i

Introduction
 Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Empyrean .................................... 1 Chapter 4 – Gameplay .................................. 37
Introduction

Empyrean......................................................... 2 Context .......................................................... 38

Eidolo ns ........................................................... 2 Establishing Questions ................................... 38
Anima .............................................................. 3 Resolutio n .......................................................39
Cornerstones .................................................... 3 Closure............................................................39
The Balance...................................................... 4 Encounter Types ............................................ 40
Persona Traits .................................................. 5 Rotating Game Master ....................................41
Becoming ......................................................... 5 Escalatio n ........................................................41
Realms ............................................................. 6 Resolving Actio ns........................................... 42
The Nascent ..................................................... 7 Character Advancement .....................................
Life in Empyrean.............................................. 8 Superficial Wounds ........................................ 48
The Great Spirits.............................................. 8 Deep Wounds ................................................ 48
Heritage Sites ................................................... 9 Heart Wounds ............................................... 49
Aether .............................................................. 9 Becoming ....................................................... 50
Colossi ............................................................10 Treasures......................................................... 51
The Great Calamity ........................................10
The Factio ns.................................................... 11 Chapter 5 – Realms ...................................... 53
Librarium Omnibus................................... 12 New Realms .................................................... 55
Order of the Seven Heroes ........................ 13 Name and Concept ......................................... 56
Utopian Society.........................................14 Realm Traits .................................................. 56
Servants of Balance ................................... 15 Terrain Traits............................................57
Brilliant Dawn League ...............................16 Technology Traits .................................... 58
Government Traits................................... 59
Chapter 2 - Game Basics ................................17 Wildlife Traits ......................................... 60
Nature of the Game.........................................18 Culture Traits ...........................................61
Ownership ...................................................... 19 Societal Traits .......................................... 62
The Balance..................................................... 19 Creed Traits ............................................. 63
Fire............................................................22 Civilizatio n .................................................... 64
Light .........................................................22 Places ............................................................. 65
Electricity..................................................23 Heritage Sites ........................................... 65
Water........................................................23 Encounter Tables............................................ 69
Sto ne ........................................................ 24 Realm Balance ................................................ 72
Darkness .................................................. 24
Air ............................................................25 Chapter 6 – Paradigms .................................. 73
Aether .......................................................25 Free Time........................................................75
The Worldbook.............................................. 26 Drawing Power ...............................................75
Seed Worlds ................................................... 26 Guided Establishment .................................... 76
The First Game .............................................. 27 Currency ........................................................ 76
Other Materials .............................................. 27 Plot Twist Cards ............................................ 77
Encyclopedias ................................................. 78
Chapter 3 - Character Creatio n ....................... 29 Masks............................................................. 78
Basic Rules .................................................... 30 Dice ............................................................... 79
Persona Traits ................................................. 31 Alchemy......................................................... 79
Five Steps of Character Creatio n .....................32 Milestones ...................................................... 80
Concept.....................................................32 Critical Success and Failure .............................81
Traits ........................................................ 33 Technology .....................................................81
Balance..................................................... 34 Universal Trait............................................... 82
Background .............................................. 34
Creed ........................................................ 35

ii
Chapter 7 – Conceits ................................... 83 Appendix A – Nitar .................................... 105
Abundance ..................................................... 85 Realm Traits ................................................. 106
Aethermancy.................................................. 85 Nascent Tribes .............................................. 108
Channeling..................................................... 85 Factio ns......................................................... 108

Introduction
Core Values.................................................... 86 Places .............................................................110
Elemental Regeneratio n .................................. 86 Important People ............................................ 113
Filled with Anima .......................................... 86 Technology ....................................................116
Forgotten Treasure ......................................... 86 Trade Goods...................................................116
Geomancy ...................................................... 87 Monsters ........................................................116
High Summo ning........................................... 87 Realm Draw Sheet..........................................117
Imaging.......................................................... 87 Mines Dungeon ..............................................118
Sealed Memories ............................................ 87 Old Nitar Dungeon ....................................... 120
Surging Anima ............................................... 88 Steam Vaults Dungeon.................................. 122
Wonder Crafting............................................ 88 Treasures....................................................... 124
Encounters in Nitar ....................................... 126
Chapter 8 – Storytelling ............................... 89 Adventure Hooks .......................................... 128
Scenario Owner.............................................. 90 Maps of Nitar................................................ 130
Running a Realm ............................................ 90
Improvised Encounters.................................... 91 Appendix B - Persona Traits.......................... 135
Scenario ..........................................................93
Sample Scenarios.............................................93 Appendix C – Wonders ............................... 173
Personal Stories .............................................. 97 Consumables ................................................. 174
Guiding Character Development .................... 99 Minor Wonders............................................. 176
Special Social Encounters ...............................101 Major Wonders ............................................. 179
Special Puzzle Encounters ............................. 102
Special Combat Encounters ........................... 103 Appendix D - Planning Sheets ....................... 181
Endgame ....................................................... 104
Appendix E - Balance Generators.................... 191
Wonder Generator .........................................191
Encounter Generator ..................................... 194
Group NPC Generator ..................................206
Group Realm Generator ................................208

Appendix F - Bonus Materials....................... 209

Appendix G - Quick References .....................223

No need to justify,
No need to explain,
We are as we are,
Such is becoming.
Inscription on Grand Cornerstone

iii
 Author
D. Brad Talto n Jr.
Illustratio ns
Lorie Hetrick, Katrina Lin, Devin Night
Introduction

Book Design
Dave Mattingly
Playtesting
Ken Andrews, Kevin Bridgeman, Derek Brunnet, Paul Butler, Andrew Campbell, Daniel Castro,
John Celino, Gregory Krywusha, Ben May-Day, Matthew May-Day, Richard Oppenheim,
Steven Petit, Matt Schillinger, Justin Shipler, Brad Wales
Proofreading
Sharif Abed, Eric Casey, Nancy Feldman, Mark Fergusen, Aaron Friesen, Liam Halverson,
Mark McHaney, Wendy Napier, Matt Schillinger, Bettina Tan, Peter Turrentine
Productio n
Level 99 Games
Special Thanks
Special Thanks to all of the Kickstarter Backers whose generous support has made this game a reality!

Foreword
Welco me to Empyrean—a world of boundless possibility, endless adventure, and fatho mless depth.
But more than all that, Empyrean is your world. You are about to embark on an adventure of creation and
re-creation. More than simply exploring and overcoming challenges, you will build the world itself as you
journey, creating your own Empyrean from the ashes of the past. Your Empyrean will be a unique
creation that you and your friends piece together.
Building Empyrean will require tough cho ices—not all problems are dragons to be slain. Some of
these choices will require sacrifice. Some will force you to decide between two evils. So me will require
you to go against your beliefs and co nvictio ns. Each will change yo u, such that your character will be as
much a result of the world as the world is a result of you. Such is Becoming.
Thank you for taking the opportunity to explore this mystical world of Empyrean—a world drawn
from the dreams of you and your closest friends. I hope it affords you many hours of memorable
adventure and epic co nflict.
D. Brad Talto n Jr.

Mystic Empyrean ©2011 by D. Brad Talto n Jr. Mystic Empyrean, the Mystic Empyrean logo, characters,
designs, and illustrations are all trademarks of Level 99 Games. Mystic Empyrean, this book, and all
informatio n, illustrations, and rules therein are property of D. Brad Talton Jr. and Level 99 Games, and
are not to be reproduced in whole or in part without express written consent. Planning sheets included in
this game book may be reproduced solely for personal use.

iv
1
Empyrean
 Empyrean Eidolo ns also have a powerful and innate
connection to the world around them. Only
“For a thousand years I've watched the mist ebb Eidolo ns are able to rebuild Grand Cornerstone by
away the foundations of Empyrean. You are not returning its lost shards. Only Eido lons are able to
the first with hubris enough to believe you could see and speak to the Great Spirits of the world. Only
undo the mistakes of the past, and I do not Eidolo ns have the power to reshape the lands
imagine that you shall be the last.” according to their wills.

— Kulbaht, Keeper of Records Within Empyrean, these beings are regarded

with respect, both amo ng their own kind and amo ng
Empyrean is a shattered world. Nearly o ne the other races of the world. Even the weakest and
Empyrean

thousand years ago, Grand Cornerstone, the root of youngest of their kind are capable and powerful
the world, was destroyed in a terrible cataclysm. beyond measure, and their requests and wills are not
Some say it was war between Eido lons. Others to be taken lightly or denied outright.
believe it was unrest amo ngst the spirits of Anima.
Others still imagine that the Aether crept in through An Eidolo n’s heart is formed by certain traits,
some tear in the fabric of reality, and began to called Persona Traits, that grant him powers linked
devour everything. to his desires and deeds. An Eidolo n who possesses
deep curiosity is able to open a third eye and see
The mist of Aether spread over the who le world, many mysteries. One who is filled with envy can
unraveling and co nsuming reality, until only an repaint his flesh to look however he desires. One
endless desert of blank, white infinity remained in with a cold, solitary heart can create ice and chill
its wake. Now, only a few tiny islands of existence with a touch or a breath. As he lives on and acquires
remain in a sea of oblivio n. These last few more traits, an Eido lon will acquire more and more
remaining realms are the final bastio ns of power and change his face many times. O nly by
civiliz ation and life. They too will soon fall, unless experiencing the breadth of emo tion and deed – the
something is done to repair the ravages done to highest goods and darkest evils, the purest ideals and
Grand Cornerstone. most decadent pleasures – can an Eido lon unlock his
full potential and become what he must be in order
Eidolons to rebuild the world.
“You've heard of the Eidolons, yes? The ones who An innate desire to restore the world rests
wear their souls as a skin? That is their strength, within all Eidolo ns. Perhaps it is put there by the
that they bear their hearts wide to the world, and spirits of Anima, or perhaps it is a simple extension
drink in its experiences, and make from those of their personal co nnectio ns to the world. No
their own power.” matter what the case, every Eidolo n wishes to see
Empyrean restored to its full glory. While all
The Eidolo ns are the children of Anima, the Eidolo ns share in this desire, there are many
inheritors of the world, and its protectors and differing views o n how it must be do ne. Eido lons
servants as well. These immortal forces of nature are mark the lands they unlock with a tinge of their own
pure life energy given form and will, and live only personalities, and thus, each rebuilds the world
according to their own goals and ideals. according to his own image of a perfect Empyrean.
The heart of an Eido lon is the core of his being. This great power is easily coveted, and there is much
A stone of crystallized Anima just a little larger than dissent amo ng the Eido lons over whose right it is to
a closed fist, the heart sustains the Eidolon, such rebuild Grand Cornerstone and reshape the world.
that he needs neither food nor air nor sleep. An Most Eidolons are born as Nascent, the tribal
Eidolo n’s entire body is a construct of Anima that races that inhabit Empyrean, though this is not
flows out from his heart, and the heart is capable of always the case. Some are formed by the Great Spirits
rebuilding the body. Thus, Eidolo ns can survive any in order to execute their bidding. Others are born
physical wound or injury, so long as their hearts directly from the land, and instinctively know the
remain intact. will of Grand Cornerstone in their hearts.

2
Anima Cornerstones
“Until you discover your heart, you will not find “In every reflection of the stone were worlds,
power in this world.” shadows of worlds that might be. Each with
history, peoples, dreams, and possibilities. Every
— Fargan, Seeker of Balance
detail perfectly realized in the facets of the
All of Empyrean is formed of Anima, the seven crystal, existing only in that moment’s reflection
base elements that combine and transform to make of the flickering light.”
up every possible substance, energy, and idea within
Empyrean was o nce a united world, ruled in a
Empyrean. Eido lons are made of pure Anima, and

Empyrean
golden age of peace and prosperity. All of this was
the Nascent and the lands of the world are formed of
made possible by the existence of Grand
the elements it combines to create. Anima can be
Cornerstone – the root of the world – enshrined in
distilled and repurposed into magic, electricity, life
its sacred palace. Grand Cornerstone was a towering
force, inspiratio n, and even abstract concepts like
obelisk of pure, crystalized Anima that sustained the
ideas and time. There is no thing that cannot be
existence of the who le world by pouring its life-
forged or formed from this pure source of raw,
giving energy into the earth.
creative power.
When the Great Calamity shattered Grand
However, very little of the Anima in the world
Cornerstone, sending its shards all across the world,
is free and usable in this way. Cornerstones and
the Aether appeared, and began spreading quickly
Grand Cornerstone, by extensio n, are formed of
across all the lands, burying even the shards of Grand
pure, crystallized Anima, as is the heart of an
Cornerstone beneath the mist. These shards, called
Eidolo n. Anima Pearls, the crystallized fragments of
Cornerstones, absorbed the vanishing lands, sealing
Persona Traits that have been outgrown and
inside the different pieces of Empyrean that would
discarded by Eido lons, are the most co mmon source
have otherwise been consumed by the mist. Realms,
of pure Anima in the world.
memories, and treasures of great power have all been
In the hands of an Eido lon, Anima is an sealed away in these crystals, protected from the
unimaginable power. It gives the Eido lon the ability scourge of Aether.
to act with incredible force and presence, to twist
There are typically three kinds of things that
fate and reality in his favor, and to enjoy the boon of
might reside within a cornerstone.
immortal life.
Realms are the actual lands of Empyrean, that
In O ld Empyrean, before the world was torn
were sealed away after the Great Calamity. When
apart, Eido lons co uld use Anima to create tools,
such a cornerstone is unlocked, the crystallized
weapons, and powerful relics with a thought, as well
Anima within it surges forth and recreates the land
as to reshape the lands, summo n mighty titans, and
according to the pattern and memories locked within
communicate directly with the Great Spirits. These
it. Individuals who have slept for nearly a
mysteries are now lost – sealed away in the
millennium are awoken to co ntinue life as though
memories of Grand Cornerstone – and waiting to be
only a second has passed. Lost treasures and deadly
found and mastered once more by those who
dungeons, as well as the wonders of the world are
discover them.
recreated down to the slightest detail.
Paradigms are the secrets and wo nders that o nce
filled Empyrean. Powers such as alchemy and
magic, as well as simpler ideas such as currency, and
the most powerful kinds of treasures known to the
world are amo ng those sealed within these
cornerstones. When a paradigm is unlocked and
restored to the world, then it becomes seamlessly
reintegrated into all the corners of Empyrean, and
the world gains more solidity and resistance against
the onset of Aether.

3
 Conceits are singular entities and secrets sealed
within Cornerstones. The secret to create matter The Balance
with a thought, to command the great Titans, or to “Grand Cornerstone was destroyed because we
rearrange the realms according to an Eido lon’s will forgot the Balance. I am responsible above all
are all co ntained within such sto nes. Even the others, and I shall not make the mistake again,
memories, weapons, and mystic arts of the great nor allow any Eidolon to do so in my place.”
heroes of Old Empyrean can be recovered as
Conceits. Unlike Paradigms, Co nceits take root — Lusse Mer, High Auditor
within the heart of the Eido lon that unlocks them. The elemental nature of Anima divides it into
He gains more power, and makes his own heart a seven major classes. Each of the elements of Anima
Empyrean

vessel for the expansion of the world – more able to governs different ideas, aspects of living, actio ns,
defend and protect it from the forces which would technologies, and more. Every thing, person, place,
stand against the balance. or idea in Empyrean is aligned with Anima in
different degrees. These alignments form the
foundation of natural order, called the Balance.
Eidolo ns, being creatures of pure Anima
themselves, each have their own Personal Balance,
while most animals, Nascent, and realms share a
collective World Balance.
Since Anima governs ideas and actio ns, the
World Balance (and the Personal Balance for
Eidolo ns) determines the potential for different
activities, sciences, and outcomes. In realms
saturated with fire, destructio n and rage run deep. In
those filled with light, science and knowledge thrive.
Anima permeates everything in Empyrean, even
down to the minds and bodies of its inhabitants.
Nascent from a realm saturated with Sto ne will
have tougher skins and stockier builds, and may
even have rocks or jewels set into their bodies.
Those who live in Air-saturated realms might
develop wings and learn to fly, and have fragile,
ho llow bones like birds.
Animals that live under high Anima saturatio n
develop similar changes, adapting to reflect the
general look of their environment and to survive
whatever difficulties living there presents. Those
animals who are exposed to extremely high amounts
of Anima – such as from living near abandoned
relics of Old Empyrean, or from eating a
cornerstone – become Dire creatures. These
powerful beasts guard their ho mes jealously and are
sometimes worshipped as local spirits. Many are
manipulated directly by the great spirits that govern
them, giving them intelligence and cunning not
unlike that of an Eidolo n.

4
Persona Traits Becoming
“Tomorrow, I will look in this mirror, at a “I heard once that drinking the blood of my
different man standing in my place. In that enemies would make me strong. I don’t know if I
moment, I will remember the man I was believed it even then, but I developed a taste for
yesterday, and rightfully call him a fool.” blood all the same, on the off chance that it might
be true.”
— Lyons, Who Slew Regret
— Alora, the Ashen Queen
Eidolo ns wear their souls as a skin, and the
desires and morals within their hearts manifest Eidolo ns are no t static creatures. Their outward

Empyrean
outwardly in the form of Persona Traits. These appearances reflect the virtues and vices of their
traits grant the Eido lon great power, but when they hearts, and they change constantly as they develop
grow too great, they may choke his heart, and grant new powers and personalities. The process of
that power only at a heavy price. Traits begin as changing appearances and powers is called
telltale signs, gradually growing into co mplete Becoming.
features that mark the Eidolo n unmistakably with
The first Beco ming is often a violent and strange
the light or darkness that resides within his heart. occurrence – it is the one when a Nascent realizes
Despite their changing nature, Eido lons are his potential and is transformed from a being bound
recognizable. They seem to retain the same facial by Anima into a creature able to master and control
features and the same force of personality. Those it. The Eido lon may look quite similar to or quite
who know an Eidolo n will recognize him, even after different from the Nascent he was born from. He
several years of no t having seen him. No matter still retains all of his memories and morals from
what his features, an Eido lon’s nature is clear – he being a Nascent – in fact, it is the strength of these
will not be mistaken for a Nascent, animal, or Great convictio ns that likely sparked the transformatio n in
Spirit. the first place.
As Eido lons grow, they develop more and
more traits, and continue to change. These
changes are much more gradual than the
change from Nascent to Eido lon, though they
may at times surprise or shock. Usually, when
an Eido lon develops a trait, he finds it useful or
empowering, rather than repulsive. After all,
his choices of word and deed are what brought
the trait on, and each persona trait accentuates
the potential for the personality that it grows
from.
Many Eido lons are careful of what they
say, do, and think, for they know that it will
determine what they ultimately become.
Others follow only their wills, determined to
become whatever their natures dictate.

5
 Realms Yet ano ther could be haunted by aberrant mo nsters
and unspeakable horrors caged up within it long ago.
“We are the heart of the world, the root of Natural laws and potentialities such as magic, length
creation! All this Empyrean is our right to of days, and even chemistry and physics draw their
possess! It belongs to us, Eidolons, the children of boundaries at the edges of the realms, and can work
Anima!” completely different in disparate realms.

— Lord Gharl, the Devourer Each realm possesses a different balance of

Anima, and this balance determines the look of the
The world of Empyrean is loosely divided into creatures there – especially the Nascent, as well as
Empyrean

areas called Realms. Each of these realms has a what the weather, terrain, and natural wildlife in the
Empyrean

distinct climate, culture, natural life, and features. area are.

They are filled with natural wo nders, places of
power, and mysteries to be disco vered by the curious Despite that all the realms are connected, they
explorer. may not necessarily share technologies or cultures,
for reasons listed above. Just because one Nascent
The Realms of Empyrean are more than just race can mo ve at the speed of light and live amo ng
geographic areas, however. They are each like tiny the stars does not mean that they can accomplish
worlds, with their own conventions and these same feats beyo nd the borders of their realm.
possibilities. One realm might possess space-age However, unlocking paradigms from O ld Empyrean
technology, and its citizens will live amo ng the stars can spread the potential of techno logies beyond
rather than on the earth. Ano ther might be a these borders.
blistering desert that stretches infinitely on, no
matter how far one walks towards the horizon.

6
The Nascent gills that live in cities beneath the ocean; of
cybernetic Nascent who are born half-machine, and
“When the land awakens, it finds it has no voice, able to interface directly with their techno logy; and
no hands, no eyes, no dreams. To supply these, it of ghostly Nascent who have no bodies at all unless
gives birth to the Nascent.” they wish to manifest themselves on this plane.

— Kulbaht, Keeper of Records Almost all Nascent are able to intermarry and
reproduce with each other, though there are a great
Empyrean is not populated exclusively by the many purists amo ng them who shun the mixture of
Immortal Eido lons. The sentient creatures of societies and cultures with others. The integratio n of
Empyrean are collectively called the Nascent, or the Nascent races, as opposed to their separation, is a

Empyrean
“newborns” by Eido lons. Compared to an Eidolo n’s major dividing point in all Nascent societies and
immortality, the Nascent are little more than politics.
mayflies – here today and go ne tomorrow. Like
Eidolo ns, the Nascent can take just about any form, The Nascent possess the unique ability amo ng
have any powers, and master any techno logy or art. animals to become Eido lons. While not all Eido lons
The Nascent, however, live in tribes. Their birth were once Nascent, the majority are Nascent who
and ho meland determines the way they look and have changed to become what they are now. There
what they are capable of, rather than their personal are various things that may cause a Nascent to
decisions. become an Eidolo n – a particular strength of heart or
character, a total devotio n to ideals, the gift of a
The Nascent outnumber Eidolo ns hundreds and Great Anima Spirit, or the act of unlocking a
in some places thousands to one. Most villages of cornerstone are just a few possibilities.
Nascent have at least o ne Eidolo n in residence –
usually living near enough to know and assist them
when necessary, but far enough no t to attract too
much attentio n or become too invo lved with them.
It is no t certain where the Nascent come fro m –
certainly they can be born, just like animals can, but
they seem to appear in different varieties in all
manner of places, with no indicatio n as to how they
survived or came to be there before civilizatio n
discovered them. Many believe that the first
Nascent were originally born from the land itself, to
be its custodians and defenders.
Nascent differ from Eidolo ns in their physical
makeup as well. The Nascent are made of elements
– materials crafted from Anima, the same stuff as
soil and stone. Eidolo ns have bodies of pure Anima,
making them more similar to the Great Spirits, as
opposed to the Nascent, whose bodies are more akin
to animals.
The Nascent are divided into tribes, and each
tribe has its own distinct features. Many even
possess abilities that are normally reserved
to Eido lons, such as great strength, the
power to turn others to sto ne with a look,
or the ability to grow wings at will and
fly. The majority of Nascent tribes are
humanlike, though slightly shorter and
with sharper senses. However, there are
exceptions to the rule, and many Nascent
have features not dissimilar to animals,
fish, the earth around them, or even
inanimate objects. There are records of
colonies of web-footed Nascent with

7
 Life in Empyrean The Great Spirits of
“The way of strong men is balance in every Anima
sphere. Avoid all excess of drink, temper, wealth,
opinions, love, and dreaming.” “What is the will of Anima? Does it wish for us
to be happy? Does it wish for us to create? Does
— Lyons, Who Slew Regret
it wish for us to thrive? My friends, the will of
Eidolo ns have many roles in the society of Anima is not what we should ask ourselves. The
Empyrean, but the main task of keeping a more important question is this: What is our
civiliz ation running falls to the Nascent. The will? What will we create? And how will we use
Empyrean

commo n fo lk of Empyrean, the Nascent, live in Anima to our own ends?”

tribes that range in size from a few hundred up to
— Lord Gharl, the Devourer
the millio ns. Each tribe possesses its own sciences,
crafts, magics, arts, and cultures, as well as very Anima is no t simply a power source or a natural
distinct physical traits that tie them to their conventio n – it has a will and being of its own. The
ho meland. Nascent living in snowy climates will seven Great Spirits of Anima watch o ver the world.
typically have pale features and a strong resilience to The Great Spirits maintain the balance of Anima. It
cold, while those who live in mining co mmunities would be false to say they do this by any kind of
might be stocky and strong, like the dwarves in consent or goodwill. Rather, they are constantly at
fantasy literature. While Nascent can be referred to war with one ano ther, trying to increase the power
collectively, they typically prefer to be identified by of their own do mains by undermining others, using
their tribes, and not collectively as Nascent. Eidolo ns, Nascent, and nature itself as pawns. The
Spirits often express interest in the affairs of
The Nascent live in conditions according to their
individuals, or the causes of their favorite Eidolo ns,
realms and sciences. Many have cultures that are
or the need for justice and restraint. Despite all this
wholly devoted to arts, or that can make secret
civility, thousands of years of history shows that
wonders of glass or steel, or that understand amazing
their nature is an eternal struggle for power, and
sciences of teleportatio n and magic that even
little more. Of course, the balance must be
Eidolons may not co mprehend. Most Nascent are
maintained by so meone, and the struggles of the
content to live in peace, find love, raise families, and
Great Spirits – their alliances and betrayals – keep
live out their days in relative comfort. Only those
any one of the seven elements of Anima from
with a deep desire to change the world and
growing too powerful and unbalancing the world.
themselves are capable of becoming Eido lons.
The Great Spirits may so metimes choose
Eidolo ns have many roles – most are wanderers, champio ns amo ngst Eidolo ns to serve as their
leaders, adventurers, or inventors. They cannot servants in the world. These chosen few receive
settle for mediocrity, and must always push nearly limitless power from their masters, as well as
themselves to the head of any situatio n they find the power to summo n massive creatures known as
themselves in. Should an Eido lon be a shepherd, he
Titans that can lay waste to entire realms. When
will be a legendary and elusive shepherd. Should o ne
champio ns exist, they tend to hold an uneasy truce
be a miner, he will be a discoverer of rarities and a
with one ano ther, or be quickly destroyed by the
parago n of exploratio n beyond any peer. There is no
abuse of their powers, or by their Great Spirit
room for small goals or ordinariness in an Eidolo n’s
masters when their usefulness ends. To be tied to
heart.
the kind of power a Great Spirit provides and then
Empyrean is a land where anything is possible. to be cut off from it will normally kill an Eidolo n, or
Any culture, any lifestyle, and any type of creature at least leave them in such a broken state that death
can live within its bounds. New government would be a mercy.
systems, dimensio nal boundaries, secret societies,
warring cities, and unfatho mable techno logies are
just a few of the things that you might find while
exploring this strange world of endless frontier.

8
 Eidolo ns, and which nullifies their powers. It slowly
dissolves anything it to uches, creating more of itself
in the process, and thus it is difficult to contain or
control.
Some theorize that the Aether is not a substance,
so much as a lack thereof – that it is Anima without
order, the unraveled form of the tapestry of creatio n.
Other theories posit that the Aether is ano ther kind
of Anima – ano ther existence that is fighting with
Empyrean for the same space, and that it has its own

Empyrean
elements and order that canno t be co mprehended by
creatures formed of Anima, much like the sun
cannot co mprehend the meaning of shadow. Still
others attribute Aether to some malevolent,
Heritage Sites intelligent force that wishes to sweep across and
destroy Empyrean – perhaps for crimes of the past
“Some people may say that they’ve seen or for its own dark ends. Whatever the case, Aether
the Great Castle of the Sky Wolf is a substance that is universally feared and reviled
floating overhead in a tuft of clouds. That’s just throughout Empyrean, most especially by those who
nonsense. I know because I’ve been there, and I’ll have lost their homes, families, or livelihoods to the
tell you what it really looks like…” devouring mist.
— Lamarck, Treasure Hunter The Aether spreads out o ver all of the lands of
Across the world, there are ruins of Old Empyrean that fall outside the glow of Grand
Empyrean. Many of these ruins have been claimed Cornerstone. As it is reassembled, the light and
by the mist and lost, but others are still operatio nal. power of Grand Cornerstone pushes the Aether
These monuments to the old world of Empyrean are further back, restoring lands, cultures, and mysteries
called Heritage Sites, and each one offers a different that were lost to time and age. Still, the mist grows,
functio n and possibility. The most important of pushing forward against the boundaries of the world
these Heritage Sites is the Grand Cornerstone even as Eidolo ns work to restore Grand Cornerstone
Shrine – the place where the ruin of the original and destroy it forever.
Grand Cornerstone stands watching over the world At the edges of the world are areas called
it o nce sustained. Others include the headquarters of boundaries. These places where the world is co ming
the various factio ns that control (or attempt to loose – where the Anima gives way to the Aether –
control) the development of Empyrean and the lives are half-real ghost lands. Legends say that at the
of its citizens. Still more are hidden beneath the boundaries can be found the spirits of those
roiling mist, waiting to be rediscovered by those departed, as well as terrible mo nsters of corrupted
brave enough to search them out. creation and nightmare. These dangerous places ring
the edges of the world, and whatever dark forces are
Aether at work in them often prove a threat to local
populatio ns.
“It seems to me that Aether and Anima are
inextricably linked. The only difference is order. The Aether is not an empty place. It is populated
Like a cloth unraveled into thread, Aether is the by strange, alien creatures called Aetherlings. So me
stuff of our world, broken down without order or have called them the Eidolo ns of Aether, while
purpose. What does this mean? It means that others view them little more than animals. These
Aether is not a demon to be fought, but a tool to beings display a curious intelligence, a disregard for
be used.” the natural laws of physics, and a hatred towards all
the beings co mposed of Anima. Just as Aether
— Alveric, Keeper of the Light weakens Eidolo ns, however, the Aetherlings are
When the world became unraveled during the unable to venture far past the boundaries of the
Great Cataclysm, Aether appeared to fill the vo id of world’s edge. They mostly hunt on the boundaries,
existence that was left behind in the wake of Grand destroying and corrupting what they can of the
Cornerstone’s sustenance. The Aether is not truly world.
understood by any, tho ugh there are many theories.
It is an intangible mist which is po isonous to

9
 Colossi The Great Calamity
“I stood alone to face the thing as it towered over “You look out over the empty world and see only
me. I looked into its glowing eyes, and saw what has been lost. When I look out over that
neither mercy nor life in its heart. It was a world, I see the opportunity of what might be
monstrous mistake of creation, with a will only to found once again.”
destroy.”
— Lamarck, Treasure Hunter
— Lyons, Who Slew Regret
Little is known of the singular event that
Beneath the blanket of Aether at the edge of the changed Empyrean forever. The Great Calamity, as
Empyrean

world are many realms that have collapsed and it is called, tore asunder Grand Cornerstone, the root
fallen prey to the eerie mist. So me of these realms of the world, and scattered its fragments to all
contain fragments of Grand Cornerstone – many corners of Empyrean. No Eido lon, nor even the
with powerful memories and wills locked within Great Spirits themselves, could explain what
them. When the Aether reaches these cornerstones, happened that day, and in time, the truth of the
it corrupts them, fusing them to their lands and event was lost within the pages of history.
creating aberrant creatures called Co lossi (or
Aether appeared rapidly, shrouding the edges of
Colossus, in the singular).
the world and mo ving inward relentlessly towards
A Colossus is as large as a mo untain, and is the Grand Cornerstone Shrine, as though it were
formed of natural terrain. It can possess any of the intent o n co nsuming the who le of Empyrean o nce
traits of a realm, such as volcanoes, rivers, or deserts. and for all. The Eidolo ns and Nascent of the world,
It may contain great wo nders of technology, cities and even the Great Spirits themselves did
upo n its back, or even armies of animals or everything they could imagine to try to hold back
corrupted Nascent that do its bidding without the tide of oblivion that was surging into the world.
thought or life. Within its body might be great Their best efforts, however, proved to be naught, for
dungeons filled with the terrors and wo nders of Old the all-devouring mist continued to consume and
Empyrean, or even more sinister alternate realities. erase pieces of the world one by one, until all traces
of the major factio ns of Eido lons that had
At the heart of each Colossus is a single
maintained Empyrean were lost beneath it.
cornerstone that must be freed from its place.
Removing the Cornerstone from a Colossus can However, as time passed, the spread of Aether
only be done by an Eidolo n, and is the only way to slowed, and the world reached a kind of equilibrium
defeat or even harm these creatures of terrible with it. The Aether now spreads o nly slowly,
might. Once its heart is removed, the Colossus gnawing away at the edges of the last islands of
rapidly degenerates into an ordinary mass of land, existence. Like a dying creature granted only
leaving behind whatever dungeons, treasures, and temporary reprieve, the world now waits to die a
creatures inhabited it, and restoring them to their languishing death beneath the emptiness of the pale
uncorrupted state. mist, unless its Eido lons can save it.
If the Eidolo ns do, by so me miracle, succeed in
pushing back the mist and rebuilding Empyrean,
then what? How will they prevent a second Great
Calamity, where their predecessors could not? What
force originally shattered Grand Cornerstone, and
will it return? These questio ns haunt the Eido lons
just as much as the dreams and whispers of the
dying world that begs for their aid.

10
The Factions
“Though we tread different roads, our
destinations will be the same, through all time.”
— Rhyl, the Dual Natured
Old Empyrean was a place of wonder,
adventure, and stability. A world filled with
prosperity and peace, kept in an eternal golden age
by the careful stewardship of its Five Great

Empyrean
Societies. These five factio ns held sway over the
world – not as natio ns or kingdo ms, but as keepers
and regulators of different aspects of life and culture
for the Empyreans.
The Librarium O mnibus was the oldest of these
organizatio ns, and was responsible for recording all
the world’s culture and science, and creating a
permanent record of all the events in Empyrean.
The Order of the Seven Heroes was a
decentralized military organizatio n with the aim of
protecting the citizens of Empyrean and making
sure their safety and stability of life was assured.
The Utopian Society worked tirelessly to
promote peace, equality, education, and health for
the people of Empyrean, as well as to expand culture When the Aether is pushed back and the world
and the arts. begins to grow once more, perhaps these ancient
The Servants of Balance worked to maintain organizatio ns will reappear to lend their vast
balance and peace among the Great Spirits, and to reserves of resources and wisdo m to the rebuilding
maintain Grand Cornerstone and keep Anima of the world. With the formidable power of one of
flowing freely throughout the world. these organizatio ns behind him, an Eidolo n would
have little difficulty acco mplishing his goals for the
The Brilliant Dawn League was in charge of reconstructio n of the world.
mapping the far corners of the world and exploring
every frontier, as well as discovering the
technologies and mysteries of the world to share
with others across Empyrean. Small Factions
Though these factio ns worked together a good Most of the smaller factio ns in Empyrean crop
deal and strove to keep Empyrean in balance, they up in the absence of the major factio ns and their
were powerless to prevent the Great Calamity that influence in specific realms. Once the major factions
shattered Grand Cornerstone. After the Calamity, appear and become established, they tend to
they fell to casting blame and infighting, and were peacefully absorb these smaller factio ns into their
unable to recover the lost cornerstones quickly umbrellas.
enough to rebuild Grand Cornerstone and save their
Small governments, kingdo ms, and natio n-states
world. In those days, the mist spread quickly, and
cornerstones had not had as much time to leach out are generally no t interfered with, so long as they
the memories and Anima of the land, making them comply with the presence of the larger factio ns and
do not directly co nflict their activities. Most of these
far less powerful than they are today. Because of
governments and kingdoms are not large enough to
this, despite the manpower of the factio ns, they
consider outright resistance as a lo ng-term optio n
were consumed by the Aether as well, and
against the influence of the factio ns, and are forced
eventually disappeared from the world.
to play politics and choose sides when rifts appear
between the groups.

11
 Eidolo ns should join the Librarium if:
 They are interested in the science and magic
of Empyrean.
 They want to acquire and use rare and
interesting gear.
 They want to experience the puzzle aspect of
Empyrean by exploring dungeons and using
relics
Empyrean

 They want to experience the culture,

Librarium Omnibus history, society, and arts of Empyrean.
“Discovery – Understanding – Mastery” Citadel Library
Librarium O mnibus, or the Universal Library, is The headquarters of the Librarium O mnibus
responsible for collecting all information and takes the form of a great library, within which many
knowledge about the world of Empyrean. Its ancient treasures and secrets are hidden.
headquarters is Citadel Library, co mmo nly called
just 'The Citadel'. The Librarium is tasked with Kulbaht
cataloguing and preserving the mysteries and culture Kulbaht, the sage of the Library, has the lo ngest
of Empyrean, as well as storing all of its collective running memory of any Eidolo n known, and the
knowledge. The Librarium is guided by the ideal greatest collectio n of factual knowledge. He carries
that knowledge is the most valuable treasure, the with him a heavy book, within which he stores all
most useful tool, and the most sacred creatio n of the knowledge and history that will no t fit in his
civiliz ation. head at the present. His knowledge of the Librarium
The Librarium does not merely collect books – is impeccable, and he is said to have mastered every
they have ways of capturing entire life-records manner of craft and magic known to Empyrean,
distilled into liquid form. Those who drink from both past and present. A part of his mind is tied to
these infusio ns are able to experience the past the Citadel Library itself, and he seems to know
through the eyes of those who lived it, though they everything that occurs within its walls. This ability
are unable to change or control what occurs there. makes him by far the most knowledgable Eidolon in
The Librarium also stores performances of famous the world, and perhaps second only to the Great
plays in similar fashio n, and possesses vast galleries Spirits in his understanding of its nature. By the
of art and sculpture. same token, he is unable to leave Citadel Library,
tethered as his mind is to its many books and
The Librarium works tirelessly towards the treasures.
agenda of educating the population of Empyrean,
discovering new technologies, and preserving The Librarium Reliquary
cultures and arts for posterity. They believe that the
more educated and prosperous the people of The Reliquary is open o nly to members of the
Empyrean are, the more wonders, culture, and Librarium Omnibus, and is a special reward for
knowledge they will produce for the Librarium’s Eidolo ns that choose to serve this organizatio n to
vaults. The Citadel Library possesses a great the exclusion of others. The Reliquary is filled with
reliquary filled with wonders, as well as jealously a thousand years of collected treasures. These
guarded secrets that allow the Librarians to create treasure troves of ancient wo nders are sorted into
new wonders in the style of those made in Old different categories of clearance, and higher ranked
Empyrean. librarium members are able to gain access to use
more dangerous and powerful relics than initiates.
Librarium task teams receive a reliquary crystal,
which allows them to check in and check out relics
for use on their adventures. The quantity and power
level of relics the team can check out at a single time
is determined by their rank within the Librarium.

12
 The Seven Heroes
Since time immemorial, the Seven Heroes of the
Order have fought to protect Empyrean. Once a
simple party of adventurers, their fame and prestige
grew to the point where they were known all across
the world, and constantly receiving applicatio ns for
entry into their numbers.
Determined to use this fame for the co llective
good, the seven heroes created an order which would

Empyrean
work towards the stability and safety of the Nascent
and Eido lons of the world. Though the heroes
Order of the Seven themselves do not fight, except in the gravest of
battles, they do appear in order to teach, instruct,
Heroes and offer aid when necessary.

“Order – Safety – Power” Voll, the Great Smith - An Eidolo n who has
mastered the art of Imaging – creating matter from
The Order of the Seven Heroes was founded by pure Anima – and who uses this skill to great
a group of ancient heroes of the old Empyrean, who creative and destructive capacity. Voll is extremely
wanted to ensure that the people of their world capable and co mpetitive, and his swift actio n does
would always have champio ns to defend them from not preclude a sound sense of judgment and
oppression and danger. perception.
The Order is largely decentralized, and is seen Morell, Light in Darkness - A single horn of
by many as a code of morals rather than a pure crystal rests upon the brow of the Inquisitor of
hierarchical organization. The members of the order the Seven Heroes, and her pearlescent armor glows
defer to one another by military rank, and are easily with holy light. Adept at destroying Aether and
organized by any single high-ranking member. This warding off its effects, Morell’s purity and faith
means that when trouble arises, a single Eido lon create a shield and sword for her against all who
with ranks in the Order can assemble a small would threaten her world, both from within and
standing army within a day, simply by calling out witho ut.
all lesser ranking members within a city or outpost.
Reinforcements from the Order's headquarters are Aurelimerulia, the Indigo Star - A sorceress and
optio nal for larger battles. inventor of incredible prowess and ingenuity,
Aurelimerulia is a master of all of Empyrean’s many
Eidolo ns should join the Order if: magics and lost alchemies. She spends her time
 They want to experience the combat side of devising weapo ns and armor for the other members
Mystic Empyrean, particularly large-scale of the order, as well as researching ever more potent
combat. arcane rituals.
 They want to protect the citizens of Dram, Hero of the Wheel - Dram is an Eido lon
Empyrean by tackling problems head-on. witho ut a body – his heart projects only a hollow
image that he uses to give face to his otherwise
 They have a strong sense of justice and disembodied voice and will. He is able to manipulate
social order. objects, possess Nascent and animals, and to wield
Deep Bastion many weapo ns with the invisible forces of his will.
Alora, the Ashen Q ueen - With a heart of sto ne
Deep Bastio n is a grey fortress of intimidating
and a pragmatic cruelty to rival that of the Great
size and outfitted with the mightiest weapo ns found
Spirit of Stone himself, Alora enforces order with
in any realm.
deadly capacity. She commands abso lute lo yalty
from her subjects, and failure to obey or accomplish
the missions she dictates merits pain of death. She
hides her face with Beauty, a mask that covers the
corroded flesh of her body with a beautiful illusion.

13
 Mo ntekh Dar, the Straw Man - A conniving Players should jo in the Utopians if:
Mephistopheles who is adept at manipulatio n and
 They want to experience the more social
reading oppo nents, Montekh plays a co nstant devil’s
side of Empyrean.
advocate, the vo ice of dissent with no views or goals
of his own, save to derive amusement at the  They want to see their good deeds improve
frustratio n and co nsternatio n of others. He speaks in life and society.
riddles and striking clarities, and it is often not  They want to meet and interact with a large
certain which is which. array of interesting and influential Eido lons.
Lograves, of Gate and Key - An Eidolo n who
has abando ned the confines of space and time,
Utopian Center
Empyrean

Lograves is able to travel across the world in a A small world unto itself, the sprawling Utopian
second, as well as to carry others along with him. He Center is a place where Eido lons live in perfect
is adept at creating both portals and barriers, as well harmony with one ano ther and with nature. There is
as public speaking and diplo macy. a subtle aura of peace and goodwill that permeates
Militia Call the place, and discourages any mischief or violence.

The Order of the Seven Heroes has the Merigold, Heart Of Unity
authority and reputatio n to call militias to order Merigold is a peculiar Eidolo n who works
from the local Nascent populatio n and from constantly to build unity amo ng those around her.
Eidolo ns that are on retainer in the Order's Her body is a patchwork of parts, each given freely
headquarters. They never have to hire or negotiate by a different Nascent tribe, and expertly blended
for help while on Order business. together to create a strange, otherworldy sort of
beauty.
Every member of the Utopian Society must
offer Merigold a drop of blood as a token of goodwill
upo n jo ining. She takes this blood inside her,
making each member a part of herself just as each
Nascent tribe forms a part of her body. To harm
Merigold is, in effect, to declare war upon the
goodwill of the world.
Universal Nobility
The Utopian society enjo ys political popularity
and neutrality that runs much deeper than that
possessed by any other factio n. Members of the
Utopian Society society enjoy the benefits of this popularity as
immediate social and political gravity wherever they
“Justice – Peace – Unity” travel.
Devoted to the improvement of life for Nascent Ranking members of the society are treated like
and Eido lons in Empyrean, the Utopian society is a nobility in any city, and the crest of the society on
benevo lent organizatio n devoted to peace and social their clo thing instantly co mmands respect, even in
equity. the far reaches of the world.
The Utopian society erects hospitals and social To not invite society members to political
institutio ns like schools, parks, museums, and functio ns and parties is considered a grave insult to
gymnasiums, and works to improve trade relations the factio n as a whole, and an outright refusal of
between the Nascent tribes and between the entreaties made in the name of the society is almost
organizatio ns. unheard of.

14
 The Auditors
The driving force behind the Servants is a
committee of twelve Sages of extensive power and
knowledge, known as the Auditors. The Auditors' goal
is to keep the world's growth in balance by regulating
the placement and nature of Cornerstones within
Empyrean. The Auditors typically wear similar
clothing, though each is a distinct being with
extraordinary power and ability. The Auditors also

Empyrean
possess highly advanced spirit guardians, at least one
of which can rival a colossus in size.
Servants of Balance Lusse Mer, High Auditor
“Balance – Equality – Stability” Appo inted by o ne of the few unanimous
decisions of the Great Spirits, Lusse Mer has
The Servants of Balance claim to serve the ideals watched over the balance of Empyrean since its
of the Great Spirits of Anima by creating balance earliest days. He was o ne of the few who saw the
and stability in the world. The servants work to Great Calamity coming, but by that time, it was too
improve environmental conditio ns and remove late for him to stop it. Perhaps more than any o ther,
Aether contaminatio n that may remain after realms he possesses vast knowledge about the nature of
are rediscovered. Anima and Aether, as well as the causes behind the
They also specialize in cornerstone locatio n and original calamity and how it might be prevented
recovery. It is not publicized, but the servants have once more. Lusse Mer’s form is more akin to a
lo ng-term plans for the world, its arrangement, and constellatio n than a body, as he is made up of motes
which realms will be restored and which kept within of energy connected by strange lines and angles, all
their cornerstones. These plans are intended to wrapped in a cloak of darkness. He is able to gain
circumvent the catastrophe that caused Grand control of titans with a touch, tearing them away
Cornerstone to shatter long ago. from their masters and turning them to his own
ends.
Players should jo in the Servants if:
 They want to fight exotic mo nsters and seek
Spirit Summoning
danger. The Servants of Balance induct each member of
 Protect innocents from the dangers of their order through sacred rituals in their
Aether. headquarters, the Heartstone Temple. These rituals
bind the Eidolo n with powerful magics that allow
 Explore the original causes of Empyrean's them to summo n the power of the Spirits of Anima
destructio n. to their aid.
Heartstone Temple Each Eidolo n is bound to a spirit of Anima, and
they are able to summo n that spirit to their aid.
Heartstone Temple is a seven-winged shrine Spirits increase the saturatio n of their element in an
dedicated to the balance of Anima. Each of the area, and may offer specific insights as to the nature
temple wings serves the worship of a different great
and history of an area. Most of these spirits appear
spirit.
as smaller versio ns of the Great Spirits, but many
take different forms as well. Unlike summo ning a
Great Spirit, which can only be do ne with the
spirit's explicit blessing, a spirit summo ned by the
rituals of the Servants of Balance is a co mpanio n
which can aid the Eido lon, infuse him with Anima,
and even alter the fundamental balance of the
surrounding area.

15
 Dawn Lodge
The Dawn Lodge resembles a remote resort,
filled with furs, trophies, maps, and plaques. It is a
massive complex built from rough hewn logs and
carpeted with the furs of the most exotic beasts from
across Empyrean.
Jorge Jan, World Wanderer
Jorge stands as the world's o ldest explorer,
Empyrean

cartographer, and treasure hunter. Having

completely explored the world of old Empyrean, he
Brilliant Dawn League has vowed to stay in the Dawn Lodge and let the
younger generatio n explore the wonders of the new
“Exploration – Wonder – Glory” world for themselves. Jorge is always full of stories,
and is an excellent fighter, companio n, and guide to
The Brilliant Dawn League began as a guild of
the far reaches of the world. Many of the ruins of
mapmakers and treasure hunters who were
Old Empyrean were still being built when he first
responsible for charting the far reaches of the world
explored them, and so he possesses many insights
and co llecting informatio n and relics for the
into their constructio n and layout.
Librarium Omnibus.
Eventually, the Brilliant Dawn League broke World Travel
away from the Librarium and formed their own Brilliant Dawn controls an extensive network of
missio n – to explore and experience all the wonders railroads, ships, caravans, telepoints, and more,
of Empyrean. They are primarily co ncerned with which adventurers can easily use to reach the
searching out cornersto nes and expanding the world frontiers of their choice. Their members receive free
with more wondrous places. This view puts them at travel across the world, as well as discounted
odds with the Servants of Balance, who favor a supplies, guides, hired help, and lodgings in frontier
careful and calculated reconstructio n of Empyrean. lands.
Players should jo in the Brilliant Dawn League if:
 They want to spend their time exploring
dungeons and wondrous places.
 They want a more action-packed campaign
where they must survive by their own wits
and mettle.
 They want to experience a vast breadth of
Empyrean's world.

16
17
Game Basics
 The Short Version through situatio ns that arise according to the GM’s
instructio ns. Avoid looking up rules or breaking into
Grand Cornerstone, the root of the world, is side discussions during gameplay – instead focus on
shattered. Without its sustaining power, the world is the story and the characters, and let the mechanics
being co nsumed by a mist known as the Aether. of Mystic Empyrean fade into the background. The
Over nearly a thousand years, the mist has closed story is the game – the mechanics are just there to
over the world, reducing civilizatio ns to ruin and facilitate it.
grand continents to mere islands.
What You Need
Eidolo ns, the inhabitants of Empyrean, are
immortal forces of nature who wear their souls as In order to bring Mystic Empyrean to your
skin. Their emo tions, talents, virtues, and vices each game table in a ready-to-play state, you’ll need these
give them unique powers that shape their bodies to things.
reflect their souls. As the mist grows closer to
A Balance Too l - A system called ‘The Balance’
destroying the last traces of their world, the
Game Basics

is responsible for conflict resolutio n and world

Eidolo ns must work together to reclaim the shards
generatio n. This unique tool is something that you
of Grand Cornerstone, and restore the world to its
can create yourself from scratch or purchase.
former glory. Those who succeed will be able to
Informatio n on how to build one is included later in
shape the new world in their own image. Those who
this chapter.
fail will be lost forever in the oblivio n of Aether.
A Worldbook - This binder of information will
This chapter will explain to you what to put
become the atlas of the new world you create. The
together to make your game work – the things that
informatio n you will need to create a worldbook is
you will need before assembling your friends to play
included in this chapter.
Mystic Empyrean. It will also explain some of the
basic game systems that you will need to understand A Seed World - You and the other players in
when setting up a game and building the initial your group will begin your journey in a small space
world that your game will grow from. called a Seed World. As you explore the boundaries
of the world, it will grow into a vast and exciting
Nature of the Game space.

As RPGs go, Mystic Empyrean requires very A Scenario - The story you are going to tell will
have a certain co ntext – will you be fighting the
little pre-game setup. Player Characters, NPCs,
forces of darkness at every turn, or more concerned
Encounters, and even the World itself can all be
with building wonders and uniting civilizatio n? Yo u
created by your players while sitting at the game
may wish to consult the other players in your game
table. In fact, creating these things is o ne of the
and see what kind of story they are interested in
unique charms of the game.
participating in.
Players who are joining you to play Mystic
A Game Plot - Many games of Mystic
Empyrean will be excited by the
Empyrean progress according to a
prospect of creating their own
plot that the scenario owner puts
worlds, and will want to lead the
together. This process is explained
rest of the party in exploring these The Golden Rules of at the end of this chapter.
places. Even if you and the other Roleplaying Games
players at your table are no t A GM Token - A badge,
experienced storytellers, have no #1 Whenever the rules get in butto n, conch shell, or the world
fear. This book contains the way of the story, the balance deck that you create all
informatio n that will give you the story takes precedence. make fine indicatio ns of who is
power to generate stories and spark the current GM.
imaginatio n, as well as a #2 The GM has the final say
in all disputes. An Understanding of the
storycrafting process that helps
Game Play - You will want to
players collaboratively reinforce #3 When in doubt, take explain the game to the other
one ano ther’s storytelling. whatever course of action players, and thus should read
The rule of thumb is to follow keeps the game, and the through the third and fourth
the directio n of the player who story, moving forwards. chapters of this manual before
currently holds the title of GM beginning a game.
(Game Master) and to play

18
Ownership The Balance
The World of Empyrean is like a play set that Mystic Empyrean uses a unique system of
all of the players share. Each player at the table has conflict resolutio n and storytelling prompts called
his own individual toys, but all play together in the The Balance. The Balance has two parts – one is the
same environment. The players may borrow one world, shared by all players. The other is the self,
another’s creations to further their own stories, but specific to each player. These are referred to as the
when the owner demands that their creatio ns be World Balance and the Personal Balance when they
used in a certain way or left alone by others, those need to be differentiated. Only a World Balance is
wishes have to be respected. represented by cards. The personal balance of an
Eidolo n is determined by the types of Anima
Every realm, story arc, and character (both
recorded on his character sheet.
player characters and otherwise) has an owner. The
owner is the player responsible for maintaining, The Balance contains nine different suites,
defining, and roleplaying (where necessary) that which are as follows:

Game Basics
particular story element. Whenever a questio n needs
to be answered about a person, a place, or a
Associated with strength,
particular plot point, it can always be deferred to the Fire
destructio n, power, and force.
owner of the element in questio n. This concept of
ownership makes it possible to rotate the role of Associated with peace, healing,
Water
storyteller while not ruining the story itself by tranquility, and growth.
stepping on ano ther story teller's toes.
Associated with speech, business,
Air
Being the GM is about resolving the attempted travel, and ego.
actio ns of players, not defining the world or the
Associated with resistance,
people around them. Never be afraid to defer to the
Sto ne establishment, structure, and
owner of an element for more informatio n. It will
temperance.
make the game experience much smoother if you do.
Associated with faith,
Alignments Light discernment, authority, and
knowledge.
Every actio n within a Balance-based world is
Associated with secrets,
aligned with one of the basic elements. A fire actio n Darkness
deceptio n, ambitio n, and death.
is aligned with light and air, and opposed by sto ne
and water. The alignment wheel shows the Associated with creativity,
relationships of each element to the others. There Electricity mutability, inspiratio n, and
are four levels of alignment: surprise.
Pure Associated with existence, and all
Perfect Every element is perfectly Anima positive aspects of the elements.
aligned with itself and with the Associated with no nexistence,
universal success element Pure Aether and all negative aspects of the
Anima. elements.
Outside Every element has an outside
alignment with its two adjacent
elements on the wheel.
Neutral Every element has neutral
alignment with the two elements
that are two steps away from it
on the wheel.
Opposition Every element is opposed to the
two elements that are opposite it
on the wheel, and to the
universal failure element Aether.

19
 The Element Wheel
Game Basics

The balance guides all decisions and destinies in

Empyrean. Eidolo ns pay close attentio n to the
elements, what they represent, and what decisions
they govern, as their interactions govern all fates
within the world of Empyrean. Each element is
governed by a Great Spirit, whose caprices and
nature determines the dispositio n of that element.

20
Building a Balance If you decide to use a card-based balance rather
than a chip-based balance, you can print or
The Balance is a unique storytelling tool, and photocopy the Balance Cards in the back pages of
cannot be substituted with simple dice (if you want this book.
to use a dice-approximatio n of the Balance for
resolutio n purposes, a variant can be found later in The Elements
this book). Yo u do n’t need to buy a balance tool –
In Mystic Empyrean, the Elements are more
You can craft one yourself. Building your own
than their physical manifestatio ns. Fire is no t just a
Balance Tool can be an interesting and lightweight
flame – it is anger, the sun, bravery, ambitio n, and
craft project, for those so inclined. For those who
aggression. Everything from materials to
prefer a pre-made balance, one can be purchased
mannerisms to ideas is co mposed of elemental bases
online.
in so me combinatio n or distributio n. Because of this,
The Balance consists of a set of objects in nine every actio n has a governing element.
different suites. The suites correspond to the seven Understanding the interactions between these

Game Basics
elements in Mystic Empyrean (Fire, Water, Stone, elements and what ideas and actions they govern
Air, Light, Darkness, and Electricity), plus one will be necessary in order to fight, interact, and build
universal success element (Pure Anima) and o ne effectively in Empyrean.
universal failure element (Aether). You will need
Each element also has a patron Spirit, called a
between 7 objects for the elemental suites, as well as
Great Anima Spirit. The Great Spirit is responsible
3 for anima and 3 for aether.
for furthering the agenda and importance of that
Your Balance can consist of an opaque bag, from element in the world – often to the detriment of
which colored chips can be drawn. Glass drops, other elements.
beads, or wooden tokens make for excellent balance
tokens.

21
 Fire Light
Fire is an element of aggression. Most aggressive Light is an element of knowledge, revelatio n,
actio ns in co mbat use fire as their base. Thus, and discernment. It separates danger from safety,
Eidolo ns with a high concentratio n of fire persona and guides the way for those who possess it.
traits are usually excellent fighters. Eidolo ns with a high concentratio n of Light Anima
make good priests, sages, and teachers.
Fire governs the following ideas: Destructio n,
Aggression, Power, Lust, Ambitio n, Anger, Bravery Light governs these ideas: Knowledge, Truth,
Discernment, Religio n, Order, Hierarchy, Pride
These actions would be governed by Fire:
These actions would be governed by Light:
 Breaking down a wall or door
 Searching for information
 Penetrating an enemy’s armor with an
attack  Looking for traps or hidden passages
Game Basics

 Tearing free from a bo nd by pure force  Attempting to find the way out of a dungeon
or labyrinth
 Intimidating another
 Noticing danger
Dreiz, Fire Elemental
 Reading intentio ns and motives
Possessed of limitless destructive power, Dreiz
takes great pleasure in the destructio n of his  Observing an enemy to disco ver its
enemies, and is glorified when Eidolo ns crush their weakness
enemies in his name. He does not take sides in Atamos, Light Elemental
conflict, except against the Aether. In most battles,
the battle itself is his joy, and winner a mere Atamos, like the truth he represents, is a being
triviality. of absolutes. He is the keeper of all knowledge,
which he offers freely to those who seek it in
earnest. Truth co mes at the price of ignorance,
which Atamos is quick to remind those who call
upo n him in haste.

22
Electricity Water
Electricity is an element of surprise and Water is an element of adaptability and nature.
inventio n. Often blurring the line between genius It embodies protective and nurturing ideals.
and insanity, electricity inspires sudden actio ns that Eidolo ns with a high concentratio n of water Anima
often succeed or fail spectacularly. Eidolo ns with a make excellent diplo mats and healers.
high concentratio n of Electricity Anima are
Water embodies the fo llowing ideas: Life,
excellent inventors and magicians.
Nature, Plants, Kindness, Charity, Compromise,
Electricity is closely tied to these ideas: Art
Excitement, Speed, Surprise, Inventio n, Change,
These actions would be governed by Water:
Agility, Confusion
 Convincing a person to calm down
These actions would be governed by Electricity:
 Treating a wound
 Building a trap

Game Basics
 Dodging an attack or hazard
 Trying to confuse another
 Utiliz ing the surroundings of an area in
 Making a split second reactio n
combat
 Running away from a conflict
Lemnas, Water Elemental
Terelt, Electricity Elemental
The playful Lemnas approaches the world with
The capricious Terelt is a creature of freedom wonder. Despite being one with all the forces of
and mutability. He rides upo n the clouds and water, and possessing near limitless knowledge and
storms, giving gifts of great power or creating resources, he takes pleasure in watching Eido lons
terrible damage and inco nvenience as it suits him. discover, learn, and marshal their own resources for
Whether his caprices are part of some grand design, the task at hand. With Lemnas’ blessing, Eido lons
or if they simply tend to work out in the spirit’s have all they need to overcome ordeals, even if they
favor is heavily debated. don’t realize it.

23
 Stone Darkness
Sto ne is an element of strength. Unlike fire, Darkness is an element of secrets and silence.
however, Stone’s strength is resistive and passive. It Eidolo ns who are closely aligned with this element
is unyielding, vigilant, and immo vable. Eido lons make excellent spies, assassins, and thieves.
with a high level of Sto ne Anima make good
Darkness is closely tied to these ideas:
teachers and soldiers.
Conspiracy, Secrets, Treachery, Lies, Envy, Crime,
Sto ne governs the following ideas: Sabo tage
Stubbornness, Resistance, Selflessness, Support,
These actions would be governed by Darkness:
Obedience, Stoicism
 Hiding or sneaking
These actions would be governed by Sto ne:
 Disguising oneself
 Holding a door shut
 Lying
Game Basics

 Standing your ground against an assault

 Keeping a secret
 Resisting mental influence
 Intimidating another
 Defending ano ther
Brigantin, Stone Elemental Orelk, Darkness Elemental
Orelk is cunning and vicio us. A lover of
Slow and immutable, Brigantin is the ultimate
treachery and co nspiracy, he often plays Eido lons
foundation of order and solidarity in the world. He
against one another to achieve his ends,
gives Eidolo ns the strength they need to endure
manipulating their vices and virtues in a grand game
hardship, often in a much less roundabout way than
of shadows and proxies. When Orelk chooses to aid
Lemnas. Brigantin’s blessings always resist change,
Eidolo ns, there is always more to the gift than
and he primarily aids Eidolo ns in maintaining their
appears on the surface.
strength, no t increasing it.

24
Air Aether
Air governs speech, trade, and society. It is an Oblivio n, unbeing, and the essence of all that is
element of sound, force, and communicatio n. not – Aether is no t an element, but the absence of
Eidolo ns with a high concentratio n of Air Anima Anima itself. Eidolo ns cannot control Aether; in
are excellent merchants and politicians. fact, it breaks down their bodies on contact, much
like a kind of anti-matter. In the mist, however, are
Air embodies these ideas: Trade, Talk, Boasting,
the Aetherlings, creatures composed of this
Begging, Intimidatio n, Cooperation
substance in much the same way that Eido lons are
These actions would be governed by Air: composed of Anima. The Aetherlings are devious
 Trying to sell a piece of gear and dangerous, and would love nothing more to
cover the world in mist entirely.
 Convincing a person to help yo u
As a symbo l, Aether represents a terrible, utter
 Talking your way out of a sticky situation emptiness and is an idea that is feared throughout

Game Basics
 Rallying troops Empyrean. Many believe it was the Aetherlings that
first destroyed Grand Cornerstone, but there is no
Kinado, Air Elemental written record to confirm this, only stories. Still,
Aether is a force that is hated and reviled all across
The wily Kinado loves games and riddles. A the world, and for good reason.
creature of inherent trickery and cutthroat
deceptio n, Kinado often strikes bargains and Aetherlings
exchanges with Eido lons, but only if those bargains
meet his own ends. He prefers to use Eidolo ns to In the murk of the Aether, spirits of Anti-
fight his battles and settle his disputes for him, Anima coalesce and gain a semblance of intelligence.
rather than engaging in direct conflicts. They embody terrible impossibilities of form and
angle, and can destroy almost anything with a touch.
Anima-saturated beings like the Eido lons have great
difficulty wounding them, while they can rip
through the skin of Eidolo ns and shatter their hearts
with ruthless efficiency and cunning.

25
 There are many types of Aetherlings, from the
cunning infiltrators and overthrowers of society to Dividing Up World-
parasites that take root in an Eidolo n’s heart and
consume his free will. Others are simply massive
Building
brutes, on a scale to match the Colossi, but with Not all players will have equal interest in
infinitely more destructive force. creating all parts of the world, but it is likely that
The Worldbook each will have an interest in so me different aspects.
One may enjoy creating characters, while another
could have a passio n for developing exciting
Since the world of Empyrean is created by
mo nsters or challenging puzzles. Still another might
yourself and your friends, you will need so me way
be more interested in making amazing treasures or
to keep track of the place you are building. The
fleshing out the politics that govern the world. A
worldbook is an atlas of yo ur new world of single realm contains many different elements of the
Empyrean, complete with realms, characters, world. Rather than giving all aspects of a realm to a
mo nsters, adventures, and more. Creating and
Game Basics

single individual, it can be much more interesting to

expanding upon the world co ntained in your
give one player the mo nsters, one player the places,
worldbook is one of the major aspects of Mystic
one player the geography, and another the wo nders
Empyrean, and provides an exciting so lo play aspect
and stories. Let each player design according to his
to the game (though it can be done at the table by
preference, with the realm owner having the final
the group as well). Most of the world development
say on realm specifics. Do ing this lets many players
is do ne by individual players outside of the actual
experience the realm both in-game and outside of
game sessions, and consists of trait selectio n and
the game, and also gives each player some surprises
background development, much like character
while exploring.
creation.
Since many players may want to work on Building the Seed World
different pieces of the worldbook between games,
one player should act as the owner of the worldbook, Before you begin yo ur first game, you’ll need to
and loan out the pages to players who request them – set up the basics of the world. The first realm you
much like a librarian. Though each player owns create is called a seed world – it is the starting po int
different aspects of the world, the worldbook owner from which players will grow the world. The seed
is responsible for keeping tabs on the different pieces realm is where the story begins, and it is where
of the book. players will have lived their lives before discovering
the mysteries of Cornerstones, Eidolo ns, and the
Worldbook Pages world beyo nd.
The seed world is an island of existence in a sea
The pages that yo u will need to fill the
of emptiness. By necessity, it is walled off or
worldbook are contained in Appendix D of this
defended, either to keep the rolling mist of Aether
guide. It is suggested that you acquire a three ring
out, or to keep its citizens in. Great cities, walled
binder with so me tabbed dividers in order to better
outposts, islands, plateaus, or the like make excellent
organize the informatio n pertaining to your realms
seed worlds. Prisons, universities, fortresses, or the
and their inhabitants. A binder also makes it easy to
like can make for more tightly knit and varied seed
add and remove pages as players create them or
worlds. The important point in the seed world is
request to update them.
that your players have lived their entire lives there
It is most co mmo n to divide your worldbook witho ut seeing the outside world.
into realms, with each sectio n being a different
A sample seed world can be found in Appendix
realm and the background, maps, wonders,
A at the back of this book. This is a good starting
dungeons, and treasures that exist there. A catch-all
point if you want to use a ready-made starter world.
section in the back of the worldbook can serve for Otherwise, it can be scrapped and retooled to fit
characters and o ther elements that span multiple your designs.
realms or the who le world.

26
The First Game Premise Other Materials
Your first game session will be about Before you head to the gaming table to start
discovering what is beyond the edges of this small building your story, you’ll also want to get so me
world, discovering a cornerstone, and learning of the materials ready for creating your game world.
task to rebuild the world that was destroyed long
Photocopy Character sheets for every player,
ago.
including yourself, from the back of this book.
If this is the first time you are playing Mystic
Photocopy NPC sheets, in case you need to
Empyrean, it is recommended to stick to this basic
create any NPCs during play that could be useful
campaign premise, which provides a wide open
later.
license for players to build and explore the world. If
you have already co mpleted a campaign under this Photocopy at least five realm sheets. Make sure
premise, the Advanced Optio ns sectio n in Chapter to fill in one of them with the seed realm you
8, Storytelling, contains a sectio n on ways for you to created. Alternatively, you can photocopy and use

Game Basics
alter the game’s basic premise and create new and one of the seed realms within this book.
fantastic campaigns using the basic rules and
concepts of Mystic Empyrean.

27
Game Basics

Planning the First Game There are a number of different approaches to

this basic plo t:
Photocopy one of the plotting sheets from the #1 The players have the stone already (or
back of this book in Appendix D. You will use this acquire it quickly), and the questio n is
to loosely plan your first game sessio n, and sheets mainly how to use it. They acco mplish this
like it to plan other sessions to co me. Experienced by reaching a specific place (Grand
Game Masters who have played other RPGs should Cornerstone Shrine) or by finding and
feel free to use their own planning techniques – the translating so me kind of instructio n. This
session planning sheet is intended as a co nvenience, lends to a more puzzle-oriented game.
not a rule.
#2 The authorities of the world possess the
In the initial game, decide on the seed world that stone, but do no t know how to use it. The
you will be using, and pencil it in as the game’s players have discovered how, and must gain
primary location. The players will have different access to it, either through espionage or by
ideas about their roles and histories even within the building enough reputatio n and clout that
context of this sandbox world, so make sure it is the authorities of their world will entrust it
large enough to acco mmodate a number of different to them. This lends to a more social game.
personalities and people. In the initial game, the
#3 The stone is lost in a deep dungeon or
players are going to discover something that will
natural, undisturbed sanctuary – perhaps
change the world around them forever – a
with a guardian of some kind. This lends to
cornerstone that will allow them to unlock the world
a more actio n-based game.
that has been lost to Aether. The goal of your first
game is to find this sto ne, and to disco ver how to use There are plenty of other approaches to
it. discovering the sto ne, but these three embody the
three major types of event that your players will
face. Each encounter in Mystic Empyrean will fall
into o ne or more of these categories: puzzle, social,
or conflict.

28
29
Character Creation
 As beings forged of the raw stuff of creatio n, stealth, and informatio n gathering will become more
Eidolo ns are granted power by wearing their souls as difficult for your character.
a skin. Their personalities, talents, virtues, and vices
In other words, as an Eido lon develops more
each grant them specific powers and abilities, as well
persona traits of a single alignment, it becomes
as transforming their forms in unique ways. No two
harder and harder to fight against his own nature.
Eidolo ns—even those who share identical sets of
The Eido lon will gain a mo mentum of development
traits—will be quite alike.
towards one or two or three elemental alignments,
Some Eido lons are very particular about how thus determining his skills, powers, and abilities.
they act, and what they desire to become. Others
When thinking about personality and which
ignore the consequences that their actio ns have on
persona traits to gain at the game’s outset, it helps to
their abilities, resolved to become whatever fate
take a look at the seven elements, and decide which
makes them. This section will tell you everything
ones suit the role you wish to play in the party.
you need to know about Eidolo ns and how to create
your own for adventuring in Empyrean.
About Eidolons
Character Creation “You would be surprised to see what an immortal
force of nature can live through.”
Before creating a character, there are a few basic
Character Creation

concepts in Mystic Empyrean that you will want to — Montekh Dar, the Straw Man
be familiar with. Take a mo ment for every player to Eidolo ns are creatures of Anima. Composed of
read these pages before starting to build a character. the raw stuff of creation, they follow different rules
You are What You Act and physics than ordinary humans. For example, an
Eidolo n’s only mortal weakness is his heart. Having
In Mystic Empyrean, characters grow and one’s head lo pped off is an inco nvenience, but does
evolve rapidly. Persona Traits define the abilities of not mean instant death to an Eidolo n. Even when
a character, while his Individual Balance determines wounded to the po int of disability, an Eido lon can
what kinds of actions he will be most proficient at. instantly repair his body by channeling a portio n of
Persona Traits are a result of the way your the Anima stored in his heart into physical material
character acts and what you do and say in-character. once more.
If you act recklessly, you will gain the Persona Trait Conversely, words and deeds can hurt an
Cartwheel, which allows you to turn your body into a Eidolo n far more than wounds. Hatred corrupts,
weapon that you can only loosely control. If you are regret rends, sorrow deadens—Eido lons who accept
friendly and use diplomacy to solve your conflicts, abuse or who canno t overcome their own
you will develop Silver-Tongued, which lets you shortco mings begin to develop negative persona
control the thoughts and actions of others with your traits that can ultimately destroy them from within.
words. If you are cruel to those around you, you will
acquire the Touch of Dust persona trait, which allows An Eidolo n’s form is mutable—it can take on a
you to kill living things with a single touch. drastically different look than any other Eido lon. In
Empyrean, it is generally understood that each
Thus, it is as important to think about your individual looks different, and no one pays an odd
character’s personality as their powers, since the two physical appearance too much mind. With this in
are inseparable for Eido lons. mind, yo u have the freedom of developing a
Your Individual Balance is a result of the character that can look like anything at all—they
Persona Traits that you develop. Each persona trait may be ho llow, missing dimensio ns, walk o n four
is tied to an element, and whenever you develop a legs, have animal features, be partially co mposed of
new persona trait, the corresponding element will be energy or spirit, or anything else at all.
added to your Individual balance. Elements Many persona traits will dictate certain physical
determine the success of certain kinds of actions you transformatio ns that Eido lons have as a result of
will make. So if you develop a number of aggressive, wearing their souls as skin. With all but a few
fire-based personalities (bloodthirst, wrath, exceptions, these physical transformatio ns are
recklessness, scornfulness), your Individual balance normal and accepted in Empyrean’s society as “just
will be heavily skewed towards fire. This means that the way people are.” The exact descriptions in the
aggressive actions, such as fighting, destroying, and persona traits guide need no t be followed to the
risk-taking will become easier to succeed at, while letter, either. Adapt them to best suit the way your
opposing-elemental actio ns like diplo macy, first aid, character is developing.

30
Persona Traits How Persona Traits Develop
Over the course of the game, you will gain
Persona Traits are the pieces of an Eidolo n’s Emergence in various personalities. After conflicts
heart that are powerful enough to emerge as abilities and encounters, and in a few o ther situatio ns, your
and physical changes. An Eidolo n may develop fellow players will take your character sheet and
many personality traits, but only the most pencil in which personalities you exemplified during
pronounced of these will beco me a deep enough part these ordeals. If a personality is already on your
of him to emerge as usable power. character sheet, those players will increase its
Each Persona Trait consists of three parts emergence rating by 1 po int. The process for this is
explained in more detail later. (Pg 50)
 A linked personality. When this personality
develops in the Eidolo n to a great enough  Once a trait reaches seven po ints of
extent, he develops the given Persona Trait. emergence, it is co nsidered Superficial.
 An elemental alignment to one of the seven  Once a trait reaches fourteen po ints of
elements. This determines how the emergence, it is co nsidered Deep.
development of the trait will affect the  Once a trait reaches twenty-one po ints of
Eidolo n’s Individual Balance. emergence, it is co nsidered All-Consuming.

Character Creation
 An ability that is divided into three tiers.
 On the superficial tier, the
persona trait is only skin deep,
and its powers are relatively
weak or limited.
 On the deep tier, the persona trait is
deeply ingrained enough that the
Eidolo n gains use of it to a stronger
degree.
 On the all-co nsuming tier, the
persona trait has grown so much
that is chokes a significant
portion of the Eidolo n’s heart.
The Eidolo n has great use of
these powers, but they also come
at great consequence, as each all-
consuming trait has a drawback
built into it.

31
 Character Creation
Use the following steps to build your
personal Eido lon character. NPC characters
can be created using the generators in
Appendix E (page 206) or according to your
whims, and do not require the same level of
attentio n to detail as Eidolo n Characters.

Step 1: Concept
“Before I was Merigold, I was a dream in
the hearts of the people of Empyrean. I chose
to exist in this form so that I might make that
dream a reality.”
— Merigold, Heart of Unity
Ideas are the root of an Eidolo n’s heart.
Outward appearance, skills, powers, and goals
Character Creation

all stem from the personality and are the

foundation for the entire being of the Eido lon.
The first and most important part of
creating your Eido lon character will be
defining his or her concept. The concept is the
general idea of the character. Will your
Eidolo n be a valorous inquisitor who fights
against the tide of Aether with all his might?
Or a scholar who wishes to master the
technologies and magics of Empyrean? Or a
great explorer who seeks to understand the
infinite mysteries of the land?
The concept that you devise may be as
simple as a few words, like “Fiery Mercenary”
or “Dragon Scholar”, or it might be as
complex as “Silver-haired angelic priest who
has survived the Great Calamity by being
sealed within a Cornerstone for a thousand
years, and has only recently been released.”
The concept forms a foundatio n for your
character. If you aren’t certain of yo ur concept
at the outset of character creation, then you
may wish to browse through the list of
available Persona Traits and see if there’s
anything that sparks your imaginatio n.
Once you have your co ncept plotted o ut,
you can mo ve on to actually assigning traits.

32
Step 2: Persona Traits Draft Character Creation
If you decide to draft traits, then perform step 1
Persona Traits are motes of Anima that grow of character creation, the concept step, after drafting.
within the hearts of Eido lons and grant them their The drafting process replaces step 2 of character
incredible powers. Each Persona Trait grows based creation.
upo n the actio ns and desires of the Eido lon who
possesses it, becoming stronger when he acts in a Each player gains a blank character sheet and
manner aligned with the Trait’s linked Personality. places his name at the top of it. Then, sitting in a
As a trait’s Emergence grows, it becomes more circle, each player passes the character sheet to his
pronounced in the features and actions of the left.
Eidolo n. When one grows too large, however, it Each player writes down a trait that they feel
becomes a cancer that can destroy him from within. matches the personality of the player who owns the
Depending o n the trait selectio n process your character sheet in front of them (or just chooses a
group has selected, you will either choose your own trait which seems interesting to play).
traits, or have them chosen for you by the rest of After marking down a trait, the players all pass
your group. In either case, you should select traits the sheets in front of them to the left again.
from the Persona Traits list on page 136, either for
yourself or for the other players in your group. Continue this process until there are nine traits

Character Creation
written down on every character sheet.
Traits that are selected in this way all begin with
seven points of Emergence. Depending on how much co ntrol you wish for
players to have during the character creation process,
Selecting Traits players may choose one, two, or three traits of their
own to write down before the drafting process
There are three different methods of creating
begins.
characters. Choose the one that best suits your party.
The player then chooses four traits from those
Constructed - The most traditio nal method of
character creatio n. Players choose their own traits, listed o n his character sheet, and sets each of these at
with access to the entire trait list. Best for players emergence level 7 (Rank 1).
who enjoy a high degree of character control. Scenario-Based Creation
Draft - Other players choose your initial persona If you decide to do scenario-based character
traits based on your personality, or on what they creation, then skip step 2 of character creation.
think it would be fun to see you play out. This is
best for groups of close friends that know each other Scenario-based creatio n is intended for players
well. who are experienced role players. The players start
with no traits. At the end of the first game session
Scenario - The players begin the game without (or at some pivotal mo ment during the game
persona traits. During the first game, they gain traits session), their three traits with the highest
more rapidly than normal. Best for origin story emergence are auto matically improved by 7 points
games with experienced roleplayers. apiece, raising them to superficial level.
Constructed Character Creation If you are building characters with the scenario
method, be sure to include in your first game session
Each player follows the steps of character
at least one each of social, puzzle, and conflict
creation as normal. Optio nally, you may specify that
encounters, so that players can bring to light all the
players must pick one trait from each of the
following categories: virtues, vices, personalities, traits they wish to. You may also include several
drawbacks, and talents. These they write down on opportunities for free time, so that players can act as
they wish to bring out traits that are difficult to
their character sheets, and set each at emergence
express in the midst of conflict.
level 7 (rank 1). Typically you should select 4 traits
for your Eidolo n to start with.

33
 Step 3: Balance Step 4: Background
Each Eido lon possesses a personal balance of Eidolo ns co me from many places. Some are
Anima. This balance determines how successful he Nascent who have developed such an affinity for
is likely to be at different types of actio ns. A balance Anima that they have awoken to a new Eido lon
is based upon the concentrations of different kinds nature. Others are created directly by the world, for
of Anima within an Eido lon’s heart—namely upon reasons only they can understand. A few are formed
the kinds of Anima his persona traits are aligned by the Great Spirits of Anima, expressly for the
with. purpose of doing that spirit’s bidding.
Each Persona Trait is tied to a different The life of an Eidolo n is not bound to the
elemental Anima. For every seven po ints of immediate, either. Some Eidolo ns are thousands of
emergence a Trait has (called a rank), he gains o ne years old, despite any apparent age, while others
additio nal po int of elemental Anima of the type have sprung up from the earth o nly recently. So me
associated with the trait. If an Eidolo n loses this were formerly Nascent and may have families,
trait, he also loses all the Anima associated with it. friends, or other acquaintances, dependents, and
debts. All of these should be considered when
Eidolo ns begin with o ne anima of each
creating the background for a character.
elemental type in their personal balances, and o ne
Character Creation

pure anima. Add an appropriate amount of Anima to Background does not need to be fully developed
your character sheet based on the traits you selected right away, but you should have a strong sense of
in step 2. Whenever you gain or lose traits, your where your Eidolo n’s origins are and what he ho lds
balance should be adjusted accordingly. important. This will be of paramount importance
when developing the Eido lon’s Creed.
The players may also agree that they wish to
begin the game with specific gear, wonders, or relics.
In this case, they should create these things by hand
or via the gear generator and integrate them into the
backstory.
You can use Establishing Questions to
determine your Eido lon's background and
relevant information, if you wish. Just follow
these simple rules.
Take a mo ment to tell everyone about your
character and his or her concept. Tell them what
you already know about the character. Then look
to the person to your left and ask them a question
about your character. 'What is my favorite food?'
'Why did I develop a sense of helpfulness?', 'Why
do I own this item?' The player gives a short
answer, which may be as specific or vague as he
wishes, but he should try to stay in the spirit of
the character you are creating. He may also reply
'you do n't remember'. In either case, fill in the
answer and the reason, or record that you don't
remember. The things you have forgotten may
come to light later on in the story. Ask questions
to each player in turn about your character, until
you have learned about ten things about him or
her. Afterwards, each other player in turn will ask
one question to you about your character, which
you should answer and record in the same
manner.

34
Step 5: Creed These three tenements make up the core of the belief
system of one Eidolo n. They act as guidelines for
“Having weighed all the options and having how he will act and what is important to him.
considered the pros and cons of each, I decided Players may change their creeds as they change their
that it was the most expedient and prudent course natures, but this happens much more slowly than
of action for me to devote my life to the pursuit of the acquisitio n of traits, if it happens at all. To go
evil.” directly against one’s creed causes an Eido lon’s heart
to fracture (see Heart Wounds, pg 49) so it is very
— Montekh Dar, the Straw Man important that a creed be chosen carefully.
The Creed is a basis for an Eido lon's moral All Eidolo ns, including NPCs, should possess a
decisions and ultimate directio n. It is a sacred code Creed of some type. This is especially important for
that is invested in the Eido lon’s very soul, and is the NPCs, as it helps various players to play them
foundation of his heart upon which his traits and accurately.
being stem.
Creeds vary from Eidolo n to Eidolo n in fact
almost no two will have the same set of beliefs and
goals. The Creed takes the form of three or more
statements, in order of importance, that exemplify

Character Creation
what the Eido lon values and feels it is his purpose to
acco mplish. For example:
#1 Protect and serve those who rely on me.
#2 Trust must be earned.
#3 To save a life merits any price.

Creeds Are Made to be Tested

Every creed provides the possibility for a your development po ignant. If you are stuck
hard choice. Good storytellers look at the in a situation where you must vio late your
creeds of their fellow roleplayers and look creed or make a cho ice that you could co me
for opportunities to force them into hard to regret, put yourself in your character’s
cho ices. Perhaps a player’s creed is “Justice shoes and make the decisio n that they would
must be served without prejudice”—then make. That is what roleplaying is all about.
have someone he cares about do something
Ano ther strategy for interesting
that demands harsh justice, and then force
storytelling is to look for situations which
the player to decide between his friend and
will set multiple players’ creeds against one
his creed.
another. This forces the party to deliberate
Players will grate at having their creeds and decide—forcing multiple parties to make
tested in these ways, but the hard cho ices are a hard decision and further define their
what will make your character stronger, characters.
make your games memorable, and make

35
 Sample Creed Tenets
If you have trouble coming up with creed 25. The new world must be molded carefully.
tenets for your Eido lon, check this list for potential 26. No compromise. Ever.
inspiratio ns.
27. No individual or way of life is more right or
1. Acceptance of variety is the root of stability. wrong than any other.
2. Act first, clean up later. 28. No one is more important than me.
3. Any means necessary must be taken to restore 29. Others must be made to see the world my
the world. way.
4. A dream can be worth defending. 30. Others’ problems are theirs to fix.
5. Eliminating evil is a part of the task of 31. Peace is the only way to truly resolve conflict.
rebuilding the world.
32. People must be governed by co nsent.
6. Free will is an illusio n.
33. A prize belongs to he who seizes it.
7. A good deed is never wasted.
34. A secret is a valuable treasure, so long as it is
8. Honor must be proven. Respect must be kept.
Character Creation

earned.
35. The strong have a natural right to dominate.
9. Hostility and intimidatio n are a final resort.
36. There are no moral abso lutes.
10. I am a servant of the world.
37. There is an absolute good and an absolute evil.
11. I am worthy to judge right and wrong.
38. Those who wish to restore the world are my
12. I deserve to be first. allies.
13. I do n’t have to act if others will act for me. 39. To kill is the gravest sin against existence.
14. I must take responsibility for the results of my 40. Truth is sacred.
actio ns.
41. Uniformity is the root of stability.
15. It is not enough that I succeed. My enemies
42. We are responsible for the world we create.
must also fail.
43. We are the stewards of the earth
16. It is not the place of others to question me.
44. We must live in harmony with the world.
17. Justice must be served without prejudice.
45. Wealth is a means of freedom.
18. Knowledge is the most valuable commodity.
46. The will of the Great Spirits is abso lute.
19. The life of ano ther is more important than my
life. 47. The wise and powerful have a right and duty
to direct the world.
20. Limitatio ns exist to be overcome.
48. Words belong with the weak. Strength is in
21. My vision of the world is the best one. actio n.
22. The Nascent are sheep to be led. 49. The world and the Nascent are tools to be
23. The Nascent deserve our respect as much as we used.
deserve theirs. 50. The world must be made right at any cost.
24. Nascent Tribes should be left to govern
themselves.

36
37
Gameplay
 Mystic Empyrean games take place as a series of
scenes, also called Encounters. It is in these Part 2: Establishing
encounters that the players will be called upon to
act, and through which their personalities will co me
Questions
to the surface and grant them new powers. "If you cannot understand, then it is because you
Encounters generally co me in three flavors— decided what to see before opening your eyes."
puzzle, social, and co mbat. The Balance you’ve — Enciyo, Eye of the Librarium
created can be used as a tool for creating,
moderating, and resolving these encounters. The Establishing Questions phase is where the
party’s situatio n is fleshed out in greater detail. In
This chapter explains the basic structure of an the order they are seated, each player asks a questio n
encounter, then describes how to resolve the about the current situatio n to the player on his left,
individual co nflicts within the enco unter. mo ving left. These questio ns can be yes/no
Afterwards, it looks at ways to use the balance to questio ns or simple questio ns that are facts or details
create and expand encounters mid-game, and how to the players would be able to know immediately by
advance characters through a process called observation. The player who is answering the
Beco ming once an encounter is co mplete. questio n should make up an answer that he feels fits
the situatio n.
Part 1: Context The answers given to the questio ns serve to
The first part of any encounter is co ntext—A build the scene and help o thers think about their
Gameplay

brief descriptio n of the situatio n. The player who is optio ns. Establishing questions can continue on until
establishing the encounter should give the context of all players pass o n asking a questio n. Once this
the situatio n at hand—a clear description of what the occurs, group resolutio n begins.
basic situatio n is. For example:
Notes on Establishing Questions
Theoretical questio ns are no t allowed. In the
GM: You come across a cart that has example Fargan asks “any chance of deceiving
been tipped over in the middle of the road. them?” this kind of theoretical questio n isn't
Beside it is a pile of ruined goods, and a allowed, since (as Lieselotte mentio ns) Fargan
small, round man who looks like a wouldn't be able to know that for certain without
merchant. The merchant seems more trying it. Only things that the party can know from
worried than upset as you approach. simple observatio n of the scene are allowable
establishing questio ns.
This would be a reasonable co ntext to give Establishing questio ns can grant the party
players for an encounter. It is enough to form a simple gear and resources. Do we have commo n
mental picture, and it co ntains seeds for speculatio n. tools? Are there any henchmen in our emplo y? Do
Why is the man worried? What tipped over the we know the way back to the exit? These are all
cart? Can we help? Is there any danger? These allowed questions.
questio ns can be answered in the next step of the Establishing questio ns canno t grant the players
encounter. new powers, magical gear, or character changes. For
example: Are we elder gods bent o n the destructio n
of the world? Do I possess a tactical nuclear weapon?
Have I developed all my traits to their maximum
level? These would all be illegal establishing
questio ns.
Answers to questions that break the conventions
of the realm can be vetoed and corrected by the
Realm Owner.

38
 then rotate to the right. A player should never take
an Active Player turn while he is the GM.
Fargan: What time of day is it?
If the encounter is a scenario-based or pre-
Lieselotte: Night. That's probably why planned encounter, then the scenario owner may
security is higher. How many guards are on wish to remain the GM for the entire enco unter,
duty. with the Active Player rotating clockwise around
the table. In this case, the GM can never become
Lyons: Two. Probably easy to overpower.
Active Player, and Active Player-ship skips over his
How high are the city walls?
seat when passing. If the GM controls a player
Enciyo: They tower up to the clouds. This is character, his character may assist other player
a big city. Do we see any other ways in? actio ns by spending Anima or acting according to
the directio n of the other players, but never by
Fargan: There's a sewer system that probably directing the group.
gives access somewhere. Do the guards
appear to be tired, drunk, or uneducated? Once the current GM determines that the
encounter has been resolved to a sufficient degree,
Any chance of deceiving them? he may move on to the closure phase.
Lieselotte: They're tired, but you have to try
it and see if tricking them works. Do we have
some basic tools for spelunking? Like a Part 4: Closure

Gameplay
crowbar, rope, et cetera?
Once the encounter has reached a conclusion
where the players’ actio ns no lo nger affect its
outco me, or the context is sufficiently resolved such
Part 3: Resolution that further actio ns are mere trivialities, then the
player who established the encounter’s context
The encounter begins with one player taking the should give a short summary of what happens in the
role of GM. The player to his left becomes the first aftermath, adding closure to the event. If the party
Active Player. Normally, the player who created the escaped narrowly from a co llapsing ruin, then
encounter context will take on the role of GM first. describe how the ruin fades beneath the earth to
sleep for another millennia. If the party successfully
The Active Player’s role is to narrate his actions bargained for an item they needed, say a few words
for the turn. The Active Player may work with his from the one who gave it to them, either wishing
allies (if his allies consent), and should decide on them well or muttering about how he feels cheated.
one thing he wants to acco mplish during the course If a puzzle was solved, then give a satisfying
of the turn. The Active Player shares this goal with descriptio n of how the party is able to co ntinue on
the GM, and outlines a co urse of actio n he wants to their way by so lving a riddle or challenge which
use to acco mplish it. Then, he makes an attempt to would have be insurmountable for others. If things
try and achieve the goal. (The rules for resolving were gained, or significant story progress was made,
whether the attempt succeeds or fails are on pg 42.) a summary of relevant events may be prudent to
The GM controls the world and narrates the insert as well.
results of actions the party takes, using the World After the encounter reaches closure, the player
Balance if necessary to resolve actio ns and answer who established the encounter sho uld determine its
questio ns. He can participate in the discussio n of difficulty and the amount of emergence that players
what the party should do if he controls a player are awarded. This process is explained at the end of
character, but he should leave the ultimate decision this chapter sectio n (see Becoming, pg 50).
on what the party’s actio ns are to the Active Player.
Active Player-ship rotates every time an attempt
is resolved, be it successful or unsuccessful. If the
party is acting as a group, then the GM may need to
make multiple resolving actio ns as part of the same
attempted co urse of actio n. Whenever the Active
Player and the GM would be the same person, the
GM makes a turn for the world (called an
Escalatio n, and explained o n pg 41). GM-ship should

39
 Resolving Actions with Resolving a Draw
the Balance Every time a check is made against the World
Balance, it is called a draw. There are several
The Active Player’s turn co nsists of making a possible kinds of draws.
single attempt. An attempt is broken down into the
All draws have one of the following four results.
following steps.
These results are measured based upo n the distance
1. The player announces what he wishes to between the element drawn and the alignment of the
acco mplish, and how he wishes to accomplish it. actio n being committed:
2. The GM determines what element is most Perfect Success – When the card flipped for
closely aligned with the player’s action (or resolutio n is exactly aligned with the element of the
determines the alignment for each of the actio ns, if actio n (ie: A flip of fire on a fire actio n). This
the attempt involves multiple actio ns). typically signifies success above and beyo nd what
3. The player makes a draw from the World was required, or an otherwise exceptio nal success.
Balance. This is also called “Success, And…” since the actio n
succeeds AND something else good happens.
3a. For each anima of that type the player
possesses beyond the first, he may make one re-draw Outside Success – When the card flipped for
from the world (permanently discarding his previous resolutio n is closely aligned with the element of the
actio n (ie: a flip of light or air on a fire actio n). This
Gameplay

results). He co ntinues this until he draws Aether,

runs out of draws, or decides to keep his result. typically signifies success that is sufficient but may
have some mitigating factors. This is also called
4. Based upo n how closely aligned his draw is to “Success, but…” since the action succeeds, BUT
the actio n’s target, the GM interprets the results. there are potential loose ends still to clean up.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all actio ns within Neutral Success – When the card flipped is
the attempt have been resolved (or until something neither aligned nor opposed with the element of the
happens that prevents the rest from resolving, such actio n (ie: a flip of darkness or electricity on a fire
as a failed actio n). actio n). This signifies an inco mplete failure—some
6a. If the player committed an action that ground was gained, but not enough to be considered
provokes retaliatio n, or failed in his attempt, the a success. This is also called “Failure, but…” since
GM narrates the results of the failure, optionally the actio n failed, BUT there were some good
drawing from the world to determine an action for a consequences.
retaliating mo nster or natural hazard. Failure – When the card flipped is opposed
6b. If the player succeeded in his actio n, and did directly with the element of the actio n (ie: a flip of
not provoke any kind of retaliatio n from the world stone or water on a fire action). This signifies an
(or survived retaliatio n successfully), then the GM abysmal failure—the action failed, and po tentially
narrates the effects of his success. even made things worse. This is also called a
“Failure, and…” since the actio n failed, AND there
The Balance should be re-shuffled whenever a were additio nal negative consequences.
new encounter begins or whenever it is empty.

Resolution is Always Optional

Simple Draw
Using rando m resolution with the Balance A simple draw is appropriate for unopposed
or with dice is an excellent way to make a game actio ns that a player may take, such as climbing a
unpredictable. However, there’s no need to wall, bracing himself in defense, or singing a song.
introduce resolutio n where it doesn’t make In a simple draw, the GM checks to determine
sense. If a challenge is insurmountable, you can how close the alignment of the draw is to the
declare it a failure without drawing. If a player
alignment of the actio n, and interprets the results as
comes up with the perfect solution to a problem,
follows.
you can declare it a success without drawing.
Perfect Success - The actio n was very successful,
The GM’s responsibility is to the story.
and the result is more effective than the player
Whatever makes the best story is the best move
intended.
in a given situatio n.

40
 Outside Success - The actio n was successful player make a draw, the GM drawing against the
witho ut any difficulty, but its success may be chosen element, and the player drawing against the
incomplete. alignment of the actio n.
Neutral Success - The actio n was successful, but If the world’s result is better than the player’s
only barely, and there may be mitigating (or if there is a tie of Neutral Success or Failure)
circumstances. It may no t be as effective as the then the draw is considered a failure.
player intended.
If the player’s result is better than the world’s
Failure - The actio n failed, and there may be (or if there is a tie of Outside Success or Perfect
negative repercussions to its failure. Success) then the draw is considered a success.

Lyons: I’m going to attempt to break down that Action - Reaction

door in front of us.
Sometimes actio ns from the player draw
Fargan (GM): Alright. That will be fire. immediate response from the world. A heated close
Lyons has 4 levels of Fire in his balance. He makes combat duel, attempting to disarm a trap, or trying
a draw from the world, and gains Water, a failure. to intimidate ano ther are all examples of attempts
where the world would respond in kind to the
He can re-draw up to three times, so he decides to player’s actio ns.
draw again, this time getting Light, an outside
success. Since he is wary of failing again, and of In this case, the GM should co mpletely resolve

Gameplay
pushing his luck and not getting another draw that the player’s attempt up to the po int where the world
would succeed, he decides to keep Light rather than would respond to it, then interject with an actio n
try to draw again. from the world. The GM may choose to simply
declare what the world is doing, or he may want to
Fargan (GM): So outside success. make a draw for the world and interpret the results
Lyons: I throw my shoulder into the door as hard of the draw as the world’s actio ns. The GM should
as possible. then determine the alignment of the world’s actio n
and draw to resolve it, narrating the results. If the
Fargan: The door creaks under the first assault, world’s actio n directly opposes a player (such as a
then shatters, taking part of the hinges and the player rushing forward, and the mo nster attacking
archway above it down with it. You manage to reach him o n approach), then the player’s simple draw is
up and brace the arch just in time, but as soon as you changed to be an opposed draw against the world.
stop holding it, everything above is going to collapse.
Lyons: Hurry through, everyone! I can’t hold this Resolving Difficult
thing for long.
Attempts
Opposed Draw Success on a resolution check does not always
guarantee success on the feat being attempted. When
An opposed draw represents the forces of the an Eidolon jumps off a high cliff, success is surviving
world or other Eidolons at work against the Eidolo n. the fall and being able to pick yourself up off of the
Attempting to strike another creature who is ground, not discovering that you can suddenly fly. If
attempting to defend; attempting to climb a wall that the attempt the player is making is impossible or
is slick with running water; or attempting to find ridiculously difficult, the best they can hope for, even
apples in a market that is short on fruit; these are all with a Perfect Success, is to suffer as little damage as
examples of opposed draws. An opposed draw is possible from failing. If an Eidolon attempts to revive
appropriate whenever the success of the Eidolon’s a fossilized animal with a powerful electric shock, the
actio ns are not only contingent on himself, but also act of shocking it may be successful, but the animal
on the actions or conditions of the world around him. certainly won’t come back to life. The GM’s decision
should be considered final in a situation like this.
For an opposed Draw, the GM should make two
draws from the world. The first world draw For extremely difficult or lengthy tasks, the
determines the kind of response or hazard that the attempt should be broken down into multiple draws.
world presents. Alternatively, the GM may simply Failures and Neutral successes along the way can cause
declare an element and a hazard, if he wishes, and a break in a complex action sequence, so any one point
skip the first draw. Then, both the GM and the of failure can spell disaster for the overall action.

41
 Anima Surge
Niall: I want to dash forward and shove my
fist down Alora's throat. An Eido lon’s Individual Balance is a
representatio n of the forces of Anima that are stored
Enciyo (GM): Well, there's a troop of about
within his body. These forces can be spent as a
ten armed guards between you and her, and she
power source when attempting a resolving actio n.
sees you coming.
Whenever a player would make a draw, he can exert
Niall: Do I look like I care? I'm going into himself and expend his natural Anima by choosing
elemental form and smashing through these guys. an elemental Anima (or the Pure Anima element)
from his personal balance. The player then counts the
Enciyo (GM): Alright, make a fire check to
chosen element as his draw. After the attempt ends,
plow through the guards.
the Anima used in this way is removed from the
Niall flips fire on his check, signaling a player’s individual balance and added to the world’s
perfect success. balance. This is called an Anima Surge, and takes
Enciyo (GM): The guards set their spears the place of any normal draw that he would make.
into the ground, but you slash forwards with your The Anima Surge has a few important rules
weapons and sunder them effortlessly before associated with it:
smashing through their ranks. As you plow
through the guards, Alora raises her sword in a A player can temporarily ignore the drawbacks
counteroffensive strike, waiting to step through of an All-consuming trait by using an Anima Surge.

Gameplay
your charge. This is a Water action. You’re He can also ignore the drawbacks of a drawback trait
using another fire action to continue forward. in the same way. If he does so, then spending the
anima merely ignores the drawback, and does not
Enciyo flips Stone from the world, signaling count as his draw.
an outside success for Alora. She then flips a
Stone again for Niall, signaling a failure. A player can utilize the Deep powers associated
with a Superficial Trait by using an Anima Surge.
Enciyo (GM): Eternal Rose, Alora's glass When an Eidolo n uses an Anima Surge to
sword, buries into the center of your chest, and acco mplish something, he can temporarily use the
explodes into ten thousand slivers of glass. Suffer Deep powers associated with one of his Superficial
a deep wound. Traits as part of the action.
Niall: Do I keep barreling through on The Anima spent in the Anima surge does not
momentum? need to be the same as the type of trait being
Enciyo (GM): Yeah, you do, though the deep utilized. It is more advantageous to choose an
wound causes your flames to die down Anima that matches the alignment of the actio n you
momentarily. If she was prepared for a head on are trying to accomplish.
charge, then she's probably prepared to step out of Any Anima spent as part of an Anima Surge is
the way. added to the World Balance, and does not return to
Niall: So I'm trying to predict her step, not to the Eidolo n’s Individual Balance until he has a
make an offensive attack. chance to rest for a full night. The only exceptio n to
this is the Pure Anima elements in a player’s
Enciyo (GM): So you need air. Individual Balance. When these are used in an
Niall flips Water, a Neutral Success. His Anima Surge or Assist Surge, they are removed
action fails, but there are mitigated circumstances from the game, rather than being placed into the
to the failure that may provide a boon to others. World Balance.
Enciyo (GM): She backsteps and spins out of An Anima Surge (or Assist Surge) canno t cancel
your way, and you fall for the feint. You stumble a draw of Aether from the World Balance. Players
by, missing by about a foot with your punch. should tread lightly when they know Aether is near.
Your body smokes and smoulders with dying Anima Surges canno t be used if the World
embers, as her sword regenerates itself. She Balance is saturated with a particular element. The
watches with cruel glee, unable to tear her eyes world has a limit of how much elemental anima it
away from your suffering as you fall to the supports. If the world already has seven parts of a
ground, leaving her back fully exposed to Fargan given element, further Anima Surges of that
for a moment. elemental type cannot be used.

42
 Encounter Types
Consequences of an Anima Surge
There are three different kinds of Encounters
Even when you’re about to be seriously within Mystic Empyrean, and each should be
wounded or set back, an Anima Surge may handled in different ways. The GM should establish
not be the right answer. Here are some clearly what kind of encounter the players are going
things to consider before spending Anima as to be invo lved in, though encounter types can
a Surge. change midway through resolution (for example, if a
Yo u weaken yo ur own abilities for the social enco unter breaks down into all-out co mbat, or
rest of the game sessio n when you use an conversely, where a mo nster shows intelligence and
Anima Surge. Fewer elements in your attempts to surrender or stop fighting).
personal balance mean fewer re-draws when Puzzle - Puzzle encounters present the players
attempting actio ns, forcing you to be driven with a challenge that prevents them fro m mo ving
by the whims of the world rather than your forward until they meet that challenge. Puzzles
own will. might be difficulties such as finding lost keys,
Yo u make actio ns of that element more opening sealed doors, answering riddles, crossing
likely to succeed for everyone. Eidolo ns have huge chasms, or meeting the demands of so me
a natural advantage in a balanced world, guardian. Commonly, puzzles will occur in
since they have multiple draws from the sequence. When a large string of puzzles are
balance, while mo nsters typically do no t. encountered in sequence, the result is called a

Gameplay
Saturating the balance with a single element Dungeon Encounter.
makes mo nster attacks more likely to draw Social - Social encounters are the most free-
perfect success, raising the danger level for form, and give players the greatest freedom to role-
everyone. play. These are also the most difficult to GM in
Yo u make escalatio ns more likely. Since rotatio n. It is often useful to break a social encounter
Escalatio ns are drawn based on the odds of down into ‘conversatio ns’ where the party meets one
any particular draw being an outside or or more NPCs. The GM-ship only passes at the end
perfect success, weighting the balance of a conversatio n.
towards one element (or two aligned Conflict - Combat encounters directly put the
elements) greatly increases the odds of players into harm as they work actively against
escalatio n. opposing forces. Conflict is no t necessarily combat—
it could be large scale military co nflict, a race, a
contest of skill or wit, or other similar indirect
Assist Surge confrontatio ns. In Empyrean, co nflict is a different
kind of puzzle challenge—one where the obstacles
During a resolving actio n, other players whose
directly work against the players.
turn it is not may opt to assist the acting player.
They can do this by utiliz ing an Anima Surge of Dungeon Encounters
their own, out of turn. This Anima Surge, called an
Assist Surge can be used at any time, either before Dungeons are a special kind of puzzle encounter
or after the player or world make draws. If a draw that present a series of smaller challenges to the
causes an action to result in failure, any no n-acting players. A dungeon is divided into a series of rooms.
player may make an assist surge to step in and lend Each room presents a different single puzzle or
aid. The assist surge’s element replaces the draw of challenge to the players. Unlike in a normal puzzle
the player, and is then added to the world as normal. encounter, GM-ship only passes when a room is
cleared by the party, and passes immediately,
When a player makes an assist surge, he should regardless of the current turn. The players should
describe what he is doing and how his interference is ask all establishing questio ns to the current GM
influencing the outco me of his ally’s actio n. when setting up the next room in the encounter. A
Just like a normal Anima Surge, an Assist Surge series of such small puzzles are considered
canno t cancel a draw of Aether. collectively as one Dungeon Encounter, and Closure
and Becoming are only performed at the encounter’s
An Eidolo n recovers all anima fro m the world end.
when he has a chance to rest for a full night
(typically between game sessio ns).

43
 Some sample dungeons are included in this
book, and a planning sheet is included so that you Rotating the Role of GM
can create your own. Rotating GM-ship is an optio n that allows you
to discover new facets of your own creations by
putting them in the hands of other players. This is
Example Dungeon Encounter usually the best way to run encounters, as it gives
everyone, including yourself, the chance to play
mo nsters and NPCs, as well as giving everyo ne the
Lyons, Fargan, and Enciyo explore a chance to try their hand at resolving whatever
dungeon. Lyons is GM’ing. conflict presents itself.
Lyons (GM): We enter a vast room with a This is not always the best way to run an
bottomless pit looming below us. There used to be
encounter, naturally. If you have a well-defined
a bridge between this side of the room and the
NPC or boss battle that has a scripted so lutio n or
door at the far end, but it seems to have since
needs to end in a certain way to keep the story in
fallen away.
line, then it may be necessary for only a single
Fargan: About how far is it? player to control the enviro nment in an enco unter.
In this case, the player who owns the scenario or
Lyons (GM): Almost a hundred yards.
conflict in questio n should exclusively GM the
Enciyo: I think I can handle this. Can we see encounter, withdrawing his own player character as
the ceiling? much as possible from the spotlight, and acting in a
Gameplay

Lyons (GM): Yes. supporting role.

Enciyo: I’m going to use my Webweaver Attempt to minimize encounters like these. As
ability to build us suspension bridge across the you play more of Mystic Empyrean, you will gain a
chasm. feel for how to leave your narratio ns defined and
open enough for other players to step in and pick up
Lyons (GM): Alright. That will be a Stone the reins. When a player exclusively GMs a
check: “Build Something from Scratch.” (He scenario, it makes it difficult for his own character
makes a draw of Darkness). Dark, so Outside to develop, as he does not have such a prominent
Success. (He thinks for a moment). The work is role in co mbat. The more you release control of
tedious, and will take you several minutes. As mo nsters and scenarios to the party as a who le, the
you begin constructing the bridge, tiny insects more opportunity you will have to face your own
begin to skitter out across the ceiling. They seem challenges and have them surprise you.
to be attempting to eat the webs suspending your
bridge. Non-Player and Enemy
Fargan: I’ll utilize my Inverse ability to
reverse my own gravity and fall up to the ceiling. Action Draws
There, I’ll land in a splash and turn myself into
To determine the actio ns of enemies and NPCs,
liquid with my Liquid Flesh, and try to wash all
the GM can make draws fro m the Balance. To do
the bugs away.
this, just draw from the balance and look at the
Lyons (GM): (Considers making a draw, actio n table to determine the enemy’s actio ns. This
but decides not to). That works perfectly. Enciyo is the exact reverse of when you determine a player’s
finishes the bridge with little delay, and we cross element by his actio ns—instead, you look at the
safely to the next room. NPC’s or monster’s element, and determine which
actio n he would use.
Lyons now passes his GM-ship right to
Enciyo, who will create the next dungeon
room and GM that room completely.

44
Escalation
Enciyo, Fargan, Lyons, and Lieselotte are
Empyrean is a dangerous and unpredictable heading downstream on a raft.
world, and things often go awry at the worst
possible time. To represent the shifting of fate and Lieselotte is the current GM, and it is
the inherent dangers in the world, Escalation is her turn. She draws two cards, Fire and Air.
emplo yed. Before passing the role of the Game These form an outside success, triggering an
Master, the GM should draw two cards from the escalatio n. Lieselotte interprets the effect of
world balance, noting the element of the first card Fire as ‘a natural hazard puts the party in
and the relationship of the second card to it. immediate danger.’

If the result is a perfect or outside success, the Liselotte (GM): You all begin to hear a faint
GM should look on the escalation table and interpret buzzing on the horizon.
the element of the first card (or optio nally, the Lyons: I’m going to stand up and look ahead
second card if he has no good idea for the first one). with the spyglass I picked up a while back.
The escalation effect is incorporated into the story
Lieselotte (GM): You see a wall of mist and
and the GM narrates how it effects the situatio n at
foam, and the speed of the raft is beginning to
hand.
pick up. It looks like a huge waterfall is just
If Aether is drawn as either card during an ahead.
Escalatio n effect, it is treated as a success (for the
Lieselotte passes her GM status to the

Gameplay
purposes of triggering escalatio n). Co nsider the
right (Fargan), and immediately begins her
element of the second card, and magnify its effects
turn as a player.
to create a much more dire situatio n. Add an Aether
to the world balance after drawing.
If Anima is drawn as either card during an
Escalatio n effect, it is treated as a failure (for the
purposes of triggering escalatio n). Add an Anima to
the world balance after drawing.
If Both Anima and Aether are drawn during
escalatio n, make another escalatio n draw. Both
Anima and Aether are added to the world balance
after this.
After resolving escalatio n, the player who is the
GM should pass his or her GM status and begin a
normal player turn.
The Escalatio n Table can be found o n page 225.

45
 Retrying Attempts In battle, head-on attacks are Fire based, while
using the environment and redirecting an enemy's
If the players attempt an actio n and that attempt strength are Water based. Fargan and Lyo ns can
fails, then no subsequent attempt can be made at the both fight with an equal chance of success against
same action unless conditio ns change or some new enemies, but to take full advantage of his powers,
element co mes into play. For example, if Lamarck Fargan must turn an enemy's strengths against it,
attempts to open a locked door using a small while Lyons can meet his foe with sheer brute force.
explosio n generated with his ‘Festival’ trait Depending on the current World Balance, Fargan's
(Jubilant), and this attempt fails, he canno t say ‘I try strategy may prove even more effective than Lyo ns's
it again’ o n his next turn. He must either decide on strategy in co mbat!
some other use of the power to open the lock, use a
different trait, gain outside assistance, or somehow Incorporating Maps
alter the door or his power.
“I’m not saying that you’re lost, Morell. I just
In Mystic Empyrean, creatures do not have hit wanted to remind you that I lack your insight,
points. Continually using the same tactics, even and that I would be reassured if I understood
those that appear to cause damage or inconvenience exactly why we’ve passed this stump for the fifth
to enemies, will not defeat them with repeated uses. time today.”
In combat, if a player uses a certain attack,
— Montekh Dar, the Straw Man
regardless of whether the attack hits or misses, if it
does not destroy the mo nster or adversary in You may be the kind of gamer who enjoys using
Gameplay

questio n then it can be assumed that the attack will maps and miniatures, or perhaps you appreciate the
fail to destroy it on subsequent attempts. Each attack kind of gaming experience that these elements
a player makes in a single encounter must be provide. Either way, when working with spatial
different or somehow distinct from other attempts. puzzles, dungeons, and the like, bringing maps of
your cities or dungeons to the game table can be
Choosing the Best Action extremely helpful. A roll out wet-erase mat and
some simple miniatures or paper cutouts can make it
Type much more obvious whether a player is standing
close enough to reach a door or switch, as well as
Individual balances mean that each character is what kind of tactical options are available in combat.
adept at do ing things in certain ways. Their social
actio ns, combat styles, and so lutio ns to obstacles Boxes, ledges, walls, weapo n racks, and even
will all be tinged with the elements that govern their more can be incorporated more easily into your
personal balances. Every Eido lon can acco mplish the game by using maps, and the visual reminder of
same things, but must go about them in different what kind of setting the players are in will help
ways to have the highest chance of success. them to remember that these optio ns are ready and
usable for the task at hand.
For example, Lyons is primarily a fire-based
Eidolo n, while Fargan is a water-based Eidolo n. In a This game book does not provide concrete rules
social situatio n, Fargan is able to easily make for movement on a map. Instead, players should
friends, while Lyo ns is more adept at intimidatio n describe what they wish to acco mplish as part of the
and browbeating. Fargan makes a better resolving action on their turns, and the GM will tell
spokesperson if the group wants allies, while Lyons them whether or not they succeed in getting from
can often ensure greater concessio ns from NPCs at point A to point B as part of their success or failure.
the cost of invoking their anger. If Lyons wanted to
make friends with so meone, he could still use fire
based actions―perhaps by intimidating the NPCs
enemies or using his strength to remove some
obstacle for them.

46
Player Questions During Types of Wounds
Resolution Three types of wounds can befall an Eido lon.
Superficial Wounds are inflicted by successful
Sometimes you will need informatio n that is
enemy attacks and mundane causes such as falling a
neither resolving nor debatable. (Ex: How high is
great distance, being burned, or being caught in an
the roof? Are there any exits? Are there any
explosio n. These wounds tend to mar an Eidolo n’s
weapons around?) If these questio ns weren’t
features, temporarily disabling so me of his traits.
resolved during the establishing questio ns phase,
they go to the current GM, who can answer them as Deep Wounds are inflicted less commo nly by
he wishes. If the questio ns concern the realm (ex: enemy attacks and mundane damage, and more
what kind of techno logy do they have?) or NPCs commo nly by wo nders. Any actio n performed with
(ex: do I notice any unusual traits about him?) or the emotio nal investment (ie: love, hate, jealousy, etc.)
scenario (ex: do we know where the worlds in can cause a deep wound, even if it is not a physical
cornerstones actually co me from?) then those attack. Deep wounds cause the Eido lon to lose one
questio ns should be directed to the realm, NPC, or anima of any type he chooses. If the Eido lon has no
scenario owners respectively. more anima in his personal balance, then the Deep
Wound beco mes a Heart Wound instead.
No questions asked at this po int should alter the
party state or the encounter state. If an answer could Heart Wounds are the rarest and deadliest
give the party additio nal leverage or opportunities, wounds. An Eidolo n suffers a heart wound when his

Gameplay
then it must be answered in a way such as not to do heart is struck or damaged directly, when he makes a
this. For example, to the question like “Are there conscious decision to vio late his creed, or when he is
any weapo ns around?” the answer “yes, a dozen high exposed to a powerful source of Aether. These
powered energy canno ns” about halfway through a debilitating wounds can permanently alter an
fight would drastically change the situatio n. It’s Eidolo n’s traits and physical features, or even imbue
unrealistic to imagine that the party or their enemies him with new, alien traits.
have simply ignored those weapons up until this
point. However, if a player breaks open a crate or Taking Wounds
smashes open a weapons locker that was already
established to exist, it is reasonable to find such Immortal forces of nature aren’t necessarily
things. indestructible—in fact, you’ll be quite surprised
at what you can live through. It’s the natural
instinct of players to try to protect their
characters from harm, as well as to argue with
the GM when your character is hurt. The GM
has the absolute final say in these cases, so
players should look for ways to use wounds to
their advantage rather than arguing with the
GM over whether or not they occur.
For example, if a mortal Nascent stabs a sword
through your back during a negotiation, rather
than shouting “No way, I would have sensed him
coming! I want to get a resolutio n draw!” You
might instead say “I look down calmly at the
sword sticking through my chest, then grab it and
pull it the rest of the way through, disarming the
enemy behind me. ‘Now, where were we?’ I say,
as I begin regenerating flesh.”
Avo id stepping back and breaking the flow
of the story as much as possible. Instead, try to
use the wounds you take as a chance to bring out
your personality and make your character’s
immortal nature even more awe-inspiring.

47
 Superficial Wounds
Superficial wounds affect an Eido lon’s features.
Gameplay

Each kind of Persona Trait has a linked physical

attribute. If that physical attribute is damaged or
broken, then the Eidolo n loses the power granted by Deep Wounds
that trait temporarily. For example, Eye of Flame
lets an Eido lon light fires with a gaze. If his eyes are Deep wounds cut below the surface of the
put out, blinded with thrown sand, or blinded by a Eidolo n’s soul and leave marks upon his heart.
brilliant flash, then he can no longer use them to These wounds cannot be delivered through ordinary
light fires. means. They can only be caused under one of the
following two conditio ns.
When an Eido lon suffers a superficial wound,
draw from the world Balance. He suffers a wound 1) The weapon or tool used to harm the Eido lon
that disables or distorts o ne of the traits associated is a wonder, or otherwise imbued with the powers of
with that element. If he has no traits associated with Anima.
that element, then the wound is considered minor 2) The attack that dealt the wound was delivered
and does not disable him. with an emotio nal weight, such as hatred or love,
A wound does not always disable a trait— directed personally at the target.
sometimes it distorts it or causes it to lose control. Deep wounds can also be dealt by a creature
For example, a character with ‘Eye of Flame’ who is imbued with the powers of pure Anima or Aether,
struck in the eye may no t have his eye disabled—it such as a Colossus, Anima Spirit, or Aetherling.
might instead flare out of control and cause great
destructio n. There is no hard and fast rule to when a When an Eido lon suffers a Deep wound, he
trait sho uld be distorted instead of disabled—the loses o ne Anima of any type of his cho ice. If he has
GM should rule in a way that best serves the story. no anima remaining when he suffers a Deep
Wo und, then he suffers a Heart Wound instead, and
Recovery is knocked unconscious for the rest of the enco unter.
Whenever an Eido lon suffers a Deep Wound, he
On his turn during resolutio n, or anytime also suffers a superficial wound.
outside of resolutio n, and Eido lon may spend one
Anima of any type from his Individual Balance
(though he cannot spend his last Anima of any
Recovery
elemental type). If he does, then he is healed of all An Eidolo n recovers from all Deep Wounds
superficial wounds. whenever he rests for one night and one day.
Superficial wounds also heal anytime an Eido lon
rests for a night.

48
Heart Wounds If the trait was a Drawback, it is eliminated
immediately, regardless of the second draw.
Heart Wounds are the rarest and deadliest type Otherwise:
of wounds an Eido lon can receive. When an attack If the second draw was Anima, the trait
directly strikes into the center of his being, his heart, immediately beco mes All-Co nsuming.
strange things can happen. A heart wound can only
If the second draw was Aether, then the trait is
be delivered under the same conditio ns as a deep
eliminated altogether.
wound. Unlike a deep wound, however, both
conditio ns must be met (using a wo nder, and with If the second draw was an element, then the
emotio nal weight behind the attack). An Eido lon wounded Eidolo n chooses a trait of the reversed type
also suffers a Heart Wound when he willfully and and of the second element drawn (vice is the reverse
directly vio lates the tenets of his Creed to a severe of virtue, personality is the reverse of talent). The
degree. trait is changed to become the new type, but retains
its current emergence. (For example, Niall takes a
The Eido lon draws twice from the World
Heart Wound and has his Handy Trait [virtue, air,
Balance. If either draw is linked to a trait he
helpful] reversed with a draw of darkness. He loses
possesses, choose the highest-emerged trait the
Handy and gains a vice / darkness trait from among the
Eidolo n possesses whose element matches the first
three traits that fit that criteria [Ashen Flesh, Deathly
draw (if no trait is linked to the first element, use a
Grin, or Man in the Box]. He chooses "Man in the Box"
trait linked to the second draw’s element instead).
because its linked Personality, Reliant, seems like the most
That trait is corrupted in o ne of several ways:

Gameplay
fitting reversal of Helpful.)
If a trait was changed in this way, then the
Eidolo n does not begin to feel its effects until the
end of the current encounter. He does, however, lose
the use of the eliminated trait immediately, and
becomes knocked unconscio us. The trait gained
from a heart wound always co mes with the
drawback that is normally reserved for All-
Consuming traits. (So if an Eido lon gains a trait at
Superficial level through a heart wound, he still
suffers with the same burdens as an Eidolo n who
has developed it naturally to all-co nsuming).
Whenever an Eido lon suffers a Heart Wound,
he also suffers a Superficial wound along with it.

Recovery
Heart wounds cannot be healed. Instead,
Eidolo ns must work to overcome the damage they
have caused. So me have even been known to
embrace these artificial and fractured traits, leading
to a sharp personality shift.

49
 Becoming
Eidolo ns are constantly changing and developing
new personality traits and powers. After each
encounter, regardless of its type, there will be a short
break for Becoming. Becoming is how Eidolo ns gain
new traits and powers, and is distantly related to
experience points in most role playing games.
The players co llectively decide how difficult the
encounter was. If the encounter was a scenario
encounter, then the scenario owner should decide
how difficult it was. Alternatively, you can time
encounters and use the time spent to decide the
difficulty rating. Use the chart below for
quantifying an encounter’s difficulty rating. Difficulty Rating
After determining the difficulty rating of the
1 - Trivial - The players did not co me
just-finished encounter, each player takes his
into any danger, and did not need much
character sheet and passes it to the left (or right, if
effort to resolve the encounter. The
you’re of the persuasion—so long as all players pass
encounter is resolved in a matter of minutes,
Gameplay

the same way, it doesn’t matter). The player takes

in most cases. (less than 30 min)
the character sheet in front of him and considers the
actio ns of its owner during the encounter. He then 2 - M ild - The players were not in much
adds one po int of emergence to the trait that he feels danger, and certainly no t mortal danger. The
best exemplifies that player’s actions. If the trait is encounter took so me effort, but no t enough
not present on the player’s emergence grid, then he to be co nsidered challenging. (less than 1
adds it. If the trait is not present and the player’s hour)
emergence grid is full, then he must pick a different
3 - Moderate - The players may have
trait that is already present on the grid.
encountered some reasonable danger, or
Continue this process once for each difficulty required particular ingenuity or NPC
rank of the encounter. For a rank 4 encounter, there interactio n to succeed. (less than 1 and a half
will be four new po ints added to a player’s min)
emergence grid. This process of adding emergence
4 - Tough - The players faced real
points is called Becoming. Players do not give
difficulty, and at least so meone was injured
themselves emergence points during rotatio n. A
in the ordeal. The episode may have required
player skips over himself if it takes multiple laps
heroic reserves of skill, power, or grace to
around the table to reach the allo tted number of
resolve. (less than 2 hours)
emergence points added.
5 - Difficult - The party faced real and
Once the rotatio n has ended, each player
significant danger that threatened to destroy
receives back his character sheet and awards himself
them or utterly end their adventure. (less
one additio nal point of emergence in any trait he
than 2 and a half hours)
wishes. This trait that the player adds himself does
not need to be relevant to the way he roleplayed 6 - Deadly - The party lies beaten o n the
during the encounter, but it may be if he chooses. floor, only barely surviving the terrible
encounter that tested their mettle to its very
limits. (less than 3 hours)
7 - Epic - Pivotal encounters in the story,
battles against Co lossi, Aetherlings, and
important villains may fall into this
category. Most Epic encounters take at least
two hours to resolve (typically 3 or more
hours).

50
Trait Ranks of Emergence must also be eliminated between
sessio ns.
Every seven points of Emergence allotted to a
trait increases its rank by 1. If a trait’s rank increases The Treasures of
during Becoming, then the Eidolo n should
immediately add Anima to his Personal Balance to Empyrean
reflect the new trait ranks. He can start using the GMs should introduce treasures into a game
abilities associated with his new rank (and start session whenever they seem appropriate, but should
suffering the drawbacks) immediately during the avo id flooding the party with treasure. Minor
next encounter. wonders should appear at about a rate of one per
Outgrowing Traits session, while major wonders may appear only o nce
every four or five sessions. Treasures can be created
An Eido lon’s heart is only large enough to on the spo t by the GM, or created by drawing o n a
contain so much, and once one develops too many realm’s treasure tables (see pg 191).
persona traits, it can overfill. Persona Traits that
grow too large begin to negatively impact the Wonders
Eidolo n, and if they grow beyo nd even this size, Wonders are powerful artifacts that Eido lons
they may cause his heart to shatter completely. An may come across in their travels. By definitio n,
Eidolo n realizes when a trait is growing too large for wonders are imbued with mystical powers that are
his heart, and is able to exorcise it through beyond the limits of ordinary tools. They may be

Gameplay
meditatio n. The Eidolo n spends a little time forged from magic, techno logy, or the same
between game sessions co ncentrating on the trait quintessence that fills the hearts of Eidolo ns.
and purging it fro m his heart. The Persona Trait Whatever their nature, wonders are highly sought
then crystalizes in his hands into a pure mote of after and not easily obtained.
Anima, called an Anima Pearl, which the Eido lon
can keep and use. Anima Pearls are very valuable, Unlike mundane gear, which has no special
and can be used to create mystical items and effects or powers, wonders can only be acquired by
weapons, if the proper paradigms have been adventuring. They can o nly be brought into a story
unlocked in the world (see pg 88). by the directio n of the scenario owner, and cannot
be created via establishing questio ns. Unlike
An Eidolo n’s heart has enough room for ten technological goods, wonders work everywhere in
ranks of persona traits. Superficial traits take up o ne Empyrean, and are not bound by the limits of the
rank. Deep traits take up two ranks. All-Co nsuming realm where they were created.
traits take three ranks. If an Eidolo n develops a new
persona trait that would cause him to exceed this Wonders are often disco vered while exploring,
limit, he must eliminate his existing persona traits or given to the party as a reward for completing
as an Anima Pearl at the end of the current game tasks or quests for interested parties.
session until he has ten or fewer ranks. If an
Eidolo n develops an All-Co nsuming trait to rank 4,
Consumables
then it threatens to shatter his heart if it is not Consumables are a class of wonder that can only
purged very soon. A trait with this level of be used a limited number of times (usually o nce)
Emergence must be purged at the end of a game before becoming unusable. Some examples are magic
session. The particular eliminated trait and its rank wands with a limited number of charges, potions
will affect the size, value, and types of items that that have a limited time duration, or weapons loaded
can be created with the pearl produced, so remember with extremely rare ammunitio n that cannot be
to record this informatio n as well. readily replenished.
An Eidolo n can o nly support o ne All- Consumables are more easily obtained than
Consuming Trait at a time. If he gains a new All- most other wonders, as they can be created by
Consuming trait, then he must eliminate one of specially trained Eido lons, and usually require low
them at the end of the current game session. quality ingredients as compared to greater wonders.
An Eido lon can meditate to eliminate any traits Because of their limited usage, consumables can
anytime between sessions and for any reason. Only often have very po tent effects despite the quality of
if he exceeds the limit o f two All-Co nsuming Traits their ingredients.
or ten to tal trait ranks does this course of actio n
beco me mandatory. A trait with twenty-eight ranks

51
 Weapons and Gear Technology Goods
Weapons and gear are powerful permanent Some technological devices are so powerful they
wonders that can be equipped or wielded by may be indistinguishable from wonders. These may
Eidolo ns. They co me in two flavors—minor and be inspired by real techno logies, or informed by the
major. various techno logies that a realm possesses. These
wonders may only work within the realms that
Minor wonders have localized effects that
support their given kind of techno logy. A massive
directly surround the normal use of the gear. A
robot created within a space-age realm (possibly in
shield that reflects energy might be a minor wonder,
order to fight a Co lossus) will likely cease to
as would be a sword that radiates fire when swung.
functio n o nce it leaves the boundaries of that realm
Major wonders have mystical powers that or wanders into the mist. Most kinds of techno logy
extend beyond the normal usage of the tool and will functio n in realms with similar techno logy, so
beyond mere limits of locality. A glass eye that the same giant robot would functio n in a different
compels others to obey your co mmands o nce per realm if that new realm also had space-age
encounter would be considered a major wonder, as technology. Some bizarre types of technology (such
would a sword that slays a named victim when as Pandoran or Thaumic) may operate on different
swung, regardless of how distant he is. fundamental principles in each realm, and thus not
Minor wonders are rare, and are still much more operate even in realms that have the same category
commo n than major wonders. Some major wonders of technology as the places they were created.
Gameplay

are so powerful, acquiring them may become the

entire focus of the story.

Inventory
Eidolo ns can o nly carry so much. While there is
no strict limit to encumbrance, players should
consider the realistic possibility of how they can
manage and carry their possessions. An Eido lon
with the Treasure Box (Secretive) trait can store all
of the party’s inventory within his body, and one
with the Always Prepared Trait (Organized) can
retroactively decide to bring alo ng gear ‘for just such
a situation.’

52
53
Realms
 Once an Eidolo n acquires a cornerstone, it can
be unlocked to restore a portion of the world which Releasing a Realm
has been lost within the Aether. For some When a cornerstone containing a realm is
cornerstones, what is revealed is a literal portio n of planted, is grows rapidly outward, like ink painting a
the physical world—a realm lost beneath the mist landscape on canvas. This mist of Aether rolls back
and to time. What the mist reveals when it clears under the tidal wave of life and existence that
will be a new land that is partially dependent on the spreads from the seed, and a new realm takes root
acquired cornerstone, and partially reflective of the and co mes into being almost instantly.
Eidolo n’s heart.
Realms that emerge from cornerstones have the
For players, the opportunity to create new appearance of age. They co me fully populated with
regions of the world and populate them represents ancient cities, inhabitants of all ages, ruins, orders of
something unique and exciting. Imagine visiting a scho larship and religio n, and lo ng established guilds,
world of your own design—meeting the people that custo ms, and governments. The citizens of the
inhabit it, experiencing the culture, discovering the realms may realize that they have suddenly been
perils and treasures that are hidden within it. reconnected to a world—or perhaps they imagine
Discovering ano ther player’s world is exciting, but that they have been cut off from society and are only
discovering your own can be just as enchanting. now reemerging into the greater world and
This sectio n of Mystic Empyrean contains reestablishing trade and co mmunication. The beliefs
informatio n on how to create a world that grows and and attitudes of the people in a realm as a who le are
evolves with your characters and backstory. ultimately at the discretio n of the Realm’s Owner,
Creating a realm is a delicate balance of and there is no need for all realms to have the same
definitio n and abstraction. A realm’s architect general attitude towards appearing suddenly from
should take care to provide enough detail to make the earth.
the world believable and deep, but not so much as to
choke out the creativity of the other players. This
section provides guidance to achieving this delicate
balance.

What is a Cornerstone?
Realms

There is a great deal of speculatio n amo ng the scholars of Empyrean as to what is actually
inside a cornerstone. So me believe they co ntain the shadows of the world that existed before
the destructio n of Grand Cornerstone, frozen and preserved within crystalized Anima. Others
speculate that they co ntain only design patterns, which are reassembled out of trace Anima that
lies dormant within the Aether. There are any number of explanatio ns as to what a cornerstone
really is. Regardless of their perceived nature, their uses are clear.
A cornerstone contains a definite realm, co nceit, or paradigm that will be unleashed when it
is used. The Eidolo n using the sto ne has no power over what he finds inside, but it does
manifest in a way that subtly reflects his heart, no matter what it is.

54
Making Room for New Mapping the Realm
Setting Conventions Creating a visual aid or map for your realm can
greatly aid in storytelling, and is strongly
Empyrean is a huge world, and its has no hard encouraged. If you can find visual aids, such as
and fast rules on things such as heaven, ghosts, artworks of photographs, that accurately or nearly
mo nsters, alternative races, other planets, portray your realm, it is useful to print these and
dimensio ns, or the like. Just about anything that you bring them alo ng to your game, so that players can
and your friends feel is appropriate and fun can be visualize the place they are exploring.
worked into the world. Plenty of realms will
If you want to bring out your realm’s
introduce new kinds of conventio ns to the world.
personality even more, you might devise a
These should not be avo ided.
soundtrack that exemplifies the culture or feel of
For example, if you want to create a realm that that realm to play unobtrusively in the background.
is a kind of limbo for departed souls, then the
The realm planning sheet in this guide contains
questio n of afterlife, judgment, and good and evil
a space for you to draw your map. Important
becomes introduced into your Empyrean. Who
locatio ns and amenities sho uld be clearly marked on
judges these souls? On what criteria? Can they be
your realm map. Most realms are only large enough
rescued and resurrected? These are all questio ns that
to contain o ne major city and a few small towns.
can vastly alter the way the game plays. If players
Some smaller realms may be nothing more than a
can be reincarnated from this spirit world, perhaps
single city and its outskirts. The important thing is
they die often, and are resurrected with new traits
for the party to be able to plan journeys and
and abilities.
understand where they are in relation to other
Ano ther example might be a realm that has the important places within the realm.
technology for space travel. Does all of Empyrean
share the same space? Are there other creatures Building a Realm
living in the space? Are different planets just other
realms or parts of the same realm? Perhaps The following steps should be used in order to
Empyrean is no t just one world, but a galaxy to be create a new realm, if yo u are building one from
rebuilt from many tiny planets. scratch by yourself. In the back of the book (pg 208)
are instructio ns for developing a realm at the table
When a realm such as this is created and
using the input of all players together.

Realms
explored, make sure all players understand what
kind of conventio ns the realm offers, and give them
ample opportunity to explore all the implications
and contingencies that a situatio n like this might
provide. What if a villain was killed early on, and
suddenly the abo ve ghost realm is disco vered?
Maybe there could be a plo t to resurrect this villain
by his remaining followers. What if a realm is
discovered where sentient lizard people are the
dominant race instead of Eidolo ns? Now the players
will need to co ntend with the questio n of how this
other race is treated in foreign realms, and issues of
equality and citizenship.
Ideally, each realm makes its own mark on the
world and changes the entire game in some subtle
way. If your realm doesn’t affect the whole of
Empyrean by its very existence, yo u may want to
reevaluate and restructure it so that it does.

55
 Step 1: Name and Step 2: Choosing Realm
Concept Traits
Realms

Every great realm begins with a great idea. If the realm’s co ncept is its heart, then traits are
Many of the sages posit that cornerstones body that give it form. There are several kinds of
themselves contain o nly the idea of the realm, and traits that must be selected for each realm—terrain,
that the physical manifestatio n of it is carved out of technology, culture, society, creed, government, and
the Aether, rather than emerging from the stone. wildlife. Each trait type has several optio ns for the
Whatever the true nature of the realms sealed in builder to choose from.
cornerstones may be, they are invariably shaped by
certain ideas.
When designing your co ncept, consider the kind Creating Your Own Realm Traits
of realm that you wish to visit. Will it be a paradise The realm traits listed here are used later
on earth? A harsh land of perpetual winter? A on by the generators in the Appendices to
metropolis filled with sentient machines? The basic create treasures, encounters, and other
idea that makes up the realm is the foundation of features of the realm by rando m draws.
your new piece of the world, and everything else While it is encouraged to create yo ur own
grows from this initial co ncept. traits to describe a realm, keep in mind that
Name your realm, and jot down a few notes on doing so will make many of the generators
its concept. Imagine what Eidolo ns entering it for unusable during play. For this reason,
the first time after a thousand years will think and custo mized traits are recommended only for
see, and what they will want to do there. parties who are comfortable creating every
aspect of the realm themselves and not using
rando m generatio n to explore.

56
Terrain Traits Swamp (Darkness)
Swamps and bayous are stuffy, sultry places
The majority of the lands that make up the where the heat of the day is locked beneath a humid
realm will fall into one or more biome types, called canopy of air and trees, and the waters stand at knee
terrains. The terrain of a realm determines a great level all throughout the area. Small islands rise
deal about the cultures that develop there, as well as above the misty bog, often connected by bridges of
the animals that might live there and the natural rope, wood, or stone. Towns are built o n stilts to
resources that are available in the area. stand above the muck, or float upo n boats, forming a
Desert (Fire) mobile co mmunity whose geography changes every
day. The swamp is filled with beautiful and
Deserts are harsh places of extreme temperature. dangerous creatures, such as snakes, frogs, birds, and
Between the searing heat of the day and the cold alligators.
emptiness of night, the one constant is a dearth of
water that forces all manner of life to conserve and Caverns (Stone)
inno vate to survive. Desert peoples are usually In the eternal darkness within the earth, cavern
no madic, and any city that does spring up is built on creatures and societies are adapted to eking out an
the foundatio n of a renewable water source that is existence with the merest resources, most especially
intertwined inseparably with every aspect of life. light. Many search for mushrooms or algae that do
Plains (Light) not need light to grow, while others fish from
underground lakes or hunt the bats that live atop the
Wide rolling plains make a region easy to roofs of their cavern homes. Cities within these
traverse and idea for civilized living. Trading posts, caverns are lit day and night by great beacons, while
cities, farming villages, and even more can fill the others, inhabited entirely by the blind, forego light
grasslands of Empyrean. Animal life can vary from completely. Trade and techno logical exchange with
the mice and horses of the prairies to exotic animals those who live upon the surface differs by society,
like zebras and giraffes, or anything in between. but can vastly impact living conditio ns for the
cavern dwellers.
Mountain (Electricity)
Towering mountains provide an excellent refuge
Seaside (Air)
for airborne creatures, as well as mo untain cities and Lakes and seas provide abundant support for
mo nasteries—many of which are carved right into statio nary co mmunities and for a wide variety of

Realms
the heart of the rock. The tops of mo untains are wildlife. Some societies live on the islands near an
difficult to reach, and some mist-co vered peaks are ocean, or near the fertile delta land created by
explored only by the stories of what wonders or whatever river feeds into it. More advanced societies
horrors lie upo n their peaks. Due to their remote can support cities that lie below the surface of lakes
nature, most mountain settlements are sparse and and seas, or which float entirely upon the surface.
self-contained. Many may be wary of outsiders, or Based on the depth and size of the surrounding body
have strange and foreign customs. Mountain of water, it may contain anything from rare fish to
creatures are usually hardy and tough, able to massive aquatic mo nsters. Many treasures and
withstand the harsh elements that co me to bear atop sunken ships can also be found beneath the surface
the mo untains. of the water, and undersea mining is extremely
profitable for many cultures.
Forest (Water)
The deep forest is host to life and civiliz ation in
endless varieties. Large creatures stalk the forest
floor, roaming in packs or herds and seeking food,
while smaller creatures bound and fly amo ng the
canopy provided by the cover of trees. Small towns
spring up in groves or near sources of water,
primarily hunting villages that move with the
seasons. Other cultures make their homes in the
ho llows of the oldest and greatest trees in the forest.
Living in harmony with nature and attaining
balance is a key to survival for these forest cultures.

57
 Technology Traits
Sciences develop in different ways, and each
civiliz ation has their own take on how the universe
works and how to make it work for them.
Steam (Fire)
Steam techno logy allows realms to build all sorts
of wondrous inventio ns, such as trains, cars, guns,
and engines. These areas usually have a distinctly
industrial feeling to them. The most powerful of
mundane weapo ns can be found in these areas, and
alchemists can create wonders that bend the laws of
physics and time witho ut who lly breaking them.
Primitive (Stone)
Thaumics (Light)
Areas with primitive techno logy can create
Thaumic technology blesses a realm with mundane goods that do no t possess any kind of
wonders that are impossible to achieve with science. wondrous properties. Their techno logies are often
Medicine in these areas is especially impressive, as limited to sto ne-working or basic metallurgy.
are destructive weapo ns and elemental aligned tools. Shamans and ritualists may be able to create tribal
Most weapon and gear wonders are created in fetishes and enchanted gear that is more in tune
realms that have Thaumic Techno logy. with the spiritual nature of the world.
Neotech (Electricity) Pandoran Tech (Darkness)
Space age techno logy is informatio n-driven and “I once believed that Empyrean should be
powered by sound, repeatable logic. Often powered restored as it once was, and that all parts of the
by clean energy such as light or the internal heat of world should grow back organically to their
the earth, or even the blessing of one of the Great whole. However, when I saw the terrible thing
Anima Spirits, this techno logy can overcome the they had created in that place… that defiance of
laws of physics through ingenuity and hard science. all nature and sanity… then I realized that not all
The wonders produced by these societies are most
Realms

of Old Empyrean’s secrets ought to be returned to

commo nly classified as tools, and allow powers such Grand Cornerstone.”
as flight, teleportatio n, or protectio n. These realms
may also have space programs to explore the world Drawn from questionable resources and powered
beyond Empyrean, though they do not necessarily by dark, alien designs, Pandoran techno logy is a
share the same cosmos. black box that offers great potential at great price. It
allows its users to bend and break the laws of nature,
Biotechnology (Water) circumventing time, gravity, life, and death. While
there is no limit to what can be acco mplished, there
Biotechnology allows a realm to replace
mechanical conveniences with living o nes— is also no limit to the to ll this power source can take
creatures that perform their tasks while maintaining on the land around it and the well-being of those
themselves and self replicating. These realms may exposed to it.
tend to focus more on either the plant or animal side Electronics (Air)
of biotechno logy, but have marginal proficiency in
both. The wonders they can create consist of Electronic technology provides a realm with
reforming and self-repairing gear, as well as unique, instantaneous communicatio n and data storage, as
tailor-made animals called servitors that serve as well as a host of conveniences. These kinds of
obedient pets. realms are usually driven more by informatio n than
goods. Electronic techno logy can create wo nders
that communicate instantly with any place in the
world, as well as gather and store informatio n about
faraway places without ever visiting them. Cell
phones, computers, the internet, and other such
conveniences are common in these realms.

58
Government Traits Tyranny (Darkness)
A tyrant rules absolutely o ver his own domain,
Wherever civiliz ation goes, there too go answering to none save himself for his deeds. A
governments. The organization of the peoples tyrant’s power is absolute, giving him almost
within a realm can be expressed to a great degree limitless resources and influence in the realm. This
simply by what form their governance takes, though influence need no t be negative, however. Though
no form of government can make an absolute tyrants often cast a negative image, abso lute power
guarantee of happiness or prosperity for a people. can be wielded for both the greatest good and the
Plutocracy (Fire) greatest evil. When a realm is ruled by tyranny,
remember to create the tyrant himself as an NPC, as
The rich rule over a Plutocracy, either by virtue players will almost always want to confront this
of owning all the land in the realm, or simply by person.
owning the people themselves. A loose coalitio n of
barons or guild masters maintains the status quo of Technocracy (Electricity)
the realm, all the while fighting amo ngst themselves In a technocracy, those who control techno logy
for additio nal power. Since the struggle for power in reign supreme. These might be the few who have
the Plutocracy is almost co nstant, there is ample access to a society-do mineering artificial
opportunity for one of the players to assist in intelligence, or those who control access to the fuel
making the next king, or to become the next king for the vehicles and tools that are indispensable for
himself if he so desires. Oppression and lack of everyday life, or perhaps even an algorithm designed
personal liberty, as well as meager conditio ns for the to regulate all aspects of managing the civilizatio n.
poor, are all co mmon staples of a plutocratic society. A technocracy is usually a more despotic kind of
Kingdom (Stone) government, since control over resources provides
an absolute leverage that ordinary citizens cannot
Kingdo ms are ruled by successio n, often with a hope to confront or challenge. Life in a technocracy
charter or constitutio n that outlines the rules for is often co nvenient and affluent, but lacks
successio n and the powers of the king. A kingdo m individuality and personal liberty co mmo n in other
witho ut such a constitutio n is effectively a tyranny realms.
(so use the Tyranny trait instead), albeit o ne that
changes hands every generation. Within the Meritocracy (Water)
constitutio nal kingdo m, the abso lute power of the In a meritocracy, those most deserving of rule

Realms
mo narch to execute the law and provide for the obtain power. What defines deserving may vary
welfare of the people is tempered by the will of the greatly on a per-country basis. It could be that the
people themselves as an assembly or parliament. winner of an arena tournament rules for a year, or
These two sides are often if no t always in that the greatest hunter in the land becomes king, or
contentio n with one ano ther, and players will that the most proliferant inventor is given
normally be forced to support either the agenda of leadership. Meritocratic leaders can vary wildly in
the king or of the people. their popularity, but the co nsensus amo ng their
Theocracy (Light) public, either gladly or grudgingly, is that they have
earned their places fair and square. This makes
Rule by the divine is perhaps the most ancient revolutio n and insurgence more difficult in these
kind of government, and o ne not uncommo n in areas.
Empyrean. The citizens of the realm normally
answer to priests, who answer directly to the Aristocracy (Air)
authority of some god or force of nature—perhaps
A few nobles rule in coalitio n over an
one of the great Anima Spirits itself. Realms under Aristocracy. While a plutocracy rules by wealth
the control of a theocracy can be subject to all sorts alone, the aristocracy rules by legal power, politics,
of strange rules. Missed sacrifices may result in and espio nage. The members of the aristocracy are
rains of blood or swords, while a natio nwide trend of constantly scheming for power and gain, however,
apostasy might bring plagues and misfortune that raising an army or assassinating a handful of
ultimately can only be stopped by influencing the individuals is rarely enough to make o ne king in
people themselves to return to their old morals. such a realm, as the nobility of an aristocratic line
ensures that those in power will be replaced by
additio nal generatio ns and descendants.

59
 Wildlife Traits usually possess alien or unfatho mable body types
that might exist as swarms, occupy different
No realm is co mplete without the presence of dimensio ns, or be unbound by time.
natural creatures. These ubiquitous beings form a Aberrant creatures are extremely dangerous
unique ecosystem that add a certain flavor to a even to powerful warriors, and co mmo nly inhabit
realm. the boundaries of the world. Their lifespans are
short, poisoned as they are by Aether, so it is rare for
Dire (Fire) one to wander too far from the world’s edge.
Dire creatures are those touched by an over-
saturatio n of Anima. Often these creatures are
Exotic (Water)
created as guardians by the great spirits or corrupted Exotic wildlife is usually possessed of a number
from their natural forms by the radiant energy of a of strange adaptatio ns and talents that allow it to
cornerstone or powerful artifact. survive in its unique locale. Expect everything from
Because of the way they are created, Dire massive creatures that hover on the horizon like
creatures usually possess a pronounced elemental mountains, to tiny insects with the venom to kill a
alignment, and are all but immune to the effects of who le village. Fighting for small ecological niches
this element when actio ns aligned with it are used has made these exotic creatures aggressive and well
against them. They may possess uncanny powers, able to defend their territories. They don’t hesitate
speed, or even intelligence, depending on the nature to strike out at anything that might try to hedge into
of their transformatio ns. their habitats.

Dire creatures are more aggressive to Eido lons Epic (Stone)

whose personal balances contain elements opposed Some areas have creatures of legend and myth.
to their own, and may ignore direct threats in order Mighty thunderbirds, great dragons, krakens, and
to pursue harmless creatures of opposing elemental the like all qualify as Epic wildlife, if they are
alignment. pervasive. Some realms may have one or two
Natural (Light) dragons, but in a realm with Epic Wildlife, dragons
are fairly standard fare, and may even be a plague
Natural creatures are the de-facto inhabitants of upo n the land that needs to be controlled somehow.
a realm, and are usually assumed to exist there by
players, unless it is made clear that a different kind Unnatural (Darkness)
Realms

of wildlife is present. Natural creatures are usually While the Nascent can use their wits to live in
passive, and interested in their own welfare, areas that are devoid of natural life, animals are not
families, and territories. Few are aggressive to so fortunate. Some barren places, such as realms
Eidolo ns, unless they are being hunted or feel that witho ut air, or blasted, po isoned lands, might not
their food sources, homes, children, or mates are contain any wildlife at all. In this case, there may
threatened. Activity in cities or by nearby still be plenty of creatures roaming the land.
settlements can provoke animals to aggressio n, but Undead, ghosts, elementals, and the like might
this kind of behavior gradually goes away as animals inhabit the wilderness devo id of its natural
adapt to changes in their habitats, die off, or evolve. occupants.
Evolutio n and adaptatio n may occur rather
rapidly in the Anima-saturated world of Empyrean. Organized (Air)
If living conditio ns change, animals change with Areas with organized wildlife are rare, but it is
them within a few months, or a year at the most. possible that tribes of animals may attain
Animals who do not adapt to their new environment intelligence and live in co mmunities. Organized
usually move, and are displaced by more well- natural creatures muddy the lines between Nascent
adjusted creatures in no time at all. and animals, for though they may have societies,
Aberrant (Electricity) custo ms, and even techno logy, they still live
according to their animal natures.
Aberrant creatures are touched by the corrupting
influence of Aether, and often develop twisted and
impossible powers, as well as a cruel impulse to
destroy any creature of Anima— most especially
Eidolo ns. Aberrants may have almost any size, and

60
Culture Traits
Cultural Traits define the kind of
civiliz ation that exists within an area. Some
cultures value knowledge, others may place
weight on ho nor, hard work, or wealth. The
kinds of goods a culture creates and
desires are dependent primarily on
its techno logies and its culture.
Militant (Fire)
“When the weakness of men
grows too great, then there are Artisan (Water)
wars.”
Artisan cultures value beauty and
— Lyons, Who Slew Regret aesthetics, and can create many
wondrous treasures and tools. While
Militant cultures value
these cultures focus primarily on the
security, power, and self-
arts and the development of their
sufficiency. They believe that
own civilizatio ns, many are also
the strong co ntrol the weak
interested in learning of the wonders in the
according to natural order, and will only
greater world, as well as in trading their artisan
show respect to outsiders capable of
crafts with outsiders.
commanding it by a demo nstratio n of
power. Industrious (Stone)
Honorable (Light) Industrious cultures value hard work, self-
sufficiency, and ingenuity. Industrious cultures are
Honorable cultures value strength,
often wary of outsiders who are not willing to do
integrity, and ability. A good reputatio n and
their fair share of work, or who would capitalize on
sincerity will take outsiders far towards
the initiative and ideas they create.
becoming accepted in these places, as will
being able to keep promises and do one’s part Ascetic (Darkness)

Realms
to aid those in need.
Ascetic cultures value peace, meditatio n, and
Progressive (Electricity) introspectio n. They often have strong religious
traditio ns, and are permissive of new ideas,
Progressive cultures value innovatio n,
though not necessarily new ways of life. Most
exploratio n, and mobility. They are quick to
Ascetic cultures are content to be left alo ne and not
adopt new ideas and seek out new
to bother outsiders if they are not bothered.
knowledge, and are rarely bound by
traditio ns or fear of change. Commercial (Air)
Commercial cultures place
emphasis on wealth, good
relationships, and mutual
prosperity. They value outside
influences that will expand their
economies and co ntribute to the
ease of living their citizens experience.

61
 Society Traits Wondrous (Light)
Wondrous societies build their civilizatio ns around
Society traits are concerned with the natural or man-made wonders. Often, the cities
organizatio n and infrastructure of the realm, and go themselves are wonders of architecture, design, and
a long way towards describing what life there must beauty, and have deep artistic or religious
be like. significance.
Outposts (Fire) Exploitative (Electricity)
Societies that form outposts often have scarce Exploitative societies are built around explo iting
resources and infrastructure, leading to a lawless
renewable natural resources. Their settlements are
“wild west” sort of society that manages itself.
built to harvest specific resources, and the quantity
of the resource that can be gathered usually
determines the size and grandeur of the city built
around it.
Nomadic (Water)
Wandering tribes set up and break down their
cities as they travel across the realm.
Normally very decentralized, the tribes are
united in their fight to survive, but often
resources are so scarce that building cities and
setting up infrastructure is impossible.
Centralized (Stone)
Centralized Societies have extremely well-
developed infrastructures that originate from
their capitals. The capital city is the jewel of the
realm, and it is by the careful management of labor
and resources from abo ve that the civilizatio n stays
afloat.
Realms

Underworld (Darkness)
Underworld societies are driven by corruptio n
and vast criminal networks. Rife with conspiracy
and decadence, the people of these societies carve
niches for themselves in a dog-eat-dog world where
trust is rare and precious.
Mercantile (Air)
Mercantile societies spend much of their time
traveling and working to improve their networks.
Trade is important to them, because only by trading
can they make sure that all of their cities and
outposts receive the resources they need to
flourish.

62
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Nitar
 134
Nitar
135
Persona Traits
 Persona Traits Listed by Name
Name Group Anima Personality Name Group Anima Personality
A Weapon for Obedient Edible Collusive
the Stro ng
Endless Knives Relentless
Achilles Heel Boastful
Energized Athletic
Persona Traits

Always Organized
Prepared Explosive Vindictive
Arclight Ingenious
Eye of Flame Zealous
Art Cast Artistic
Living Eye of Truth Honest
Artificially Obsessive Featherweight Dishonorable
Sustained
Ashen Flesh Callous Festival Jubilant

Babbling Verbose Fist of Stone Slothful

Banneret Brave Forked To ngue Duplicitous

Frozen Heart Solitary

Barrier Courteous
Bastio n Selfless Gilded Greedy

Beast Form Graven Eye Scornful

Competitive
Beast Master Controlling Grey Apathy

Optimistic Hand Canno n Headstrong

Blissful Gaze
Dutiful Handy Helpful
Bo und
Carapace Gruff Healing Hand Kind

Cartwheel Reckless Heart of Iro n Sorrowful

Clockwork Meticulous Ho llow Detached

Co mpass Faith Ho theaded Wrathful

Illusio nist Exhibitio nist

Cosmopo litan Fashionable
Crystalline Lucid Immo vable Steadfast
Object
Deathly Grin Malice Indestructible Determined
Drago nlike Pride Indeterminate Excitable
Size
Duskwalker Furtive

136
Name Group Anima Personality Name Group Anima Personality
Insatiate Jaws Gluttonous Polluted Odious

Inverse Contrarian Portal Wandering

Kinetic Fair Radiant Vain

Lantern Demagogue Sandshaper Resourceful

Persona Traits
League Flighty Shatters Like Cowardly
Sprinter Glass
Life in Charitable Silver-tongued Amicable
Footsteps
Simulacrum Reputed
Light Eater Pessimistic
Spiral Unstable
Liquid Flesh Acrobatic
Sure of Foot Confidence
Living Trap Entitled
Third Eye Curious
Living Bloodthirsty
Weapon Torn Apart Regretful
Magnetic Lustful
Touch of Dust Cruel
Man in the Reliant
Box Towering Boisterous

Many Masks Insecure Treasure Box Secretive

Mimic Adaptable Twin Empathetic

Music Box Minstrel Unihorned Pure

Of Many, One Gossiping Webweaver Brooding

O mnidextrous Opportunist Wellspring Humble
Painted Envious Windborne Capricio us

Patchwork Wheedling Words Within Academic

Phased Mischievous

137
 Achilles’ Heel “I was dismayed when I saw the obstacle before us.
We hadn't brought what we needed, and so there was
no obvious way to proceed. I was surprised when my
friend reached into himself and withdrew exactly the
BOASTFUL: “None can dare to challenge my might!” tool we would need to continue.”
An Eido lon displays Boastfulness if: Superficial: The Eidolo n's body co nceals a secret
 He inflates his own reputation at the expense of compartment within her heart that can hold almost
others. any object or tool without it taking up space.
 He makes claims and bets which are beyond his Drawing and placing things into this co mpartment
Persona Traits

capability. takes careful concentratio n. By spending a po int of

 He demands recognitio n for his deeds from Anima, the Eidolo n can draw any small-sized
others. mundane object, tool, or device from this
“His strength was apparent from his imposing figure. compartment (presumably because she placed it
Only the reddish crystal in his forehead displayed the there ahead of time in preparatio n).
slightest weakness, for I could see slight cracks Deep: The Eidolo n's internal co mpartment is larger,
formed in it from battles past.”
and can co ntain and disgorge larger objects and
Superficial: A small patch of vulnerable skin, tools, some as large as herself. Though living things
perhaps the size of a fist, appears somewhere on the can never be stored in this way, organic objects like
Eidolo n's flesh. The rest of his body becomes as food can be. The Eido lon does not need to spend
tough as hardened oak, but this patch of skin Anima to draw things from this co mpartment.
remains soft and vulnerable. A strike to the
All Co nsuming: The Eido lon's internal storage can
vulnerable area, wracks his body with extreme pain,
contain even rare and magical treasures. By
disabling him temporarily and returning his
spending a po int of any kind of Anima, the Eido lon
defenses to normal.
can draw wo nders from her internal storage as well.
Deep: The weak point of the Eidolo n grows slightly For each item the Eido lon draws from her internal
and beco mes more obvious to those who see it. He storage and does no t replace by the end of an
also gains great strength to match his tough exterior, encounter, she loses 1 Anima or suffers a deep
becoming no t wholly invulnerable to wounds, but wound that disables this ability (she must lose
very close. A strike to the vulnerable area severely Anima if possible before taking the wound). Any
debilitates him, negating his physical defenses items that are not replaced into her storage will
temporarily and reducing his ability to move and vanish in several hours.
act.
All Consuming: The Eidolo n's weakness becomes
more prominent, often glowing or pulsing—perhaps
even taking on the form of his exposed heart. His Arclight
body is co mpletely indestructible, and possessed of
great strength. However, a single solid blow to this
weak po int will co mpletely debilitate him.
IN GENIOU S: “I think I have a plan...”
An Eido lon displays Ingenuity if:
 He discovers new but effective uses for the tools
at hand.
Always Prepared  He is interested in repairing, using, and
improving technology.
 His plans for overcoming obstacles and enemies
ORGANIZATION: “Don't worry, I know exactly what display remarkable insight.
the plan is.” “Coils rose from his shoulders and crackled with
An Eido lon displays Organization if: powerful electrical charge. He raised his hands, and
let out a cry, and the night sky was lit like day with
 He needs to know and plan out every detail of the bolt of thunder that reached down to meet his
an activity or schedule. call.”
 He remembers tiny details about things that
Superficial: Small fixtures in the Eido lon's body are
were said or done. capable of releasing electric current that can be
 He keeps a large assortment of tools and items.

138
channeled to activate electronic machines, shock All Consuming: The Eido lon can freely change her
enemies with a touch, or form small magnetic fields. appearance to anything she wishes, though she must
be careful to suppress her body of flowing colors and
Deep: The electric fixtures on the Eido lon's body
sounds if she is to be passable as ano ther being.
become more pronounced, and capable of producing
While these Eidolo ns can easily frighten, inspire,
a more deadly electric shock. Furthermore, the
and seduce others, they are more fragile, and flake
Eidolo n can 'sync up' with machines and control or
away at a touch—just like an oil painting.
speak to them in mysterious ways.
All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n's body co nstantly

Persona Traits
brims with electric power, and it is sometimes
difficult to contain. He can extend bolts of electrical
force like tentacles of magnetic power to grapple and Artificially Sustained
manipulate metal, and can blast with the power of a
thunderbolt. When grounded, however, he loses all
of these powers, making rubber shoes indispensable. O BSESSIVE : “Sorry, I was just thinking about it
again... I just can't seem to get it off of my mind.”
An Eido lon displays Obsessive Tendencies if:
 She talks continuo usly about one thing, or
Art Cast Living becomes fixated o n that one thing.
 She cannot abando n a proposed course of actio n
or a plan until she has tried it.
ARTISTIC: “You can't just rush in—It has to be do ne  She pursues habitual courses of action when
with so me semblance of style.” presented with the opportunity or during free
time.
An Eido lon displays Artistic Tendencies if:
“She coughed discreetly as she reached again for the
 She is interested in the presentatio n of her vial of medicine that hung at her side. It was the
actio ns, describing vividly how she looks, acts, source of both her strength and misery, for without it,
or sounds. she would have been free.”
 She is interested in the art and culture of
Empyrean (or of Old Empyrean). Superficial: The Eidolo n gains a dependence on
 She spends her time working on artistic or some substance. While that substance is readily at
cultural endeavors. hand, he never grows tired, and can heal superficial
wounds easily by co nsuming it. There is no
“She existed only as color and sound, painting herself withdrawal or downside to running out of this
into the air with each action and word. She appeared substance at the superficial level. Also, the substance
as a watercolor painting on the canvas of the world, need no t be a consumable—it could as easily be an
and could recast herself to any image her heart
desired.” object, a feeling, or a person.

Superficial: The Eido lon can flow and move as Deep: While the Eidolo n is in possession of his
though a liquid. When standing still, she retains sustaining substance, he is slightly faster and
their ordinary shape and look, but when moving, she stronger than normal, and can regenerate superficial
can dart effortlessly through the arms or legs of wounds easily by consuming a portio n of the
clumsier foes without a tho ught. Climbing and substance. Without it, he becomes lethargic, and
acrobatics are also unnaturally easy for an Eido lon more susceptible to wounds than usual.
with this ability. Water is especially dangerous to All Consuming: The Eido lon's need for his artificial
the Eido lon, and dousing her with water temporarily sustenance supersedes any other need. While he has
removes these abilities and returns her to a normal, it, he gains proficiency in most mundane skills, and
static form. is much stronger than normal. However, his
Deep: While standing still, the Eido lon's dimensions sustaining force must co nstantly be replenished, as
vanish, and she appears to become a painting o n a having it near is no longer enough—it is co nstantly
wall or a part of the scenery. She can alter her being whittled away by his use. Without the
exterior colors to match those of her surroundings, substance, he becomes catato nic, and unable to act at
becoming invisible with an ever-shifting all.
camouflage.

139
 Babbling

Ashen Flesh
VERBOSE : “I do suppose the possibility of success
has a chance to somehow exist, in the context of this
plan.”
CALLOU S: “How do I feel about killing you?
Hmm... Do you feel a pang of guilt when burning An Eido lon displays Verbosity if:
Persona Traits

your garbage?”  She talks constantly, even when asked to be

An Eido lon displays Callousness if: quiet.
 She cannot keep a thought to herself, and must
 He does not feel any co mpunctio n or grief when speak her mind at every opportunity.
watching others come to harm.  She attempts to talk through problems and
 He ignores pleas of help from others. conflicts, even when other courses of actio n
 He appears to be emotionless or otherwise might be more expedient.
disco nnected from the pathos of those around
him. “His whole body seemed to hum and mumble in a
jitter of words, even though his mouth was closed.
“Her skin was grey and burnt, and flecked away as When he did speak, his voice shifted and took on
she brushed a hand to her cheek, as though it were many forms, from the roar of a lion to the crash of
made of ash. She shrugged calmly and pulled the thunder, to the whispering of a song.”
sword out from her breast, tossing it to the ground as
the wound closed painlessly.” Superficial: An Eidolo n with this trait can speak all
languages with ease. Furthermore, they speak all
Superficial: The Eido lon does not feel pain, and is languages at once, and do not need to translate or
never debilitated by the crippling pain of even the repeat themselves. Every person hears the Eido lon in
most terrible superficial wounds. She regenerates their own language.
sensitive organs like eyes, vitals, and skin with
supernatural speed, though bones and lost limbs take Deep: Able to emulate any sound, and Eido lon with
much lo nger. this trait can speak with the voice of a symphony or
the crash of a vo lcano. Their shout can deafen and in
Deep: Large portio ns of the Eido lon's body may be some cases even daze an enemy.
gouged out or blasted apart, and they will simply
flow back together like sand flowing back into a All Co nsuming: The body of the Eido lon ripples
mo ld. The Eido lon no longer has vitals other than with chittering vo ices, all speaking in co nflicting
the heart—her body is co mposed completely of tones. The Eidolo n serves as a hub for
powdery dust. The ability to ignore pain allows her communicatio n, and his allies can speak to him from
to push her muscles and senses beyond the normal any distance, and he can speak to them at any
limits. distance. This co mes at a price—however, as the
Eidolo n no lo nger has any internal mono logue.
All Co nsuming: Other than her heart, the Eido lon's Every thought that crosses his mind must be
body is co mpletely immune to pain or harm, and vocalized for the world to hear.
will regenerate any superficial wound in mo ments.
She can shift her cold flesh to a diamo nd-like
hardness on limited surfaces of her body, creating a
shield for her heart when necessary. In heavy winds
or in water, the dust that forms her body may begin Banneret
to disintegrate, however, leaving all her powers of
regeneratio n for naught.
BRAVE : “Abandon your fears and fight beside me!”
An Eido lon displays Bravery if:
 He will no t stand down when threatened.
 He puts himself in danger in order to save or
protect others.
 He rallies those around him to bravery by his
actio ns.

140
“A myriad of flags, banners, and sigils adorned every flourish of the hand, she can create walls of force
inch of his body. He was so heavily layered with that will repel or redirect most assaults. The air
valorous commendations I could scarcely believe a shimmers with these forces, making them apparent
man could bear their weight. I wondered if perhaps to intelligent creatures, but confounding to
there were no man at all, and that the very ideal of mo nsters. It requires both hands to maintain these
courage and bravery stood before me.”
barriers, and the Eidolo n canno t hold a barrier where
Superficial: Flags and banners are a part of the she cannot see.
Eidolo n's body. When he joins a battle or endeavor,
Deep: The Eido lon may use her power to create
he can let out a rallying cry that, by spending an

Persona Traits
Anima, inspires all those around him who might flee opaque, reflective, translucent, or glowing barriers.
in fear to turn and jo in the battle. Allies within sight Additio nally, she can maintain two separate barriers
of his banner can fight with slightly more within sight, one per hand.
proficiency. All Co nsuming: The Eido lon can create resistive
Deep: The sigils and medals of valor that cover the barriers that redirect force back upon attackers, or
Eidolo n's body reflect his power and strength. Just spring like rubber against strong forces. She can
maintain up to three of these barriers within sight at
as he inspires allies to courage, he can inspire
any given time—one per hand, and one with pure
enemies to fear with his charge. Though this power
visual focus. The Eido lon's pale, mask-like flesh
is weaker against Eidolo ns and strong minded
reacts vio lently to skin contact with any other
individuals, those who are wavering on the
creature, and she must keep others at a distance and
possibility of joining the battle on an enemy's side
wear heavy clo thing to avoid contact and the pain it
will inevitably turn and flee at the sight of him.
inflicts.
All Co nsuming: The Eido lon beco mes one with
battle, and those allies at his side are imbued with
the same infectio us strength, each fighting with a
proficiency of heroic proportio ns. So powerful is his
link to battle that the Eido lon is unable to stop Bastion
fighting until an enemy flees or surrenders. In order
to retreat, he must be forcibly bound or torn from
the conflict. SELFLESS: “How could I do no thing while others
need me?”
An Eido lon displays Selflessness if:

Barrier  He puts himself in harm’s way to protect those

around him.
 He thinks no thing of his own wounds or
inconvenience.
COU RTEOUS: “Let me speak for my co mpanio ns as  He offers to others what he could rightly keep
well when I say that we are most grateful for your for himself.
generosity.” “A sudden storm rose up as we climbed the cliff face,
and I was certain we were doomed. But our guide
An Eido lon displays Courtesy if: stood like an oak before us, shielding us from the
 She offers respect to others where it is due. torrent of wind with his own body. When the blast
 She acts in a well-mannered and well-tempered had ended, he dusted himself off and continued the
way, even when tempted to act otherwise. climb as though nothing had happened.”
 She wins the affectio ns and favor of those with Superficial: The Eidolo n's body becomes nearly
power and responsibility. invulnerable and is strong enough to resist direct
“As the avalanche closed over us, she calmly raised attacks from both guns and steel. Strong forces can
her hand, as if to catch that incredible flow. The air still knock him down or shove him aside, however.
shimmered above us, and as I watched in wonder, the
snow slid over us, cascading across an invisible Deep: Planting his feet firmly on the ground, the
barrier in the air.” Eidolo n gains great tractio n, and can brace against
almost any force. While no t co mpletely immo vable,
Superficial: The Eido lon's face hardens to become
it takes incredible force to lift him from his positio n.
much like a mask, though o ne that captures her
Additio nally, he may grow slightly larger while
features perfectly and beautifully. Her flesh is
using this ability.
powdered pale, as though with makeup. With a

141
 All Consuming: The Eido lon can utilize his Beast Master
selflessness to become a veritable fortress, growing
several sizes larger than normal, and beco ming
completely invulnerable and immo bile. With this
great power, however, comes great weight and a CONTROLLING: “How dare you defy me?”
terrible loss of speed. An Eido lon displays Contro lling tendencies if:
 He needs to be the one ‘in charge’ of the team.
 He takes control and gives orders with ease.
Persona Traits

 He manipulates others by a careful

Beast Form understanding of their mo tivatio ns and desires.
“He spoke to the earth, and it burst forth with a
myriad of life, all rising to obey and serve him.”
COMPETITIVE : “Let's settle this with a challenge...” Superficial: The Eido lon has the power to speak to
animals and assert some limited control over them.
An Eido lon displays Competitiveness if:
Since the Eido lons are creatures much akin to
 He will no t back down from a challenge to his Anima Spirits, less intelligent wild creatures will
abilities. interpret their co mmands as the vo ice of nature
 He feels a need to display superiority over itself, and obey without questio n.
others.
Deep: The Eido lon can bind to himself a single
 He challenges others even when he canno t be
creature who serves him as a pet. The bound
sure of victory.
creature obeys unquestio ningly his master's
“He crouched low, waiting to strike. I braced myself
to do battle with the man, but what leapt for me was commands, and can speak and share its eyes with its
not a man, but a nightmare of claws, fangs, and master. If killed, the Beast Master can spend Anima
fury.” to revive his pet, just as he can heal himself.
Superficial: The Eido lon's teeth lengthen into fangs, All Consuming: Using the power of Anima to give
and his fingers sharpen into claws. With a little life to dust, the Eido lon can create wild beasts and
concentration he may transform into any natural creatures with a thought. These simulacra obey his
creature he has seen or studied. He does no t beco me orders completely before turning to dust. The
an exact copy of the creature, but he does become a Eidolo n must maintain focus to hold the reigns of
perfect member of its species. The size of the control over his creatio ns. If he loses concentratio n
creature he can become must no t be larger or smaller or performs a strenuous activity while controlling
than his own natural size. these beasts, they will turn upon him out of spite for
their forced, unnatural life.
Deep: With even greater control over his form, the
Beast Former can become a creature as large as four
times his own size, or as small as a quarter of his
own size.
All Consuming: The Eidolo n can transform into
Blissful Gaze
even mythical or fantastic creatures, even forming
his own unnatural “chimera” creatures by fusing
multiple animal traits together. He is never able to OPTIMISTIC: “Try to think positive—it will do us
take on the same form twice, and must co nstantly all good.”
shift his physical features to match the challenge at
hand. An Eido lon displays Optimism if:
 She never admits defeat or gives up hope.
 She relies on others, even when there is no
evidence they will help or aid her.
 She considers the optimal outcome of a situatio n
as a given, rather than a possibility.
“She looked at me with a serene smile, and I felt all
my worries and anger melt away. My head was
clouded with a giddy excitement, and I was unable to
think for the beautiful calm that had settled into my
mind.”

142
Superficial: One or both of the Eido lon's eyes glows Deep: The Eido lon's chains gain additio nal weights
with a soft white light. With direct eye contact and or burdens, such as books, blades, treasure chests, or
an expenditure of Anima, the Eidolo n can cause an the like, which can add power and utility to their
artificial happiness to well up within another who is mo vements but can prove as much of an
not extremely agitated or distracted. This sensatio n impediment in the wrong situations.
causes the target to behave much like he is
All Co nsuming: The Eido lon beco mes bound to a
intoxicated, saying or doing things that he would
debilitating object such as a throne, heavy treasure
not otherwise, and becoming rather susceptible to
chest, massive sword, giant rock, or some similar
suggestio n. After a single dose of this false

Persona Traits
structure that precludes mo vement entirely, unless
happiness, creatures develop an immunity to it that
he spends Anima to pick up his bo nd and mo ve it
lasts a lifetime.
with him (or has assistance with it). The Eido lon
Deep: The Eidolo n can turn her calming gaze to can trap anyone who comes close to him by lashing
create a rush of excitement and optimism-fueled them to the same bo nd he shares, debilitating them
adrenaline as well. This inspires an ally to in a way similar to his own. With assistance, he can
temporarily forget his wounds and act with full also use his massive bond as a weapon against foes,
proficiency. Allies do not beco me immune to this to hold ground from enemies, or provide shelter,
boost of energy if they willfully accept it. depending o n the type of bond.
All Consuming: The Eido lon's gaze can send even
an angry, rampaging beast to its knees for a few
mo ments. So co nsumed by optimism and bliss, the
Eidolo n loses some sense of Empathy. She never Carapace
feels urgency, anger, or despair, and is unable to
actively engage in co mbat with any creature.
Instead, she is relegated to aiding allies and fighting
indirectly. GRUFF: “If you're not go ing to make yourself useful,
then get out of the way.”
An Eido lon displays Gruffness if:
 He pushes away others who would become close
Bound to him.
 He speaks to others harshly.
 He shows little patience with the failures of
those around him.
DUTIFUL: “Come wind or storm, it's my duty, and “A hardened shell covered in rough spikes covered
I'll not leave it.” his back, making him slow but sturdy. That shell was
An Eido lon displays Dutifulness if: as much a weapon as a defense, and I could smell the
blood upon the barbs of it.”
 She will no t abandon a cause even when all
seems lost. Superficial: A thick, plated shell covers the exterior
 She operates according to plans and objectives, of the Eido lon. The shell fits co mfortable and is
rather than desires and whims. normally soft, but can be strengthened to resist
 She accepts responsibility and takes it seriously. heavy impacts and absorb direct attacks easily.
“Chains bound her body from head to toe, holding Deep: The Eidolo n's exoskeleton is always at full
her arms fast at her sids and shackling her down to strength, and canno t be cracked except by the
all manner of weapons and weights. We thought her toughest of forces. Additio nally, he can adorn his
helpless, but at her command, those same chains rose shell with spikes, barbs, or hooks that cause
up and brought their weapons to bear against us.”
extensive damage when slammed into enemies.
Superficial: Chains, or some other form of bond,
form on the limbs of the Eido lon. These can be used All Consuming: The Eido lon's bulky outer shell is
to grapple, shield oneself, or lash out at enemies. completely indestructible, and makes a powerful
The chain's owner has some control over the physics weapon in additio n to its capabilities as armor. It is
surrounding his chains. A bound character can never coated with a natural oil that makes impacts slide off
escape from a bond or imprisonment without of it, making its spikes or barbs even deadlier.
assistance. However, the grotesque shape of the shell and the
smell this o il emits make the Eidolo n unwelco me in
most social situatio ns.

143
  She cannot stand to have a job half-done or
sloppily do ne.
“He moved with a rigid but practiced step, each
Cartwheel footfall measured exactly to a distance from the last.
His voice was like sheets of tin scraping together, and
he appeared as heavy as a solid stone.”
Superficial: The Eidolo n's bodily is partially or
RECKLESS: “It's all about the rush.” who lly created from machines and synthetic parts.
An Eido lon displays Recklessness if: With mechanical precisio n and hydraulic strength,
Persona Traits

the Eidolo n can act with great force, both on a

 He acts without thought of the consequences to concentrated and wide scale.
himself or others.
 He is more interested in the excitement of a Deep: The Eido lon can graft mechanical and
plan or course of actio ns than its practicality. technological enhancements into his clockwork
 He plays against odds and plays against them at body, so that they have increased power or limitless
high stakes. ammunitio n. He may also require alternate
“A huge wheel of wood and stone was bound to his sustenance, such as oil and fuel rather than food and
back, its weight and ponderousness cutting down into water. As with all machines, he is susceptible to
his flesh. As I watched in wonder, he swung the jamming and malfunctio n if he becomes too dirty or
wheel down from his back and proceeded to ride wet.
upon it, becoming an unstoppable, uncontrollable
force.” All Consuming: The Eido lon is predictable. Anyo ne
who has watched him for a few minutes (or even a
Superficial: A wheel or sled of some kind is built
few seconds in co mbat) and has the presence of
into the Eido lon's body. She can use this implement
mind to consider him can predict exactly how he
to hurl herself at great speed in any directio n,
will move and act. The limits of his gears prevent
usually dictated by gravity. While rushing like this,
him from do ing otherwise. The Eidolo n's clockwork
her body is protected by the wheel. However, once
strength is so great that o nce he engages in an actio n
she drops to a controllable speed, this invulnerability
or attack, it cannot be stopped or sabotaged (though
fades.
it may still be resisted).
Deep: The Eidolo n's wheel is her preferred method
of movement. While moving at great speed, she is
unstoppable, able to smash through all but the
strongest barriers. Those that are too strong to be
broken will deflect her without harm. Compass
All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n is bound to her wheel,
and must utilize it for all movement. While mo ving
at great speeds, she gains some limited hovering FAITH: “Things will work out—just try to believe.”
ability, and can lift into the air like a helicopter or a An Eido lon displays Faith if:
boomerang.
 He believes in a higher power that guides him
and his actions.
 He trusts others to lead him and guide him.
 He often bases decisio ns on uncertainties which
Clockwork he unwaveringly expects to come to pass.
“Her flesh was scrawled with notes and treasures and
warnings like the face of a map, and her hair was
black and sparkling with motes of light like a star
M ETICULOU S: “There's a certain way it has to be chart. When she spoke, it was with perfect
done.” confidence regarding our next destination and what
we would find there.”
An Eido lon displays Meticulousness if:
Superficial: With a map of the world and the
 She does things ‘by the book’ or according to heavens written down upon his very flesh, the
rigid guidelines. Eidolo n seems to have an uncanny grasp of the order
 She leaves things in order, and avoids disturbing
of things around him. By fueling this power with
others or their property.
Anima, he can reach within his soul and find the
path to any destinatio n, provided that he knows

144
what he is looking for. All Co nsuming: The Eido lon's conscriptive nature
brings all those around her together to her will. She
Deep: The Eido lon has a supernatural clairvoyance
can request dangerous and strenuous favors, such as
which reveals the locatio ns of things around him.
to fight in her name or to sacrifice one's life in her
He can sense even the contents of closed doors or
place. For all this, the Eido lon becomes far more
containers. These supernatural senses flood in faster
delicate, and suffers deep wounds far more easily
than his natural senses, and sometimes even faster
than others.
than time itself, giving the Eido lon a limited pre-
cognizance.

Persona Traits
All Consuming: The Eido lon is blind and deaf, and
must rely who lly on his supernatural senses for
directio n. He instinctively knows the architectural Crystalline
layout of any area he is in, and has a clairvoyant
sense of who occupies space and where. However,
these senses are not always easily to interpret, and LUCID: “It all seems perfectly clear to me.”
make his reflexes slow.
An Eido lon displays Lucidity if:
 He does not doubt his decisions or actio ns.
 He reflects carefully upon his words before
speaking, and speaks exactly as he means.
Cosmopolitan  He remains calm in the face of chaos and
danger.
“His whole body was covered in crystals of perfect
FASHIONABLE : “It's the look that counts. color and clarity, reflecting the light like a prism. A
Everything else is second impressions.” calming light seemed to wash over me at his smile,
and he exuded an aura of knight and scholar and
An Eido lon displays Fashio nable Tendencies if: sage all merged into one.”
 She worries about what others will perceive her Superficial: Crystals adorn the body of the Eidolo n,
as. and these can store and release light as needed. With
 She strives to adopt the custo ms, fashion, sufficient charge, the Eido lon can release beams of
language, and ideas of whatever culture she intense, burning light, or radiate like a lantern.
visits.
Deep: The Eidolon's crystalline body is resistant to
 She takes an interest in politics, art, and culture
damage, but is brittle and shatters with sufficient
of the realms of the world.
“Before I even saw her, I knew. This is someone that I force. By drawing in light fro m the sun or some
wanted to be around. Someone worth listening to. other powerful source, the Eidolo n can restore his
Someone worth lending support to. When I saw her, crystal flesh with o nly a few moments of
all semblance of doubt fled from my mind. I wanted concentration.
to be beside her, and hear her. I wasn't alone.” All Consuming: The Eido lon's transparent body
Superficial: The Eidolo n possesses a jewel that looks reveals a heart encased in crystal and pulsing with
similar to jewelry of o ne kind or another, but built glorious light. Able to generate his own powerful
into her body. By 'turning on the charm', the source of light at will by expending Anima, the
Eidolo n makes everyone who gazes upon the light of Eidolo n's transparent flesh makes it easy for
this jewel co nsider her as a friend, even if they have enemies to strike out at his heart, creating an easy
never before met. This effect doesn't work on target for some.
enemies or those who have renounced the Eidolo n as
a friend due to her actio ns.
Deep: Beloved of those surrounding her, the Eido lon
may ask favors of those who are caught in the web
of her will. These false friends are not just friendly,
but loyal to the Eidolo n. Even in the face of reasons
to the co ntrary, they will co ntinue to treat her as a
friend and ally. This effect still only works in social
situatio ns—the Eido lon cannot request any
dangerous or strenuous favors from her allies.

145
 Deathly Grin considered for a potential meal just as seriously as for
a potential ally.”
Superficial: Scales and neck frills adorn the
Eidolo n's flesh, making him tougher and more
M ALICE : “There's no point if I can't watch so meone resilient to the elements. He is taller and stronger
suffer.” than average, and may also develop claws and a tail,
An Eido lon displays Malice if: depending o n the exact manifestatio ns of the trait.
 She takes pleasure in harming others or taking Deep: The Eido lon can co ntort his body like a lizard,
Persona Traits

revenge for wrongdo ings against her. and slither up walls and across floors easily. He
 She holds grudges for long periods, and will not develops the ability to breathe fire, as well as to eat
accept apologies. raw meat without fear of disease. With effort, he
 She relishes in wielding power over others to can grow slightly larger and shift shape to the size
their detriment. and form of a small land drago n.
“When I looked into her black eyes and her sinister,
All Co nsuming: With the ability to transform into a
expectant grin, I saw a premeditated, methodical evil
more profound than anything I had ever imagined. It full-sized dragon at will, the dragonlike Eidolo n can
chilled me so deeply, I could neither scream nor fly and possesses great might. However, regardless
run.” of his size, he possesses the appetite and metabo lism
of a full sized drago n, and is unable to sleep soundly
Superficial: The Eidolo n's eyes take on a pitch black except on a bed of gold.
sheen. With direct eye contact, they can freeze a
sentient enemy perfectly in place with fear for as
lo ng the eye contact is maintained.
Deep: Any creature who sees the Eido lon's face is
struck with terrible fear. After a few moments of
Duskwalker
broken line of sight with the Eido lon, beings who
have been frozen in fear can break free of the
power's grip and return to normal, though they may FURTIVE: “I’m not sticking my neck out there. I’ll
still be shaken for several minutes afterward. stay back here where it’s safe.”
All Consuming: A single look at the Eidolo n's face An Eido lon displays Furtiveness if:
induces blood curdling madness. Even after line of
sight or eye contact is broken, a victim is often so  He prefers to keep to himself and avo ids
shaken they can do nothing but curl up and whimper attentio n.
on the ground. If the Eido lon ever glimpses her own  Stays out of danger and dangerous situations.
reflectio n, however, she suffers the same terror that  Avo ids taking risks or putting himself in
situatio ns that could become dangerous.
is inflicted on others by her gaze.
“I wasn't sure at first if it was a man or a shadow that
approached me. He seemed to be both there and not. I
know he gave me his name, and showed me his face,
but in my memories there are only shadows of our
Dragonlike conversation, and I'm certain that I would not
recognize him, should I meet him again.”
Superficial: The darkness seems to shift and clamor
PRIDE : “You're nothing co mpared to me!” about the Eidolo n's feet like a robe. The Eido lon's
features and words become muddled and vague
An Eido lon displays Pride if: when recalled, and he blends away to near
 He talks down to others or demands undue invisibility in crowds or dark corners.
respect from them. Deep: The Eidolo n can become a shadow, and
 He feels that he is above law, courtesy, or physical forces pass through him as though he were
morality. made only of smoke. As a shadow, however, he is
 He overestimates his abilities or reputatio n. unable to come into direct contact with glowing
“His skin was covered in scales, and he seemed to objects, bright lights, or fire without being harmed.
slither in a lithe, practiced way, even as he crossed
the floor. Little jets of smoke escaped his mouth, and I These objects are always solid to him.
knew on some instinctive level that I was being

146
All Consuming: Able to manipulate his shadow as a Edible
weapon and a shield, the Eido lon is also bound to it.
Bright light sears his body, and can leave blistering
scars. While in darkness or dim lights, he can form
powerful weapons, blades, armor, and other tools COLLU SIVE: “Let's just give them what they want,
from the very darkness around him. and maybe they'll leave us alone...”
An Eido lon displays Collusion if:
 He gives up or surrenders with little resistance.

Persona Traits
 He will quickly apologize or back down from
Earth Whisperer things he has said.
 He attempts to bargain with enemies to save his
own skin.
CONSCIENTIOU S: “You have to consider the bigger “Looking at him, a strange, alien hunger seemed to
picture.” come upon me. I couldn't help myself, he just looked
too delicious to resist...”
An Eido lon displays Conscientiousness if:
Superficial: The Eidolo n's body is actually composed
 She considers the larger outcome of her actio ns. of some commo nly edible substance, such as bread,
 She is concerned with the culture, welfare, and confectioner's sugar, smoked meat, or the like.
development of realms. Enemies find it difficult to ignore this creature, and
 She shows an interest in the mo tivatio ns and focus on him first whenever they would want to
reasons for others actio ns, even her enemies. make a snack of any party member.
“As she spoke to the earth, I felt the whisper of a
Deep: Even more edible than before, the Eido lon
breeze and the soft settling of loam as a reply. The
ground swelled to aid her, forming stairs of stone to gives off a wo nderful odor of freshly baked bread,
make a way out for us.” freshly roasted meat, or other delicious foods that
even civilized creatures have trouble resisting.
Superficial: The Eido lon is possessed of a go lden
tongue that knows the secret language of the stones. All Consuming: The Eido lon can lace his body with
By pleading for aid from the earth, the Eido lon can natural toxins, making his flesh deadly or at least
cause tremors, reform terrain, and raise barricades of unpleasant for any who happen to eat it. If he
stone. The earth is more able to hear and respond to willfully wounds himself by tearing off a limb, or
the Eido lon in undeveloped places, such as fields or other body part, that part grows back quickly, just as
caverns, where civiliz ation has not co nquered. it was before being torn off.

Deep: The Eido lon's power of speech expands to

enco mpass water as well. Using this gift, she can
speak to oceans and streams, all of which connect
and form a valuable network of informatio n. Endless Knives
All Consuming: Able to speak to the sky itself, the
Eidolo n has almost unlimited access to informatio n
from a bird's eye view, and can call down thunder, RELENTLESS: “You know I'm not go ing to stop until
lightning, and heavy winds in places where the air is I have my way, so make this easier for us all and
clear and unpolluted. This mighty voice co mes at yield.”
the price of her ability to speak other languages.
An Eido lon displays Relentlessness if:
Though she can speak silently to the earth, other
creatures regard her to be wholly mute.  He will no t stop fighting until his enemies are
dead or surrendered.
 He continues to press others for information or
concessio ns even after being told off.
 He ignores threats, injunctio ns, or ultimatums
witho ut considering them.
“He came at me in a stream of blades—a whirling
torrent of death and blood that whipped through
everything in its way and whisked toward me at

147
 inhuman speed. I didn't have even the time to Deep: With a greater infusion of will, the Eido lon
scream...” can hurl blasts of elemental energy in whatever
Superficial: The Eidolo n's skin takes on a silvery, flavor she wishes. These blasts explode on contact
metallic sheen, and he can produce metal weapons of with a target, and do no t energize it in the same way
any kind from beneath his skin with a thought. that she can energize objects with a touch.
These weapons disappear several seconds after they All Consuming: The Eido lon can draw out the
leave contact with him. The Eidolo n also gains a power of Anima to create new objects forged of pure
slight advantage to speed and perceptio n when using creative energy. Rather than a flaming sword, for
these blades. The Eido lon's own weapons, created
Persona Traits

example, she could create a sword of fire itself. The

from his flesh in this way, can never harm him. Eidolo n auto matically charges everything she
Deep: By focusing his power, the Eido lon can will touches with whatever type of energy she last used,
the blades he creates to last longer, even after they making everyday life awkward and so metimes
leave his immediate sight. This allows him to arm a difficult.
small force all on his own.
All Consuming: The Eidolo n can eject and
withdraw blades from any part of his body, making
him deadly o n every side. He can harden the Explosive
metallic sheen of his skin to create a powerful
defense against enemy strikes. However, contact
with water will cause his body to rust rapidly unless VINDICTIVE: “No one talks to me like that and gets
he dries off and po lishes his skin meticulo usly. away with it!”
An Eido lon displays Vindictiveness if:
 He must have the last word in an argument, or
Energized the last blow in a fight.
 He must ensure retribution against those who
wrong him.
 He reacts violently to small slights or others’
ATHLETIC: “Let's get up and mo ve! I'm no t go ing to mistakes.
sit here all day!”
“I could feel the temperature rising sharply as his
An Eido lon displays Athletic Tendencies if: anger grew hotter, eyes on me. His flesh turned red
with rage and concentration, and I ran, unsure of
 She prefers physical action to talking or puzzle what would happen, but certain that I did not want to
solving. be close when it did.”
 She trains constantly to increase her ability.
 She utilizes her own dexterity, strength, and Superficial: With bright red skin that is wholly
agility more than special powers, weapons, or immune to fire, the Eido lon can unleash explosive
tools. force from his body. Though he does not actually
explode, an explosive force washes off of him just as
“With a small effort of will, she charged her hand though he had.
with electric power. Lightning crackled between her
fingers as she touched the machine, and it whined Deep: The Eidolo n can cause objects to charge with
hideously and died in a puff of black smoke.” unstable energy and explode several seconds after
Superficial: The Eidolo n's fingertips become touching them. This unstable energy visibly warps
crystalline—looking like precious sto nes of various and deforms an object before it ignites.
hues. With a force of will, she can fill her hands All Co nsuming: With greater control over his
with elemental power and press that power into power, the Eidolo n can create concentrated and
another object with a touch. This power can be used pinpoint explosions that lash out in o nly a single
to create a flaming sword, to ground an electrical directio n or in a co ne before him. He is unable to
device, or to create a shield against elemental turn down a challenge, ignore a threat, or be insulted
attacks, just to provide a few examples. The effect of or struck witho ut returning the same in kind unless
this power is always localized, and generally wears physically prevented from do ing so.
off within a few minutes of activation.

148
 Eye of Flame Deep: With a gaze that penetrates both word and
actio n, the Eidolo n can read another's body language
and intentio ns almost without fail. He instinctively
senses insecurity, fear, confidence, deception, and
ZEALOUS: “Any means necessary are justified by the like.
my goal.”
All Co nsuming: By gazing into the eyes of another,
An Eido lon displays Zeal if: the Eido lon is able to read the very thoughts from
 She pursues her goals with fanatical devotio n. another's mind. While he cannot dredge up the

Persona Traits
 She believes in ideals and is prepared to act upon thoughts or memories of another, he can read their
them. surface thoughts. So deeply ingrained in his being is
 She is willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of the spirit of truth, the Eidolo n beco mes unable to lie
an idea or moral. willfully.

“With eyes of smoldering flame, he looked at me,

passing judgment in a single moment. As I felt the
flames began to sear through my very skull, I knew I
had been found unworthy.” Featherweight
Superficial: Burning with an eternal flame, the
Eidolo n's eyes glow red hot with power. With a
look, he can ignite anything within sight, setting it DISHONORABLE : “I know what I said, but the
aflame if flammable, melting it if not. situatio n has changed.”
Deep: The Eido lon's flame grows in power, and can An Eido lon displays Disho nor if:
lance out as a physical beam of red-ho t energy that
slices through anything he gazes upon.  He goes back on his co mmitments witho ut
compunction.
All Consuming: With power exceeding reason or  He uses underhanded tactics or cheating to get
judgment, the Eidolo n's gaze burns to cinders what he wants.
anything it rests upo n, whether he wills it or not.  He quickly abando ns codes or morals when they
no lo nger suit him.
“He stood strong and imposing in my way, but as I
stepped forward to face him, his confidence wavered.
Eye of Truth I saw the worry in his eyes, and in a rush of
inspiration, I charged forward. As though he weighed
no more than a stone, I tossed him aside.”
HONEST: “If I canno t trust my own words, how can Superficial: Though he is as strong as any ordinary
I trust anything?” creature of his stature, the Eidolo n has very little
weight—only a tenth of what he would normally
An Eido lon displays Honesty if:
weigh. Others can push him abo ut or toss him aside
 He feels compelled to tell the truth, especially with little effort.
when it is inconvenient.
 He does not embellish the truth, nor detract Deep: The Eidolo n's weight diminishes even more,
from it in speaking. so much so that a strong wind can pull him away.
 He speaks and acts earnestly, believing in the Many Eido lons compensate for this by wearing
heavy armor and clothing to increase their weight.
things he says and does.
“His glowing gaze seemed to burn through me, All Consuming: Completely weightless, the Eido lon
reading me from the inside out. I knew that every has limited control over his movement. Like a ghost,
word I spoke and every move I made was being he can guide himself slowly though the air, and can
scrutinized. A single lie, and I would be undone.” fly freely without external aid. Anything he wears
or carries becomes weightless while in his grip as
Superficial: The Eido lon's eyes glow a haunting well.
bluish co lor, and his gaze intimidates any whose
eyes he meets. The Eidolo n can instinctively tell if
the words spoken by another are truth or lies, as
lo ng as he is able to meet eyes with the speaker
while he speaks.

149
 Festival “One massive arm dragged the ground behind
him.Though it must have weighed a ton, he lifted it
with an indifferent sort of boredom and smashed
through the gate in a single blow.”
JUBILANT: “This calls for a celebratio n!” Superficial: One of the Eido lon's limbs is overlarge
An Eido lon displays Jubilance if: and heavy. The additio nal weight of this arm makes
it slow to move, but nearly unstoppable once it is set
 He spends his spare time partying or into motio n.
celebrating.
Persona Traits

 He will accept any excuse to celebrate. Deep: The Eidolo n's heavy limb is hardened to the
 He pays special attentio n to traditio n, ho idays, point of indestructibility, and his grasp is strong
and festival culture of the realms he visits. enough to twist metal with ease. He may adorn this
arm with barbs or nails so that it causes additio nal
“A broad, smiling man stood before the crowd, as damage when used to attack.
though ready to make a celebratory speech. He raised
his hands in the air and, with a clap, an explosion of All Co nsuming: Weighted by his heavy limb, the
fireworks and brilliant lights erupted overhead, Eidolo n is unable to run or quickly react to
drawing the awe of the crowd and heralding the start oncoming danger. He can fuel Anima into this limb
of the festivities.” to increase the weight and durability of his entire
Superficial: The Eido lon's hands are dusted with body for a short time, becoming like an unstoppable
gunpowder, and the smell of delicious food and wine golem of granite.
follow him everywhere. With a simple snap, he can
create brilliant flashes of light or sounds like
fireworks. He can light candles or fuses and can
send out showers of colored sparks with a flick of his
fingers.
Forked Tongue
Deep: With a little concentratio n, the Eido lon can
will rockets and fireworks into being around him.
DUPLICITOUS: “A little lie can take you a lo ng
These rockets are too small to carry people, but
way.”
could be used to send messages, carry small objects,
or create projectiles of light and deafening sound. An Eido lon displays Duplicity if:
All Consuming: The Eidolo n can create rockets  He uses lies to get his way.
large enough to fly upon, and can send fire and  He has no compunction at deceiving others.
sparks from his feet to hover or leap great distances  He accepts credit and rewards where they are
with rocket power. He requires laughter and wo nder not due to him.
much like others require food, and his powers begin “I didn't want to believe, but his words had that grim
to wane unless he can entertain and be entertained. quality of truth to them. They were the kind of words
you hope are a lie, but cannot deny deep down.”
Superficial: With a snakelike tongue, the Eido lon
finds it uncannily easy to weave tales and lies that
Fist of Stone will goad o thers into doing his bidding. Non-
Eidolo ns will believe the speaker without fail, and
Eidolo ns are hard pressed to ignore his words.
SLOTHFUL : “That seems like a lot of trouble for Deep: Even Eidolo ns believe the speaker's words
what it will get us.” witho ut fail, as lo ng as they are not presented with
evidence to the contrary.
An Eido lon displays Sloth if:
All Consuming: Even in the face of direct evidence
 She seems uninterested in rewards and
to the contrary, those who hear the Eido lon's words
incentives which would normally catch her
can do naught but to believe them. However, the
attentio n.
Eidolo n is unable to lie, and thus must forge his
 She declines quests, jobs, and chances to help
deceptio ns through half-truths alo ne.
others if they seem to inconvenient.
 She is interested in getting a full share of
rewards while doing as little work as possible.

150
 Frozen Heart with a glittering smile. As I reached out to touch
them, the gold sheen of them began to cover my own
skin, sinking in to the bone, turning me to gold.”
Superficial: With shimmering go lden skin, the
SOLITARY: “I don’t need you or anyo ne else to help Eidolo n can create gold co ins and other small gold
me.” baubles with a touch. These baubles can be used to
An Eido lon displays Solitary Tendencies if: tempt others, to make payments, or for any other
use that a soft, highly co nductive metal might find.
 He keeps to himself and does not share his past The gold created by the Eidolo n is real, and does not

Persona Traits
or feelings with others. disappear or fade with time. Creating gold like this
 He prefers to be alone, rather than to travel or exhausts an Eido lon, and most cannot create more
stay with the group. than a handful of coins without rest.
 He seeks out quests, adventures, or jobs that
allow him to work alo ne. Deep: Just as creating go ld exhausts the Eidolo n,
consuming it gives him strength. He can devour
“Her lips were blue and icy, and little wisps of frost precious metals and gemsto nes to restore his
escaped her lips in the summer heat. As she looked at
me, I felt my blood turn to ice, and everything went wounds, though he cannot consume go ld that he has
dark as her impossibly cold fingers brushed my eyes. created himself.

Superficial: Chilled by so litude and separatio n, the All Consuming: Anything the Eidolo n touches
Eidolo n is able to create ice with a touch, or harden becomes tinged with go ld, and eventually turns to
the vapor in the air into a solid form. Immune to gold completely. This transformatio n gradually
cold, Eidolo ns with this ability are susceptible to wears off on Eidolo ns, but is permanent when
heat and fire. effected on other things. The Eidolo n is unable
prevent himself from using this ability o n anything
Deep: The Eidolo n's sphere of influence with this he touches.
power increases. Temperatures drop when she enters
a room, and she can freeze nearby sources of water
with a look rather than a touch. Summer plants
often wither in her gaze.
All Consuming: Fire flees from the presence of the
Graven Eye
Eidolo n, and candles, fireplaces, campfires, and any
other incandescent source of light or heat sputters
out in her presence. Combustion-powered weapons SCORNFUL : “Someday I hope I’ll understand why
and engines refuse to work in her presence, and we put up with someone as worthless as you.”
incendiary weapons have no effect on her or those An Eido lon displays Scorn if:
around her.
 She talks harshly to others and reprimands them
strongly.
 She expects more of others than is reasonable.
 She feels entitled to the service and praise of
Gilded others.
“She looked at me with such derision and scorn as I
had never seen—her stony eyes glinting with
GREEDY: “If there's profit to be had, count me in.” terrifying malice. And then, as my eyes met hers,
everything was suddenly dark.”
An Eido lon displays Greed if:
Superficial: For as long as the Eidolo n's sto ne eyes
 He desires wealth for its own sake, rather than meet those of another, that victim is turned to solid
its uses. stone, and he is unable to move or act.
 He thinks of value solely in terms of money,
rather than utility, spiritual, or sentimental Deep: The Eidolo n's gaze can turn ano ther to solid
value. stone, and even when she looks away they remain
 He hoards money and does not spend it when he stone for several seconds afterwards. She can harden
does not have to. her own flesh to stone by closing her eyes for a
mo ment, though unlike her victims, she moves
“His skin shimmered like the sun, and his hands freely while in this state.
glittered with outstretched treasures, offered to me

151
 All Consuming: A being turned to stone by the Hand Cannon
Eidolo n's gaze remains a solid stone statue until the
rising of the sun the next morning (or for 24 hours
in regio ns with no sunrise or sunset). An Eido lon
with this trait is unable to love or form meaningful HEADSTRONG: “Anyo ne who doesn't get our of my
relationships. None are loyal to her, and will serve way had better be prepared to get hurt!”
her only out of fear or for the promise of a reward. An Eido lon is Headstro ng if:
Note: Stone is chosen for classical reasons. Feel free  He prefers direct approaches in situatio ns where
Persona Traits

to use glass, steel, coral, go ld, or anything else that delicacy is expected.
suits the flavor of your character.  He does not bow or bend to the authority of
others.
 He strongly prefers actio n to deliberation.
“He raised his hand and shouted, unleashing a
Grey barrage of molten energy that splashed through our
best-laid defenses. All we could do was to cover our
heads and pray for our lives.”
APATHY: “Tell me why I should care?” Superficial: The Eidolo n's palms open up into veins
that connect to his heart and open into the air. With
An Eido lon displays Apathy if: a thought, the Eidolo n can send a surge
 She seems disinterested in events of Anima through these veins,
around her. which manifests as a powerful
 She is not moved to emotion or distress burst of elemental energy.
by any means. Deep: With increased power,
 She has no care for the wellbeing of the Eidolo n's Hand canno n can
herself or others. form its destructive energy into
“Her form was like a silent ghost—a half being grappling hooks, ropes, acid
without emotion or desire. She simply sat blasts, grapeshot, and any
there, rapt in her own world, without concern other material object that can be
or care for the dangers and wonders all around reasonably shot.
her.”
All Co nsuming: The
Superficial: The Eidolo n's skin pales, and color destructive power of the
drains from their features and clo thing. She Eidolo n's Hand Canno n
speaks in muted to nes, and canno t be heard increases, such that he
over others without expending a considerable can hurl explosive bursts
effort of will. of energy that spread
Deep: Completely without color, the life and over a wide area. He
excitement seems to drain from the air around can also maintain a
the Eido lon. She moves slowly, and no one continuous short
notices her or pays her mind unless she forcibly stream of energy that
imposes her presence on a situatio n. Her opinio ns projects in a co ne before
and will often go unrepresented. him. The Eidolo n finds
himself unable to wield
All Co nsuming: The Eido lon is completely any weapon in his
impossible to notice, except when she exerts hands, and they blister
her will to become noticed. She can speak and burn at the touch
only in the tiniest whisper, and no of metal.
one who sees her after can
remember her features or even
that she was there at all.

152
 others, including those of animals and spiritual
Handy beings.
Deep: The Eido lon can expend Anima in order to
remove all deep wounds from any Eidolo n,
HELPFUL: “To each according to his need.” including herself. With a simple touch, the
An Eido lon displays Helpfulness if: corruptio n that ravages ano ther's heart can be
carried away in a puff of mist.
 He is more concerned about the wellbeing of his
allies than himself. All Consuming: The Eidolo n's touch heals all

Persona Traits
 He is constantly assisting others, rather than wounds, and she herself heals rapidly from any kind
pursuing his own initiatives. of wound (except a heart wound or a superficial
 He is unwilling to ignore pleas for aid from wound that removes her healing Hand). Sworn only
others. to heal, she suffers a deep wound every time she
causes harm to another—direct or otherwise.
“His many limbs stretched and worked, lifting and
freeing me from the debris with speed and skill.
Before I could stand and thank him, he had already
turned to save the others who were crying for help.”
Superficial: The Eidolon possesses additional limbs Heart of Iron
that are just as strong as dextrous as his standard pair.
These additional arms make him an expert climber,
swimmer, melee fighter and grappler. SORROWFUL : “If only things were different…”
Deep: All of the Eidolon's arms can stretch and An Eido lon displays Sorrow if:
deform to a limit of five times their normal length.
This can allow the Eido lon excellent acrobatic  She holds grudges and regrets, but does not act
ability, as well as the opportunity to reach things upo n them.
that are outside the grasp of others.  She has little will to fight back against forces
that oppress or discourage her.
All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n can create limbs of  She discourages others from their passio ns or
phanto m energy at will. These limbs functio n just as goals.
well as his standard limbs. Bound by his nature, he
can never ignore a plea for help that reaches his ears. “Her whole countenance seemed heavy and forlorn,
as though living itself were a loathsome burden to
her.”
Superficial: With a heavy heart, moving quickly is
difficult for the Eido lon. She has trouble reacting to
Healing Hand danger, and the brittle iron in her heart makes her
more susceptible to heart wounds.
Deep: The cold iron heart of the Eidolo n cho kes out
KIND: “You look like someone who could use a compassion and joy. She displays little emotio n, and
friend.” is never shaken by appeals for mercy or pity.
An Eido lon displays Kindness if: All Co nsuming: A barbed iron heart ravages the
 She gives to others what she could rightly keep Eidolo n's insides, filling her with co nstant pain.
for herself. With a touch, she can share this pain with others.
 She will no t speak ill of others, even if they Anytime the Eidolo n causes a deep wound to
deserve it. another, that wound is auto matically upgraded into
 She offers aid without being asked. a heart wound.
“As her hand rested on my brow, a soft glow and a
cool, calming sensation fell across my whole body. As
my eyes opened, I felt whole once again.”
Superficial: With a to uch of her hand, the Eido lon
can heal any superficial wo und. Altho ugh she
cannot heal herself, she can repair the wounds of

153
 Hollow  He takes disproportio nate retributio n on those
who wrong him.
“The flames that wreathed her face burned white
with heat, and I could feel her rage radiant and
DETACHED: “And what does that matter to me? terrible.”
Nothing.”
Superficial: Glowing with living fire, the Eido lon's
An Eido lon displays Detachment if: hair is like a flame that crowns her head. With a
 She is unconcerned about the suffering or trials little effort, she can create and co ntrol flames within
Persona Traits

of others. her immediate presence, a sphere extending abo ut 3

 She does not make friends or allies. feet from her body.
 She does not display emotio nal reactio n to Deep: The Eidolo n can wreathe her entire body in
things happening around her. flames, becoming a living furnace powered by the
“The wraithlike thing moved in a blur of smoke. rage in her heart. Using the flame, the Eidolo n can
Everything about him was nondescript and nebulous, ignite anything with a touch, melt the strongest
held together only by his coat and hat. Without those, metals, or hurl herself at enemies as a living fireball.
he would have had no form at all.”
All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n's mask of living flame
Superficial: The Eidolo n's body is less substantial is co nstant, and her body is always alight with
than usual, and is only given form by the clothing he phanto m flames that burn anything touching her
wears. Unclothed portio ns of the Eidolo n's body skin to ash. By fueling this power, she can become a
cannot exert force in the same way that clothed colossal being of fire several stories tall.
parts can. His glo ved hand can wield a weapo n, but
it will fall through his naked hand as though it were
a puff of smoke. Conversely, his unclo thed body can
pass through walls, and canno t be wounded.
Deep: Without clothing to hold him together, the
Illusionist
Eidolo n beco mes completely incorporeal. He can
also fold himself “inside out”, for a few moments,
making his clothing incorporeal as well. E XHIBITIONIST: “I’ll bet you’ve never seen
anything like this before!”
All Co nsuming: By occupying the same space as
another Eidolo n, the Ho llow one can co ntrol them An Eido lon displays Exhibitio nist Tendencies if:
like a puppet, wearing ano ther's body as a suit of  She always needs to be the center of attentio n.
clo thes to control. This works more reliably on  She enjoys showing off.
weaker willed Eidolo ns and on Nascent. Even if the  She uses a complex and showy action where a
Hollow one is unable to take total co ntrol of an simpler one would suffice.
Eidolo n, they can produce subtle influences on
another’s actio ns that make them more clumsy. “The beautiful form moved towards me with subtle
Because of his closeness to nonexistance, the Hollow grace, meeting my eyes and holding all of my senses
Eidolo n has o ne less Pure Anima in his personal rapt. When I reached out to touch her, there was
nothing there but smoke, and the man with his sword
Balance at the start of a game session. at my throat.”
Superficial: The Eido lon possesses a third eye that,
when opened, projects illusio ns. Anyo ne who meets
the gaze of this third eye can be made to see
Hotheaded anything the Eido lon wishes. Looking away from
the gaze of the Eidolo n's eye breaks the spell, and
reveals the falsehood of these illusio ns.
WRATHFUL : “You cross me, and nothing in this Deep: The Eidolo n's spell of illusio n lasts for several
earth will be able to help you.” seconds after he breaks his gaze with a victim. After
An Eido lon displays Wrath if: this po int, the Eido lon no lo nger controls the
illusio ns—they play themselves out in whatever
 He becomes extremely angry at any slight. actio ns they were carrying out when the Illusionist's
 He acts upo n his anger without thought of the gaze broke.
consequences.

154
All Co nsuming: The Eido lon's illusio ns grow in
power and depth, and they can overwhelm the
senses of smell, hearing, and taste. Only a touch
shows their true natures. The Eido lon himself
becomes a being of image, much like his illusio ns,
and lacks the substance and strength to lift or
manipulate anything heavier than his own clothing.

Persona Traits
Immovable Object

STEADFAST: “I will not stand down!”

An Eido lon displays Steadfastness if:
 He keeps his pro mises and will no t back down
from his word.
 He sticks to his morals and ideals even when
backing down would be easier.
 He resists changing his impressio ns or
perceptions, even when presented with
compelling arguments or evidence.
“The explosion rocked the earth, and the house began
to fall in on itself. I thought for sure they would all
have perished, but beneath the flames, I saw a single
man standing in place of the central support, holding
up the structure for others to escape.
Superficial: While he stands still, no thing can mo ve
or overburden the Eidolo n. No weight is too heavy
for him to bear, and no force strong enough to
displace him. If he attempts to push back or alter his
positio ning at all, however, the spell breaks, and he
will be overwhelmed or crushed. If the ground
beneath him mo ves or shifts, his positio n is changed,
Indestructible
and his stance is broken.
Deep: The Eidolo n draws his strength from the
DETERM INED: “I will no t be dissuaded or
earth, and can root himself to the ground, imparting
discouraged. Get in my way, and you won't like
it with the same immutability that he possesses.
what comes next.”
All Consuming: The Eidolo n can mo ve freely and
An Eido lon displays Determinatio n if:
still retain his immutability, as lo ng as his feet
remain firmly planted o n the ground. Cars, trains,  She pursues her goals relentlessly.
trolleys, and other land-based transportations do not  She does not consider failure an optio n or a
operate while this Eidolo n occupies them. possibility.
 She prefers to accomplish goals with hard work
rather than cunning.
“I fired again and again, but he only laughed as the
blows and bullets washed off of his skin like rain, and
continued to walk toward me with that grim, steady
pace.”
Superficial: With a dark, steely sheen, the Eido lon's
skin is impervio us to mundane attacks like blades,
claws, blunt trauma, and the like. This indestructible

155
 skin will not resist Anima or Aether fueled attacks Infinite Eyes
or magic, however.
Deep: The Eidolo n's indestructible flesh grows even
tougher, to resist Anima-based assaults that rely on FAULTFINDING: “How do you make such obvious
energy or on the science that powers wonders and mistakes? Any idio t could do better than this!”
magic.
An Eido lon displays Faultfinding if:
All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n's indestructible nature
grows so deep that he cannot be deafened, blinded,  She is dissatisfied with the adequate efforts of
Persona Traits

or unwillingly distracted fro m his goals. However, others.

this strength is not without cost, as the Eido lon's  She insults or demeans others.
weight increases significantly, making it difficult for  She is unsatisfied with the things she has or is
him to move at a fast pace. offered.
“Her whole body opened up at once, a thousand
eyelids sliding open to gaze at me from every
direction. Each one glared at me with venomous
disdain.”
Indeterminate Size
Superficial: The Eido lon can open additio nal eyes
anywhere on her body by spending Anima. These
eyes can see directly through walls and people, into
E XCITABLE : “Woohoo! This is the greatest!” locked boxes, and through doors. This visio n
An Eido lon displays Excitability if: extends abo ut fifteen feet in all directio ns fro m the
Eidolo n. Even with this supernatural visio n, she still
 He displays extreme emotions, such as distress, needs light in order to see.
ecstasy, or wrath, in response to trivialities.
 He has strong emotio nal responses to hearsay Deep: The Eidolo n's extra eyes emit an eerie golden
and offhand co mments. glow, and can penetrate even co mplete darkness.
 He continues to be worked up about events lo ng All Co nsuming: The Eido lon can 'hijack' others'
after their impact has passed, eyes and see through them as easily as her own. This
“He took a deep breath, and stood suddenly three power can extend to mo nsters, allies, animals, and
times my height, raising his foot above my head with other living beings with eyes, but no t to
a look of annoyance.” supernatural creatures like Anima Spirits or
Superficial: The Eido lon is able to grow to several incorporeal beings like ghosts. It has a range of about
times his own height by drawing air into his fifty yards. The Eidolo n's personal field of
expandable body. His shape, weight, and strength clairvoyance is always active, but her long distance
remain similar to his normal state, despite his new visio n is lost, so she can only see past her fifteen
size. Clothing and mundane items grow with the foot sphere of visio n by using ano ther's eyes.
Eidolo n's body, but wonders do not.
Deep: When the Eidolo n grows, he may choose to
increase his mass and strength to match the size of
his new form. Insatiate Jaws
All Consuming: The Eido lon may increase the size
of wonders he possesses alo ng with his body.
However, his normal size is extremely small, GLUTTONOU S: “Mmmm…”
comparable to a small dog or even a mouse. The An Eido lon displays Gluttony if:
Eidolo n must return to this tiny size when not
actively using his indeterminate size ability.  He enjoys fine food, drink, and pleasures in
excess.
 He takes more than he needs for himself.
 He complains often of being hungry or thirsty.
“His jaws opened wider and wider, baring row upon
row of sharpened teeth. Backed into a corner as I was,
all I could do was wait helplessly to be devoured.”

156
Superficial: The Eido lon is never completely full, no is co nstantly bound to one surface or ano ther. In
matter how much he eats. Able to unhinge his jaws open areas, he can create his own kind of 'invisible
wide, he can swallow anything he can't chew up, and ceiling' to walk upon, which puts his head at about
can digest anything at all, regardless of its material the level of others' knees. At any time, he can create
compositio n. one such 'invisible surface' to impose on himself and
others under his power. Only those who are sharing
Deep: The Eido lon's jaws are sharpened and
his gravity are affected by this surface.
hardened such that they can slice through almost
any substance with little difficulty. He can unhinge

Persona Traits
his jaw wide enough to swallow creatures as large as
himself, though nothing he eats takes up any space
in his stomach. Kinetic
All Consuming: Able to devour at an unbelievable
pace, the Eido lon can eat tunnels through the earth
or snack through the walls of the most well- FAIR: “For every actio n, a consequence.”
defended fortress in mo ments. His metabolism is
incredible, and he will drop unco nscious if he does An Eido lon displays Fairness if:
not eat so me kind of nutritious food every two  He rewards favors and slights in kind.
hours.  He will no t harm another who has done no
harm.
 He gives gifts and assistance where deserved,
rather than where they are needed.
Inverse “He released the sword, and it flew home like a bullet,
as though thrown with such force as to be shot from a
cannon.”
CONTRARIAN : “I just do it for the sake of being Superficial: The Eidolo n's left and right hands are
different, that's all.” infused with a red and blue glow respectively. The
red glow infuses anything it co ntacts with energy,
An Eido lon displays Contrariness if: unleashing it with the force of an explosio n. The
 He goes against the group for no reason other blue glow drains away energy from an object,
than to be different. causing it to drop like a dead weight when released.
 He lacks co mmo n sense, or has a different kind Deep: The Eido lon can project his blue glow to
of commo n sense than o thers. create a field of negative kinetic energy that stops
 He separates himself from others, and prefers to fast any projectile or bullet.
be recognized as an individual.
All Co nsuming: The Eido lon can project his red
“He walked casually along the wall, traversing the glow as well, to cause unattended objects to fire off
bottomless well as though there were no danger of like bullets in any directio n he wishes. Consumed by
falling. Bound as we were by our own gravity, there
his nature of justice and fairness, the Eidolo n must
was nothing we could do to chase him down into that
abyss.” return any gift or favor, or any slight or injury, with
one in kind.
Superficial: Affected by a unique gravity all his own,
the Eido lon can choose to orient himself with a
different surface than the ground. Using this power,
he can treat walls, ceilings, or even specific objects
as 'down', and gravity will affect him as such. Lantern
Deep: The Eidolo n is able to transfer his unique
sense of directio n to any other person or object with
a touch. The time they co ntinue to be affected by DEM AGOGUE : “Let me tell yo u a thing or two,
this power depends on how lo ng they are in contact child.”
with the Eido lon and how long he wishes the effect An Eido lon is considered a Demagogue if:
to last.
 He is interested in teaching others.
All Co nsuming: Unable to stand beside others, the  He feels it necessary to instruct those around
Eidolo n canno t be subjected to standard gravity, and him o n matters of opinio n and fact.

157
  He corrects others when they speak incorrectly. superhuman running speed. He can dash for a
“Her body glowed with a calming, unearthly blue, sustained five minutes without rest.
and I was captivated by the presence of that glow— All Co nsuming: Able to dash around the entire
drawn to it like a moth.” world witho ut stopping, the Eidolo n can share his
Superficial: Somewhere within the body of the speed by ho lding the hand of another while dashing.
Eidolo n, usually around her heart, is a brilliant The Eidolo n's metabolism and energy expenditure
natural light. This light can be dimmed or are both incredible to match his speed, and so he
brightened at will. When fueled with Anima, the must eat several large meals a day and sleep twice as
Persona Traits

light calms and pacifies aggressive creatures and lo ng as normal.

enemies, as lo ng as they remain within its glow.
Deep: The Eidolo n can create a great flash of light
from her lantern, which mo mentarily stuns any who
are looking at her when it occurs. Life in Footsteps
All Co nsuming: The entrancing vision of the
Eidolo n captivates all who see her, and looking at
her for more than a few mo ments, especially if she CHARITABLE : “You need this more than I do.”
dims her light, lulls them into a soft sleep. As for
An Eido lon displays Charity if:
herself, the Eido lon draws attention like a beaco n,
and is unable to hide or conceal herself by any  She goes out of her way to give to others what
means. she could rightly keep for herself.
 She provides for others before herself.
 She offers assistance before being asked.
“Where she walked, the flowers blossomed and
League Sprinter thrived, and life seemed to shine greener and more
vibrant than I had ever seen.”
Superficial: The soles of the Eidolo n's feet are green
and brown, and her skin has a loamy color and smell
FLIGHTY: “Sorry, but so mething more important
to it. Wherever the Eido lon walks over fertile soil,
just came up.”
plants, flowers, and grasses spring up in her wake.
An Eido lon displays Flightiness if: By focusing this power, she may co ntrol these plants
to be any shape or size necessary, though the time
 He breaks commitments and promises with
they take to grow may be relative to their size and
disregard.
complexity.
 He is forgetful or unco ncerned with
responsibilities. Deep: The Eidolo n's plants can increase in
 He makes promises or appo intments without complexity to have more interesting properties, such
plans to keep them. as resistance to fire, poisonous barbs, or grappling
“His long, spindly legs leapt up and whisked him tendrils.
away in a cloud of dust. I waited only a minute, All Co nsuming: A being more plant than animal,
before he returned with the goods I had requested, the Eido lon can grow a new body for herself from
saying that he had just bought them in a town thirty fertile soil, and transfer her heart to it through its
miles away.” roots. She canno t prevent grasses and roots and even
Superficial: The Eidolo n possesses long, thin legs, trees from blossoming in her wake. This makes
not unlike those of a bird, which allow him to run at traveling in cities difficult for her.
great speeds. He can run up to six hundred miles an
hour, but no t for any longer than o ne minute at a
time witho ut rest. While running at these speeds, he
has very little power to stop or turn. Thus, a
knowledge of terrain and good eyesight are required.
He cannot carry more than half his own weight
while sprinting like this.
Deep: The Eido lon possesses incredible acrobatic
ability and dexterity, in additio n to his already

158
 Light Eater All Consuming: With an even greater power over
darkness, the Eidolo n is able to drain electricity and
other energy-based power sources as well as light,
nullifying many kinds of techno logy. So dependent
PESSIMISTIC: “We can try, but this is going to go is she o n co nsuming light, that she is possessed by a
just as badly as the last plan.” debilitating fear of darkness.
An Eido lon displays Pessimism if:
 He assumes the worst outcome in any situatio n.

Persona Traits
 He plans contingencies for failure in each
situatio n. Liquid Flesh
 He discourages and dissuades others from risk.
“A thick cloak of darkness seemed to surround her,
greasy and sinister. From her scowl and glare, I could ACROBATIC: “Moving, turning, feeling the air
tell there was nothing she wanted with me, or the around me. That's what it feels like to be alive.”
world at all, for that matter.”
An Eido lon displays Acrobatic Tendencies if:
Superficial: The Eidolo n possesses a lanternlike
organ, usually centered on her heart. However,  She jumps, flies, or climbs whenever possible.
instead of emitting light, this part of her boy absorbs  She prefers wide open spaces to enclosures.
it, creating a continual shadow. She can create  She finds unorthodox ways to traverse difficult
localized darkness, or blind others by focusing this terrain.
power on a concentrated area. “Her body twisted like a spout of water, slipping
Deep: Using her power to devour all light that through the cracks in the sidewalk as I tried to
approach. There was no hope of catching her.”
reflects from or reaches an object, the Eido lon can
turn any single thing invisible to the naked eye. Superficial: The Eido lon has a sea green twinge to
her skin, and smells faintly of salt and brine. The
Eidolo n can deform and manipulate individual limbs
to become any shape or size. She cannot disconnect
them from the rest of her body, or deform more than
a cubic foot of flesh at a time in this way.
Deep: With an even greater control over her
contortions, the Eidolo n is able to deform and
reform her entire body at o nce. She cannot deform
her heart, however, which always retains its original
size.
All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n's heart swims like a
fish beneath her transparent skin. Any water that
her heart is placed into immediately forms a brand
new body. Additio nally, she can break up her limbs
into liquid that moves separately from her body.
Naturally, she suffers and shrinks whenever the
humidity is low, or whenever there is a shortage of
water.

159
 Living Trap Superficial: The Eidolo n possesses natural armor
and weapo ns formed from nearly unbreakable metal.
These weapons can be wielded with expert
proficiency, but she can never disarm them or share
ENTITLED: “I deserve it.” them with others. Her armor, similarly, is fused to
An Eido lon displays Entitlement if: her body and can never be removed.

 He speaks constantly of his rights, liberties, and Deep: Whenever the Eido lon encounters a mystical
what he is due. weapon or gear, she can leech away that equipment's
Persona Traits

 He takes things that he has no claim to without special powers or properties with a touch. Her own
thought. natural armor and weapo ns gain those properties
 He does not display gratitude for favors or gifts. instead. This effect generally lasts for the length of
an encounter, though it can be made permanent if
“His whole body opened wide, like a great maw. the Eido lon is able to meditate for several
Before I could think or scream, a tendril like a long, uninterrupted hours while holding an artifact.
thin tongue lashed out and wrapped around me,
pulling me inside...” All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n's armor is so strong
that it prevents all superficial wo unds. As for the
Superficial: The Eidolo n's entire body is able to open
being herself, she must kill at least one living thing
up like an iro n maiden, able to envelop another
each day, or she begins to grow weak and
Eidolo n whole. While another Eidolo n is caught
disempowered. If she does not kill for an entire
inside this trap, the Living Trap may use the traits
week, her armor and weapons disintegrate, and this
of his captive as though they were at superficial
trait beco mes inactive until she can kill again.
level. He does not develop any of the physical
changes associated with those traits, however. A
trapped Eidolo n falls into a sort of slumber, from
which they awaken only when they reemerge. A
trapped Eidolo n canno t be held for more than ten Magnetic
minutes or so in this way.
Deep: The Eido lon may spend his captive's Anima
instead of his own. If he spends all of the victim's LUSTFUL: “I desire it, and I shall have it!”
Anima in this way, his victim is destroyed utterly.
An Eido lon displays Lust if:
All Consuming: The Eido lon may use his victim's
traits at the deep level. In additio n he can keep a  She desires only the company of the beautiful or
victim bound for any length of time, and loses a handso me.
portion of his strength when he does not have a  She strives to possess things to which she has no
captive. right.
 She desires things that are the property of
others.
“He raised a hand, and all of our weapons suddenly
whisked out of our hands and turned upon us,
Living Weapon chasing us from the field.”
Superficial: A dull iron ball is pitted into the palm of
either hand of the Eido lon. From this ball, he can
BLOODTHIRSTY: “Is there anything else so emit magnetic forces, either attractive or repulsive.
intoxicating as the power over life and death?” The forces are imprecise, but can be used to grab
An Eido lon displays Bloodthirstiness if: distant metal objects or to deflect incoming attacks
made with metal weapons.
 He loves battle for its own sake.
 He relishes in the suffering of others. Deep: The Eidolo n's control over his magnetic fields
 He stirs others up to conflict simply in order to increases, allowing him to manipulate metal objects
spectate or participate. at a distance as precisely as he could with his own
hands. This takes intense focus, however, and can
“Armor and weapons were fused to her being—a only be performed on a single metal object at a time.
living incarnation of war and bloodshed. She walked
across the battlefield like a shadow of death itself, All Co nsuming: Utiliz ing superior control over his
drinking in the horrors of the war like a fine wine.” magnetic fields, the Eidolo n can control and

160
manipulate any number of metal objects at a time. Many Masks
He is unable to rest or sleep alone, and quickly
becomes fatigued in situatio ns where he cannot find
companio nship.
INSECURE : “Is this right? Did I do it right?”
An Eido lon displays Insecurity if:
 He is uncertain of his actio ns.
Man in the Box  He constantly asks others for instructio ns and

Persona Traits
guidance.
 He lacks co nfidence in his skills or abilities.
RELIANT: “I beg you, please, help me.” “His whole body was arrayed with silent, stoic faces
of plaster, stone, and wood, each displaying a
An Eido lon displays Reliance if: different emotion. When he spoke to me, they all
 She often requires help from others. moved in unison, and I could not fathom to which
 She asks others to perform tasks which she face I should look when replying.”
might be able to perform herself. Superficial: The Eido lon possesses the skill to
 She uses others to accomplish tasks that she fashion Masks from massive (level 4) Anima pearls.
does not want to dirty her own hands with. Unlike other Eido lons, he can don and remove
“She rode in on a glorious palanquin carried by masks witho ut spending Anima.
servants and arrayed in fabulous gold and jewels. Deep: Masks do not affect this Eidolo n as they do
When I bade her step down and stand beside me, she
others. He may wear up to three masks at once.
shook her head, and told me that alone, she had not
the strength to stand.” All Consuming: All other traits the Eido lon
Superficial: The Eido lon's body is divided into two possesses do not manifest while this trait is All
parts. One comprises most of her body, usually the Consuming. The Eidolo n can wear up to five masks
upper torso or the entirety of her physical form. The at a time, but he may o nly use traits granted by
lower part is some sort of cart, box, or palanquin masks, and never those that are inherent to himself.
that can o nly be moved about by the aid of others. While not wearing any masks, the Eidolo n is
The Eidolo n possesses the power to summo n five weakened severely.
diminutive servants from thin air or from the earth.
These she can use to move about or conduct affairs.
Deep: The Eidolo n's entourage of servants increases,
and she can now summo n up to seven servants who Mimic
are fully sized, and as capable as any average person.
Her box becomes a more protective shell, and houses
her heart under layers of protective wards and metal. ADAPTABLE : “I can do that, easy.”
All Consuming: The Eido lon's frailty increases, to An Eido lon displays Adaptability if:
the po int where she is unable to do any strenuous
actio n of her own accord. She sleeps for the vast  He is interested in learning new skills.
majority of the day, waking to eat only meager  He is interested in picking up new arts, crafts,
meals. While in slumber, she can co ntinue to and culture.
summo n and direct her entourage of servants, who  He acts pragmatically and does not questio n the
can use the same traits that she possesses. situatio ns he finds himself in.
“She followed my motions perfectly, matching each
blow in strength and form. There was nothing I could
do to break her defenses—for they were equal in
every way to my own.”
Superficial: The eyes of the Eidolo n reflect like a
mirror, and do not have pupils. She can mimic
perfectly the actio ns of any other creature or Eido lon
that she fixes her eyes on, though she does not
match its strength, equipment, or physical attributes
(such as natural weapo ns or armor).

161
 Deep: The Eidolo n implicitly mimics the strength Of Many, One
and speed of any creature she reflects in her eyes.
All Consuming: Able to temporarily manifest the
traits of any Eidolo n reflected in her gaze, the GOSSIPING: “Let me tell you what I just heard…”
Mimic is unable to utilize her own traits while she
focuses on another Eido lon in this way. In order to An Eido lon displays Gossiping if:
use her own Persona Traits in the presence of  She has difficulty keeping a secret.
another Eido lon, she must spend Anima to suppress  She is intensely interested in the affairs of
Persona Traits

this trait. others.

 She uses political manipulatio n, blackmail, and
personal information against enemies.
“She was not one being, but a swarm of tiny insects,
Music Box all chittering in unison to form something like a
voice. I thought I heard it arising out of many
conversations, like a single picture emerging from a
collage.”
MUSICAL: “I sing no t for the ears, but for the soul.”
Superficial: The body of the Eidolo n is made of
An Eido lon displays Musical Tendencies if: many parts. Her flesh crawls, and her skin is merely
 He is interested in musical culture and theater. a sack that ho lds together a myriad of smaller
 He sings, plays instruments, or makes music entities. One large single entity holds her heart,
whenever possible. though it is in form and function the same as all of
 He comes up with ways to use his musical or the others that make up her body. She can split apart
vocal talents to solve difficulties. her body into its individual parts, and reassemble it
back together, with her heart forging a new skin
“A haunting melody emanated from his body, moving over the course of just a few mo ments.
all who heard it to tears. For a moment, as we listened
to the eulogy, we could almost see the scenes of grim Deep: The Eidolo n's heart can rapidly disgorge more
suffering the music described to our souls.” creatures to replenish any lost, rapidly healing
Superficial: It is said that music is the language of wounds to her unorthodox form.
the soul, and the Music Box is able to play melodies All Consuming: The tiny creatures which make up
that inspire emotio n in his audience. Any who hear the Eidolo n have the power to burrow into the flesh
his music are struck by a sudden emotio n, though if of others and infect them, gnawing away traits or
they co nsciously attempt to suppress this implanted even biting at the heart of the victim. The hideous
emotio n, they will almost always succeed. smell and sight of the Eidolo n generally prevent her
Deep: The Eidolo n no lo nger needs an instrument to from being a member of polite society in any
play, as any kind of music can be emulated from his functio n, and those who see her true nature are often
own vo ice or body. Many Eido lons begin to develop so revolted that they may choose not to speak with
musical instruments within their bodies. The her or do business with her.
Eidolo n's powers of emotional triggering are harder
to resist. At close range, he can also unleash a sonic
blast which deafens any who hear it for a few
mo ments. Omnidextrous
All Consuming: A master of weaving melodies, the
Music Box's emo tional triggers are nearly
impossible to resist, and he can move crowds to OPPORTUNIST: “The chance is here—let’s take it!”
extreme emotio ns, such as revolutio n, indolence, or
mass hysteria. The Eido lon himself is not immune An Eido lon displays Opportunism if:
to the deep emotio ns of his music, and feels the  He seizes opportunities because they are
effects of whatever emo tions he instills in others available, no t because he wants them.
with this trait.  He is easily tempted by limited-time offers and
chances.
 He takes advantage of situations that offer it to
him, regardless of honor or personal misgivings.

162
 “He sprang and leapt through the air, dodging the suits her. Consumed by her envy, the Eidolo n is
debris and hazards around him as though they were compelled to steal any items of value which she sees
mere annoyances.” and can safely absco nd with.
Superficial: The Eidolo n's feet look just like a second
set of hands, and can perform as dextrously at any
given task.
Deep: Additio nal strength in his limbs gives the Patchwork
Eidolo n the power to perform incredible acrobatics,

Persona Traits
such as vaulting high into the air and using mo vie-
inspired martial arts skills.
WHEEDLING: “Please, sir, couldn't you spare me
All Co nsuming: When fighting or acting in close just a bit more?”
combat, the Eidolo n perceives everything to be
An Eido lon displays Wheedling if:
almost in slow mo tion, and can mo ve at incredible
speeds. However, he is unable to wear heavy armor,  She asks others for favors she does not
cloaks, or capes, as these impede his range of necessarily need.
mo vement, entangle him, or break quickly with the  She excels at enlisting the aid of others for her
frictio n of his speed. own ends.
 She is extremely persuasive.
“His flesh was a horrible amalgam of stitches and
straps, like a bag of parts only loosely held together
Painted by a harness of leather and thread.
Superficial: The Eidolo n is able to graft parts of
other creatures to his own body. When he places a
severed limb, horn, claw, or other appendage to his
ENVIOUS: “I’d like to have that for myself.”
skin, his flesh opens to accept the new part, and if
An Eido lon displays Envy if: necessary, a thread spools outward from his heart to
lash it into place. The Eidolon has full control over
 She takes things from others that she has no
these additio nal limbs or appendages, but they
right to.
eventually decay and rot, according to natural laws.
 She aspires to be like others, rather than
choosing her own path. Deep: The Eidolo n's body sustains any grafted limbs
 She conspires to acquire positio n, favor, or he possesses, so that they do not rot. He can also
possessions that belong to others. devour tissue and muscle from deceased creatures in
“Her skin was awash with colors and designs, and I order to add them to his own body.
realized that even her clothing was only painted All Consuming: When grafting, if the Eido lon
colors against her flesh. When I looked again, she grafts a body part with a trait attached (such as the
was gone, and only the wall behind her remained. eye of an Eidolo n with Third Eye or the hand of an
Superficial: Able to rapidly recolor her skin to match Eidolo n with Touch of Dust) he can use those
any surrounding, the Eidolo n can camo uflage powers, though he does not develop the traits
perfectly while standing still. Anything she touches, associated with them. He can never heal from his
she can repaint to the co lor or colors of her cho ice, own wounds, and must patch them up as best he can
giving her an advantage against enemies that with secondhand flesh and skin. Eventually, an
camouflage or otherwise disguise themselves. Eidolo n with this trait beco mes no longer himself,
but a co llectio n of discarded or stolen parts patched
Deep: The Eidolon can repaint herself so skillfully entirely from others.
that she can simulate an active camouflage that
works even while she mo ves. She can also paint the
flesh and clo thing of any creature she remains in
constant co ntact with, sharing this ability with allies
when the situatio n calls for it.
All Consuming: The Eidolo n's hands can unleash a
spray of paint-like substance that stains and recolors
anything it touches. She can cause this paint to be
fluorescent, glow in the dark, or mildly acidic, as it

163
 Phased “Around him, the air seemed to grow grey and cold,
as his hands blurred inhumanly at the task he set
himself to. Within only a few seconds, the
masterwork I had commissioned was finished and
M ISCHIEVOU S: “I just can't wait to see the looks on resting in my arms.”
their faces...” Superficial: A clock is planted so mewhere within the
An Eido lon displays M ischievous Tendencies if: flesh of this creature. While his feet remain planted
firmly o n the ground, the Eidolo n can mo ve his
 He loves to play tricks on others. hands and upper body at an incredible speed, and the
Persona Traits

 He does things “just for laughs” rather than for entire world seems to slow down for him.
any practical purpose.
 He puts himself and others in danger with his Deep: The Eido lon can activate the clock planted
antics. into his flesh to create a few seconds of stopped
time. During this stopped time, he may mo ve freely
“I watched in wonder as he reached straight through and act freely, though he canno t harm ano ther or
the vault door, and drew out a handful of coins and alter the state of any physical object until natural
stones. With a grin and a step through the wall, he time resumes.
was gone.”
All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n can move freely while
Superficial: The Eidolo n's body can turn incorporeal
in his pocket of slow time—he no lo nger needs to
in certain places, allowing him to reach through
stand still to act at incredible speeds. This does not
walls, pass through danger, or steal without breaking
allow him to move or run quickly—only to perform
and entering. At no time can the Eidolo n phase more
feats of extreme dexterity at an incredibly rapid rate.
than one cubic foot of his own flesh.
Surrounded by a field of faster time than others, the
Deep: The Eido lon's ability grows such that he can Eidolo n's equipment rusts or breaks within hours,
phase his entire body at once, but not for lo nger than and any food left to his care spoils within a few
a few seconds. minutes. Artifacts and mystic gear are resistant to
All Co nsuming: Not only can the Eidolo n phase his these effects but still show signs of wear that might
entire body, but he can teleport several steps in any otherwise take centuries to accumulate.
given directio n instantly when he does so. He may
reach through ten feet of space with a single arm's
length, or suddenly appear on the opposite side of
the room. The Eidolon canno t use this teleportatio n Polluted
rapidly without growing extremely fatigued. At a
steady pace, though, he can phase along the road to
match pace with his companio ns. Whenever the
Eidolo n phases to a place, he becomes anchored O DIOU S: “If they do n’t like me, they can just deal
there. It is impossible for him to move more than with it.”
two paces from that spot without phasing again. An Eido lon displays Odiousness if:
 He has a co mplete disregard for social grace.
 He acts in ways that cause others to be disgusted
with or upset with him.
Pocket Time  He proceeds with disruptive actio ns despite the
protests of others.
“The stink proceeded him into the room, and I heard
INDU STRIOUS: “Don’t just stand there. There’s retching sounds all around me, though I could see
work to be done here.” nothing through the watering of my eyes.”
An Eido lon displays Industry if: Superficial: At will, the Eido lon's skin excretes an
oozing black oil that smells horrible to all save
 He is always looking for opportunities to make himself. No amount of perfume or washing can ever
himself helpful to the task at hand. cover or cleanse this smell as long as the Eido lon
 He is interested in production, manufacturing, continues to emit it. This smell is so horrible that it
and trade goods in the realms he visits. can temporarily nauseate or sicken those who inhale
 He is capable of creating impressive devices, it.
artworks, or tools.

164
Deep: The black sludge that oozes from the Polluted by her nature of wanderlust, the Eidolo n is unable to
One's skin can be excreted at an extremely fast rate, rest within ten miles of the place she rested the
covering him and all around him in filth. He can previous night. Each time she does so, one of her
manipulate this sludge into clumsy tendrils, or hurl crystals loses its color, and becomes useless until she
it at foes like a weapon. rests again ten miles beyond the point where she last
rested.
All Consuming: The toxic sludge that excretes
constantly fro m the Eidolo n cannot be suppressed or
stopped (unless he chooses to suppress this trait).

Persona Traits
His corrosive filth inflicts sickness and disease on
others it touches, almost immediately causing sores Radiant
and lesions on the skin.

VAIN : “Am I not beautiful?”

An Eido lon displays Vanity if:
Portal
 She takes meticulous care of her appearance.
 She is interested in fashio n, arts, and beauty in
the realms she visits.
WANDERING: “I have a dream—that I will see all
 She will accept only the best and most beautiful
the corners and facets of this world.”
of gifts, clothing, and friends.
An Eido lon displays Wanderlust if: “A brilliant glow seemed to rise out of her skin, and
 She is interested in exploring the distant corners little lights danced around her as she walked. Her
of realms and discovering new wonders. beauty captivated every stare, and she reveled in the
 She becomes bored quickly staying in one place. attention.”
 She prefers the wilderness to cities and towns. Superficial: Little mo tes of light surround the
“She snapped her fingers, and a window appeared in Eidolo n's body, and emanate from her skin. She can
the air, linking two wholly disparate points in space.” use these to illuminate areas, or channel them
towards an enemy's eyes to blind or distract them.
Superficial: The Eidolo n has two crystals embedded
into her body, usually in the palms of her hands. Deep: The Radiant one is able to let out a burst of
These two crystals, commo nly blue and yellow, are colored light that dazzles and blinds any who see it.
each co nnected to a separate portal. Touching a Those at extremely close range to her may beco me
surface with the yellow or blue crystal causes it to nauseated when this occurs.
become a blue or yellow portal, respectively. All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n can control and
Stepping through the blue or yellow portal created solidify the motes of light that effuse from her skin
by the Eido lon immediately transports a creature to to create temporary structures and gear, when
the other portal. The Eidolo n can also close these necessary. However, she is so consumed by vanity
portals with a touch. She can have only o ne of each that she requires praise as much as others require
type open at a time, and opening a new portal food. Unless she receives several co mpliments or
auto matically closes the most recent o ne of the same praises each day, her light begins to dim, and she
color. loses the powers associated with it.
Deep: Able to open portals using o nly the glow from
her crystals, the Eidolo n can project portals onto any
surface within sight for about twenty feet in any
directio n. She still needs a touch to close a portal,
however.
All Co nsuming: A third, green crystal develops on
the Eidolo n's body. This crystal works just like the
other two, and opens a third green portal, which is
bound by the same restrictio ns and has the same
properties of the other two. Whenever an object or
creature enters a portal, the Eido lon decides which of
the two other portals in emerges out of. Consumed

165
 Sandshaper “The light blow struck him square in the chest, and a
look of horror flashed across his features. Cracks
began to form across his body, and within a few
moments had spread to the tips of his hair and to his
RESOU RCEFUL: “I can make that happen.” toes. All at once, he collapsed into a pile of shards.”
An Eido lon displays Resourcefulness if: Superficial: When struck by a blow, the Eido lon
collapses into a pile of shards unless he spends
 He is able to accomplish with simpler tools and Anima to suppress this trait. If the Eidolo n does
resources what would be difficult or impossible collapse, then he must spend an actio n to reassemble
Persona Traits

for others. himself, and he may not perform any other actio n
 He makes due with what he has, and does not until he does this.
idly wish for more than he has.
 He finds unorthodox uses for commo n tools, Deep: The Eido lon can reassemble himself for a free
devices, and powers. actio n at the start of his turns, but he can no longer
use Anima to suppress this trait.
“At his command, the ground grew and formed for us
a bridge. 'Quickly!' he called, for even as we watched, All Consuming: The Eido lon no lo nger shatters, but
the sand began to drain from it.” instead explodes into a blast of deadly shards of
glass, each a foot long and flying at high speed. His
Superficial: Within his immediate sphere of
entire body is restructured from his heart during the
influence—about three feet from his body—the start of his turns, and he does not need to reassemble
Eidolo n can manipulate and reshape sand at will. himself.
The structures he creates with this power break
down quickly once they leave his sphere of Options: The Eidolo n may co llapse into shards of
influence, but while within this range, they are as glass, metal, sto ne, hardened clay, or any other
strong as iron. substance that thematically makes sense for him.
Deep: The Eido lon's sculptures and creatio ns of sand
remain strong for as lo ng as a minute after he is
through crafting them. Also, by great force of will,
he can extend his sphere of influence nearly five Silver Tongued
times to fifteen feet, to create more massive and
powerful structures of sand.
All Consuming: Stones the Eido lon touches will AM ICABLE: “I seek only friendship with the people
break down into sand, making them easily of these new lands.”
manipulable with this power. However, any wo nder
that he co mes into contact with, other than a An Eido lon displays Amicability if:
cornerstone, becomes temporarily stripped of its  He speaks kindly to others.
powers, and remains a mundane item for as lo ng as  Spends significant energy gaining and
he touches it or owns it. maintaining friends.
 Is receptive to the needs and complaints of
others.
“When he spoke, I was hypnotized by his words. They
Shatters Like Glass rang with such truth and simplicity that I felt
compelled to act on them.”
Superficial: The silver tongued Eido lon has a subtle
COW ARDLY: “I have a bad feeling about this. You degree of power over those that listen to him. They
go first.” are not immediately convinced of the truth of his
words, but suggestions that he makes seem like
An Eido lon displays Cowardice if: strangely good ideas to them.
 He is unwilling to put himself in any risk—be it Deep: Once per encounter, the Eidolo n is able to
perceived or real. give a single command, no lo nger than about ten
 He becomes frightened even at tales and words, that another creature who understands him is
conjectures, when no threat is present. compelled to obey. The co mpelled being must obey
 He hesitates before performing any potentially the command to the best of its ability, but
dangerous or risky actio n. afterwards will remember that he was being

166
compelled. If the command is impossible or cannot
be carried out within the space of one minute, then
the spell breaks and the creature returns to its senses
immediately. Spiral
All Co nsuming: The Eido lon's co mmand may
require up to an hour to complete, and if the
command is successfully carried out, the creature UNSTABLE : “In a mad world, o nly the mad are
will not realize that he was co mpelled to act (though sane.”

Persona Traits
he may construe this if he knows that someone he
was in contact with recently possesses this ability). An Eido lon displays Instability if:
The Eidolo n himself is unable to insult, degrade, or  His plans and actio ns show a co mplete disregard
condescend anything when he speaks, and must for common sense.
always use a friendly tone when talking.  He experiences unwarranted emo tional swings.
 He acts crazy.
“A perpetual look of confusion and disorientation
covered her features, and she could neither speak nor
Simulacrum walk in any reasonable manner.”
Superficial: The Eidolo n can spin herself into a
human hurricane, stirring up wind as well as
REPU TED: “A good name is better than wealth, and striking out at anything nearby. However, this
ho nor more valuable than victory.” power leaves her exhausted, and causes her to
collapse into sleep once it is used.
An Eido lon displays Reputatio n if:
Deep: The Eido lon's speech is garbled and
 He will no t stand to have others speak ill of unintelligible at worst, and spoken in riddles and
him. references at best. She canno t walk straight, and is
 He is more interested in reputation than perpetually dizzy.
rewards.
 He feels compelled to do what others expect of All Consuming: Able to inflict her dizzying spiral
him. on any she ho lds, the Eido lon can cause enemies she
grasps to spin out of control with her, becoming
“He stood alone on the field of battle, against all of sickeningly dizzy and unable to move or act
our armies and weapons. We laughed at first when effectively afterwards.
we saw the lone soldier, but blinked and suddenly
saw more. There were thousands upon thousands, all
exact duplicates of that one man.
Superficial: The Eido lon is able to create simulacra,
or hollow duplicates of himself. These beings have Sure of Foot
the same strength and mass as his true self, but
shatter into nothing when struck. The simulacra
cannot speak or be reasoned with—their lips are CONFIDENCE : “I have resolved myself to abstinence
fused together, and their eyes have an eerie, glassy from all doubt, distractio n, and despair.”
look to them that belies no intelligence, only an
instinct to carry out the will of their creator. The An Eido lon displays Confidence if:
Eidolo n may create up to three simulacra at a time,  He speaks in absolutes and definitives.
and must arm them as necessary for any tasks they  He does not doubt the abilities of himself or
are to carry out. Simulacra shatter and vanish if they others.
mo ve more than a hundred yards from their creator.  He encourages others to press the limits of their
Deep: The Eidolon can create up to fifteen simulacra capabilities.
at a time, and each is armed with exact duplicates of “He stood on a single toe, poised over the smooth
any non-artifact gear that he possesses. surface of the lake. I thought he must be standing
All Co nsuming: Able to create Simulacra without upon a stone, until he walked forwards to meet me.”
limit, the Eido lon is for all effects and purposes his Superficial: The Eidolo n always lands expertly on
own personal army. Any harm do ne to his original his delicately pointed feet, and never suffers ill
person causes all of his simulacra to vanish at once. effects from falling. He can land perfectly on the

167
 tips of needles without harm, or walk across a bed of Torn Apart
nails without tho ught. He never loses Balance, and
cannot be knocked down.
Deep: The Eidolo n's footing is so sure that he can REGRETFUL : “I am the victim of this chain of
walk easily across the surface of water or upon consequence, and there is no breaking it.”
clo uds, regardless of his weight or load. He never
makes noise while moving, unless he wishes to. An Eido lon displays Regret if:
All Consuming: So delicate are the steps of the  He speaks and thinks co nstantly of the past.
Persona Traits

Eidolo n that he can walk across thin air witho ut fear  He blames himself for mistakes and failures of
of falling. He becomes so consumed by his drive to the group.
succeed that he is unable to give up at a task he has  He talks constantly of “what-if’s” and what used
begun, even if its completio n beco mes irrelevant. to be.
“A ragged scar ran down his face, marring his
features horribly. Only the stitching held him
together, and as he spoke his lips worked against each
Third Eye other oddly, split in half as they were.”
Superficial: Rent into two halves by his own past,
the Eidolo n is prone to falling apart at the wrong
CU RIOU S: “It's natural to wonder, but I make it my mo ment.
business to find out.” Deep: The Eido lon's wound runs deeper than ever,
An Eido lon displays Curiosity if: and he is unable to heal during encounters. He must
find o ther ways to hold himself together than
 He presses others for informatio n they seem relying on his natural regeneration.
unwilling to give.
 He sees secrets as a challenge to unearth, rather All Consuming: Channeling his disco ntent and
than something to be left alone. regret into a contempt for the entire world, the
 He is interested in the mysteries of Empyrean, Eidolo n is able to inflict grave wounds upo n others
its past, and its lost powers. with any weapo n, as he is always considered to have
a personal desire to harm another. The wounds he
“An eye opened in his hand, scanning over me, and I causes to others cannot be healed via an Eidolo n’s
got the horrible feeling of being dissected and
natural regeneratio n. His heart itself is cracked and
evaluated from the inside out.”
broken with rage. Should this trait develop further,
Superficial: The Eidolo n can open a third eye which it risks utterly destroying him from the inside out.
detects the traits of other Eidolo ns nearby. This
sense can find the presence of other Eidolo ns even
through walls or floors, as far as the Eidolo n could
theoretically see if there were no obstructio ns.
Touch of Dust
Deep: The Third Eye can detect Anima and Aether
in any form, allowing it to sense wonders and
cornerstones as well as Eidolo ns.
CRUEL : “Your suffering is most unfortunate—but
All Consuming: The Eidolo n's Third Eye is always not for me.”
open, and can see directly through to the hearts of
others. This precise understanding of his enemy's An Eido lon displays Cruelty if:
weakness gives the Eidolo n deadly proficiency in  She seeks to inflict pain o n others.
battle. However, the Eido lon's curious nature easily  She relishes in the pain of others and the
overwhelms him, and he can be distracted with little destructio n of their works.
difficulty.  She enjoys wielding power over others to their
detriment.
“I froze in horror as she advanced upon me, cruel
malice gleaming in her eyes. My friend stepped
forward to block her way, but she only smiled wider
and touched his forehead with a finger. Before my
eyes, his body fell in upon itself in a heap of dust.”

168
Superficial: The Eido lon possesses a withered, Treasure Box
gnarled limb or finger that radiates malevo lent
power. Any organic substance he touches with this
limb turns to dust within a few seconds. Living
creatures may lose only a small part of their bodies, SECRETIVE: “That’s not any of your business.”
but the effect increases the lo nger contact is An Eido lon displays Secretive Tendencies if:
maintained.
 He keeps to himself and does not speak openly
Deep: With increased destructive power, a touch of his thoughts or feelings.

Persona Traits
from the Eidolo n can turn even inorganic substances  He has some past history that he does not wish
like stone into a fine powder. to share with the group.
All Co nsuming: The Eidolo n can wield her  He seems reserved and abrasive when asked
fearsome power through her entire body. Anything about himself or his opinio ns.
that co mes into contact with the Eido lon's skin can “He crossed his chest with a finger and to my
be turned to dust by an act of will. Because of this, amazement it opened as though on a hinge. Within
however, she must avo id the contact of those she his body were hidden all manner of treasures and
does not wish to harm. wonders. When he heard my gasp and realized he
was being watched, he quickly shut this compartment
away and turned in a rage.”
Superficial: A hidden compartment within the
Towering Eidolo n's body can contain any amount of hidden
treasures and wonders. Anything placed into the
compartment takes up less space than it would
normally. An Eidolo n can easily carry up to five
BOISTEROU S: “I've got quite a tale to tell you of MY times his own body weight and bulk in this
adventures...” compartment. He canno t store living things or
An Eido lon displays Boisterousness if: artifacts within himself. If the Eido lon dies or loses
this ability, everything stored within his body is
 He needs to constantly be the center of disgorged in a torrent of debris.
attentio n.
 He talks far more than he listens. Deep: The Eidolon's secret compartment can contain
 He feels compelled to add his input and opinio ns an unlimited number of items, so long as no single
to any conversatio n. item is larger than his own body. He may store
artifacts within his body, but not living things.
“He stood vast and tall above us, looking down and
across the field. 'Who will challenge me?' he All Co nsuming: The Eido lon may store even living
bellowed. Though we waited and waited none things within his body. Anything stored within his
stepped forward to meet him in battle.” secret compartment goes to sleep until removed, and
does not age. The Eido lon has been collecting and
Superficial: The Eidolo n grows to a great size, being
hoarding things for so long, that he can assume he
half again as large as any ordinary person. This
has co llected any mundane item, and produce it
increased size comes with additio nal strength, mass,
from himself at a mo ment' notice. Bound by his
and weight as well.
introversion, only he can use the things he has
Deep: Growing in boastfulness and strength, the collected, and is unable to share them with any
Eidolo n is twice as large as any ordinary person, and other.
has all the mass, strength, and weight that co me
with this increased size.
All Co nsuming: Three times as large as any
ordinary person, the Eido lon is a mountain amo ng
his peers. However, he must accept any challenge
that is issued to him, and make good on any boast he
proclaims.

169
 Twin Superficial: The Eido lon possesses a single,
indestructible horn. This horn is surrounded by a
powerful aura of purity. Anything it touches
becomes purified—diseases may be cured, water may
EMPATHIC: “Trust me, I know exactly how you be cleansed, metal may be refined—even Aether
feel.” seems to shrink back from its proximity. The
An Eido lon displays Empathy if: Eidolo n also displays excellent resistance to mental
influence.
 He is concerned with the emotio ns and
Persona Traits

distresses of others. Deep: The Eidolo n can channel the power of her
 He sympathizes with the plights of people he horn to purify things with a touch. Additio nally, she
meets and civilizatio ns he visits. is co mpletely immune to poison, disease, and
 He is capable of seeing things from opposing corrosion. Her horn is a deadly weapo n, and always
viewpo ints. causes a deep wound when it strikes enemies.

“The two of them spoke in perfect unison, All Co nsuming: All-Consumed by her purity, the
complimenting one another's appearance and attitude Eidolon is immune to any impure or tainted hazards.
with a perfect Balance of symmetry.” Anything that is not ritually cleansed or concentrated
in nature simply washes off of her skin without effect
Superficial: The Eido lon possesses a twin form that
or direct contact. However, she may eat and drink
shares his or her body. By spending Anima, these only specially prepared bread and purified water, and
two parts may split into two separate beings, both no person can touch her.
sharing the same conscio usness, but possibly with
different personality aspects or attitudes. Each half
possesses only half the strength of the original,
complete Eido lon.
Webweaver
Deep: The Eidolo n's twin forms can split apart and
reform at will. In additio n, each half is as strong as
the who le.
BROODING: “I’ve been waiting a lo ng, long time for
All Consuming: The Eidolo n can split off additio nal this opportunity.”
clo nes of himself, each with the same strength and
attributes as his who le being. Any wound or distress An Eido lon displays Brooding if:
suffered by one of his clo nes is reflected by all of  She plans elaborate ways to exact vengeance on
them, however, and the pain each clo ne feels is others.
multiplied by the number of them that exist.  She designs elaborate schemes and machinatio ns
to acquire what she wants.
 She will no t be rushed to act without time to
prepare and think through her actio ns.
Unihorned “Her spindly arms moved in a distracted motion as
she talked, pacing around me. When our
conversation had ended, I turned to leave, only to
realize I was trapped in an invisible net of stinging
PURE : “To know what you are not is to define threads.”
yourself.”
Superficial: The Eidolo n can draw a near-
An Eido lon displays Purity if: indestructible thread of silk from the palms of her
hands, and attach it to any solid surface with a
 She clings tightly to a moral or ethical code.
touch. Her arms become longer and slimmer, adept
 She resists outside influences, including those
at weaving and shaping the silk she creates.
from substances or situatio ns.
 She sets herself apart from others. Deep: The Eido lon can coat the threads of her silk
“A single, pearly horn protruded from the front of with stinging, sticky, or flammable mucus. She can
her forehead, shimmering with radiance. I felt a calm also attach webs by throwing them or 'shooting'
strength and purity around her, as though in all the them from her palms.
trouble and care in the world, nothing could touch All Co nsuming: As her arms become lighter,
her.” quicker, and capable of more fine mo vements, they
grow useless for tasks other than weaving her webs.

170
The Eido lon's skill is such that she can weave Windborne
complex objects like nets, clothes, and even full
barricades within a few seconds.

CAPRICIOUS: “Why? Well, I just felt like it. What

more reason do you need?”
Wellspring An Eido lon displays Caprice if:
 She changes her mind freely and easily.

Persona Traits
 She has difficulty focusing on any o ne thing or
HUM BLE : “Surely I am the least deserving of such idea for too long.
ho nors.”  She is easily co nvinced or swayed in her
An Eido lon displays Humility if: opinio ns.

 He cannot stand for others to praise him or “The breeze began to pick up, then lifted her into the
air by the billow of her robe. As I watched in
congratulate him. wonder, she sailed off into
 He gives credit to others when he could take it the night on the
for himself. summer breeze, never
 He does not think of himself as higher or better to be seen again.”
than others.
Superficial:
“He offered me a hand, as water seemed Surrounded by
to seep from his sleeves and from her own
between his fingers, running down personal wind
his arms as though his heart was an current, the
endless fountain.”
Eidolo n is able
Superficial: Water flows to control
constantly from the Eidolo n's and redirect
heart, seeping off of his body at a winds. She can
rate of about a gallo n per minute. unleash a burst
The Eidolo n can reduce or stop of wind to throw
this flow as he wishes. With herself high into the air,
concentration, he can control or to knock down an
any water that links with the unsuspecting foe, or accomplish
flow springing from his heart. anything else that sudden gusts of
He cannot manipulate more wind are good for.
water than his body's
volume. Deep: The winds that surround the
Eidolo n are reigned by a more precise
Deep: The Eidolo n's level of control. Using a cape or sail,
eyes, ears, and mouth run she can fly through the air with
with water, tho ugh he can limited proficiency.
breathe perfectly both
All Consuming: The Eido lon's
water and air. He can
wind currents are
manipulate up to five times
extremely powerful
his body's vo lume in water.
and precise. She can lift
All Co nsuming: Able to and manipulate objects
unleash a flood of water at will, with ease, as though she
the Eido lon's wo unds spray water had invisible hands, and can
with relentless pressure. He can no fly with o nly a billo wing robe
lo nger cut off the flow from his heart at rather than a cape or sail. However,
will, but can control up to twenty times his terrible storms gather anywhere that this
body's vo lume in water. Eidolo n remains for more than a day.

171
 Words Within A Weapon for the Strong

ACADEM IC: “Knowing justifies itself.”

O BEDIENT: “I just do what the boss says. If you
An Eido lon displays Academic Tendencies if:
don't like it, talk to him.”
 He is more interested in history and culture
An Eido lon displays Obedience if:
than in treasure or glory.
Persona Traits

 He spends significant time researching and  He goes against his personal wishes for the
reading. wishes of a master or authority.
 He always has the answer to questio ns on  He commits actio ns against his morality
history, culture, or techno logy. according to the wishes of a master or authority.
 He does not consider or question the mo tives
“The words seemed to swirl about
beneath her skin, revealing and behind the orders he receives.
obscuring and revealing again. Her “His skin gleamed like metal and his
knowledge, I knew, was a treasure face was stoic and empty. I asked him to aid
which she guarded jealously.” me, and he merely nodded
Superficial: A skittering ink slithers without a word. Before my eyes,
there was no more man—only the
beneath and upon the skin of the most deadly blade I had ever seen.”
Eidolo n, forming and unforming
words. With milky Superficial: The Eidolo n can transform
white eyes, he can himself into a deadly handheld weapo n that
read any language can be wielded by another. While wielding
and inherently the Eido lon in weapon form, the wielder can
understands the meaning behind add all of that Eido lon's strengths, skills,
forgotten and ico nographic languages. and trait powers to his own. The weapon is
usually capable of anti-personnel damage.
Deep: The Eido lon's body is a living
work of literature, filled with Deep: The Eido lon can become a more powerful
words. He bleeds ink and weapon or vehicle capable of causing damage on
knowledge, and can eat a vehicular or building scale. This form allows
books in order to recover for more control over his own actio ns, but as the
from wounds. He can Eidolo n's obedience deepens he is
also draw knowledge less and less likely to exercise that
out or inject knowledge control for reasons other than to
into ano ther’s mind, perform his masters' orders.
though both of these All Consuming: Becoming a vehicle or
procedures are quite weapon as powerful as a tank or bomber,
traumatic. the Eidolo n can cause damage on a grand scale.
All Co nsuming: Able to Because of the size and co mplexity of this form,
transform his body into a the Eidolo n is more in control of his own
living construct of ink and knowledge, actio ns than in any other form, and may not
the Eido lon can take any shape and even need the assistance of a pilot. However,
comprehend any riddle. However, his consumed by Obedience to his masters, he is
body is made of different stuff than most, sure to carry out their orders with ruthless and
and he is only able to heal from wounds by cunning efficiency. A weapon of this scale is capable
consuming books or knowledge. of destroying who le cities.

172
 Wonders
This sectio n is provided to offer you some Beyond this, players can
potential wo nders that may appear within spend some of their free
your Empyrean, and to inspire your own time between games to design
creations. Players are encouraged to and construct their wonders. The
produce their own treasures and complete process is described on
wonders, but these wonders can give page 88. The Conceit “Crafting
you an idea of what kinds of Wonders” is required for a player to
treasures exist in the world, as well be able to craft wonders himself.
as get you started quickly with Otherwise, he must find an
some exciting gear. appropriate sage or artisan who can
produce the wonder from his
As a start-up optio n when
materials.
beginning a new campaign, you can
give each player a minor wonder
of their cho ice. This can help to Buying Wonders
bolster and diversify the With the institutio n of the
flavor of individual player Currency Paradigm (page 76), players
characters. can buy and sell wonders for currency.
A few treasures are listed With the currency paradigm, Anima
with the ‘Elemental’ techno logy Pearls are typeless, and can be freely
type. These are wonders that are broken and exchanged between players.
created directly by the Great Spirits Institutionaliz ing a universal currency like this
or are part of the fundamental nature can keep all players on equal footing in terms of the
of the world. rewards and treasures they earn, but does not
prevent players from crafting custo m-made wonders
Creating Wonders of their own.
The exact prices for a Wonder can be rolled
Creating wo nders is a very open process without
using dice, as described in the Currency Paradigm
many concrete rules. An anima pearl co mponent is
section. Since prices vary by location, the same item
required, alo ng with mastery of whatever kind of
may have a different price in a different realm.
technology will be used to create the wonder.

173
 Consumables
Wo nder Special Power Suggested Materials
Bo ttled This jar produces an unlimited quantity of pure drinking Superficial Pearl (Wellspring), a
Ocean water. Smashing it causes a lake to form in the area. gallo n of lake water.
Creeping A black gas slowly escapes from this vial once it is opened. Deep Pearl (Touch of Dust),
Death Any organic substance that inhales or comes into contact and soot from a funeral pyre
with the gas is turned to dust in a matter of moments.
Dissolving Anything this oil is coated by dissolves into a puddle. The Superficial Pearl (Liquid Flesh),
Vial puddle reconstitutes itself back into its normal form after and a rare kind of oil
several hours if possible.
Eternal Life A single draught of this endless potion causes the drinker All-Consuming Pearl
Wonders

to need neither food nor water nor sleep, and not to age, for (Artificially Sustained)
an entire day. Nascent who are fortunate enough to possess
a vial can use it to stay alive for generations.
Giant's Blood Drinking this potio n causes an Eido lon to grow to between Superficial Pearl (Towering),
two and four times his ordinary size for a short time. and a strong red wine
Indestructible Anything coated by this o il is rendered indestructible for Superficial Pearl
Unguent several hours. (Indestructible)
Irresistible This candy is completely irresistible. Anyone who sees it is Superficial Pearl (Edible), a
Treat compelled by an all-co nsuming desire to eat it. spice costing more than a day's
wage.
Mask Maker's Spending an Anima and using this tool allows the owner Deep Pearl (Painted), a set of
Kit to create a perfect mask resembling the face of another. paints, a blank mask
While worn, the mask causes everyone who sees or hears
the mask-bearer to imagine the owner of the mask's face in
his stead.
Regenerating This potio n smells horrible and looks like black tar. Superficial Pearl (Ashen Flesh),
Potio n Drinking it heals all of one's wounds in an instant. some dust from a tomb.
Shattering This mirror shatters easily, and is designed to break apart All-Consuming Pearl (Shatters
Glass at the touch of a button. When it does, anything reflected like Glass), and a mirror that
in its glass also shatters in a similar manner. has been owned by at least five
different people.
Unattuned Putting a drop of Eidolo n's blood into this potio n will Superficial Pearl (Mimic), pure
Potio n rando mly imbue this po tion with o ne of that Eido lon's spring water
traits. Drinking this po tion grants that trait for the
duratio n of a conflict.
Rising Sun Burning this mystical card during the night causes it to Superficial Pearl (Crystalline)
Talisman become day.
Rising Moon Burning this mystical card during the day causes it to Superficial Pearl (Light Eater)
Talisman become night.
Cryogenic Drinking this potio n causes an Eido lon to freeze solid for Superficial Pearl (Frozen Heart)
So lutio n one day up to a week, depending on how much was taken.
Sleeping Salt Inhaling this po ison causes an individual to fall into deep Superficial Pearl (Fist of Sto ne),
slumber for a year and a day. mucus from a co lossus.

174
Volcano Seed Planting this seed causes a volcano to grow from the earth All-Consuming Pearl
in a vio lent eruptio n. It takes about a day to germinate. (Ho theaded), and a large chunk
of obsidian.
Heart of the Planting this seed causes a forest to spring up overnight, All-Consuming Pearl (Life in
Forest growing rapidly and violently for many miles. Footsteps), and seed that weighs
more than ten pounds.
Promissory Brandishing this note and co ncentrating on an object All-Consuming Pearl
Note owned by another will cause the note and the desired (Borrower), and a piece of
object to exchange places from anywhere in the world. The currency from a fallen empire.
note canno t be used again for one day.
So ul Eraser This clear gel can be used as a po ison or weapon coating. Deep Pearl (Heart of Iron)
Effective only on Eidolo ns, it causes ordinary wounds to
become deep wounds.

Wonders
Aged Wine When this wine is po ured over any organic substance, it Superficial Pearl (Touch of
rapidly ages that substance by a century. Dust), and a bottle of hundred-
year old wine
Regressio n Drinking this potio n causes an Eido lon to appear as a Superficial Pearl (Painted)
Tonic Nascent for up to one day. The potio n can be attuned to a
specific tribe of Nascent with a drop of blood from a
member of that tribe.
Leveler This bomb is powerful enough to level an entire city, All-Consuming Pearl (Earth
reducing all settlements for several miles to ruins. It leaves Whisperer), and a radioactive
plants, wildlife, and natural structures unharmed. catalyst
Enchanted Smelling this rose causes ano ther to fall into a thousand All-Consuming Pearl (Fist of
Rose year slumber. The rose withers and dies after it casts its Sto ne), a red rose.
spell on ano ther.
Vermillio n The wearer of this shroud can cause ano ther to become Deep Pearl (Silver Tongue)
Shroud infatuated with him or her for a half-hour. It becomes an
ordinary garment after being used in this way.
Blood Kohl Wearing this eye makeup causes any who lock eyes with Superficial Pearl (Deathly Grin)
you to experience hysterical fear.
Viridian The wearer of this shroud can cause ano ther to develop a Deep Pearl (Hotheaded)
Shroud murderous hatred of him or her for a half-hour. It beco mes
an ordinary garment after being used in this way.
Heavenly This arrow strikes through the heart of a named enemy All-Consuming Pearl
Arrow when it is fired, no matter where he is in the world. (Windborne)
Vaporizer This cylinder puts all animals and Nascent within a 1 mile Deep Pearl (Duskwalker)
radius into a suspended state, where they become like a
vapor. They return to normal unharmed when its effects
expire.
Bo ttled Storm Opening this jar unleashes the trapped weather inside. Superficial Pearl (Windborne)
While storms are most co mmon, any kind of weather can
be stored in the bottle.
Aether This small bomb unleashes a wave of Aether, which Deep Pearl (Spiral)
Charge temporarily disrupts the powers of Eidolo ns and weakens
them.

175
 Minor Wonders
Wo nder Special Power Suggested Materials
Arcane An enchanted gun that fires elemental energy in the form Deep Pearl (Hand Canno n), and a
Revolver of a beam. Requires an anima to use. The type of energy normal revolver.
shot out does not need to be the same as the anima used.
Blasting This chain has a heavy weight on the end, and glows with Deep Pearl (Cartwheel), a steel
Chain destructive Anima. Anything the weight smashes into is hit chain, a heavy lead weight
with the force of an explosio n.
Bo und This weapo n can be of any size or shape. On verbal Deep Pearl (Endless Knives)
Weapon command, it returns back to its owner, flying through the
air in a direct path to his hand.
Creeping This living rope will bind itself around creatures and grow Deep Pearl (Webweaver)
Wonders

Lash strong as iron. It releases its hold only at the touch of its
owner.
Eternal Rose A sword of glass with a crystal rose on its hilt. Every time Deep Pearl (Shatters like Glass), a
it breaks, the blade instantly reforms anew, leaving behind single black rose.
shards of shattered glass in the flesh of victims.
Lightning This rod fires out a tentacle of living electricity, which can All-Consuming Pearl (Arclight)
Rod be manipulated to pick up, move, or draw in objects.
Sundering The wounds from this spear must be healed naturally over All-Consuming Pearl (Torn Apart)
Spear time.
Silverlite When this dagger spills blood, the blood turns to silver Deep Pearl (Gilded)
coins when it touches the ground.
Blacklung This oriental pipe emits a terrible black cloud when Deep Pearl (Polluted)
Kiseru smoked. The owner of the pipe is immune to its effects, but
others who inhale the potent smog it emits are sent into a
vio lent fit of coughing.
Air Striders These boots can walk for up to three steps in midair, and Superficial Pearl (Blissful Gaze),
can also traverse still water. five unique kinds of feathers.
Bag of This bag never runs out of space, but finding anything Deep Pearl (Always Prepared), and
Secrets inside of it takes a great deal of time... almost as if it doesn't a bag made from the stomach of a
wish to relinquish its treasures. legendary beast.
Clear Crystal A pendant that resists all forms of mind co ntrol and Superficial Pearl (Crystalline), a
dominatio n. It also helps the bearer to remain calm in large quartz crystal
situatio ns where he would otherwise be gripped by fear.
Clockwatch This pocket watch slows or stops time within a five foot All-Consuming Pearl (Pocket
radius for up to 10 seconds. Requires an anima to use. Time), and a pocket watch made
by a master artisan.
Dancing This rope is extremely durable, and fo llows an owner's Deep Pearl (Bound), and a clump
Rope commands whenever the owner is within sight. It moves of hair from a legendary beast.
and strikes like a snake.
Endless This bag produces an unlimited supply of gold co ins, but All-Consuming Pearl (Gilded), a
Mo ney Bag the gold vanishes after three hours. bag made from rare leather.
Go lden Glass A mo nocle that reveals the intentio ns of those around its All-Consuming Pearl (Eye of
owner. Truth)

176
Gripping These boots never slip and fall, even when walking on walls Deep Pearl (Sandshaper), nails
Boots or ceilings. Reinforced metal bands keep the user's feet from a building over 10 years old
secure in the boots even under these circumstances.
Hunter's Eye This monocle reveals any weakness or flaw in an All-Consuming Pearl (Scornful),
opponents' armor (natural or otherwise). and a loop of platinum
Literary When shone upo n written words, this lantern translates Deep Pearl (Words Within), and
Lantern them into a language understood by the bearer. the embers from a funeral pyre.
Phase Cloak This cloak allows its owner to walk through walls by Deep Pearl (Phased), a cloak made
spending a point of Anima. from rainbow-dyed silk
Shadow This cloak merges with the darkness, making its owner's Deep Pearl (Duskwalker), a sheet
Shroud body intangible for a few moments. It can be used only of fine black silk.
once per conflict.
Universal This matching earring and lip ring translate any language Deep Pearl (Babbling), two rubies

Wonders
Translator into the owner's language, and translate the owner's cut from the same raw sto ne.
language into that of whomever he is speaking to. Any
intelligent being can be communicated with using this tool.
Vaulting These boots let the owner jump over fifty feet into the air Deep Pearl (Windborne), precisely
Boots and land safely with little effort. tuned springs
Matador's When the bearer of this cape would be struck by a surprise Deep Pearl (Duskwalker), a dead
Cape attack, he immediately vanishes in a puff of smoke and hero's cape
appears three yards away in a safer area. Once used, it takes
several hours for the cape to recharge its power.
So ulglobe An indestructible miniature world. Eidolo ns can activate Deep Pearl (Bastio n), a used
this item to shrink down to a tiny size and enter the globe, cornerstone
making it like a portable home base of sorts
Repulser Metal weapons and projectiles bounce harmlessly off of the Deep Pearl (Carapace), a bracelet
flesh of the one who wears this bracelet. made from seashells
Haunted Staring into this mirror transcends one's conscio usness into Deep Pearl (Inverse), a brass
Mirror the spirit world. mirror
Fo lding A full sized carriage, complete with beasts to pull it, that All-Consuming Pearl (Man in the
Carriage folds up into a cube the size of a fist o n command. Box), a carriage with horses or
other creatures.
Pocket Flame A living, cold flame that follows its master as a familiar. Deep Pearl (Energized), and so me
Can cast any co lor of light, or turn its flame hot at will. pieces of flint carved with runes.
May or may no t have personality and voice.
Revealing This lantern lights up an area as bright as day. The light is Deep Pearl (Lantern), and a sun-
Lantern ambient, as tho ugh the sun were shining down from above, bleached cloth
so it canno t be blocked or blotted out.
Ho munculus A miniature clo ne of its owner that can carry out tasks and All-Consuming Pearl
commands. It obeys its master's orders witho ut question, (Featherweight)
and sleeps in a flask when not working
Impregnable A box the size of a jewelry box (though sizes vary). This Deep Pearl (Treasure Box), a
Box box knows its owner, and only the owner’s touch can open jewelry box, chest, or trunk.
it. No other amount of force or magic can open it.
Meteor Glove Wearing this glove allows the owner to summo n down a Deep Pearl (Sandshaper), some
meteor from space. It can only be used once a day, outdoors. dust from a meteorite.

177
 So lar Ring The wearer of this ring can summo n a white-hot mote of All-Consuming Pearl (Radiant), a
solar energy that moves according to the bearer's command. loop of meteoric metal.
The mote can burn through almost anything.
Astral Rail This ghostly ticket summo ns a phanto m train to anywhere All-Consuming Pearl (Portal), a
Ticket in the world. The train can be taken to any civilized hundred-year old train ticket.
settlement in the world that has been previously visited by
the party.
Wall This small cylinder-shaped device projects an impenetrable Deep Pearl (Barrier)
Generator wall of force in one directio n.
Specimen This bottle rapidly sucks in air when opened. A creature Superficial Pearl (Pocket Time)
Bo ttle can become trapped in this jar, where it remains in ageless
suspended animatio n until freed.
Werecoat When do nned, the wearer of this coat takes on the same Deep Pearl (Beast Form), and fur
Wonders

form as the creature whose fur was used to create it. The from a wolf.
effect ends at will.
Paradise The sound of this horn pacifies natural creatures, though it Deep Pearl (Blissful Gaze), a brass
Horn will not work on Eido lons or Nascent. It will only sound trumpet
once each day.
Infernal The sound of this chime drives natural creatures into a Deep Pearl (Hotheaded), a hand-
Chime blind rage. It does not work on Eidolo ns or Nascent, and carved alabaster chime
sounds only once each day.
Radiant Running this co mb through one's hair confers incredible Deep Pearl (Radiant), a comb made
Co mb beauty for one hour. from tortoise shell
Fatalistic This spear is unbreakable and returns to its owner on Superficial Pearl (Indestructible)
Grey command.
Lotus Wheel This metal ring is indestructible, and can spin quickly to Deep Pearl (Barrier)
create a shield of force around its owner.
Lens of While starting another in the eye through this monocle, Deep Pearl (Forked Tongue)
Deceptio n anything said to that individual is believed by him
who leheartedly.
Clockwork These mechanical goggles lock onto the head of another. An All-Consuming Pearl (Clockwork)
Blinds individual wearing these has no free will, and must obey
the commands of the one who winds up the goggles.
Grinding While this music box is turned, all except the turner are Deep Pearl (Deathly Grin), and a
Organ wracked with a terrible, debilitating pain. cylinder of black metal.
Record Box This music box can be wound up and set on the ground. Deep Pearl (Pocket Time), and a
While playing, it creates a field of pocket time for about 10 music box.
feet in each direction. Time outside of this field stops.
Co mmand This staff hovers in the air, and mo ves precisely according Deep Pearl (Kinetic)
Staff to the mental co mmands of its owner.
Mobius Loop This loop is a silvery blue band of silk with no beginning or Deep Pearl (Inverse)
end, and a single twist that can never come out. When
something is passed through the center of the loop, gravity is
reversed for that thing until it can be passed through again.
Launch This bracelet causes the wearer's strikes to impact with the Deep Pearl (Explosive)
Bracelet force of an explosio n.

178
Major Wonders
Wo nder Special Power Suggested Materials
Ran's Golden Those who are scratched by this claw become consumed with All-Consuming Pearl
Claw an insatiable desire to own it. (Gilded)
Bo ttled This jar of firefly-sized insects buzz and hum and speak as one. All-Consuming Pearl (Of
Entourage They obey their master's commands without questio n, and live Many, One), a jar full of
witho ut sustenance in their jar until needed. They can take on captured insects
any form—be it no ndescript humans, insects, animal
companio ns, or anything else generic enough to blend in with
their surroundings.
Brigantin's A massive drill that is capable of extracting cornerstones from Not Creatable
Hoof realms or Anima Pearls from Eido lons.

Wonders
Kinado's Tail A flick of this great fan can create weather of any type its Not Creatable
ho lder desires.
Atamos's Eye Asking a question to this co in reveals any knowable truth to the Not Creatable
bearer. However, this knowledge always co mes at a price.
Dreiz's Fang A being who wears this fang is indestructible, and can never be Not Creatable
defeated in direct co mbat.
Lemnas’ A seemingly ordinary staff, this relic takes on any size, shape, Not Creatable
Whisker and properties desired by its bearer.
Orelk's Heart A covered lantern that emits darkness instead of light. Those Not Creatable
touched by its light are shaken with a fear that freezes them
solid like statues as lo ng as the light remains trained on them.
Terelt's Claw A paintbrush that brings into being whatever is painted with it. Not Creatable
The painted creations can be washed away with water, but are
otherwise solid.
Conscriptio n This large stone tablet bears the seal of the authorities of the All-Consuming Pearl
Order realm. The bearer may enlist any person within the realm no t (Banneret), and a slab of
Tableau actively fighting against him to jo in his side and fight for him. polished shale.
Gatekey & This key always co mes with a matching lock. No matter what All-Consuming Pearl
Lock door the gate key is put into, the room with the corresponding (Portal) a key made from
lock is always on the other side. This makes traveling back to a crystal
single place extremely easy.
Body Double This wind up do ll takes on the exact appearance of anyo ne who All-Consuming Pearl
sets it up and attunes it. It can be remotely controlled by this (Twin), a sculpture of a
person, who can see through its eyes and hear through its ears no ndescript person.
and speak through its lips. If not destroyed, it can be used again,
though its appearance can be set up only once.
Captivating Anyo ne who sees this design is captivated by its beauty and All-Consuming Pearl (Art
Sigil elegance. Enraptured, they find it difficult to focus on anything Cast Living), and a tablet
else for several hours afterward. of jade
Image Jar An Eido lon can store his image in this jar, rendering him All-Consuming Pearl
invisible to the eye as long as it remains held there. If the jar is (Duskwalker), a wine
smashed while an image is contained within it, the image's bottle more than 100 years
owner suffers a deep wound. old.

179
 Looking This mirror will reveal any place or person's whereabouts, given All-Consuming Pearl
Glass a description. The user must know the name of the person or (Infinite Eyes), a large loop
place it is trying to find, as well as a general idea of what that of gold
person or place looks like.
Slave Co llar A creature wearing this collar is forced to obey all co mmands of All-Consuming Pearl
the collar's owner. (Beast Master) and Level 3
Pearl (Controlling)
Retroanimate Placing this jeweled tiara on a corpse causes the corpse to All Co nsuming Pearl
Crown resurrect into a fully restored version of its former self. When (Touch of Dust)
the tiara is removed, the corpse disintegrates into dust.
Spirit Drum Natural creatures and Nascent are compelled to obey the All-Comsuming Pearl
commands of whomever beats this drum. A steady beat must be (Banneret)
held, or the spell breaks.
Wonders

Empty Touching an element of the world with this cornerstone will Not Creatable
Cornerstone seal that element within the stone forever. The thing trapped in
the stone can be released by ano ther Eido lon
Glass This key opens any lock or sealed portal, but shatters after All-Consuming Pearl
Skeleto n doing so and canno t be repaired (Portal)
Key
Seeker's This compass always po ints in the direction of the item or All-Consuming Pearl
Co mpass person you desire to find. Activating it costs 1 Light Anima. (Compass), a ho ly symbol
Puppet Wire Penetrating the flesh of another with this wire allows the holder All-Consuming Pearl
of the wire to control all of the actio ns of his victim. (Ho llow)
Attuning Tapping an object with the short side of this fork causes it to All-Consuming Pearl
Fork become attuned. Tapping anything with the lo ng side causes the (Borrower)
last attuned item to be teleported to the fork's locatio n.
Eternity This engine stores up time in a battery. Once the battery fills All-Consuming Pearl
Engine (or after a timer triggers), time is reset to the moment the (Pocket Time)
engine activated.
Exchanged This pair of rings bind themselves to the fingers of the ones All-Consuming Pearl
Rings who wear them. When the two rings are put o n, the wearers (Painted)
switch bodies. When the rings touch one another, they
disintegrate into dust and their effects end.

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Character Sheet Quest / Scenario Sheet
The character sheet's front side records This sheet is optio nally used for planning non-
informatio n about your Eidolon's individual growth linear game sessions. Each box on the sheet has
and details, while the back can be used to store room for an encounter's basic details to be recorded,
informatio n about their possessions, relatio nships, and has three lines at the botto m for you to draw the

Planning Sheets
and backstory growth. connections between scenes, depending on the
important choices the players make.
Dungeon Sheet
Realm History Sheet
You can create dungeons by filling in a sheet
like this with rando m encounters. Two draws from This is used for the group realm creatio n variant
the balance will generate a rando m encounter in (which I've published in full at the end of this post).
your dungeon. Seven encounters in sequence Print one out and try if with your group, if yo u
typically constitutes a full dungeon encounter. wish. This provides an alternative to out-of-game
planning, where the players sit at the table and
NPC Sheet roleplay the history of the realm to determine what
This is an abbreviated character sheet that you form it takes.
can use to keep track of relevant NPCs. Realm Sheet
This is the standard realm sheet. The front side
contains all the informatio n relevant to run your
realm, as well as a map with keys. The back side is
optio nal and allows you to custo mize your realm
with special random encounters. While the game
book contains nearly 350 random encounters based
on realm traits and balance, you can create your own
to give the realm a unique touch or to guide your
group's exploratio n.

181
 Treasure Generatio n is based on the traits of the

Balance Generators
Terrain: Mountain (Electricity)
realm. For naturally occurring treasures, draw once
(based on Terrain) to determine the kind of item A quarterstaff
that is generated, then draw again (based on A wall carving
Wildlife) to determine its effects. For synthetic A sledge
treasures, draw o nce (based o n Culture) to A suit of armor
determine the kind of item, then again (based on A roadside shrine
Technology) to determine its powers. The result A smooth sto ne
should be [an item] that [has a certain power]. A feather

Terrain: Desert (Fire) Terrain: Forest (Water)

A sword of black stone A woodsman's axe
An ancient scroll A wood block carving
A pack animal A cable car
A Sash A vest made from vines
An oasis A cottage
A bleached bone A rare mushroom
A canteen A glowing leaf

Terrain: Plains (Light) Terrain: Swamp (Darkness)

A club A harpoon
An inscribed sto ne A piece of carved bark
A carriage A riverboat
A tunic A straw hat
A road sign A great tree
A bottle of liquid A poisonous flower
A discarded no tebook A spring

191
 Terrain: Caverns (Stone) Wildlife: Exotic (Water)
A pickaxe Secretes flammable oil.
An overseer's manifest Glows in the dark.
A mine cart Releases electric shocks.
A bedroll Leaches out poiso n.
A lamp-post Releases a horrible smell.
An explosive Releases an extremely deadly po ison.
A crystal Calls and commands a flock of birds.

Terrain: Seaside (Air) Wildlife: Epic (Stone)

A canno n Explodes with extreme force.
A sea chart Alerts the owners when a monster is
An airship nearby.
A leather vest Makes the user grow to a colossal size.
A dock Pacifies colossal beasts.
A fishing rod Cannot be broken by any amount of
force.
A boat
Frightens away monsters.
Is extremely valuable.
Wildlife: Dire (Fire)
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Unleashes a blast of mystical fire.

Wildlife: Unnatural (Darkness)
Creates a shield of pure light.
Causes a target to burst into flames.
Emits a brilliant light on co mmand.
Reveals the location of an important
Allows the bearer to freeze water. place.
Commands the earth to change form. Reanimates the dead.
Forms a weapon out of pure darkness. Heals any wound, but has side
Allows the bearer to ride upon the wind. effects...
Wards away unnatural creatures.
Confers powers over shadow.
Wildlife: Natural (Light) Allows the owner to command
Stings the skin o n contact. undead.
Causes hallucinatio ns.
Fires poisonous quills or thorns.
Soothes wounds and hastens healing. Wildlife: Organized (Air)
Cannot be broken or destroyed. Is also a sophisticated mechanical
Is filled with tiny insects. weapon.
Induces allergic reactio ns. Represents authority over mo nstrous
tribes.
Makes the ho lder susceptible to
Wildlife: Aberrant (Electricity) suggestio n.
Cuts through anything like butter. Transforms one into a mo nster
temporarily.
Allows clairvoyant perceptio n. Is a mark of honor to the monstrous
Teleports the user to a matching tribes.
item's location. Is considered accursed by mo nstrous
Transforms the user into an elemental tribes.
spirit. Allows one to speak mo nstrous
Alters gravity according to the tongues.
owner's whim.
Can grow or shrink in scale.
Opens a dimensional portal.

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 Culture: Honorable (Fire) Culture: Militant (Dark)
An ornamental sword A melee weapon
A trumpet A ranged weapon
A military uniform A bomb
A badge of merit A medical kit
A shield A coat of arms
An idol An officer's cap
A war banner A conscriptio n order

Culture: Ascetic (Light) Culture: Trading (Air)

A brush and inkpot A rifle
A heavy book A compass
A mandala A grappling hook
A stringed musical instrument A barrel
A stone tablet with carvings A breastplate
A covered lantern A set of manacles
A jar of dye A shipping manifest

Culture: Progressive (Electricity) Technology: Steam (Fire)

Generates incredible force.

Balance Generators
A prototype weapon
A propaganda poster Calculates odds.
A new power source Allows one to see at a great distance.
A professionally cooked dish Opens up into a shield
A tamed monster Magnetizes objects
A mirror Absorbs sound
A foreign book Can speed up time in the surrounding
area.

Culture: Artisan (Water)

A wood carving Technology: Thaumics (Light)
Causes an object to explode with
An embroidered garment
force.
A painting
Reveals invisible doors and treasures.
A ceremonial dance costume Transmutes one thing into another.
A handmade drum Repairs magical items.
A play script
Creates a wall of invisible energy.
A flute
Renders the user invisible.
Magnifies sounds a hundredfold.
Culture: Industrious (Stone)
An explosive fuel canister Technology: Neotech (Electricity)
A lamp Fires a destructive energy ray.
An engine
Reveals structural data.
A stimulant
Enables space travel.
A clock
Transforms into a vehicle.
A jar of grease Generates a force field.
A communicatio n device Causes high-tech equipment to
malfunction.
Unleashes a sonic attack.

193
 Technology: Biotechnology (Water) Filling in the Gaps
Animates itself and attacks enemies. Often the encounters generated here will not
Provides its owner with additio nal specify the exact place, time, or person who is
strength. making a request or will leave the place where the
Converts itself into any structure of conflict is occurring up to the players. The realm
the same size. owner can supply these elements, or they can be
Heals wounds on co ntact. created using the other generators in this guide.
Can come to life and transport objects.
Makes the wearer susceptible to
Settlements, Citizens, Civilizations
suggestio n. Since different realms will have different kinds
Speaks normal language and records of towns and people, these generic terms are used in
informatio n. the contexts. A settlement is any city, town, village,
output, base, or the like that the realm’s civilizatio n
controls. Civiliz ation refers to the Nascent society
To Generate an that co ntrols (or attempts to co ntrol the realm).
Citizens are any individuals, Nascent or Eidolo n,
Encounter that permanently call
the realm their home.
To create an encounter, Creating your own Realm
follow these steps: Contexts Making
Draw a card from the Once you’ve created and fleshed out
Encounters Fit
Realm’s World Balance. your own realm, you may wish to create Not all of the
Balance Generators

Based upo n the element of more elaborate adventure contexts that are contexts provide a
the card, select one of your realm specifically applicable to your realm and its direct conflict, and not
Traits: evolutio n. The back of the Realm Sheet all will provide a
contains an area where you can design conflict that the party
Fire: Government Trait these contexts. wants to participate in.
Light: Creed Trait When creating a context, avo id being For example, “A wise
Electricity: Technology Trait too specific. Present only the problem at guardian creature
hand, and let your party define the protects the locals and
Water: Culture Trait specifics of the situatio n and the way they lives in harmony with
Sto ne: Terrain Trait want to go about solving it. If yo u give too them. However, the
much information, you can stifle the plot creature keeps a secret
Darkness: Wildlife Trait and make the scenario potentially less treasure buried within
Air: Society Trait interesting. its lair that could be
Understand that players are going to extremely valuable.”
Look up that realm trait in Perhaps your party
the following generatio n tables, take your adventure contexts in directio ns
that yo u didn’t expect. It is best to phrase isn’t the type to steal
then find the event that treasures from their
corresponds to the level of that your co ntexts in the terms of myths,
rumors, or vague superstitio ns that the guardians—especially
trait’s element in the realm. those who protect
party can investigate and move in their
Generated Encounters are a own directio n. villages. In this case,
great way to explore a realm for you can still use the
the first time. Once players feel context, but reverse the
comfortable exploring the realm, they will probably situatio n. For example, perhaps a less scrupulous
want to co me up with their own Encounter party isn’t above stealing said treasure, and it’s up to
Contexts, and this is encouraged. you to protect it. Co ming up with creative ways to
turn encounters into situatio ns that players want to
participate in is o ne of the subtle skills that you will
acquire as you play Mystic Empyrean.

194
Terrain Encounters 5 - A major settlement’s water source has dried
up, and will soon die unless a renewable source of
water can be supplied to it.
Plains (Light)
6 - A group of desert no mads have asked the
1 - A huge storm is co ming across the plains, and party to aid them in crossing the harsh desert.
the farms’ harvest for this year will be ruined unless
something can be do ne soon. The locals ask the 7 - The worst sandstorm in history is gathering
party for help. strength and heading straight for a major settlement
where the party is staying. It is up to them to protect
2 - A foreign plant has been growing and the place from being destroyed utterly.
gradually displacing o ther plants, unbalancing the
natural ecosystem and making farming difficult. Forest (Water)
The party must find a way to eradicate it.
1 - A brushfire has grown out of control and is
3 - A group of travelers seeking protectio n for devouring the forest quickly.
their trip across the plains wish to hire you to escort
2 - It is said that beneath the roots of the largest
them.
tree in the forest is hidden a secret ruin from
4 - In the dry season, a fire has blown out of millennia ago.
control and has set nearly the whole realm ablaze.
3 - Lost in the very heart of the forest, the
The party must find a way to help before the who le
players must find so me way to get back to
area is destroyed.
civiliz ation witho ut a map or compass.
5 - A recent earthquake has opened up a vast
4 - A powerful predator stalks the forest floors,
canyon in the heart of the plains. The nearby
and terrorizes the Nascent settlements by night. A
Nascent tribes need someone to build a bridge across

Balance Generators
hunting party is sent in to eliminate this threat.
this canyo n so that they can maintain trade between
settlements. 5 - A potent herb is said to grow for one day a
year at the heart of the forest. Players must journey
6 - Plants in the plains are dying of a mysterious
blight, and the people of the land are not able to in to find this rare plant in exchange for an item
gather food or hunt effectively as a result. they need.

7 - The lands are drying up due to an unnatural 6 - A mysterious jungle fever has come over
travelers who visit a certain corner of the forest, and
drought, and someone must find the source of the
it is quickly becoming a haunted and forbidden
problem and stop it before all life on the plains is
place.
destroyed.
7 - The forest is growing aggressively and
Desert (Fire) expanding into settlements and civilizatio n with an
1 - Rumors of a legendary oasis where many almost malicious intent. What could be the source of
treasures are hidden circulate among the desert this growth.
settlements. Can the party piece together the puzzle Seaside (Air)
and find this elusive place?
1 - The water level is dropping recently for no
2 - As the party travels through the desert, a
apparent reason. The party is asked to investigate.
shifting dune reveals an ancient ruin that was buried
beneath the sands long ago. The desert will soon 2 - A ship carrying important cargo sinks near
swallow the ruin once more, and this is the only the coast and the party is asked to salvage so me
chance there may be to explore it. parts from it.
3 - A desert storm falls suddenly o n the party, 3 - Recently, the seawater around settlements has
and they must fight their way through the storm to become dangerously acidic, making the area around
reach their destinatio n and avoid being lost. dangerous and killing off wildlife.
4 - A sudden desert storm has left the traveling 4 - Piracy has become rampant, and huge
party alone and lost in the center of the vast desert. bounties are being placed o n the pirates that patrol
It will be three days of traveling to return to the the waters.
nearest settlement, and until then, they must find
5 - A huge storm leaves the party shipwrecked
some way to survive.
on a tiny island.

195
 6 - It is said that a ghost ship haunts the waters Caverns (Stone)
near a settlement.
1 - A huge underground reservoir of
7 - The ruins of an ancient city have been undetermined depth can be found at the botto m of
discovered deep beneath the surface of the waters. the caverns. What could lie beneath these depths?
Swamp (Darkness) 2 - A local child has become lost in the caverns,
and the party is asked to rescue them before they are
1 - A member of the party is bitten by a toxic
found by wild creatures.
swamp snake, and he will deteriorate unless a cure
can be found soon. 3 - A cavern co llapse has trapped the party under
miles of solid sto ne.
2 - Swamp gas has been affecting the minds of
people in the settlements, causing them to become 4 - In order to reach a settlement o n the other
vio lent. side of the mo untains, the party must travel through
an uncharted cave system.
3 - A certain part of the swamp is said to be
haunted by a malevo lent spirit, and those who 5 - A deadly creature lives deep within the
venture there rarely return. caverns, and the players are commissioned to
capture or kill it.
4 - A biologist asks the party to track down and
capture a rare species of bird, perhaps the last of its 6 - A vein of precious minerals within the
kind. caverns has been flooded. The party is asked to find
some way to clear the flood and make the mine safe
5 - The swamp has begun flooding, and
to work once more.
settlements will be destroyed if it co ntinues. The
party is asked to intervene. 7 - A treasure is being kept safe deep within the
Balance Generators

heart of the cavern. The party is asked to protect it

6 - Strange lights can be seen in the swamp at
from a much larger force that is storming the
night, leading the way to a forbidden and ancient
caverns in order to claim it.
corner of the bog.
7 - A zoologist asks the party to capture a Technology Encounters
massive swamp snake for study, as well as to keep it
from terrorizing the villagers in the area. Primitive (Stone)
Mountain (Electricity) 1 - The party is asked to help establish the
educational system of the realm and bring them out
1 - The party stumbles upo n a secluded mountain
of the stone age.
village that has been cut off from civilizatio n for
hundreds of years. 2 - A handful of citizens have disco vered high
technology in an ancient ruin, and are using it to
2 - Landslides have become increasingly co mmon
terrorize and extort from local settlements.
as of late, and the people of the mountain settlements
believe that some active force is to blame. 3 - The citizens of the realm are concerned about
invaders from other realms with more advanced
3 - There are rumors of a mountain mo nster that
technology.
terrorizes the settlements but has never been seen or
tracked. 4 - The people of the realm have asked your
assistance in building a structure for them which
4 - A bridge has fallen out across a ravine in the
they could not create otherwise.
mountains, and the party is contracted to repair it.
5 - A plague is sweeping the land, but the
5 - While climbing the mountains, the party are
citizens have no medicine or medical science with
caught in a storm and sealed underground in an ice which to combat it.
cavern from which there is no apparent escape.
6 - Disturbances in the weather and a high rate
6 - There are legends of an ancient city filled with
of natural disasters have the populace baffled as to
treasure that remains undiscovered in the mountains
their origins.
and lost after a thousand years of isolation.
7 - Crops are dying and animals are leaving the
7 - A volcanic eruptio n wakes the party in the
realm. The citizens are unsure of why, but stand to
night. Before it is too late, they must find so me way
be in great trouble without these resources.
to save themselves and the settlement.

196
Steam (Fire) 2 - A new kind of magic proves to be extremely
dangerous, and the government is do ing everything
1 - A shortage of coal has driven the price of this it can to suppress these new arts.
commodity to extreme highs.
3 - A summo ning spell has go ne awry and
2 - Train robbers are commo n on the railways unleashed a number of powerful beings into the
that connect the settlements in this realm, and the center of the settlement.
party is asked to deal with them.
4 - A powerful prodigy mage has been
3 - The steam engines powering the settlement discovered, and different factio ns are trying to entice
have been sabo taged, and will explode soon if him to jo in their interests.
nothing is do ne to stop and repair them.
5 - A lo ne mage is pursuing a dangerous line of
4 - A gigantic explosio n has occurred across magical research, and is coming close to completing
town, and it’s up to the players to determine who’s his project.
responsible and why it happened.
6 - A construct of thaumic energy has been
5 - The players are invited to design their own spontaneously born from magical experiments. The
steamwork robot to participate in a robot duel. construct wishes to become a citizen of the realm
6 - There are rumors of strange experiments and live amo ng his creators.
happening in one of the laboratories outside town, 7 - One morning, for some unknown reason, all
and a storm to night may provide the power they of the thaumic technology in the realm no longer
need to complete their experiments. works.
7 - A mad scientist has built a gigantic war Biotechnology (Water)
machine and is terrorizing the settlements in the

Balance Generators
area with it. 1 - The players are given an opportunity to
design their own servitor and have it co me with
Electronics (Air) them.
1 - A realm-wide power outage has left citizens 2 - An experiment gone awry has created a
unable to communicate or perform daily tasks. legio n of endlessly self-replicating servitors that
2 - A self-aware computer virus has taken threaten to devour the entire realm.
control of the settlement’s control systems, and is 3 - A rogue servitor has gained sentience and is
causing considerable danger to citizens. slowly subverting others of his kind to lead a
3 - Government documents and intelligence are revolutio n against their Nascent masters.
being sto len through a leak in the central co mputer 4 - The players are invited to participate a
systems of the settlement. sporting co mpetitio n where servitors are designed
4 - An underground ring of criminals exchanges and created to compete with one another.
signals and meeting places through a little-known 5 - A disease is killing off servitors all across the
network site. realm, leaving citizens without a means of
5 - Strange electrical surges are occurring all sustaining themselves.
across the settlements, and rumors of a mysterious 6 - A mad scientist has created a massive
electrostatic monster are circulating. servitor which he is using to terrorize settlements.
6 - A mechanical, artificially intelligent citizen 7 - A genetics workshop is allowing citizens to
is built. The populatio n is divided over whether he custo mize their own genetics, leading to strange
should be allowed to exist or not. changes in the populatio n.
7 - A virtual reality is built that allows citizens Pandoran Tech (Darkness)
to live completely inside the network for a time.
Those who do are becoming so enthralled with the 1 - Citizens are disappearing in the night for
artificial world that they do not wish to return to the unknown reasons, and with increasing frequency.
real world.
2 - The exploitatio n of Pandoran Techno logy
Thaumics (Light) has weakened the fabric of reality, causing
dangerous rifts in space and time.
1 - The players are able to design their own
magical tool and take it with them.

197
 3 - A radiatio n emitted by the realm’s techno logy 5 - By a strange twist of fate, a party member has
is turning people and animals into mutated acquired a large amount of local land, and is invited
mo nsters. to become a Plutocrat and help manage the realm.
4 - A prodigy of Pandoran Techno logy seems to 6 - Two rival factio ns are going to war with o ne
know many secrets of the devices in the settlement another, and they are drafting peasants into service
and how they functio n, but there is something against their will as warriors.
sinister about him.
7 - A peasant revolt is being viciously suppressed
5 - Many of the citizens in the realm begin by the private armies of the guilds, and the party
experiencing madness and dementia for unexplained must choose a side in the fight.
reasons.
Kingdom (Stone)
6 - An inventor in the realm has developed a
weapon that can instantly kill an Eidolo n. 1 - The kingdo m and parliament have a serious
divide over an important social issue. Each side asks
7 - The party discovers the terrible truth about that you help the other to see things their way.
the power source that keeps all of the settlement’s
technology running. 2 - The king’s daughter (or son) has been
kidnapped by seditious traitors. The party is asked
Neotech (Electricity) to find these villains and bring them to justice, as
well as to return their hostage unharmed.
1 - The party is asked to participate in a space
flight to discover what strange wonders lie beyond 3 - The players are invited to have an audience
Empyrean. with the king. According to custom, they must offer
the king a gift, but may also ask a single request of
2 - An alien craft crashes near to a settlement.
the king.
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3 - A military technologist has developed a

4 - A sinister figure plots to overthrow the king
weapon capable of destroying entire realms.
and take his place on the throne. The players must
4 - The party is asked to design and pilo t a decide whether to align with this figure or the king,
massive spacecraft to defeat a colossal otherworldly and see the conspiracy through to the end.
enemy.
5 - The king has passed away without a
5 - The party is caught in a dimensional shift, successor, and it is custo m for the people of the city
and must find some way to return to their own to ask world-traveled Eidolo ns to appoint a new king
universe. for them.
6 - A full scale invasio n against the settlements 6 - The king’s advisors are plotting to assassinate
is being carried out by an alien menace. him, and you have become privy to the plot.
7 - Artificially intelligent life has risen up in a 7 - A powerful Eidolo n has deposed the king and
revolutio n against the Nascent. now sits upon the throne. It is up to you to
overthrow this despot and return the realm to the
Government Encounters control of its rightful master.

Plutocracy (Fire) Theocracy (Light)

1 - The party is asked by a guild to undermine a 1 - A high priest curses the party for their deeds,
rival guild in exchange for the favor and protectio n and now they must explain themselves to the god of
of the guildmaster. the realm.

2 - The party is heavily taxed by the Plutocracy, 2 - The god of the realm will not allow the party
and one of their powerful relics or tools is requested to leave until they perform some service for him.
to cover the tax. 3 - The people of the realm believe o ne of the
3 - The people of the country plead with the party members has been sent by their god to end
party members to ease their poverty and hunger by poverty and social injustice in the civilizatio n.
stealing from the Oligarchs for them. 4 - The god of the realm desires an audience
4 - The party is hired to protect a powerful with the party, and asks them to bring him a rare
figure who fears that an assassination plot targets treasure as proof of their devotio n.
him.

198
 5 - A divine selectio n names one of the party 5 - The central intelligence of the Technocracy
members as the next prophet to lead the Theocracy. has outlawed a specific book, and has ordered all
copies of it destroyed.
6 - A divine portent foretells of terrible calamity
that will soon befall the realm, and the players must 6 - Agents of the Technocracy have declared
determine what it is and how they will lend aid. martial law and locked down all settlements,
preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
7 - The patron god of the realm dies, leaves,
falls, or is otherwise removed from power, and must 7 - The technocracy’s intelligence has
be reinstated or replaced to return life to normal. determined that “human elements” are no longer
necessary, and has begun a campaign to replace all of
Tyranny (Darkness) its populace with robotic auto mato ns.
1 - The party members have gained an audience Meritocracy (Water)
with the tyrant, and are expected to bring alo ng
some kind of gift. 1 - The party are asked by rulers in the country
to help unearth a co nspiracy to overthrow them.
2 - The tyrant has asked all Eidolo ns in the
country to jo in him in suppressing a rebel uprising. 2 - Due to their fame, the party is asked to
The players must determine which side of the endorse a candidate for the upcoming election.
conflict they wish to join.
3 - The party have inadvertently entered
3 - The party is invited to join an underground themselves into a co mpetitio n to determine the next
mo vement that works against the tyrant, and is ruler of the realm.
asked to carry out a mission to eliminate one of his
4 - For their deeds, one of the party members is
generals.
elected into the Meritocracy.

Balance Generators
4 - The party is jailed on suspicion of po litical
5 - The party witnesses one of the civilizatio n’s
subversion, and must stand trial to clear their
leaders working against his subjects, and must
names.
unearth the conspiracy.
5 - The party inadvertently co mes across a
6 - A criminal organizatio n is defrauding the
political prisoner, who asks that he be set free and
natio n’s polls in order to mislead leaders about the
tries to convince the party to join his cause.
will of their subjects.
6 - A shortage of resources causes the people of
7 - One of the natio n’s rulers is an impostor, and
the country to beco me restless. While ratio ns are
the players must prove his true identity to the world,
shortened, dissent grows, and the party must do
as well as restoring the original to the throne.
what they can to deal with a po tential insurrection.
7 - A revolutio n has begun to overthrow the Aristocracy (Air)
tyrant and give power to the people of the realm. 1 - A riot has formed in the streets with peasants
The party must decide which side of the struggle demanding food and clothing from the rich
they wish to join. aristocracy.
Technocracy (Electricity) 2 - The players are invited to jo in the
aristocracy, but to do so they must eliminate o ne of
1 - A virus has been unleashed that is slowly
the existing aristocrats.
corrupting the technocrats and subverting their
ideals. 3 - A rich middle class of tradesmen and guild
masters challenges the authority of the aristocrats by
2 - The central intelligence systems of the
defying tariffs and taxes, resulting in an escalating
technocracy are utiliz ing hypno tic suggestio ns to
conflict.
control and manipulate their subjects.
4 - Players are asked to assist in managing the
3 - The central intelligence of the technocracy
welfare of the poorer classes, and to improve health
has become self-aware, and is subtly using its power
and education in settlements.
for its own ends.
5 - One of the aristocrats has challenged a party
4 - Hackers have infiltrated the technocracy’s
member to a duel of ho nor, with the winner being
central co mputer systems, and tracing and stopping
awarded the loser’s titles and properties.
them is a priority for the government.

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 6 - A revolutio n breaks out, and the aristocrats 6 - A mad sorcerer is raising an army of
flee to a safe haven outside of the settlement. It falls unspeakable horrors, and it falls to the party to stop
to the players to restore order and restructure the him.
civiliz ation.
7 - An extra-dimensio nal monster has become
7 - The aristocrats have struck back against the the center of a secret cult. Now, the cult is ready to
lower classes by seiz ing all property and forcing release their master into Empyrean.
peasants into indentured labor.
Dire (Fire)
Creature Encounters 1 - Tomb raiders have awakened an ancient and
deadly creature which is now loose on the outskirts
Exotic (Water) of the settlement.
1 - A rare animal has taken to one of the party 2 - A raging dire creature has charged into the
members and follows him everywhere. Poachers and center of the settlement and is attacking people at
hunters are interested in capturing it from him. rando m.
2 - A species which was o nce a staple of the 3 - A dire creature is leading a number of natural
realm is now being poached to near extinctio n. creatures of its kind o n an organized raid against
3 - The party is tasked with capturing a rare Nascent settlements.
insect for a collector to put o n display in a museum. 4 - A creature which used to guard settlements
4 - An rich citizens rare bird has gotten lost in in the area has turned to attacking them and trying
the city, and he is desperately trying to hire help to to drive the Nascent away.
track it down. 5 - A terrible mo nster protects a secret shrine
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5 - A member of the party has been stung by a that is rumored to contain ancient treasures.
rare lizard and is in critical conditio n. Only the 6 - A wise guardian creature protects the locals
veno m of that exact lizard can be used to create a and lives in harmony with them. However, the
cure. creature keeps a secret treasure buried within its lair
6 - The party has been entrusted with a rare that could be extremely valuable.
species to release into the wild and find a suitable 7 - A great mo nster who defends the realm
ho me for. demands a sacrifice of one citizen per month.
7 - A natural disaster has displaced thousands of Natural (Light)
wild creatures, which have overrun settlements
across the realm. 1 - An animal populatio n is dying out from a
mysterious disease, and no one is sure why.
Aberrant (Electricity)
2 - A rare and important medicine can o nly be
1 - A rift in space and time has unleashed a made from the sinew of a rare animal whose
terrifying mo nster into the streets of a settlement. populatio n is rapidly dwindling.
2 - The party discovers an enormous, dormant 3 - Animals taking up residence in settlements
mo nster trapped beneath the surface of the realm. have caused health and sanitatio n problems lately.
3 - A natural mutagen has been discovered that is 4 - Pollutio n has caused animals to become
transforming ordinary animals into unspeakable scarce, upsetting the natural food chain and creating
mo nsters. It falls to the party to find some way to a scarcity of food.
find some way of co ntaining and controlling this
5 - Domesticated animals have broken loose and
substance.
are overrunning the streets.
4 - A massive, aberrant creature has taken up
residence beneath the settlement, and its presence 6 - A plague of pest animals have flown in, and
are rapidly spreading disease and devo uring food
causes unrest for citizens.
supplies.
5 - The sting of a horrific monster leaves one
7 - With their natural food chain disrupted by
party member disabled. The others must try to find
expansion, animals have become violent and begun
an antidote.
attacking Nascent.

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Epic (Stone) Unnatural (Darkness)
1 - Citizens have unknowingly built an entire 1 - Ghosts from the past roam the lands at night
settlement on the back of a gigantic, slumbering and prey on unwary travelers.
creature. Now, that creature is waking up.
2 - The horrific mo nsters who roam the lands
2 - A seal which held a massive creature at bay display a sinister intelligence, and it is believed that
for millennia has been broken, and the party must someone is controlling them for his own ends.
find so me way of restoring the seal and trapping this
3 - A sinister castle on the hill overlooking the
creature once again.
settlement seems to be a source of the terrifying
3 - A massive, immortal creature is wrecking creatures that roam the lands.
havoc on the local settlements. The party must find
4 - An evil influence is preying upon citizens,
some way to divert it or defend against it.
turning them into puppets under its control.
4 - The party is sent on a mission to capture
5 - A horde of undead abominatio ns have risen
evidence of an elusive mythical creature.
due to a convergence of the planets, and the
5 - A gigantic creature guards the local settlements must fend them off until the celestial
settlement, but recently, another creature has been event ends.
encroaching on its territory and trying to drive it
6 - A witch claims to know of a way to destroy
away.
the mo nsters that plague the lands once and for all.
6 - A stampede of enormous creatures threatens
7 - A terrifying colossus of death and decay rises
to destroy an important settlement.
from the earth and is laying waste to the settlements
7 - A terrible mo nster has been sighted at the of the realm.

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edge of the wilderness, dwarfing cities and even
mountains. Culture Encounters
Organized (Air) Ascetic (Light)
1 - Due to a pillaging of food and resources by 1 - The party will be offered a powerful relic kept
organized monster tribes, the populatio n of the local safe from the world, but o nly if they can co mplete a
settlements is go ing hungry. series of challenges displaying their worthiness.
2 - Organized mo nsters have settled cities near 2 - A dark entity within the collective
resources that the local Nascent tribes want to subco nscious of the realm is corrupting the minds of
control. its people.
3 - The mo nsters in the area have organized and 3 - A few individuals in the realm have
are demanding to be recognized as citizens of the developed psionic powers that are difficult for them
local nascent settlements. to control.
4 - The mo nsters in the area have discovered 4 - A spiritual leader has died and been
advanced techno logies or magics that they are using reincarnated. The party is asked to help find his new
to wreak havoc on the nearby Nascent settlements. incarnation.
5 - Monsters in the area have organized a 5 - The party is asked to prove their wisdo m by
military campaign to drive back Nascent settlements creating something that will last forever.
that are expanding into their lands.
6 - The party members are sent o n a spiritual
6 - One of the party members has been captured journey to speak directly to the Spirit of the World.
by the mo nster tribes, and is being held ransom.
7 - The party members are sent o n a spiritual
7 - The Organized mo nsters of the realm have journey to confront their own inner demons.
built up an army and begun a campaign to
exterminate the Nascent once and for all. Honorable (Fire)
1 - Before they can gain entrance to the realm’s
settlements, the party must prove their worth in a
contest of might and wisdo m.

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 2 - The party members are welco med as guests 4 - An expensive painting has been stolen from a
of honor in the settlement, but tales of their deeds local museum, and the players are tasked with
have been vastly inflated and misco nstrued, such finding it and returning it to its rightful owners.
that more is expected of them than they can provide.
5 - There is an author whose works all co me
3 - The party is asked to participate in an true. As different groups vie for control of his
unorthodox sporting co mpetitio n that is popular in power, the players must decide where they stand and
the realm. what they will do.
4 - A member of the party has accidentally 6 - An artist has produced a work of art so
disgraced a warrior, who challenges him to a duel. beautiful that all who see it fall madly in love with
it.
5 - One of the party members is asked to repay
an old debt by hunting a mo nster in the lands 7 - Citizens have been vanishing, and sculptures
surrounding the settlement. of the missing citizens are appearing in the garden of
a mansio n outside of the settlement.
6 - A member of the party has been accused of
theft and is about to be arrested. Industrious (Stone)
7 - The realm’s champio n challenges a member 1 - Greedy merchants are exploiting the hard
of the party to a duel to the death. work of the masses to create huge profits for
Militant (Darkness) themselves, while paying next to no thing to the
working classes.
1 - The party is dispatched with a team of
2 - Bad working conditio ns are causing a high
soldiers in order to take down a mo nster that has
mortality rate among laborers, causing unrest.
been terrorizing the settlement.
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3 - An industrial accident has put the settlement

2 - Parano ia runs high in the settlements, as
on alert, as immediate danger threatens all of its
rumors spread that subversives wish to oust their
citizens.
government. This distrust of outsiders causes
problems for the party. 4 - Unio n workers have gone on strike,
effectively shutting down the settlement.
3 - The party is invited to participate in an
underground arena sporting co mpetitio n, with a 5 - Industrial Waste has caused severe ecological
powerful relic being the prize. impact, causing health problems for the lower
classes.
4 - Two settlements have been at war with o ne
another for many years, and it is up to the party to 6 - Industrial policies are forcing the old, the
arbitrate their situatio n. infirm, and children to work.
5 - Settlements have begun a campaign to 7 - A monstrous creature has taken up residence
eliminate all mo nsters from their lands, and the in one of the factories, and the party is asked to
party is asked to help with this effort. descend into the depths of the factory and destroy it.
6 - The civilizatio n has funded the constructio n Commercial (Air)
of a massive weapon with potentially devastating
power. 1 - The people of the settlement demand trade
goods from a foreign realm, and leaders promise to
7 - The civilizatio n has undertaken the invasion give the party a powerful relic if they bring the
of a neighboring realm. The party must decide requested items.
which side of the battle they wish to jo in.
2 - The settlement wishes to establish trade with a
Artisan (Water) neighboring realm, and asks the party to guide one of
their trade emissaries on a diplomatic mission.
1 - An artist has produced a work so terrible that
it induces madness in all those who see it. 3 - Bandits have blockaded an important
settlement, and the party is asked to break the
2 - The players are awarded a co mmissio n to
blockade and restore stability to the area.
design a monument for the central square in a city.
4 - An influx of cheap goods from a foreign
3 - The party find themselves trapped within a
settlement has destroyed the local economy, putting
two dimensio nal painted world, and must find a way
citizens out of work.
to escape back to the real world.

202
 5 - Government officials believe cheap goods 5 - A rich foreign settlement is buying up all of
that are being sold by a particular merchant are the food and natural resources from the settlement,
actually pirated, and asks you to investigate. sending it spiraling into a societal collapse.
6 - An economic collapse has occurred in o ne of 6 - A rich, miserly merchant has passed away
the settlements, and the government asks you to witho ut any successor, and his mansio n o n the
investigate what forces are responsible for it. outskirts of town is said to be filled with treasures.
7 - Inflation has driven the currency of the 7 - Blockades and piracy have deprived all the
civiliz ation to near-worthlessness, and the settlements of the realm of the resources they need,
government asks you to help them sort out the mess and a group of bandits plans to seize control of the
before their economy implodes. vulnerable settlements.
Progressive (Electricity) Outposts (Fire)
1 - The government has implemented a policy of 1 - The party comes across an abandoned outpost.
privatizing everything, leading to a denial of basic What caused the place to become deserted, and does it
services for those who cannot afford them. still pose a threat to the party?
2 - New regulatio ns allow citizens to buy their 2 - The sheriff of the outpost has been recently
way out of criminal charges, leading to widespread killed, and the citizens force one of the party
corruptio n. members to become their new sheriff.
3 - A new policy allows a questio nable 3 - Bandits are attacking the settlement and
technology to become widespread, and the results carrying off citizens to trade to slavers.
are troubling.
4 - A bar fight breaks out at the local saloon, and

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4 - Citizens have become so enthralled with a the party beco mes caught in the middle.
new form of entertainment that they are abando ning
5 - An Eido lon who feels the party has wronged
their work and families for it.
him challenges one of the party members to a
5 - Deregulatio n has allowed opportunistic showdown at high noon.
merchants to bring dangerous and addictive wares to
6 - A disaster has cut the outpost off from other
sale in the settlement, causing detrimental effects on
settlements, and a lack of resources is gradually
society.
making the citizens become cutthroat criminals.
6 - Runaway natio nalizatio n po licies have taken
7 - Bandits have taken over an outpost and made
all property and put it under the auspices of
it their base of operations. The party has
government, depriving citizens of their freedom and
unwittingly stumbled into the middle of this rogue
creating unrest.
settlement.
7 - A new policy would call for the immediate
eliminatio n of a large portio n of the civilizatio n’s Exploitative (Electricity)
populatio n. 1 - A shortage of the area’s major resource has
caused this city to become a ghost town. Only those
Society Encounters too poor to leave remain, hoping and praying that
the lifeblood of their settlement will be restored.
Mercantile (Air)
2 - An accident at the city’s resource processing
1 - An artifact co llector is said to have imported a center has caused chaos in the area, and many are
priceless artifact from Old Empyrean recently. taking advantage of the chaos to loot and plunder.
2 - Importation of an addictive, detrimental 3 - Pollution in the area has beco me so bad that
substance has made some merchants rich, but is plants and wildlife are mutating and beco ming
increasing crime and desperation in the settlements. mo nstrous.
3 - Some citizens have been disappearing in the 4 - A newer, cleaner type of power source has
night, and officials believe an unscrupulous been discovered, but officials who own the older
merchant is kidnapping them to sell as slaves. infrastructure are pushing against progress to
4 - A nearby settlement needs resources, but are maintain status quo.
too poor to buy them at the exorbitant prices 5 - Ecological activists have sabotaged the city’s
demanded by merchants. power source and are preventing it from being fixed.

203
 6 - Pollutants have mutated a wild creature into 7 - An alien monument of some kind has been
a titanic mo nster that has been wrecking the discovered, and those who touch it beco me somehow
settlement. changed.
7 - Pollutio n has increased to the point where Nomadic Tribes (Water)
citizens are dying and the land has become
uninhabitable. However, the settlement controllers 1 - A tribal prince has beco me separated from his
are unwilling to abandon such a profitable site, and tribe and stumbles across the party. He asks them to
are keeping citizens there to work against their wills. help him find his way ho me.

Underworld (Darkness) 2 - Two tribes have declared war upon o ne

another, and their fighting is do ing extensive
1 - An important item has been sto len from o ne damage to the environment and to one another.
of the party members.
3 - One of the realm’s tribes has vanished, and
2 - The police have asked for your assistance in other tribal leaders ask you to discover the fate of
raiding an area they believe to be a criminal their brethren.
stronghold.
4 - A significant change in the habits of animals
3 - A member of the party is framed for a crime in the area has tribal leaders worried. They ask you
he did not commit. to investigate.
4 - The party is asked to investigate the 5 - While traveling across the realm, you
disappearance of a noteworthy citizen of the realm. discover an abando ned tribal settlement. What
caused all of the people to simply vanish?
5 - A building in town explodes and collapses,
killing hundreds. Authorities suspect that organized 6 - Colonists from a surrounding realm have
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criminal syndicates are responsible. been pushing back the no madic tribes and altering
their way of life.
6 - The criminal syndicates of the city have
labeled the party as a threat and placed a huge 7 - Colonists from a surrounding realm have
bounty o n their heads. Assassins, criminals, and been capturing no mads and enslaving them as
even ordinary citizens are out to put them down all laborers in their settlements.
across the city.
Centralized (Stone)
7 - The criminal bosses have marked one of the
party members for death, and he is now stalked by a 1 - The party members require a permit in order
relentless Eido lon assassin. to leave the city and explore the realm, and the
examinatio n for this permit could be deadly.
Wondrous (Light)
2 - Terrorists are suspected of plotting against the
1 - A group of citizens have discovered a new central establishment, and you are asked to investigate
locatio n they wish to build a settlement, and ask the and prevent their plots from coming to fruition.
party to jo in them and aid in establishing the new
3 - The central city has beco me so overpopulated
area.
that there is no room left to live. Still, the
2 - A lost city has been unearthed, and explorers government denies citizens the permissio n to settle
are looking for escorts into its depths. outside its borders.
3 - The citizens of the realm ask for your help in 4 - A group of citizens who disagree with the
rebuilding a mo nument which has been destroyed. central government wish to leave the city and
establish their own government, but authorities are
4 - A settlement surrounding a natural wo nder
preventing them from leaving.
has mysteriously beco me completely vacant, with all
of its citizens seeming to vanish into thin air. 5 - A portio n of the city has collapsed, and the
displaced populatio n is overcrowding the rest of the
5 - The citizens of a single settlement have
settlement.
begun displaying strange behavior and supernatural
power. 6 - Class warfare within the city has resulted in
riots and uprisings all across the settlement.
6 - A comet has fallen from the heavens, and
explorers from all around are eagerly clamoring to 7 - The party members are asked to join the
find its remains. central city’s military force in order to help defend
the realm against an invasio n.

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Creed Encounters Cults (Darkness)
1 - The party stumbles upon a dark ritual where
Rational (Electricity) many helpless captives are about to be sacrificed to
1 - The players meet a nature spirit who has been an evil deity.
weakened by the inhabitants’ lack of faith, and asks 2 - A book of dangerous cult rituals has fallen
the party for aid. into the possession of a member of the party, and all
2 - The people of the realm have publicly of the different cults are searching for it.
renounced the Great Spirits of Anima, and the great 3 - A member of the party is kidnapped and
spirits are now moving to destroy them. stolen away in the night to take part in so me
3 - A dimensio nal rift opens to ano ther, unknown ritual.
unexplored plane, and the party is asked to 4 - A strange meteor has fallen from the sky, and
investigate it. the cults are racing to obtain it to accomplish so me
4 - The leaders of the realm have started a unknown purpose.
campaign to remove traditio nal and superstitious 5 - An occult relic has go ne missing, and a string
elements by destroying shrines and slaying nature of mysterious disappearances hint at sinister
spirits within the realm. conspiracy.
5 - The leaders of the realm have begun quashing 6 - The earth pitches and rumbles, and sinister
superstitio n by imprisoning or silencing any who portents foretell of the soon wakening of a great and
profess or subscribe to religio n. ancient evil from a millennia of slumber…
6 - Spirits and magic exist all across the realm, 7 - A terrible, cosmic evil rises from its ancient

Balance Generators
but people seem to blatantly ignore them. slumber, and is worshipped and empowered by the
7 - With the gods and spirits having been chased cults in its drive to devour civilizatio n.
away by the ratio nal inhabitants of the realm, more Theological (Light)
sinister entities begin to encroach o n the realm from
outside space and time. 1 - The gods have entrusted the keepers of a
temple with a powerful relic that could destroy the
Spiritual (Air) world in the wrong hands. Rival Eidolo ns now seek
1 - A strange tower appears only one night per to recover that artifact.
year. A mystical treasure is said to be kept within it. 2 - A rain of tears and swords falls upo n the
2 - A legendary smith offers to create a weapon land, signaling a great calamity in the pantheon.
of power for the party. The materials he will need to 3 - The gods of the realm have gone to war, and
create the tool are seven souls. their servants have likewise gone to war on earth.
3 - Citizens of a settlement believe that the 4 - A mortal has devised a plan to enslave one of
spirits have sent the party to help them do battle the realm’s gods to his will.
with a ghostly beast that terrorizes their village by
5 - A god has been born into mortal form for a
night.
short time and desires the party to protect and escort
4 - On a specific night, the ghost of an ancient him around the realm.
Eidolo n is said to arise. Perhaps this individual can
6 - Gods of the realm have marked the party
aid the party in discovering what happened in the
members for death, and fanatical fo llowers are now
past to destabilize the world.
chasing them down to kill them.
5 - The party stumbles upo n a city filled with
spirits, ruled by a ghostly king. The city wishes to 7 - One of the realm’s disgruntled gods desires to
have dealings with their corporeal neighbors. destroy the realm o nce and for all, returning it to the
Aether.
6 - Mischievous spirits have taken on the
appearance of the party members and are Shamanic (Water)
committing crimes all across the realm. 1 - Strange lights flicker in the wilderness at
7 - A ghostly colossus coalesces from the spirits dusk, and the party is appointed to discover what
of the fallen in the realm, and begins destroying they are and to deal with them.
settlements in the area.

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 2 - The party becomes lost in a morning mist, maintain the realm’s Balance. The party is asked to
and finds themselves trapped in the spiritual plane. find an ancient book of rituals hidden in an ancient
ruin nearby.
3 - A member of the party accidentally destroys
a ritual mirror, releasing a doppelganger of himself 4 - A seal which binds an ancient, evil spirit
into the world. grows weak. The party are required to travel to the
seal’s locatio n and perform a ritual to restore it.
4 - A curse has fallen upon a member of the
party, and the group must enter the spirit world and 5 - An ill o men foretells that a great beast is
find the inflictor of the curse in order to break it. coming to destroy the realm. The players are asked
to help set up a massive sealing ritual to protect the
5 - An angry spirit has breached the wall
realm and its peoples.
between the worlds, and is rampaging through a
major settlement. 6 - The rituals which have kept the land in
Balance are failing for no apparent reason, and the
6 - An important figure in the society has
alignment of the stars changes. The party is asked to
become lost in the spirit realm, and the party are
discover what sinister forces must be behind these
asked to follow him and try to guide him back.
portents.
7 - A celestial alignment causes the barriers
7 - A secret conspiracy has been plotting to drain
between the living world and the spirit world to
all power from the land with a huge ritual, thus
break down entirely, releasing the souls of old
destroying it and returning it to the Aether.
enemies into the mortal realm.
God Kings (Fire) Eidolon Generation
1 - The god king rules with an iro n fist, and sees To generate a new Eido lon, especially one that is
Balance Generators

the players as a threat to this power, and plo ts to very important to the story, your group should sit
have them eliminated. down and design the character as a who le.
2 - By a strange twist of fate, one of the party Starting with any player and go ing around
members is marked to become the new god king. clockwise, each player should write one fact about
3 - A successor to the throne plans to use the god the Eidolo n, and then one personality trait the
king’s supernatural powers for evil once he Eidolo n possesses (or adds a check next to one of the
overthrows the king. existing personality traits).

4 - The god king has fallen ill, and darkness A new fact canno t co ntradict a previo us fact
slowly spreads across the lands. about the Eido lon, but it can be anything fro m a
descriptio n of his height, to what race of Nascent he
5 - The god king hypno tizes or brainwashes his once was, to what his favorite food is. Things the
subjects to remove their freewill and make them his Eidolo n owns, such as wo nders, political positio ns,
slaves. or relatio nships to other characters are also facts (but
6 - An unearthly figure descends from the sky in remember that a player character can deny any
a flash of light and declares himself the new god associations others have with him, so ask before
king of the realm, in oppositio n to the old king. creating one of these links).

7 - The god king has decided to destroy his After all the facts are determined (usually two or
corrupt realm and rebuild a new one from its ashes. three times around the table), the players should
each fill in o ne piece of important informatio n about
Ritualistic (Stone) the Eido lon in a final round (or multiple rounds,
whatever it takes to fill in the sheet):
1 - In order to perform an important ritual, the
blood of a specific creature is required. The party is  Name (Example: Gharl, Lamarck, Ophelia)
asked to travel to a faraway land and capture this  Title (Ex: The Devourer, Treasure Hunter,
animal within a fortnight. Revolutio nary)
2 - An evil sorcerer has devised a ritual which  Creed (Fill in any of the three)
will allow him to channel unimaginable power, but
will have dire consequences on the realm. Finally, eliminate all traits that have no check
marks beside them from the Eido lon’s list. Traits
3 - The keeper of rituals has passed away, and with o ne check are Superficial, traits with two
has taken with him the knowledge needed to checks are Deep, and traits with three checks are

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All-Consuming. Traits with four or more checks are
removed from the Eidolo n’s list and co nverted into
an appropriate wonder or piece of equipment.

Example NPC Generation

In this example, Arc, Belanya, Corin, and Arc: His name is Rabian.
Davos work together to create a new Eidolon. Belanya: Rabian, the Toy Maker.
Arc: He is male. Trait: Boisterous. Corin: Creed #1: Hmmm…. Created things
Belanya: He is very old. Trait: Cruel. are superior.
Corin: He controls a Nascent tribe that he has Davos: Creed #2: It’s fine to sacrifice others
enslaved. Trait: Cruel. for my ends.
Davos: He owns a palace in the mountains Arc: Creed #3: Absolute Control is the path to
built out of white stone. Trait: Industrious. a perfect world.
Arc: His right eye is missing. Trait:
Detached. Then the group tallies Rabian’s traits.
Belanya: He lost the eye in a failed revolution  Boisterous
executed by his slaves. Trait: Cruel.  Cruel ++++
Corin: The slaves are automatons that he built  Industrious +++

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himself, but have their own free will. Trait:
Industrious.  Detached +
Davos: He replaced his missing right eye with  Vindictive
an artificial one that can shoot lightning. Trait:  Ingenious
Ingenious.  Power Hungry +
Arc: He wears a military-style uniform, as do  So Rabian’s final traits are…
his servants. Trait: Vindictive.
 Industrious (Clockwork): All-Consuming
Belanya: He is plotting to take over the
 Detached (Hollow): Superficial
villages below his palace when the time is right.
Trait: Power Hungry.  Power Hungry (Beast Master): Superficial
Corin: He has forgotten how to smile. Trait:
Detached. They take a few more minutes discussing how
Davos: He had a wife and son, but hasn’t these traits apply to the character they’ve created,
heard from them in many, many years. Trait: and decide that Rabian has a number of clockwork
Cruel. bodies (Clockwork) that he interchanges the parts
on (Hollow) as he wishes. He can animate
Arc: His son is also an Eidolon, or so he has
machines at will and force them to fight for him
heard. Trait: Cruel.
(Beast Master).
Belanya: He appreciates Literature, especially
Mystery stories. Trait: Industrious. Since Rabian’s Cruel (Touch of Dust) trait
had more than three marks, the group comes up
Corin: He’s rich—filthy rich. Trait: Power with a treasure or tool for him that applies that
Hungry. trait. Arc suggests ‘Living Rust’, a bottle of rust-
Davos: He has a Nascent laboratory assistant colored liquid that comes to life and devours all
who is his one trusted advisor. Trait: Industrious. metal at the command of its master.
At this point, the group decides that they Now they are all ready to meet this new
know enough about this person. Eidolon in-game.

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 Group Realm Generation A Result is something that arises from the
development in the realm. The result may be any
This is a short minigame that you can play in kind of thing, but it must be tied directly to the
order to create a realm. development that caused it. There are seven kinds of
Results.
All players should sit at the table in a circle and
have one realm sheet ready in the center of the table.  An Eido lon is born. Describe the Eido lon.
The player who can write the fastest can take over  A Creature or Monster is born. Describe the
the duty of filling in the realm sheet, or you can pass creature(s) or monster(s) that appear.
it around the table.
 A Place of Wonder is built (or discovered).
There are two kinds of columns to fill in— Describe the place.
Developments and Results. Developments are things
 A Custo m or Holiday is instituted. Describe the
that happen and beco me permanent fixtures in the
custo m.
realm. There are seven major types of developments:
 A Historic Event takes place—such as a war,
 A Region of the Realm is discovered. Describe
singularity, or catastrophic event.
the region briefly. (Example: A vast desert, a
forest filled with mushrooms, a mountain  A Trade Good or Treasure is created. Describe
cavern filled with blue glowing ore.) the item.
 A Nascent Race is born. Describe the race.  A Legend or Folktale is born. Describe the
(Example: The Gedda are battery-people with legend.
slender limbs like wires; the Rekondt inhabit a
The first player may write in one development
different reality than us, and are much like
for the realm, then he passes the sheet to the left.
Balance Generators

ghosts; the Alembek are an artificial race who

recycle their dead by devouring them.) Subsequent players fill in the result co lumn
beside the development, then write in o ne
 A Settlement is founded. Describe the
development of their own. This process continues
settlement and its importance. (Example: A
until the entire development column is full, or until
Great City is built, a series of outposts are
the players have made a predetermined number of
settled.)
laps around the table.
 A Techno logy is discovered. Explain the
The first three developments that are placed
technology’s capabilities. (Example: Rocketry,
must be a region, a race, and a settlement. After that,
Magic, Time Manipulatio n, Electricity)
anything goes.
 A Cultural Inno vatio n develops. Describe the
The final player fills in the remaining result
inno vatio n. (Example: Music, Dance, Sports, or
column, then chooses any development, and writes a
Art is developed)
current conflict that arises from that development.
 An Organizatio n or Government is founded.
For one more lap around the table, each player
Describe the Organizatio n. (Example: A church
writes in a conflict (for small tables, make 2 laps).
is founded to organize a new religion, a national
There should be at least 7 co nflicts that exist within
sports league organizes all sporting events, or a
the realm. These conflicts will be the story seeds for
warlord declares himself king and sets up a
encounters that take place in that realm.
mo narchy.)
 A Natural Law alters or a new resource is
discovered. Describe how the world works
differently. (Example: Gravity is reduced, time
happens slower in some places, crystals are
discovered to have psychic properties.)

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A Note from the Author to Book Borrower
Borrowers “He had a sword and shield of his own, I could see
them at his side. ‘I’d rather not risk breaking mine,’ he

Bonus Materials
Borrowing RPG guides is a time-honored
traditio n amo ng gamers. If you were to ask me, told me, as we both stood to face the advancing hordes.
“Brad, can I borrow your copy of Mystic Empyrean When I reached for my own sword, I found it was gone,
to play a game with?” I would say “Sure!” and in his hands instead.”

The fifth or sixth time you asked, I would say Linked Persona: Miserly – “The purpose of a
“why do n’t I just print you o ne of your own so you thing is to be owned, not used.”
can stop asking me?” The group/element for this trait is Vice/Sto ne.
Perhaps you’ve borrowed this corebook from An Eido lon displays Miserliness if:
your friends, or they’ve sent yo u a copy of the PDF
via email, or you’ve obtained the copy through so me  He will no t spend his own mo ney or use his
other means. As lo ng as you’re running a game as own tools when he can utilize someone else’s
the scenario owner out of a borrowed book (or if you instead.
haven’t paid for your copy, in the PDF case), your  He hoards treasures and wonders away
Eidolo n gets the following trait (Borrower) for free, witho ut using them.
starting with 7 dots. At the end of each game
 He plays Mystic Empyrean using a corebook
session, put 3 more points into the emergence of this
he does not own or has not bought.
trait, but do no t eliminate it even when it reaches
maximum emergence. When you buy your own Superficial: The Eido lon’s hands glow with an oily
copy of the book, you can get rid of the trait at any silver sheen. She can ‘borrow’ tools and weapons
time. Happy gaming! from allies nearby and use them at a mo ment’s
notice, with or without their permission. The
borrowed item teleports into the Eidolo n’s hands
while being used, and then teleports back to its
owner once it is no longer needed.
Deep: The Eidolo n is able to borrow from enemies

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 as well as allies. However, he can o nly borrow as been able to muster up more enthusiasm and energy
much as he can carry and use. to do a better job. However, as a result of my
personal dissatisfactio ns, I have learned a lo t about
All Consuming: Consumed by the desire to protect
my shortcomings as an artist, and was able to
himself and his own possessions, the Eido lon can
achieve a better understanding of the things I should
never use equipment or traits that he possesses
work to improve on.
(other than this trait). He may borrow traits from
nearby allies as well, but those allies lose the traits With the conclusio n of the Mystic Empyrean
while they are being borrowed. project, I plan to take some time off for personal
artistic endeavours and the like. Although there
Artist Postmortem were times when the project became the source of
It's been a year since I started working on much stress and frustratio n, it was ultimately a
Mystic Empyrean. It was my first time working on rewarding experience. I'm glad I took the job, and
a project of this scale, and I've certainly learned a lot couldn't be happier or more flattered that I was
from it! From the start, when Brad first came to me selected as an artist for this project. Thank you, and
with the idea, I was sold o n the intriguing premise enjo y the game!
of the game. The traits and their physical Artist Bio
manifestatio ns were varied, dynamic, and sounded
so interesting. I was to be responsible for character Katrina Lin is a co ncept artist and illustrator
and landscape art, and was excited by the from Canada who has been do ing freelance work
opportunity to draw new things and expand my since 2009. As a self-taught artist, she has always
horizons. strived for improvement independently through
study and practice. In her character art, she tends to
Brad would provide me with descriptio ns of
focus on creating a mood or atmosphere that defines
characters, traits, or landscapes to get me started. On
and speaks for the character. She likes to collect art
the most part, I was given a liberal amo unt of
books, watch anime, read, and play video games.
creative freedom. This made it a lot of fun, as I was
Her work has been featured in Ballistic art book
able to visually interpret the descriptions as I wished
series EXOTIQUE and EXPOSÉ.
and play around with different ideas. I tried to give
each piece a mood and atmosphere that I thought I
was fitting, and to breathe some life and
Bonus Materials

individuality into each character. In additio n to the

traits and physical appearances, I also hoped to
convey character personalities through body
language and colour co mposition. Although I'm not
sure if I truly succeeded, I really strived to create
images worthy of the world of Mystic Empyrean.
As much as I wish I had more interesting
problems to talk about, my biggest challenge for this
project bo ils down to the classic time management
story. As a full-time university student, I found it
difficult to Balance school work with project work.
The agreement was to get at least one piece of
artwork do ne every week. Although Brad was happy
to grant me extensio ns whenever I needed them, I
quickly realized that if I asked for one every single
time I felt slightly stressed about school work and
due dates, I would never get anything do ne! I wrote
"no rest for the weary" on a piece of paper, stuck it
below my co mputer screen as a constant reminder,
and eventually learned to make due parallel progress
in bo th academics and art.
However, due to time and energy co nstraints, I
was not always satisfied with the pieces I put out.
There were many times when I felt that if I had a
little more time and a little less work, I would have

210
Author Postmortem would inject new elements into the worlds—but
within certain limits—was required. As a
Mystic Empyrean began for me as a roleplaying programmer, I have a background in procedural
exercise: “How would yo u look and what powers generatio n, and thought that this co uld be
would you have if yo u were [insert personality trait acco mplished by combining draw tables to create
here]”. I started jotting down characters one context and then leveraging player creativity to flesh
summer afternoon, and before I knew it, there were out encounters. Personally I’m a bit of a lazy GM. I
thirty. Eventually those were expanded and adapted don’t enjoy writing out game plo ts ahead of time and
into the traits that Eido lons now gain. I certainly do n’t like micromanaging co mbat and
My favorite video game of all time was Legend scores of monster tables. I wanted to create a game
of Mana. In the game, players arrange pieces of the that could be played by a group of players with very
world onto the world map, then zoom down and little setup time by integrating the setup and
explore them. While Legend of Mana didn’t allow planning into the game itself and distributing the
you to customize or influence your locatio ns to any work to the players and GM.
great extent, the finding and placing of them o nto Player community was something else that I
the map gave you a sense of ownership over the wanted to focus on extensively for the game. Many
world. I wanted to capture this kind of ownership RPGs are like islands in a sea—unco nnected to other
and discovery in o ne of my own games, and those games, and thus limited to only what the developers
elements eventually became a great influence on the publish on their official sites. With Empyrean, I
core concept of Mystic Empyrean. wanted to give the players power to expand the
One of my big challenges for Mystic Empyrean game and create new co ntent, not only for
was “How can I let players make the world and still themselves, but for the entire player-base. This way
have fun exploring it?” I realized that having players a character need not die or fall into obscurity—he
make their own worlds was at odds with the ability might reappear in another story. A realm created
to discover and explore them, so some system that once need not be used only o nce—it might be visited
by a tho usand parties in a thousand different
incarnations. By giving players both the power to
create and to share those creations via Living Mystic
Empyrean. I hope to create a world more expansive
than anything else seen before in RPG gaming.

Bonus Materials
Time will tell if this bo ld experiment comes to
fruition.
Mystic Empyrean has taken over a year to
produce, test, and develop, but ultimately the
experience has been incredibly encouraging and
enlightening. I’m looking forward to developing
many future expansions for the game and to
exploring the creatio ns of other players as well.
Thank you once more for taking the time to read
through Mystic Empyrean, and I wish you the best
on your adventures through the vast, unexplored
worlds of your imaginatio n.
Author Bio
Brad Talto n lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico
with his fiancée Lynda Yang, and is a full time game
designer and developer. He has authored five
roleplaying games, but Mystic Empyrean is the first
to see publication. Brad’s hobbies include board
gaming, writing, traveling, and programming. He
has published several iPho ne and iPad roleplaying
apps (www.lvl99games.co m), and a board game,
BattleCON (www.battleco nnection.co m).

211
 212
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 Player-Created Eidolons
Caupolicán, the Toqui, is always ready for battle, filled with severity and determinatio n. As a son of
the earth, he is a free spirit who inspires his followers. Born blind in o ne eye, his gaze is fierce and
grim--petrifying the hearts of his enemies. Traits: Reputed (Simulacrum), Conscientious (Earth
Whisperer), and Scornful (Graven Eye). Created by Pablo Ignacio Bustos Naulin.
Galia, the Curator, blindly stalks the halls of the Great Library, navigating by sound. She tirelessly
hunts down sources of noise to silence them. However, she is not the most frightening creature
buried in the vaults she protects. Traits: Verbose (Babbling), Pride (Dragonlike), Brooding
(Webweaver). Created by Luke Biornstad.
Amaric Ludaros, the Swashbuckler, continually finds excitement wherever he may be. His presence
causes improbable coincidences, mistaken identities, and adrenaline-laced chaos to unfold around him.
A simple package delivery once took two tavern brawls, a duel across gondolas, and a kidnap attempt
by mesmerised mimes, after he innocently offered his assistance to a pretty lady. Traits: Fashionable
(Cosmopolitan), Opportunist (Omnidextrous), Curious (Third Eye). Created by Drew South.
Go ldie the Go lem was designed as an arena fighting co nstruct, modeled after a voluptuous goddess of
war. When the arenas closed she was reprogrammed as a performer, singer, comedian, and dancer.
Despite her great strength and towering stature, Goldie's personality is more in tune with her
feminine, playful side than her original design, and she is often unable to stop laughing once she
starts. Traits: Boisterous (Towering), Boastful (Achilles Heel), Minstrel (Music Box). Created by
Junius Stone.
Xasanath, the Raptor, resembles one of the ancient dinosaurs in more than just name, often wearing
a helm made from a fossilized raptor skull. He lives by his motto of "I watch, I study, I learn, I hunt,
I survive." He prefers to work with others, but can be quick to anger if things don't go his way.
Traits: Competitive (Beast Form), Wrathful (Ho theaded), Wandering (Portal). Created by Antony
Cleghorn.
Corinthi, the Mercy Killer, can see the suffering in all sentient beings and cannot abide it. His heart

Bonus Materials
is filled with empathic sorrow, and he cries poisonous tears which help to end the suffering of
others—permanently. His victims are legio n. Traits: Empathic (Twin), Regretful (Torn Apart),
Unstable (Spiral). Created by Jesse Thacker.
Frederhica, The Burning Wheel, was a woman driven to test herself against every challenge. She
earned her great wheel of flame after great trial and sought out others who would be worthy of this
gift. She looks for someone strong enough to join her cause, but she has yet to find anyone good
enough by her standards. Traits: Reckless (Cartwheel), Wrathful (Hotheaded), Faultfinding
(Infinite Eyes). Created by Jason Pitre.
Alm'ith Dhe, the Sagacious Prevaricator, knows many truths and must tell them who lly. He tells
only part of any truth to those who seek it, and the rest to the wind. People can hear these left over
truths when least expected. Traits: Academic (Words Within), Dutiful (Bound), Duplicitous
(Forked Tongue). Created by Clete D. Collum.
Jeremy Mo ndragon, the Black Dragon, is a collector and co nno isseur of treasure; both material and
immaterial. He reflects his soul upon his possessions, loving to hear each item in his hoard sing the
name of his innermost self back to him. In return, the soul of any object that he has ever owned will
always be precious to him. Traits: Pride (Dragonlike), Determined (Indestructible), Curious (Third
Eye). Created by Jussi Myllyluoma.
A respected Elder Eidolo n, Archo n Lazonis advocates and chronicles the people of the Realms,
champio ning their protection and specializ ing in diverse cultures and custo ms. Through mastery of
disguise and illusio n, Lazonis travels incognito among the Nascent, testing the mettle of those he
meets - rewarding the worthy and punishing the deserving. He's even been known to do this with
fellow Eido lons. Traits: Faultfinding (Infinite Eyes), Exhibitio nist (Illusionist), Capricio us
(Windborne). Created by Dak Powers.

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 Marl Cromp, the Leaf-mo nger, brews magical tea from the pages of books. The tea has various
properties depending on the words on the page, the language in which they are written and the
strength of thought behind them. The best and rarest books brew the most powerful tea. Traits:
Verbose (Babbling), Academic (Words Within), Duplicitous (Forked Tongue). Created by Gabriel
Francis Marmola.
Cassandra Aletheia, the Obsidian Rani, sees with her orichalcum eyes the strings of emotion that
connect all sentient beings, even as her black-iron heart prevents her from ever understanding them.
Pulling on the strings of everyone around her, she tampers in the hope of one day witnessing one she
will feel. Traits: Faultfinding (Infinite Eyes), Sorrowful (Heart of Iron), Duplicitous (Forked
Tongue). Created by Konstantions “Yo! Master” Rentas.
As an informatio n runner, Celadon Cheyenne organizes and delivers books and informatio n between
cities and academies. Everything she hears, from wheat prices to local legends and rumors, is
meticulously written down in her journals, color-coded and alphabetical. Occasio nally she will sell
her journals to those whom she feels require more knowledge. Traits: Wandering (Portal), Academic
(Words Within), Organized (Always Prepared). Created by Celadon James.
Ivory Eyes is an inventor thrice spurned by small-minded bureaucrats. Her genius is matched only
be her mania, for no project will hold her attentio n past its co mpletio n. She will do anything to upset
inflexible societies... except work for sycophants. Traits: Ingenio us (Arclight), Lucid (Crystalline),
Wandering (Portal). Created by Elliott Freeman.
Devius Whisselbump, the Treasure Hunter, searches the world for rare and exotic items. Partially
comprised of steam-powered clockworks, he is able to intuitively detect treasures, which he stores in
a secret compartment in his body. He will trade treasures with other explorers, and may help them in
exchange for rarities. Traits: Meticulous (Clockwork), Faith (Co mpass), Secretive (Treasure Box).
Created by Devon E. Rampe.
Madame Clox has a hobby: she travels in time to historic events of interest, watches them, rewinds
them and watches them again. She keeps a no tebook of her observations and knows many forgotten
details about famous facts. Usually she doesn't interfere, but sometimes her curiosity is
Bonus Materials

overwhelming and she tampers with causality. Traits : Courteous (Barrier), Furtive (Duskwalker),
Meticulous (Pocket Time). Created by Nocker.
Orthas is something between a man and a clock. He gambles with everyone he meets, and almost
always wins because he can calculate the odds of the game perfectly. When he finds someone who
might beat him, he alters time to turn the odds in his favor. He has never yet been caught.
Meticulous (Pocket Time), Meticulous (Clockwork), Curious (Third Eye). Created by Aaro Viertiö.
Winddancer Lai is dangerous to listen to, but nearly impossible to ignore and even harder to catch.
She's wanted in several different localities for inciting rebellio ns, or just chaos depending on her
mood. But she has been known sell her services for pomegranates. Traits: Fashio nable
(Cosmopolitan), Minstrel (Music Box), Mischievous (Phased). Created by Amy Waller.
James Kilwick-Ryann is considered to be one of the foremost authorities on Empyrean wildlife. He is
kind at heart, but his main mo tivatio n is to be the best in his field. He is always willing to help
people, and the only rewards he requires are acknowledgment and success. Traits: Competitive
(Beast Form), Academic (Words Within), Kind (Healing Hand). Created by Laura Buckland.
Endymio n's donkey ears pick up all sorts of whispered words, but most clear are secrets born of
passio n and oaths born of desperation. He chooses his obligatio ns with an almost co medic
deliberatio n, and acquits himself of these self-chosen duties with equal gravity. He canno t refuse an
ho nest plea for aid from one truly in love. Traits: Kind (Healing Hand), Wandering (Portal),
Curious(Third Eye). Created by Daniel Ravipinto.
Jaira Zeruskchev, the Life Oracle, has a third eye on her right calf, and protects it heavily. When she
submerges this eye in water, she can see anything near the body of water that the water she is in
came from. Jaira has an unfortunate habit of spying on wo men when they are bathing. Traits:
Curious (Third Eye), Humble (Wellspring), Faith (Co mpass). Created by PJ Trauger.

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 Leola is the mistress of shape and substance, within the canvas that is her body, lies the potential for
every solution. She rarely takes forms not associated with the animal kingdo m, choosing instead to
limit the scope of her powers. It is not the victory that interests her, but the struggle itself. All over
Leola's body are stitches holding her skin together, whenever she invokes the power of change the
stitches unravel, revealing the pure potential underneath, the new limb or part then coalesce, leaving
the old to be discarded as a rag. Traits: Adaptable (Mimic), Confident (Sure of Foot), Competitive
(Beast Form). Created by Arcane Snowman.
Celia Ersatz is an amalgamatio n of flesh, clockwork, and anima. She works diligently to bring order
to the cosmos, whether it is desired or not. Her tripartite soul often manifests as separate, conflicting,
entities. Traits: Empathic (Twin), Obsessive (Artificially Sustained), Organized (Always Prepared).
Created by Jeremy Richard Roberts.
Randall Nillson, the Shadow, observes and chronicles the realms, tribes, and events of Empyrean.
Nillson has machined numerous copies of himself, losing a piece of his soul to every copy, in a
desperate race against the consuming Aether. The only proof of his existence so far are the caches of
notes he leaves in the path of other Eidolo ns. Traits: Apathy (Grey), Empathetic (Twin), Meticulous
(Clockwork). Created by Dustin Gulledge.
Deirdre Faye, the Empty Maiden, is doomed to a life without joy. Ironically, she can cause others to
be filled with peace and happiness. Sometimes when she is feeling especially empty and spiteful, she
uses her abilities to make men forget their quests, and sometimes their wives and lovers to become
her temporary playthings. Traits: Sorrowful (Heart of Sto ne), Optimistic (Blissful Gaze), Insecure
(Many Masks). Created by Christopher & Sandy Nickell.
Ciaran Obscurus, Lord of Light and Shade, sculpts with truth and fiction. He crafts intricate
conspiracies and forbidden secrets as works of art. As his creatio ns grow beyond his control, he can
no lo nger tell his own lies from the truth. Traits: Honest (Eye of Truth), Detached (Ho llow),
Duplicitous (Forked Tongue). Created by David Morrison.
Lyria, the Lost Queen, hunts for her purpose. She fancies all she meets her subjects, hoping to find a
reminder of who her people were. In her travels, Lyria ousts rulers and lives their lives while wearing

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their skins; she is a benign ruler, until disobeyed. Traits: Wandering (Portal), Detached (Ho llow),
Callous (Ashen Flesh). Created by Jonathan McCulley.
Beguyver, the Sceloglaux, strives for attention, even if it means performing flamboyantly obvious crimes.
Inversely, he may endear himself to others by performing fake acts of heroism against his own illusions.
He tries to acquire status by any means, as when he made himself mayor of an illusionary town. Traits:
Duplicitous (Forked Tongue), Envious (Painted), Exhibitionist (Illusionist). Created by Mark Ferguson.
Rento n Miriah goes by the name "Confessor." Tell him yo ur woes, your sins or crimes - anything
Any that burdens your mind. He'll be only too happy to listen, and if he can forgive you, he will take your
torments and store them inside his heart. He collects these burdens and torments, and uses them to
build a hell for those who are beyond his forgiveness. Traits: Optimistic (Blissful Gaze), Secretive
(Treasure Box), Cruel (Touch of Dust). Created by Martin Dörfler.
Lunaris, the O men, claims to be able to predict the future. She cannot be found by people who want
Any to meet her. Instead, she finds them and brings them news of their impending doom. Traits:
Wandering (Portal), Faith (Co mpass), Detached (Hollow). Created by Bettina Tan.
Any Straeshi, the Cartographer, roams between Realms mapping in minute detail. He leaves behind small
markers in places he finds interesting that can transport you away with the right word. Occasionally
he gifts intricate maps to people he meets on his travels. Traits: Meticulous (Clockwork),
Determined (Indestructible), Wandering (Portal). Created by Joshua Beale.
Any Archan fer Targad, the Caretaker, was given charge over an ancient city centuries ago. He invites guests
into his city and treats them to all manner of luxuries and entertainment. Those who visit him find it
more difficult to muster with each passing day, and Archan hates to see his guests go... Traits: Optimistic
(Blissful Gaze), Fashio nable (Cosmopo litan), Controlling (Beast Master). Created by Tom Hoefle.

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 Player-Created Realms
The Parch is a desolate wasteland of grinding, rusted grit whipped into constant, ecstatic mo tion by
Orthuum the Scour. Caravans of prospecting thaumaturges brave the metallic seas and the harsh
sun's glare in search of exposed gem beds and veins of rare ore. Fabulous wealth litters the ground,
but the simple staples of mortal life are rare and precious. Traits: Desert, Thaumics, Aberrant,
Nomad Tribes, Plutocracy, Militant, Shamanic. Created by Douglas Laedtke.
A mystic throne at the heart of Val-karmun allows its master to recreate and alter the realm as he
sees fit. New people, places, wonders, and techno logies can all be created by the one who rules the
land. However, standing up from the throne erases all these illusio ns and returns the realm to a blank
slate. Traits: Desert, Pandoran, Unnatural, Centralized, Tyranny, Ascetic, God Kings.
The realm of Dringerdum beckons from just beyo nd the horizon. All of its inhabitants are split
between two factions called the natives and the newcomers. Control of underwater steam vents is
granted by the theocracy and lead to vast differences in privilege. Cities are constructed around
sources of ambient magic, and are filled with social injustices seeking to be righted. Traits: Caverns,
Steam, Organized/Natural, Centralized, Theocracy, Theological/Shamanic. Created by Guy Shalev.
Danaj is a floating island filled with steaming jungles, booby trapped ruins, and exotic animals.
Beneath its surface are caverns filled with crystals possessing many wondrous properties and rivers
of lava that flow endlessly into the Aether below. A mysterious force keeps Danaj aloft, and travelers
must decide whether they will preserve the land and its history, or risk exploiting its fantastic wealth
and resources. Traits: Forest/Caverns, Neotech, Exotic, Wondrous, Theocracy, Ascetic, Ritualistic.
Created by Shai-hulud.
Beneath the waving grass of the Devouring Plains, the slumbering earth is alive... and hungry. Those
who tread lightly are safe, mostly; but woe unto those who disturb the earth and awaken the Fangs of
the Land. Great hounds of earth and stone, these sessile beasts have gem sto ne teeth and blood of
mo lten go ld coursing in their veins, a great treasure for any mighty, or clever, enough to survive their
furious emergence. Traits: Plains, Primitive, Dire, Nomad Tribes, Meritocracy. Created by David E.
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Mumaw.
The Jorn Marshes are a realm of foul waters and fine secrets. There are countless secret medicines
and forbidden herbs growing on the ever shifting floating fens. The Nascent of the Marshes are said
to have a cure for every poison, and a poiso n for every purpose. Traits: Swamp, Pandoran, Exotic,
Merchantile, Aristocracy, Trading, Shamanic. Created by Jason Pitre.
The vast golden planar expanse of Emo ne is broken up only by the massive city of Mercant: the
market of dreams. Anything one's heart desires is rumored to pass through the crowded streets and
stalls at least once in a lifetime, if one can afford it. The only thing grander than the selectio n of
wares is the amount of mo ney that lines the pockets of the successful sellers. Traits: Plains,
Electronics, Organized, Great City, Plutocracy, Trading, Rational. Created by Joshua Van Laningham.
Beneath the barren sands of Saafar lies a labyrinthine library which holds books on every subject.
Librarians haunt the twisting passageways, each altering the stacks to their own design. Many
travellers remain trapped in the darkness, for to leave the library of Saafar, one must find the
flickerings of light and leave with more knowledge than one entered. Traits: Desert, Thaumics,
Wondrous, Nomad Tribes, Meritocracy, Artisan, Ritualistic. Created by Shimmergeek.
Explorers who stumble upon the great cavern of Achtho nia may feel they have somehow landed
among the stars. The shining lights of the elaborate buildings and walkways that hang amo ng the
massive stalactites reflect off of the mirror-still lake far below. Delicate, phosphorescent, crystalline
creatures swim in those waters, and it is whispered that the future can be predicted by watching their
movements interact with the reflected lights of the city. Traits: Caverns, Thaumics, Exotic,
Wondrous, Aristocracy, Artisan, Ritualistic. Created by John Smith.

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Thangella is a seemingly endless ocean studded with groups of islands. The island natio ns are a
thriving web of trade and imperialism. The most prized trade goods are the products of the great
beasts that thrive in the deep oceans. Although killing these creatures is one of the most dangerous
occupations in the realm, the substances their bodies produce can be found nowhere else. Traits:
Seaside, Steam, Epic, Mercantile, Aristocratic, Trading, Ratio nal. Created by Thomas Ladegard.
A realm of religio us mysticism and ritual honor, Do lonie contains twelve cities, built around twelve
natural wonders that are the source of the realm's magics. The cults of Dolonie worship the Eido lons
of Empyrean and their realm's wonders. There is said to be a thirteenth wo nder and a city built
around it, but since the city was sealed away, no ne have been able to penetrate it for ages. Traits:
Plains, Thaumics, Aberrant, Wondrous, Theocracy, Honorable, Ritualistic. Created by Adam Easterly.
The ancient realm of Chi is separated by a river which divides darkness from light. The eastern side
of the realm is saturated with life and abundance, while the western is filled with death and decay.
Each side's capital sits squarely in the center of the opposite land. Traits: Forest, Primitive, Epic,
Wondrous, Outposts, Ascetic, Ritualistic. Created by Matt May-Day.
Igi-Gub-Ba-Bi is known as the Realm of Circles, as its cities, roads, buildings, and even wildlife are
all as close to perfectly circular as possible. The inhabitants believe that the circle is the most perfect
form, and study mathematics so that they may 'optimize' their world. An individual's mastery of
mathematics determines his place within their highly organized society. Traits: Plains, Thaumics,
Exotic, Meritocracy, Centralized, Ascetic, Theological. Created by Peter Aronson.
The grand machine of Geldaril is a single engine as large as a realm. The inhabitants of the realm
dutifully carry out their functio ns, dreaming of a glorious day when the purpose of the machine will
finally be realized. However, none seem to know what his purpose is. Traits: Caverns, Steam, Dire,
Technocracy, Centralized, Meticulous, Cults.
Sailors say that the many-co lored waters of Leshul, the painted sea, are comprised of every dream and
nightmare ever dreamt. Drinking the sea water induces chimerical visions, and navigators disco ver
strange islands under its influence. While no mariner has ever been able to chart or return to these
islands, otherworldly treasures are often recovered from their expeditio ns. Traits: Seaside, Thaumics,

Bonus Materials
Exotic, Mercantile, Plutocracy, Trading, Shamanic. Created by Link Hughes.
The plains of M igratean are ruled by independent city-states linked together by a highly developed
railway network. Visitors are often surprised by the strange forms that techno logy takes in each
different city. Despite friendly trade relatio ns, the cities are in a co nstant arms race with o ne ano ther.
Traits: Plains, Steam, Natural, Plutocracy, Outposts, Militant, Rational. Created by Richard
Oppenheim.
The unforgiving Baralt is often called the weeping seas, an island realm of stormy oceans and never
ending rain. Only through the guidance of the self-proclaimed Divine Aristocracy and their knowledge
of the book of 8,000 steps is life still possible here. They alone know the complex rules to reap the
many arcane resources that can be found on the numerous small islands, even though these same
rituals let the rain burn like poison or anger the dead enough to leave their graves. Traits: Seaside,
Pandoran, Unnatural, Outposts, Aristocracy, Trading, Ritualistic. Created by Hemming Wollny.
So mniumsolus is where all lost and discarded possessions from across Empyrean wind up. The great
trading houses of Emotion, nestled in the dense forest, are literally forged of re-purposed items from
across the world. The house artisans are the source for lost objects and the emotio nal memories
attached to them. Traits: Forest, Pandoran, Natural, Wo ndrous, Aristocracy, Trading, Ritualistic.
Created by Adrian Stein.
Curly Elm is a mystical forest filled with strange life forms and many natural wonders. The land is
saturated with magic, and its citizens are adept explorers, constantly searching out the mysteries of
their realm. The people of Curly Elm believe themselves to be the fractured remains of a lo ng dead
god and that a reunification will occur when twelve lost artifacts are reunited. Traits: Forest,
Thaumics, Exotic, Wondrous, Aristocracy, Artisan, Theological. Created by Chip & Katie.

217
 Arlingwood is a vast wooded realm, full of deer, squirrels and birds. There are plentiful supplies for
the traveller in need, so long as he has the skills to find and use them. Few people live here, save a
few peasant hunters and woodsmen, and a small group of philosopher-mo nks, living an isolated
existence in simple dwellings scattered through the forest. Traits: Forest, Natural, Ascetic, Thaumics,
Outposts, Kingdo m, Spiritual. Created by Fiona Leiper.
Forested canyons cover Enadeen like veins o n a leaf, changing constantly due to the fluid movement
of the dirt beneath its floating stone crust. Its many tribes must wander on a constant pilgrimage to
avo id falling prey to the shifting land and its monstrous wildlife. The few semi-stable areas house
temples where the tribes offer the ancient devices they discover in hope that the land will stable itself
once more. Traits: Mountain, Pandoran, Dire, Nomad Tribes, Meritocracy, Ascetic, Ritualistic.
Created by James Miller.
Lefarn is a quiet realm with its cities hidden away for only the keenest eyes to find, with buildings
constructed in trees, caves, and canyo ns, working alo ngside the natural environment rather than
trying to change it. Lefarnians each practice a craft according to their spiritual inclinatio n, believing
that performing a task they love to do is the best possible worship of their elemental gods. It is
believed that goods from Lefarn are all co nnected to magics of animals, plants, and the earth from
which they were created. Traits: Forest, Thaumics, Dire, Wondrous, Meritocracy, Artisan, Spiritual.

The Deep forest of Kailan is watched over by an ancient palace carved into the heart of a great tree.
Arbiters—the ghosts of lo ng past bureaucrats, watch over the palace and test those who enter,
searching eternally for Eido lons worthy of becoming the palace's new masters. Traits: Forest,
Primitive, Epic, Wondrous, Meritocracy, Honarable, Spiritual. Created by Dan Castro.
Forsaken is a forgotten place, an entire Realm co mposed of a single ruined and crumbling city that
goes on for miles. No one remembers the true name of Forsaken except, perhaps, the Guardians,
cyclo nic Air Elementals that patrol the shattered streets and alleys, slaying anyo ne they co me across.
The few Nascent that occupy this Realm are arrayed in loose tribes, foraging what they can, when
they can avo id the Guardians. All of them are quite mad. Traits: Desert, Thaumics, Dire, Nomad
Bonus Materials

Tribes, Plutocracy, Militant, Shamanic. Created by Jim Stutz.

The Shining Peaks of Tuarareth tower over steep valleys and rushing waterfalls. Leaders of each
enclave regularly face challenges from the upstart youth in their clan by fighting with wooden
weapons while balancing on ropes strung across the gorges and canyo ns, a practice as much art-form
as combat. Travelers are a cause for celebratio n in the enclaves, particularly when they bring new
crafts and dances from far-off Realms. Traits: Mountain, Primitive, Natural, Wondrous,
Meritocracy, Artisan, Shamanic. Created by Phil Bordelon.
The people of the Ghost-Realm of Kistra very nearly succeeded in harnessing Aether as a power source.
However, a grave malfunction saturated their realm with the substance, leaving behind only shadows of
creatures and people in an empty wasteland, wandering the preserved ruins of a once mighty race. Traits:
Plains, Pandoran, Unnatural, Centralized, Technocracy, Progressive, Rational. Created by Brad Wales.
Gravity ho lds no sway in Belkandrik, a realm whose plains sit horizontally on the side of a sheer
plateau face. The round plateau towers up to the sky, but the people of Belkandrik refuse to visit the
top of their ho me, saying that it at its peak is a city ruled by demo ns. Strange creatures often wander
down from the peaks, but few survive for very long. Traits: Mountain, Bio technology, Exotic,
Outposts, Aristocracy, Ascetic, Cults.
The people of Mj'nrj are ruled from a floating castle that hovers above a great lake. Coatls are the
most co mmo n animal in the realm, and co me in dazzling varieties, many of which are domesticated.
A massive, ancient creature known as the Granacruz has slept beneath the lake's surface for centuries.
Traits: Seaside, Primitive, Exotic, Monarchy, Wondrous, Mercantile, Spiritual. Created by Joma Celino.
Draw Again
Draw Again

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 Player-Created Nascent
The Sand Wraiths live in caverns beneath the deserts of Empyrean and have a strict hierarchy of
tribal leadership. They are able to craft powerful potio ns and tinctures which induce psychic power.
Overdosing on these substances, however, causes the unfortunate victim to transformatio n into a
horrible creature wrought from his own madness.
One would be considered unlucky to have caught glimpse of the incredibly elusive Gruudash in
their natural slime-like state. Upon reaching maturity, individual Gruu leave their bubbling
mudpo ts of homes in search of a higher form to invade and form a mind link with, creating a
subservient husk to live inside. Difficult to discern from a normal individual, the mind-linked
Gruudash migrate to form massive geothermally powered cities, all answering their innate call to
serve the empire. Created by Mark McHaney.
The To ltekatli look like patchwork sculptures of imaginary animals. These synthetic chimerae use
magical and mechanical salvage to change their own bodies and craft new individuals. They are
always searching for exotic and eye-catching components for their projects. Created by Indi Coyote.
The Saiscin are resourceful fire-breathers resembling kangaroos. They are recognized for
cultivatating special peppers, and only they know how to transform it into delicious cuisine, salving
medicine, and deadly poiso n. Their dependence on ingesting Saiscin peppers to produce fire leads
them to despise outsiders getting too invo lved with their precious peppers. Created by Kellie Liang.
The Rhyux resemble humanoid rhinos possessing the same incredible strength and live alone or in
small groups. In spite of this, they are fiercely loyal to one ano ther. Most Rhyux rely upon their
strength for defense, but a few have found that swords, axes, and other weapons work just as well.
The Rhyux see it as their duty to protect the natural world and will destroy any thing and any one
that threatens it. Created by Caleb Smay.
A nocturnal race by necessity, the reptilian Sylphes have come to terms with their arid climate by
forming underground complexes to free themselves from the upper world's oppressive heat. Having
created an ecosystem centered around cultivating mushrooms and slime molds, the Sylphes can

Bonus Materials
nearly self sustain by using their waste as a source of energy to grow their crops. At night they rise
to the surface to explore the lands around them, eternally unable to truly satisfy their intense
wanderlust for fear of day’s malevo lent approach. Created by Stacy McHaney.
The people of the Agtano race are twenty feet tall each, and build mo no lithic structures to call their
ho mes. Each member lives a lo ng time, but children are rare and take ages to grow to maturity.
Because of this, the Agtano usually live in tightly knit, insular communities where their cultures and
arts have flourished over centuries.
The Lumines glow with golden light, and are students of all scientific and magical substances. As a
general rule, they co llect knowledge, but care little for its applicatio n. Most Lumines are incredibly
smart, but also quite useless for anything but teaching others.
The Ignotherium are a race of thermo luminescent sloths that stand four meters tall and are covered
in wiry metal hair. They digest organic matter and condense it into charcoal within their bodies.
This charcoal is the only fuel po tent eno ugh to power their massive clockwork war machines.
Created by Wesley Obenshain.
The Sparka are a young people, lithe in body and well suited to the fens. Their culture drives them
to challenge and try to refute every belief that they hold. The Sparka often seek out travelers for
fresh perspectives which they could overturn. Created by Jason Pitre.
The Rorah are expert mages who draw their power from the sun. Able to cast mighty spells when
the stars and planets align, this race of astrologers and magicians is reaching the edge of extinctio n,
for their magic does not functio n in the close proximity of scientific techno logy.

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 The Invertii are a nomadic humano id race that view time as space and vice-versa. They are a playful
and cunning folk, and use their worldview as a tool to beguile and swindle strangers, often by
making puns beco me quite literal. They react with greedy interest and intense puzzlement when
encountering strangers with powers as befuddling as theirs... Created by Manu Marron.
The Logosians are a race of dark-skinned, humano id Nascent who embroider their clothes and tattoo
their bodies with carefully chosen words which come to shape and define them. They are entirely
devoted to the pursuit of the words which give meaning to their lives. They will stop at nothing to
spirit away words, definitio ns, and even names. Created by Peter Turrentine.
The Kotor are a race of incredibly gifted engineers that have created a myriad of auto mato ns to do
their bidding. These auto mato ns range in functio n from menial labor in factories to managing their
master's budget and are an integral, and crucial part of the Kotorean society. However, these
auto matons run on power harnessed from the Aether-mist itself, and the evil nature of the Aether
has begun to manifest itself in erratic and vio lent ways... Created by Coleman Ellis.
Bun'harad are a vibrant people, colorful man-sized puppets each part of which is animated by a
shadowy monkey shaped beast. From infancy they have one puppeteer, until over time more of the
beasts jo in, finally parting as the adult ages and ultimately dies. From time to time a great bun'harad
will seek out other creatures as puppeteers, earning their respect and servitude or impressing them
with vile magic. Created by Mendel.
The celibate Hamelites roam the outskirts of larger settlements and lure children with their
hypno tic chanting towards them. Contrary to countless legends about the unspeakable things they
do to the sto len children, the Hamelites are the most loving and caring people imaginable and offer a
happy childhood otherwise no t heard of. Created by Adrian Klein.
The Isara are a parasitic race that is primarily humano id, if you can look past downy feathers for
hair and silken skin. Their eggs will only fertilize properly if laid in the corpse of a very strong
magical creature - which almost always must be a Nascent, perhaps even one of their own race.
Their relatio nship with magic-users is strained: the Isara always need them around, but quite often
want them dead. Created by Galina Tucker.
Bonus Materials

The Gedda have bodies like large batteries suspended above slim arms and legs. They are able to
control electricity to some degree, and are able to absorb it to charge their bodies up.Batteries are
their most co mmo n trade good, and these are created from mummified Gedda tribesman. The
Gedda believe it is an ho nor to continue to absorb and discharge electricity after death--almost akin
to immortality.
The frolicso me, sensual People of the Morning Aster take their name from the forests of white
Aster trees where they live. They eat only an intoxicating yellow fruit that grants them long life and
vitality, as well as causing a tree to grow from their remains when they do pass on. Travelers who
eat this fruit have been known to go mad, stealing children away to the forest to join the tribe.
Created by Bard College Tabletop Gaming Club.
The Dyn are a reclusive race of Nascent who live beneath oceans and lakes, and closely resemble
fish. They are an ancient and proud race, building wondrous aquatic cities and fashio ning undersea
networks that lead across the world quickly. Their distrust of outsiders and culture of strict military
ho nor keep them iso lated from others.

Gregarious and inquisitive, the felinoid Liathei are renowned storytellers with nigh-infallible
memories, but with no capacity to read or write – their minds are just not wired for it. Fervent
ancestor worshipers, they consume their dead in joyous cannibalistic feasts, adding their stories to
the collective history of the tribe. The Liathei will often separate one member of a party of strangers,
serving up the unlucky victim in a celebratio n to welco me the newco mers, a ritual that also serves to
grant the tribe insights into their visitors. Created by Nancy Feldman.

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The Kavatii are spirit-beings who make themselves temporary bodies from plants, water, or other
natural materials, then disso lve these bodies when they no longer need them. Able to grow or shrink
as they wish, they build whole cities inside a single tree trunk or hollow stone.

The Parjho n are foraging, tribalistic Nascent that look like bipedal armadillos. They live in small
familial groups that avoid outside influence, and often center themselves around ancient
mo numents. Parjho n intensely object to encroachment witho ut forewarning, and will react violently
if their boundaries are not properly respected. Created by NimbleNonsense.
The Zacort are a short, rotund, almost gelatinous race who usually dress in rags. They look so
similar to each other that most are nearly impossible to tell apart, but each Zacort has a scent
distinctive from the others . They care little for material possessions, instead treasuring unique or
powerful scents and smells, gladly trading away wealth for aromas they find intriguing. Created by
Zackary Collins.
The Kazar are a race of people partially fashio ned from a gleaming substance similar to metal. They
are expert metalworkers, and are able to fashio n a substance called Moonsteel, capable of nullifying
magical power. The Kazar are fond of war, and see it more as a sport than a serious national affair.
Few know exactly what the Necronians look like, other than their identical Syndicate attire,
translucent skin, and captivating go lden eyes. Led by a central Syndicate, the Necronians are
secretive, but eager to trade the Grimstone tech that powers the artificial augmentations visible
under their translucent skin. Though this technology is powerful and has nearly unlimited
applicatio ns, many refuse to use it due to the gruesome rumors of its source. Created by David Jacobs.
The Ferry Men appear as spindly giants around fifteen feet tall that are swathed in black bandages
and have glowing silver eyes. They possess ships that can sail through the Aether without beco ming
unraveled, and charge a unique treasure as price for passage between realms. Able to shape the aether
into weapo ns, the Ferry Men are regarded by outsiders with both fear and wonder. Created by John
Albert Tate.
The Ascendant fly on feathery wings and have ho llow bones, much like birds. They have mastered

Bonus Materials
the crafts of glassblowing, and are able to make all manner of curious wonders with this craft,
including buildings, airships, and weapons with unique properties.
Draw Again
Draw Again

221
 222
Bonus Materials
Encounter and Resolution 3. Resolution
Summary The player who read off the context will be the
first GM. Play moves clockwise around the table,
1. Context starting with the player to the GM’s left.
One player, who will be the first GM, should This player (the Active Player) explains what he
create, generate, or select an encounter context based wishes to acco mplish during his turn and how he
on the current realm. This can be done by drawing will acco mplish it. The GM then interprets that
against the Encounter Generator (pg 194) or the player’s decisio n into a resolving actio n and resolves
rando m encounter table for pre-made realms (Nitar - it if necessary. The active player then passes his role
pg 105). Feel free to create yo ur own context if you to the left.
have an interesting idea.

Quick References
Players may freely talk amo ng themselves and
Read the context aloud to all players and make make suggestio ns and plans, but the GM may
sure that everyone understands the situatio n at request that they make actio ns in a timely manner if
hand. Yo u can answer questio ns about the wording play slows down.
of the co ntext (such as defining terms), but no t the When the GM would become Active Player, he
situatio n itself. first makes an Escalatio n Draw (see below), then
2. Establishing Questions passes his GM role to the right (counter-clockwise)
and begins a normal player turn.
The player to the left of the context-giver begins
When all players agree that the encounter is
by asking a questio n abo ut the situation to the player
resolved to a sufficient degree, they may mo ve on to
on his left. Allowed questio ns are things which the
the Conclusion and Beco ming.
players can learn by observing the scene. Questions
that grant players new abilities or change their state 3a. Conclusion
are not allowed. The player to the left answers the
questio n, and this answer becomes a true fact about The GM may optionally say a few words to tie
the encounter. That player then asks a questio n of up the encounter. Concluding questio ns may be used
his own. as well if players wish (pg 104).
A player who feels he has no further questions
about the scenario may elect to pass. Resolutio n
begins once all players pass in sequence.

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 Wound Summary
Superficial Wounds Deep Wounds Heart Wounds
Can be inflicted by any weapon or Can be inflicted only by an attack made Can only be inflicted if two
hazard with great emotio n, by a wonder, or by of the deep wound
the Aether. conditio ns are met at once.
Draw from the world balance, then The Eidolo n loses one anima of his Follow instructio ns on page
disable a trait whose element cho ice, then suffers a superficial wound. 49. The Eidolo n also suffers
matches the wound (ignore the If he has no anima in his personal a deep wound.
wound if no trait matches) balance after this, he is knocked out.
An Eido lon may spend one Anima An Eido lon recovers from all deep Heart Wounds canno t be
of any type to fully recover from all wounds when he rests for one night and recovered from.
superficial wounds. one day.

4. Becoming draws equal to the level of his Anima in the element

aligned with the attempt (so having 3 Fire Anima
The GM who finished the encounter declares gives you 3 re-draws on fire attempts). Aether draws
how many po ints of emergence the encounter is cannot be re-drawn under normal circumstances.
worth. All players pass their character sheets to the
left this many times, marking off one po int of Anima Surge - Spend an Anima from your
emergence in the character sheet in front of them, personal balance, and that is considered to replace
based on how that player role-played during the your draw. The anima is added to the world balance
previous encounter. Players skip over themselves if and removed from your personal balance.
they receive their own character sheets during this Assist Surge - Another player spends an Anima
process. Once all sheets have the decided-upon from his personal balance to replace your draw, just
number of emergence points added, pass them back like a normal Anima Surge.
to their owners. The owner may then add one point
of emergence to his own sheet in any category Opposed Draw - Both the player and the force
(regardless of roleplay). opposing him make resolution draws. Enemy
Eidolons will redraw or use Anima Surges at the
Resolution Draw Summary discretion of the current GM. In the case of a tie,
players win Perfect Success and Outside Success ties,
The GM determines which element is most and enemies win Neutral Success and Failure ties.
closely aligned to the actio n being resolved. Make a
draw from the world balance and co mpare the drawn Aether draws canno t be canceled by Anima or
Quick References

element’s positio n to the alignment of the actio n. Assist Surges.

Using the following table, narrate the outcome: Escalation Summary
Perfect Success (Matching) - “Success and…” -
Draw two cards fro m the world balance. Note
The actio n is more successful than expected, and
there are additio nal positive effects. the relationship of the two cards:

Outside Success (Adjacent) - “Success but…” - If the first card forms a perfect or outside
The actio n is successful, but there are complications success when co mpared to the second card, interpret
or additio nal negative effects. the element of the first card on the Escalatio n Table

Neutral Success (Neither adjacent nor opposed) If either card is Aether, interpret the element of
- “Failure but…” - The actio n is unsuccessful, but the other card on the Escalation Table. Add an
there are some positive effects. Aether to the World Balance if it contains less than
3 Aether.
Failure (Opposed) - “Failure and…” - The actio n
fails, and there are additio nal co mplicatio ns or If either card is Anima, do not trigger an
negative effects beyond that failure. escalatio n. Add an Anima to the World Balance if it
contains less than 3 Anima.
After looking at the draw, but before the GM
narrates the results, the player may opt to re-draw or Enemy Actions
use an Anima Surge. A different player may also Optio nally, before Escalatio n, the GM may make
choose to use an Assist Surge. A player receives re- an actio n for each enemy in the encounter. To do so:

224
 Draw from the World Balance. Draw again to resolve that action as normal,
allowing players to oppose it if relevant.
Look at the action chart and determine an
appropriate actio n of that element for the enemy.

Escalation Table
Element Co mbat Puzzle Social
Enemy becomes enraged A deadly trap springs upo n one of Vio lence is threatened against
or gains additio nal the player characters. the party.
destructive power. A natural hazard puts the party in A challenge or test is issued to
Enemy's attack disables immediate danger. the party.
or destroys the party's The room or area begins to
gear or weapons. collapse.
The enemy learns a A critical detail that was The party learns that they have
critical weakness of one overlooked by the party suddenly been misled or betrayed.
of the players. gains deadly relevance. An o ld ally of the party appears.
A weakness the enemy The party must choose between The party discovers a hidden
previously displayed is two paths, each littered with vague dungeon, catacomb, or other
removed or protected. clues as to where they lead. such place.
The enemy snares, traps, A device or construction of some The party learns that they are
or otherwise restrains a kind malfunctio ns. searching for the wrong person
player. It becomes expedient that the party or thing.
The enemy develops a leave the area immediately. A sudden disaster or crisis
new power or ability. A cursed device or item is strikes the area.
discovered.
Enemy gains immunity The party is forced to find another The party receives questionable
or protection against one way forward. informatio n.
of the party's weapons or A mysterious potio n or food item is The party receives an
tools. discovered. unexpected and suspect gift.
The enemy regenerates An ally NPC appears to join the
from any wounds it has party.
suffered.
The enemies take ho ld of The way beco mes blocked by a A past deed of one of the players
an important tactical difficult obstacle. is recalled, and shown to have

Quick References
positio n. A dead end is reached. caused harm.
A trait possessed by a An enemy NPC appears. An o ld enemy of the party
party member is appears.
weakened or disabled.
A wound inflicted by the Conditio ns in the area prevent the Something is sto len from the
enemy is more deadly party from staying there much party.
than it first appeared. lo nger. A lie has been spread abo ut o ne
The enemy vanishes or An ancient curse is triggered. of the party members.
goes into hiding, able to The party becomes lost. The party realizes an supposed
strike again at any time. ally is working against them.
Enemy reinforcements The way forward requires The reputatio n of one of the
appear. something to be left behind. players is questioned.
The enemy's morale The way forward requires the The party loses favor with o ne
increases, and he shakes answer to a riddle or ancient of its supporters or allies.
off any fear or confusio n. codeword.
No escalatio n this turn
Dire Escalatio n - Magnify the effects of an escalatio n based on the other element drawn.

225
 Glossary particular realm. Creed affects the superstitio ns,
traditio ns, and natural laws of the realm.
Some important terms for everyday life in
Culture (61): The cultural dispositio n of a
Empyrean, and the page numbers on which they can
particular realm. Culture determines the kind of
be found.
trade goods that the realm's civilizatio n creates.
Aether (9): The mist that ebbs at the edges of
Darkness (24): The element governing
the world. Those who disappear into the Aether
deceptio n, lies, and secrets. Aligned with Air and
rarely return, and it consumes more of the world
Sto ne. Opposed by Light and Electricity.
with each passing day.
Deep Wound (48): A wound which seriously
Aetherling (25): Creatures that are rumored to
disables an Eidolo n, causing him to act less
live in the Aether. They are alien in every sense of
effectively until it is healed.
the world, and feared by the people of Empyrean.
Dreiz (22): The patron spirit of Fire. Dreiz takes
Air (25): The element governing speech,
the form of a proud lion. He revels in destructio n,
negotiatio n, and coordinatio n. Aligned with Fire and
death, and victory—especially the destructio n of
Darkness. Opposed by Electricity and Water.
Empyrean's enemies.
Anima (3): The force of existence from which
Eido lon (2): An immortal, living force of nature.
all things in Empyrean are woven. Except for the
Eidolo ns all possess a connectio n to Grand
Aether, all things are made of Anima.
Cornerstone and desire to see it rebuilt.
Anima Pearl (51): A crystallized mote of pure
Electricity (23): The element governing
Anima. Often traded as currency, and useful for
inventio n, surprise, and innovatio n. Aligned with
creating wo nders.
Light and Water. Opposed by Air and Darkness.
Atamos (22): The patron spirit of Light. Atamos
Elemental Anima (19): Anima that is aligned
takes the form of a great stag, and shares knowledge
with a particular element. Most Anima is elemental,
with those who seek it.
and co mbinatio ns of elemental anima make up all
Brigantin (24): The patron spirit of Stone. material in Empyrean.
Brigantin takes the form of a mighty boar, and
Empyrean (2): The world in which the game
fights against disorder and chaos which erode the
takes place. Empyrean is a world co mposed entirely
world.
of various co mbinatio ns of an existential energy
Brilliant Dawn (16): An organization dedicated called Anima.
to exploratio n and discovery of the far reaches of
Encyclopedia (78): A treasure that co ntains all
Empyrean.
imaginable objects of one specific type. One of the
Colossus (10): A massive creature with a lost wo nders of Old Empyrean.
Quick References

cornerstone at its heart, corrupted by Aether to come

Fire (22): The element governing power,
to life and destroy without aim.
destructio n, and strength. Allied with Light and Air.
Co mbat Encounter (40): An encounter that Opposed by Water and Stone.
focuses mainly on defeating an enemy or
Go vernment (59): The legal dispositio n of a
overcoming a force of direct oppositio n.
particular realm. Government determines what
Conceit (84): One of the things a Cornerstone forces rule the realm and how far their influence
may contain. A co nceit is a boon that is granted only reaches.
to the individual who unlocks it.
Grand Cornerstone (10): The heart of Empyrean
Consumable (51): A treasure that is lost after which sustains the world and pushes back against
being used. Typically the cheapest and most easily the tide of Aether. Grand Cornerstone was
obtained of wonders. destroyed nearly one thousand years ago.
Cornerstone (3): A piece of Grand Cornerstone, Heart Wound (49): The most deadly wo und an
the heart of the world of Empyrean. When Grand Eidolo n can suffer. A heart wound destroys, alters,
Cornerstone was shattered, these shards were lost or corrupts an Eidolo n's Persona Traits
across the world. permanently.
Creed, Personal (35): The code by which an Kinado (25): The patron spirit of Air. Kinado
Eidolo n lives and makes his decisio ns. So me say the takes the form of a winged wo lf. He excels in
strength of their creed is an Eidolo n's true power. diplomacy, games, and tricks, and lo ves to use others
Creed, Realm (63): The religio us dispositio n of a to acco mplish his goals.

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 Lemnas (23): The patron spirit of Water. Random Encounter (194): An encounter generated
Lemnas takes the form of a playful otter. He teaches randomly by drawing against the Encounter Generator
the people of Empyrean resourcefulness, Table, as opposed to one planned by a player.
determinatio n, and responsibility. Realm (6): One of the things a Cornerstone may
Librarium Omnibus (12): An organizatio n that contain. A realm is a new place in the world that can
collects and categorizes the history and science of be explored by Eidolo ns.
Empyrean. An order of scholars and researchers. Realm Attributes (72): The seven traits that
Light (22): The element governing knowledge, determine the dispositio n of a realm. They are
discovery, and science. Allied with Fire and Culture, Terrain, Government, Creed, Wildlife,
Electricity. Opposed by Stone and Darkness. Society, and Techno logy.
Major Wo nder (52): A powerful wo nder with Scenario (93): An overarching story that occurs
far-reaching effects and co nsequences. Typically a in episodes and leads to a definite conclusio n.
relic of Old Empyrean. Servants of Balance (15): An organizatio n
Mask (78): A treasure which temporarily grants dedicated to the careful rebuilding and balancing of
an Eido lon a trait he would not normally possess. Empyrean, in order to prevent future calamity.
One of the lost wonders of Old Empyrean. Social Encounter (40): An enco unter that
Minor Wonder (52): A wonder with local effects focuses mainly o n social interactions and dialogue
or narrow consequences. Typically a relic of Old between multiple parties.
Empyrean. Society (62): The organizatio n of a particular
Nascent (7): The ordinary people of Empyrean. realm. Society determines how the settlements in
Nascent live in tribes, each of which differs wildly the realm are organized and related to one another.
from the others in terms of physique, culture, and Special Encounter (101): An encounter with its
lifestyle. own special rules that set it apart from a standard
Order of the Seven Heroes (13): An organizatio n encounter.
dedicated to the protectio n and safety of Empyrean Sto ne (24): The element governing fortitude,
and its Nascent populatio n. resilience, and traditio n. Aligned with Darkness and
Orelk (24): The patron spirit of Darkness. Orelk Water. Opposed by Fire and Light.
takes the form of a cunning panther. He lives in the Superficial Wound (48): A wound which
shadows and manipulates his pawns indirectly. temporarily corrupts or destroys one of the Eido lon's
Owner (19): The player who controls a specific Persona Traits. Regenerating from Superficial
story element. The owner has final say o n all Wounds costs one Anima of any type.
matters regarding his element. Techno logy (58): The techno logical type of a

Quick References
Paradigm (74): One of the things a Cornerstone particular realm. Techno logy determines what
may co ntain. A paradigm is a new law or concept of conveniences and sciences exist and functio n within
reality that co mes to permeate the entire world. the realm.
Persona Trait (5): A loose grouping of the Terelt (23): The patron spirit of Electricity.
powers that Eidolo ns may develop. No two Persona Terelt takes the form of a wily fox. He acts
Traits are exactly alike, but they seem to have a seemingly without mo tive, but history proves he
similar general functio n. always has a plan behind his actions.
Personal Story (97): An Eido lon's personal Terrain (57): The terrain type of a particular
background, including both past and future realm. Terrain determines what kind of land fills the
struggles. realm and what hazards it might contain.
Places (65): Wondrous landmarks within a Utopian Society (14): An organizatio n dedicated
realm that may be dungeons, monuments, natural to equality, peace, and prosperity amo ng the
wonders, or anything else of note. Nascent Tribes of Empyrean.
Pure Anima (45): Anima that is no t aligned with Water (23): The element governing
any element. In its pure state, Anima has the resourcefulness, life, and adaptability. Aligned with
greatest potentiality. Sto ne and Electricity. Opposed by Fire and Air.
Puzzle Encounter (40): An encounter that Wildlife (60): The type of creatures living in a
focuses mainly o n overcoming obstacles or indirect particular realm. Wildlife determines what animals,
oppositio n. mo nsters, and plants occupy the area.

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Quick References