considered an attack, and it The most common situation is that Player divides the Combat
happens in the next Phase. Pool as evenly as he can, slightly inclining toward attack or defense,
depending on the capabilities of the Character, or style of play.
Lilly: OK, I understand.

Narrator: But you feel the power coursing through

your veins as you prepare to blast the dagger across the
alley, into the opponent. Luke, give me a Physicality
and Agility Roll, just to make sure you won’t slip on
the wet surface.

Luke: OK, here it goes! (he Rolls) Yes! A success!

Narrator: Perfect, you start running toward the

stone bench squeezing the grip of your trusted axe…

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 C hapter 7 : Combat System

Ranged attacks Resolution Phase

Ranged attacks are slightly different from close combat type of This is the final phase of the round, where everybody counts
the attack in two main ways: the successes, and calculates the damage given and received, while
hh Their pool doesn’t include Agility (ranged fighters are Narrator assesses the situation and describes what happened.
mostly stationary while aiming and Agility doesn’t influ-
ence their chance of success) and Fray Skill is replaced
with Ranged Skill. Calculating damage
hh The ranged attackers must apply the ranged penalty to Combat is at its core a variation of Contested Roll, where ev-
their pool, subtracting as many dice from the pool as erybody counts their successes and pits them against the oppo-
is the number of friendly targets in direct close combat nent’s successes.
with opponents. (If two teammates are fighting in melee
with the opponent, the archer must subtract 2 dice from Every Player counts their results on dice reserved for attack,
the attack pool.) and on dice reserved for defense, while Narrator does the same for
the opponents.
Everything else stays same as in close combat, including the
rule to reserve the number of dice for defense, depending on the Every success on the defense dice negates a success on the at-
rating of the armor. tack dice, and vice-versa, and the final tally is the damage given or
received.
During this Phase, the Narrator also rolls for the opponents
who are battling the Characters. A Player attacks the opponent and their results are 4 attack suc-
cesses and 2 defense successes.
Their opponent, on the other hand, rolls 2 successes in the at-
tack and 2 successes in defense. The Player’s attack succeeded in
dealing 2 points of damage (their attack of 4, minus opponent’s de-
fense of 2, equals 2 points of damage given), while the opponent
didn’t succeed in damaging the Player (opponents attack of 2-mi-
Narrator: OK now, Gartan (Luke’s Character); nus Player’s defense of 2, equals 0 damage points).
you ran and jumped through the air, trying to land a If more people are attacking the same target, their attacks are
blow with your axe. Roll the dice, and add two more added together against the defense roll of the target, while targets
because you described the attack creatively. (Picture can divide their attack successes among the two opponents if their
Rule) respective Skill is rank 2 or higher.
One Player’s Character attacks two opponents and gets 5 suc-
Luke: Great! cesses in attack and 2 in defense. The first opponent gets 2 in attack
and 1 in defense, while second gets 2 in attack and 0 in defense. The
opponent’s successes combined give a number of 4, which is pitted
Narrator: Lilly, Roll your Ranged Attack, but with against Character’s defense of 2.
the Reality Gift score instead of the Physicality score
and subtract one dice because Luke is in the direct me- The Character divides their 5 successes among the opponents;
3 successes against the first, and 2 against the second.
lee.
The Character damaged the first opponent for 2 damage points
(3-1=2) and at the same time succeeded in damaging the second
Lilly: OK.
for the same amount, since their defense was lacking (2-0=2)
But at the same time, he was busy with attacking, and their de-
Narrator: And Mark, you used Regeneration Gift,
fense wasn’t as good and he received 2 damages (4-2=2) from both
but it’s instant and allows you the attack. Give me the opponents.
Ranged Attack Roll, but with the penalty of one, like
Lilly, since Luke’s in the way. When assessing the situation, multiple opponents and their
successful attacks, Narrator is free to decide which of the multiple
attackers actually succeeded in damaging the Player, did everyone
Mark: Roll away! succeed in dishing out a small amount of damage, or everyone
missed and one smashed the Player with full strength; it’s all the
matter of perspective and situation.
(Everybody Rolls)
Given that Narrator has this power over the course of the Story
and situations, he should use it in moderation, and always in the
Narrator: OK, let’s count the successes!
favor of the Characters and Story.
If it happens that some Player damaged one of the opponents
with more than enough to kill them, the rest of the damage is ap-
plied to the next opponent in proximity, making the fight more flu-
id, dynamic and cinematic.

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 Chapter 7 : Combat System

The Narrator can decide if he’ll keep their dice results and the
opponent stats a secret or not, but keeping them that way strength-
ens the feeling of suspense if the fight continues for another round.

Mark: I have a Combat Pool of 9, and I rolled 7 From a mathematical point of view, in the past example, Play-
ers acquired 6, 4 and 2 attack successes against 2 and 1 defense
dice for attack and 2 dice for the defense. I acquired 4
successes. NPCs acquired 3 and 2 attack successes, but they were
successes in the attack Roll, and 1 in the defense. I’m in melee combat, and those successes are pitted against the closest
attacking the guy on the left. melee opponent. In this case that was Gartan, with his 4 successes
in a defense Roll.
Luke: Yes! I have 6 successes in the attack and 4 in
the defense! I’m attacking the right guy, the one closer
to the stone slab.
Oh my… It’s a mess! Or is it? (Recapitulation)
Lilly: Not too good. Only 2 in attack and 1 in de-
fense. I’ll attack the guy on the left, same as Mark.
The system could look confusing to some players at first, it’s
Narrator: OK guys, I rolled their dice; First oppo- actually really simple. The most of the rules are derived from the
nent gained 2 in attack and 1 in defense, while second most important rule: The Picture Rule.
acquired 3 successes in attack and 2 in defense, and Everything else boils down to this;
this is what happened: As the Luke’s Character Gar-
hh Calculate your Combat Pool,
tan was soaring through the air, Kairan shot an arrow,
while Vestes launched her dagger using her Gift. hh Divide the dice between the Attack and Defense,
hh Roll the dice
The two opponents at the same time prepare to
meet the Gartan’s axe, thus leaving their sides open. hh Assess the situation
Axe clanged loudly as it slid down the first opponent’s hh Narrate the event.
blade and slashed through his left shoulder, separating
the arm in a clean cut. The axe continued its motion
and stopped with another clang on the blade of the sec- The Picture Rule allows for the bonuses derived from a cre-
ond attacker. ative approach and vivid descriptions of the action, simulating the
strategic bonuses received from typical maneuvers such as flank-
ing, rushing, disarming, etc.
Luke: Whoa, great!

Narrator: As the first opponent fell to his knees in Examples of maneuvers are described on page 130 to help you
agony, the second attacker found a way to stab you grasp their potential.
with the tip of his sword, because your axe was off
There are various ways and methods to interpret the result, but
balance after the first opponent redirected it with his
we encourage you to use the method that feels most intuitive and
sword, and you receive one point of damage.
logical.

Luke: Too bad… When calculating the damage and describing the situation, just
take note of who is doing what or attacking whom, and that will
Narrator: But in the same time as the tip of the make it easier to pit the right Attack successes against the right De-
fense Successes.
sword slid into your right shoulder, the Kairan’s arrow
and Vestes’s dagger reached their destination, finding A simple but useful trick is to use the dice of different colors for
their way into hearts and neck of your opponent. action and defense. You can use black dice for attack and white for
defense. For instance; you can have 10 black dice and 10 white dice,
Lilly and Mark: Woo-hoo, yeah! and when you’re attacking with 7 dice and defending with 3, use 7
black dice and 3 white dice in one Roll. It will greatly simplify the
counting of successes in one or other aspects.
Narrator: The arrow slit his vocal cords, and the at-
tacker fell into the puddle of water with nothing more The combat system is actually devised to play with different
than a splashing sound. colored dice, to allow for faster Rolls and calculating of successes.

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 C hapter 7 : Combat System

Additional Rules and

Guidelines
Type of damage Lethal Damage
When a Character fails in defending against an attack, it usu- This kind of damage (L) is the kind of damage which is meant
ally means he receives some kind of damage affecting their Endur- to cause wounds and immediate danger to the Character. The
ance. Each success on the Attack Roll surpassing the Defense Roll, Characters wounded by weapons such as blades, arrows, and heavy
causes one point of damage to the Character. Weapons described bashing weapons, as well as elementary dangers such as fire and
on the page 132, have clearly stated the type of damage they cause. some special Gifts, all receive Lethal damage points.

There are two types of damage affecting the Character: This type of damage can quickly finish the Character off, or
Non-Lethal and Lethal. leave them maimed and near death, so the Players are advised to
be careful in all-out combat.

Non-Lethal Damage
Applying Damage
Non-Lethal damage, often abbreviated as NL damage, is the
kind of damage delivered by unarmed punches and blunt trauma The damage received is marked on the Endurance Chart on
to the body. your Character Sheet. There are two kinds of boxes in every line
on the chart, as shown in the picture. The upper box is reserved
This kind of damage is not immediately fatal, although ac- for the Lethal damage, and every point of this kind of damage is
cumulating this kind of damage can be seriously maiming and marked in that box.
dangerous for the Character, and can turn into the Lethal damage
quickly enough. The lower boxes are reserved for Non-Lethal damage and are
marked when NL damage is applied.
This kind of damage applies to every attack made with bare
hands, improvised non-bladed weapons, and light blunt weapons Every two points of NL damage equal one point of L damage,
(such as staves and sticks). so when you mark both lower boxes, it yields the same result as if
the box for Lethal damage is marked.

Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 4
1 2 1 2 1 2

Sample of damage denotation: Larger boxes signify

Lethal damage, and smaller signify Non-Lethal dam-
age. Every 2 Non-lethal points equal one Lethal point”

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 Chapt er 7 : Com bat Sys t e m

Combat Maneuvers

H
Tumble
ere are some examples of the common maneuvers in a
fight with the proposed rules. The examples are derived Jumping over the tables, rolling under the obstacles and cre-
from the Picture Rule—the heart of this mechanic, cre- ative use of environment can be awarded the bonus dice according
ated to avoid the unnecessary charts, complications, and constant to Picture Rule. The common Roll for this is Physicality + Agility
searching through the book for “that one rule”. Narrators can feel to see if a Character succeeds. If the Character succeeds in using
free to change the proposed values according to the situation, so tumble as a part of the attack, Narrator should award them with a
don’t feel too limited by these numbers. number of bonus dice at least as a number of the successes acquired
The Player should announce the maneuvers during the Decla- in a Tumble Roll, up to 3 bonus dice. Of course, if a Player uses
ration Phase. Picture Rule, it can boost their possibility of success.

The examples given on the next pages of the book are just
that—examples of possible actions. Of course, we couldn’t list all Double Weapon Attacks
the possible maneuvers, combinations, and stunts, but the next
few examples can give an insight into the possible resolves of the If a character chooses to use two weapons to attack, he gains
maneuvers. They can help you understand how does the mechanic one additional die in their combat pool. To use two weapons, the
function and how to manage various situations which can arise. Character has to have two weapon Melee specialization.

Close Combat Maneuvers Trip

If a Character wants to trip an opponent, the Physicality + Fray

Vs. Physicality+ Agility contested roll is made.
Sneak Attack
Success — The tripped Character falls on the floor, and must
If a Player attempts to attack the target which is unaware of sacrifice their attack next round in favor of getting up, or attacks
the attack, their attack successes are pitted only against the num- from the floor in which case he loses the Agility dice from their
ber of successes equal to target’s Armor rating and Physicality. For combat pool.
example, if a Character using Concealer gift and is totally invisi-
ble, attacks the unsuspecting target with the Armor rating of 1 and Fail—The attacker loses their attack, and can defend only with
Physicality score of 2, no matter the number of successes the target the number of dice equaling their Armor Rating + Physicality.
acquires, the number of their Defense successes against the con- If attackers dramatically fails, he falls to the floor.
cealed Character can maximally be 3, rendering every additional
success in defense ineffective. The same is true for the Surprise
Attacks. Disarm

If a Character wants to disarm someone, the Physical + Fray

Vs. Physical + Fray contested roll is made.
Success—Opponent is disarmed
Fail—Character loses their attack, and can defend only with
the number of dice equaling their Armor Rating + Physicality.
Dramatic Fail — The Character is disarmed.

Hold

If a Character wants to hold someone, rendering them immo-

bile, he must succeed on the unarmed attack Roll, sacrificing their
defense points. Only if he succeeds in an attack and suffers no dam-
age (opponent fails their attack Roll) he succeeds in grappling the
opponent.
Success—Until the next round, the opponent can’t do anything
except Roll the Physicality + Agility Vs. Physicality + Agility con-
tested Roll to free themself, and only their Armor Rating + Physi-
cality defense dice apply
Fail—Character loses their attack and can defend only with the
number of dice equaling their Armor Rating + Physicality.
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 C hapter 7 : Com bat Sys t e m

Dramatic fail—Character tried to tackle the opponent, but he

fell to the floor instead.
Ranged Maneuvers

Aim
Knock out
If the player stands still and concentrates exclusively on their
If a Character wants to render someone unconscious with a
aim, he receives a bonus of 2 dice on their Attack roll.
single hit, he has to succeed in a Sneak attack, but with a non-lethal
weapon or hands.
The defending character can roll defense roll like it’s a sneak
Cover
attack (only armor and Physicality points pool). The difference be-
tween attacker’s successes and defender’s successes should match The ranged attacker hiding behind the cover, receive a dice
defender’s Physicality score or more. bonus usable for their Defense Roll, according to the quality of the
Success — The defender is unconscious for the number of min- cover they use.
utes matching the difference between attacking and defending roll. Partial Cover (kneeling behind a low wall)—one die
Fail—Attack doesn’t succeed in rendering someone uncon- Good Cover (waist-high stone)—two dice
scious.
Supreme Cover (chest high cover)—three dice
Dramatic Fail — The attacker damages themselves with non-le-
thal points in the amount of their physicality score.

Complications
Blind fighting
While blinded in melee, only attacks made with more than 5 If a Character wants to attack while prone, their Combat Pool
successes land, and even then, the damage is calculated normally. can’t use Agility bonuses, and Defense Roll can consist only of a
(Subtracting the Defense successes from attack.) Every attack with number of dice equaling their Armor Rating and Physicality.
less successes automatically fails.
Ranged attacks automatically fail if a person is blinded.
Special Gifts like Superior Sense or Phase might mitigate this,
Attacking and damaging
lowering the number of successes needed to 3. outside of combat
The Defense Rolls are limited only to the number of dice equal- If a combat is not initiated, i.e. if one Character attacks but oth-
ing Armor Rating + Physicality during this situation. er doesn’t want to engage, the rolls which are made can differ from
those used in direct combat.
In that situation, the attacking roll is made with Physicali-
Stunned/Dazed ty+Range+Weapon or Phy+Fray+Weapon, while the defending
roll is made with Armor+Agility. The difference between successes
If a Character becomes stunned, he can’t act that turn and is
is the amount of damage dealt.
only allowed the Defense Roll in the height of their Armor rating
and Physicality. This non-combat principle can be applied to multitudes of sit-
uations, like attacking a character running away or attacking some-
one up-close who doesn’t want to engage in combat.
Prone The modifiers for the roll (Physicality, Range, weapon bonus
Character rendered prone can try their Physicality + Agility etc.) can be added or subtracted depending on the Narrator and
Roll to try and get up as a maneuver without wasting the attack or the situation; for instance, character running away in a straight
spend their entire Maneuver and Engage Phase getting up, without line, thinking only about escape can defend only with their Armor,
attacking. without Agility.

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 Chapter 7 : Combat System

Equipment and Surroundings

Weapons and Armor

Weapons add the bonus dice to your Combat Pool, and the Similar to weapons, armor adds the bonus defined on the Ar-
number and the type of damage is defined in the Weapons chart. mor char, but that bonus can be used only in Defense Rolls, since
Unlike the armor bonus, the weapon bonus isn’t intended exclu- the Character can’t use their armor to attack. The exception are the
sively only for one aspect of combat; weapon bonus can be used for special armors such as those built to wound while slamming an
Defense Rolls as well as for Attack Rolls. The Character trained in opponent.
the melee fighting can use their weapon for blocking, parrying, and
defense, as well as attacking.

Melee Weapon Chart

Name Type Damage Special Value

Stick Non-Lethal +1 / 1 Wealth

Club Non-Lethal +3 / 2 Wealth

Dagger/Short Sword Lethal +1 / 1 Wealth

Long Sword Lethal +2 / 3 Wealth

Two Handed Sword Lethal +3 2 hands and Physicality 2 or more 4 Wealth

Two Handed Sword—Resin Cast * Lethal +3 / 5 Wealth

Axe Lethal +2 Physicality 2 or more 3 Wealth

Great Axe Lethal +4 2 hands, Physicality 3 or more 3 Wealth

Great Axe—Resin Cast * Lethal +4 / 5 Wealth

* Due to Resin Cast (combination of steel and resin) the weapon is lighter but shines a small amount of light in the dark—it can be used as a light
source in the darkness.

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 C hapter 7 : Combat System

Range Weapon Chart

Name Type Damage Special Value

Sling Non-Lethal +1 / 1 Wealth

Bow Lethal +1 / 2 Wealth

Long Bow Lethal +2 Physicality 2 or more 3 Wealth

Crossbow Lethal +2 Can fire once per 2 turns 3 Wealth

Gun Lethal +5 Can fire once per 3 turns 5 Wealth

Armor Chart

Name Drawback Bonus Special Value

Leather Armor / +1 / 1 Wealth

Chainmail / +2 / 3 Wealth

All Physicality actions have a penalty

Plate +3 Physicality 2 or more 3 Wealth
of - 1 due to burden

Plate—Resin Cast ** / +3 / 5 Wealth

All Physicality actions have a penalty

Full Plate +4 Physicality 3 or more 4 Wealth
of - 2 due to burden

Full Plate—Resin Cast All Physicality actions have a penalty

+4 Physicality 2 or more 5 Wealth
** of - 1 due to burden

Small Shield / +1 / 1 Wealth

Medium Shield / +2 / 2 Wealth

Tower Shield / +3 Physicality 2 or more 4 Wealth

Can be installed on all

Spikes on Shield / / Shields, gives 1 bonus die 2 Wealth
to melee combat pool

** Due to Resin Cast (combination of steel and resin) the armor is lighter but shines a small amount of light in the dark.

133
 Chapter 7 : Combat System

Damage from Hazards

Damage dealt out in combat isn’t the only damage that can Example: Sonya is falling from the height of 20 feet,
affect the Character. The experiences such as falling from great
and can choose between Physicality or Agility to avoid
heights, passing through fire and other natural hazards can damage
the Character too.
hurting herself (the difference being a tough character
resisting the damage or being agile trying to nimbly
The Narrator will often ask for a Roll in attempt to delay, evade tumble after the fall and distribute the impact)
or resist the damage, but the difficulty is usually high for the dan-
gerous situations, so the Players are advised to avoid the unneces-
sary dangers. She decides to use Agility (she has 3 points there)
and she rolls 3 dice on which she gets 1 success.
The common examples of hazards and their difficulty can be
seen below, with the included proposed Rolls.
Since every 10 feet adds 1 lethal damage, it means
her 1 success die annulled 1 point of damage and she
receives only 1 point of lethal damage.
HAZARD TABLE
1 point per 10 feet
Falling (3 m) fallen/lethal
Character falling Distance
damage Physicality or Agility The distance measuring in Awaken is simple. The distance is
categorized in close distance, and long distance.
1 point per second/ Close distance is distance from reach distance to about 10 feet
Minor fire Torch
non-lethal damage (3 meters), and it signifies the area where the melee combat takes
place, within the reach of melee weapons.
Engulfed in flames;
Long distance is distance up to 33 feet (10 meters), which can
3 points per second/ lava be traversed as the part of the attack action. If there is no distinct
Major fire danger or hard terrain, the Character should be able to draw their
lethal damage Physicality or
weapon, run toward the opponent and attack them in the same
Survival round, drawing the sword and moving in the maneuver phase, and
attacking during the engagement phase.
Below freezing
Of course, the distance between the Characters should be tra-
1 point per minute/ temperatures
Cold versable, for instant; logic thinking mandates that 50 feet aren’t that
lethal damage Physicality or easily traversable as 30, so the Narrator should use their intuition
and assessment of the situation to see if the Characters can move
Survival
unhindered or reach the target in the same round.
Large object or
3 points/lethal creature falls on
Crush character
Visibility and Illumination
damage
Visibility can play a serious factor in the advancement of the
Physicality or Agility situation in the Story, actions, and fight.

Roof collapse, While in the dim light or fog, the vision shouldn’t be that im-
6 points/lethal cave-in
peded, but the level of discovered details should be given according
Huge crush to the number of successes on the Roll.
damage
Physicality or Agility In the dark spaces and heavy fog, visibility is minimal and the
Narrators should raise the difficulty and number of successes need-
ed to accomplish the task or discover something.
Total darkness without the source of light and blindness should
seriously hamper the Character’s ability to perceive something and
as such, most of the time the Luck Roll should be made to do some-
thing, unless the source of light is found.
In some situations, some Gifts can help to override any difficul-
ty given by low visibility.

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 Chapter 8: Gifts

C
alled a blessing by some, a curse by others, Gifts are irrefutably the greatest dif-
ference between common folk and Vasalli. The changes a person goes through
during the Awakening are finally crowned with the access to Gifts every Vasall
has.

During the Awakening, a Vasall will probably manifest one or more Gifts
without intention to do so; he will suddenly move an object without touching
it, hear the thoughts of a person or display an uncommon feat of strength. First manifested Gift will
often be the biggest focus of the Vasall during their lifetime, since it’s extremely rare for a Vasall to
master all of the Gift Trees known.

There are four Gift Trees Vasalli know of in Awaken; those are Body, Mind, Illusion and Real-
ity. The Gift Trees were named in accordance with similar characteristics and areas they affect and
how they manifest.

Commonness of the different Gift Trees varies; all in all, they are equally present throughout the
world, with the Body and Mind Trees being slightly more represented than Illusion or Reality Tree.
 Chapter 8 : Gifts

System
When a Vasall uses a Gift, it requires a Gift roll. For this, the For instance: A Character has Superior Constitu-
player rolls dice equal to the rank of their corresponding Gift Tree. tion rank of 3, but the Player decides to use only Rank
There are two kinds of Gifts: reflexive Gifts and affective Gifts. II to avoid the high Corruption in the case of failing.
Reflexive Gifts are those a Vasall uses on themselves, while affective The Character has 4 points in Body Tree, so the Player
Gifts are those he exerts on someone else. Even if they have higher rolls 4 dice to activate the Superior Constitution.
ranks unlocked, Players can always choose which rank of the Gift
they will use. Sadly, the dice aren’t in his favor, so he fails the
If the Gift is reflexive, the player succeeds by rolling one success. roll and now he has to roll the Corruption Check.
The Player rolls 4 dice again (equal to the Body Tree
If a Gift is affective, a contested roll is needed. If the Player
points) and he gains 1 success on the roll this time. The
doesn’t get any successes on their roll or other party resists their
Gift in a contested roll, their Character may receive Corruption Character focused his body and mind on resisting the
points. Corruption and he partially succeeds, gaining only one
Corruption Point. (one point is mitigated by one suc-
cess on the Corruption Check roll)

Example:

Wanda is present at the Tribunal meeting. Al- Gifts in Combat

though it is strictly forbidden and highly dangerous, During combat, all the Gifts are done during the Maneuver
she decided she would like to use a Gift called Mind Phase, even if they are affective and damaging.
Carver, which allows her to read the mind of a per- If the Gift is affective and needs a contested roll, it is done
son. She is desperate for information and she forgoes during the Maneuver Phase. If there is no contested roll, the suc-
the bans, trying to invade the mind of Borna, another cesses from the Gift in the Maneuver Phase are carried over to the
Vasall present at the meeting. Engagement Phase where they count against the defender’s suc-
cesses.
In the terms of mechanics, Wanda has 3 points in For instance, if someone uses Telekinesis to attack with a flying
Mind Tree; 2 on Mind Carver Gift and 1 on another dagger and gets 3 successes, he carries the successes over to the
Gift in Mind Tree. Engagement Phase.
In the Engagement Phase, the attacker rolls for the combat and
Player controlling Wanda rolls 3 dice and gets only
receives 3 successes. Together with the successes from the Maneu-
1 success. ver Phase it’s 6 successes combined. The defender rolls their de-
fense and receives 3 successes which reduce the attack and result
On the other hand, Borna has only 2 points in in 3 points of damage.
Mind Tree, but Narrator rolls successes on both dice.
What caused the damage, dagger or a standard attack is a
choice of a Narrator.
Wanda fails the Corruption Check afterward and
starts moaning in pain, while Borna felt someone try-
ing to invade his mind and turns toward her, hearing
her painful moans. As soon as he sees tortured look she Gift Summaries
gave him, he stands up straight and points the finger Every Gift Summary is composed of the explanation of Gifts
toward her accusingly. and explanation how the Gift works in the in-game mechanic.
Rank: The effects of the Gift get stronger with higher Gift rank.
Higher rank is attained with using the Gift and crossing the boxes
next to the rank, just like Skills.
Corruption
A dangerous taint of body and mind that affects Vasalli who
overindulge in their Gifts or simply fail to harness their powers is Roll
called Corruption.
What should be rolled, it’s the number of dice equal to the
Every unsuccessful roll, no matter if it’s failed or resisted in a
points in Gift Tree, except if noted otherwise.
case of affective Gifts, results in Corruption Points equal to the Gift
Rank if it’s not countered. To counter that, after the unsuccessful
roll, a Player must roll the Corruption Check, which is equal to
the points in Gift Tree.
Every success in a Corruption Check mitigates Corruption
Points by one.

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Activation Reflexive - Vasall can use the Gift only on themselves

Instant - the Gift is activated instantly Affective – Gift can be used on anyone around the Vasall

Seconds/Minutes - an in-game time necessary for Gift to be Touch - the subject must be touched to be affected by Gift
activated. Line of Sight - the subject has to be in completely in sight for
Duration - for how long the Gift stays active, and time which the effect to take place
has to pass before activating it again Eye Contact - Vasall has to have eye contact with the subject
to manifest the Gift

Body
When Vasalli are mentioned, the first mental picture people
have is probably of a rugged Vasall moving incredibly fast and with
the strength of ten common men. There is a good reason for that;
While other Gifts can be powerful and subtle when Body Gift Tree is most recognizable of all the powers Vasalli have
used correctly, nothing can stand against the Vasalli in their disposal.
troops using their powers to strengthen their fighting Awakening allows people to take a complete control over the
capabilities structure of their bodies once they decide to pursue this Tree, mak-
ing them capable of incredible feats of strength, speed, regeneration
Plamen of Jarillo and various others, sometimes even giving them the capability to
affect bodies of other people.
But although it’s great to have such power at your disposal,
Body Tree can often be painful to use.

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 Chapter 8 : Gifts

For instance, Vasalli using Superior Constitution or Regen- System

eration Gift are experiencing tremendous pain while changing the
body structure to activate those Gifts. Those torments are often The regeneration heals the Character for a number of Endur-
described as skin burning, muscles being torn or bones crushed. ance points equal to the Regeneration rank. This Gift is usable once
per hour.
Because of that and potential Corruption, Vasalli try to avoid
using these Gifts too often. R ank I
Heals 1 Lethal (2 Non-Lethal) points of Endurance

Superior Constitution R ank II

Heals 2 Lethal (4 Non-Lethal) points of Endurance
Although many Vasalli are naturally stronger, faster and more
graceful than common folk, those who pursuit the excellence in R ank III
the Body Tree and Superior Constitution are incredibly powerful
Heals 3 Lethal (6 Non-Lethal) points of Endurance
when it comes to physical abilities, to the point of being far beyond
the mortal capability. Roll : B
 ody
There have been stories about all Vasalli troops during the wars Activation : 1 Instant/usable once per hour.
and clashes, specialized in Body Tree and Superior Constitution,
which were solely responsible for turning the tides of battle. D uration : I nstant
R eflexive

System

If the Player succeeds in a roll, he gets temporary bonus points

Bone Spike
to their Physicality Attribute, depending on the rank, effectively The legend says that Dmitrei the Unbreakable, remarkable
boosting roll for every physical action and increasing Endurance strategist and warrior from Bit’wa was able to modify his bones
for that many points. through the extensive training in Body Gifts. He was supposedly
able to cover his skin with bony scales if needed, and create bone
R ank I spikes protruding out of his hands.
1 Temporary point in Physicality In a way, this Body Gift is a continuation of that legend, but
R ank II Vasalli choosing to focus on this Gift are able to do only small mod-
ifications, mostly on their arms and hands.
2 Temporary points in Physicality
This Gift allows Vasalli to extend a bone spike with a horn like
R ank III structure out of their hand knuckles. This particularly grisly act
3 Temporary points in Physicality breaks the skin and flesh of the hand since users can create a spike
in a matter of seconds. Opposed to this, retraction of the spike is
Roll : Body slow and painful and can last for a whole day.
Activation : Instant
D uration : A
 ction/Fight Scene
System
R eflexive
If a player succeeds on a roll, the bone spike grows out of their
hand, splitting the flesh and skin.
Regeneration R ank I
Awakening has given all Vasalli an incredibly fast regeneration, Unarmed attacks are considered lethal, the spike is about 5
but those who wish to pursue this power even further can choose inches in length. Character using Bone Spike loses 1 Endurance
to focus on the Regeneration Gift. point because of the hand damage.
This Gift can heal Vasalli using it at a faster pace than normal, R ank II
closing the wounds in seconds and regenerating tissue almost with-
A Character can grow spikes on both hands, giving extra +1
out scars.
bonus to unarmed combat pool, but loses 2 Endurance points.
Of course, it’s almost impossible to regenerate severed limbs
R ank III
and completely destroyed tissue, although there are stories of Va-
salli using Regeneration repeatedly day after day and restoring The mastery of the Gift allows Character to extend the spikes
missing limbs after months of this practice. even further, up to 20 inches. The spike is sharp and hard, and can
function as a short sword. The Character gets +2 bonus points for
the unarmed combat pool but loses 3 Endurance points.

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Superior Senses
Roll : B
 ody
All the senses of a Vasalli are heightened and acuter when this
Activation : I nstant Gift is used. A Vasall focused on the Superior Senses Gift is a valu-
able ally when someone needs to gather information, search or in-
D uration : S cene
vestigate something. Depending on the rank, a Vasall can double
R eflexive or triple a number of details seen in her viewing range or hear the
whispering of people out of the hearing range. The faintest taste or
smells will be detected even after some time has passed for a Vasall
Body Knowledge using this Gift.

This Gift gives the Vasall an ability to feel, know and affect On the other hand, sudden flashes of bright light or loud noise
the various functions of the body, and is most commonly used in can leave a Vasall blinded or deaf for some time if this Gift has been
medicine, especially when there is a need to quickly help the fallen used during that.
combatants in the war.
Field surgeons and doctors often use Body Knowledge in com-
System
bination with other Gifts or their wide array of anatomical skills
and are invaluable as such. A Vasall may use the Gift to sharpen or fine-tune one of their
senses to a greater accuracy. The effect depends on the rank. While
the first rank only sharpens one of the senses and it’s still within the
System human capacity, other ranks heighten them to an inhuman level.

Vasall rolls Body to affect various bodily functions, their or A Vasall can choose between hearing, sight or sense of smell.
others’. First two ranks are reflexive, while third is affective and if R ank I
involuntary, it can be contested with Body or Physicality roll even
by non-Vasalli. Vasall can use the higher score from the two. One sense heightened within human capacity.

R ank I R ank II

Vasall using Body Knowledge can stimulate subject’s blood- A Vasall can hear clearly hear, smell or see all the details up to
stream and can stop the subject from falling unconscious or delay 100 feet (30 meters) away.
dying for a couple of moments, enough to stabilize them or help in R ank III
some other way
A Vasall can hear clearly hear, smell or see all the details up to
R ank II 300 feet away(90 meters).
The user can boost or slow down their body functions, giving Roll : B
 ody
them the ability to do great feats like holding a breath for extended
number of minutes, or ignoring the endurance penalties (for in- Activation : I nstant
stance: minute of holding breath per success/penalty per success in D uration : a scene
combat)
R eflexive
R ank III
Users can choose to render someone unconscious, make them
sleep or put them in a short term coma only by touching them for
a couple of seconds. Number of successes determines the length of
the altered state—minutes per success outside of the combat and
rounds per success in combat; the adrenaline in combat suppresses
the potence of the Gift.

Roll : B
 ody-Body vs. Body (or Physical) on rank 3
Activation : I nstant
D uration : p er success
R eflexive /A ffective
T ouch

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Mind
But since the personal thoughts aren’t always supposed to be
The edges of the swords or knives are just like the public, it can happen that the place people hide them is a real mess.
Vasalli who infiltrate other people’s private thoughts too often, risk
fangs of a beast. They are a terrible weapon and formi-
seeing and hearing things that would probably go unspoken forev-
dable tool. But what makes us different than beasts is er if they weren’t dug out violently.
the mind controlling the weapon or tool.
The infiltration in others’ head can sometimes leave the scars on
And just like the weapons have the sharpening the mind of the Vasalli doing it; they often dream of other peoples’
experiences and can sometimes find themselves having thoughts
stones, the mind of the Vasall has Gifts to enhance it.
they would never have, just like a part of the others’ personality was
somehow transposed to theirs.
Nadia Tavar, the Dean of Kayla Academy
Mind Tree Gifts are only usable once a day per target. If a
Character tries using a Mind Gift on NPC or PC, no matter the
success or not, he can’t try the same Gift again on the same subject
Most of the Vasalli likely believe that their mind and mental until 24 hours have passed.
capabilities are superior to those of the common folk, although it’s
not always the case. But those Vasalli which chooses to focus on
the Mind Tree in most cases strive toward the nurturing of their Servant
intellect.
This Gift is used to control the actions of a target making it a
That is why the Vasalli who demonstrate their Mind Gifts are controversial Gift and creating a big foundation for polemics about
respected and feared all over the Alliance, but the smartest among exerting the power of Vasalli over the common folk.
them will usually hide their abilities, trying to be one step ahead of
Everyone shudders thinking about being under one’s complete
the possible competition or enemies.
control, that’s why Vasalli try to be as discreet as they can when
Mind Tree allows the manipulation and reading of the other using this Gift and they will rarely admit they have the access to
person’s mind, giving a powerful tool to a Vasall which would like this Gift.
to uncover the mysteries locked in intimate thoughts of the other
people.

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System System

Servant can be used only against one opponent at the time, and A Vasall penetrates the target’s mind and reaches the wanted
while issuing command there has to be a physical contact. memory. Ordinary Folk can’t defend themselves against this Gift.
The orders given should be unambiguous and cannot force a R ank I
person to do anything which will cause a direct harm to the person
The user of this Gift can see only one picture in duration of 2
being controlled.
seconds from the desired memory. As it’s not clear, it can be mis-
After the Gift is used, affected people will usually think she did leading.
it of her free will, except when it comes to something in defiance
R ank II
with her nature or something she would never do.
A memory accessed is clearer and more detailed on this rank
If the Gift fails, the person can become suspicious if the Vasall
and the whole action or scene in duration of 10 seconds is acces-
in question is seen suffering from the effects of Corruption, but
sible.
otherwise won’t recognize the attempt if she never came in contact
with something like that. R ank III
R ank I This rank gives the access to the complete and vivid memory
desired in duration of 30 seconds, without any blur or holes in it.
The person affected must execute an order given. The order
The user even partially accesses the subconsciousness of a subject
must be absolutely clear and short; Open, close, run, stay, yell, etc.
and can see the details which weren’t consciously remembered.
After the order is executed, the person is no longer under the effect
of the Gift. Roll : M
 ind/Mind Vs. Mind (only if a Vasall is affected)
R ank II Activation : I nstant/touch
The person affected will do a longer action if the order is giv- D uration : I nstant
en; Go and buy me a bottle of best wine you can afford is an exam-
ple. The affected Character will try their best to execute the action
A ffective
during the next hour. After the hour passes or action is done, the
person is no longer under the effect of the Gift.
R ank III
Mind Carver
This Gift is another Mind Gift feared by common folk who
A Vasall can entrance a person while using the Gift of this
know of the details of the Vasalli abilities, for it allows a Vasall to
rank. An affected person will carry out the orders given by a Va-
read the thoughts of the subject. From the immediate impressions
sall through the whole day. For instance, a prolonged action such
to the thoughts regarding asubject, the user of this Gift can access
as guarding, patrolling, spying etc., all fall under this rank. Addi-
most of it.
tionally, this rank allows for more complex actions with various
triggers and consequences. For instance, Guard this door, but let no By infiltrating the mind of a subject, a Vasall using Mind Carv-
one see you. If anyone comes through the door, notify me in the fastest er can get a glimpse of their thoughts, but since the mind usually
way possible. is one example of an action ordered by this rank. works erratically, it’s not always easy to clearly comprehend what
does the subject think.
Roll : Mind Roll/Mind Vs. Mind (only if a Vasall is affected)
The Narrators are invited to describe the images flashing
Activation : I nstant/Touch through the subject’s mind, connected with recognizable links or
D uration : V
 aries motif, instead of flat out stating the victim’s thoughts like sentences
from the book.
A ffective

Memories System

Memories Gift allowVasalli to unlock the memories of another After a necessary Mind roll, Vasall can read the mind of the
person. If the Gift succeeds and a Vasall accesses the mind of other, target. The amount of information depends on the Gift rank. Folk
he can find any memory he wants to know something about, no can’t defend against this Gift.
matter how intimate or deeply buried it is. When accessing the oth- R ank I
er’s memory, the user somehow instantly knows where to search.
Depending on the rank, other memories are just a blur or aren’t A Vasall can only access the most immediate short thought or
clear at the best. impressions, such as will the subject turn left or right on the cross-
ing, reaction and their thoughts on something just seen, etc.
The user can’t access the thoughts of the subject, he can only see
the memories as seen through the eyes of the subject. R ank II
This Gift isn’t always used for digging other people’s hoarded Gift unlocks the complete thought regarding something
memories though, there are occasions when the memory has been brought up in front of a subject and what their reactions and
tampered with (like with Mindcrusher Gift) or a subject suffers from thoughts are during the action or a moment. For instance; the user
amnesia. In that situation, it’s valuable to have someone with this Gift. will see and feel the series of the pictures subject has during the

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conversation which will give the glimpse of a complete thought; Activation : I nstant
clear pictures of a subject lurking through the night, carrying stolen
goods opposed the blurred pictures of them relaxing at home will re- D uration : I nstant
veal the lie that she was home all night long. A ffective
R ank III
The user can access the complete train of thought regarding
something or even the thoughts from long ago regarding the sub-
Mindcrusher
ject if they are a part of a current thought of a victim’s mind. With a Mindcrusher Gift, a Vasall can erase or alter another
person’s memory. When this Gift is used, a Vasall can choose to
Unlike the Memory Gift, this rank of Mindcarver can only
completely erase the memory or just to slightly alter it to suit their
access the past thoughts on topics that people are thinking about
needs.
in the moment the Gift is used. For instance, if being questioned
about the involvement in a conspiracy, the user will get all the im- The complete erasure will leave the victim confused and clue-
ages from the subject’s head connected to the conversation, such as less if the memory was of an immediate event, but erasing of an
the complete plans for the assassination of a Tribunal member, etc. older memory will not be so confusing since people will often attri-
bute it to normal forgetting of things.
Roll : M
 ind/Mind Vs. Mind (only if a Vasall is affected)
The changing and tailoring of a new memory is a slightly more
Activation : Instant/touch
difficult since Vasall should use the precise wording, because vic-
D uration : I nstant tim’s mind will fill in the blanks and that could create unusual and
strange memories.
A ffective
Smaller and more precise the changes are, less likely the tam-
pering will be discovered, while the blunt power of complete era-
Communication sure will definitely indicate the using of this power upon someone.

Communication Gift is one of the widely used Gifts when it

comes to the couriers, diplomats, envoys, scouts, etc. It allows the
System
long range communication without the need for the Wire system,
with the establishing of the telepathic link between two Vasalli. A Vasall can manipulate the memory of another person. He
This Gift often comes in handy during the scouting in silence, can erase it, alter it or tailor a completely new memory. The length
which is the reason why scouts often come in pairs. of a memory in question is restricted by rank. Only Vasalli can de-
fend against this Gift.
Additionally, although it’s never confirmed, the rumors say that
city guards are that well organized because commanding officers R ank I
have a network of Communication users in the city guard ranks. A Vasall can manipulate a memory of maximal length of 5
minutes.
R ank II
System
This rank extends the length of memory to an hour.
A Vasall projects her thoughts toward the target, effectively
communicating. If the other person is a Vasall with a Communica- R ank III
tion link, he also rolls the Mind roll. If they both succeed, the link is The user with this rank can manipulate the memory of a whole
open as long as they don’t shift focus toward something else. day of a victim.
If the target isn’t Vasall or doesn’t have Communication Gift, Roll : M
 ind/Mind Vs. Mind (if Vasall)
the first rank allows only one word such as go, stay, lies, truth, left,
while second and third rank allow one sentence to be projected Activation : I nstant/touch
by Vasall toward a non-Vasall without establishing a two-way link. D uration : I nstant
R ank I A ffective
The user can establish a link with another person in close
range, no more than 30 feet (10 meters)
R ank II
This rank expands the Communication Gift area to an area of a
whole city or a distance of 5 miles
R ank III
The Gift is additionally expanded to the territory of 20 miles
(cca 30 kilometers)
Roll : M
 ind

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Illusion
However, the using of the Illusion Tree has their own set of
“No, I can’t make illusions just like that, out of my drawbacks for those who use them, mostly because of the psycho-
logical reasons.
head. Yes, I can make illusions just like that, out of my
head. Which sentence do you believe? Which sentence Using of Illusion Gifts is more subtle than using of Mind Gifts,
would you like to believe? Are those two the same? Do and the affected doesn’t feel like someone is invading their mind
you see where I’m going with this? if the Gift fails, which results in more frequent use by Vasalli who
mastered the Illusion Gifts. A Vasall using Illusion can finally find
herself doing it for the sheer fun of seeing other people fall for their
The power of illusion comes straight from the sub-
tricks or manipulation, and more using of the Gifts means more
ject the illusion is used on, not from shiny objects van- opportunities to fail, which finally takes them one step closer to the
ishing into the thin air. “ Corruption and illness.

Volen Wilenski, Zorya Tutor turned Nomad. In the end, Vasalli who use Illusion too often are more suscep-
tible to the arrangements involving hallucinations, split personality
and confusion, making their life a living hell if disorders become
permanent.
There are those which prefer the simpler and straight path of
forcing others to succumb to their will through the Body or Mind Just like Mind Tree, all of the affective Illusion Gifts are usable
Trees. only once a day per target.
Then, there are those which are more in favor of slight influ-
ence on others through Illusion Tree, and who advocate the sub-
tlety over the blunt force of other Gifts. Vivid Dream
Those Vasalli who do use Illusion Tree, advocate the subtle This Gift unlocks a power of true illusions to Vasalli. An user of
manipulation through the Illusion Gifts because of the lighter or this Gift can create an illusion out of thin air and make people see
non-existent repercussions in case of failure and turning people what they want them to see.
toward doing something out of their own will, or at least doing Vivid Dream Gift is one of the top reasons why Vasalli are en-
something under the impression they’ve chosen it themselves. shrouded in mystery and why common folk still can’t quite compre-
That’s why it’s understandable that most of the Vasalli using Il- hend the extent of powers Vasalli have. Although Vasalli can’t fire
lusion Tree are skilled manipulators and schemers as well as great flames from their hands, they can create an illusion of that and it
tacticians and strategists. can lead people to believe that they are indeed capable of something
like that.

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After all, if just for demonstration purpose, illusions can have a active seeing and manipulating must be done while in the same
same weight on the human psyche as the real thing. room.
The true masters of Vivid Dream often influence people R ank I
through subtle changes in a scenery and subterfuge, using the vic-
A Vasall can create a dream, sending it to one person he was
tims’ psyche as the true foundation for the manipulation.
in physical contact that day. In order to do this, the Gift has to be
used while they’re in contact, and that night the person will have
that dream. The person won’t forget the dream after waking and
System will remember it vividly.

Vivid Dream can only be used on one subject at a time. In case R ank II
someone wants to touch the illusion, it stops working since target’s On this rank, a Vasall can insert the dreams for more than one
mind comprehends something’s not right. night, and he can see and manipulate the others’ dreams while in
R ank I the same room with a sleeper.

A minor inanimate visual illusion can be projected and will This rank also allows the Vasall to send the dream to anyone he
dissipate in a couple of seconds. For instance, a character can see a was in contact that day, without the need to activate the Gift while
completely still face in the window which will disappear the next in contact. The Gift still needs to be activated, but it can be done
moment. after the physical contact.

R ank II R ank III

This rank upgrades the subtlety of the illusion to the end where This rank allows a Vasall to make a dream seep into the reality.
people can actually believe they really saw something and take it She can use the last night’s dream of a victim and create an illusion
for a truth. The illusion lasts for a minute and looks more real, al- it’s happening right now. The victim gets confused and can’t tell if
though it’s still inanimate. For instance, a Vasall can create a brand she’s in dream or reality.
on her hand confirming her citizenship, but it can’t be felt under the Additionally, this rank allows a Vasall to blur the borders be-
fingers. On the other hand, she can’t create a spinning toy on the ta- tween reality and dream, making a victim think she only dreamt
ble, although she can project it lying still on the table. something which actually happened in the past.
R ank III Roll : I llusion/Illusion Vs. Illusion (if Vasalli)
The third rank upgrades the illusion to the point where it en- Activation : I nstant/line of sight
compasses all of the senses except touch. For instance, a Vasall can
create a burning flame in the middle of a road, which glows, creates D uration : V
 aries
crackling sounds and a smell of the burning can be sensed, but it A ffective
can’t be touched and the heat can’t be felt.
Roll : I llusion/Illusion Vs. Illusion (if Vasalli)
Activation : I nstant/line of sight Concealer
D uration : V
 aries Through the casting of web of illusions straight to the minds of
all the surrounding observers, a Vasall can make themself disap-
A ffective pear from their eyes.
This Gift does not change the substance of the Vasall using it;
Concealer creates kind of a free-floating illusion which conceals
Dreamcollector their presence and indicators of it like reflections in the mirror. If
The dreams are a mysterious domain, and more often than not, someone touches the Vasall, something hits her and changes the
people believe that they carry a kind of the premonition significance. trajectory or any interaction with the visible objects is made, the
illusion immediately stops.
Vasalli using the Dreamcollector Gift can enter the dreams of
the other people, see them and manipulate them, however, they Although this is not a true invisibility, common folk are con-
want it and finally use them against the victim. vinced that Vasalli can turn invisible at will, adding on the shroud
of mystery around the Vasalli Gifts.
From the appearing in other people’s dreams and leaving them
under the impression they are their dream spirit guide, to the weav-
ing of the complete dreams for the target, the users of this Gift have
the influence over the sleeping mind. System

To use the Concealer Gift, an Illusion has to be rolled, but even

in the case of success, Vasalli with more potent Illusion Tree can
System automatically see through the Concealer, without the need to roll a
contested roll. If the Illusion Trees are of the same score, the Vasall
A Vasall creates the illusions in the dream, manipulating peo- using Concealer still goes undetected.
ple through their sleep. This Gift is twofold; to simply insert the
created dream, a Vasall doesn’t have to be near the sleeper, but the R ank I

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A Vasall can disappear in poorly lit areas or while in heavy When this rank is used, the number of successes which remain
shadow. Once this rank of Concealer is activated, a Vasall must after the contested roll is a number of turns the senses stay shut
stand still or the illusion will fall apart. down. After those turns pass, the target still has -2 penalty like in
Rank II until recuperated.
R ank II
Roll : I llusion Vs. Illusion (if Vasalli)
When this rank is used, a Vasall disappears under the cover and
can move in darkness or poorly lit areas while using the Conceal- Activation : I nstant/line of sight/Eye contact
er Gift, although the Stealth roll should be made to avoid sounds
D uration : 1 0 minutes of degeneration, senses are taking
during the movement.
30 minutes to fully recuperate afterward.
R ank III
A ffective
A Vasall can disappear even during the broad daylight, but no-
body should be looking her way while the Gift is activated or the
Gift won’t succeed. Morph
Roll : I llusion A Gift revered by spies, Morph allows the Vasall to change
Activation : I nstant their appearance, from slight changes up to the serious doubling
as another person.
D uration : V
 aries
By creating the illusion extremely close to her skin, a Vasall
R eflexive can look different than usual, disguising her marks, face, body and
other.

Sense Degeneration Just like most of the Illusion Gifts, the repercussions of the
Morph are mostly psychological. A Vasall using Morph too often
Peoples’ senses are a fragile thing. During the life, the constant will usually develop a need to hide her true self from other people,
use can wear them out, making them easier to manipulate. the more so if her Corruption is high.
A Vasall using the Sense Degeneration Gift can overhaul the There are even legends of the old Vasalli with derangements from
senses with the illusions deciding not to project something specific, the Corruption spending the rest of their lives wearing others’ skin.
but to distort the senses in order to make them less effective or even
shut them down completely.
System
Since people heavily use sight and hearing in their everyday
life, the targets of this Gift are usually those two senses, but other Morph can be used only on one target, so it’s practitioners
senses can also be affected; from the sense of touch, balance, heat, make sure that they are alone with the affected target. The Vasall
etc. using Morph is only creating an illusion, not changing her physical
The degeneration isn’t permanent, although it can thoroughly attributes—so if masquerading as a really tall person, she still can’t
confuse the target, and as such is a powerful tool in the arsenal of reach the top of the shelf, despite how she looks.
the Illusion users. R ank I
User of the Morph can alter the face and body to the point
System where she’s hardly recognizable. Persons already in existence can’t
be imitated on this rank since the Gift isn’t developed enough.
Sense Degeneration is directly opposed by Superior Senses
The voice, shadow, and reflection in the mirrors can’t be
and if a target has that Gift, she can try to make a contested roll
changed, and small mannerisms may give away the user.
of Illusion vs. Body to negate the effects. Otherwise the standard
Illusion contested roll is required if Vasall has it. If the Vasall has R ank II
both, he is free to use the higher rank for the roll.
This rank allows the manipulation of the shadow and reflec-
R ank I tions, but the voice and mannerisms still stay the same.
Target’s sight or hearing starts to degenerate slightly; not R ank III
enough for total confusion but enough for the target to believe her
On this rank, a Vasall becomes a true master of appearance
senses started to betray her. Target has -1 penalty on a roll, sub-
and can create the illusion of being a completely another person,
tracting one die from any roll attempted.
existing or made up. Everything, from the voice to the mannerisms
R ank II is an illusion created by this Gift.
A Vasall can choose any sense or all of them to start degen- Roll : Illusion (undetectable by Folk and Vasalli with fewer
erating. A target experiences the distortions in the surroundings, points in Illusion. Those with more points in Illusion see the Va-
giving it a penalty of -2. sall as she really is.)
R ank III Activation : 1 0 seconds
This rank is directed against the sight, hearing and smell, creat- D uration : 5 minutes
ing a densely woven illusion of darkness or silence, effectively shut-
R eflexive
ting these senses down for some time.

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 Chapter 8 : Gifts

Reality
other Gifts are taken into consideration. That’s why folk usually
When it comes to the effect Gifts have on the people avoid Vasalli who exerts the Reality Gifts on their surroundings.
around you, those which involve the bending of real- Vasalli themselves don’t care if others use Reality Tree, but they
ity have the biggest impact. Of course, speed, making do find it stranger than other Trees because of the variety and dif-
people do what you want and complex illusions are all ferences among Gifts of the same Tree.
nice, but Reality Tree is the one which will save your However powerful these Gifts might be, they are also wildly
skin out there. unpredictable in the case of failure. While other Gifts usually just
fail and nothing happens, failure to affect matters often results in
Alexandar Maryn, main scout of the Bit’wa Col- making the situation worse; moving of the objects could result in
lective Branch uncontrolled movement, Distortion could backfire or uncontrolled
Shift could hurt a Vasall.

The Reality Gift Tree is a set of diverse Gifts which all have one
thing in common; a mastery of matter. Telekinesis
Being it moving the objects by the sheer force of will or chang- One of the most popular Reality Tree Gifts is Telekinesis which
ing their structure, what this Tree allows is to channel the power allows a Vasall to move things without touching them.
gained through Awakening onto the surroundings and manipulate People often assume that Vasalli using this Gift are manipulat-
it. ing the item being moved, the truth is that they actually control the
With the visible and palpable consequences of this Tree, many item and the air itself, to allow for better control of the item being
of the common folk are shocked when a Vasall uses the Reali- pushed or pulled through.
ty Gifts. Although everyone accepted the Gifts as something that Vasalli describing how it is done, often talk about the feeling of
comes to Vasalli naturally or given by God, the superstitious lot still sliding the item through the air, both pushing the item and pulling
claims that this Tree is something completely unnatural, even when the air around it or vice-versa. That fact explains the difficulty be-

146
 C hapter 8 : Gifts

hind this Gift and the reason why Vasalli can’t throw around very R ank I
heavy items.
A wave of distorting energy shoots out of the Vasalli hands and
pushes the first object it comes in contact 7 feet (2 meters) away.
The target receives 1 point of Lethal Damage
System
R ank II
If the Telekinesis is used to throw something as a weapon, the
The target is pushed 16 feet (5 meters) away and receives 2
attacker rolls Reality + weapon bonus. The number of successes is
points of damage
added to the final count in the Engagement Phase.
R ank III
If outside of the combat, target can defend with agility+armor
roll. The target is pushed 30 feet (10 meters) away and receives 3
points of damage
Throwing objects—Every 10 pounds of the object weight (5
kilos) gives the +1 Lethal Damage combat pool bonuses and the Roll : R
 eality
object is considered an improvised weapon. So, if a Character uses
Activation : I nstant
20 pound rock for the Telekinesis, it is considered an improvised
+2 weapon. D uration : I nstant
R ank I A ffective
A Vasall is able to move the item of maximum weight of 1
pound (half a kilo) up to 10 feet in any direction (3 meters)
R ank II
Phase
Some of the philosophers have come to the belief that the world
The maximum weight of a controlled item rises to 10 pounds (5 is actually twofold. The visible and palpable world exists, stimu-
kilos) to a distance of 30 feet (10 meters) lating our senses and we can all experience it, but underneath the
R ank III material world, there is the immaterial which is a reflection of what
we call “real” world.
Users of this rank can move 20 pounds (10 kilos) to 60 feet
distance (20 meters) No one can really be sure does this Gift grant the window into
this world, but Vasalli using Phase, experience the world different-
Roll : R
 eality ly than they’re accustomed to.
Activation : I nstant/line of sight Vasalli who uses Phase see the world without color, only in
D uration : I nstant black, white and gray, except when looking at living things which
emanate colors depending on the mood or attitude.
A ffective

System
Distortion
Just by wave of the hand, a Vasall can send a wave of force ener- The colors emanated from the living things are not colors seen
gy which will hurl through the air and push the first thing it comes in real life, they look alien and indescribable, but Vasalli instinc-
in contact with through the air. This wave looks like air shimmer- tively know and understand what emotions and moods are repre-
ing with extreme heat. sented by them.

There are many stories of powerful Vasalli attacking their en- R ank I
emies with a Distortion wave, but this Gift is rarely used in mass A Vasall can see the colors of the living things, representing
combat and battles, because it will throw people who weren’t the their emotions.
original target if they find themselves between the Vasall and her
target. R ank II
At this rank, a Vasall can see the shades of the world even with
her eyes covered, enough to have no trouble moving in the darkness
System or while blinded or under the influence of Sense Degeneration.
R ank III
A Vasall with the successful Reality roll will release the wave of
energy through the air, which will throw the target back. The force This rank upgrades phase to the point of seeing the colors
of the Distortion depends on the rank of the Gift. If the Gift is used through the walls, and seeing the traces of a color on the items held
against live opponents, the successes are counted and added to the by a person a day ago.
final count at the end of the Engagement Phase.
Roll : R
 eality
The wave of distortion can travel only for 30 feet (10 meters)
Activation : I nstant
no matter the rank. Every rank of the Gift gives one point of Lethal
Damage together with the push. D uration : M
 aximum of 5 minutes
R eflective

147
 Chapter 8 : Gifts

Shift Bending
This strange Gift is feared and respected by both Vasalli and This Gift allows the Vasall to manipulate the substance of an
Folk alike. The very idea of a disappearing and reappearing item or object and rearrange the structure of the inanimate object.
a person is enough to send the shivers down the spine not to men-
No matter the substance (stone, metal, wood, mineral etc.) a
tion the belief that something can go wrong during this.
Vasall can change it with ease just by touching it and using the Gift.
But Vasalli which use Shift are tying it to the Phase Gift, assur-
Although it is called Bending, this Gift can be used to manipu-
ing people that where Phase is a window to the other world, Shift
late the object in any way, breaking it or repairing it; it is even said
represents a narrow passage through it.
that there are some Vasalli artists which exclusively use this Gift to
Indeed, Vasalli who used Phase while another person used create their masterpieces.
Shift, did witness a blur of motion, like a fast jump to the place
where the item or a person would reappear a second later.
This Gift is powerful, but just like with any other Gift, it can fail System
and the repercussions are dangerous.
This Gift can be used only on non-living objects by touching
it, the living things (including living trees) can’t be manipulated.
The size of the object possible to manipulate depends on the rank.
System
R ank I
When a Character succeeds in using Shift on an object, it disap-
Small objects can be manipulated this way, up to a half of a
pears and appears a moment later in a desired location. If a Charac-
pound (0.25 kilos)
ter uses Shift on themselves, he experiences being sucked through
the narrow and dark tunnel between old location and desired one. R ank II
Inanimate objects are easier to shift than a living being, so ob- Heavier objects of up to 10 pounds (5 kilos) can be bent, like
jects can be shifted farther than a Vasall can shift themselves. metal levers, swords, locks, etc.
If a Character fails this Gift, in addition to the possible Corrup- R ank III
tion points, he instantly loses half of the current Endurance points.
Heavy and large objects of up to 30 pounds (15 kilos) can be
Only if a Character has points in a Body Tree, he can try to bent, like steel bars in a prison or even walls, if they are thinner
soak the damage from the violent and uncontrolled jump through than 1 foot (30 cm).
the described dark tunnel, every success lessening the damage by
one point.
Roll : R
 eality

Dramatic Failure can lead to the loss of the limbs and only us-
Activation : I nstant/Touch
ing or rolling of Luck Virtue can save a Vasall from losing of one D uration : I nstant
random limb.
A ffective
R ank I
A Vasall can shift a small inanimate object up to 2 pounds (1
kilo) to a distance of 60 feet (20 meters)
R ank II
A Vasall can shift inanimate and living objects up to 40 pounds
(20 kilos) to a distance of 60 feet (20 meters)
R ank III
A Vasall can use the Gift on herself and shift in any direction
up to 30 feet (10 meters) but must be acquainted with a place of
appearing and must have passed there at least once.
Roll : R
 eality
Activation : I nstant
D uration : I nstant
R eflective /A ffective

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 C hapter 8 : Gifts

Advancing and
learning new Gifts

T
he advancing of the existing Gifts is dependent on the fre-
quency of use, just like the rest of the skills in the game.
Learning New Gift Trees
Those who wish to unlock new Gift Trees can do so in two
Every time a Character succeeds in using of the Gift, a
ways. One way is to use 20 experience points (Narrator awards
Player can fill out one of the five boxes next to the Gift Tree score
players with up to 3 experience points after every session; check
and after all the boxes are filled, she can use new points to unlock
the page 162).
new Gift from the Tree or to advance an existing Gift to the next
rank. Second way is to save three earned but not spent Gift points
(not experience points) from existing Gift Tree, and use them to
Gifts are similar to skills, but their advancement is a long and
unlock a completely new Gift Tree and one Gift of the first rank
hard road, so every Vasalli has to stay in tune with them.
from that Tree.
Any time a Character receives one or more points of Corrup-
For instance; a Player has only Body Tree unlocked, but she
tion (a failure to use the Gift and unsuccessful roll against Corrup-
wants to unlock Mind Gift Tree. She decides to save the points she
tion) a Player has to erase one of the filled-out boxes. It doesn’t
receives every time after she succeeds in using the Superior Senses
matter how many points of Corruption are received, only one box
Gift and after she uses it successfully 15 times without advance-
is erased.
ment of the Body Tree, she is allowed to put one point in Mind
Tree and unlock first rank of the Servant Gift.
This is just an example if a Character has more than one Gift
Tree already unlocked, she can save points without advancing oth-
ers too; it doesn’t matter if the unused points are from one or from
more Gift Trees, it’s only necessary that there are 3 unallocated Gift
Tree points. This way Characters can unlock all four Trees, but
won’t advance them as fast as if they focused on one or two Gift
Trees.

149
Chapter 9:
Narration
 C hapter 9: Narration

Introduction
The world of Awaken is filled with danger, opportunities, ad- It’s important to know what would you like to narrate, so it’s
ventures and mystery. Between the Cities filled with colorful char- best to take notes and create the outline of the Story with causes
acters lies the wilderness full of places to be discovered and crea- and effects between the in-game events. It will be easier to deter-
tures to beware of. mine what will happen if it deviates from its course.
In the end, the responsibility to present this world and game
rules falls on the Narrator. And this part of the book speaks directly
to you; the Narrator of Awaken. Don’t Compete Against
Players
Narration You are the adjudicator of the world, you are the developer of
the Story. You are the one putting impediments on the road Char-
First and foremost, the role of the Narrator in the games is to acters take. In the end; you are the evil antagonist, planning the
reveal and tell a story to Players, hence the name. You are an archi- doom of the Characters, mad gleam in her eyes.
tect, a tale spinner, an entertainer presenting a good story about in-
But you are not the Players’ enemy and you’re not out to get
credible events, which will fascinate the audience. Your Players may
them. If you’ve prepared the game to win against the Players, it
leave for the night, but the vivid descriptions and amused smile will
defeats the purpose of not only narration but the game itself.
stay with them, sometimes even long after they fall asleep.
The purpose of the narration isn’t to defeat the Players or their
A Narrator gets to choose a place and time in the game where
Characters; it’s to make their lives more interesting. It’s sometimes
the events will unfold, first at a steady pace, then faster, until they
tough to discern between a challenge and ensuring the misery and
culminate in a great event which many will speak of for times to
defeat of the Characters.
come, in-game as well as out of it. Finally, before we delve into oth-
er stuff; let us remind you of some basic suggestions for being a After all, if you revel in misery of the Characters and Players, if
Narrator. you go all out on them making sure the Characters don’t get alive
out of your Story; the Players might end up wondering why did
they play in the first place.
New Narrators How can you finish the great Story you imagined if you decide
If you’re a complete beginner; don’t panic! Give the narrating a to destroy its main Characters?
try and we promise you’ll get a hang of it in no time.
If you’re an inexperienced Narrator, but you have a couple of
games under your belt or you’re a long-time player but you never
tried leading the game, this will be a good opportunity to discover
how to start.

Veteran Narrators
To act in that capacity, you have to prepare yourself, and in
this chapter we’ll deal with the art of Narration. If you’ve led other
games in past and you’d like to skip this chapter; it’s fine, you’re
acquainted with most of the stuff here, but in this chapter you’ll
also some rules, explanations, and suggestions which can come in
handy for narrating a Story in Awaken setting.

Prepare the Game

The adventure doesn’t need to be completely written from start
to finish, but it’s good to have the outlines of the complete Story
you’d like to tell. It will often take unexpected turns and Players
will show sparks of creativity when you least expect it, shaking the
storyline to its roots.

152
 Chapter 9: Narration

The Story is about the Inspiration

Players Every story begins with inspiration. As you read through the
Awaken core book, discovering the world and dynamics between
Make sure to remember that the players are the main charac-
the Cities and the Orders, you see a sudden image of a particularly
ters. This seems like something that should come naturally with
oppressive City Father, ruling the Tribunal with an iron hand, while
them playing the game, but sometimes Players can feel left out.
Firsts and representatives of the Tribunal begin hatching a plan for
Yes, it’s your responsibility to present the world and a Story best his untimely doom.
you can, but it doesn’t mean you should restrict their actions and
You see a group of friends sharing the ideas and world views,
streamline their choices just to present the Story. Allow them to
or at least a good bite in a local tavern where they regularly meet
choose for themselves and see where will it take them; if needed,
for a nice stew and a game of cards. Suddenly, they are thrown in
rework the idea to include their decisions and present your vision
the middle of a dark plot and a scheme with an underlying stench
in the same time.
of betrayal. They are torn between friendship and commands of
Another dimension of this problem is creation of the powerful their Orders.
personas who will overshadow the Characters, making them seem
“What would happen?“ It’s a question lingering on your mind,
insignificant. Such encounters may be fun once in a while, but the
while the creativity in you starts setting the stage for a great story.
constant living in a shadow of a supporting character can be some-
what annoying. The world of Awaken is a dynamic one; the Alliance consists of
Great Cities with different locations, surroundings, and lifestyles.
There is a complicated history between them and the Alliance
Be Fair binding them is pretty shaky one, although most of the politicians
and City Fathers understand that it should be preserved for the
Players will inevitably find new and creative ways to counter sake of its inhabitants, especially since the nemesis of the human-
your plans and circumvent the Story. It can be disheartening to see kind has been seen again.
your creativity being pushed aside in a way you never thought of.
There are Orders, great organizations dedicated to securing
In those situations, be fair. If they have a proper idea and find a their ideals in the world, working toward the betterment of their
creative way to resolve the situation, you should stick with the idea members. From the integration of Vasalli in the world to their su-
of Picture Rule, and let them have their moment. The unpredictable premacy, there are various visions of the future, imagined by Or-
solutions and actions will always appear, and if they help in narra- ders.
tion and fit the setting, you should allow it.
Relations between these organizations change from domain to
domain. Since people are temperamental, the relations sometimes
change on a monthly basis in the same City. Where there once was
Don’t Feel Constricted by an understanding and good faith, now antagonism could be raging.
the Rules or Dice Finally, Vasalli themselves are volatile creatures.
There aren’t many strict rules in this book, but they exist. Of Just like everything other, Vasalli are not all cut from the same
course, how can a game exist if the rules aren’t here to guide you? cloth and the Awakening usually fortify their virtues and imper-
fections. Moreso, the same virtues and blemishes are sometimes
The rules are here as suggestions on how to resolve some of the
multiplied manyfold, for Awakening is an unimaginably strange
more common situations or actions. With the rules in the book,
and intense process which can change the outlook on life.
we’ve set the example and a model on how to resolve the possible
situations. The rest is up to you; if you don’t like a rule, feel free to The world itself is a diverse one; the roads between the settle-
modify it, especially if it’s a nuisance in telling a story. ments haven’t been safe since before the Great War. There are dan-
gers in a form of wild animals or robbers and bandits.
Don’t put the rules in front of the Story
Lately, there has been an increase of the various stories and re-
Just like most roleplaying games, Awaken uses dice to resolve
ports about the strange, scary and supernatural creatures roaming
some of the situations where it’s impossible to have an unbiased
the empty wilderness between the cities.
adjudicator or rules. But they’re here just to represent a random
element of luck, and shouldn’t be used to resolve everything. In the end, the Vargan sightings are on the rise. These creatures
that once before meant a terrible peril to the humankind are prob-
Allow for the creativity, encourage Players to use their imagi-
ably back again, this time prepared to wipe the humanity off the
nation rather than dice. They are just a tool, while your Players are
face of the world.
the stars of their Story!
Just like we did, you can find the inspiration in the various nov-
els, movies, games or music, which don’t deal with the world of
Awaken at all. Good stories are often found where they are least
expected.

153
 C hapter 9: Narration

Setting the stage

After some time has passed, there is a new up-and-coming Va-
sall in the society, capable and adept enough to become a rising
star of the specific Order. During the play, the Character sudden-
ly recognizes that Vasall in question is indeed a commoner which
Every good story is layered, consisting of interesting charac- was wronged many years ago, only to surprisingly goes through the
ters, surroundings and events taking place, and it’s something you Awakening.
should take into account while creating your Saga.
Will the mysterious Vasall be angry at the Character? Try to
A Saga in Awaken is a collection of at least two or more Stories sabotage the plans of the group? Or will she laugh it off under-
which take place in the same surroundings or with same Charac- standingly, instead of holding a grudge?
ters finding themselves in different and new situations.
Ideas and situations like this often develop into a great Story
In the end, Saga doesn’t have to revolve around same places or which will involve Players’ past and connect it to the events in the
Characters, but it can have a general underlying idea repeated over game.
the course of the game.
That’s why it’s important to give Players some glimpse into the
Layered stories, such as stories within stories, doesn’t have to Story you’re creating, as well as listen to their ideas and suggestions
be complicated to be complex. You can choose to narrate a straight- for the Characters.
forward Story, centered around a fairly simple Characters, but you
could set it in a bizarre backstory or parallel to the intricate plot
taking place at the same time. Themes and mood
The Players themselves add to the complexity of the Story more After you’ve created a stage where the Story will take place and
often than not. They can create multidimensional Characters with learned something about protagonists, it’s important to set or fur-
intricate backgrounds which are easily integrated into the game. ther develop a theme and mood of the Story or Saga.
That’s why one of the first, and probably one of the most im- The amount of information you collected about the Characters,
portant steps, is to get to know what kind of Players do you have, ideas you played with for a story and various hooks you thought
and what are their ideas for the Characters. about will be important when you’re preparing the central idea be-
And at this point the great symbiotic relationship between a hind the Story.
Narrator and Players begins. Just like it was said before; they are the Awaken is created to give you the freedom to choose in which
stars of the Story and you should approach them as such. way will you narrate the Story and which theme and mood will be
When the Story is in its beginnings, you will probably inform predominant.
your Players that the game is being prepared and that they should
think about what kind of Characters they’d like to play. Some Nar-
rators give their Players absolute freedom to create any Characters
they’d like and they tailor the Story according to that later. Others
A Web of Lies
have their mind strongly set on the Story and sometimes limit the The Cities are a great ground for various politicians and schem-
Players with various restrictions, which in terms of Awaken could ers who are frantically fighting for power. Leaders of the Orders,
be translated as limits on the Orders, Gifts or sometimes even old nobility, traders and merchants, they all want a piece of the pro-
backgrounds available for play. verbial pie. Everyone has a scheme which will shift the power and
position them in a better place.
If you’re a beginner, it’s probably best to be a Narrator which
falls somewhere in the middle of those two categories. On the other hands, some of them just want to evade possible
civil wars between the organizations and Cities in hope to create a
Present the setting and choices to the Players and explain the livable place for the coming generations.
relations so they could have a clear picture what to choose. If for
any reason their choices are important to the story you’d like to Alliance is often called an “unnatural pact“ by some of the op-
narrate, explain the consequences and cooperate in the creation of ponents since it forces an undesirable cooperation between Cities
the Characters so they fit into your storyline nicely. which have a turbulent history among them. Characters can find
themselves surrounded by powerful individuals forcing them to
By presenting your idea and the general setting and mood of work for them or sycophants in search of a favor. How will they
the Story, you’ll give the Players enough information so they could handle being entangled in manipulating schemes for overturning
make a complex Character, adding to the depth of the Story. of the Tribunal?
Feel free to incorporate the Players back-stories and history
into your Story to make it interesting or even completely focus on
their past and create a whole new dimension of the events. The Secrets of the
Suppose for example, that a Player would like to create a Char- Frontier
acter which somehow wronged a commoner during their lifetime,
without any consequences or events arising from it. Maybe the Although the Alliance is generally considered a symbol of a
Character had to choose between two bad outcomes, maybe he ac- civilized times, there are remote places deep in the dark woods
cused the commoner wrongly. Maybe he did something completely between the Cities, where people still whisper of the things un-
intentional and out of spite. It was only because he was a Vasall, that known. The roads are barely walkable and the night often takes the
he had enough sway to evade the repercussions. toll upon the weary passengers.

154
 Chapter 9: Narration

The villagers in those areas have rarely or never seen any Vasall, On the other hands; the tough times are ahead, with all the
they’ve only heard about a “race of the magic-wielding people who enemies at the gates.What would happen if Zimitra escaped from
command the Cities“. that earthen prison, while Azimoth sleeps? Would he wake up? Is
the final battle and confrontation of Zimitra and Azimoth near?
On the other hand, various stories can be heard in the desolate
areas like those. Stories about a terrible lord of the woods, who is- These are just some of the possible overall moods and themes
sued a command that all of the surrounding villages have to present which can be incorporated into your game. Later in the chapter,
them with at least one sweet virgin every eight years. you’ll find concrete hooks and suggestions for Stories.
Stories about a mystery woman ensnaring lone travelers on the It’s entirely possible to mix up the two prevailing themes in one
nights of the full moon, stories about a children’s laughter from the Saga or even a Story, making them complete one another creating a
depths of the still lake. There are many places which invoke dark build up until the grand finale.
stories and lore told about by the campfires or hearths.
Additionally, we suggest you try to find your own theme and
mood to suit you and your Players.

The Nemesis Returns

It’s been almost three centuries since the last big encounter Behind the scenes
with the creatures known as Vargans; tall, muscular and pale hu-
There is no truly entertaining story without supporting charac-
manoids, different from anything seen before. Unlike the mytho-
ters and interesting places.
logical creatures from the folk stories, they are known to exist for
sure and there’s a lot of them. When you choose the overall mood, it’s good to decide where
the Story will take place. Life in Alliance is different from settle-
The battles with Vargans have been devastating for the most
ment to settlement. Will the game start out in the cold and military
part of the peninsula, taking tolls on many Alliance Cities, as well
city of Bit’wa, where even small ventures into the wilderness out-
as on people living away from urban centers. When they appeared
side of the City can result in people being lost in the avalanches?
and started waging war against humankind, it took a whole Alli-
Will the events require the Characters to travel through wastes to
ance united and strong to defeat them.
the warmer climate, where they will experience the life in the Cities
Now, the Vargans have returned. It wasn’t publicly announced where people are mild-mannered and more open.
yet, nor did the Alliance do anything official regarding them, but
Will that experience lure them in, make them feel safe, only so
they are to be seen every now and then, congregating in large
they could discover that inhabitants of these Cities rarely say what
groups at the borders of the civilization.
they really mean, as opposed to the cold but direct people of the
Cities are still bickering one with another, Colossi numbers are North?
dwindling, Vasalli are at their most self-centered era yet, and the
Different places create different people, so the supporting char-
Folk is scared. If the history repeats itself, this could mean the de-
acters or Non-Player Characters (NPCs) can be diverse throughout
struction of civilization as we know it.
all of your Saga. NPCs should be well thought out, since they all
play an important part of your Story; from the tepid City Father to
the witty and charming merchant on the street.
Invaders from the North Some of the best tools to use during the Saga is to actually draw
The barbarians were always a thorn in the side of the Cities fur- NPCs from your Players’ Characters’ backgrounds. This way your
ther north in the Alliance Territory. Lately, just as is the case with Players will feel connected to the NPCs in the game; an angry and
the Vargans, they are appearing more and more. Alliance never rebellious Sons of Sirin will feel a sense of camaraderie toward their
waged a real war with Northerners, only occasionally clashing with old buddy from the teenage years on the streets of Old Sirin.
them on the frozen fields under the shadows of The Great Divide.
On the other hand, the feeling of betrayal and deception will
But this time, reports are coming that Northerners are amass- be much greater if the treachery comes from a long-time mentor of
ing an army, which has never been seen before. The most shocking a proud Circle member who discovered their father figure is weak
news is that they seem to have their own kind of Colossi, some- and susceptible to blackmail.
thing fierce and devastating.
Portrait of an NPC should not be a flat and one dimensional
Is Alliance on the brink of another war? presentation of a person’s appearance, name, and age. Truly mem-
orable characters should be like your Player Characters. These
guidelines and questions are what you should think of during the
The Endtimes creation of NPCs.

The prevailing religion of the Alliance, fronted by Church of Aside from the usual looks, what is the thing which could sin-
Azimoth, tells the story of the creation of the world by two great gle out the NPC in the mind of a Character if he tries to remember
entities; Azimoth and Zimitra. Their long-time friendship was de- her. Does she have a bronze hair? Nose which looks it’s been broken
stroyed after the clash in which Azimoth banished Zimitra into the many times over? Missing index finger on a left hand? A limp?
world’s womb. These are all great additions to the general appearance of an
It is said that Azimoth currently sleeps, but will wake when he’s NPC.
needed the most. But he didn’t wake up yet, and humanity desper- What about the personality and quirks? Is the NPC shy and
ately needs him. Is he dead? Does he exist at all?

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reserved, but breaks out into a dance after just two cups of wine?
Does a humongous brutish gladiator, able to crush human skulls
For the City and Alliance
with his hands, have a soft spot for kittens? The Characters have been asked, or more likely commanded,
to deal with something on behalf of the City Tribunal, City Father,
Dreams and flaws are what defines the NPCs even further. A
Alliance itself or some other important and prominent figure. Just
lowly peasant could dream big, hoping to invest the extra funds
like mercenary scenario, this method allows even the entirely op-
from a good year’s harvest into a beginning of an enterprise, only to
posed Characters to work together in solving the task and it’s usu-
stop in the next tavern, spending all of the hard-earned money in-
ally picked because of that.
dulging in their greatest vice: gambling. Will such character detest
other gamblers he meets in life, recognizing their own weakness in Although the nature of this method makes it complicated, it
them? Will he ever dare to dream of rising above the dirty streets offers a great possibility of role playing.
of their village?
On the other hand, the drunk could overcome their addiction
with the help of the Character persuading them to follow their The Rejects
dreams of being an artist. Later in the Saga, that Character could
Characters are possibly misfits or outcasts, sometimes even
receive a mysterious package, containing a great portrait of her,
wanted criminals who band together to stand together against the
signed by a new rising star in the world of art.
society which wants to hunt them down, or they were set up and
Statistics are the least important when it comes to narration. decided they want to clear their name.
These are just numbers which can be guidelines in some situations
There are various methods of pulling together Characters to
and they should come last when designing an NPC. When you look
form a group, giving them reasons or allowing them to decide for
at all the numbers of all the NPCs, do you see their faces? Do you
themselves. Some of the best starts is to give different Characters a
remember their motives, hopes, and dreams? No? Well, neither do
different reason she’d be interested in joining the group. A Char-
your Players.
acter could be doing something just because she feels it’s the right
thing to do, while others could do it just for the money. Try to be
wary of Characters’ personalities when deciding on the reasons
why the group was formed.

The Assembly
Just before the first scenes and events of the Story unfold, there
is a question of the reasons why the group of Characters came to- The Hook
gether in the first place. Some Narrators are more inclined to start
with the separate Characters meeting for the first time in the first
After you have a thought out story, characters, mood and at-
scene of the Story, while others prefer to present their ties before-
mosphere you wish to convey, it is time to think about plots and
hand.
hooks you’d wish to use for the Characters. You probably already
Whichever method you prefer, here are some ideas how the have the main plot in mind and a way how to join the Characters
group came together; it could’ve happened before the initial scene into the group. This would be the best time to think about how to
or it could unfold during the play. draw them in and what could be additional plots in the story.
There are no rules of how many plots and “side quests“ could
be used, just as long as you steer the Characters through the main
Shared Interests story without losing track of what will happen.
This is probably one of the most common reasons used for as- Here are some of the possible subplots (or maybe even the
sembling the group of Characters in roleplaying games. This in- main plots) and hooks you could lead your Players to.
cludes various reasons; from common “you’ve known each other
for a long time and decided to tackle the problem together,“ to the
“a life-threatening crisis rises, and you’ll solve it together although
you don’t know each other at all.“
Order vs. Order
The long-time tensions have erupted into an all-out conflict,
This method is usually good if you’d like to make a quick intro
the Orders are ready for confrontation and it’s up to your group
to the Saga, skipping the introductions among the Characters.
to do their part. Will they try to set things right? Will they join
the conflict and do everything heads of the Orders wish them to
do? Will they use diplomacy or they’ll rush into the physical fight
Mercenaries for Hire against members of other Orders?
The Characters are mercenaries and they will receive a substan- This suggestion works best if the Characters are all in the same
tial reward for a job well done. This could be even be considered Order, or at least those who cooperate in the specific City.
a subset of “Shared Interests“, but it allows even diametrically op-
posed Characters to form a group, united by a single goal; to get
paid.

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complicated, but try to balance the creativity and verbosity with

Destroying an Order or a efficiency. Nobody wants to hear about the description of sounds of
Pact rain and stream, but they do want to get a clear image of surround-
ings and details which will matter later on.
A natural escalation of the conflict idea; the Orders are in war
and the Characters’ job is to aid the destruction of the local Order Creativity is key! Of course, the main idea behind the role
branch or the pact between two Orders. playing is creativity and fun, but try to imagine creative resolutions
in the game and approach to the stories in unexpected ways, be-
If your Players prefer subtlety or diplomacy, they could be re- cause your Players most certainly will.
sponsible for the cloak-and-dagger way of confronting the enemy.
Make your Characters memorable with a good description
Since the direct confrontations between Orders are rare, it’s and role playing. Your world is unique so make your side charac-
possible to downsize this into the clash between the Order and a ters unique too! It can be hard to maintain a different acting for
local Cult or any other organization. different characters, but try not to stress out.
Make a dynamic game by keeping track of your Players’ in-
Redemption volvement; don’t drag the scenes for too long if you see they feel
forced to go through them. Know how not only to speed things up,
Characters are responsible for the past tragedy and they would but slow them down to keep it interesting.
wish to redeem themselves in front of the Order, citizens or them-
Allow the Players to partake in narration; let their back-
selves.
grounds influence the game, let them fill out the blanks in the story
It’s entirely possible they weren’t responsible at all but they be- and approach to it creatively (just like you, remember) to allow the
lieve it, or it could have been a setup. Anyway, old sins have sur- natural unfolding of the game, it’s more fun to cooperate with your
faced and it’s time to clear the name. Players than to force them to behave the way you imagined. Let
them feel that they Characters matter more and that they can influ-
ence the story with their own ideas.
Vargan Threat That’s where the Picture Rule comes in play; it’s an adhesive
between Narrator and Players, the Story and Characters.
Somewhat during the last period, the Vargan activity intensi-
fied around the Characters’ whereabouts. Since they’re closest to In the end, don’t put the rules in front of the story and fun. It’s
the location where strange events happened, they are asked to in- the main goal of the game, otherwise you wouldn’t be partaking,
vestigate the situation. right? That’s why we wished to keep the rules light and flexible.
The real threat could escalate into a confrontation with this
dangerous creature, but there is a possibility of staged occurrence
just to cover up a dangerous secret.

Occult events
Running a Game
There are a lot of strange creatures roaming the world and not During the narration and game, there will always be some un-
all of them are benign. In fact, if it’s not a false alarm or old wives’ predictable situations, so we’ll tackle them with some of the tips.
tales, it’s probably something dangerous. The mythological crea-
tures are often connected to the occult traditions in the outback
and remote locations, or even Vargan activities.
Using Attributes and
Just as is the case with last suggestion, Characters could have a
task to investigate and solve the problem if there is any. Skills
Although it’s encouraged to let Players think creatively and ex-
plain to them that they don’t have to rely on dice, sometimes the
dice have to be rolled. You could wish to add the element of luck in
some situations or it’s something that’s not a routine action, so you
The Presentation decide that Player should roll dice to fulfill the task.
To decide what should be rolled, take a look at the Character
Sheet and see the Attributes and corresponding Skills.
Well, after you begin the game, it’s finally time for you to lead
the Players through the game. Hook them into the story with a Most of the Skills are pretty self-explanatory and since they’re
great first scene which will ignite their imagination and which will covering a wide range of the possible situations, so you’ll have no
be a reason for Characters to take action. problem to decide on which Attribute+corresponding Skill com-
bination should be used.
There is no best way to deliver a game; there are different styles
of narration, different kinds of players and different moods of the For instance, if a Player would like her Character to fast-talk
story. But do try to give the best presentation of the story. someone it’s logical to use Sociality+Expression combination.

The descriptions behind the narration don’t need to be overly On the other side, let’s look at what happens when a Charac-

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ter wants to intimidate someone? Well, usually it’s also covered by it happens to anybody. Cover it up with a good explanation (The
Sociality+Expression. But what if the Character doesn’t wish to doors were so easy to crack because the termites ate most of the wood
use words or menacing whisper, but would like to demonstrate her inside) or explain the mistake to Players.
brute force to intimidate someone?
After all, if you’re not an unforgiving Narrator, they won’t be
In those situations, intimidation can be achieved with using of unforgiving Players!
the Physicality+Expression combination. Unlike standard match-
ing of the Attribute and corresponding Skill, the Skill used is from
entirely different subset. Consensual rules
Finally, a Character can use her prior knowledge of the charac- Most of the game groups and tables have consensual rules. Also
ter in question and invoke the fears rooted in the NPC’s brain. That called “homebrewed ‘rules, they are a variant of the rules which
kind of situation involves Intellect+Expression roll. were arbitrarily changed to suit the group style, to make things eas-
There are various methods on how to approach the specific sit- ier or to add a twist to the rules.
uation, and that is OK! Nothing is written in stone, and it’s even It’s entirely OK for you to decide upon some of your own rules,
better if the Player suggests it, in which case you could even allow or to introduce a new set of rules to your gaming group. The system
the Picture Rule bonus on the roll. was created to be flexible, so feel free to experiment. Just be fair to
your Players and explain it to them beforehand so they could know
what to expect.
Consistency
Narrating the story can be a difficult task since you have to re-
member most of the situations, but do try to be consistent. How to Handle a Combat
The game shouldn’t be a copy of real life, but even the imagi- Combat in Awaken is fluid and intuitive, consisting of rounds,
nary worlds need consistency to allow Players to assume or predict while each round consists of 4 steps or phases. To recap:
the result of a specific task; roll that can be used, difficulty or the 1. Declaration Phase
consequences.
The players declare their actions for the Maneuver Phase and
Engagement Phase. Apply the Picture Rule for detailed, creative
Difficulty descriptions.
2. Maneuver Phase
In Awaken it’s usually enough for a Character to get one suc-
cess on the dice rolls to achieve a task. But sometimes Players op- The players perform maneuvers, Gifts, and incidental actions
timistically decide to try hard near impossible or impossible tasks. like talking. These actions may yield bonus dice in the Engagement
Phase from the Picture Rule.
That’s why you should be varied of the difficulty of the task and
decide what number of successes is enough to achieve the task. 3. Engagement Phase
The players and narrator divide dice between attack and de-
fense, roll together, and then count their successes.
Simple No roll is needed
4. Resolution Phase
Normal 1 success The narrator assesses the situation and narrates the result with
the help of the players.
Demanding 1–2 successes
Because everyone acts at the same or almost the same time, the
Difficult 2 successes order of declaring actions isn’t particularly important. However, it’s
helpful to organize the order for simplicity’s sake. Any simple sys-
Challenging 3 successes tem works—whether it’s alphabetical, from left to right, or some-
thing else. Use a piece of paper or notebook where you’ll write all
Heroic 4–5 successes the relevant information during the combat.
Impossible 5+ successes First two phases are relatively simple, Players declare what will
they do and they start with the actions in the Maneuver Phase,
where they will sometimes roll the dice in order to use a Gift.
This is one of the examples why you need consistency. Players
wouldn’t like you to change the difficulty every time or be unrealis- The Engagement Phase is what makes the combat in Awaken
tic about the difficulty of a specific task. unique; Everyone rolls their attacks and defense at the same time!
Players divide their combat pools into attack and defense dice and
we suggest using dice of different colors to make it easier. During
Mistakes this phase, you also roll, as a Narrator for NPCs.

Don’t be afraid of the mistakes. Sometimes it happens that you To make counting easier, we suggest removing all the dice
miscalculate a difficulty for the Characters, forget a rule or pres- without successes on them away from those which count as suc-
ent the rule or situation entirely wrong. It’s nothing alarming and cess, which should be put in front of the Player who rolled them.

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Afterwards just compare the successes, detract the defense and Characters, you should allow Player to create a Character whose
attack dice which cancel each other out and count the remaining power and experience match the rest of the team.
successful dice to see the damage dealt to each other.

NPC Game Stats

NPC’s are the soul of the setting; you can’t have a beautiful city

The Tools and places filled out with flat, one-dimensional characters.
But after you gave them their characteristics, you should have
their stats written down—at least for those which matter for the
Story.
In the Antagonist Chapter you will find some examples of
Custom Dice NPC’s, as well as examples of creatures and antagonists.
During the creation of the game, we designed a custom die
which has symbols instead of the numbers. While numbers 5 and
6 count as success on standard six-sided die, the symbol of Awaken Timekeeping
and half of the symbol are used instead. The X symbol represents
number 1 which could lead to failure and remaining sides are The time in Awaken is kept as you normally would; days have
blank to make it easier to see the situation on the roll. 24 hours, a month is 30 days long and there are 12 of them in a year.
You can find a table with names of the months from the first to
the last, but feel free to use standard names or limit yourself to the
Dice Color seasons. (early summer, late fall etc.)
To make everything faster, the dice used for attack and dice
used for defense should be of different colors. For instance, take 10
black and 10 white dice to your game. When you decide on how to Sechen Mid-Winter
divide the combat pool, just use black for the attack, white for the
defense and roll them at the same time. You will instantly see which Lyuti Late Winter
dice are successful and which are not, as well as how did you fare
Meznik Early Spring
in attack or defense.
The last phase, resolution, is reserved for the Narrator to de- Bilar Mid-Spring
scribe the outcome of the rolls. When you assessed the situation,
try to imagine what happened and interpret the dice. You know Roznik Late Spring
the damage dealt, but since everything happened at the same time,
try to incorporate everything into the description. Letnik Early Summer

Zarki Mid-Summer
So, instead of just saying; “Eric damaged the Vargan for 3 points, Srpen Late Summer
Ann dealt 4 points, while Steve and Tom were hit for 3 and 4 points
of damage.” try imagining what happened and describe it vividly: Ruyen Early Fall
“Vesna flashed her sword in a dazzling display of prowess toward
Desetnik Mid-Fall
the Vargan which didn’t even try to defend itself, slashing across the
Igor’s and Velen’s chest. In the same moment as Vesna’s sword found Studen Late Fall
its way to her enemy guts, Sammo’s arrow found its way to Vargan
throat.” Gruden Early Winter

The passage of the time in the game and narration is subjec-

Death of a Character tive; the seconds can be stretched into minutes, and the days can be
During the playing of Awaken, you will realize that the com- skipped in seconds, so you shouldn’t keep the track of every second
bat is fairly lethal which means a possibility of character deaths during the game.
through the game. Gifts and effects which are limited by their time dimension
The Characters can (and probably will!) develop, having great- (such as 5 or 10 minutes, hours or by the end of the day) can be
er and greater abilities, but their great spirit and power will be con- adjusted to correspond the in-game events, such as encounters or
fined to their frail bodies and their Endurance score will rarely be scenes, so don’t feel too compelled to keep the exact track of the
higher compared to the score in the start. time.

There is always a chance of death in the game, so what should

you do if a character dies? If the player wishes to continue, invite
them to create a new Character. Ideally, the new Character would
be a starting Character, but if the group consists of more powerful

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Items The Black Market

Trade is one of the most developed businesses in Alliance,
especially since it was one of the most important reasons it was
The world of Awaken is a medieval world on the brink of the formed.
industrial revolution and equipment is pretty diverse, what would
anyone expect in this kind of setting. Players will normally want But trade and merchants are always under the scrutiny of the
to be informed of the potential weapons and armor which can be guards, primarily since large markets are often scenes of various
checked in the weapons and armor tables on page 132. quarrels.

Regarding the other items, it’s up to you as a Narrator what will If a person would like to get a hold of the more “exotic“ items,
be available in your game, if it fits in the medieval setting, allow the she should try to get in touch with traders willing to break some
Players to use it. rules or which would at least refer her to those who don’t feel held
back by Alliance standards.
However, the setting and lore of Awaken contain traces of a
possible past civilization, as well as the civilization built by First
and Second Ones, which were lost throughout the history.
Vargan Blood Difficulty Finding
So, although there aren’t magical items with special attributes, a Wealth 2
possibility of uncovering artifacts from another time always exists. (undiluted) It 2
This means you can experiment with various strange items if you
wish. Vargan Blood
3 3
Additionally, humankind has just started experimenting with (honey)
resin and its potential which seems vast, so if you’d really wish for
weapons with special properties, imbued or attuned to Gifts, you Slaves 3 2
can always head in that direction.
Poison 2 1

Opiates 2 1

Resin Counterfeit
3 3
Resin is expensive but isn’t hard to obtain, since most documents
of the settlements bigger than villages have at least one
shop which sells Resin products. Guns* 3 2

Explosives* 3 3

Product (8 oz./200 grams) Wealth

*Firearms and explosives are rare in Alliance and are illegal ex-
Pure Resin 3 cept for the highest tier members of The Collective or exclusively
for the City defense purposes.
Colored Resin 4 Unlike standard items, Black Market Items are a harder to
find, and it’s represented by Finding Difficulty number. It means
+2 on standard
Resin Cast that if a Character would like to buy that item, she should have at
price of an item least that many points in “Black Market“ reputation, or she should
roll Sociality+Trade/Intellect+Trade, with at least that many suc-
Resin Lamps 3 cesses on dice to buy that item. Of course, the Character should be
in a position to buy that item, i.e. in a larger settlement which could
Resin Trinkets 2
have a black market trade of its own.

Additionally, don’t forget that you as a Narrator, are the ulti-

mate judge of whether such items are available or not.

Vargan Blood and

Characters
This black substance extracted from the body of humankind
nightmare is highly illegal. Of course, from the moment it’s discov-
ered that it can be used as an opiate, the black market was flushed
with various merchants who claimed they had the best quality
available.

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Most of the blood which can be obtained from the various The Character will develop aggression, erratic behavior, she
street dealers is actually fake, or highly diluted substance, some- will lie, manipulate and shift blame, waiting for the next hit.
times even entirely different opiates mixed with anything resem-
In the terms of mechanics, a Character rolls a Will save every
bling blood.
time they consume a drug. The number of Will Ranks a Charac-
For those who have more connections to the Alliance under- ter has determined how many successive fails in a period of ten
world, Vargan Blood is available if they’re willing to delve a little days are allowed before becoming addicted. Failing that many rolls
deeper in the illegal trade. within 10 days of game time will result in addition. So, if a Charac-
ter has 3 Will ranks, 3 successive Will fails in ten days will result in
Vargan Blood is actually dangerous and poisonous by itself;
addition to Vargan Blood substances.
preparation for consummation is a long process where it should
be mixed with Resin dust, simmering on low heat for a couple of To get rid of the addiction, a Character has to stay clean for
hours while adding strong alcohol to clean the blood. one month, during which time she should roll a Will roll each time
she’s in a position to take the substance. If failed, the Character will
Finally, it should be stirred and heated until all of the alcohol
try to use the drugs and all the effort of trying to avoid addiction
evaporates, leaving a thick and dense mass, colloquially called
was in vain.
Honey, because of appearance.
The effects of Vargan Blood and it’s versions are:

Substance
Effect (lasts 1
hour)
Consequences
(last 1 hour)
Character
+1 rank in
-2 ranks in
Advancement
Physicality
Physicality
Honey +1 rank in
1 potential
dominant Gift
Corruption point Advancing of a Character
Tree
Characters in Awaken advance during the game, primarily by
+2 ranks in successfully fulfilling the task and crossing the boxes (standard XP
-2 ranks in point) next to the Skills and Gifts.
Physicality
Physicality The other way is by allocating the awarded XP points in the
Pure Honey +1 rank in same way.
1 potential
dominant Gift As a Narrator, you should keep in mind that Players should
Corruption point
Tree be rewarded after each game session. The quantity of the awarded
points should be from 1 to 3 after play, but some Narrators will feel
+3 ranks in -3 ranks in the need to award Players with more to reflect the complexity of the
Physicality Physicality Story or impressive role playing.

Vargan Blood +2 ranks in 2 potential

dominant Gift Corruption XP Points awarded
Tree points
Partaking in the game
1
With the rise in Physicality, all the statistics derived from it session
gain the appropriate bonuses (Endurance, Combat Pool) as well as
Successful game
the impediments during the time consequences last. 1
session
To avoid the Corruption points, a Player should roll a Will roll.
Creative role playing 1

Completion of the
Addiction 3
Story
It’s entirely possible for Vasalli to become addicted; but with
standard drugs it can only be a psychological dependence, all de-
rivatives of Vargan Blood present a serious danger of physical ad-
diction.
Once a Character becomes physically addicted, she has to use
the substance daily. If not, the consequences of using will last until
the next dose is ingested.

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Point distribution Successful Roll

After the Characters finish the storyline completely, you should Every successful Roll on a Skill or Gift means that Character
award them with extra 3–5 points if the Story is a part of a greater utilized their knowledge and ability, thus making them one step
Saga or if Players are interested in the continued playing of same closer to the advancement. When the Player succeeds on the Roll,
Characters. he crosses one of the five boxes next to the Rank Box and it’s called
an experience point or XP.
If you’d like to additionally award the Players, feel free to do so,
but try not to be too generous with points since Players will lose the After the Player fills all five of them, the Character advances the
sense of accomplishment. Skill or Gift by one rank.
The award XP points can be used for the advancement of the
Character features according to the table below—it shows how
many awarded XP points are needed for the advancement of the Skills during Combat
one feature point: After every combat, Characters add one XP to either Fray or
Range, depending on which kind of weapons did they use or prefer
during combat.
Attributes 20 XP On the other hand, other Skills and Gifts used during combat
are awarded one XP immediately after the success, making it possi-
Skills 5 XP
ble to add more than one XP on a Skill/Gift during combat.
Specializations 5 XP

Gift Rank 5 XP Quality Roleplaying

Unlocking of the new Gift Tree 20 XP We mentioned the Picture Rule and the possibility of a suc-
cess without the Roll if the Player role plays the specific situation
or describes it in a good way. If a Narrator decides that Character
Virtues can’t be raised through this method, neither can rep-
accomplished the task without the Roll, according to the Picture
utation nor wealth. But while Luck, Will, and Courage stay the
Rule, that Player should be awarded by allowing them to cross the
same throughout the Character’s life, her Reputation and Wealth
box next to the Rank, same as he would do if he succeeded in a Roll.
should rise and fall during the game according to the Character’s
actions.
Does the Character solve a problem Alliance imposed upon
her Order? Raise her Order reputation by one or two, and lower
End of a Session
the Alliance reputation for one or two. Does she start a business In the end of each Session, the Narrators should award the
or finds herself on a regular payroll of an organization? Give her a Players with 1 to 3 XP points (crossed boxes) to spend them as
raise by boosting her wealth points! they wish.
Character statistics aren’t written in stone; as a Narrator you The degree of the XP award should reflect the roleplaying, cre-
can decide to change any Character feature to reflect the situation ativity and learning curve of the Player and Character.
in the game, but always consult with the Player regarding that. Narrators can decide on the number of the XP points they give
Experience or Experience Points (often abbreviated as EXP to players, but should try to balance between scarcity and abun-
or XP) are the backbone of the Character advancing, slowly trans- dance of points since either can destabilize the good Story or joy
forming the Characters from often anonymous peons into the of the game.
movers and shakers of the world. Narrators also shouldn’t favor one Player over another, since it
Awaken also has its advancement system which serves to re- can give an impression of playing favorites. However, sometimes
flect the growth of the Characters, they’re learning from the mis- the Players excel during the Session in some way, and it should be
takes or successes and their achievements in many fields. rewarded with additional points for all the contributions, making
them the Player of the Session.
This system forfeits the traditional levels and instead focuses
on the empirical nature of the skill development.
Most of the successes in the system depend on the Skills used to Fast/slow advancing
achieve something, and it’s only natural that Character hones their
skills and learns something new while utilizing them. If a Charac- If you feel that Characters should be allowed to advance more
ter doesn’t use a specific skill, it’s almost impossible to advance it, quickly, you can allow the Players to cross one more box with every
less master it. Exceptional Success.

There are a couple of ways to advance a Skill in the game:

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The Vargan Codex

Word to the Wise

This is a part of the legendary Vargan Codex. If it is in your possession, you were
given it by someone who has the right to give it out.
Everything read from any Collective documents is secret. If you haven’t been given
the right to share the information, by reading this document you are sworn to secrecy.
If you break the secret, you are punishable by removal of your tongue and fingers so
you could never share it again.
Everything written here refers to the knowledge of Vladislaw Karpov, one of the key
scholars studying Vargans and their habitats.
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Today has been a triumph! Ever since I started my experiments on the Resin, I have wanted
to get my hands on a Vargan blood sample and I have finally succeeded! Despite the mockery, I
am convinced that the Resin is connected, somehow, to the Vargan. It’s no coincidence their attacks
started roughly at the same time we discovered its properties, it must be that they are at least some-
how attracted to it.
Everything fits—we found it near their hives, they are attacking the cities which are lit up by
Resin lanterns, their tunnels are illuminated with Resin, and as mentioned, they showed up when
we started experimenting with it.
I know it, I feel it!
(…)
No, no, no!
The blood sample was a fluke. I bought it from a Kayla trader who claims he deals in such
stuff, and although he never tests it himself, he says his customers swear it gives them a superb kick.
Since I never actually had the experience with blood, I had to test it out myself after I brought
it home.
What a disappointment. I didn’t feel anything. All the stories tell about an instant rush,
clarity, and power, but after I ingested the sample, nothing happened.
I must admit that my reaction was less than admirable. In a fit of rage and disappointment,
I tore up my notebooks and threw them into the hearth. I’ve written a transcript of my last note
(which I didn’t scribe in the book itself) so I’m starting anew.
P.S. I have reported the knavish merchant. Let’s see how does he explain the blood to the
officials, fake or not.
(…)
I’ve been lying sick from yesterday evening, I can’t even hold the feather normally.
(…)
Oh, I feel like crap right now.
But let’s start from the beginning.
I was approached by a middle-aged man on the street two days ago. He looked suspicious
and I was ready to scream for help in case he attacked me.In the end, he turned out to be helpful.
He told me he heard about my dealings with a merchant selling fake blood. I denied every-
thing but he laughed, waving his hand dismissively.
He insisted he knew about it because of his connections in the City Guard and it turned
out he is a Vargan Hunter from Morana Order. Of course, after he introduced himself as one, the
Hunter tickled my fancy, my mind streaming through all the possibilities.

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He told me he could sell me some Vargan blood, but not right there so he told me he’ll meet
me at home.
I refused, since I don’t usually invite shady characters to my home, so we agreed to meet in
a tavern later that evening.
After we’ve met, he showed me the sample but I was skeptical about the trade since I had
lousy experience before. Again, he laughed and waved. He put his hand on the table and pushed
my wine glass toward me.
I looked at him curiously and he smiled again. He waved again, but this time much slower.
My untrained eye caught a glimpse of a little vial he kept hidden in his sleeve and then it hit me; he
dropped a small amount in my wine when he waved at me. “There’s your Honey .“ he said.
I looked around, reached for the cup and took a sip.
Oh great Azimoth, what a feeling!
Everything slowed down for a while and I saw and heard with more clarity than before.
The fire in the fireplace was brighter, the murmur of the patrons became clearer and I could even
identify some parts of dialogues.
The Hunter smiled and raised his eyebrows quizzically.
I decided to buy the blood. It was a little expensive, but I guess it was worth it. To finally
have a sample, such joy!
I felt a little nauseous during the walk home, but I didn’t correlate it to blood then. I as-
sumed it was from the wine itself or heavy air in the tavern and it passed soon. When I came home,
I divided the blood into a couple of vials and started experimenting right away.
The Hunter explained to me that there’s a whole process behind preparation of the Vargan
blood for consummation. The blood has to be added to the crushed Resin dust and heated at the
right temperature. The process itself is not complicated, but it’s long and you have to be present at
all times. When the mixture begins to coagulate, the rest of the Vargan blood is added to create a
honey like substance, therefore the nickname Honey for the blood prepared for consumption.
I got my hands on the Honey and undiluted blood as well. The undiluted blood gives a stron-
ger kick, but only those who’ve been using Honey for a long time have developed enough resistance
for it. If a first-time user tries undiluted blood, it’s a terrible experience filled with hallucinations
and pain until the user’s organs stop functioning and death ensues.
Most of the evening I was watching the reaction of blood with various minerals we use in
compounds with Resin but nothing happened. Only when I actually dropped a small amount of
blood on the pure undiluted sample of Resin the reaction began.
The Resin lump started twisting and moving like it was given a breath of life! A small dark
patch was formed inside the lump and after a while Resin lost its glow. For the rest of the evening
nothing happened with the lump, although I tried to drop a couple of more drops.

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It was getting pretty late and I was tired. I was considering going to bed, but my eye caught
an untouched vial of Honey. After a short contemplation, I decided to give it a try.
What a rush! It was glorious!
A bitter taste burned in my throat, but after I downed the last drop of the substance every-
thing seemed to stop. The tiny flame on the candle stopped flickering and it began dancing rhyth-
mically and slowly.
Although I expected my vision to blur, the very opposite happened. Everything became crys-
tal clear as I could see every part of the picture in front of my eyes. I stood up and I stretched. Every
muscle in my body felt relaxed and ready to contract in the same time. I felt amazing!
I paced through the house, looking at everything like I see it for the first time. Only after I
reached the living room I realized I didn’t bring my candle with me. I could see in the dark! I didn’t
actually see like it was daytime, but such small amount of moonlight coming through the blinds
shouldn’t make it so easy for me to see. But I saw well enough to move around with ease.
I returned to the lab and tried to use my Gifts to see what would happen. A known feeling
of energy rushed through me, but I was surprised by a sheer and raw power of it. It was like using
the Gifts for the very first time but with absolute control!
I decided to reach out with my power and move a beaker standing on my table. I did it so
easy and fluidly, it seemed like drinking a cup of water. While holding a beaker in the air, I decided
to make it revolve around me, trying to make another beaker join it.
I must say, if someone entered that moment, he’d have a curious and funny sight in front of
him; an old man grinning like an idiot, with two beakers revolving around him through the air.
The surge of power was so strong, I blame it for the messing with my mind and making me
do what I tried next. In a moment of temporary madness, I decided to reach out for everything on
the floor around me and lift it. The wooden table and chairs creaked. The wicker basket detached
itself from the floor. Slippers in the corner flew right up. Everything around me levitated and began
a spinning around me.
And then suddenly a constant stream of power was cut off and everything dropped to the
floor. Including me.
When I woke up, I was surrounded by broken glass and there was a mess in my room. I
didn’t remember anything that happened and I was cold, weak and lonely. I dragged myself across
the room and put myself to bed.
The next day I was almost too weak to move, let alone eat. My body was ridden with pulsat-
ing bloodscars and I felt theCorruption creeping upon my body.
At this point, Karpov confirmed the susceptibility to Corruption of blood users and discovered
the connection of Resin and Vasalli.

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(…)
The following excerpts were taken from Karpov’s journal during his work for The Collective
when he had more resources on his hands.

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I finally feel my work has contributed to the better understanding of the Vargan scourge
endangering our world!
As I suspected since I started experimenting with Resin lumps and Vargan blood, there is
a connection between them. It is my understanding that Resin is actually somehow a part of the
Vargan biology, probably a substance giving them life during egg cycle.
The Eyes have been exploring the underground tunnels and I read all their reports very
carefully. It appears that they’ve seen the adult Vargans around the eggs, which were coated in a
thick layer of Resin.
(…)
They did it!
Together with members of The Hand, The Eye infiltrators have succeeded in capturing a real
live Vargan and bring it back to my laboratory! Blessed Azimoth approves my work.
The specimen is still unconscious, under powerful sedatives strong enough to knock out a
team of soldiers. We had a couple of casualties, but their names will live on when we finally under-
stand what makes Vargans tick!
With a help from the team which captured it, the specimen was put inside a strong cage in
the basement of the laboratory. It was chained to the wall with fortified chains. We don’t want any
nasty surprises during the experiments.
(…)
The specimen regained consciousness some time during last night. I found it this morning
sitting in its cage and watching around intently.
After I turned on the Resin lantern in the room, it jumped on its legs, albeit somewhat awk-
wardly because of the chains and started hissing and trying to break the chains. I don’t quite know
was it because of the strong illumination in the room or because it was attracted to Resin.
I left the room and returned with the oil lantern. Although the specimen was somewhat
discomfited by light, it stopped with the attempts to break free. It just paced in the cage, as much
as its chains allowed it to. I tried to establish the communication, but it didn’t show any sign it was
listening or understanding me. Only the occasional twitch of the ears betrayed the fact that could
even hear my speech.
I tried to extract some of its blood with specially designed tools to keep it at a distance. It
tried to swat the stick away but I succeeded in getting it near enough, although I didn’t succeed in
breaking its skin. It’s too hard and tough, just like cured leather. I don’t quite understand how it can
be so nimble with such an armored hide.
Later during the day, a member of The Mind suggested I use tools made of the sharper
materials, such as the alloys made with Resin, similar to the ones The Hand uses for its weapons.
I asked a Collective weapon smith for help and she agreed to make something out of the
designs I suggested.

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(…)
Break of one week between journal entries align with reports that Vladislaw was ill and couldn’t
quite continue the experiments right away.

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My tool arrived and I find it quite exquisite. The long handle and mechanism installed on
the handle suggest that weaponsmith improved the designs. I succeeded in drawing blood although
the specimen wasn’t quite happy with it. It hissed when I came near, but it didn’t try to swat the
handle away like last time. It just looked at me and hissed loudly.
I never heard any other form of vocalization other than hissing. The specimen’s mouth is
barely visible, at least the openings. On this specimen they look just like the mouth of the leech.
We know nothing about the Vargan diet, and we tried bringing it various food—from milled
grain, to red meat, to raw vegetables. The specimen decided to go with the meat and its feeding was
one of the more horrendous things I witnessed in my life.
The Vargan crouched over the meat and spat its saliva into the holes it drilled with its long
fingers. It seems that secretion softened the tissue after a while, and Vargan started sucking on the
meat with loud slurping sounds.
Since some of the Vargan specimens were described as actually having the mouth opening
while others having only small holes where its mouth should be, we can only assume they commu-
nicate with some kind of noise only they can hear.
God forbid, I just thought of an alternative; I really hope they aren’t using Gifts for commu-
nication like some Vasalli are able to.
I’ll test out the extracted blood as soon as I can. I have to see if it has similar properties like
blood of the dead Vargans we dealt with before.

More of the missed dates in the journal. We can only assume that Karpov was testing the Var-
gan Blood on himself.
(…)
Well, the Collective delivered some of the new reports regarding the Vargan habitats. It
seems that they found an entire tribe of the people living inside the Vargan caves. They didn’t un-
derstand any of The Eye operatives, and they didn’t try to communicate with them. It seems that
they communicated by tapping each other on the arms and with various gestures.
The Tunnelborn, as they were called by The Eye, didn’t like the light and they didn’t want to
leave the tunnels. The Eye members left one operative with the tribe while they continued to search
the network of tunnels.
They found the traces of Vargan presence, but they didn’t face any live one or any threat
inside the tunnels.
When they returned to the Tunnelborn habitat, entire tribe was gone. It appears that they
took all of their crude tools, and the operative, as they fled.
Is there a possibility of an entire race similar to us which live in coexistence with Vargans?

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(…)
The specimen stopped hissing near my presence and now only scrutinizes me whenever I’m
around. It just stands there and stares at me intently. I preferred it’s wild behavior to this cold cal-
culating menace.
In the meantime, The Collective was kind enough to provide me with another specimen,
albeit dead. It doesn’t matter; I opened this one up and explored its anatomy;
Eyes—Large and dark, probably sensitive to light. The live specimen’s eyes rarely reacted to
fast movement. No pupils.
Ears—Elongated and sensitive ears. The dead specimen’s ear channels are multiple and are
more complicated than human, so I believe they have extremely good hearing. It has led me to
believe that it’s their primary sense. While eyes are fixed and unmoving, their ears twitch quickly,
probably using the sound to locate objects and movement.
Mouth—There are vocal cords, but I believe they barely function. The mouth openings are
there probably just for feeding, or maybe to communicate inaudibly. During the research with the
live specimen, I noticed a series of clicking between his hisses. Could it be they are somehow com-
municating that way?
Nose—There are holes on the front part of the Vargan face, which dilate while breathing, so
they probably have an olfactory function. I noticed the dilation when new smells were introduced,
which led me to believe they have an acute sense of smell, although we can’t be sure to which degree.
Skin—the Vargan skin is thick, not because of the tough outer layer only, but because of the
multiple layers underneath. It seems they developed multiple skin layers with fat stored between
every layer to avoid the cold and to create a natural defense.
Extremities—Long and robust. Their muscles are developed like athletes’, probably capable
of lifting very heavy stones. Together with the sharp claws on every finger, well-developed muscles
create a terrible impact which could probably sever the bone and flesh in one hit.
Organs—interestingly, the organs are similar to humans although they are heavier and big-
ger, and there are no reproduction organs as well.
What puzzled me is that the structure of the Vargan flesh is somehow different from the
common structure of an animal or human flesh. The traces of spores underneath the skin have led
me to believe that Vargans are of fungal origins!
(…)
Today after the research on the dead specimen, I visited a live one. As soon as I entered the
room, Vargan stiffened, his nose holes widening. Then it hissed furiously and tried to rip out the
chains from the wall. If those weren’t specially fortified chains, it would succeed in its intention.
That answers the issues of acute sense of smell since I believe it sensed the stench of a dead
Vargan on me, although I had a change of clothes and I bathed. I explained that it’s all in the name

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of progress, but it just looked at me with

its big eyes. I just know that it knew what
I had done and hated me for it.

Until this point in journal, Karpov never

mentioned talking to Vargan, except when
he tried to establish some form of commu-
nication. We don’t know how much or how
often did he try to talk to it, but with his non-
chalant way of reporting about it, we assume
it wasn’t that uncommon.

(…)
New reports from The Eye came
in. They were exploring the network of
tunnels where they’ve met the Tunnelbor-
nand reportedly they were attacked by a
being similar to what folk calls “Strigoi“, a
being with human appearance but slight-
ly deformed and which feeds on the flesh
and blood.
This particular Strigoi was with-
out a face. Not with faceless features,
but without the skin on its actual face; it
seemed peeled away.
They fought against it, but it
fought back ferociously, trying to bite the
operatives, waving with an improvised
stone dagger, screaming loudly. Alleged-
ly its screams made operatives confused
and they stunned them. It almost meant
the end for them, but one succeeded in
hitting Strigoi from behind, piercing its
throat and silencing its screams in the
puddle of blood.
It was dressed in rags similar to
one seen on the Tunnelborn. But curious-
ly, Strigoi had a patch of rags from differ-
ent materials sewn into the skin on his
back. When the operatives took a closer

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look, they recognized a symbol of The Eye on the patch. It has led us to believe that Dimiter was
dead, his clothes used for strange rituals among the Tunnelborn.
(…)
The live specimen in the cage stopped with hissing whenever I’m close. The stench of a dead
Vargan washed off I guess. But it still looks angry whenever I enter to study his behavior. He just
stands there, stiffened, his eyes and ears following me whenever I move.
It all points to them having a good memory and having a developed intelligence. Are we
underestimating them? How intelligent are they really?
Well, I believe they have an intelligence of a small human child at least, or even greater. It
means they could exhibit enough sapience to develop well-functioning habitats, but we haven’t
seen any yet.
I tried to communicate with it again, but it either doesn’t understand the simple words or
gestures, or it refuses to cooperate.
(…)
I’ve finally seen the tunnels! What a vast network of underground passages lies hidden un-
derneath the inconspicuous soil!
Last night, the members of the Collective woke me up and ordered me to pack most of my in-
struments which I consider helpful on the terrain investigation. They refused to discuss the reason
for the abrupt call, but I was assured it was something important. Having seen the wounded and
dead members of The Hand returning to the headquarters, I was not looking forward to learning
the reasons.
They put me in the carriage and closed the blinds so I was unable to see where we were head-
ing. There was an officer of The Hand together with me in the carriage, but he didn’t say a word,
although I was trying to establish a dialogue. It felt like forever before we finally stopped.
The officer finally decided to make a sound, but it was a command for me to stay in a car-
riage until he says so, and then he went outside. After couple of minutes, the carriage doors opened
and an officer peeked inside, telling me it’s safe to exit.
I exited and found myself in front of a cave entrance, where a couple of The Hand members
waited in line, holding the oil lanterns. They took me inside and led me through the network of
tunnels. We walked for an hour while I was looking around.
I couldn’t quite discern where the tunnels artificially made, but they were definitely tam-
pered with. Every once in a while we saw the dents in the stone walls where the resin pieces were
left, although they lost their glow.

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The Hand members turned my attention toward the pictures on the wall, depicting tall hu-
manoids with long ears. Our guess is that Tunnelborn made artistic representations of the Vargans.
Are they so infatuated with our nemesis?
Suddenly I felt a nauseating stench all around me, the smell of a rotting flesh. The officer
from the carriage confirmed that we are near the thing they wanted to show me.
We entered the large cave, where more operatives were standing, holding the oil lanterns
which illuminated the cave enough for me to witness the terrible scene. On the floor of the cave
there was a mass of a rotten flesh, but when I came closer I saw the remains of the so-called Crawl-
er! Until then, no Crawler was ever captured or killed and this was the first opportunity to examine
it!
I’ve only heard the reports of terrible creatures which look like a mix between a squid and a
spider. Its long tentacles were used to move effortlessly through the tunnels, and there are stories of
Vargans riding Crawlers like demonic horses during the attack on Sirin or Jarillo. I examined the
rotting corpse of a Crawler
Body and head —It seems that Crawlers head is completely a part of the rest of the body, no
neck has been found on the body. The general appearance of a Crawler would remind someone of
a giant squid mixed with a nightmare.
Organs —The eyes are missing, but the holes where the eyes should be still exist, but they are
closed with the skin. I guess that they lost the ability to see during the past, since they didn’t need
to use the eyes in the darkness.
Ears — There are slits and openings for the ears, I suppose, so I guess they are able to hear.
Mouth — The mouth is on the lower part of the body, where it’s stomach would be, so they
are stationed directly between its tentacles. The mouth opening is round, with the circular set of
sharp and vicious-looking teeth.
The extremities — Their tentacles are filled with suction cups, similar to octopi, which indi-
cates they are able to move across the difficult terrain with ease, maybe even climb the steep walls.
The muscles in the tentacles are extremely well developed, probably because of the need to
hold the heavy body, and I guess they can be a terrible weapon if they wrap around someone.
During the studying of the corpse, it continued to rot rapidly, so I believe that’s the main
reason we never found a body; they decompose pretty quick.
What a terrible beast…

(…)

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The following entry indicates Karpov developed a Vargan Blood addiction. The Collective
wasn’t aware of this until it was too late.
After the return from the caves, I admit I was a little stressed out and I indulged in some of
the Honey.

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Its powerful rush can be additionally controlled by adding the ground resin dust. Although
it turns the resin dust completely black, the inhalation of the resulting vapors have relaxant effects.
The kick and body stimulus is curbed that way and the relaxation and complete awareness
of one’s surroundings take place instead. Additionally, the side effects of the vapor are not as strong
like when drinking Honey.
While I was under the influence, I could hear the rattling of the chains and bars in the base-
ment. The specimen was stirred.
I never saw it sleep—it led me to conclusion that Vargans don’t sleep, or at least they don’t
rest in a way similar to humans.
The rattling continued, and I smiled, since I found it funny, I don’t quite know why. “Come
on, stop it, you!“ I said, more mumbling to myself than to the specimen.
But just like it somehow heard me, the specimen stopped rattling the chains! After the re-
alization of what just happened hit me, I rapidly stood up and run downstairs to see what was
happening. As I entered the basement the specimen was standing there silently, watching me and
judging me.
“Do you understand me?“ I asked.
It said nothing, not even showing it understood.
“Don’t play games with me, nod if you understand!“ I ordered, nodding to demonstrate the
motion.
It was as still as the statue.
But I somehow felt it understood me, and I felt something, like the vibrations originating
from the specimen. Could it be that heightened senses resulting in blood consummation make peo-
ple sensitive to Vargan methods of communication?
I took a couple of steps closer to Vargan and leaned toward the bars. Strangely, the specimen
did the same, reflecting my behavior as well as it could, being constricted by chains.
“Do you understand me?“ I whispered.
The Vargan didn’t move, but I felt the vibrations intensify as if it was answering my ques-
tion. I flinched and took a step back. My mind was racing and I turned away and walked out of the
basement and directly to my journal.
By Azimoth, what a discovery!!!

At this point, The Collective believes that Karpov was slowly losing the integrity of his mind
under the influence of the Vargan Blood and Corruption. No other tests confirmed the possibility
of people understanding Vargans, not even during intoxication with the blood.

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Some of the tests were inconclusive, but no result indicated otherwise. We attribute these
events to the Karpov’s possible insanity.
(…)
I’ve decided not to visit the live specimen today. I feel… I don’t know, weird I guess? It could
be that it’s because of a dream I had last night.
After the journal entries, I decided to go to bed, but I was still buzzed from the narcotics.
And I’ve dreamt the weirdest dreams. It was calling me. I don’t know was it real or not, but I some-
how felt the presence of the captured Vargan in my dreams. It watched me, from where I could not
tell.
From the darkness in my dreamscapes, a mighty city appeared. The city where everything
was upside down, inhabited by Vargans and other creatures akin to them.
While I roamed the dark tunnels leading to the hanging city, I felt the presence of the speci-
men near me, somehow leading me, just like it wanted to show this to me. I was afraid and lonely,
but it sang me a lullaby of its people to calm me while I was marching through the tunnels.
In the great cave, bigger even than the famed Colossi graveyard, I saw the city in all its
might. Hanging from the ceiling of the cave, the nightmarish structures dominated the view. Just
like great stalactites connected with the hanging bridges.
Everything was immersed in the heavy glow of the Resin, while various creatures, workers
and warriors alike, roamed the streets (could they be called that?) of the city. I walked the ground of
the cave but I was unnoticed, like I was the ghost in the real place. Only thing talking to me was the
specimen, and it was only the voice in my head and around me, while it was nowhere to be seen.
In the center of the city, a terrible sight was to be seen. A great black mass of something un-
identified hung from the ceiling, almost like a giant black heart infused with tubes.
And it pulsated; I could feel it in my body!
The crack appeared on the surface of the giant heart, and green glow started to pour from
the inside. I started screaming while the heart slowly pulsated stronger and stronger. My screams
overcame the thumps of the heart and I finally woke up in my dark and quiet room.
The only thing I heard was the rattling of the chains in the basement. I couldn’t sleep as my
mind raced. Was everything I saw real? Was it just a nightmare? Did the specimen somehow pro-
duce the unholy images I saw in my dream?
Does the city actually exist?

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I don’t know; some of The Collective members speculated about a possibility of a large Var-
gan habitat somewhere in the world, but nothing was ever found. Some even speculate about the
possibility of their city in the Jarillo domain, maybe even under the City itself.
We never investigated the underground around the Jarillo carefully, but historians recollect
the great holes appearing in Jarillo during the last battle with Vargans.
Could it be?
(…)
In the search for anything indicating to the possibility of a Vargan city underneath Jarillo,
I was digging through some archives of The Collective, and I’ve found something I never heard
before.
Allegedly, there is a kind of Vargans which has the ability to fly!
OK, there isn’t much information about them, but there are reports about ten feet Vargans
with skin flaps on their ribs and arms, which can glide through the air.
No specimen of this kind was ever caught, nor did the humans ever really confronted them.
They were only seen so far, and it would often be somewhere where the Vargans later appeared.
I don’t know why I never heard of this, I guess that The Collective wants to keep some things,
especially these avian Vargans a secret.
What I found next, simply shocked me. I found the testimony of one Vasall who participated
in a reconnaissance patrol in underground caves underneath one of the Great Cities. The City in
question isn’t named, probably because the testimony and discovery would alarm everyone and
create a wide-spread panic.
They’ve seen a great city, hanging from the cave roofs, described just like the one in my
dream, and it confirmed the speculations about Vargans having large habitats underground. Ad-
ditionally, they retrieved a couple of unknown artifacts, something that looks like from another
world, something with functions we can’t comprehend.
Oh my…
Could it be that everything I dreamt was true?
Why would The Collective keep something like this a secret?
The documents describing the ‘Avian Vargans’ were never an official part ofCollective in-
formation archives. There are reports of sightings, but The Collective never saw any specimen and
didn’t investigate further. As such, they never made to official archives.
The discovery of a city underneath one of the Alliance Cities would cause a massive panic,
creating a chain reaction which could seriously endanger the Alliance itself.

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The city in question wasn’t inhabited as we would think. There were

some Vargans around, but there wasn’t a serious number of Vargan
inside that would indicate them living there. We think that the city
is deserted, but we’re still watching it actively.
I visited the specimen today, the first time after a ter-
rible nightmare I experienced. It didn’t show any indication
that it knows about the nightmare, nor it wanted to com-
municate with me. It was only looking at me while it was
feeding, carefully watching with its big eyes. But I some-
how sensed it was amused.
They are interesting creatures indeed. Terrifying,
aggressive and merciless, of course, but nevertheless
interesting. Somehow, lately, I ask myself;”are they in-
herently evil and aggressive, or did we somehow earn
their wrath?”
Is it because of the Resin? Are we somehow re-
sponsible for the attacks they inflicted upon us?
Karpov was already showing signs of mental insta-
bility, likely due to prolonged use of the Vargan Blood.
His journal made his Vargan infatuation clear, even to
the point of contradicting the standard Alliance posi-
tions.
(…)
I continued to search through The Collective archive. I
admit I did it while unsupervised and without the official permis-
sion, but I understand now that I’d never discover more information if
I went through the official channels.
I firmly believe now that we are mostly responsible for the Vargan scourge. The collection
of reports from the archives informed me that The Eye members already understood what Resin
exactly is, long before I started my experiments.
(I guess they wanted an official story about the discoveries from the outside researchers like
me.)
As The Eye found out, Vargans reproduce by an adult Vargan entering the big unfertilized
egg spawned by Vargan Queen, where the egg consumes his body and creates one or two Vargans
from his blood.
So, the findings indicate that Resin is a biological mass created by a Queen which is the base
for Vargan development after it comes in contact with blood and afterward, the Resin leftovers are
used for the nurture of the new Vargans.

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 C hapter 1 0 : T he Vargan Codex

I can see now their discipline and complete lack of fear of death or pain. I guess that slow
disintegration of your body to create new life must be a painful process while Vargans are still
conscious.
Their commitment is admirable and great.
It was us, humans, which created a bloody mess out of everything. We’ve invaded their ter-
ritories, began exploiting something they needed for the reproductive function. We’ve turned this
exploitation into a profitable business.
It all makes sense now; the attacks on the bigger cities which use more Resin for illumina-
tion. It attracts them. The use of Resin in industry, medicine, and other fields does not help either.
That’s why smaller villages outside of the City boundaries witnessed only small numbers of
attacks; they simply don’t use so much Resin, and are limited to the cheaper, oil lanterns.
The Resin calls them, angers them.
Their commitment to their kind is seen whenever we come into contact with them; their
coordination, the fact that almost all of the Vargan bodies on the battlefields were taken away by
them as soon as possible, their rage whenever they encounter humans using Resin.
They blame us for every unborn Vargan and see as the threat to their very existence. They
consider us greedy, violent, and power hungry-lunatics.
What’s even worse? They are right.

This was the last Karpov’s journal entry. During the next days, we’ve discovered that he disap-
peared together with the live specimen caged in the laboratory basement.
No trace of both of them was found, although we tried everything to find out what happened.
Our theory is that he released the Vargan which killed him. Vargan devoured the body completely
and disappeared from the City.

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182
 Chapter 11:
Antagonists

Introduction
Throughout all the history, every good story revolves around protagonists, heroes of the story and their
efforts. But every strong and able hero needs a strong antagonist to truly shine.
Antagonists add to the depth of your Story; you can’t just throw the PCs into the empty and uninhab-
ited world, give them the task and expect them to have any fun, can you? No, you have to place obstacles
along their way, and what better obstacle to use than a living and breathing adversary which plans for their
ultimate doom?
But be wary, just like putting the PC’s in the bland and empty world, placing them in a world full of
anguish, pain and devilish adversaries also has its pitfalls. Players get tired of constant failure and inability
to change something in the world.
To create a good and balanced Story, you need the antagonists which aren’t all-knowing deities, but
mortals with human flaws. Allow them to feel, allow them to make mistakes and finally, allow them to
change.
Don’t feel you have to create enemies in order for your Players to have fun, evil overlords, and madmen
hell-bent on total destruction are interesting and worthy foes; but what happens once your Players defeat
them? Will they feel roped in if you use such antagonists once again, only tougher, just to make the game
interesting? Remember, antagonists aren’t everything!
In this chapter you’ll find the examples of the antagonists you can use in your Stories, to make the game
truly memorable for your Players, but just like everything else in this book, they are subject to change. Even
more so, we strongly urge you to take them only as an empty canvas and give them your own breath of life;
motives, goals, secrets, hopes, desires, plans and personalities.
Feel free to change the statistics of the antagonists and adapt them to your needs.
While using the antagonists in this chapter, feel free to change, adapt and tailor the statistics according
to your needs. Try to make every antagonist unique and creative. Don’t fall back on generic and expendable
opponents.
 Chapter 1 1 : A ntagonists

Folk

F
olk is a name used to describe a common citizen of Salvo-
ra. They are exactly that—a common people without Gifts
Trained
Vasalli are blessed with. But although they aren’t capable of Trained Folk are, as the name suggests, people without Gifts,
extraordinary deeds and magnificent feats. They are meat and bone but trained in one or more skills necessary for their profession or
of the world; they surround the Vasalli and are more numerous survival. They vary from smooth-talking merchant to a battle hard-
than them. ened City Guard.
Some of the Folk are more trained and specialized than others,
so here you’ll find some possible variations.
Example Statistic

Commoner
Common Folk are the most often met kind of Folk. They have SOC 2 INT 1 PHY 2
no special skills, Gifts or knowledge besides necessary to endure
the life in Alliance. From simple peasants to the disinterested cit- Expression 2 Academics 1 Agility 1
izen, they are met throughout all of the Alliance. Commoner ex-
amples are farmers, maids, bartenders, stablehands, beggars, fish- Empathy 1 Craft Fray 2
ermen etc. Orator Medicine 1 Stealth

Performance Knowledge 1 Range 1

Example Statistic
Trade 1 Perception Survival 2

Equipment
SOC 1 INT 1 PHY2
Armor Dagger or small
Expression 1 Academics Agility swords +1
Leather +1 Endurance 3
Empathy Craft 1 Fray 1 Or Long
or Chainmail +2 Sword +2
Orator Medicine Stealth
Bow +1
Performance Knowledge 1 Range
Unarmed 6 Melee7 Range7
Trade 1 Perception Survival2

Equipment Trained Folk aren’t that superstitious when it comes to Vasalli

Armor as commoners, but instead of uneducated fear, it’s their reason and
Endurance 3 Dagger or small experience which will stand in a way of clashes with Vasall. But
None
sword +1 as opposed to commoners, they will at least try to subtly sabotage
Vasalli if angered enough.
Unarmed 4 Melee 5 Range 2

Commoners will rarely engage in combat since they have min-

imal or no fighting experience. This is especially applicable when it
comes to engaging with Vasalli; no sane commoner would engage
an Awakened person, not even when there are two or three com-
moners. The only real threat commoner poses is when he’s a part
of an angry mob, which could pose a trouble for a Vasalli willing
to clash with them.

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Professional Criminal
This kind of Folk are highly trained individuals, well versed in Although criminals can be seen as a variation on any of the
an entire skill set they developed to help them through their life. above mentioned Folk, they are specific in their skills, reckless de-
They are rare but they are usually top experts in their field, achiev- meanor and blatant disregard of the law. Their proficiency in skills
ing a prominent success and reaching highest possible positions they use vary as much as the skills themselves, but they usually
they can without being a Vasall. They are military generals, acade- focus on the skills necessary to operate on the other side of the law.
my professors, politicians and successful merchants.

SOC 2 INT 1 PHY 2

Statistics
Expression 1 Academics Agility 1

Empathy 1 Craft Fray 1

SOC 2 INT 1 PHY 2
Orator Medicine Stealth 2
Expression 2 Academics 1 Agility 1
Performance Knowledge 1 Range 1
Empathy 1 Craft 1 Fray 1
Trade 2 Perception 1 Survival 2
Orator 1 Medicine 1 Stealth 1
Equipment
Performance Knowledge 2 Range 1
Dagger or small
Trade 1 Perception 1 Survival 2 Armor sword +1
Endurance 3
Equipment Leather +1 Or Long
Armor Long Sword +2 Sword +2
Endurance 4
Chainmail +2 Or Axe +2 Bow +1

Bow +1 Unarmed 5 Melee6 Range6

Unarmed 6 Melee 8 Range 7 The decision to engage Vasall or not depends on the abilities
of the criminal, but they will usually find a way to harm a person
Unlike other Folk, Professionals who are skilled in combat they are angered with, Vasall or not. From the open confrontation
won’t be scared of attacking Vasalli outright, if they assess their and leading the band of other criminals to the stealthy attack or
chances are good or if they find themselves cornered. But their true thievery, they can pose a serious problem for Vasalli.
power often lies in the subtle manipulation and scheming. Since
most of the Vasalli doesn’t feel threatened by ordinary Folk, they
will often overlook people who aren’t in the ranks of Awakened.

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Vasalli

P
robably the most dangerous antagonists in the Awaken
are the ones from the ranks of Vasalli. If you add the sin- SOC 2 INT 3 PHY 1
gle-mindedness to their terrifying Gifts and abilities, you
Expression 1 Academics 2 Agility 1
will have truly powerful and dangerous antagonists. If you add a
natural inclination toward egotistical self and a touch of madness Empathy 1 Craft 1 Fray
looming over every Vasall, you can have a “Big Bad“ of the Story
in no time. Orator 1 Medicine 1 Stealth 1
But just as Folk, Vasalli aren’t all the same. Here you’ll find a
Performance Knowledge 2 Range 1
couple of archetypes of Vasalli, regarding to their Attributes.
Trade 1 Perception 2 Survival 1

Clever Vasall Armor

Equipment

Vasalli focusing on the Intellectual ability and skills are rarely Dagger or small
seen in the first rows of combat; they would rather control the sit- Leather +1 Endurance 4
sword +1
uation from the safe distance or refuse to dirty their hands at all. or none
Since their mind is their most powerful weapon, they will hone it Bow +1
daily and are usually most dangerous when not on the battlefield.
Unarmed 3 Melee 4 Range 4
Intellect oriented Vasalli as antagonists are best utilized as hid-
den masterminds behind the unfortunate events befalling the City Gifts: Mind 3, Reality 2
or PCs. They are perfect as the puppet masters and tacticians from
the shadows.

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Statistic

Vasalli who are intellectual will most probably try to learn as

much as she can about her opponents and then prepare for action.
These kinds of Vasalli use Mind or Reality Gift Trees more often SOC 3 INT 2 PHY 1
than others, excelling in bending others to do their bidding or
controlling the reality around them to compensate for their lack Expression 2 Academics 2 Agility 1
of combat skills.
Empathy 2 Craft Fray

Orator 2 Medicine 1 Stealth 1

Charming Vasall Performance 1 Knowledge 1 Range 1
Socially oriented Vasalli are probably the most noticeable
NPC’s in your Story. They are the outgoing individuals who prefer Trade 2 Perception 1 Survival 1
conversation over brute force, trying to achieve their own agendas
in the same time. They are the masters of a dialogue, bluff, and fast Equipment
Armor
talking, as well as sinister manipulators.
Dagger or small
Similar to intellectual Vasalli, they are best utilized out of the Leather +1 Endurance 4
swords +1
combat, as schemers and spies, trying to coerce PCs into achieving
or none
their own goals for them. Bow +1

Unarmed 3 Melee 4 Range 4

Gifts: Illusion 3, Mind 2

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Socially oriented Vasalli prefer Mind and Illusion Gift Trees,

so they could achieve dominance over another person, as well as
Nomad Vasalli
messing with their mind and using tricks where they can. Although Nomad Vasalli can also be considered a variation on the men-
they could be good fighters, they will try to avoid combat or per- tioned Vasalli types, but they are worth mentioning as one of the
suade others to fight for them. When everything else fails, they will more common antagonists.
take the arms for long enough just to establish dominance over en-
emies and make them turn against each other. Considered outcasts or runaways, Savages mostly walk through
their life bitter and angry. They are looked upon with distrust wher-
ever they go, and as such, they were forced to develop skills neces-
sary to survive on their own. They are very perceptive and resilient,
Mighty Vasalli so most people prefer to avoid confrontation with Savages and keep
The magnificent feats on the battlefield are usually reserved the contact minimal.
for this type of Vasalli, which are considered walking weapons. NomadVasalli are a good way to present an individual who’s
With their impressive fighting skills and array of weapons they are seen it all and left disgusted. They could be used as NPCs helping
trained in, this type of Vasalli rely upon the violence to solve most the group through the wilderness as guides, sources of information
of the conflicts and confrontations. As opposed to other Vasalli or an obstacle on the open road.
types, this type will hurl into the first rows of combat, sowing terror
among their enemies left and right.
Of course, physically oriented Vasalli are commonly used as Statistics
big bad fighters and last obstacle between the PC group and their
final goal.

SOC 1 INT 2 PHY 3

Statistics Expression Academics 1 Agility 2

Empathy 1 Craft Fray 3

SOC 1 INT 2 PHY 3 Orator 1 Medicine 1 Stealth 2
Expression 1 Academics 1 Agility 3 Performance Knowledge 2 Range 1
Empathy 1 Craft Fray 3 Trade 1 Perception 3 Survival 3
Orator 1 Medicine 1 Stealth 1 Equipment
Performance Knowledge 1 Range 1 Armor Long Sword +1
Endurance 7
Trade 1 Perception 1 Survival 1 Chainmail +1 Axe +2
Equipment Bow +1
Armor Long Sword +1 Unarmed 7 Melee 9 Range 8
Endurance 7
Chainmail +1 Axe +2 Gifts: Body 2, Reality 2
Bow +1
Just as is the case with their skills, Savages will mostly balance
Unarmed 7 Melee 10 Range 8 the Gift Trees, choosing the Gifts they deem necessary to survive
on their own, so their set of Gifts will probably vary, encompassing
Gifts: Body 2, Reality 2 all of the Trees. But, in order to be self-sufficient enough, they will
probably lean toward the Body Gift Tree with the addition of some
The most common used Gift Tree among these Vasalli is Body Illusion Gifts, if only to stay undetected or subtle.
Gift Tree, since it fatherly boosts their impressive fighting skills,
making them ultimate warriors on the battlefield. The Reality Gift
Tree comes second as a choice, enabling them to manipulate the
surrounding depending on their needs. A fighter well versed in
both Trees will be a dangerous opponent from afar as well as in
close vicinity.

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Fiends Mediators
Just like Savages, Fiends aren’t a type of a Vasall on their own, A misshapen creature, a terrifying form somewhere between a
but a rather specific oddity sometimes introduced in Stories. Vasall and Colossi. A creature whose body has already undergone
some of the changes that happen while the flesh mound made of
Awakened who overuse their Gifts to the point of them be-
Vasalli starts forming during Colossi Rites. Sometimes the mound
coming a curse instead of a present are bound to walk the world
rejects the contributed bodies and sometimes those Vasalli stay
as Fiends. They are usually frail and weak unless they use Vargan
conscious enough albeit with a damaged mind.
Blood products which can give them terrible abilities.
If such creature survives during standard Rites procedure, it’s
These creatures, somewhere between monsters and humans,
usually subdued and mercifully released of life. But if that happens
are often driven away from any form of civilization out of fear. As
during Wild Rites where there isn’t any control whatsoever, these
such, they can be utilized as people with vengeance in their hearts,
creatures run off into the wilderness where they continue their ter-
or pure madmen looking to sow terror wherever they can.
rible existence.

SOC 0 INT 2 PHY 4

Statistics
Expression Academics Agility 2

Empathy Craft Fray 4

SOC 1 INT 3 PHY 1
Orator Medicine Stealth
Expression Academics 2 Agility
Performance Knowledge Range
Empathy Craft 1 Fray
Trade Perception 3 Survival 2
Orator Medicine 2 Stealth 2
Equipment
Performance Knowledge 3 Range Armor
Endurance 7 Sharp nails
Trade Perception 1 Survival 2 Unusually thick
or protruding
skin +1
Equipment bones +1
Armor
Dagger or small Unarmed 2 Melee 3 Range 2
Leather +1 Endurance 4
swords +1
Gifts: Reality 3, Body 1
Or none
Or none

Unarmed 2 Melee 3 Range 2 Mediators are a terrible enemy when encountered. They are
tormented creatures full of hate, pain and anger, and as such usu-
Gifts :Illusion 3, Reality 3 ally attacks on sight. They are resilient, big, with various deforma-
tions such as thick skin, multiple limbs, protruding sharp bones,
Depending on the vicinity of the nearest settlement, Fiends’ etc., which can give them an edge in combat.
Gifts vary from self-sustaining to the affecting Gifts. A fiend which Also, their Vasalli heritage is still present and they often have
often comes in contact with other people will lean towardMind and an access to the Gifts they learned during their normal days.
Illusion Gifts, while those roaming far away will probably favor
Body and Reality Gifts. Of course, nothing is written in stone and
these are just suggestions; think in the terms of the Story, not in
terms of mechanics and suitability.

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Vargans

T
hese creatures are the prime antagonists in the world of Vargan Spawns can be used as a single adversary in the pinnacle
Awaken but are not to be used too lightly. They are fero- of the Story with inexperienced Vasalli, being a terrifying enemy.
cious adversaries from the dark bowels of the world, which
At night, young Vargans often hunt the grounds around the en-
shook the core of the Alliance and existence of the whole human-
trance to their tunnel network, but some of them venture further,
kind, only to return back underground. They are a terrible menace
testing their capabilities and scouting the area. As such, they will
which can return any moment to end our world. Any Vargan ac-
most often hunt the prey they deem weaker, or sometimes even a
tivity should be reported at once to authorities in order for them to
worthy opponent.
investigate and prepare for their possible return.
Their sharp claws are a terrifying weapon and their tough and
Not much is known about Vargans, but they are somewhat de-
leathery skin provides adequate armor against the most edges.
scribed in legendary Vargan Codex, and there are several types of
their kind which can be encountered in the world. But, unless seriously threatened or determined, Vargan Spawns
will rarely fight until death. When they estimate they could lose the
All Vargans and their types have extremely keen and developed
fight, they will try to retreat underground in order to survive the
senses. Although their vision is a little hampered when on the sur-
encounter.
face or with a light source in vicinity, their other senses more than
compensate for it. For example, their hearing is so well developed
that they actually understand their surroundings in the same way
bats do; the sounds help them orient in a space and know the loca- True Vargan
tion even of the stealthiest character.
The older they are, the more they stay underground and more
elusive they become. Met mostly underground, this specimen fo-
cus on building the tunnel networks and expanding the territory.
Vargan Spawn They are smarter and stronger than young specimens are, and as
such they present a serious threat even to the experienced and
Although Vargan activity ceased generations ago, it is suspect-
strong Vasalli. As workers, they develop a great physical strength,
ed that they’ve been very close, but well hidden. Proof for this lies
while their knowledge of the tunnels gives them the edge against
in the fact that Vargans are still met every once in a while, though
any intruder.
we can’t be sure which of the stories are true. But when people do
meet a Vargan specimen, it’s usually a young one. Those who know Their physical strength overpowers that of a younger Vargan,
a little bit more about Vargans, usually agree with the theory which making them an ultimate encounter in tunnel exploration led by
says that young specimens are more prone toward roaming above experienced and strong Vasalli.
ground than the older. One of the speculations is that older Var-
gans are more sensitive to light than their younger counterparts.
Statistics

Statistics

SOC 0 INT 3 PHY 4

SOC 0 INT 2 PHY 2 Expression 1 Academics Agility 4

Expression 1 Academics Agility 2 Empathy 2 Craft Fray 2

Empathy 1 Craft Fray 2 Orator 1 Medicine Stealth 3

Orator Medicine Stealth 1 Performance Knowledge 4 Range
Performance Knowledge 2 Range
Trade Perception 5 Survival 3
Trade Perception 3 Survival 1
Armor Equipment
Armor Equipment Endurance 9
Endurance 7 Natural +1 Claw +1
Natural +1 Claw +1
Unarmed 0 Melee 12 Range 0
Unarmed 0 Melee 8 Range 0
Special: Can feel where the enemies are so no sneak attack
Special: Can feel where the enemies are so no sneak attack
is possible on them
is possible on them

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 Chapter 1 1 : A ntagonists

True Vargans will use their knowledge of the tunnel structure Statistics
to confuse intruders and attack them at their weakest. When faced
directly, these specimens will fight to death trying to protect the
territory.
SOC 0 INT 4 PHY 5
These beings in their prime will pose a serious threat to a small
group of experienced Vasalli, and their abilities are a serious threat Expression 1 Academics Agility 4
even to trained forces of The Collective.
Empathy 2 Craft Fray 4

Orator 2 Medicine Stealth 3

Vargan Elders
These Vargans are a rare encounter even for specially trained Performance Knowledge 4 Range
Eye infiltrators, although historical reports from the War describe
Trade Perception 5 Survival 3
horrible forces of the underground led by terrifying leaders. It is
said that most experienced Vargans are the unstoppable warrior Armor Equipment
forces, creatures made of a pure rage and combat prowess. It is Endurance 10
speculated that these Vargans protect the legendary underground Natural +1 Claw +1
cities and lairs inhabited by this species.
Unarmed 0 Melee 15 Range 0
As such, these creatures are not to be used in most of the low
or medium level campaigns, since these antagonists are usually met Special: Can feel where the enemies are so no sneak attack
in epic Stories.
is possible on them

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These guardians of the underground are a nightmare opponent

even to the special Hand forces, embodying the cunning and brute
Crawlers
force of the Vargan race. When Vargans first appeared deep from the womb of the world,
people thought they are a single species. But as the guerilla attacks
They will unrelentlessly fight to the death, mostly death of the
of these creatures turned into an open war with humankind, anoth-
intruders.
er species emerged with new waves of attacks; Crawlers.
Those creatures first appeared with the destruction of Sirin;
Avian Vargans there are reports of a giant, squid-like creatures, walking or drag-
ging on the ground with the aid of the numerous legs which look
One of the most baffling mysteries, even for those who are more like octopus limbs. Reports describe Vargan leaders riding those
informed regarding the Vargans, are the so-called Avian Vargans. creatures and laying waste wherever they’d pass.
Recently, there have been some reports about silent flying crea- War strategists theorize that Vargans primarily utilized Crawl-
tures reminding of Vargans, but with the skin flaps between their ers in order to overcome the Colossi they’ve met on a battlefield;
extremities, soaring through the skies above the remote villages a certain number of crawlers would climb the body of Colossus
and areas. trying to strangle him or immobilize him.
Considered regular gossip and ramblings at first, the reports Crawlers are rarely seen these days, but every once in a while a
about flying Vargans started to be more frequent, so the Alliance new evidence of their activity in the underground is found, as well
officials began to look into it more. as they are sometimes encountered by The Collective infiltrators.
As such, they are best used as a confirmation of Vargan might in
No written record exists that Avian Vargan was caught, killed
the underground, or for epic Stories where Vargans are a big threat
or even met more closely, but some people claim they have seen
once again.
investigators fighting with Avians, although Alliance officials deny
that.
Avian Vargans are an extremely rare occurrence, and it is
Statistics
thought they scout the places considered suitable for expansion of
the underground tunnels. As such, they can be used as harbingers
of hard times for an area or even omens of incoming Vargan in-
trusion. SOC 0 INT 3 PHY 5

Expression Academics Agility 4

Statistics Empathy 1 Craft Fray 4
Orator Medicine Stealth 1
Performance Knowledge 2 Range
SOC 0 INT 4 PHY 5
Trade Perception 4 Survival 2
Expression 1 Academics Agility 5
Equipment
Empathy 2 Craft Fray 2 Armor
Endurance 10 Tentacles +2
Orator Medicine Stealth 5 Natural +3
Bite +4
Performance Knowledge 3 Range
Trade Perception 5 Survival 3 Melee 18 (tenta-
Unarmed 0 cles) Range 0
Armor Equipment
Endurance 10 20 (Bite)
Natural +1 Claw +1
Special: Climb and move in all directions on solid surfaces
Unarmed 0 Melee 13 Range 0

Special: Fly Crawlers are met accompanied by at least one Vargan, more
often than alone. They are considered obedient to Vargans, and will
attack if told so. In the second case, when they’re alone, they will
move sluggishly and won’t attack on their own unless threatened or
*These stats can be changed to suit the need of the Story. attacked directly by humans.
The lack of concrete evidence of their abilities suggests that Their preferred method of attack is to hurt enemies swinging
Avians will actively try to evade the confrontation with people, but their heavy limbs and crushing them, or wrap them around some-
it doesn’t mean they won’t defend themselves if the fight occurs. one if space is too tight.
If used in a Story, we suggest that Avians would use their su-
preme mobility in order to rush an enemy, then retreat to wait for a
perfect opportunity to strike again.

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Animals

T
he territories of Alliance cover pretty fertile land, teeming
with animal life, especially after the last war and loss of hu-
Medium Animals
man lives. Now, it’s not an unusual sight to see empty villag- This type of animals range from one half to the twice of mass
es, ruined houses, overgrown with vines, grass, and ivy. Although of a human being, so it includes wolves, apes, boars, big cats, croc-
some of the people began returning back to their villages, these odiles, constrictor snakes, some of the potentially overgrown small
places are convenient for an increase of the animal activity. animals, etc.
Fertile lands and suitable climate also have positively influ-
enced the wildlife, allowing the creatures to develop and grow over
time; the final results are dangerous and ferocious animals, larger Statistics
than usual and protective of their territory, which is usually a bad
news for lone or unequipped travelers.
The wildlife in Awaken is divided into three categories, regard- SOC 1 INT 1 PHY 3
ing of their size; small, medium and large. The following statistics
will deal with one example of each type. Expression 1 Academics Agility 1

Empathy 1 Craft Fray 2

Small Animals Orator Medicine Stealth
Small Animals are animals ranging from one tenth to a one
fourth of human mass; considering this, the animals in this catego- Performance Knowledge Range
ry are snakes, dogs, badgers, foxes, birds, monkeys, young wolves,
Trade Perception 2 Survival 2
etc.
Armor Equipment
Endurance 5
Statistics Natural +1 Bite +1

Unarmed 0 Melee 8 Range 0

SOC 1 INT 1 PHY 2

Expression 1 Academics Agility 1 Creatures of this type pose a serious threat to ordinary folk and
a considerable problem even for Vasalli. This kind of creatures are
Empathy 1 Craft Fray 1
mostly predators, well equipped with natural weapons and thick
Orator Medicine Stealth hide and as such are not to be messed with, unless in a group or
hunting party.
Performance Knowledge Range They will attack more often than not, being in a pack or singled
out, especially if threatened.
Trade Perception 2 Survival 2

Equipment
Armor Endurance 3
Bite +1

Unarmed 0 Melee 5 Range 0

Small Animals usually don’t present a serious threat to people,

since they will probably retreat if they feel threatened.
Probably the only situation when small animals will attack peo-
ple are when they are in packs and/or on a hunt. In those situations,
packs will pose a threat to ordinary Folk, but a Vasall shouldn’t
have too much trouble dispatching another obstacle in a way.

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Large Animals Statistics

Animals of twice the human size or larger are generally consid-
ered Large animals and they include species such as various bears,
bisons, horses, rhinos, giant lizards, elephants, etc.
SOC 0 INT 1 PHY 3

Expression Academics Agility 1

Statistics
Empathy Craft Fray 3

Orator Medicine Stealth

SOC 1 INT 1 PHY 5
Performance Knowledge Range
Expression 1 Academics Agility 2
Trade Perception 1 Survival 3
Empathy 1 Craft Fray 4
Armor Equipment
Orator Medicine Stealth Endurance 5
Natural +1 Bite +1
Performance Knowledge Range
Unarmed 9 Melee Range 0
Trade Perception 2 Survival 4
Special : Venomous bite - Infected wounds take twice the
Armor Equipment time to heal.
Endurance 9
Natural +2 Bite or Claw +1
The infected animals are usually predatory animals, which
Unarmed 0 Melee 14 Range 0 could explain the infection with them attacking Vargans and con-
tracting the infection, making them stronger, faster and more
vicious, but short-lived, as their skin cracks uncovering open
wounds on their bodies.
Through the world, there are several large species There haven’t been any record of those animals infecting peo-
which can be considered a real threat to anyone; Folk ple, but those which were unlucky would describe
or Vasalli alike. Although they are rarely predatorial the wounds from their attack as extremely painful
by nature, they will defend themselves mercilessly and slow to heal.
if attacked by anyone.

The Infected
Sometimes while wandering
the wilderness, hunters will en-
counter probably the most dan-
gerous kind of animal out there: the
infected.
The name “infected” started as a de-
scription for animals which look like they
are infected with a dangerous disease
which causes them to behave aggressive-
ly, but people rarely mistake it for rabies;
these animals usually grow in size, show al-
most above average intelligence and they usually
have open wounds on their bodies covered in
black ooze.
Although the name suggests the infectious
disease, experienced hunters claim that the “infec-
tion“ comes from the contact with Vargans, maybe
from contact with Vargan blood.

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 Chapter 1 1 : A ntagonists

The Unknown

T
his part of the chapter is dedicated to the elusive creatures Tunnelborn are mysterious and elusive race that resemble
from the folklore, various stories and legends. Although shorter, stockier, and paler humans. They can sometimes be found
generally considered just a figment of imagination, newer in deep tunnels and caves in the vicinity of the Vargan territories,
and unexplained sightings of creatures with matching descriptions but aren’t as common as someone would think. In fact, even Var-
could mean that the stories are in fact based on reality. gans are seen more often than Tunnelborn, and when these tribes
are seen and discovered, they soon disappear somewhere in the
Most of the sightings are a well-kept secret, although the ru-
depths of the tunnels.
mors are hard to contain. Some concerned citizens are already
whispering about the return of such creatures as signs of the im- Like the Vargans, their communication is wordless. Although
pending end of times. their mouth and throat aren’t different than those of ordinary hu-
man, they don’t seem to use it, at least not when approached by
explorers. Instead, they communicate by gestures and by tapping
Antagonists used in this section are the part of the of their hand on various surfaces, sometimes even by tapping each
other.
folklore in the world of Awaken. As such, they are com-
pletely up to you to decide if they exist in your world
or don’t.
Strigoi
Most of the information about them originated During the history, term “Strigoi“ has been used inconsistent-
from local tales, but feel free to use these antagonists ly. Some of the dark tales describe creatures somewhere between
when you need an occult flavor of the Story. monster and human, while others describe a particularly malicious
human dabbling in dark forces gained from Zimitra or even un-
named evil deities.

Tunnelborn However, some of the legends described humans with animal-

istic behavior and tendency toward cannibalism, which is mostly
There have always been legends and stories about people who how Folk identify with Strigoi today; as an aggressive human with
live under the surface or in deep caves, and with the discovery of bestial nature feasting on human blood or flesh and with possible
Vargans, it was thought that these legends talk about them. unexplainable powers.
But, after adventures into the caves and entrances to Vargan
tunnel networks, explorers discovered traces of human tribes living
in the tunnels. SOC 1 INT 3 PHY 3
No one can actually explain why would humans co-exist with Expression Academics Agility 2
Vargans in their tunnels, but discovery launched various theories
about ancient tribes separating from the surface humankind in the Empathy Craft 1 Fray 2
past, possible corruption of common folk living close to Vargan
habitats or even entirely different race born in the tunnels. Orator Medicine Stealth 2

Performance Knowledge 3 Range

SOC 1 INT 1 PHY 3
Trade Perception 4 Survival 2
Expression 1 Academics Agility 1
Equipment
Empathy 1 Craft Fray 2 Armor Endurance 7
Claws
Orator Medicine Stealth 1
Unarmed 7 Melee Range 2
Performance Knowledge 1 Range
Special: Lifedrinker, Black Gaze
Trade Perception 2 Survival 2

Equipment Strigoi today are found every once in a while in nature, al-
Armor though no one can exactly explain how do they become what they
Endurance 4 Primitive weap- are. Researchers of the occult share the theory that Strigoi encoun-
on + 1 tered are probably humans which have undergone a terrible trau-
ma or a mystical process which turned them to what they are.
Unarmed 6 Melee7 Range

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 Chapter 1 1 : A ntagonists

Bukavac
They are very aggressive, violent, and will probably attack any This great lizard is among the most dangerous creatures in the
human being in their vicinity, no matter what kind of threat they wilderness. It usually inhabits areas around lakes and big rivers,
present. Some stories about Strigoi even claim they have powers. showing an affinity for water.
Lifedrinker —If Strigoi succeeds in grappling a foe, it can be- A Bukavac is best described as a large muscular six-legged
gin sucking on their blood which decreases the Endurance of a vic- lizard, with strong jaws and long, thick tail. It’s piercing howl is
tim at rate of 2 per turn, while gaining back it’s own Endurance in legendary and can be heard for miles and miles around its habitat.
the same amount.
Curiosity about Bukavac is that this creature is a hermaphro-
Black Gaze—Strigoi can mesmerize its victim, entrancing it dite, and it’s able to impregnate itself on its own. As a result, if not
with this gaze. The victim feels like in a nightmare with its deepest dealt with, Bukavac can make up to three younglings in a period
fears render it immobile. of five years.
Roll: Strigoi Intellect vs. Victim Will Although it can be found in a company of its brood, Bukavac is
usually a solitary creature, with its young leaving nest after a year of
growing to find another territory for itself.
Mora
Mora is a mysterious creature and not many people believe it
actually exists. According to folk tales, it’s a kind of the otherworld- SOC 1 INT 2 PHY 5
ly creature, an entity which feeds upon human essence and dreams
while sleeping. When the Mora’s feed, their victims are paralyzed Expression Academics Agility 3
and wracked with brutal nightmares.
Empathy Craft Fray 2
Allegedly, Mora is very stealthy creature, with the abilities to
become one with a shadow, or at least very well hidden among Orator Medicine Stealth
them. From the darkness it lurks, waiting for someone to fall
asleep, after what it begins its feast. Performance Knowledge Range

Trade Perception 5 Survival 2

SOC 1 INT 2 PHY 3 Equipment

Expression Academics Agility 2 Claw +2

Armor
Empathy Craft Fray Endurance 7 Tail +3

Orator Medicine Stealth 2 Bite +2

Performance Knowledge 1 Range Acid +2

Trade Perception 4 Survival Unarmed 12 Melee Range 7

Armor Equipment Nature has given a terrifying array of weapons to this creature.
Endurance 7
Thick scales and sheer size of Bukavac is enough to make it a dan-
Claws
gerous encounter, as well as its strong tail almost as long as its body.
Unarmed 5 Melee Range It’s a ferocious creature, extremely protective of its habitat, and will
attack on sight, using tail to trip an opponent, then crushing them
Special: Paralysis with its body and snapping the neck with its jaws.
Creature’s howl is almost a weapon on its own, nauseating any-
Some of the lore and occult researchers claim that Mora has a one in close proximity
combination of sedatives and hallucinogen in its saliva, using it to
In addition to everything, adult Bukavac has a strong acidic
incapacitate its victims. The sedative works really quickly and can
saliva used to start a digestion process as soon as the food is in its
mean a fast end to the encounter.
mouth and it’s able to spit it up to ten feet (3 meters)
Other researchers believe it’s possible Mora is related to Var-
gans, or at least closer to them than anything else.
Paralysis—Mora has a paralytic venom in its saliva, which is
transferred by biting or scratching since Mora often licks its fingers.

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 Chapter 12:
Mists of Kring Valley
 Chapter 12: M ists of K ring Valle y

Introduction Storyline
The Mists of Kring Valley is an introductory story for your During most of the last decade, Sirin’s flow of Resin is almost
group. If gives that narrator, new or experienced, the tools they entirely controlled by mysterious Baron. Dealing with the City rep-
need to run the game. Mists of Kring Valley can be an introducto- resentatives through various mediators, he presented himself as a
ry Story for the people new to Awaken, and it can act as a starting businessman able to fulfill most of the official City needs for Resin.
Story in a larger Saga. At first, the dealings went great, the Resin stream was constant and
Baron upheld every deal. But slowly, as Baron’s services became
The Narrator should allow Players to create starting Charac-
more and more vital, his demands became greater and greater.
ters, following the instructions in Chapter 5, with a distribution of
points as recommended. The Resin shipments were smaller and smaller, while his prices
grew every month. Finally, he even started to dictate the course of
politics in the City, threatening to cut them off completely unless
Background they met his demands. The last demand was a final straw. Baron
demanded that Sirin secede from the Alliance pact and become an
The Story takes place in two locations; the City of Sirin—the autonomous domain.
Alliance City devastated in the war against Vargans and in Kring
Valley west of Sirin. The Tribunal started investigating and they concluded that the
Baron’s modus operandi and tactical approach appeared to be re-
Sirin has a tragic history. During the Vargan War, it was almost lated to the exiled Grando.
completely devastated and only about tenth of its inhabitants sur-
vived the Vargan onslaught. The prevailing belief of the survivors Further investigation discovered that the infamous merchant
was that the City was sacrificed in order to gain on time to prepare Yuri from the Kring Valley is on his way to Sirin, accompanied by
the defenses of other Cities, while some people speculate it was a Baron’s mercenaries, to be his representative.
decision made in Jarillo where leaders were jealous of Sirin’s pros- The decision was made on the last Tribunal meeting and repre-
perity. sentatives of various Orders decided to employ the Characters to
After the war, Sirin was rebuilt, or at least new settlements find out as much as they can about the Baron, confirm if he is or
arose on the other side of the river Yadren. The new city, New Sirin, isn’t, in fact, Grando himself and to learn about his location.
is a respected part of of the Alliance. Life in this City is pretty much To do so, Yuri will most likely have to be kidnapped. Since
like living in any of the other Alliance Cities, except that current kidnapping is illegal and the situation is serious, the mission will
City Father and Tribunal have troubles with a certain individual have to be undercover.
called Baron Grando.
After the kidnapping and detention, Yuri has the opportunity
The ruins of the old city are now inhabited by families descend- to escape. If he does so, the Characters will probably engage him
ing from the original survivors of the war, poor people, rebels and and eventually catch him.
criminals. They claim that the ruins are the only true city of Sirin,
and hate the new city across the river. The Characters understand the importance of haste, since the
Baron mercenaries will find out that Yuri’s gone in the morning.
The decision has to be made and they will probably decide to start
the voyage as soon as they can, traveling toward the Kring Valley,
Narrator Info where Grando is supposedly hiding.
Decades ago, Grando was an Adjutant in the ranks of Sons of The voyage takes at least two days, which are possibly filled
Sirin, an up-and-coming young man whose intellect was surpassed with bandit or Vargan encounters in the forest.
only by his ambition and ego. During his political days, he was a
pretender on the position of the Elder of the Sirin division of Sons, Soon, they reach the village of Mugeba where they find out that
which would be a great step toward his vision—complete separa- something inhuman is stealing their children every once in a while.
tion of Sirin from the Alliance. They can decide to pursue the solution to this problem or they can
continue toward the supposed Grando’s location which is relatively
He found a lot of supporters for the idea, especially among the close now.
separatists in the Order, but Elder and most of the Adjutants were
against it, turning down his motions and pleas at every Council. Although Yuri or guide called Erwin don’t think Grando is in-
volved in children’s disappearance, the evidence suggests so. Er-
Grando’s rage was growing stronger until the point where he win guides the Characters through the Misty Valley—a territory
decided to actively obstruct any negotiation with Alliance and Si- riddled with underground hot streams causing everlasting mist in
rin’s Tribunal. With his manipulative schemes and followers, he the area.
was a serious danger to the stable relations in the Sirin politics.
In the center of the Misty Valley is Grando’s castle, where Char-
After some time, Elder realized what Grando was up to and acters confront the Baron Grando, whose madness consumed him
stripped him of his position. That act caused a rift in the Sons and and the constant presence of Corruption turned him into a Fiend.
Grando’s followers and supporters decided to leave the Order for
good. Grando decided to leave Sirin, but he vowed vengeance upon
the Sirin leaders.

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 C hapter 1 2: M ists of K ring Valle y

Involving the Characters Scene One

The easiest way to involve Characters is to give them a direct In which the Characters come to know about the Tribunal’s
obligation from the superiors in their Orders to participate in the troubles
secret mission for the greater good of Sirin and their Orders. If
Not many people know or actually care for the source of Resin
Characters are headstrong and value independence from their Or-
which is widely used in the City of Sirin. Most of the cities’ crafts-
ders, have them hired as independent agents for the Alliance by
men have standing deals with the Tribunal and Chamber of Mer-
an intercessor named Phael to investigate whatever they can about
chants, which supply them with raw Resin, although some of the
Baron.
artisans and merchants have their own network of suppliers, espe-
Phael doesn’t know any details about Grando, but he knows cially those who spend most of their time in so-called Old Sirin.
of the troubles and he is licensed from The Collective to broker
The influx of Resin acquired by the Chamber of Merchants is
deals with outside agents. In order to preserve the status of the Tri-
the prime mover of the growing industry in the world, especially in
bunal and City leadership, the outsourced agents could be used to
Sirin which is trying twice as hard to establish a working industry
avoid disruption of the balance until other possible Resin sources
since the destruction of the City.
are found.
Lately, the supplies of Resin are becoming shorter and short-
Possible options
er, while those who are more informed about the sources whisper
hh Characters would like to investigate the Baron’s Resin about the mad nobleman, supposed procurator of Resin, whose
source for their own goals. demands are becoming bigger and madder from month to month.
hh They feel the patriotic duty toward City of Sirin, especial- Folk and Vasalli who don’t bother with the City trade, don’t
ly if they are in the Sons of Sirin Order quite feel the shortage of Resin, but they do notice that merchants
raise their prices or give their priority to those who want larger
hh They are acquainted with the history and the schism in
batches.
Sons, and they would like to investigate what happened
to Grando after his departure The dangers of Resin shortage are primarily of financial nature;
since the Resin is a widespread trade good, the lack of it can cause
a loss of financial power of the City in Alliance.

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 Chapter 12: M ists of K ring Valle y

The servant who leads them in the hall spoke for the first time
Paraphrase or read this passage aloud to Players: with unusually raspy voice, muttering just a simple, “Wait here,
please “ before he turned, exited and closed the doors behind him.
Resin merchants and craftsmen have fallen on
After couple of minutes, the representatives of the PCs orders
hard times with their primary source of income. Raw
and representative of the Chamber come inside, together with a
resin is harder and harder to find, while Chamber of small and wiry person PCs never encountered before. The stranger
Merchants don’t quite offer their explanation for the has a gray hair, although his face is more youthful. What singles
shortage. him out is the piercing stare of his violet eyes.

During the last couple of days, your Order leaders If any of the PCs have ties with politics, they have heard about
the violet-eyed Alliance official attending the Tribunal meetings.
behaved strangely in your presence, talking with their
peers until you came by. They would suddenly stop the The representatives of the Orders are not the leaders, but they
conversation, watching you closely until you pass by. are trusted in the Order ranks, what probably leads to the con-
clusion that they are current Seconds, but this time without their
Fairly quickly, you received the summons for the masked.
next meeting of Sirin’s Tribunal, an unorthodox and The PCs are invited to sit down at the main table, after what
strange invite for an ordinary citizen the stranger introduces himself as Phael and explains that he’s here
as the official Alliance representative for the matter which will be
Additionally, after the official summons have been explained in a minute.
issued, your Order leaders issued their personal letters The Chamber representative is a tall and handsome woman in
to you, where they hope you’ll be attending the next her late thirties, known as Lady Amanda. She’s a well-known figure
Tribunal. in the City and a very influential one when it comes to trade busi-
ness. As the PC’s sit down, she begins the story:
All of this has created quite a sense of urgency, al-
though you’re not exactly clear on the reasons for this.
For those who don’t know who I am, I’m a part of
the Chamber of Merchants, and smooth flow of the
Resin is in my greatest interest.

The Story begins with PCs waiting in the hall during the Tri- I don’t know if you heard already, but this inter-
bunal meeting. Although they’ve been summoned, official servants est has been compromised lately, mostly because of the
told them they’ll still have to wait until the meeting is finished after wild requests of our current business partner called
which they’ll be received. “the Baron“.
If PCs are unfamiliar one with each other, let the Players briefly Amanda stops for a while to see the reactions of the
describe them and get to know whom they’ll be working with. group.
After some time has passed, the massive oak doors to the Tri-
bunal Hall begin to open, while silent servants standing in front of The Baron was our main distributor and partner
the hurry to help. for almost a decade now, but lately his requests for
payment have exceeded the boundaries of good taste,
The carvings on the large black doors are filled out with Resin
venturing into a political request which simply can’t be
and every carving is a symbol of one of the Orders. As the symbols
turn toward the wall and the doors open, you see the magnificent
tolerated when it comes to the well-being of our City.
hall of the Sirin Tribunal and a couple of dozens masked figures
leaving the hall. After the hall cleared, the servants give you the I don’t want to prolong or complicate this, so let’s
sign to enter. say that he should now be considered an obstacle to
the Sirin progress, although he used to be an important
The hall is clearly built for larger gatherings than standard City
Tribunal meetings, probably for the next moving of The Great Tri-
factor.
bunal to the Sirin. The City hasn’t hosted the Great Tribunal for
half a century now, but the local politicians lobby for it to be the That’s why your Order representatives and I would
next host. like to task you with finding out as much as you can
about this Baron, as well as with, khm, solving this ter-
The hall is built in a circular fashion, with the rows of stands
rible situation on our hands.
looking toward the center of the room, where lies a sturdy orna-
mented table reserved for the Firsts and Seconds of the Sirin Tri-
bunal, as well as for the City Father. Should you choose to accept this, Phael will give
you more information. Thank you for your consider-
ation.

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 C hapter 1 2: M ists of K ring Valle y

With those words, Lady Amanda stands up and leaves the Tri-
bunal Hall, and PCs stay with their representatives and Phael.
Scene Two
Where the Characters have to capture a Baron’s representative
Order representatives urge PCs to accept the task for the great-
er good of Sirin and Orders’ interests, emphasizing that the mission For PCs and Phael to find out more about Baron, it’s of greatest
will be tough, but the recognition success will bring them will more vitality to kidnap Yuri and to extract the information from him.
than make out for it.
In order to prevent the information about the capture reach
If the PCs are still reluctant about accepting, Phael kicks in the Baron, it will have to be done as a covert mission, together with
with the official offer from the Alliance, promising to give them a erasing Yuri’s memory of capture before letting him go. Phael has a
cut from the Resin flow if they solve the matter and find out where person for that job as well, right here in Sirin, whose services have
does the Baron’s resources originate from. been used by The Collective before.
Phael is a short and skinny Vasall with elegant and courteous A person referred to with his code name “The Wiper“ is a free-
manners, although his demeanor is vigilant. He’s always somehow lance Vasalli agent with well developed Mind Gifts, which make
facing both the PCs and closest exit from the room. His piercing her an ideal person for the job.
stare is additionally intensified by his violet eyes.
Phael lays out the information which can help the PCs in cap-
He is actually one of the highest-ranked Eye members of The turing Yuri;
Collective and he has a rich history of covert exploration beneath
the surface, investigating Vargan activity. Although he always hh Representatives are always accompanied by a platoon of
wanted to be a spy and an infiltrator, his memorable eyes prevented two dozen mercenaries on a Baron’s payroll when com-
him in this goal, forcing him to choose covert operations instead. ing to the meeting, so the direct confrontation should be
As he climbed in ranks, he became an instructor to the advanced avoided. Lately, with the increase of bandit activities, the
Collective members, spending his time preparing the teams em- number of guards has increased, but some of them usu-
barking on the most sensitive infiltration missions. ally stay outside of the City, where they raise a camp for
a night.
Soon his abilities and methods singled him out as a foremost
candidate for the Troubleshooter, a specially trained Eye opera- hh Yuri is a passionate smoker and every time he visits Sirin
tive tasked with the solving of problems which could disrupt the he stocks up on tobacco products in “Gallin’s“, a shop
Alliance. well known throughout the Sirin domain for its wide se-
lection and assortment of finest tobacco.
Phael has begun researching the Baron problem about a year
ago, as well as attending the meetings of the Tribunal. During hh Yuri doesn’t spend the night in local inns, he opts for
his research, he, in fact concluded that Baron might be infamous “The Mead Drop“ a local brothel where he visits Rani, a
Grando which nearly caused the major schism in the Sons of Sirin call girl he supposedly has a shared past with.
decades ago. hh During his private affairs and visits in Sirin, Yuri is al-
Although Baron never sent the same representative twice, he ways accompanied from a safe distance, by at least two
discovered that Baron is well acquainted with the City politics personal bodyguards of his own, who aren’t associated
which indicates he probably has spies and connections all over the with Baron.
place. hh After the kidnapping, Yuri should be locked in a safe
One such connection was discovered to be Yuri from some- house prepared for the interrogation, where Phael will
where in Kring Valley, a stretch of a fertile land on the way to Jaril- wait for them and get the Wiper after their arrival. The
lo. house is close to the brothel, so the option of kidnapping
Yuri during his visit there looks like a viable one.
Along with that, it was discovered that the very same Yuri will
be a representative of a Baron in the next Resin batch trade. Phael emphasizes that this is a secret operation and that no spe-
cial permits can be issued, which implies that they can end up on
The reason why Phael is tasking other people to solve this is a trial if they get caught doing the deed, as well as using the Gifts
to keep himself distanced from the possible recognition or fact of they shouldn’t use.
Alliance involvement.
“Finally, if you get caught, I’ll make sure you can’t implicate Al-
liance involvement in all of this.“ Phael says these words carelessly
and with a smile, but his eyes reveal his conviction.
The arrival of the Baron’s troops happens late in the afternoon
and the meeting with the Tribunal is set that very evening.
This time, Yuri is accompanied by two platoons, each consist-
ing of 25 mercenaries. One platoon raises the camp outside of the
City wall, but they look prepared and ready in case of emergency.
Other platoon accompanies Yuri to the meeting and they all
wait in the hall in the same place where the PCs waited for Tribunal
meeting to be wrapped up.

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 Chapter 12: M ists of K ring Valle y

The PCs aren’t invited to this meeting, but in case they find the If PCs want to ambush Yuri during his tobacco shop visit, they
way to inform themselves about what happened there, give them should know that this option is less than ideal. They’ll have to deal
these pieces of information: with the clerk, Yuri and two bodyguards on the streets while in the
same time making sure they are undetected.
hh Yuri showed up with the even lesser amount of the Resin
than usual, but demanding the same high payment like
before.
BODYGUARDS (2x)
hh After heated negotiations, he accepted the counteroffer
of smaller payment, under the condition that they decide
on the question of separation from the Alliance until the
next trade which will happen in exactly one month. Soc: 1 Int: 3 Phy: 3
hh Yuri left the meeting with a satisfied smug on his face,
Expression Academics Agility 2
implying he wanted everything to go that way.
After the meeting, Yuri leads the platoon to the nearest inn Empathy Craft Fray 2
where they will be settled, and he leaves for his usual routine af-
terward, followed by his two bodyguards from inconspicuous dis- Orator Medicine 2 Stealth 1
tance.
Performance Knowledge 2 Range
hh Gallin’s is currently empty except for the young sales-
man Robert, working for the old Gallin, owner of the Trade 2 Perception 2 Survival 1
family business. During Yuri’s visit, bodyguards monitor
the street. The shop is actually a small building with only Leather Armor +1 Endurance 4 Short Sword +1
three rooms: a front shop where the salesman is sitting
Unarmed 8 Melee 10 Range
by the counter, counting room where old Gallin usually
spends his days, currently empty and a small storeroom
where bigger batches of tobacco are stored. Like their employer, Yuri’s bodyguards are professionals. They
are highly trained and quick on their feet, but they are certainly not
Yuri buys four pounds of first class tobacco and tasks one of the
Vasalli. Their primary objective in a confrontation isn’t to eliminate
bodyguards with carrying it after he leaves the shop.
all threats, but to cover Yuri and help him avoid the threat.

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In a possible situation where Yuri is attacked, one of the guards Securing his iron grip around Yuri, he promised he’ll make
will confront attackers best he can, while others will escape with sure she is fine and that one day she’ll be free to join Yuri, but only
Yuri, reaching the near-stationed platoon and alarming them. if he helps him in his schemes against Sirin.
hh Afterwards, Yuri continues to “The Mead Drop“ a two After Yuri joins Rani in her room, they lock the doors and en-
floor building, where the tavern is on the first floor and gage in their affairs. In about two hours, they both fall asleep ex-
the rooms for “service“ are on the second. The brothel is hausted, making it the best time for PCs to strike.
led by Madame Kaya a Vasall herself, dedicated to a top
service for the customers. Yuri demands to visit Rani,
just as he always does.
Yuri
Rani is currently busy and Yuri is visibly annoyed by that, but
Madame assures him she will be ready in about twenty minutes.
Yuri spends that time drinking a cup of red wine standing by the
bar on his feet. SOC 3 INT 2 PHY 1

After a little while, the Madame tellsYuri that she had “just Expression 2 Academics 2 Agility 1
changed the sheets in Rani’s room for him”. Yuri finishes his drink
and takes off to the room, planning to spend the night in the broth- Empathy 2 Craft Fray
el.
Orator 2 Medicine 1 Stealth 1
If PCs want to use this situation to ambush Yuri, they should
be aware that direct confrontation with Yuri and entry through the Performance 1 Knowledge 1 Range 1
brothel could present a problem since Madame Kaya takes safety
measures for the brothel in a form of vigilant guards (use the Body- Trade 2 Perception 1 Survival 1
guard statistics) on the halls of the first and second floors.
Equipment
Other, more stealthy approaches include climbing the out- Armor
er walls of the brothel on the back side of the building where the Dagger or small
room is located or climbing down from the rooftops, reaching the Possibly leather +1 Endurance 4
sword +1
window of the room.
Or none
Bow +1
If Yuri isn’t confronted, his bodyguards will wake him up early
in the morning, and they will take off swiftly with the city stationed
platoon waiting in front of the brothel. Unarmed 3 Melee 4 Range 4

If PCs don’t do anything until this point, they lost every op-
portunity to succeed in a task and to solve the problem of Baron Gifts: Illusion 3,
Grando. If that happens, Narrator can choose to incorporate some Mind 2
other way to help PCs, from new plot points to NPCs.
Yuri’s relationship with Rani is a complicated one. She orig- During the scuffle, PCs should avoid being too loud, since there
inates from the same village Yuri does, and they were childhood are guards throughout the brothel, including two Yuri’s bodyguards
friends. Although they engaged in youthful romance, Rani’s par- in the room next to Rani’s. The bodyguards take turns sleeping so
ents were strongly against it, believing Yuri isn’t suited for their one is always awake, but they don’t leave the room unless they hear
daughter, betrothing her to a promising young trader instead. sounds of a fight.

Rani left the village with her fiancé soon after and Yuri swore Most ideal scenario would be to for PCs to disable Rani and
he’ll find her once again after he becomes successful. For a long Yuri as swiftly as they can, leaving the brothel the way they came
time Yuri was focused only on success and he climbed the social and taking him to a safe house.
ladder little by little, becoming a respected trader in Kring Valley. If they’re both awake, Yuri will do almost anything to protect
His efforts were noticed by the Baron, who invited him to his cause Rani and if PCs discover this, they can use the information to make
of distributing the Resin throughout the Valley. Yuri come peacefully to the safe house.
Yuri was quite hesitant, but during one of his meetings with During the kidnapping, allow Players to do anything they
Baron, his yearnings slipped his tongue and Baron decided to use want, but be sure to warn them that open confrontation isn’t the
his wishes to strengthen their business relationship. Baron found best idea, since his bodyguards are committed to the point of dy-
out as much as he could through his web of spies and soon he pre- ing, just to let Yuri escape.
sented Yuri with new information; Rani’s husband died under du-
bious circumstances and she was forced to work in a brothel to If you plan to include standard brothel guards in the scuffle,
survive. use the bodyguards’ statistics for all purposes.
Yuri became aggressive and wild, wanting to reunite with Rani After the Yuri is kidnapped and taken to the safe house, PCs
and save her from the situation she was in, but the Baron had other find the doors unlocked and rooms dark.
ideas in his mind. He hinted discretely that he’s responsible for the
Phael is in the house, but he absolutely avoids showing up in
tragic events that befell Rani, hinting that he could make it even
front of the PCs if he could be seen by Yuri, approaching them only
worse if Yuri doesn’t comply.
if out of his sight; while he’s tied in a separate room for instance,
or presenting himself to a Character who is out of the room where

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Yuri is located. The Wiper

If no PC leaves Yuri’s sight, Phael doesn’t show up, but they
find a written message with the instructions to wait until The Wip-
er shows up soon. SOC 2 INT 3 PHY 3
Yuri is pretty uncooperative toward the PCs, and he doesn’t
budge even if they threaten him with Rani’s well-being since he Expression 2 Academics 4 Agility 2
counts on his bodyguards and brothel guards to protect her.
Empathy 2 Craft Fray 2
But if PCs find an especially creative way of interrogation and
they do decide to interrogate him instead of waiting for The Wiper, Orator Medicine 1 Stealth 1
he begins telling them information about the Baron.
Performance Knowledge 2 Range 1
Baron Grando is, in fact, a real person and Yuri confirm this.
He lives near the village Mugeba in Kring Valley, in his castle on the Trade 2 Perception 3 Survival 1
small island on a lake.
Armor
“Lake and island are a world of their own, and the castle reveals Equipment
itself only to those who know about it. “ Possibly leather +1 Endurance 6
Dagger +1
Yuri doesn’t know much about his past except that he left Sirin Or none
a long time ago to become a trader in the Valley. From his position
he began weaving his web of spies, influencing more and more peo-
ple every day using his financial means. Unarmed 7 Melee 8 Range 4

As his web grew, he didn’t limit himself on the Resin trade, but Gifts Illusion 2, Mind 5
he began trading secrets and brokering deals between criminal ele-
ments throughout the Alliance, all the time using just his spies and
connections not moving from his castle. This person refers to herself only as “The Wiper“ avoiding to
use her real name during introduction.
She’s tall and muscular, with calloused hands; the more percep-
tive PCs can conclude she most probably does some manual labor
when she’s not doing any secretive work. She is relatively young
“He is a real piece of work, this Baron. What he did looking, but her hair is white, like that of an old woman. Her skin
to me, he does to everyone he knows. He’s remorseless is filled with bloodscars, but PCs can discern that it would still be
and he’ll use every name, every piece of information a skin of a young woman if not for the scars. It can be accurately
just to hold you in his iron grip. “ concluded that both the scars and white hair are the direct result of
Corruption in the past and heavy usage of the Gifts.
The Wiper is a mercenary, doing the information extraction
and memory wiping for the highest bidder, although the Collective
Finally, after his web was spread all over the Sirin Domain and believes she’s only doing it for them.
Alliance, Baron decided to once again separate Sirin from the Al-
liance. As it happens, she is actually one of the highest value assets of
the Baron himself, who is investing huge efforts for her to remain
undetected and stay his double agent. Naturally, the Wiper explains
the PCs they should leave the room and allow her to work alone,
making sure that the process goes uninterrupted.
“He is cold and heartless person. He will explain his
plan for someone’s demise calmly and rationally to you. hh If the PCs insist on staying, she’s only acting like she’s
The only flicker of emotion I ever saw in him is when reading Yuri’s mind and replacing the memories with a
few selected sentences.
he talks about the City of Sirin. I understand that he
originates from here, but I don’t quite know what made Again, more perceptive PCs come into play; this feels false and
him hate and love this City at the same time. “ the doubt arises. If the Wiper is confronted with that, she quickly
cuts the ties binding Yuri and tries escaping with him.
hh If the PCs leave the room, they hear some talking inside
before a longer period of silence which makes them sus-
The Wiper comes to the safe house soon after PCs settle there picious. When they enter, they see nobody inside. The
with Yuri. Feel free to decide will you allow PCs to extract all the rope is on the floor, cut with something sharp and the
information from Yuri or the Wiper will interrupt them. window is open.
When they look outside the window, they see a silhouette run-
ning across the rooftops and they recognize Yuri trying to escape.
Alternatively, PCs can choose to interrogate and read Yuri’s
mind if they can use Mind Gifts, instead of waiting for The Wiper.

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In this case, they succeed in extracting all of the information he

would tell them himself if the interrogation is successful, but they
Scene Three
have to make sure to wipe his memory, since The Wiper is a double Where the characters search for Baron’s location
agent.
If the Yuri escapes, a chase scene ensues. Yuri tries to escape
running over the rooftops toward the inn where the rest of the pla- The more or less exact location of the Baron Grando is roughly
toon is stationed. Be sure to let Players know that if Yuri reaches the a day and a half ride east from Sirin. Although the platoon will
platoon before them, everything falls apart. prepare for leaving very soon, the head start PCs gain by moving
swiftly is more than enough to reach Baron before his mercenaries
If Yuri is caught during the chase, he surrenders almost imme- since they will have to move slowly because of their numbers.
diately, seeing he can’t resist PCs since he’s not a Vasall.
The terrain outside of Sirin is easy to travel through, there are
Try to make chase a memorable one, like an action movie se- a lot of fields and meadows with nice trodden paths and roads. But
quence. Use the surroundings, give dangerous choices to Players soon, coinciding with the sunrise, PCs reach the thick forests and
but allow them to capture Yuri in the end. finally, the swampy terrain which will impede their movement.
It’s still night and some time will pass until the guards ready There are two roads which lead to Jarillo from Sirin; one is an
themselves to escort Yuri back to the Baron. official trade way, often traveled and guarded by outposts on this
stretch.
Again, make sure the Players understand that the time is of es-
sence if they’d like to consult with Phael, members of the Tribunal The location of Baron Grando lies on the other path which
or their Order representatives, they all conclude the same thing; leads through the woods and Kring Valley. Although this is a short-
PCs should head out toward the Baron’s shelter as soon as possible, er path, it is often avoided because of possibilities of bandit attacks,
since it is probably unguarded now. Also, they should do it alone, to but mostly because of a Valley itself.
avoid raising any suspicion from the potential Baron’s informants.
The Valley is a curiosity with natural hot springs beneath the
If Yuri is killed during all of this without giving up any infor- soft soil and terrain, which allows the steam to seep out of the
mation about Baron or his whereabouts, Phael informs PCs about ground, creating thick mists on various stretches on this path.
all of this. He would have decided to interrogate Rani who knows
details about Baron, courtesy of Yuri’s involvement with her. During the trip, there is a little of note along the paths, but the
Characters can use the time to get to know a little better and ex-
PCs can choose to take Yuri with them, leave him somewhere change the thoughts regarding the course of action and situation
in the city or manage to erase his memory. (The latter decision is they are in.Narrator can add side encounters at any time during
probably hardest to execute in a timely manner, so it should be the PC journey.
used only if PCs have a good plan how to do it.)
First of all, the Characters will have to camp at least for one
night during the journey, possibly raising the camp in the late after-
noon or evening after a whole day of travel.
If they left Sirin hastily, they probably forgot about the food so
they should search for something to eat. The Players should roll the
Intellect+Survival, and each success is one person fed with what
they succeed to find or catch in the forest.

Encounter 1: The Bandits

One of the reasons for Baron hiring more mercenaries is the
increase in bandit activity through the territories between Sirin
and Jarillo.
Various bands and gangs roam the territories since there are
thick woods to hide in and poorly passable terrains on the stretch
between these domains.
Lately, attempts to establish regular trade routes between Jarillo
and Sirin became more and more frequent since traders decided to
disregard the strained relations between these two Cities in order
to fortify their business.
You can decide will you allow the Characters to accidentally
stumble upon the bandit camp or will they be ambushed during
the walk.
In a case of the ambush, the group is attacked by organized
bandits who will try to surprise them.

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Vargan

BANDITS (x3)

SOC 0 INT 3 PHY 4

Soc: 1 Int: 2 Phy: 3 Expression 1 Academics Agility 4

Expression Academics Agility 2 Empathy 2 Craft Fray 2

Empathy Craft Fray 2 Orator 1 Medicine Stealth 3

Orator Medicine Stealth 1 Performance Knowledge 4 Range

Performance Knowledge Range Trade Perception 5 Survival 3

Trade Perception 2 Survival 1 Armor Equipment

Endurance 9
Short Sword +1 Natural +1 Claw +1
No Armor Endurance 4
Bow +1 Unarmed 0 Melee 12 Range 0

Unarmed 7 Melee 10 Range 6 Special: Can feel where the enemies are so no sneak attack
is possible on them
Bandits try to ambush PCs, but allow the Players to roll an In-
tellect+Perception roll, to see if they’ll realize they’re being am- This Vargan is fearless and will fight to the death, attacking the
bushed. person they perceive as the most dangerous threat in the group.
If no one succeeds in the roll, three bandits attack at the same
time, succeeding in surprising the PCs. Check page 130 for sur-
prise attacks. Encounter 3: The Village Mugeba
If PCs succeed in hearing them and they get to warn each other, If the group chooses not to camp after the whole day on the
the fight continues normally. They are all equipped with bows and road, they will reach the village close to the Baron’s location during
swords, but they use them according to the situation. the middle of the night. If they choose to camp and rest, they will
Bandits aren’t Vasalli, and if they see they are overpowered by reach it somewhat before noon next day.
PC group strength-wise, they try to run away and warn their com- As you march through the woods, your inner sense of time tells
rades in a camp nearby. you it should be close to noon, but all you see around you is a dark
If Players stumble upon the camp, they find twice (6) the unsus- forest and everything looks like it’s evening. It makes you confused
pecting bandits whom all defend their ground and encampment. and uneasy. But suddenly, just like you crossed some invisible bor-
After the fight, PCs find the bandits’ weapons and various trading der, you reached a plain in the forest where you can see a small
goods, which suggests they robbed a trading caravan recently. village. Scene in front of you looks like someone dropped a village
in the middle of the forest while inhabitants cleared out some space
for their fields.

Encounter 2: a Vargan As you approach the village, you can’t quite tell is the air foggy
or smoke from chimneys hangs lazily across the village rooftops.
This encounter is a tougher than first so Narrator should assess
the group strength before incorporating it in the Story. Vargans are There are some people walking through the streets, and as they
mostly nocturnal creatures so encounter should happen during notice you, you can see the surprised, even somewhat scared look
night time, which probably means they raised the camp. on their faces.

More perceptive members of the group can use Intellect+Per- The inhabitants of the village Mugeba are a little bit reserved
ception roll somewhere during the night to notice the sudden toward the strangers, since they haven’t seen lots of people for some
absence of usual night-time sounds of the forest. Although every- time, except some traders every once in a while.
thing became silent, they don’t know what is happening, as their All the mundane matters and affairs in the village are run by
hidden enemy is moving without making a sound. Mihai, a little overweight and long-haired elderly trader.
Any group member away from the others or from the camp fire He meets the group as soon as he can since villagers notified
will be ambushed by Vargan. The creature is about 7 feet (2.10 me- him of the arrival. The village is pretty much self-sustainable, but
ters) tall, with pale skin, long pointy ears and mouth which looks they have an ongoing trade relationship with other villages on this
like it’s sewn shut. road to Sirin.
Mihai takes them to his home where he introduces them to
Erwin, a resourceful hunter and guide with deep knowledge of the
terrain around the village and beyond.

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When Baron is mentioned, Erwin explains that there are a lot The sobbing woman presents herself as Kathrina and explains
of old forgotten castles in this area, the leftovers of rich families that she’s crying because of her lost child. About two nights ago, her
who wanted to exploit the supposedly healthy warm springs in the daughter Masha disappeared. The villagers organized the search-
Valley. ing party without any success, and as much as they would like to
believe that Masha only got lost, most of the people think that she
He confirms that he knows that there is a lake with an island
was taken away.
they’ve mentioned, although he rarely travels there, and that he
doesn’t know about the castle which should be there. He heard that Kathrina explains, with tears in her eyes, that Masha isn’t a first
there was a castle there once, but he never saw it whenever he went child who has been taken. In the last decade, dozens of children
through the area. have disappeared. What Kathrina and most of the villagers believe
is that some kind of monster terrorizes this and couple of other
If Yuri is still with the group, he says that it doesn’t matter, re-
villages and steals children.
peating that
As the group leaves the village, they are guided by either Erwin
“The Castle will reveal itself. ‘
or Yuri. After they venture east of Mugeba, the group now under-
stands that the forests and swamps they traveled through for the
“The road to this Baron’s supposed sanctuary is a past day are nothing compared to what lies in front of them.
tricky one.“ Says Erwin. “That road is rarely traveled, The swamp is much darker than you expected, and the cloudy
since the swamp crusts aren’t that thick there. weather doesn’t help either. Once again you feel like it’s close to
midnight rather than the middle of the day as it should be.
Oh, you’ve never heard of the swamp crusts? “
The path is visible for now since the fog isn’t that thick in this
area, but you soon reach the first marker. The stick with the green
Erwin explains that there are a plethora of troubles when walk- lump of Resin on top of it seems ominous. There are no boards
ing around these areas: with “Warning!“ written on it, but PCs understand the danger of
venturing forth clearly enough.
–it’s a lot of trouble to pass through the swamps. But there is
a phenomenon which allows the travelers a relatively safe passage Erwin leads them through the path, every once in a while
through them. It’s called “swamp crust “. The minerals in these showing an especially nasty looking gnarled tree, alerting the
swamps accumulate on the surface of the mud and water, creating group of the branches close to the ground or stopping them so he
a hard structure which can be walked upon, similar to ice over the could check out the terrain in front of them.
water.
As they go deeper still, the air itself begins to change. The pu-
But, although it makes for an easier travel, there is still a prob- trid smells of the swamp become heavier and heavier as the fog
lem of the mists and thick fog. So to safely pass through the area, thickens. The movement of the group becomes slower and slower,
travelers should follow the markers, a guidepost consisting of a while Erwin becomes more and more alert stopping often to check
wooden stick driven into a ground, with a lump of resin on the top. the path ahead.
These markers can be seen through the fog, allowing the people
to pass through the dangerous areas.While this makes it easier, it’s
highly advisable to have a guide through the area. The Narrator can choose to make the swamp even more
ominous and dangerous experience by integrating the op-
If the group decided to keep Yuri close, he can act as the guide tion where the mists of the swamp are hallucinogenic.
to the Baron’s location. He knows enough to lead them through
the mists, but the trip will be longer. Erwin is also willing to act The same minerals which form the crust on the top of
as a guide and he guarantees he’ll have them reach the lake safely the swamp can become toxic and hallucinogenic when they
and swiftly. evaporate. There are points in the swamp where the tem-
perature is above average for swamp, which signifies the
The Group can replenish their supplies in the village but they proximity of the hot springs.
should still have the mercenary group moving toward the Baron
in mind. In these areas, Characters can experience various hallu-
cinations, visual and auditory. The toxicity of the mist isn’t
After PCs leave the Mihai’s house, they see a woman sobbing lethal, but it can make PCs uneasy and sick in the stomach.
on the streets. If they decide to approach her and see what’s wrong,
read this: Hallucinations vary wildly; from the PC’s greatest
fears, Vargans, bandits and monsters, to the appearance of
love of their lives.
As you approach the sobbing woman, she looks to-
ward you with tears in her eyes. When you get a closer After an hour of traveling through the swamp, fog makes it dif-
look, you see that she’s a very pretty woman in her late ficult to see anything more than 20 feet (6 meters ahead), but Er-
thirties, but with red eyes and greasy hair spoiling her win somehow leads them from one marker to another, finding the
beauty. An old man with a smoking pipe tries to com- way safely and surely.
fort her, telling her “Masha will return. Don’t let the
If the Vargan encounter wasn’t used until now and Narrator
fear get the best of you”. would still like to use it in the adventure, now would be a perfect
time, especially if she opted for the toxic vapor option, making it
difficult to discern between reality and hallucination in the first mo-
ments of encounter.

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Scene Four
In which Characters reach the Baron
After the tiresome trek through the swamps, PCs exit the
woods somewhat before the dusk. Erwin stops outside of tree line
and points his finger straight ahead. PCs see the marker through
the fog, but nothing more than that.
“Listen, I don’t quite understand what is your business is here,
but I’m just a simple guide and I don’t think I’ll be of any help from
this point on. After this marker, there is a lake shore which, you’ve
been talking about.“
He continues “If you’d like, I’ll wait here for you until the mid-
night to lead you back to the village after you’re done. But only until
midnight. If you’re not here by then, I’ll go back without you.“ He
extends his hand “ I’d like to be reimbursed now, please.“
From the lakeside, the PCs see the lake, but they don’t see any
castle.
If Yuri is still with the group, he smiles as they approach the
water; the absence of the bridge and castle is an illusion and Yuri
knows this for a fact. He stops to check out the shore like he’s look-
ing for something.
He suddenly stands up straight with a victorious smile on his
lips and he claps his hands excitedly and steps from a particularly
steep slope into the seemingly empty space. As he steps out, PCs
see him moving through the air, just like he’s standing on the hard
surface. Yuri turns around and waves them to follow him.
When the first PC follows Yuri, she sees that she’s standing on
windows on each story. The gates of the castle are 8 feet (2.5 meters)
the wooden bridge which was nowhere to be seen. With the first
high, made of a thick and dark oak, with two imposing gargoyle
step, the fog vanishes and PC sees that bridge leads to the island.
faces instead of the door handles.
As you touch the bridge with your feet, the fog suddenly clears
As the PCs get close to the doors, they open themselves in
out and you see a small castle on the island. The sun touches the
front of their eyes, hinges screeching loudly. Behind the doors, PCs
horizon behind you, coloring the skies orange and red but dark
vaguely see the dark corridor with the fluttering light torches cast
gray stones of the building seem to soak the light making the castle
on the stone floors.
look even darker in the last rays of the sun.
The corridors are cold and damp and the sudden change of
PCs who didn’t follow Yuri at first still see the just the island
temperature makes PC shudder involuntarily as they see the old
enveloped in mists and their companions standing in the air. Only
cobwebs hanging above the second doors in front of them. These
as they actively touch the bridge, they see the depicted scene.
doors seem older than the first, it’s made of old wood, nibbled by
If Yuri isn’t with the group anymore, they’ll have trouble find- time. The humidity in the castle turned the hard wood into a soft
ing the bridge across the lake. The bridge is always there, and even and rotten board which seems like it will fall apart if the PCs push
if the PCs try to throw anything across the lake, there is about 50% it too strong.
chance they’ll hit the bridge and hear the sound of wood or see the
Behind the second doors, there is a great hall which takes up
item lying in the air.
most of the castle’s ground floor. In the center of the room, there is
If any PC has Illusion Gift Tree, she can roll the Illusion Gift a large wooden table with lit candles shuddering in the drafts.
roll as she nears slopes of the lakeside. At least 2 successes are need-
Behind the table, there is a staircase which leads to the upper
ed for the PC to see something’s amiss, while 4 or more successes
floor and to the basement, while next to the stairs, there is an old
clearly uncover the wooden bridge.
ornamented fireplace with a small fire burning. On both sides of
If there are no Illusion users in the group, 3 successes in Intel- the stairs there are old and rusty decorative armors without sigils
lect+Perception roll are needed to discover the illusion. or emblems. Above them, a great chandelier hangs from the ceiling
which is in a poor condition.
If the PCs decide to swim across the lake without discovering
the bridge first, the illusion intensifies with them in the water, com- Moments after they enter the room, they hear sound of steps
pletely hiding the island and castle on top of it. descending down the stairs. As they look toward the stairs, they
see a tall and broad-shouldered man, strapped in the leather ar-
The castle itself is about 50 feet (15 meters) high, built with mor descending toward them. His towering presence is even more
rough dark gray stones. It has three stories, with small shuttered intimidating as PCs notice the faint green glow of the Resin cast
coming from the great axe placed on his back.

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“Hello, honored guests.“ He spreads his Is this what we deserve for our sacrifice? To be a mere pup-
hands and then turns his head to Yuri. “Yuri.” He pet, goaded with promises but stripped of dignity?“ Baron gives a
meaningful look to you.
nods to him with a note of contempt in his voice.
“Join me. Don’t side with simple-mind-
“The baron will be down shortly, would ed bureaucrats and sycophants. Be a part of the
you please sit for a minute? “ change, fight with me for the Sirin independence.
I will gladly give you jobs as my agents, and we
Kalin is the baron’s bodyguard, a dangerous Vasall complete-
ly devoted to the protection of Baron Grando. He currently won’t
shall work together toward a better future.“
attack PCs unless they attack first, but don’t want to answer any of
If PCs confront the Baron about the children’s disappearance,
PCs questions, insisting they wait for Baron.
he claims he knows nothing about it. He tries to evade the topic
He stands on the left side of the staircase, watching PCs closely, and claims it’s a simple superstition and that children probably got
while his eyes shift from one part of the room to another. lost in the woods.
If PCs decide to attack at once, not waiting for Baron Grando, Throughout the talks and negotiation, Yuri stays silent, but
jump straight ahead to the combat part of the chapter. when it comes to point where PCs have to decide what to do next,
he tries to take them to the side and tries to dissuade PCs from
In a couple of minutes, PCs hear someone descending slowly
joining Baron Grando.
down the stairs. From the dark upper floor of the castle and down
the stairs toward the light and PCs, descends Baron Grando. The Baron will hear Yuri’s appeals and yell, “Shut up traitor!“
waving his hand and using his Gifts to throw Yuri toward one of the
As he steps out of the light, the sense of uneasiness washes over
standing armors near the stairs.
you. Baron is a creature which barely resembles a man he once was.
His skin is pale, wrinkled and leathery, somewhere reminding of a After that, there is a 50/50 chance that Yuri will stay still on the
crumpled paper. Eyes, black and sunken in their holes, full of mal- ground sobbing, or get up and attack Baron in relentless rage.
ice and unadulterated hate, pierce through you inquisitively.
If the PCs don’t meddle, Kalin (bodyguard) will simply stand in
He reaches with his hands toward you, and through the layers front of the Baron and snap Yuri’s neck in a quick display of brutal
of torn silk, you can see the bones of his fingers extruding through strength.
the skin on the tips.
As he smiles, his lips stretch out almost to his ears, and while SOC 2 INT 4 PHY 2
his scars laden face shifts, the smile never touches his eyes.
Expression 4 Academics Agility 3
‘Welcome travelers. “He says. “I’ve been ex- Empathy 2 Craft Fray
pecting you. “
Orator 1 Medicine Stealth 2
PCs realize that Baron is indeed a fiend (page 189), a terribly
misshapen Vasall whose addiction to his Gifts or Vargan Blood de- Performance Knowledge 4 Range
rives pushed him to the brink of absolute Corruption time and
time again. Trade 2 Perception 5 Survival

As the Baron walks toward the PCs, so does the bodyguard Armor Endurance 5 Equipment
move, following his employer.
Unarmed 2 Melee Range 2
“Tell me, what do you seek for in my hum- Gifts: Reality 5, Mind 3
ble domain? “
Baron Grando looks frail and broken but is quick on his feet
PCs may try to reason with Baron, although he is complete-
when he needs to flee or move from an imminent danger, which
ly dedicated to the idea of keeping Sirin dependent on his whims
will probably happen, since he understands he’s no match for a PC
and to the finalization of his plan; forcing the City to separate itself
group. Instead, he relies on the strength and efficiency of his body-
from the Alliance. Although he will never accept anything less than
guard.
that, he will promise to lessen his grip on the city if the PCs help
him in his plan as his employees. Baron will use his surroundings in a fight against the PCs, pri-
marily the big chandelier tied to the ceiling. If the chandelier falls
“The once proud City of Sirin writhes and on the group (they can use Phy+Ag roll with at least 2 successes
to evade the crash) it will deal 4 points of lethal damage to any
squirms under the Alliance heel. Is this what we’ve
Character underneath.
fallen to? To be a city of martyrs, a cautionary
tale what can happen if you’re an inconvenience After that, Baron uses telekinesis to throw various bricks and
armor pieces toward Characters. During the fight, he laughs mani-
to oppressors? acally and looks like madness has bested him, which can be seen in
him fighting to the death.

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Kalin: Through the diary the detailed explanations and descriptions

of his activity can be found; Baron would often visit various wom-
en during nighttime, put them under the power of his Gifts and
pretend he was their husband. Afterwards, he would erase every
SOC 1 INT 2 PHY 7 memory of the event.

Expression Academics Agility 4 Throughout the years he would study children born after these
feats to see if they would show the signs of Awakening. If they (or
Empathy Craft Fray 4 any other child for that matter) would, he would kidnap them and
take them to his castle for a “training “.
Orator Medicine 1 Stealth 1
The mentioned training would involve regular beating, manip-
Performance Knowledge 1 Range 1 ulation, exploitation and abuse until they succumbed to his will.
Those who were too headstrong usually ended up dead, their bod-
Trade 2 Perception 2 Survival 4 ies discarded or buried. Grando used the blood of these children to
make himself a warm bath believing it will cure him of his Fiend
Endurance 10 condition.
Armor 1 Equipment
(8+2 Superior Those who would show promise, both in their Gifts and their
Leather Armor +1 Resin Cast Axe +3 obedience to him were worthy of being called “his children “.
Constitution)
From the diary, PCs can see that mentioned children were kept
Unarmed 12 Melee 15 Range in the basement of the castle.
Gifts: Distortion 3, Superior Constitution 2, Regeneration 3 PCs can’t seem to find anything of more value in the castle
since Grando kept all of his finances dispersed and funneled them
when and where he needed them.
Unlike the weak Baron, Kalin is extremely dangerous, strong
and quick on his feet. He fights using his mighty axe and always If the PCs decide to visit the basement, they find the doors in
goes toward the Character which can be an imminent threat to the middle of the tunnel leading down the stairs. The doors aren’t
Baron. He will also fight to death unless Baron dies first. In case locked, but they are thick and hard to move. If only one PC tries to
that happens, he will throw the axe on the ground and raise his open the doors, she should succeed on a Physicality roll to open
hands surrendering himself, explaining that now his employer is them. If they try to open them together, they succeed doing it after
dead and he has no intent of following him to whatever hell he a couple of moments of effort.
turned back to.
After you’ve opened the doors, a foul stench and quiet mum-
hh If PCs decide to join Baron Grando’s endeavors, they bling and whispering reach your ears and nose.
become his agents and he reveals that he has a network
Only a single torch on the right of the stairs illuminates the
of spies across the Alliance, but doesn’t reveal their iden-
passage, but it’s enough for you to see the moving in the darkness of
tities. As a Narrator, you can end the story here or decide
the basement. As you reach the bottom of the stairs and your eyes
to continue with the Story with your own ideas.
get used to the dark room, the scene you see burns right into your
hh If PCs want to subdue and capture the Baron instead of brains and will probably haunt you to the end of your days.
killing him, feel free to allow it, just keep in mind that
The basement is filled with withering bodies, crawling one over
Baron won’t like the discovery of his secrets, so play him
another. Naked men, women, and children aren’t looking in your
accordingly.
direction but they are trying to get away from you. In the center of
After the fight with Baron, PCs can explore the castle to see the room, there are a dozen of people holding hands, mumbling
what Baron Grando was up to. While investigating upper floors, and chanting a dissonant song without words.
they discover Grando’s personal diary where he describes his ac-
The people in the room are all Baron’s “children“ which were
tivities and building of his spy network.
obedient enough to survive, albeit in terrible condition. Malnour-
Together with the diary, PCs find a small notebook bound in ished, mistreated, cold and most of them blind from living in the
black leather where Baron kept compromising facts and secrets darkness most of their miserable life.
about people he employed or blackmailed. The black book doesn’t
If the PCs try to lead the people out of the basement, they will
contain names but the description of people and nicknames Baron
see that most of them aren’t in a condition to travel and they realize
used for them can lead the PCs to the conclusion that there are
that most of them won’t make it even to the nearest village, but
more than just several people in Sirin which were in Baron’s iron
there is some food in the castle’s pantry, enough to sustain “chil-
grip.
dren“ for couple of days.
From the accounting books found in the Baron’s study, PCs
When the PCs leave the castle, they can clearly see the bridge
can conclude that Baron was blackmailing at least four or five dif-
and that the fog isn’t as thick as it was before, they can even see
ferent supervisors of Resin mines, who were supplying him with
Erwin waving from the shore excitedly.
Resin.
Another point of interest are the descriptions of various chil-
dren from the villages close to this area.

210
 C hapter 1 2: M ists of K ring Valle y

“Oh my! One moment nothing could be Epilogue

seen on the island and in another a whole castle
hh The people of Mugeba are overjoyed with the return
appeared in front of my eyes!“
of the PCs and news of the rescued people. As it hap-
pens, third of them were from the village and one of the
PCs can make a Intellect+Knowledge roll. If they succeed,
rescued prisoners is Masha, the missing child PCs first
they understand that the children chanting in circle were actually a
heard about. The rescued villagers are in a slightly better
sort of Upkeepers tasked with the creation of illusion which made
condition than the rest of the saved people, but they are
castles invisible to the common eye.
malnourished and scared.
Erwin will gladly help with the saving of people imprisoned in
hh Immediately after the group enters Sirin, they are ap-
castles, anyway he can, there is even a 50/50 chance he will recog-
proached by Phael accompanied by armed guards. Phael
nize someone from the group if he sees them.
seems relieved when he sees the group and takes the PCs
Upon the return to the village, PCs find the Baron’s mercenar- to Lady Amanda. If the Baron is their captive, he is soon
ies taking a short rest and interrogating the villagers. taken to the prison where he will wait for the trial and
probable execution. PCs are rewarded quite handsomely,
hh If they kept Grando alive, they should try to pass by un-
especially if they bring the information about the sources
noticed or the mercenaries will try to rescue Grando.
of Baron’s Resin. Together with that their status and fame
If they are seen with him, there is a slight chance they could rise to the undreamed heights as they are proclaimed as
dissuade the mercenaries from rescuing the captive if they are good benefactors of Sirin.
in negotiating, but allow it only if the Players show an above aver-
hh Finally, if you’d like this Story to be a starting point for
age creativity and diplomacy.
the ongoing Saga, one of the options is Phael employing
hh If the PCs confront the mercenaries and try to attack PCs as his agents, and as such they can join his missions
them, the overwhelming numbers of the soldiers will as- and tasks.
sure their demise.
hh If PCs killed the Baron, or at least bluff the mercenaries
that Grando is dead, they will give up and go their own
way, since they know they can’t profit anymore.

211
 Index
A F R
Action 114 Failure 107 Reality 146
Addiction 161 Features 88 Religion 16
Alliance 11 Fiend 58 Resin 18, 160
Amber Bank 24 Folk 15, 184 Resolution Phase 127
Animals 193 Rinean 40
Antagonists 183 G Rosaria 83
Antaria 48 Gifts 98, 136 Ruins of Wespes 47
Armor 132 Great Cities 15
Attributes 91 Great Pyramid 47 S
Automatic Success 111 Great Tribunal 19 Salvora 11
Awakened 55 Sarach 44
Azimoth 8 H Second Ones 50
Handlers 60 Sirin 22, 44
B Hang Rafts 23 Skills 92
Ballcrush 26 Hazards 134 Sons of Sirin 22, 79
Bastards 57 Specializations 96
Bastilla 45 I Stamina 97, 119
Bit’wa 43 Illusion 143 Strigoi 195
Body 137 Infected 194 Success 105
Bukavac 196 Items 160
T
C J The Collective 82
Chamber of Merchants 24 Jarillo 34 The Wire 23
Chance Roll 111 Jorgun 46 Tribunal 19
Character Advancement 161 Tunnelborn 195
Church of Azimoth 17
K
Circle 21, 67 U
Kayla 43
Citizenship 16 Uncharted Territories 11
Collision Games 26 Unmarked 16
Colossi 29, 59 L
Combat 124 Liboria 37
V
Combat Maneuvers 130 Vargan blood 57, 160
Complications 131 M
Vargan Codex 163
Contested Roll 111 Maneuver Phase 126
Vargans 29, 190
Corrupted 57 Mediator 60
Vasalli 13, 50, 186
Corruption 120 Mental Illness 120
Virtues 96, 118
Crawlers 192 Mind 140
Cults 66, 84 Mora 196
Morana 76 W
Weapons 132
D Wild Colossi 62
Damage 129 N
Dawai 45 Nadya 46
Narration 152 X
Death of a Character 159
Nomads 22, 57, 82 XP points 161
Declaration Phase 125
Difficulty 158
Distance 134 O Z
Dramatic Failure 107 Order of Siebog 21, 73 Zimitra 8
Orders 13, 20, 65 Zorya 21, 70
E Outside Territories 11
Endurance 97, 119
Engagement Phase 126 P
Exceptional Success 107 Picture Rule 109
Point distribution 162
 AWA K EN

We’d especially like to thank all of our Backers who made this
happen. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Zak Reyer Steve Gemmell Albert Qiu Elizabeth Williams

Jason Lou Tungol Pete Petrusha (Imagining Games) Tristan Noel
Vincente Gonsalves Jeremy Byrd Cliff Winnig Alejandro
Sarah Jacobson Andrew-Kent Snyder Pablo Saldaña Michael
jarethellenin Jonathan & Emily Iversen Matthew B Victoria Pullen
Alexandre Carney Michael Mooney Sam White Genevieve Côté
Andrew Alsberge Ed Reinhardt Benzie Dio Gregory Faber
Nicole Mezzasalma GregorB Helen blue_bubbles
Kurt Heinrich Carlos Eduardo Hernandez chris mobberley Gretchen
Villegas
Donovan Andrew Lotton Neal Rideout
AlexDemille
Wade Geer Bruno Gosselin Tyler Fulk
Kristopher J. Miller
Micah Dickey Gorana Kiwihiker
David Stark
Krastinov Michael Blanchard Trevor
Robert Besemann
Zensara Studios Aarre Vuorio Matthew Walker
Marcus M.
Adam Neisius Del M Maynus
Jaris Van Maanen
Thalji Andrew Hill CyfnosBlaidd
Edward Kabara
Leigh Kade Thom Ryng Arturo Bejar
Matt May-Day
Will Carnochan Eamon Linger Richard Steinfeldt
Matthew Johnston
Eric Roberts aka TechnicolorTaco Tom Ryan Seth A Spurlock
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RagnarokAeon Unipolar Games navigator
Kaitlynn Ashley Tielemans
Danijel Božić Pelin Kovach Vandall Savage
YUTAKA YAMAOKA
Kacy Green Kadryann Steven Paul Jefferson
2percentright
Mladen Borovina Ian Asha Jan van der Wielen
Jared A. Thomas
W Ryan Carden Olivia G Merl Gray
Christopher Soulfyre
Blackwood Trip the Space Parasite Cristie Fagnano
ZodiacEmpires
shawn hanson Teodor Kalamov Carl Lemura
KennyAsche
Robert J. Lawrence Dakota Christian Goetz-Barajas Mike Gove
Mike Coleman
John Flynn David Homola Rob Will
Angelo de Stephano
Anthony Nijssen Charles McNall Mark S
Maxwell
Alan Brzozowski Ignacio Rencoret Oyarzún William Scott Palmer
Jacob Bush
Tim Joshua Liebeskind Annette Beatwell
Mark
GERAN Teddy Jack Gulick Darin Rebertus
Balevala
Paul Fireside Darren Foster

214
 AWA K EN

Yuhki Kaneta, The RoneDlagon J. D. Beers Konig-Wolf Alexander Jones

Páperíčko An-Tarxamon Todd nathan lilly Andrew Huston
Eric Koebel Marina Mark H Xphile
Charles Crowe Gregory Secaur Manuel Siebert Riccardo Battilani
David Kleinschmidt AussieNinja Frits Kuijlman Adam Yerly
Fishmaster Mia Iversen Pablo Domínguez Castro Pedrom Adeli
Carly Schuster Matthew Holland Damon Wilson Tim Baker
Jonathan Faulkner Joseph Ferrill Jorge Caballero Becerril Jonas Lowery
Craig Wright Robert Crewe K Man Jordi Rabionet Hernandez
Ron Szameitpreuss Morgan Robinson Duncan Usher-McGee Bryan Bailey
Frank Payne Geoffrey Ford David Jones Justin
Carlos Ovalle Quinn C. Moerike Joshua Kurtz GogglesDown
Shad Scarboro Martin Hills Robert Duncan AceObjection
Nick C Andrew Nichols Bryan Marshall Ross
Akiazoth Craig Kirkpatrick Wesley Powers Bruno V.
Vincent Arebalo Luke Perrin Crazy Cactus Entertainment LLC Morgan
Lai Cheong Sang Steven Cornell Ilija Grgić Patrick
Cory S Lukas Letica Peter Richard Brooks Patrick SAYET
August Jokela Morgan Pelham Michael Pietrelli Jim Reader
Boyd Stephenson Lakshman johnathan turner ron beck
Jarryd Calleja-Horvath Nicole Skotti Kimble Shane Horton
Drake James Johnson Andreas Ring Ozhara
Matthew Barker Marc Tetlow Ziggy Ramone Drew Wendorf
Henry A Driskill Mason Will Martin Joshua
Keira Val’Azr Barry Fletcher Chris Hartford Stewart Wieck
Brennan Scott Owens Crycket Chucky Bones
Tracy Landrum Kovács Róbert Dániel Innicas Michael Fay
Rob Klug Marek Benes Darren gsdragono
Mario Meo Brian Kearns Derick Lein Josema Romeo
Herre Bijl Christopher Trapp Creighton Evans III KyoshiroKami
SM Moore Félix Castonguay Craig Hackl Daniel Källgren
brandyn Tomas B. C. Roger M. Lopez Ryan Young
Conor MacSubine Jason Corley Rob Towell David Hobson
Carnus Wesley de Wolde Thomas Alan Corley Mendel Katz
corsair43 Douglas Popp Eric Coates Morgan Weeks
Clinton MacKinnon Patrick P. Markus Raab Tyson Hinrichs
Aaron DeChant Amichai Naveh Marmor Gareth Jenkins Tuebor
Brandon Cruz Ximenez KjelKen Gavken Adam Matherly
Erik Tietyen Erik Feeley Charles Burkart Jonathan Y

215
 AWA K EN

Casey Henderson Zakero Philip McCrary Karlo Gliha

Carlos Restrepo Antonino B Oliveira Craig Rasmussen Angus Abranson / Chronicle City
Chris Dickson Colin Urbina Spades Andreas
Christoffer Danielsen Dyrøy Gavin Watson Michael Tyrrell Rod Meek
JJ Bakken Ben Markley Ray Gonzalez Joshua C Kitchens
Ulrik CDoin Shatteredzen Christopher Rigby John A W Phillips
George Alexander Zeljko Drascic Jonathan Cassie Nadav Ben Dov
Ariane Leray-Galliot Mike Roberson Matej Josh Storey
Cole MarTok Olson Lars Björndahl Mykola Yankovskyy John R Davis
Alison Trace Oliver Bob Galley ARIAKAS
Michael Hyland Jane DelFavero Oscar Iglesias vincent prou
Sarah Kelley Gerbanator Sunčana Grgurić Ryan
Will Triumph Jim Searcy Jeff Schmidt Seth Hartley
Thresherinc Michael Thorsten Schreck Christian Landerretche
Chronowraith John Leo Robert Rihtar Fenryr
Marinos Louros Andrew Peregrine xengar Erik Paladin
adumbratus Steven Lord Petrefax Arnd Empting
Darrel Velaryon Lonnie Seale John Walsh Relic Dice
Meiberu Benton Little Jason Thompson Troy Benton Games
Nupryn Philip D. Mann Alan Balch pandagm
Lijah Robinson David Harrison Drae Corben Courtney Box
Mattie B DesertRaven2k Andrija Popovic Robert Brookes
Jyan Craig Delamotte John H Begley Henry Murdy Soni Pejčić
Tobias Schmitt Tom Van de Sande Joshua Smith Nikola Vukmirović
Jinnapat Treejareonwiwat Octavio Cesar Antezana Morales Tom Dowd Jožef
Chris Mooney Phillip McGregor Nick Hintz Anita
Riccardo Zampieri Hank Metzger Atarun Irud666
(Abisbowa/Guin/Alb)
John C Hay Dominic J. Cantone
jfa82
D-ASIDE- MG
Marko
Stephen M Accetta Weylin Stormcrowe
Thomas Ladegard
Claus Bo Christensen Christian Nord
Ryan H
Richard Turmel Devrim Turak
Trevor Bennett
Daniel Gregory Anthony Knight
Steven Sick
Nick Carter William Heyden
Michael Lax
Daniel Cohen istrian
Undead_Ichi
Carl Congdon Canli Ferrier
Branden Kidwell
Jebus Michael Pruitt
Brandon Metcalf
Carlos Adam Phillips
Rob Abrazado
Jakub Poniatowski José Manuel Palacios Rodrigo

216
 Become a Vasall in Awaken, join the world
of battles against the darkness, political
struggles and discover the price of
retaining humanity in the ruthless world!

The Alliance of the Great Cities is teetering on the brink of collapse. The
world is on the edge and it’s slipping away into chaos, permanent political
struggles, accompanied by creeping terror from underground; a Vargan
race set on the vengeance against humankind. The last guardians called
Colossi are slowly fading away or turning against their masters.

In such desperate times, the only possible torchbearers are the Vasalli,
gifted people spoken of by the old mythologies. But can they bear the
burden of being the protectors of humanity, or will they allow themselves
to be corrupted by power and succumb to the darkness that delves in every
heart?

Inside the Awaken rulebook you’ll find:

hh A dark, war-ravaged fantasy universe influenced by Slavic and
Mediterranean folklore.
hh A complete game system with intuitive and light rules, which help
you tell a story rather than burden you down.
hh Streamlined rules for Character creation and guidelines for
Narrators, including examples of antagonists.
hh A Story with pre-generated Characters suitable for venturing into
the world of Awaken.

w w w.awakenrp g.ne t
Copyright © 2017 The Games Collective.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other
electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,
places or events is purely coincidental.

S2P32100

Dark Fantasy RolePlaying Game

$19.99
Produced under license by Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. The Studio2 logo is a trademark of Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.