WORLD OF

CAMPAIGN PRIMER

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BY JERE MANNINEN & JAYE SONIA

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THE WORLD OF ALESSIA

is a different kind of
fantasy setting.
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CAMPAIGN PRIMER VERSION 1A

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BASED ON THE WORLD CREATED BY JERE MANNINEN.
THE WORLD OF ALESSIA CAMPAIGN PRIMER
WAS WRITTEN AND DEVELOPED BY JAYE SONIA.

CREDITS
ADDITIONAL WRITING
EDITING
BY NERINE DORMAN, TROY ELLIS

ZACHARY BAUER, JERE MANNINEN, BEN MCFARLAND, AND BRIAN SUSKIND.

FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES INTERIOR ART
BY

BY JAYE SONIA
LAYOUT
JAYE SONIA
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ERIK SCOTT DE BIE
GRAPHIC DESIGN

CARTOGRAPHY
BY ANNADEL CINCO, JULIE DILLON, DOMEANO, GRAEY ERB, SEPTIMUS
FERDIAN, ALESSIO FIORASI, CECILIA GINA, ANGEL HUERTA, IÑAKI,
AYELET KESHET, DIO MAHESA, TERRY MARANDA, EKATRINA M., KAETI
MCNEIL, DIONISIS MILONAS, NIKOLAI OSTERTAG, HUGH PINDAR,
TAI TRAN, STRIKING TULIP, SHY, LE MINH HOAI QUOC, ALEXANDRA
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BY BY JAYE SONIA VARDANIAN, DANIEL WEARING, AND LIU ZISHAN
PROOFING TEAM
BYJAMES ALLEN, ZACHARY BAUER, KURT BLANCO, ZACHARY BROWN, ROB C., SHANE CORDES, DADALOS, DANIEL, DAN
DAVENPORT, KODYAX DERSCHRECKEN, TROY ELLIS, ROBERT FAIRBANKS, EMMANUAL FARRAR, WESLEY W. GREEN III, DAVID
HEADQUIST, JESSE HEATON, KARL KREUTZER, JERE MANNINEN, DAVID MARION, CHARLES RICE, MATTEO SIGNORINI, AND
ARIC WIEDER.
REQUIRES:
COVER ART THE WORLD OF ALESSIA CAMPAIGN PRIMER IS NOT A STAND-ALONE
BY ANGEL HUERTA AND LE MINH HOAI QUOC GAME; GMS AND PLAYERS STILL NEED TO USE THE 5E CORE BOOKS.
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COMPATIBLE WITH THE 5TH

EDITION OF THE WORLD’S MOST
POPULAR ROLE-PLAYING GAME.

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 THE WORLD OF ALESSIA
BACKER LIST
Lee, Petri Leinonen, Dominic London, Luke Mccampbell,
CITIZENS OF ALESSIA Joe Medica, Michael, Brian Moran, Wes Moulder, Edward
John Bowlin, Josh Childs, Scott Gladstein, Andrew Moyer, Jay Muir, Richard Mundy, Gregorio Munoz III,
Harshman, Shaun Kyle Ortego (RIP), Silverwing Prime, and Naïck, N03vil, John Owens, Valentin Pacquet, Joshua

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Le Minh Hoai Quoc. Pevner, Louis Porter Jr., David Rache, Grant Reamey, Luke
IMPERIAL NOBLES OF ALESSIA Lattimer-Rogers, and John “Johnkzin” Rudd, Norbert De
Sansimon, Kuro Sapphire, James Schatz, Hafsteinn Þór
Patrick Adair, Brian W. Adams, Mikael Assarsson, Aquilas, Sigurðsson, Josh Sitton, Spellhawks Press, Oliver Von
Wizard of Az, Tim Baker, Nicholas Baughman, Jason Bean, Spreckelsen, James Tillman, Tim Walters, William

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Cassiar Beaver, Brian Berg, Sam Billington, Björn, Pedro Walters, Jay Watson, Nils Werner, and Tokachirikato
Blanco, Auri Blue, Boredundeadgamer, David Bowers, Mi Zushimomeito.
Brian, Craig Brown, Travis Bryant, Burtimus, Tomas B.
C., Matthew Capell, Chris Carr, Cody, Dadalos, Darklord, IMPERIAL PEACEKEEPERS
Steve Dodge, Jonathon Dyer, Stefan M. Feltmann, Philibert James Allen, Polignone Antoine, Michael Bentley, Blarghedy
Florent, Rabih Ghandour, Wesley W. Green III, Taylor Guest, Bnizzle, Joseph Boster, Bregalad, Jt Crawford, Hans
Yannick Gueye, Jhewett, Travis Hood, Rob James, Jesús, Cummings, David, Philippe Deville, John Doyle, Sam
Jodi King, Andrew Knipfer, Stanislav Krasovskyi, Steven Eaton, Austin F, Robert Fairbanks, Forrest Faulk, Miska
Lord, Luca, Ken Marable, Dwayne Marlowe, Peter Martin, Fredman, Chris Garrett, Arne Götzinger, Jim Groves, David

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Sherry Massey, Tirelli Matteo, Max, Nicola Mcblane, Paul
Mcerlean, Lee McGovern, Rusty Mckee, Francois Mersch,
Eric Moffitt, Carey Newhouse, Earl Scott Nicholson, Nate
Ng, Robert Orr, Kaan Ozkal, Brian Pelt, John Pennington,
Henry Perez, Roddy, Nathanaël Roux, Ryan, Scott, Aaron
Paul Guzmán, Runar Haaland, Jason Hahn, Daniel Hayes,
Heewon, Siôn Hopes, Scott Hornbuckle, Sean Izaakse,
Jeleinen, Stephen K, Kcrift, David Klemish, Ilmari Korpi,
Lakshman, Lost Spheres Publishing, Luis Lara, Guy Edward
Larke, Luke, Jere Manninen, Scott Maynard, Ben Mcfarland,
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Scott, Melissa Scott, Stevan Serafimov, Eka Setiawan, Stuart Mcilwraith, Mendel, Matthias Mertens, Ada Ostrokol,
Sheepy, Michael J. Skelton, Richard L. Skinner, Chris Patrick P., Ronald G Paris, Ethan Penn, Pinvendor, Jenevieve
Skuller, Peter Spencer, Stephen, Todd Stephens, David Power-Defer, G_q, Michael Ramsey, Sarin Reis, John
Stephenson, Chris Stewart, Ryan Stiltz, Dolan Story, Larry “King” Roberts, Salathera, Scara, Aaron Sheffield, Ethan
Strome, Yu Tsai Su, Stephan Szabo, Jeffrey Taft, Kenneth Sibert, Johnny Sörensson, Ian In Slc, Jonathan Spader, Brian
Tedrick, Rudy Thauberger, Steven Thesken, Christian Suskind, Thegeoman, Timo, Torradin341, Brandon Urey,
Thygesen, Tillerz, Steven the Troll, Johnny Vargas, Russell Chris Williams, Doug Williamson, Vadis, and Zeon
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Ventimeglia, Joris Van Der Worst, VL, Daniel Walker, Andy

“Cosmo-Joe” Watkins, Tim Watkins, Matthew J. Weidman, THE TELGA INITIATIVE
Mike Welham, Clint Williams, Yaaka, Zargo Games. Cb Ash, Marc Braden, Kalu Ekeh, Andrew Gorman, Brian
Howard, James H. Lewis, Noah Mccoy, Tim Mushel, Adam
KOBOLDS OF ALESSIA Roy, Samsynn, Alex Stachowski, Timothy, Michael G
Charlie Day, Thomas Martin E., Stephane Gelgoot, Townsend, and Cherri Zehm.
Supersonic Mike, John P., Richard Rivera, Trevor Scurr, and
David Queen. THE LOREKEEPERS
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Graham Cheshir, Daniel, Darkwhite, Kevin Detlefsen, Jason

PSIONS OF ALESSIA Hennigan, Alasdair Kinnear, Eric Latouche, Andrew Lotton,
Archania’s Workshop, Björn Arnold, William Balaguer, Joel Mattson, Timothy Mcfadden, Michael O’connor,
Corey Beetz, Thomas Behrens, Jacob Blackmon, Breitmaier, Prwarrior04, J. Evans Payne, Shawn Polka, Damon Rice,
Richard Lowell Briggs, Zachary Brown, Bryant, Brian Michael Kyle Rose, Ryuondo, Michael Schell, Brent Strom,
Burns, Alex Caffery, Bill Corey, Neil Crampin, Creepy Doll Daniel Temple, Jordane Thiboust, Noel Tobin, Brett Tomko,
Studios, Riley Crowder, James Crowder Ii, Victor Diaz, Donald A. Turner, and Aaron Upchurch.
James Van Doren, Ryan Dukacz, Troy Ellis, Peter Engebos,
Eric Forbes, Vincenzo Furfaro, Tim Gonzalez, Thomas DIGITAL KOBOLDS
Grim, Damian Guitian, Sasha Hall, Hella101, Herrmathe, Joshua Archer, Andrew Balenko, Frank Carr, Ben Fowler,
Hidsnake, Robert H Hudson Jr, Madeline Hutchinson, Simon Jennings, Peter Petrovich, Red Umbral Mist, and
Insomniac009, Joey, Kyoshiro Kami, Lisa Kellogg, Ryan Daniel Townsend.
Kent, David Kieffer, Andy King, Jason “Polar_bear” Koepp,
Martin Krebs, Kergonan, Ladyseltsam, Lee Langston,
Young-Hoon

2 CHAPTER 1 | WELCOME
DRAGONSWORN SORCERERS
– at the end of the day. Jere and I both agreed that more is
better.
Andrew, Keith Apperson, Scott Avick, Tracy Barkley, Ben,
Kurt Blanco, Brian, Bugmaster, Chad, Steven D Cole, Esq., There’s a lot in this book that, with more pages, we could
Reagan Coleman Iii, Shawn Cotton, Clayton Culwell, Oliver have explored in much greater depth. I know Jere and I
D. Dickerson Iii, Aaron Dubreuil, Michael Dunning, Andrew discussed, several times during the project, on precisely how
F, David E Ferrell, Ben Hall, Jennifer, Julia, Josh Jackson, much was worth adding, and if that added content balanced
Karl Kreutzer, Maurice Leblanc, Lo, Andreas Loeckher, well against the time we’d need to add it. We weighed our
Jaakob Maunula, David Marion, Minmon, Numbertenox, decision carefully, even bringing it to our backers to see what
Orko, Donovan Ranney, Deadly Reed, Jeremiah Reynolds, everyone thought. The backers’ collective comments and
Jerrod Rose Jr., The Rosenthal Family, Paul Ryan, Saajan support always echoed the kind, thoughtful approach we’d

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9000, Charles Schindler, Sean, Secespitus, Matteo Signorini, expect from fans of Alessia. On more than one occasion, a
Jonathan Smith, Sominex, Boyd Stephenson, Christopher backer would come forward and say, “Hey, if you need more
Sulat, Erin Sullivan, Andrew Swartz, TJ, Liam Vermazen, time, take it.”
Vijay, Claude Weaver Iii, Aric Wieder, Sandra Wilkinson,

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Marcus Winger, and Cameron Youngs. And we did.

ALESSIAN ARCHIVISTS But, like so many of you knew then, some things are worth
the wait! In fact, as I’m writing this (one of the very last
Mikael Sandgren Bock, Roman Draughon, Joseph Evenson,
things I’ll add to the book), Jere and I are discussing the
Jack, Jesse, Lunar, Multaekappae, Paprockiw, and Jeff
artistic journey we’ve taken on this project, from start to
finish. Because while this is very much a game book, it is
Robinson.
SKYSHIP CAPTAINS also a piece of art; a reflection of Jere’s hopes for the world
hand-crafted into a sandbox in which anyone might play.
Kisa A, Taiga Brenerman, Joshua C Kitchens, and Jason Ott.
That’s a pretty interesting gift, when you think about it.
HAND OF THE CELESTIAL
EMPEROR
Kurt Jensen.
THE VOICE OF LIGHT
e But none of this would be possible if it hadn’t been for the
wonderful backers on this (and the opposite) page; had it not
been for these faithful few, you might not be reading this.

We hope you enjoy the World of Alessia.

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Emmanuel Farrar. So, thanks.
THE COURT OF THE FIRST Cheers,
Shane Cordes, David Headquist, and Rob 2.0. Jaye
THANK YOU BACKERS!
~ ALESSIA ~
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EXISTS BECAUSE OF YOU

While I cannot speak for other content creators, I know that

if it wasn’t for Kickstarter (and all of the wonderful backers
willing to support our projects), Storm Bunny Studios
wouldn’t be able to bring you great content from campaign
settings like the World of Alessia, Bloodlines & Black
Magic, Rhune: Dawn of Twilight, Mists of Akuma, or any
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of our other projects.

So, thank you.

While we’ve certainly taken longer putting this book together

than we originally anticipated, I think readers will be happy
with the extra time we invested – this primer is much bigger
than the one we originally promised backers (260 pages), by
about 80 pages!

While we likely could have stuffed more into the book, the
entire team agreed that presenting Alessia in a fluid, visually
satisfying layout was far more important than trying to stuff
in more words, especially with the additional content we
have planned! So, we discussed it and found a happy medium

WORLD OF ALESSIA CAMPAIGN PRIMER | KICKSTARTER EDITION | 5E 3

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CHAPTER 1 | WELCOME TO ALESSIA

CHAPTER 1 | TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT TO EXPECT 5
SETTING THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS 5
TEN THINGS EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT ALESSIA 10
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THE EMPIRE OF XIAN 10

THE KAIMA RULE THE UNSEEN REALMS 13
THE ANCIENT YÖKAI 15
THE ROTTING GOD: GALGARÆ, THE LAST DRAGON 16
THE PATH OF LIGHT 17
THE MAGIC BEHIND SOCIETY 18
THE WAR OF THE SOVEREIGNS 19
CHARACTER CREATION 20
CHARACTER GOALS 21
FEATS 23
USING RESOLVE 31
STUNTS 32
NEW SKILLS 37
NEW BACKGROUNDS 41

4 CHAPTER 1 | WELCOME
Asparra uncoiled and worked her way around the trunk of the tree, stopping just short of the last branch. She looked around, taking a quick
mental note of the Scale-Poisoned Kronos that surrounded her. She flicked her forked tongue and smiled disarmingly, presenting her arms and
open hands as a sign of her submission.

They were clueless.

The world of Alessia is a world of high fantasy that the empire, where visitors and citizens commingle, inviting
combines Wuxia, science fiction, and magic-driven a variety of impressions and ideas about the Empire of Xian
technology – called magitech. It is a massive world (and to some extent, the larger world as well).
where magic and technology coexist, impacting every
This strong military presence works well, with the majority
aspect of life, from the Healing Houses of Sillias to the

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of the peace-keeping force focusing on its core mission –
great Towers of Xin. It is a land where Fyrean Genies keeping the peace. Outsiders expecting fascism and tyranny
meet with Asrian Wardens, and The Gangs of Khatu are pleasantly surprised to find compassion, order, and
push their Drifters across the desert sands, seeking mindfulness – hallmark values of the society that created
resources and victims of every kind. them. This is further reinforced by the various monastic

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orders that populate the various lands, most of which have
Alessia is a world where the Sovereigns, in an act strong martial traditions.
of unification, merged into a singular pantheon –
forming The Path of Light. It is a land where medical This need for order and cooperation extends throughout
advancements, evolution, and ki energy form not only Alessia’s various societies, and most of its citizens have
come to expect it. Those who stand vigilant against the
a methodology to achieve progress, but instead form
darkness know it is often chaos and disorder that herald its
a way of life. For the people of Alessia, the path to return.
success is girded with honor, hard work, bravery, and a
need to do good. Technology – specifically magitech – also plays a big role

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Alessia is a land at the height of its glory, held aloft
by the Four Pillars of Light – Mercy, Truth, Hope, and
Courage. Its churches unified and its clergy working in
in Alessian society. Having long been exposed to the Ish’ra
and their technology, the Empire of Xian has been slowly
and safely developing a network of socially responsible
technology. While the empire previously explored this
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unison, the people of Alessia enjoy what others think technology in secret, it has been openly championing its
is only an illusion – a slowly blossoming utopia. But advancement since Galgaræ’s fall; most citizens know how
to use multiple magitech devices or services.
Alessia is not a land without its challenges. Having
suffered an ecological disaster that would have ended While there are organizations and ideas that still divide some
smaller planets, the people of Alessia have spent of Alessia’s people, many of the older social fetters – things
the past millennium pulling themselves up from the like sexism and racism – have long since become historical
viscera of the War of the Sovereigns; from the decaying
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markers for Alessia’s people to remember; they are the times

Great Beast Galgaræ and the Shadows of Venn to the of darkness that forever inform the Light.

SETTING THE RIGHT

Orgothii, the once-vanquished forces of darkness creep
again, slowly pushing against the Ring of Heaven,
hoping to find purchase in Alessia once more.
EXPECTATIONS
Today, the Empire of Xian and its Imperial
Peacekeepers stand watch, fulfilling their ancient
Setting the right tone is essential to any role-playing game.
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When I set out to develop Alessia from Jere’s translated

compact with the citizens of Alessia. Working in unison notes, we had already spoken several times. I had a rough
with most of the Path of Light, these two forces have idea of what he was trying to develop and, to some extent,
set out to keep Alessia safe, sound, and a bastion of why. A family man with a love of gaming, Jere wanted a
hope for another millennia – no matter what. simple – but seemingly impossible task. He wanted a world
where the great gods of good won a decisive battle against
WHAT TO EXPECT evil and darkness; he wanted a world where the Light won.

Alessia is hyper advanced and long ago integrated with its Furthermore, he wanted a world where, over the successive
refugees, creating a society whose traditions, beliefs, and generations, the Light manifested as a new social standard
culture saved it when Alessia’s enemies nearly destroyed it. for civic responsibility and behavior. We discussed the net
Today, Alessia stands vigilant against the darkness, and that effects of such a supernatural force for good and how, over
informs a great deal of its social behavior, especially in the millennia, it could eradicate things like sexism and racism.
Empire of Xian, where Peacekeepers openly roam the streets. Then, we imagined what the Sovereigns of Light might
This is common in the larger cities and settlements that dot accomplish, in the wink of an eye, before departing for

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 realms unknown. After discussing the impact, we claimed Forces like the Shadows of Venn and the Orgothii gather
some territory slightly between the two extremes. outside the Ring of Heaven, looking for ways to breach the
planet’s outer defenses and harvest her bountiful resources
When you look at just about every fantasy-inspired role- within. Likewise, the forces once loyal to Galgaræ continue
playing game (if it has orcs in it – your game probably to stir, carving out strongholds in the southeast where the
qualifies), you see the same formulas and narratives, dressed Spawn of Galgaræ carefully reclaim territory for their fallen
in slightly new clothes. The elves hate the dwarves, who hate dragon-god.
the orcs, and so on. There are, of course, variations on these
themes – sometimes we get sea elves – but for the most part, This fact, alongside several other threats, has further
the story remains the same – racial betrayal, distrust, and fear encouraged various groups to cohabit and work together.
of the other. We learn this is the acceptable standard from And just like that, we shift the baseline from hatred to

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the opening stages of play. Distrust and racism often reign cooperation. Instead rewarding hate with a “bonus to hit,”
because they’re low hanging fruit; we understand our world we opted to instead develop species synergies – bonuses that
through the filters we’re constrained by, coupled with the bring peoples together (described below).
media we choose to actively consume.

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GMs should
Worse, we understand the world (as consider this
humans) through the narratives we’re when outlining
raised with, so often these concepts are campaigns or
easy “entry points” for players seeking adventures,
immersion in the world. especially
when seeking
But what about the future? out objectives
or agendas for
What about a world where hate isn’t their foes. While
the default?

Alessia is a world that survived

that particular challenge and,
some 7,000 years later, stands
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will have
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unrealistic, and
just plain crazy
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as a shining example of what a ideas for creating
unified planet could look like. havoc (hint, it’s
It’s not perfect and there are often about money),
plenty of contested domains, few of these should
ideas, and more – but it isn’t a be based on hate of a
world built on racial divide. particular group.
But becoming a beacon of
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hope for millions of lives doesn’t come For the yökai, this is all but self-evident; most tribes
without a cost; acting as a refuge for others, Alessia has have fluid family positions, with parents satisfying tribal
woven several alien cultures into its own, and over time, has responsibilities in a number of unique (often communal)
cultivated a culture of unity that is important – especially as ways. Moreover, as the oldest peoples of an actively evolving
outside forces look at Alessia with lust in their eyes. world, they’ve established a number of traditions proven
to disrupt those traits from forming; the tribe knows that
isolation breeds darkness, and in that darkness,
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even the best among them might surrender to the

beast.

All of these elements are threads – woven into the

greater tapestry that is Alessia’s living, breathing,
and evolving culture. Will there be content where
hate, sexism, or, racism are a driving factor? Sure, but
they’re no longer the driving factors for the majority of
Alessia’s problems.

6 CHAPTER 1 | WELCOME
 the traditional tropes, becoming a champion for social
JERE’S THOUGHTS: progress and a mindful, thinking society. I turned the
police into Peacekeepers, doing away with the idea of
FROM FINLAND, militant feudalism and traditional power structures.

WITH To my mind, Alessia is a world where heroes – capable

of superhuman feats – fight to protect an ideal society
LOVE. that they have all come to love. While others will chase
Alessia was born in early 2014. alternate motivations, fighting for honor, wealth, and
even

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I have always loved both science fiction and fantasy, to maintain older power structures, many will reach
but I’ve historically focused most of my passion in for the stars – seeing the bigger picture and helping
the realms of fantasy, enjoying games such as D&D, Alessia’s species evolve.
Pathfinder, and Exalted. When I’ve wanted to indulge

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science fiction, I played games like Fading Suns and I knew that if I was going to share my vision of the
Eclipse Phase. world with others, I’d need to have it illustrated. So,
I started looking for artists. I found Angel Huerta,
I knew in early 2016 that I wanted to build a world that whose work spoke to me like no others did. Eventually,
included all of my favorite elements. I began by taking I reached out and hired him. He’s been working on
three words – fantasy, science-fiction, and Wuxia Alessia ever since. Art in hand, I knew I was going to
– using the trio as a guide for the world filled with need help writing this book; I couldn’t do this alone.
magitech I imagined. I explored these words, plucking So, in 2015, I started looking for companies to help me
my favorite elements from each. produce my world. I reached out to several, but I kept

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I knew, for instance, that I wanted Alessia to have ley
lines that crisscrossed her surface, forming a magical
network that connected everything and everyone – I
hitting roadblocks. No one was interested in the World
of Alessia.

During the summer of 2016, I reached out to game

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wanted everything to play a role. I also knew I wanted designer Jaye Sonia, who had built his world, Rhune,
to include science-fiction early into the setting, giving through his company Storm Bunny Studios, and I
the whole planet ample time to evolve into the ideal pitched my world to him.
society I imagined.
He said yes.
I also knew, early on, that I wanted Alessia to be a
The book you’re holding is the result of that
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culturally rich and diverse place, with a host of 20+

species living together in relative harmony. I wanted to collaborative effort. I’ve spent the past two,
do it without relying on age-old tropes that promoted nearly three years, working beside
racism and similar prejudices. Jaye Sonia and his team. I couldn’t be
happier with the world we’ve built.
I wanted a world where the forces of Light
reigned triumphantly over the darkness; I hope you feel the same way.
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I wanted to build a world worth

protecting, not one that the PCs needed Sincerely,
to save, conquer, or change to make it Jere Manninen.
ready for a much larger universe.

I wanted a world worth protecting.

I wanted to create a rich culture that shared

roots with Wuxia, a trope I had long loved
growing up. This inspired me to create the
Eastern-themed Empire of Xian, which became
the gold standard for cooperation and collaboration;
I envisioned and designed the Empire to step outside of

WORLD OF ALESSIA CAMPAIGN PRIMER | KICKSTARTER EDITION | 5E 7

 JAYE’S THOUGHTS: WRITING FROM WISCONSIN
Alessia is different. While we discuss Alessia’s many threats throughout
this primer, we have made a decision not to highlight
It is different in ways I’m still unfolding, even now as any given one more than another – we feel that’s
I write the introduction to a book I’m putting the final something a GM and their players should decide when
touches on, the third of many ‘campaign primers’ I’ve they sit down to make characters for the first time.
written and likely not the last. So, trying to catch and
describe – even for just a moment – the full potential Alessia departs from many assumptions, and in doing
of what something might become is often hard to do, so, I hope it is a setting that welcomes a diversity of

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and in the long term, sometimes impossible to fully stories, ideas, and adventures – we want Alessia to be
understand. In a number of ways, the knowledge of the type of place heroes feel the need to fight for, not
that potential, to be unlocked and unveiled across the because they desire violence, but rather because the
plane of time, perfectly encapsulates what Alessia is – a society they’ve built is worth it.

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celebration of life, of becoming, of joy, and of the hope
that comes with rebirth. I’m proud of the world we’ve created.

That’s important. I hope you enjoy it.

Alessia is different because its goals, aims, and hopes ~Jaye Sonia, March 9th, 2020
are different. It is world whose elders gambled on
hope and cooperation instead of
fear and hate.

Moreover, for the people of

Alessia, knowledge of a larger
outside world has never been
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a thing of mystery; their gods,
their Light, and knowledge
of their interstellar neighbors
has always been certain. That
certainty became the fertile
soil in which the people would
plant more seeds of hope,
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and with them, the cycle of

cooperation that brought
everyone to that point.

Longstanding champions
of cooperation and
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collaboration, the people

responsible for modern-
day Alessia are not
without enemies – cults
dedicated to the Old
Sovereigns, inter dimensional alien
raiders, and the powers of
Darkness all gather, each threatening to destroy
what the people of Alessia have built. Whether at the
edges of civilization or in the heart of Alessia’s great
cities, these fringe groups with their radical ideologies
only serve to remind everyone that some people – no
matter their species – will never be happy with peace.

8 CHAPTER 1 | WELCOME
ADDING A SESSION ZERO With all of this on the table for discussion, the players
Before you begin playing Alessia (or any tabletop and the GM should have a crystal-clear image of what
role playing game), consider sitting down with your their games are going to look like, how they should
group to discuss your expectations for the campaign. play, and what sorts of steps you’ll take to resolve any
Commonly known as a Session Zero, this event can issues that come up during play.
be (and often is) one of the more important events that
take place in a role playing game.

At its core, the concept is simple: your Session Zero is

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the first time everyone gets together, makes characters,
discusses what they want from the gaming experience,
and establish any boundaries for play. Does your
group want to play villains instead of heroes? Does

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your group have special considerations, challenges, or
needs that impact the game space? Is there a behavioral
pattern you want to leave at the door before game
begins? Do you need to establish a plan for getting
food during game? All of these ideas (and more) can be
discussed in this initial session.
WUXIA: MARTIAL HEROES
So, what kinds of things should you address during
your Session Zero? In English, the word Wuxia means “martial heroes.”

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• Use this session to make characters and define
relationships between those characters.
• Use this session to discuss why you created those
It defines a specific genre of fantasy literature with
a matching trope in television and film. When you
look at the genre’s long history – one that spans 2,000
years – it’s hard not to tread lightly. Because while
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characters, what goals you have for them, and describe our approach to Wuxia has been both researched and
any potential confrontations that might arise because of respectful, even the best-read designers miss elements
these choices. their audiences expect. Please be mindful that while
• Use this session to examine and align potential your personal expectations may not match our vision
species synergies your characters might have. for Alessia, we’ve done our best to leave both GMs and
• Use this session to discuss any topics that should be players plenty of space to adapt the setting as needed.
excluded from the table. Each group that sits down at
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the table will have unique needs when it comes to their I hope you discover the Alessia we’ve tried hard to
characters. Likewise, players will have topics they present – an alternate, multi-cultural world set in a
don’t want to cover in game. distant, dangerous universe, where cooperation and
• Use this session to set verbal boundaries and establish collaboration rule the day. We also hope that our stories
any particular language needs at the table; if your group ring true to the best parts of the trope; we want heroes
is bilingual, make sure you’ve selected a language to be heroes, not stereotypes. While we can’t plan for
everything, we spent a great deal of time evaluating
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you’re all comfortable with and that terms are clear

to everyone involved. Additionally, take this time to how best to present this material in a culture-positive
share pronouns, name preferences, and similar social manner. We hope GMs and players follow our lead and
requirements. present the World of Alessia in the best possible light.
• GMs should use this session to describe any special
considerations for play; list and describe any special In fact, the Light commands it.
rules or requirements to play and give each player
a clear path to achieve their goals within those Of course, that also means encouraging a risk-taking,
parameters. high-flying approach to your game! GMs should make
• GMs should use this session to have an open and a point to reward players for investing in the story,
frank discussion with their players about any areas of especially when their brave and defiant acts leave
concern they have. lasting marks on Alessia and its people.
• Finally, GMs and players should outline their goals
for the story.

WORLD OF ALESSIA CAMPAIGN PRIMER | KICKSTARTER EDITION | 5E 9

 THE HISTORIC EMPERORS & EMPRESSES
Alessia is a massive world, encircled by the Rings of OFXIAN
Heaven and populated with no less than three different • Emperor Xian “Xin” the First, Who Slew Galgaræ
alien species, alongside a population of over twenty and Founded the Empire.
billion evolved beings, crossing dozens of species and
covering half a planet. • Emperor Xi Khan, Who Slew the Seven Emerald Oni
with the Spear of Light.
14 THINGS EVERYONE • Emperor Li Hui of Xi, Who Became as the Light.
KNOWS ABOUT ALESSIA

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• Empress Chen of Wu, Who Stole the Crimson Fire

1
from Giants.
ALESSIA IS MASSIVE

The Empire of Xian dominates Alessia’s settled • Emperor Xian the Second, Who Discovered the Lost
Spear.

fil
continents, stretching from the western deserts of
Fyrea on its east to supporting colonies in the shadow
• Emperor Mu of Xi, Who Slew the Black Phoenix
of the Great Wall in Galgaræ. In the north, the empire with the Spear of Light.
has large, resourceful embassies in Y’rim, Shiran, and
Yerwin. The empire occupies Elysia completely. While • Empress Tia Ze of Zhou, Who Wielded the Spear
the two are on excellent terms, the Emerald Collective Against the Shades of Abraxia.
has only opened parts of Velestria to the Empire of
Xian – its duties to protect the Great Trees of Life • Emperor Yu Diya of Xi, Who Struck Peace with the
paramount to diplomacy. Spear of Light.

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While some outsiders continue to resist the empire,
Emperor Zhin Zhu continues to welcome newcomers to
his table.
•

•
Empress Lea Han of Xin, Who Lost Her Shadow.

Emperor Xian the Third, Who Restored the Spear.

pl
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• Emperor Ji Han Lu of Zanna, Who Brought Peace.
EVERYONE KNOWS EMPEROR ZHIN ZHU
The Emperor of Xian occupies an important, symbolic • Empress Yusha Han of Wu, The Queen Who Led
seat at the head of the Empire of Xian; although Lions.
he relies heavily on regional governors and their
• Emperor Liu of Han, Who Stole the Spear from the
supporting clans, the emperor also wields divine power,
Shadows.
accessing the Rings of Heaven through the spiritual
m

connection the emperor has to the Light through its • Empress Zi Zanna of Xi, Who Painted the Sky.
holiest of holies – Fúsche Guang, the Spear of Light.
• Emperor Ling of Han, Who Slew the Herald of
When Emperor Xian “Xin” the First used Fúsche Shadows.
Guang to bring Galgaræ crashing to the surface of
Alessia, he created a magical bond with this divine relic • Emperor Zhu Zin, the Herald of Light
and the sacred position of his office. If a single leader
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would have the might to access the full power of the The Rings of Heaven selects the new emperor from
Rings of Heaven, then the Ring and its heralds would among its imperial citizenry, spending a decade training
ensure that individual be worthy of that power. This the new leader and ensuring their choice is truly wise.
has become a tradition that has encouraged Alessia’s
clans, houses, and families to aspire to their best, with Although today’s imperial citizens have a voice and a
every family knowing that they might, someday, ascend vote when it comes to who leads them, the process was
to lead the people of Alessia deeper into their glorious far less democratic in previous millennia.
future.

Unlike traditional monarchies, the Rings of Heaven

– through both Fúsche Guang and its many heralds –
selects the new Emperor when the previous one dies (or
elects to step down, becoming the Shadow Emperor).

10 CHAPTER 1 | WELCOME